High-Rise Condominium Collapse
Publication: Journal of Legal Affairs and Dispute Resolution in Engineering and Construction
Volume 15, Issue 1
Abstract
On the morning of June 24, 2021, around 1:22 a.m., the Champlain Tower South in Surfside, Florida partially collapsed killing 98 people. This building was 12 stories high with 136 condo units located oceanfront. There are multiple theories as to why a part of the building collapsed and resulted in one of the deadliest construction failures in modern history. The original construction of the building was determined to have design flaws and inadequate structural support. The building experienced environmental damage, and repairs were delayed. It was contended by the plaintiffs that the pile driving for the neighboring building construction of Eighty-Seven Park caused ground vibrations during excavation that affected the structural condition of Champlain Towers South. A class action lawsuit was filed, representing the residents, victims’ families, and condo owners, and had nine defendants, which included developers, consultants, insurance agencies, geotechnical engineers, and other engineers. This lawsuit was expected to go to trial in March 2023. The major culpability issues revolved around destabilized foundations and consequent damage. The study examined news articles that reported after investigating the catastrophe. Among the end results, all parties to the dispute thought it prudent to settle in multiple settlement deals for a total value of over $1 billion.
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Data Availability Statement
No data, models, or code were generated or used during the study.
Acknowledgments
Disclaimer
This article has been presented for information and study purposes only. The article is based on news reports and the authors do not stake any claim to the accuracy of those published reports, though the authors feel that those news reports were accurately presented. This article is not meant to substitute for legal advice or a legal interpretation.
References
Works Cited
Anderson, C. 2021. “Lawsuit claims Surfside condo collapse triggered by building work.” NBC 6 South Florida. Accessed March 5, 2022. https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/lawsuit-claims-surfside-condo-collapse-triggered-by-building-work/2622574/.
Associated Press. 2022. “Surfside condo collapse victims reach nearly $1b tentative settlement.” Advertiser. Accessed May 15, 2022. https://www.staradvertiser.com/2022/05/11/breaking-news/surfside-condo-collapse-victims-reach-nearly-1b-tentative-settlement/.
Baker, M., and M. Laforgia. 2021. “‘They were bullies’: Inside the turbulent origins of the collapsed Florida condo.” The New York Times. Accessed March 5, 2022. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/25/us/miami-building-collapse-surfside.html.
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Pipitone, T. 2022. “Tentative settlement reached in Surfside condo collapse lawsuit.” NBC 6 South Florida. Accessed May 3, 2022. https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/surfside-condo-collapse/tentative-settlement-reached-in-condo-collapse-lawsuit/2688013/.
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Timm-Garcia, J. 2022. “Florida judge approves $83 million settlement for victims’ families and owners in Champlain Towers South collapse.” CNN. Accessed May 5, 2022. https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/31/us/miami-dade-building-collapse-settlement/index.html.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Legal Affairs and Dispute Resolution in Engineering and Construction
Volume 15 • Issue 1 • February 2023
Copyright
© 2022 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: May 29, 2022
Accepted: Aug 9, 2022
Published online: Nov 25, 2022
Published in print: Feb 1, 2023
Discussion open until: Apr 25, 2023
ASCE Technical Topics:
- Building codes
- Building design
- Buildings
- Business management
- Construction engineering
- Construction management
- Consulting services
- Design (by type)
- Disaster risk management
- Disasters and hazards
- Dispute resolution
- Engineering fundamentals
- Legal affairs
- Litigation
- Practice and Profession
- Professional services
- Residential buildings
- Standards and codes
- Structural engineering
- Structures (by type)
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