QUESTION ABOUT IT. HATZEL VELLA, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FROM SURFSIDE.
WELL BUILDING RECORDS FROM THE
CITY OF SURSIDE ABOUT THE
CHAMPLAIN TOWER SOUTH INCLUDE
DETAILED DOCUMENTATION OF
PROBLEMS AT THAT BUILDING.
>> THE BUILDING WAS STARTING ITS
MANDATED 40 YEAR RESETTER IF I
KAITION AND IN PREPARATION FOR
THAT, ENGINEERS IN SECTIONS AND
FINDINGS IDENTIFY ISSUES THAT
APPARENTLY REMAINED OPEN FOR THE
LAST THREE YEARS.
RICK SLIDE CERTIFICATE A
STRUCTURAL ENGINEER AND FORENSIC
CONSULTANT ON CASES OF BUILDING
CONSTRUCTION AND EFFICIENCIES
AND HE REVIEWED THOSE RECORDS
FOR US AND JOINS US LIVE HERE
TODAY.
RICK, GREAT TO SEE YOU.
>> GLAD TO HAVE YOUR EXPERTISE.
ALL RIGHT, YOU HAVE REVIEWED THE
DOCUMENTS.
YOU OBVIOUSLY HAVE SEEN THE
VIDEO.
THIS IS YOUR AREA OF EXPERTISE.
WHAT KIND OF PRELIMINARY
CONCLUSIONS HAVE YOU REACHED?
>> OBVIOUSLY IN THE VIDEO, IT IS
VERY DRAM UK.
AND OBVIOUSLY IT LOOKS LIKE A
SUPPORT CONDITION OF ONE OF THE
LOWER COLUMES TOWARDS THE MIDDLE
OF THE BUILDING.
COULD BE THE PILING, THE SUPPORT
SYSTEM UNDER THE GROUND BUT ALSO
COULD BE THE LOWER LEVEL
COLUMES, AT LEAST APPEARS TO BE.
AND OBVIOUSLY THERE ARE
INVESTIGATORS THAT WILL BE
CONDUCTING THEIR REVIEWS AND WE
WILL BE ABLE TO DETERMINE WHAT
THE ASSESSMENT IS.
AS FAR AS THE TEST THERE SAY
PROTOCOL, RESETTER IF I KAITIO
AND THAT REQUIRS A STRUCTURAL
ENGINEER TO COME OUT AND MAKE AN
INSPECTION OF THE BUILDING.
THEY’RE LOOKING AT THE
STRUCTURAL COMPONENT.
ST NOT REQUIRED TO BE
DESTRUCTIVE, MANYING TO TEAR
PIECES APART BUT MEANT TO BE A
VISUAL ASSESSMENT.
AN EXPERIENCED STRUCTURAL
ENGINEER CAN IDENTIFY CRACKS IN
CONCRETE, SOME ARE IMPORTANT,
SOME AREN’T.
AND BASED UPON THOSE
OBSERVATIONS, THEY ARE ABLE TO
MAKE AN ASSESSMENT AS TO WHAT
NEEDS TO BE REPAIRED.
AND AS FAR AS THE RESETTER IF I
KAITION PROGRAM, THE ENGINEER IS
ONLY TBAITED TO COME BACK,
DEVELOP A SET OF PLANS AND
SPECIFICSES, HAVE CONTRACTORS,
QUALIFIED NET TYPE WORK DO THE
RETAIRS AND IMPLEMENT THOSE AND
CERTIFY THAT BUILDING BACK TO
THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT.
>> SO RICK WE, IN PREPARATION
FOR EXACTLY WHAT ARE YOU TALKING
ABOUT, THERE IS A BODY OF
REPORTS FROM
ENGINEERS,-- CONSULTANTS DID IT
OUT OF PALM BEACH COUNTY FROM
THIS VERY BUILDING AS IT
PREPARED TO DO ITS RESETTER IF I
KAITION AND THAT REPORT WHICH I
KNOW YOU READ, SPECIFIES SOME
CONCERNS.
SOME NOT SO SERIOUS, SOME
POTENTIALLY SERIOUS, ET CETERA,
ALL OVER THE BUILDING.
SO MECHANICAL, FAS ADD, ROOF,
ELECTRICAL, FOCUSED ON A LOT OF
CONCRETE AND EVEN AS WE ARE
ABSOLUTELY STILL IN RECOVERY
PHASE, WE HAVE BEEN HEARING
ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE, PEOPLE’S
REPORTS OF WHAT THEY SAW AND
HEARD, THAT IS BEGINNING TO
BUILD A BODY OF EVIDENCE.
AND I’M GOING TO SAY AS A
LAYPERSON, I AM LOOKING AT
FOUNDATION, CONCRETE, GARAGE
AREA, JUST BASED ON WHAT I HAVE
SEEN AS A LAYPERSON.
SO WHEN YOU SEE A REPORT.
HOW SERIOUS WITH WHAT YOU READ
IN THAT REPORT DO YOU FIND THE
REPORTING OF CONCRETE CRACKS AND
SPLITS.
AND WE’RE GOING TO GET A LITTLE
MORE DETAILED ON THAT, BUT JUST
AS AN INITIAL QUESTION, IS THAT
A FOCUS TO YOU.
>> IT IS, THEY MENTION ADDS LOT
OF COMPONENTS ON THE BALCONIES
AND THE SLABS UP ABOVE, THOSE
AREN’T FOR THE COLLAPSE PURPOSE,
AREN’T AS CRITICAL.
BUT THEY DO HAVE IN THE REPORT
PHOTOGRAPHS OF FAIRLY
SIGNIFICANT COR ROSE OF THE
REINFORCING STEEL AND WHAT WE
CALL IS-- WHAT THAT REALLY MEANS
IS CONCRETE BROKEN.
AND THE LEVEL OF CONCRETE THAT
IS BROKEN IN THE SLAB IS AN
IMPORTANT FACTOR.
THAT IN ITSELF COULD CONTRIBUTE
TO THE ISSUES THAT WE’RE SEEING.
AND THE PROJECT, THE REPORT DOES
MENTION CRACKS IN THE CONCRETE
COLUMES, ALTHOUGH THE
PHOTOGRAPHS AND THE REPORT DON’T
REALLY SHOW AN EXTENSIVE AMOUNT,
IT DOES REFLEC THAT THE LOWER
LEVEL COLUMES ON THE GARAGE ARE
UNDER STRUCTURAL DISTRESS AND
EXHIBITING COR ROSE AND BREAKING
OR SPLAIING OF THE CONCRETE.
>> WE HAVE PHOTOGRAPHS THAT ARE
YOU REFERRING TO, WE WANT TO
SHOW PEOPLE IF WE CAN SOME OF
THE PHOTOGRAPHS THAT THE MORA
BIDO CONSULTANTS PREPARED AND
FOUND.
AND WHAT THEY SHOW AMONG OTHER
THINGS IS SOMETHING CALLED
CONCRETE SPAWLING.
EXPLAIN, GIVE US A DEFINITION,
WHAT DOES SPALLING MEAN.
>> IN CONCRETE STRUCTURES WE
ALSO HAVE REINFORCING STEEL, AND
REENFORCING STEEL, CONCRETE IS
FAIRLY DURABLE.
BUT THE REINFORCING STEEL WANTS
TO REVERT BACK TO THE NATURAL
MATERIAL.
BUT IT RUSTS IF EXPOSED TO
OXYGEN AND MOISTURE AND SALT,
BECAUSE IT IS ON THE PEACH
BEECH, AS THE STEEL COULD ROADS
IT EXPANDS AND IT PUSHES ON THE
CREATE CREATE AND WE CALL THAT
BREAKING OF THE CONCRETE A
SPALL, SO THE ISSUE WE ARE
LOOKING AT IS HOW EXTENSIVE, HOW
PERVASIVE IS THE AMOUNT OF COR
ROSE OF THE STEEL AND HOW MUCH
OF COULD BE CREATE IS BROCK BE.
SO ALL SPALL MEANS IS REALLY
BROKEN CONCRETE.
>> SO ON PAGE 7 OF THIS
ENGINEERS REPORT AND THIS IS
DATED OCTOBER 2018 FROM AN
INSPECTION THAT WAS DONE IN THE
SUMMER SO WE’RE EXACTLY THREE
YEARS FROM THE REPORTINGS OF
THIS PARTICULAR ENGINEER ON THIS
PARTICULAR BUILDING, AND WITH
WHAT YOU JUST SAID, I WANT TO
THROW UP A SCREEN OF WHAT PAGE
SEVEN SAYS.
>> THE FAILING WATERPROOFING IS
CAUSING MAJOR STRUCTURAL DAMAGE
TO THE CONCRETE TRUCK-- STRUCK
TEURM SLAB, OCTOBER 12018, AND
NOW IN JUNE OF 2021 IT CONTINUES
TO HERE BELOW THESE AREASK
FAILURE TO REPLACE THAT IN THE
NEAR FUTURE WILL CAUSE THE
EXTENT OF THE CONCRETE
DETERIORATION TO EXPAND
EXPONENTIALLY.
RICK, THAT WAS NOT REPAIRED.
WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THAT.
>> TWO THINGS.
AND I AGREE WITH THE STATEMENT
THAT IT EXPANDS EXPONENTIALLY.
CONCRETE DETERIORATION STARTS
OUT FAIRLY SLOW BUT AS TIME GOES
FORWARD, IT ACCELERATES QUITE
DRAMICALLY.
WHAT MAY HAVE OCCURRED WITHIN
THE FIRST TEN YEARS COULD HAPPEN
DOUBLE THAT AMOUNT IN THE NEXT
TWO YEARS.
IT ACCELERATES DAMICALLY, THAT
IS A FACTOR.
USUALLY IF THERE ARE AREAS OF
STRUCTURAL DISTRESS, AND THE
REPORT IN JUST READING IT DO
SHOW AREAS OF STRUCTURAL
DISTRESS, THEY NEED TO BE DONE
IMMEDIATELY STIPICALLY A SHORT
PERIOD OF TIME AFTER IT THE
REPORT IS IL FOOD.
MOST MUNICIPALITY REQUIRE IT BE
DONE IN A YEAR’S TIME.
I CAN’T SAY I EVER HAD A PROJECT
OR KNOWN OF A PROJECT THAT WOULD
HAVE WAITED AFTER REPORTING OF
THOSE CONDITIONS AND WAITED
THREE YEARS TO IMPLEMENT THE
REPAIRS.
>> LET ME CONTINUE, INDULGE ME
FOR ONE MOMENT.
HERE IS WHAT PEOPLE HAVE TOLD ME
AT THE SCENE, OF VALET PARKING
ATTENDANT SAID RIGHT BEFORE THE
COLLAPSE THERE WAS A RUSH OF
WATER, WATER RUSHING IN, A
RESIDENT 10 MINUTES BEFORE THE
COLLAPSE WHO WAS COMING HOME
COULDN’T GET INTO THE GARAGE
BECAUSE IT WAS FILLING WITH
WATER AND HAD TO BACK OUT AND
LEAVE.
THESE ARE ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE
FROM RIGHT AROUND THE AREA AND
PEOPLE THERE WHAT THEY SAW AND
HEARD.
RESIDENTS NOW REPORT IN
HINDSIGHT RUMBLINGS RIGHT
BEFORE.
DO ANY OF THOSE ANECDOTAL
OBSERVATIONS EXORT WITH WHAT
MIGHT BE WATER SEEPING IN AND
EVENTUALLY RUSHING IN TO CRACKS
THAT HAD EXPONENTIALLY GOTTEN
WORSE IN THE GARAGE?
>> IT CERTAINLY COULD.
I DO ALSO KNOW THAT THERE WAS A
POOL AT I GUESS THE SOUTHEAST
AREA OF THE BUILDING.
IT SOUNDED WITH THAT MUCH WATER
COMING IN, OBVIOUSLY THERE IS A
WATER SOURCE, COULD BE THE
STRUCK TUR WAS BEGINNING TO FAIL
AND THE CRACKS IN THE POOL AND
POOL DECK ALLOWED THAT WATER TO
VAC ACUATE THERE COULD BE OTHER
FACTORS I HAVE NOT BEEN ON THE
SITE.
THOSE ARE INDICATIONS, ONCE THE
STRUCTURE MOVES AND ALLOWING
WATER AND OTHER ELEMENTS TO COME
THROUGH, IT IS JUST TELLING YOU
THE CRACKS AND AMOUNT OF
MOVEMENT IN THE STRUCTURE WHICH
IS NOT SUPPOSED TO DO, IS
ADVANCING TO A POINT WHERE THE
FAILURE ULTIMATELY HAPPENED.
SLIDER, A VETERAN STRUCTURAL
ENGINEER AND WILL BE BACK WITH
MORE QUESTIONS FOR HIM ABOUT THE
COLLAPSE AT THE CHAMPLAIN TOWER
SOUTH IN JUST A MINUTE.
>> WELCOME BACK ON THIS WEEK IN SOUTH FLORIDA, WE ARE LOOKING AT THE COLLAPSE OF THE CHAMPLAIN
TOWER SOUTH, SPEAKING WITH RICK
SLIDER, VETERAN STRUCTURAL
ENGINEER.
RICK, WE KNOW FROM THE MORA BIDO
CONSULTING REPORT THAT IT WARNED
OF MAJOR ERRORS IN CONSTRUCTION
DESIGN OF THIS BUILDING.
AND THE HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION
TOOK THAT REPORT AND THEY SEEMED
TO HAVE ACTED VERY SLOWLY, DO
YOU THINK IN SOME WAYS I’M NOT
ASKING YOU TO PREJUDGE BUT WERE
THEY REMISS IN NOT ACTING
FASTER?
>> I WOULD SAY BASED UPON THE
REPORT, THAT PROBABLY SHOULD
HAVE BEEN A QUICKER RESPONSE.
OF COURSE THE ENGINEER WHO
CONDUCTED THE INVESTIGATION AND
ISSUED THE REPORT ALSO HAS A
DUTY TO ADVISE THE CLIENT, IN
THIS CASE THE ASSOCIATION THAT
REPAIRS HAD TO BE DONE.
AND IF THERE WAS A SAFETY
CONCERN OR IT REACHED THE LEVEL
OF STRUCTURAL DISTRESS, THAT THE
WORK SHOULD GO FORKED.
>> LET ME FOLLOW UP AND SAY
EVERY CITY AS YOU WELL KNOW HAS
A BUILDING INSPECTOR, DID THAT
INSPECTOR GET A COPY OF THIS
REPORT ON THE BUILDING AND IF SO
SHOULD HE HAVE SAID GEE, THEY
NEED TO ACT QUICKLY SN.
>> AS BEST I KNOW, THE RECORDS
THAT I HAVE WERE PROVIDED FROM
THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT,
TYPICALLY THE BUILDING
DEPARTMENTS DO RELY UPON
ESPECIALLY WITH STRUCTURAL
ISSUES ON THE REPRESENTATIONS
AND THE SNOORS HAVE TO WHAT WE
CALL SIGN AND SEAL THE DOCUMENT
TO TEST THE VALLITY-- VALIDITY
AND BASIS OF THE REPORT.
SO THEY WOULD HAVE A RIGHT TO
AND MOST CASES DO REPLY-- RELY
UPON A STRUCTURAL ENGINEER.
I’M NOT SURE OF THE TIMING AS TO
WHY IF THE REPORT WAS FILED IN
2018 THAT REPAIRS WEREN’T
REQUEST-- QUESTIONED OR
IMPLEMENTED PRIOR TO THAT TIME.
I DON’T KNOW WHAT THE BUILDING
DEPARTMENT’S RESPONSE WAS.
>> AS A MATTER OF FACT, THE ROOF
REPAIR WAS PART OF THAT, THE
ROOF REPAIR THAT WAS ONGOING
THAT WE KNOW NOW IN THE LAST
MONTH, THE PERMIT WAS PULLED MAY
17th OF THIS YEAR.
AND BECAUSE WHAT WE WERE JUST
TALKING ABOUT, THE CONCRETE
FALLING WHICH GOES TO THE
FOUNDATION OF THE BUILDING, WAS
ONE OF THE PROBLEMS, THE ROOF
ACCORDING TO THE REPORT HAD SOME
ISSUES BUT WAS GENERALLY DEEMED
TO BE GOOD.
WHY WOULD THE BUILDING DO THE
ROOF WORK AND OTHER WORK AND NOT
MAKE PRIORITY THE FOUNDATION
WORK BEFORE THIS 40 YEAR
RESEARCH?
>> I’M NOT SURE I UNDERSTAND THE
REASONING FOR THAT.
OBVIOUSLY IF THE ROOF WAS
LEAKING, THAT COULD BE AN ISSUE,
MAN THAT WAS PLACED BEFORE OTHER
ELEMENTS BUT THE STRUCTURAL
CONCERN SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE
EARLIER AND ESPECIALLY THERE WAS
ONE PHOTOGRAPH THAT I RECALL IN
THE REPORT OF A SLAB AND THE
AMOUNT OF CONCRETE SMALLING
EVIDENCE AND THE-- SPALLING
EVIDENCE EVIDENT, I WOULD HAVE
EXPECTED THOSE TO BE PLACED AT
THE TOP OF THE LIST, NOT THAT
THE ROOF IS NOT IMPORTANT BUT
THE STRUCTURAL ISSUES ARE
IMPORTANT TOO.
>> FOR THAT POINT ON PAGE EIGHT
AND NINE T SEEMS LIKE THE
ENGINEER WAS RAISING THAT FLAG,
AND I WANT TO READ SOMETHING
THAT HE WROTE ABOUT THE
UNDERSIDE OF THE POOL DECK WHICH
APPEARS FROM THE PHOTOS TO BE
CLOSE TO THE GARAGE WHERE THE
WATER WAS.
AND HE REPORTS PREVIOUSLY
INSTALLED EPOCHSY INJECTION
REPAIRS WERE INFECTIONIVE IN
PROPERLY REPAIRING CRACK AND
SPALL CONCRETE SLAB.
M.C. RECOMMENDS THAT THE
ENTRANCE POOL THAT CONCRETE
SLABS THAT ARE SHOWING DISTRESS
BE REMOVED AND REPLACED IN THEIR
ENTIRETY.
UNFORTUNATELY HE REPORTS ALL OF
THESE FAILED SLAB AREAS ARE
UNDER BRICK FAVORS, DECORATIVE
STAMPED CONCRETE AND PLANTERS
WHICH REQUIRE COMPLETED ROOFING
REPLACEMENT.
SO HE IS RAISING A FLAG THAT
THEY WEREN’T PUT IN PROPERLY AND
TO MAKE IT TRIET THERE WOULD BE
A LOT OF COSMETIC UPLIFTING TO
GET IN TO DO THE FOUNDATION
WORK.
SOUNDS LUKE A HUGE EXPENSE, ALSO
SOUNDS LIKE A LIFE SAFETY ISSUE,
WHAT DO YOU SAY?
>> I THINK THERE IS A COUPLE OF
ITEMS THAT ARE TAGGED TOGETHER.
ONE OF, THE REPORTING AND THE
PHOTOGRAPH OF THE TOP OF THE
SLAB WHERE THE STEEL IS EXPOSED,
THAT IS TELLING YOU THERE IS
STRUCTURAL DISTRESS.
THE OTHER ISSUE IS HE DOES
REPORT IN THE REPORT, THE LACK
OF THE WATERPROOFING KEEPING THE
WATER OUT.
THAT COULD BE A FACTOR AND THE
FACT THAT THEY ALSO IDENTIFIED
IN CONJUNCTION WITH THAT THAT
THE FIRE REPAIRS WERE
INFECTIONIVE AND BASICALLY
DIDN’T WORK, AND WHAT APPEARS
THEY DID WAS TRIED TO INJECT THE
MATERIAL INTO THE CRACKS FROM
THE UNDERSIDE WITHOUT REPAIRING
THE TOP.
AND THAT IS REALLY AN
INFECTIONIVE AT KEEPING THE
WATER OUT AND DOESN’T SOLVE THE
PROBLEM.
SO ALL IT DID WAS SORT OF COVER
OVER THE CONDITIONS FROM WHAT I
HAVE READ IN THERE, ALL IT DID
WAS COVER THE CONDITION, IT
DIDN’T ELIMINATE IT AND AGAIN IT
ARE ALLOWED IT TO MANIFEST AND
GET WORSE.
>> RICK, LET ME ASK YOU A LARGER
QUESTION ABOUT THIS RESETTER IF
I KAITION PROCESS.
I HAPPEN TO LIVE IN AYE
CONDOMINIUM, SHORTLY A TIME AGO,
IT WENT THROUGH A 40 YEAR
RESETTER IF I KAITION.
BUT MY BUILDING, YOU KNOW, IS
NOT DIRECTLY ON THE OCEAN.
DO YOU THINK THAT IN FACT THE
RESETTER IF I KAITION FOR OCEAN
FRONT PROPERTIES LIKE CHAMPLAIN
TOWER SOUTH, SHOULD OCCUR EVERY
30 YEARS OR, YOU KNOW, NOT WAIT
40 YEARS TO DO IT?
>> THAT IS CERTAINLY AN ITEM
THAT CAN BE ENTERTAINED.
I WOULD SAY IN MY EXPERIENCE,
WHEN WE ARE DOING CERTIFICATIONS
AND OTHERS THAT I HAVE SEEN,
USUALLY THE OBSERVATIONS THAT
ARE MADE BY THE ENGINEER AND A
QUALIFIED ENGINEER IS ABLE TO
ASSESS THE LEVEL OF THE CRACKS,
SO FOR THE MOST PART I THINK THE
SYSTEM WORKS, WHAT I DON’T KNOW,
AND THE ENGINEERS ONSITE WILL BE
ABLE TO ASSESS, IT COULD BE
POTENTIALLY THAT THERE ARE
ISSUES OF THE FOUNDATION OF THE
PILING SYSTEM UNDERNEATH THAT IS
NOT VISIBLE AT THE TIME OF THE
RESETTER IF I KAITION
INSPECTIONS THAT ARE DONE.
DONE ON A VISUAL OBSERVATION OF
THOSE AREAS THAT THEY CAN SEE.
AND AREAS LIKE THE GARAGE,
THINGS LIKE THAT THE ONLY THING
YOU CANNOT SEE TYPICALLY WOULD
BE THINGS UNDER GRADE WHICH WILL
BE THE PILE FOUNDATION.
>> SO LET ME ASK A QUESTION
ABOUT THE LAW VERSUS REALITY.
ABOUT THE 40 YEAR RESETTER IF I
KAITION.
HE JUST MENTIONED IT IS A
VISUAL, A VISUAL INSPECTION BY A
QUALIFIED ENGINEER CAN BE VERY
TELLING.
BUT IN ALL OF THESE BUILDINGS,
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN AN ENGINEER IS
CONTRACTED TO GO, GIVE THE
VISUAL, MAKE A REPORT LIKE WE
HAVE IN FRONT OF US, WHAT
HAPPENS REALISTICALLY WHEN THIS
IS HANDED OVER TO AN HOA,
HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION, THERE
ARE COSTS INVOLVED, IN THIS CASE
A MILLION OR MORE DOLLARS OF
PAYMENTS THROUGH ASSESSMENTS.
THERE MIGHT BE BUILDING OWNERS
WHO ARE POLITICALLY CONNECTED.
I AM NOT SUGGESTING ANY OF THIS
HAPPENED HERE.
BUT WE DO LIVE IN SOUTH FLORIDA
WHERE THINGS LIKE THIS DO
DOCUMENTED HAPPEN, WHAT HAPPENED
WHEN THIS 40 YEAR RESETTER IF I
KAITION RAISES ISSUES, MAJOR OR
MINOR, WHERE DOES THAT GO?
>> THAT IS AN INTERESTING
QUESTION.
I HAVE ACTUALLY HAD PROJECTS,
AND IT IS NOT UNCOMMON.
OCCASIONS WHERE THE ASSOCIATION
MAY NOT HAVE RESERVES OR THEY
WAIVED RESERVES FOR STRUCTURAL
TYPE ISSUES.
A LOT OF THESE REPAIRS, THEY GET
TO A STRUCTURAL STANDPOINT, THE
WAIVERS, WATERPROOFING, THOSE
SYSTEMS GET TERICALLY EXPENSIVE
AND HAVE I HAD A NUMBER OF
PROSWRECTS WHERE ASSOCIATIONS
HAVE SAID I DON’T WANT TO PAY
IT.
AND OR DEFER AT SOME POINT.
OBVIOUSLY THERE A FINE LINE, THE
ENGINEER OF RECORD NEEDS TO SAY
SOME OF THESE ARE STRUCTURAL
ISSUES YOU NEED TO REPAIR NOW
AND YOU HAVE TO DO.
THIS AND THERE IS AN OBLIGATION
TO IDENTIFY THAT TO THE BUILDING
DEPARTMENT.
>> RICK SLIDER, VERY BRIEFLY,
THERE IS A FORENSIC STRUCTURAL
INVESTIGATION, SO MUCH WORK
NEEDS TO BEGIN, HOW LONG DO YOU
THINK IT WILL TAKE BEFORE THERE
ARE DEFINITIVE ANSWERS ABOUT
WHAT CAUSED THIS COLLAPSE.
>> MY GUESS IS THERE ARE
PROBABLY EXPERTS ALREADY ON THE
SITE THAT MAY HAVE A GENERAL
SENSE OF WHERE THE CENTER POINT
OF THE CONDITION IS.
THE ACTUAL MECHANISM TO IT AND
SOME OF THIS ESPECIALLY MY GUESS
IS ON THE LOWER LEVEL COLUME ARE
OBVIOUSLY UNDER THE BUILDING AT
THIS POINT AND POTENTIALLY IF IT
IS THE FOUNDATION OR PILING
ISSUE, IT MAY TIEK TIME FOR THEM
AFTER THEY HAVE DONE THEIR
RECOVERY EFFORT TO BE ABLE TO
ACCESS THOSE AREAS.
AND I HEARD ON THE PRESS
CONFERENCE THAT THEY HAD A
WAREHOUSE WHERE THEY WILL TAKE
THE MATERIAL.
SO A FORENSIC-- WILL BE ABLE TO
TAKE THOSE ELEMENTS OF THE
STRUCTURE, ASSESS THEM, FIGURE
OUT WHERE THEY WERE, THEY CAN
TELL HOW THINGS BEND, THE
CONDITION OF THEM, MY GUESS IS
THEY PROBABLY HAVE A SENSE OF
WHERE THE FAIL EUROCURRED OR AT
LEAST STARTED.
BUT TO DIAGNOSE IT AND MAKE
THEIR FINAL ASSESSMENT MAY TAKE
SEVERAL MONTHS, MAYBE EVEN
LONGER.
>> SEVERAL MONTHS, MAYBE EVEN A
YEAR BUT HOWEVER LONG IT TAKES,
IT MUST BE DONE, ABSOLUTELY.
>> RICK SLIDER, SO GREAT TO HAVE
YOUR EXPERTISE AND ANALYSIS,
THAT WAS INVALUABLE.
>> IT WAS.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR