Federal Safety Agency to investigate building collapse in Florida

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The announcement of the full technical investigation from the National Institute of Standards and Technology, a small agency within the Commerce Department, follows an initial assessment and marks only the fifth time the agency has launched a structural collapse investigation since it was given the authority to do so. So after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

“Based on the information we have collected, we can recommend a full technical investigation under the National Construction Safety Team Act. We will now establish a team to begin the painstaking process of collecting and analyzing any and all information that may help us,” said Judith Mitrani Raiser, who leads the institute team on site, during an evening press conference , along with state and local officials, “Identify the technical cause of failure.”

The institute’s director, James Olthoff, said on Wednesday that the investigation would be a fact-finding, not a fault-finding, technical investigation, and would not interfere with any search and rescue operations.

The ultimate objective of the investigation will be to determine the technical cause of the collapse and, if indicated, to recommend changes to building codes, standards and practices or other appropriate measures to improve the structural integrity of the buildings. Several officials warn that the comprehensive investigation by NIST could take years to complete.

A senior administration official had earlier told CNN that the agency had reached the decision.

The decision comes a day before President Joe Biden arrives at the scene of the disaster. Seven days after the Florida apartment collapse, rescuers say they are scrambling to find more than 140 people still missing.

Biden called for an investigation into the collapse and an administration official confirmed that any investigation would be conducted through the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The agency has been providing regular updates to the White House through the Commerce Department.

A six-person team of federal officials including scientists, structural engineers and a geotechnical engineer arrived in Florida late Sunday night to assess the apartment collapse and conduct a preliminary investigation into the collapsed building materials, history and building codes in place at the time the apartment was in place. surrounding the building and many other factors.

NIST is a non-regulatory federal agency founded in 1901, according to its website. NIST “promotes innovation and industrial competitiveness in the United States by advancing metrology, standards, and technology in ways that enhance economic security and improve our quality of life.”

This story has been updated with additional details.

CNN’s Chris Boyett and Rebecca Reese contributed to this report.

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