BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — A pair of bills aimed at increasing the rate of certification inspections for high-rise condos across Florida continues to advance through the legislature. 

On Thursday, the House Pandemics and Public Emergencies Committee unanimously approved HB 7069, which was updated as PCB PPE 22-03, and referred it to the Appropriations Committee.

It would require buildings that have been occupied for 30 years, or 25 years if within three miles of the coast, to undergo recertification inspections. There would also be inspections every 10 years after that point.

The bill is similar to SB 1702 and was drafted in response to the collapse of the Champlain Towers South in Surfside, Florida last year, which killed 98 people. 

Jim Emory, the principal engineer at Keystone Engineering and Consulting in Cocoa Beach, said that condo in Surfside shouldn’t have been allowed to reach that point. He argued that buildings show their distress long before something like that happens.

“These buildings, they give you signs, very visual signs for a long period of time before something like that would happen,” Emory said. “So, you just have to recognize those signs and take care of it [in a] timely fashion.”

Emory has worked as a structural engineer for more than 30 years. Both his father and grandfather were in the construction business. He found a passion for the engineering side of things after working for the family company, which is now in the hands of two of his sons. 

He jumped into structural engineering in the late 80s when there weren’t a ton of jobs, but he knew that the work would come in time. 

“Knowing the mechanism of corrosion of steel and concrete with salt air, I knew that there would be big projects in the future as these buildings age. So, that’s led to big work like this,” Emory said.

Emory said his company has long since encouraged their clients to proactively do inspection work more regularly than is currently required at a state level and is glad that there soon may be a new statewide standard in place. 

“It will keep the projects from being as expensive, the damage as bad. So, it should be seen as a positive situation,” he said. 

He noted that Surfside brought a lot of attention to the industry and will bring about what he believes will be a positive change.

“I think it’s going to change our industry forever with the state getting involved, and building officials are much more proactive. None of them want to be on TV for a building collapse in their jurisdiction.”