He added that salt in Miami's coastal air could potentially facilitate the erosion of steel. Evidence or erosion can appear in rust stains or exposed rebar.
"It's like a cancer," Slossberg said. "By the
time you see it, it could be too late."
Another possibility, he said, is that the building's balconies may have had some constructional issues. Many Miami-area buildings, he said, are built with concrete balconies that are "back-pitched," meaning they don't allow water to escape properly after it rains.