Indications of corrosion were found in parts of the steel reinforcement, further weakening the pool deck and adding to the structure’s compromised stability.
Glenn R. Bell, an investigator with the National Institute of Standards and Technology, stated, “In the most severe of these understrength areas, the strength provided by the design is only about half of what’s required by codes and standards.”
Emotional Toll and Unanswered Questions
The Florida condo collapse wasn’t just an infrastructural disaster. It left a profound emotional scar on the families of the victims.
“Every day, we would just hope and pray that we would get notification of anyone being alive just to have hope that our loved ones would be alive.
That day never came for any families. It was weeks of agonizing pain and unanswered questions,” recollected Martin Langesfeld, whose sister was one of the casualties.
The remaining part of the building was leveled ten days post-collapse. In 2022, a $1 billion settlement was agreed upon for the victims’ relatives and survivors of the Florida condo collapse.
