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June 26th, 2021 
Awake Goy 
An engineer’s report found evidence of “major structural damage” at a residential condominium complex near Miami three years before its fatal collapse earlier this week.
Rescue teams are working around the clock to search for survivors at the site of the Champlain Towers South condominium complex in Surfside, Florida. At least 159 people are missing after the building suddenly collapse in the early hours of Thursday morning.
Even as the search continues, families of those who lived in the buildings are demanding answers about how the 40-year-old structure fell apart so abruptly.
A 2018 report filed by the consultant warned of “abundant cracking” in the concrete columns, beams, and walls of the parking garage at he base of the structure. The report included images of the cracks and damage, according to a copy obtained by the New York Times.
The report gave no indication that the building was at risk of immediate collapse, but its author, consultant engineer Frank Morabito said that “most of the concrete deterioration needs to be repaired in a timely fashion.”
He wrote that “the waterproofing below the pool deck and Entrance Drive as well as all of the planter waterproofing is beyond its useful life and therefore must all be completely removed and replaced.”
“The failed waterproofing is causing major structural damage to the concrete structural slab below these areas. Failure to replace the waterproofing in the near future will cause the extent of the concrete deterioration to expand exponentially,” it added.
Kenneth S. Direktor, a lawyer who representing the association that runs the building, told the New York Times that work on repairing the damages when the collapse happened.
“They were just about to get started on it,” he said in an interview, adding that the owners were unaware the damages represented a serious threat.
Responding to the report, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava promised to “get to the bottom of what happened.”
“Clearly, our buildings need to be structurally sound. We need to have regular reviews, and to the extent that we need to change laws, we will change laws, and we will make sure these things do not happen in the future,” Cava told CNN.
“For now, we’re focused on the families waiting for their loved ones and the search for survivors.”
Experts have warned that finding the cause of the collapse could take months.
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