Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including public works such as roads, bridges, canals, dams, airports, sewage systems, pipelines, structural components of buildings, and railways.

In June 2021 a residential condominium building in Surfside, FL, collapsed, causing the death of 98 people. In May 2022 the Florida government reacted by enacting mandatory structural inspections for aging condominiums (FL Statute Section 553.899), called a “milestone inspection,” intended to increase building safety. Milestone Inspection is an inspection of the building’s structural integrity and includes inspection of the load-bearing walls and other structural elements designed to provide support and stability for the overall structure.

All condominiums and cooperative buildings in the state of Florida that are three or more stories in height when the building reaches a certain age. For buildings 30 years of age and every 10 years thereafter, or buildings 25 years of age and every 10 years thereafter if the building is located within three miles of a coastline. If a milestone inspection is required and the building’s certificate of occupancy was issued on or before July 1, 1992, the building’s initial milestone inspection shall be performed before December 31, 2024.

The purpose of the milestone inspection is to determine if evidence of substantial structural deterioration can be identified.

An inspection can be performed by a licensed architect or engineer authorized to practice in the state of Florida who is qualified to attest to the general structural condition of the building and any necessary maintenance, repair, or replacement of any structural component.

Yes.