A Miami Lakes advisory committee discussed recent canal repairs after a sunshine meeting and raised technical concerns about a repair method that has failed multiple times.

S2 told the committee the canal repair was completed in phases and that after the segment adjacent to the Palmetto and Cancun Grill was previously rebuilt by FDOT, the town-owned portion had been repaired using a GeoWeb interlocking system. "The GeoWeb structure... they interlock with each other and then they're filled with fill, to stabilize the embankment," S2 said, and noted the installation "has collapsed and has failed" after a warranty repair. S2 said the company’s own website shows retrofit options where the product can be filled with concrete for seismic resistance.

S2 said the town contracted Calvin Diagiano & Associates to inspect and report on the canal and that engineers flagged discrepancies between manufacturer drawings and shop drawings. The speaker suggested seismic activity may have contributed to the failure: "I am convinced that seismic activity has, has a major play of the damage that was caused on this embankment," S2 said.

Members discussed alternative methods (riprap, rip wrap, retaining walls) and noted the canal at the 87th Avenue culvert remained intact under a riprap application. The committee requested clearer engineering documentation and follow-up with the town’s engineers and the contractor to determine whether the installation met shop drawings and manufacturer specifications and whether a retrofit is required.

Next steps: staff and engineers to provide the committee with the contractor's shop drawings, manufacturer specifications, warranty details and recommendations for retrofit or replacement at a future meeting.