The tragic collapse of Champlain Towers South, which claimed ninety-eight lives on June 24, 2021, in Surfside, Florida, stands as one of the most devastating structural failures in U.S. history. Witnesses reported hearing loud noises from the building in the hours leading to the collapse. Just after 1:00 AM, the collapse initiated. The sequence of events underscores how interconnected vulnerabilities in structural systems can rapidly escalate into widespread failures.
Working on behalf of insurers and the court-appointed receivership for the condominium association, WJE conducted a comprehensive investigation into the collapse as part of the civil litigation that settled in June of 2022. Our findings shed light on structural design and construction flaws that led to the failure and provide valuable lessons for improving engineering practice.
In this article, engineers Gary Klein, Matthew Fadden, and Sedona Iodice share their investigative approach, critical findings, failure theory, and lessons learned.
This article was originally published in the April 2025 issue of STRUCTURE magazine, exclusively published for the practicing structural engineer.
RELATED INFORMATION
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Learn about WJE’s investigation and findings, including our collapse theory. MORE >Webinars | Champlain Towers South (Surfside, FL) Collapse Investigation -
Gary J. Klein, Executive Vice President and Senior PrincipalWJE Northbrook MORE >People | Gary J. Klein, Executive Vice President and Senior Principal -
Matthew F. Fadden, Associate PrincipalWJE South Florida MORE >People | Matthew F. Fadden, Associate Principal -
Thousands of clients have relied on us to accurately determine the cause and extent of damage... MORE >Services | Failure and Damage Investigation
