Buildings and other structures move numerous times, but the movements are too small to be noticed. Structural defects are likely to occur if any form cannot cope with this motion. Structural failures can happen due to other reasons, such as fire, explosion, wind, or snow load. They affect the integrity, safety, and stability of the structure. It is hard to define the exact seriousness of a structural failure yourself. Structural forensic engineering can help you in this task. The engineers can analyze the structure using advanced assessment techniques and analytical tools and tell you the causes of such failures. Here are a few causes of structural failure revealed by structural forensic engineering.
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Thermal changes
Mostly, all building materials expand on heating and contract on cooling, thus changing the basic structure of the building. The internal walls do not have much impact. The external thin walls are revealed towards direct solar radiation, and the roof is subject to considerable thermal variation liable to bring a structural defect.
Designing deficiencies
Structural forensic engineering can reveal The deficiencies in your structure’s design. These defects arise due to the inefficiency of the plan and designs produced by an architect or engineer before building the system. The design stage is an essential part of the life cycle of a building because the most crucial decisions are made at this stage. These decisions influence all decisions made in the subsequent stage and vice versa. Many maintenance problems occur due to defects in the design phase of the structure. Such as faulty roofing might result in leaks, inadequate drainage, or show signs of poor structural support. Therefore, understanding the design deficiencies is very important; you can save a lot of effort and money if corrected before starting construction.
Material deficiencies
The construction material deficiency factor is the highest-rated factor for structural failures. Use of inferior and inadequate building materials, such as:
- Rough framing, improper flashed windows, and racked windows resulted in water leaks.
- Usage of deteriorating building paper
- Using inferior drywall and other wall products in damp areas
- Deteriorating asphalt roofing shingles, particleboard, and waterproofing membrane.
Some construction parties intentionally reduce the material’s quality to cut costs.
Construction failures
According to the construction documents, these failures are artistry defects resulting from the contractor’s failure to build a structure. It may occur due to a professional’s negligence or intentional effort. Constructional failures include improperly installed EIFS exterior wall systems, weatherproofing systems, improper plumbing, electrical and mechanical problems, etc.
Maintenance deficiencies
After construction, building maintenance is essential to let it survive for multiple years. When the owner fails to maintain a structure properly, it is called maintenance deficiency. One example to explain this is not holding an exterior sealant may cause it to break down and let water in. With the following steps, a forensic structural engineer can help you reveal the above-stated causes:
- Definition of investigation objective
- Collection of background information and documents
- Site visit, sample collection
- Formulation of investigation plan and project team
- Framing Initial Failure Hypotheses
- Structural analysis and lab testing
- Conclusion
- Report
