DAVIE, Fla. — In light of the deadly condo collapse in Surfside, a South Florida structural engineer is speaking about the warning signs that can be seen before a possible collapse.
Greg Batista is the owner and president of G. Batista Engineering & Construction. As a structural engineer, Batista spent years inspecting buildings to make sure they are safe to live in. One of the buildings he worked on in the past was Champlain Towers in Surfside, where the high-rise collapsed.
His company performs 40-year re-certifications at buildings all over South Florida. That is when an engineer goes to a building to make sure nothing is unsafe.
Buildings need to pass a 40-year recertification to allow anyone to live inside.
"Let me explain what a 40 year certification is. It’s required by law that when a building turns 40, an engineer goes in and constructs safety tests. Which is encompassed by a structural inspection and an electrical inspection," Batista explained.
In 2017, Batista worked on the Champlain Towers. His work there concentrated on waterproofing, unrelated to the collapse. Batista believes what happened at Champlain Towers in Miami, was a collapse that originated from the bottom of the building. It is too soon to know what caused the collapse, but Batista said there are things a person can do to help prevent a situation like this.
If you notice a crack in concrete, call an engineer.
"You don’t have to be a structural engineer to look and see that there’s a crack. There are special tests that can be done to know if this crack will lead to anything serious," Batista said.
Most of the times these cracks aren't major, and there is a quick fix. In some rare cases, there have been cracks that forced people vacate their buildings.
Batista said most buildings have yearly inspections, like fire safety; but the 40-year certification is what thoroughly looks at the infrastructure of a building. If a person lives in an older building and notices any structure concerns, it's best to call an engineer.
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