Before Florida building collapsed, 2018 report found it needed more than $9 million in repairs

An engineering firm's 2018 estimate said that it would cost more than $9.1 million to cover repairs at a building that recently collapsed in Florida, according to emails.

The Associated Press reported that the email from the Morabito Consultants was released by Surfside, Florida and that the disclosure came after the publication of another document from the firm indicating that the facility's ground-floor pool deck was sitting on a concrete slab that had "major structural damage."

"The failed waterproofing is causing major structural damage to the concrete structural slab below these areas. Failure to replace the waterproofing in the near future will cause the extent of the concrete deterioration to expand exponentially,” the report stated, according to the outlet.

The report noted "abundant cracking and spalling" of columns, beams and walls in the parking garage, according to the AP.

While the repair work had not yet been performed by the time the building fell, the outlet noted that the report did not discuss any immediate threat from the damage and it is not clear whether any of the damage is to blame for the recent incident.

Morabito Consultants in a Saturday statement noted that its report "detailed significant cracks and breaks in the concrete, which required repairs to ensure the safety of the residents and the public." 

"Champlain Towers South Condominium Association engaged our firm again in June 2020 to prepare a '40-year Building Repair and Restoration' plan with detailed specifications for completing the necessary repairs and restoration work," the statement said. "At the time of the building collapse, roof repairs were underway, but concrete restoration had not yet begun. Our firm exclusively provides engineering consulting services. We do not provide construction-related services, such as building repair and restoration contracting."