Friday, June 25, 2021

Our thoughts are with the families and community of Surfside, Florida in the aftermath of the collapse of the Champlain Towers Condominiums. As structural engineers, this event affects us deeply—both personally and professionally—as our life’s work is to ensure the safety of built structures.
 
It is too early to speculate on what might have happened. The first priority is to reach survivors and care for those lost and impacted. As the situation unfolds and additional information is available, structural engineers will be able to assess any contributing factors to the collapse.
 
The Structural Engineers Associations of Oregon (SEAO) offers its support to Florida and the National Council of Structural Engineers Association (NCSEA) so we may all work together to understand the causes of the collapse and contribute to the discussion regarding how to avoid a tragedy like this again.
 
In the interim, we express our condolences to those impacted by this tragic event.