NIST is conducting a full technical
investigation of the collapse of the Champlain Towers South
Condominium in Surfside, FL that occurred on June 24, 2021, under
the authority of the National Construction Safety Team (NCST) Act,
which is authorized by Congress. As part of this work, NIST seeks
to interview eyewitnesses, first responders, engineers, vendors,
contractors, maintenance staff, construction workers, residents,
condominium owners, government officials, and others who can
describe experiences with the building before and/or during the
collapse, describe knowledge of the building prior to the collapse
(e.g., construction, maintenance), and generally, provide any
additional information that may help explain the technical cause of
the building failure. The ultimate goal of the NIST investigation
is to determine the technical cause of the collapse and, if
appropriate, to recommend changes to building codes, standards and
practices, or other actions to improve the structural safety of
buildings. There are millions of high-rise condominium units in
Florida alone, many of them aging structures near the coast. While
a NIST investigation is intended to identify the cause of the
Champlain Towers South Condominium collapse, it could also uncover
potential issues in other similar buildings nearby and throughout
the nation.
The National
Construction Safety Team Act (Act), 15 U.S.C. 7301 et seq.,
authorizes the Director of the National Institute of Standards and
Technology (NIST) to establish investigative teams (Teams) to
assess building performance and emergency response and evacuation
procedures in the wake of any building failure that has resulted in
substantial loss of life or that posed significant potential of
substantial loss of life. The purpose of investigations by Teams is
to improve the safety and structural integrity of buildings in the
United States. As stated in the statute, a Team will (1) establish
the likely technical cause or causes of the building failure; (2)
evaluate the technical aspects of evacuation and emergency response
procedures; (3) recommend, as necessary, specific improvements to
building standards, codes, and practices based on the findings made
pursuant to (1) and (2); and (4) recommend any research and other
appropriate actions needed to improve the structural safety of
buildings, and improve evacuation and emergency response
procedures, based on the findings of the investigation. NIST sent a
preliminary reconnaissance team to collect information on the
partial collapse of the Champlain Towers South Condominium in
Surfside, FL that occurred on June 24, 2021. Based on the
recommendations of the reconnaissance team and evaluation of the
criteria listed in the regulations implementing the Act, 15 CFR
270.102, on June 30, 2021, NIST announced that it will conduct a
full technical investigation of the collapse under the authority of
the Act. There are millions of high-rise condominium units in
Florida alone, many of them aging structures near the ocean. While
a NIST investigation is intended to identify the cause of the
Champlain Towers South collapse, the findings could be used to
improve the safety and structural integrity of other similar
buildings nearby and throughout the nation. As part of this
investigation, the Team will conduct semi-structured interviews
with eyewitnesses, first responders, engineers, contractors,
maintenance workers, residents, condo owners, and government
officials who can describe experiences with the building before
and/or during the collapse, describe knowledge of the building
prior to the collapse (e.g., construction, maintenance), and
generally, provide any additional information that may help explain
the technical cause of the building failure. This information will
provide an essential supplement to the engineering assessment of
physical evidence. It is imperative that this data collection
effort be conducted as quickly as possible to ensure the
preservation of perishable data. Interview data from any event
relies on individuals’ memories of the event, which can degrade as
time passes. In addition, the situation is changing rapidly in and
around the site, including the controlled demolition of the
structure and the impending threat of hazardous weather.
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that
the collection of information encompassed by this request complies
with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR
1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding
the proposed collection of information, that the certification
covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a
benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control
number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of
these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked
and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.
Justification Memo with routing.pdf
Supporting Statement_Surfside Collapse.docx
NIST and National Construction Safety Team Investigative Study of the June 24, 2021 Champlain Towers South Condominium Collapse in Surfside, FL