Take Steps to Boost Your Building’s Structural Integrity

Dave Barthel

The country’s eyes have been on Surfside, Fla., for months now as search crews and investigators continue looking for answers in the wake of the tragic condominium building collapse.

As details of the cause of the incident continue to unfold, the South Champlain Tower provides an opportunity for all multifamily buildings to review their own practices. Analysis of multifamily structural failures, including 1981’s Hyatt Regency Hotel Kansas City walkway collapse and 2015’s Berkley balcony collapse, have inspired new building codes and best practices over the years, ultimately improving the safety of our buildings. While catastrophic, lessons learned from these tragedies are critical to prevent future incidents.

Here are three things multifamily building owners and operators can do right now to increase a building’s structural integrity:

Build capital improvements into your budget from day one

Periodic maintenance of a building, especially one with the normal wear and tear of many families over time, is necessary to ensure that a building remains in good condition and safe for residents. This regular maintenance needs to be built into the building’s annual budget.

However, even beyond general upkeep expenses, owners need to plan and save for larger, capital improvements that will inevitably arise. These capital improvements could include those made to the structural integrity of your building’s roof, walls, floors and other structural components.

Identify risks early

The most effective way to keep your building structurally safe is to perform regular inspections, beyond what is required by most county laws. Miami-Dade County, for example, only requires buildings to recertify 40 years after construction. However, more consistent inspections can identify issues, big and small, before they lead to deficiencies or damages. Many structural engineers will recommend a building assessment by a third-party professional every year or two, especially in strong-weather locations.

Inspectors conducting building assessments should:

• Review any changes following renovations or additions that could affect the building’s structure such as adding loading to a roof or moving walls;
• Conduct post-event inspections following major weather events to identify any damage, including seemingly insignificant things such as blocked drains which can lead to water ponding;
• Identify any concrete spalling or wall cracks and address any noted changes.

Additionally, structural engineers should be brought on board when adding loading to a roof or moving walls within a building to ensure the structural integrity of the building remains intact.

Building management can also be helpful in monitoring these more visible damaged building components. Training maintenance staff and leadership to recognize potential signs of risk may help identify issues prior to these more formal inspections.

Review insurance coverage regularly

Industry experts are already speculating on the changes that will be made to the insurance market and practices following the Champlain Towers collapse, with the expectation that the biggest change will be in the underwriting process as inspection reports are given greater consideration and underwriters ask more questions about the structural integrity and maintenance of a building.

Insurance for buildings in coastal regions is already a challenge due to the recurring threat of hurricanes and tropical storms, and insurance companies have tightened conditions for insuring these properties in recent years. Now, it’s expected that insurance providers will be asking building owners to submit proof of passed inspections, as well. However, building owners should not reduce or forgo coverage to cut costs or avoid assessments as potential property damage claims as well as injury and death claims from a catastrophic event can be in the millions.

The importance of directors and officers insurance to protect HOA board members is also becoming more apparent, as well, as the decisions they make affect the other residents and surrounding community and can easily become a liability for them in the wake of a building tragedy.

While there’s no promise that these three measures will prevent a future building collapse, instituting them and other safety measures into your building’s regular maintenance plan and protocol will help safeguard a building’s structure and residents alike.

Dave Barthel is a vice president & manager in global insurance brokerage Hub International’s Risk Services Division. Dave’s technical experience and knowledge allows him to identify exposures and controls in order to develop risk management solutions. He specializes in the assessment of fire and life safety within the built environment; construction site safety; personal, product and manufacturing liability assessments; and business continuity planning.