What Makes Forensic Engineering So Significant for Florida's Aging Buildings?

Direct answer: Forensic engineering determines what a building is already doing, why it is doing it, and what needs to happen next. It does not design what gets built - it investigates what already exists. For boards and managers responsible for aging South Florida buildings under today's inspection requirements, that distinction matters when deciding who to hire.

Engineering, in its broadest sense, applies science and mathematics to practical problems. But not all engineering asks the same question.

Structural engineering is often prospective. It may involve specifying materials, calculating loads, and preparing the drawings or technical documents used to construct or modify a building. Forensic engineering starts somewhere else entirely: with a building that already exists and a question about what is actually happening inside it.

Forensic engineering investigates existing structures to understand their conditions, causes, severity, and implications. When concrete spalls from a balcony soffit, a parking deck shows unexpected deflection, or an inspection report identifies possible delamination in a structural element, a forensic engineer evaluates the evidence and helps determine the responsible path forward.

The two disciplines can overlap, and many forensic engineers have structural engineering backgrounds. The distinction still matters for boards and property managers making hiring decisions.

Structural engineering is commonly concerned with how a building should be designed, assembled, or modified. Forensic engineering investigates a condition that already exists and works backward to determine its cause, severity, and implications.

The question is not only what a building was intended to do. It is what the building is actually doing now, what the physical evidence shows, and what should happen next.

At Fortis BuildSafe Solutions, forensic engineering is the governing discipline across the firm's existing-building work. Whether the assessment is a Milestone Inspection required under F.S. §553.899, a Structural Integrity Reserve Study required under F.S. §718.112(2)(g), or a building condition survey for a board facing an unexpected concern, the approach is the same: investigate the evidence, document the findings, and deliver a PE-sealed conclusion the board can rely on and defend.

In June 2021, Champlain Towers South in Surfside collapsed, killing 98 people. A 2018 engineering report had documented significant structural damage that had not been fully remediated. The National Institute of Standards and Technology's investigation later examined the collapse and identified design and construction deficiencies as part of its technical findings.

The collapse prompted major changes to Florida's building-safety framework. Senate Bill 4-D created mandatory Milestone Inspections for qualifying condominium and cooperative buildings three habitable stories or more under F.S. §553.899. A separate requirement under F.S. §718.112(2)(g) requires qualifying condominium associations to maintain a Structural Integrity Reserve Study.

These are separate legal requirements. One concerns the physical inspection of the building. The other concerns the association's reserve planning and funding for specified structural and life-safety components.

Many South Florida buildings use reinforced-concrete systems that can show their condition in ways requiring professional interpretation. Spalling, delamination, carbonation of the concrete cover, and reinforcing-steel corrosion are not just surface details. They can be evidence of an underlying condition that needs to be evaluated in context.

The reference point for many boards is a visual inspection by someone with a clipboard. A visual inspection by itself is not a forensic assessment.

A forensic investigation is evidence-based. It begins with a review of the building's history, including original permit drawings when available, prior inspection records, repair histories, and previous engineering reports.

Then it goes to the field: a systematic physical examination of the building's structural and envelope systems, with findings documented at the element level. The assessment may also require additional investigation or testing when the available evidence does not support a reliable conclusion.

The deliverable is a PE-sealed report. It is not simply a checklist or a general letter of recommendation. It is a licensed professional engineer's documented conclusion about the current condition of the building, the significance of any deficiencies, and the recommended path forward, backed by the physical evidence collected during the assessment.

One condition boards often underestimate is concrete delamination - it may present as a small crack, stain, or area that sounds hollow when tapped, but it can indicate a loss of bond between the concrete and reinforcing steel beneath the surface.

Your assessment will be performed and sealed by a Fortis PE working to the Fortis Standard.

The question a board president needs to be able to answer to residents, the association's insurer, legal counsel, and the county building department is simple:

"How do we know this assessment is reliable?"

The answer cannot be based only on trust in the engineer hired. A defensible answer is that the assessment was performed to a documented standard, by a licensed Florida professional engineer exercising direct responsible charge, with findings that can be traced to physical evidence collected during the assessment.

At Fortis, each assessment follows the same documented standard regardless of which licensed PE performs the work. The process is designed to make the evidence, reasoning, conclusion, and next step clear.

Before hiring a firm, ask:

• What existing-building conditions does the proposed scope address?
• What evidence will be collected and documented?
• What will the final deliverable include?
• Who will perform and seal the work?
• How will the firm distinguish an observation from a professional interpretation?
• What happens if the assessment identifies a condition requiring additional investigation or repair planning?

A strong forensic assessment does more than identify a visible condition. It helps the board understand what was observed, what supports that observation, what the professional conclusion is, and what should happen next.

If you are responsible for a condominium, cooperative, HOA, or commercial building in Broward, Miami-Dade, or Palm Beach County and want to understand what a genuine forensic assessment covers, contact Fortis BuildSafe Solutions at 954-756-6876 or sales@fortisbss.com.

Reviewed by Gabor I. Nagy, PE - Founder, Fortis BuildSafe Solutions. Published September 2026.

This article is provided for general information and is not legal advice. Florida statutes, rules, and local requirements may change. Building-specific questions should be evaluated by the appropriate licensed professional.

Sources

• Florida Statutes §553.899 - Milestone Inspections
• Florida Statutes §718.112 - Condominium associations and SIRS
• National Institute of Standards and Technology - Champlain Towers South Collapse