UF engineering researcher works to make structures safer after Surfside disaster

When structures collapse, Jennifer Bridge’s phone rings.

Often, it is family wanting insight from Bridge, an associate professor in the University of Florida’s Department of Civil & Coastal Engineering. She is a well-regarded expert in structural engineering, so that phone also rings with state officials and building industry leaders.

Such was the case in June 2021 when the 12-story Champlain Towers South collapsed into a jagged crumble of concrete, steel and suffering in Surfside, Florida, north of Miami Beach. The beachside disaster killed nearly 100 people and injured dozens. Residents were buried in the rubble, and America watched in horror as rescue missions turned into recovery missions within days.

Now, three years after the disaster, the UF researcher’s work has helped shape new legislation to improve and track building inspections for condominiums and co-ops. Following the Surfside collapse, Bridge’s inspection reviews and remedies have resulted in tangible changes in the way inspectors evaluate condos.

“Surfside was devastating,” Bridge said. “This should never have happened because we have so many processes in place. We have so many safety factors built into our engineering processes, whether it’s in the design, the construction or the oversight of the construction.”