New Book On Sale Now!!!

The day a residential condominium in Surfside, Florida collapsed, expert engineer Greg Batista, PE visited the site, began examining the evidence, and spoke with the media as a subject expert while trying to help make sense of the calamity. His new book, Negligence! Averting Disaster at Your Building examines how this tragedy could have easily been avoided.

Champlain Towers South was constructed in the 1980s at a time when South Florida was in some respects the “wild wild west” of construction. There was little oversight and enforcement to ensure building codes and best practices were closely followed. Batista examines what could have happened at Champlain Towers, from its original design and construction to questions about maintenance and deterioration which could have weakened the structure.

Most importantly, the book exposes how widespread these issues are among aging buildings today, especially in coastal areas. Are owners and residents equipped to handle growing concerns about structures that—without proper maintenance—may have deadly weaknesses? Batista provides a starting point, offering actionable advice for reforms from infrastructure investment and important legislation, to simple maintenance like inspections and painting.

In his 30-plus years of engineering and construction practice, Greg Batista, PE has a unique vantage point on the inner workings of the construction, concrete repair, and structural engineering industry in Florida. He provides key insights on the confluence of obvious and not-so-obvious issues that attributed to the deadliest building failure in modern history.

This book includes actionable bonus content for those concerned about their buildings, advice for anyone looking to purchase a condo, and a detailed guide for those planning to undertake structural repairs in their building.