In the wake of the deadly Champlain Towers collapse in Surfside, Florida in June, several groups are calling for improvements to building safety standards. The groups include a statewide association of contractors calling for steps to improve building structural safety, and a task force from Broward Country, Florida who have published a set of policy suggestions for state lawmakers.

As reported by Construction Dive, the Associated Builders and Contractors of Florida has formed a panel of industry experts to examine the Surfside collapse through the lens of build safety, and to monitor upcoming legislative developments. “We know that the ongoing safety and integrity of older buildings will be a topic of discussion during the 2022 legislative session," said the organization’s chair, Gary Griffin. "We want to be a constructive part of any discussion moving forward and be ready and able to offer industry input and feedback in real-time.” The group of engineers, contractors, and consultants has been drawn from the five Florida chapters comprising the association.

Meanwhile, a Broward County task force, comprised of lawmakers, city leaders, condo association boards, condo lawyers, land use experts, and a structural engineer, has compiled a list of 17 suggestions to guide the legislative response to the collapse. While Surfside falls beyond the boundary of Broward County, the jurisdiction nonetheless includes population centers such as Fort Lauderdale and Pompano Beach.

As reported by Florida Politics, the suggestions include a statewide building inspection to scrutinizing all condo buildings over 30 years old, with subsequent investigations every 10 years thereafter, and a requirement for engineers performing work for condo associations to file a copy of their reports with local governments. The task force is also calling for a “concrete restoration” category to be added to existing financial reserves required for condo associations, and a requirement that the agreement of 75% condo association members is needed in order to waive reserve funding, rather than a simple majority, as is currently required.   

98 people were killed when the Champlain Towers South condo building collapsed in the early hours of June 24th. In a recent feature article on the collapse, we explored how the building’s structural deficiencies likely played a part, and how the tragedy is only the latest in a series of fatal building disasters which could have been prevented with proper oversight.

The definitive cause of the collapse is still under investigation.