The company that completed the city of Boca Raton’s first inspection recertification of a high-rise condo building resulting from the city’s new building inspection ordinance is sharing what the company found during its inspections.Boca Raton leaders passed that new ordinance, requiring stricter inspection recertifications for tall buildings at least 30 years old, following the condo collapse in Surfside in 2021.Hillman Engineering began inspecting the 17-story Admirals Walk Condominium on North Ocean Boulevard in Boca Raton a month after Champlain Towers South collapsed in Surfside in 2021. Hillman Engineering’s contractor for this project, All-Pro Construction, finished its repairs a few days ago.Leaders with Hillman Engineering say the inspection process could have happened in time to prevent a disaster at Admirals Walk.”There was a lot of repair that was needed here,” said Matthew Nolan, the senior project manager for Hillman Engineering.Nolan says among the issues found at the Admirals Walk Condominium building were columns in the garage that were too narrow to keep supporting the deck above.”The weight of this was causing the columns to punch through it, so we had to structurally redesign some of the columns downstairs so what you see today is safer,” said Nolan.Nolan said he is not sure how much longer the narrow columns would have held.”You don’t know until it happens, so it was important that we get it done,” said Nolan.The team also found other issues in its inspections.”We had to put new rebar and new steel in there,” said Nolan. “We put special concrete in that has corrosion inhibitor, so that the ocean doesn’t have an effect on the steel. We did work on the roof. They had potential collapses, so we did some emergency work up on the roof.”Condominium board member and treasurer Collin D’Silva said he was not surprised to find out what was discovered during the inspections.”We’re dealing with a 50-year-old building, so we’re pretty much within expectations,” said D’SilvaAs of now, all the repairs have been made, and the city of Boca Raton can concentrate on the more than 320 other tall buildings near the ocean that need to be recertified.The team at Hillman Engineering says they’re glad they did their part to keep everyone at Admirals Walk safe.Related: Here are the 98 victims of the Surfside condo collapse”It’s a big part of what makes you get out of bed in the morning. I really do think that,” said Nolan.Boca Raton is the only city in Palm Beach County with this kind of ordinance for buildings, and right now, it’s unclear how long it will take for the rest of the required inspections in Boca Raton to be completed.The state created its own building inspection recertification ordinances after the surfside collapse.
The company that completed the city of Boca Raton’s first inspection recertification of a high-rise condo building resulting from the city’s new building inspection ordinance is sharing what the company found during its inspections.
Boca Raton leaders passed that new ordinance, requiring stricter inspection recertifications for tall buildings at least 30 years old, following the condo collapse in Surfside in 2021.
Hillman Engineering began inspecting the 17-story Admirals Walk Condominium on North Ocean Boulevard in Boca Raton a month after Champlain Towers South collapsed in Surfside in 2021. Hillman Engineering’s contractor for this project, All-Pro Construction, finished its repairs a few days ago.
Leaders with Hillman Engineering say the inspection process could have happened in time to prevent a disaster at Admirals Walk.
“There was a lot of repair that was needed here,” said Matthew Nolan, the senior project manager for Hillman Engineering.
Nolan says among the issues found at the Admirals Walk Condominium building were columns in the garage that were too narrow to keep supporting the deck above.
“The weight of this was causing the columns to punch through it, so we had to structurally redesign some of the columns downstairs so what you see today is safer,” said Nolan.
Nolan said he is not sure how much longer the narrow columns would have held.”You don’t know until it happens, so it was important that we get it done,” said Nolan.
The team also found other issues in its inspections.
“We had to put new rebar and new steel in there,” said Nolan. “We put special concrete in that has corrosion inhibitor, so that the ocean doesn’t have an effect on the steel. We did work on the roof. They had potential collapses, so we did some emergency work up on the roof.”
Condominium board member and treasurer Collin D’Silva said he was not surprised to find out what was discovered during the inspections.
“We’re dealing with a 50-year-old building, so we’re pretty much within expectations,” said D’Silva
As of now, all the repairs have been made, and the city of Boca Raton can concentrate on the more than 320 other tall buildings near the ocean that need to be recertified.
The team at Hillman Engineering says they’re glad they did their part to keep everyone at Admirals Walk safe.
Related: Here are the 98 victims of the Surfside condo collapse
“It’s a big part of what makes you get out of bed in the morning. I really do think that,” said Nolan.
Boca Raton is the only city in Palm Beach County with this kind of ordinance for buildings, and right now, it’s unclear how long it will take for the rest of the required inspections in Boca Raton to be completed.
The state created its own building inspection recertification ordinances after the surfside collapse.
