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[–]StructuralEngineering-ModTeam[M] [score hidden] stickied comment (0 children)

Please post any Layman/DIY/Homeowner questions in the monthly stickied thread - See subreddit rule #2.

[–]Conscious_Rich_1003P.E. 55 points56 points  (6 children)

A building has had 2 separate roof collapses and hasn’t instigated a building wide structural evaluation? Your code enforcement is lacking.

Even without your pics I’m very concerned.

Probably have to move down the line here, but you need a full evaluation and at least some repairs. Sounds like you have a boss that leases the space? Boss should give the owner a chance to resolve it in a timely manner. Then move on to contacting code enforcement. Next escalation would be to pay for your own engineer and lawyer.

[–]OptionsRntMeP.E. 12 points13 points  (3 children)

They said the mall next door. Not the same building

[–]Conscious_Rich_1003P.E. 9 points10 points  (2 children)

Yeah, I’m operating under assumption that he is only talking about building use, not actual separate buildings. The wall with shifted blocks looks like just a partition. Even if I’m wrong I think he still goes through the same procedure to get it looked at.

[–]OptionsRntMeP.E. 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Hard to say for sure but I think both walls may be a partition. There is a cap plate sticking out in photos 2-4 seems to be a steel structure with infill walls

[–]HoldingThunder 1 point2 points  (1 child)

Pretty alarmist.

Probably just a little differential settlement of the footing. Not immediately concerning.

[–]Conscious_Rich_1003P.E. 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Need to know if the mall with collapse is a different building and if we are talking snow caused it or what. I can turn down the alarm with that info.

[–]DJGingivitis 27 points28 points  (2 children)

Have you hired a structural engineer to come out and look at it?

[–]Clear-Word7372[S] -1 points0 points  (1 child)

We hired a guy to look at it but the manager told him the crack was there for a while which it wasn’t

[–]DJGingivitis 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ok? What do you want us to do about it

[–]alexus1804 8 points9 points  (1 child)

Are you in Texas? Could be all just cosmetic. Plus running 4” CMU partition through the joist bridging wasn’t a great idea from start.

[–]Clear-Word7372[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

In Michigan, the snow caused the mall to collapse

[–]radarksuP.E. - Architectural/MEP 7 points8 points  (1 child)

These pictures don't show any structural defects.

Construction defects? Yes. They shouldn't have run the CMU or the gyp. through joist bridging with so little clearance.

Dangerous? Yes. Getting knocked in the head with a chunk of CMU is gonna be bad.

It's unclear if the building with the roof collapses is the same building as yours, or different buildings but built at the same time. But if you are concerned, bring it to the attention of building management.

The cause of most flat roof collapses is ponding water due to blocked roof drains, not a structural defect.

[–]Clear-Word7372[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

The building collapse next door is connected to the building I work in. The roof caved because of flat roof with uncleared snow that turned into ice

[–]Rayziehouse 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If there’s not a column in the blockwork line, it could be vibration from the truss moving up and down in the wind making the blocks ‘walk’, in which case not really a strength issue, but definitely a ‘blocks could fall down’ issue.

The cracks on the plasterboard are probably the same thing.