Investigating Building and Structure Failures
When a structure of any kind fails, the first question that comes to mind is: what caused the building or structure to collapse? There is a subliminal, unspoken trust when everyday people use apartment buildings, condos, and even bridges. They have the expectation that the structure will hold and perform its intended duty. So when these structures collapse, people are understandably concerned and even outraged. That’s why forensic structural engineers are tasked with investigating the causes of structural collapses and failures.
What Is Forensic Structural Engineering?
Much like a forensic scientist that analyzes data and evidence in a crime, a forensic structural engineer analyzes the data and evidence collected from a structure collapse to determine the cause of it. These investigations can take a matter of days, weeks, or even years depending on the scale and severity of the incident. The more complex the structure is, the longer that the investigation may take.
Forensic structural engineering goes beyond just determining failures. There are also special damage assessments and inspections that could be conducted to uncover construction defects, damage, and more. These reports could prove vital in a variety of scenarios like purchasing a property or for insurance purposes. Additionally, forensic structural engineers provide expert witness testimony in civil and sometimes criminal court cases.
Causes of Structure Collapses
There are many ways that a structure can fail and collapse. One of the most common causes is faulty and defective construction. Have you ever heard of sleazy construction companies that cut corners to save time and money, only to have defects within months of project completion? Construction companies taking shortcuts through construction methods and cheap materials are a sure way to have structural failures in the future.
Another cause of structure collapses comes from something a little more natural: the weather. Tornadoes and high winds have been known to cause collapses and failures in North Texas. Sometimes, though, faulty construction and cheap, unapproved materials can lessen a structure’s defense against the elements and make it more susceptible to failure.
In The News: The Champlain Towers
While you might think that the modern marvels of our age would mean that structure failures would be non-existent, that’s just unfortunately not true. On June 24, 2021, a condominium called the Champlain Towers South in Miami, Florida, had a sudden, partial collapse. This traffic incident took the lives of almost 100 people and injured numerous more. There was one simple question that was on everyone’s mind after its collapse: why did the Champlain Towers collapse?
A detailed reason for the collapse of the condominium would take dozens, if not hundreds of pages. However, the main culprit that has been discovered so far is faulty construction. For more than two years, agencies and organizations like NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) have been carefully analyzing hundreds of pieces of debris and other evidence from the building collapse. Because of the scale and significance of the incident, dozens of forensic structural engineers and numerous others are working together to determine a true cause of structure failure. The scale of the Champlain Towers collapse is so large that they don’t expect the entire investigation to conclude until 2025.
In The News: Iowa Apartment Collapse
Much more recently on May 28, 2023, an apartment building in Davenport, Iowa suffered a major structure failure. An entire portion of the outer wall collapsed, followed by a large chunk of the building. Though only a few people were killed in the collapse, the incident remains a tragedy. However, the incident could have been avoided. It was revealed that days before the apartment collapsed, a structural engineering firm had reported a large number of concerns about the structure. These concerns included entire portions of exterior brick that appeared ready to fail and collapse at any given moment.
Contact Elora Structural for Forensic Structural Engineering
Structural engineering is an important facet of our modern lives. From plans to blueprints to investigating failures, the work of a structural engineer is all around us. If you need a structure collapse investigated in Dallas, or you would like a forensic structural inspection, give Elora Structural a call today. We will discuss your specific needs, draw up an agreement, and get to work!
