In the early morning of 24 June 2021, the eastern half of the twelve-story Champlain Towers South Condominium collapsed, killing ninety-eight residents of the forty-year-old building in Surfside, Florida. WJE was retained by attorneys representing the condominium association to determine the cause of the collapse and provide litigation support. Structural engineer and senior investigator Gary Klein shared details of the investigation, findings, and theory of collapse.
Reasons to watch
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Describe the significant conditions observed before the collapse
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Acknowledge punching-shear-related distress and parameters affecting flat plate slab performance
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Outline the timeline of the pool deck collapse and subsequent building collapse
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Share WJE's theory of the collapse based on evidence, material testing, and analysis
The lecture is open to anyone and may be of particular interest to:
Champlain Towers South collapse investigation in Surfside, Florida
Speaker
Mr. Klein is a Senior Principal and Executive Vice President of Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates (WJE) in Northbrook Illinois. For over 40 years, Mr. Klein has studied and delivered solutions for buildings and bridges suffering from deterioration, distress, or failure. He has investigated numerous structural collapses including the 1981 collapse of the sky walks in the Kansas City Hyatt Regency Hotel, the 1996 collapse of the KB Bridge in the Republic of Palau, and the 2021 collapse Champlain Towers South in Surfside, Florida. In 2016, Mr. Klein was elected to the National Academy of Engineering “for investigations of national and international infrastructure and conveying knowledge from these investigations to the profession.”