Engineer: Building collapse was not from a single cause 3:09
(CNN) -
A federal agency announced Wednesday night that it will launch an investigation into the causes of the building's collapse in Surfside, Florida.
The announcement of the full technical investigation by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), a small agency within the Commerce Department, follows an initial assessment and marks only the fifth time the agency has launched an investigation into a structural collapse since it was given the power to do 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 Equipment Act.
We will now establish a team to begin the painstaking process of collecting and analyzing all the information that can help us determine the technical cause of the failure, ”said Judith Mitrani-Reiser, who leads the institute's team on site, during a press conference. evening, along with state and local officials.
The institute's director, James Olthoff, said Wednesday that the investigation will be a technical investigation to determine the facts, not to find fault, and will not interfere with any search and rescue operations.
World-class search and rescue team in Miami has responded to disasters such as September 11 and Hurricane Katrina
The ultimate goal 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 actions to improve the structural safety of buildings.
Several officials warn that a comprehensive investigation by NIST could take years to complete.
A senior administration official had previously told CNN that the agency had made the decision.
advertising
The decision is made one day before President Joe Biden arrives at the scene of the disaster.
Seven days after the Florida condo collapsed, rescuers say they are struggling to find the more than 140 people who are still missing.
Minute by minute: building collapse in Miami;
victims, rescue operations and what we know about the tragedy
Biden has called for an investigation into the collapse and an administration official confirmed that any investigation would be done through 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 Sunday night to assess the condo's collapse and conduct a preliminary investigation of the collapsed building's materials, history, and codes. construction guidelines applicable at the time the building was constructed, the surrounding terrain and many other factors, an agency official said.
NIST is a federal non-regulatory agency that was founded in 1901, according to its website.
NIST works to "advance America's industrial competitiveness and innovation by advancing measurement science, standards, and technology in ways that improve economic security and our quality of life."
CNN's Chris Boyette and Rebekah Riess contributed to this report.
Miami