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Florida engineers call for more inspections for large buildings after the Surfside condo collapse

Coast Guard boats patrol in front of the partially collapsed Champlain Towers South condo building in Surfside in July 2021. A judge pushed for compromise on potential payouts between people who lost loved ones and those whose units were destroyed in the deadly collapse of a Florida beachfront condominium.
Mark Humphrey
/
AP
Coast Guard boats patrol in front of the partially collapsed Champlain Towers South condo building in Surfside in July 2021. A judge pushed for compromise on potential payouts between people who lost loved ones and those whose units were destroyed in the deadly collapse of a Florida beachfront condominium.

They're calling for safety inspections every 20 years with follow-ups every seven years.

A coalition of engineers says Florida should consider requiring high-rise buildings near the coast to undergo safety inspections every 20 years with follow-ups every seven years.

The report was issued four months after the Champlain Towers South collapsed in Surfside, killing 98 people.

Champlain Towers South was undergoing its 40-year inspection when it partially collapsed in the middle of the night.

Seven of the state’s engineering and architecture associations formed the Surfside Working Group to come up with ideas to prevent another collapse.

They also recommend 30-year inspections for nearly all large buildings in Florida, with follow-ups every 10 years.

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