Preliminary NIST report on Surfside condo investigation details key flaws that factored into building's collapse

2024-03-12T14:41:00-04:00

Preliminary details from the ongoing National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) investigation into the deadly 2021 collapse of the Champlain Towers South condominium building in Florida were shared recently, revealing evidence that supports theories about the precise source of its structural failure and other prevailing factors.

Among other findings, the report released last Thursday details the exact moment of the pool deck's collapse preceding the wider structural failure that killed 98 people. The report also outlines several critical lapses in standard design practices and failures to meet building codes that were present from the time of its construction. The findings could provide some clues for those questioning the soundness of its support columns, foundation, site, and steel reinforcements as well.

“It becomes clear that the design and construction did not meet all the safety standards of its day,” local Commissioner Marianne Meischeid told CNN of her concerns. “...

AI could help create more hurricane-resistant buildings, NIST research says

2023-04-14T15:06:00-04:00

Researchers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have devised a new method to digitally simulate hurricanes. Using data derived from 100 years of hurricane monitoring, infused with modern AI techniques, the researchers suggest that simulating the trajectory and wind speeds of storms can help develop improved guidelines for the design of buildings in hurricane-prone regions.

The research, published recently in Artificial Intelligence for the Earth Systems, envisions a scenario where designers are directed to standardized maps by their local building codes. On these maps, designers can find the level of wind their proposed structure must handle based on its location and relative importance. For example, the resilience standards of a hospital would be regarded as higher than that of a self-storage facility.

The wind speeds in the maps are derived from scores of hypothetica...

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Preliminary NIST report on Surfside condo investigation details key flaws that factored into building's collapse

AI could help create more hurricane-resistant buildings, NIST research says