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This summer, members of the National Construction Safety Team (NCST) completed testing at the former site of the Champlain Towers South building in Surfside
The NIST team investigating the partial collapse of the condo building is preparing to begin invasive testing and preparation of physical evidence collected
My Background in Disasters It seems as though I was born to be a disaster researcher. I can vividly remember seeking shelter during tornado warnings in the
Have you ever been to the Champlain Towers South condominium in Surfside, Florida? Maybe without even recognizing it, you could have key information that could
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has added new experts to the National Construction Safety Team (NCST) investigating the June 24, 2021
The U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) will present an update on its investigation into the June 24, 2021
GAITHERSBURG, Md. — The U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) announced today the expert team members who will
NIST continues its investigative work, studying the geologic characteristics underneath the collapsed building site, as well as the properties of the building’s
NIST’s work right now is focused on ensuring that information and evidence related to the June 24, 2021, partial collapse of the Champlain Towers South
SURFSIDE, Fla. — Today the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) announced it would launch a full technical
Press Conference Videos (Captions in English and Spanish)
NIST Announces Expert Team to Investigate the Champlain Towers South Collapse
The U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) announced the expert team members who will conduct a technical investigation into the June 24, 2021, partial collapse of the Champlain Towers South condominium in Surfside, Florida.
NIST Announces Full Investigation on Champlain Towers South Collapse
The U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) announced it would launch a full technical investigation into what caused the partial collapse of the Champlain Towers South Condominium in Surfside, Florida, on June 24, 2021.
B-Roll Videos
B-Roll Video Reel #1 - Champlain Tower South NIST Investigation
To download this video, click the top right file button.
B-Roll Video Reel #2 - Champlain Tower South NIST Investigation
To download this video, click the top right file button. Captions forthcoming.
B-Roll Video Reel #3- Champlain Tower South NIST Investigation
To download this video, click the top right file button.
NCST Insider Videos (Captions in English and Spanish)
NCST Insider - featuring Emel Ganapati
Introducing Miami-based N. Emel Ganapati, who will serve as the Social Science Team Leader on the Evidence Preservation Project. She will lead interviews of residents, first responders, family members and others with knowledge of the building’s condition and collapse.
NCST Insider - featuring Kamel Saidi
Introducing Kamel Saidi, who is serving as a co-lead on the Remote sensing and Data Visualization Project.
NCST Insider - Malcolm Ammons
NIST’s Champlain Tower South collapse investigation is introducing Malcolm Ammons, who is supporting the Evidence Preservation Team, Building & Code History Team, Materials Science Team and Structural Engineering Team.
Photo Gallery
In this January 2022 photo, physical evidence from both the collapsed and imploded sections of Champlain Towers South is stored in a secure warehouse where it has been carefully cataloged and evaluated by members of the National Construction Safety Team investigating the June 24, 2021, collapse.
Credit:
NIST
In this January 2022 photo, National Construction Safety Team Evidence Preservation project co-lead David Goodwin evaluates nondestructive test methods for examining structural samples from Champlain Towers South.
Credit:
NIST
In this January 2022 photo, National Construction Safety Team members (L-R) Malcolm Ammons, Marisa McCormick and David Goodwin examine structural evidence from Champlain Towers South for details that can be included in a physical evidence database.
Credit:
NIST
In this January 2022 photo, National Construction Safety Team support member Ruthie Corzo evaluates nondestructive protocols to measure chloride content in concrete with a handheld analyzer.
Credit:
NIST
In this January 2022 photo, National Construction Safety Team member Malcolm Ammons systematically records information about physical evidence from Champlain Towers South that will help provide clues to its original location and condition.
Credit:
NIST
In this January 2022 photo, National Construction Safety Team member Marisa McCormick measured steel rebar in a concrete column from Champlain Towers South.
Credit:
NIST
In this January 2022 photo, National Construction Safety Team member Daniel Sawyer evaluates a 3D scanning protocol for physical evidence from Champlain Towers South.
Credit:
NIST
In this January 2022 photo, National Construction Safety Team members Malcolm Ammons and Stephanie Moffitt conduct nondestructive measurements on a single-story column from the garage of Champlain Towers South.
Credit:
NIST
In this February 2022 photo, National Construction Safety Team Remote Sensing and Data Visualization project co-lead Kamel Saidi processes a 3D scan of physical evidence from Champlain Towers South.
Credit:
NIST
NIST staff members at the holding site for evidence that may help in the investigation into what caused the partial collapse of the Champlain Towers South condominium.
Credit:
NIST
In this July 6, 2021, photo, NIST engineering experts examine a concrete column from the Champlain Towers South condominium before it was taken from the collapse site for preservation.
Credit:
NIST
In this July 7, 2021, photo, a concrete column is moved from the debris pile of the Champlain Towers South condominium to a staging area for tagging before being tagged and catalogued as evidence.
Credit:
NIST
In this July 1, 2021, photo NIST staff members examine pieces of concrete removed from the debris pile at the site of the Champlain Towers South building partial collapse.
Credit:
NIST
In this July 2, 2021, photo, a NIST staff member tags and photographs a building element that has been identified for preservation as evidence in the staging area near the site of the Champlain Towers South building collapse.
Credit:
NIST
In this July 6, 2021, photo, NIST engineering experts photograph and tag concrete columns from the collapsed Champlain Towers South condominium. Building elements were marked and tagged with unique identifying information before being moved to a long-term holding facility.
Credit:
NIST
In this July 6, 2021, photo, NIST engineering experts tag and photograph concrete columns from the collapsed Champlain Towers South condominium. Building elements were marked and tagged with unique identifying information before being moved to a long-term holding facility.
Credit:
NIST
In this July 6, 2021, photo, NIST engineering experts tag concrete columns from the collapsed Champlain Towers South condominium. Building elements were marked and tagged with unique identifying information before being moved to a long-term holding facility.
Credit:
NIST
The site of the Champlain Towers South partial collapse in Surfside, Florida.
Credit:
NIST
View of the Champlain Towers South condominium site from a balcony in an adjacent building to the south. NIST has positioned imaging equipment on the balcony to record the locations of items being preserved for study, and to record changes to the site as debris is removed.
Credit:
NIST
Cameras and lidar used by NIST and its partners scan and record the site of the Champlain Towers South condominium.
Credit:
NIST
Building elements such as columns, beams and floor slabs are identified, removed from the debris pile, tagged and moved to a holding area before the evidence is transported by police escort to an offsite storage facility where it will be preserved for study.
Credit:
NIST
NIST is using nondestructive test methods to determine the properties of concrete from the site of the partial collapse of the Champlain Towers South condominium. Here, an engineer evaluates the strength and quality of a concrete column using a method called Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity (UPV), which measures the velocity of an ultrasonic pulse passing through the sample.
Credit:
NIST
Building elements such as columns, beams and floor slabs are identified, removed from the debris pile, tagged and moved to a holding area before the evidence is transported by police escort to an offsite storage facility where it will be preserved for study.
Credit:
NIST
Building elements such as columns, beams and floor slabs are identified, removed from the debris pile, tagged and moved to a holding area before the evidence is transported by police escort to an offsite storage facility where it will be preserved for study.
Credit:
NIST
NIST and National Science Foundation staff members discuss imaging of the Champlain Towers South site using lidar, which uses pulsed laser light to measure distances to objects, creating a 3D representation of the site.
Credit:
NIST
NIST is using nondestructive test methods to determine the properties of concrete from the site of the partial collapse of the Champlain Towers South condominium. Here, an engineer evaluates the strength and quality of a concrete column using a method called Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity (UPV), which measures the velocity of an ultrasonic pulse passing through the sample.
Credit:
NIST
NIST and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers staff members inspect a building element from the Champlain Towers South partial collapse in Surfside, Florida, for its evidentiary potential.