Structural Investigations

Structures require maintenance and repair as they age; left unattended, repairs become more costly and are sometimes too late.

The purpose of structural condition assessment of buildings is to identify the health of the structural elements so that a program can be put in place to address the deficiencies before they become a safety concern to mitigate the risk of structural failure, and to assist the owners in the decision making process regarding budgeting and scheduling for the necessary repairs in a timely manner.

In response to the recent structural failures caused by delayed maintenance and budgeting for timely repairs, different municipalities such as Miami-Dade County of Florida, have put in place programs and guidelines to help building owners become proactive in the health of their buildings.  Although the guidelines may vary in some details, all intend to reduce the risk of failure.

Klein and Hoffman’s teams of structural and architectural engineers have been providing investigation and design services for buildings of various vintage for decades. Our knowledge of the behavior of construction materials and hands on experience, combined with our collaborative culture and practical and pragmatic approach to repairs, has earned Klein and Hoffman a reputation for technical expertise while the empathy for the client and client’s needs.

Our Process

In general our investigative process when it comes to structural assessments consists of the following phases:

1. Unless the deficiencies are apparent, the evaluation process typically begins with a visual assessment of exposed structural elements, and review of available drawings and reports.
2. If the results of the first phase require a more in depth evaluation, a more intrusive and detailed review will follow which may include destructive and non-destructive testing and structural analysis.
3. The investigation phase concludes with the issuance of a report that summarizes the findings and provides an opinion regarding the health of the structure and what, if any, is required to remediate, engineering opinions of estimated repair costs to assist with budgeting, and timelines for necessary repairs.

Our experienced and knowledgeable licensed structural and architectural engineers are available and ready to address your building and facility concerns. Contact us to schedule an investigation and learn more.