![]() ![]() The grand jury was tasked with exploring the public safety implications of the collapse, not with recommending criminal charges. The panel’s foreman declined to comment on the findings, as did a spokesman for the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office, citing confidentiality rules. The grand jury also warned that saltwater intrusion could pose a significant danger beyond Champlain Towers South, saying it “may be creating hazardous conditions that will negatively impact concrete pillars and foundations that are providing support to building structures, especially those in coastal communities.” In its December report examining condo safety after the collapse, the Miami-Dade County grand jury noted the “open and obvious” spalling at Champlain Towers South and concluded that it was “fairly certain there was unseen corrosion and weakening of the concrete in the foundation and underground pillars.” That leads to “spalling,” in which the steel rebar expands, crumbling the concrete around it. If it’s not properly protected, the concrete can absorb saltwater, triggering corrosion of the supportive steel inside. Many building foundations are made with steel-reinforced concrete. In a December report, a Miami-Dade County grand jury investigating the collapse also theorized that saltwater intrusion had probably damaged the building’s foundation. They also note that photos showed corroded columns and flooding in Champlain Towers South’s underground garage and that staff members reported pumping water out of the garage. He and others had previously found that rising sea levels press underground saltwater closer to the foundations of coastal buildings. Chandan Khanna / AFP via Getty Images file NBC News The partially collapsed Champlain Towers South condo building in Surfside, Fla., on June 29, 2021. Parkinson is one of several scientists who believe that the tower may have been damaged by saltwater seeping into its underground foundation. More than seven months after the June 24 collapse, which left 98 people dead, there are no definitive answers about what caused the 40-year-old condo, Champlain Towers South, to fall. “So I decided to dig a little deeper,” Parkinson said.
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