Cherchez la pool deck

*Updated 7/13, 1:03 a.m.

This is a major contribution to cause determination from an engineer that is consistent with the post written here on 6/29. This is from Jeff Ostroff's video explanation posted July 2.  Mr. Ostroff took into account all that the undersigned had in his post: the witness statements, before and after photos, a close reading of the Morabito Report in 2018. "Here's Cause of Miami Condo Collapse, Champlain Towers Condo, Surfside."

"No. the pool deck collapsed first."

Morabito:

It makes perfect sense. And it doesn't relay on a DUI-ex-machina hitting a critical post.

Here is Mr. Ostroff's entire video:

6/29/21 8:12 p.m.

There was nothing unusual about the lobby and pool area at Champlain Towers South condo, which looked clean and well maintained to a commercial pool contractor who visited the building last Tuesday, just 36 hours before half of the building unexpectedly collapsed.

Photo taken by pool contractor June 22, rain clouds at left.

Yet, right off that point of the pool border the deck collapsed. The pool deck was the roof  of the underground parking garage.

Underneath the entire edge of the pool deck a gaping hole opened onto the parking garage below it.

In the June 22 photograph, the pool deck off the border point gently slopes down and into what appears to be a shallow trough running horizontally part of the way from viewers left to right.

"Nothing unusual" about the sloping, the deck slopes off the border at top left, also. However, there is no depression that water gravitates to off the deck at top left. The deck surface levels at the planters. Pulled by gravity, water seeks the lowest level. Here, water has moistened the tiles right off the point, had a mind to head toward the planters but then made a ninety degree turn down toward the viewer to the trough, a signal indication that the trough was its lowest point. Look also at the deck tiles along the yellow line. They also clearly move away from the viewer to the trough. Compare to the bird's eye shot after. The cave-in of the pool deck/garage roof begins there, right where Cassie Stratton told her husband a hole had developed. The tiling to the viewer's right of the point is much more water-stained than that toward the planters.

June 22, 2021 was a stormy, wet day. Compare to these photographs taken on a bright, sunny day in the past, date and year unknown.


The tiling to the left of the border point and running to the jacuzzi and at the camera is clearly discolored by moisture compared to that toward the planters and deck lounges.

Likewise in this excellent bird's eye view.

So, "nothing unusual"? No. Definitely unusual.