For decades, Alpha Structural, Inc. has developed a powerful reputation as the number one contractor in the Los Angeles area for foundation engineering and repair, landslide repair, and earthquake and structural rehabilitation.
The company’s team has over 400 years of combined technical experience, and all of it is hard-core and down-in-the-trenches, not managed from behind a computer.
But Alpha Structural, Inc. also shares content from its engineers’ day-to-day work, including all of their funniest, most bizarre, and downright dangerous finds. Here are some of their recent gems.
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This home is experiencing severe settlement. Due to this, the front portion of the home and the stairs are now beginning to shift downslope.
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Within the crawl space, you can see more of the settlement taking place.
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The foundation of this home has literally snapped in half resulting in extreme shifting throughout the structure.
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Another picture of the previous house. Foundation issues can lead to a cascade of problems, impacting the entire structure over time. This is why proper construction and constant maintenance are so important.
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These posts are waiting to fall over any day now.
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The main support beams for this stilt home are suffering from extreme wood rot.
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Due to the wood rot, they are now rendered ineffective and unable to provide adequate support, posing a serious threat to the structural stability of the entire structure.
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The steel plate for this foundation is exhibiting severe corrosion.
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This sidewalk was undermined by water. The big crack in the sidewalk allowed water to flow underneath and down the hillside, causing more erosion in the neighbor’s yard.
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Artificial fill was placed behind this wall. When the hillside began to erode, the fill began to come down and bring the wall down with it. The wall has already dropped about a foot down.
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It’s safe to say that brick foundations are just not the way to go.
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This house became severely undermined as the soil eroded over time.
Fortunately, the house is supported by caissons, preventing it from sliding down the hill. Although the caissons provided stability, addressing the issues at hand is crucial to ensure the long-term integrity of the property.
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This Rancho Palos Verdes home is experiencing extreme settlement and shifting which is evident in the huge cracks along the exterior.
Let’s just say the bend in the roof is not architectural.
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Major efflorescence has taken over this parking garage. This is a visible sign of water damage and potential underlying issues.
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There is also severe spall damage with corroded and exposed rebar. This will all need to be demolished before replacing it.
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No. Just no.
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We’ve inspected thousands of homes and every year we still find things that leave us speechless. Please enjoy this year’s collection of the most interesting things we’ve encountered on those structural assessments!
During the storms from the beginning of the year, a tree fell on top of this home. Luckily, no one was seriously injured, though the homeowner was sitting on their couch when their ceiling came crashing down.
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This home’s retaining wall completely gave way and fell down the hillside.
When not built to code, retaining walls can collapse and cause a lot of damage to not only the homeowner’s property, but to adjacent properties. We are curious to know where the wall would’ve ended up if the tree didn’t hold the very end of it.
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This home is suffering from a severe case of fungus growth inside the crawlspace. The amount of fungus that has spread across the joists and girder can potentially be a serious issue for the homeowners.
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Let’s play a game: how many issues can you find in this photo?
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An unstable slope will show indications of movement by the presence of geotropism, which refers to the growth of plants against gravity. The way the trees bend towards the bottom of the slope lets us know the hillside is unstable and is constantly moving.
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Jenga? Who wants to play?
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This crawlspace offers a unique challenge of figuring out which piece goes where…if any at all! It’s like playing a game of Tetris, except the pieces don’t quite fit and gravity always wins.
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It’s been a while since we audibly gasped during an assessment.
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The Los Angeles hillside communities were some of the hardest hit during the storm. Hillsides all over SoCal failed and our assessors were quickly dispatched out on emergency calls.
Don’t underestimate the power of water.
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Talk about unconventional design choices!
I guess you make do with the space you have, but, unfortunately, this situation is far from ideal. The spa built into the parking garage is showing signs of distress with visible cracks and the presence of efflorescence indicating potential moisture issues.
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We went out to do an assessment of a growing sinkhole. You can see a huge portion of the slab failed due to the collapse of the supporting dirt beneath it.
New fear unlocked.
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We were called out to one of these properties a few months ago when the homeowners first noticed a shift in the slope.
We were back out last week when the entire backyard collapsed and turned their patios into cantilevered decks.
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Take a look at this massive hillside deck that’s completely disconnected in various areas.
The lack of support in the structural components of the deck is quite worrying and it raises questions about the initial construction, maintenance, and overall safety of the structure.
This easily secures a spot on our list of the worst things seen during our assessments.
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This is an alarming case of spall damage. When it comes to extensive damage to the structural support of a building, it is necessary to act quickly. The South Champlain Tower that collapsed in Miami reportedly had extensive spall damage in their basement-level parking garage.
The longer the damage is left untreated, the greater the risk of a catastrophic failure.
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This beach house was not spared from issues. The water has extremely eroded the footings and there is now concern for the support of the home.
Also, do not get us started on the beams.
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The home nearby is having severe settlement issues. The issue continues just outside the home as this sidewalk has completely shifted. This kind of severe shifting raises concerns about the surrounding area.
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This parking garage showcases an extremely concerning issue with its vehicle barrier wall, which is visibly disconnected from the structure and leaning over with a noticeable tilt.
This is undeniably one of the more alarming instances we’ve seen, as the wall of the parking garage is at significant risk of collapsing. We wouldn’t want this to fall on anybody.
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This 7-inch crack is showing severe signs of differential settlement, meaning portions of the foundation are sinking at a greater rate.
Foot added for reference.
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This wall was a non-conforming retaining wall as it was not permitted. Could have been one of the reasons why it didn’t do so well during the storm.
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The sheer amount of pressure behind this garage’s block retaining wall is evident in the fact that the cinder blocks snapped in half. This indicates a strong and destructive impact that needs immediate attention.
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These posts were built with inadequate footings which led to rotation and imminent failure. One has already collapsed, highlighting the structural issues associated with their design.
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This pier’s lack of stability was evident since we could easily slide our entire hand underneath and lift it. This should not be possible with properly installed post and piers.
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This cosmetic block wall has begun to fail due to the builder choosing not to fill the holes in the cinder blocks.
This is why taking shortcuts is never recommended.
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This area where a hot tub previously sat is experiencing severe spall damage, with chunks of concrete breaking away. Spalling is often caused by water infiltration and can quickly compromise the structural integrity and safety of a structure.
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More spall damage and signs of corrosion in the hot tub’s foundation.
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The underside of the leaking hot tub reveals the true extent of the damage, with more spalling and exposed rebar. We will need to demolish this entire area and start fresh.
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This retaining wall is gradually being pushed out of position by the growing roots of the tree behind it, leading to visible signs of failure.
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Differential settlement arises when one part of the foundation settles more rapidly or to a greater extent than another. This uneven settling can result in a noticeable tilt or imbalance in the structure.
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The foundation for this home is made up of river rock, a type of foundation that is not recommended, especially in seismic-prone areas. The lack of reinforcement and engineering in such foundations poses a significant risk to the home.
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A retaining wall is at risk of failure when it can no longer withstand the pressure from the soil behind it. Poor drainage is a common culprit, leading to saturated soil and increased weight. This excess load can result in the wall leaning outward and, ultimately, collapsing.
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Daylight should not be visible in an ideal crawlspace. This suggests a compromised crawlspace, which can lead to various issues, including moisture intrusion, pest problems, and structural concerns.
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How many pens do you think we could fit in between these bricks?
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Standing in front of this wall when it gives way is not a place you’d want to be.
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This crawlspace features a highly unconventional approach to post and piers, lacking the structural integrity needed for proper support.
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This pipe-and-board has seen better days. The rainstorm at the beginning of the year hit the hillside hard.
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Termites have created intricate patterns of damage by boring holes through this wood.
For those with trypophobia, viewer discretion is advised.
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During our assessment of this property, we discovered a substantial opening beneath the deck. Interestingly, the homeowners had been concerned about a rodent issue and were unaware of the potential entry point—ding, ding, ding!
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This hillside home is experiencing slope creep. The walls have separated and are now gradually sliding down the hill.
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Another area of separation due to the slope creep.
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This DIY job involves the use of bolts and nuts as makeshift jacks between the girders and posts and piers in an attempt to level out the home. This is not a recommended or safe solution.
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This long retaining wall is leaning several inches out of plumb. It suggests a substantial structural issue that warrants immediate attention to prevent a safety hazard from occurring.
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This is one thing we really dislike coming across.
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Rust is a common issue we see with oceanfront homes, as seen clearly in this instance.
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The structural integrity of this home was compromised when a car crashed into it, resulting in significant damage to one of the support columns.
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Another point of view of the crash. The impact not only brought down a section of the home but also brought the gate down with it.
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Massive roots have infiltrated this crawlspace, a testament to the relentless force of nature always finding a way to shake things up a bit.
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Wood rot has taken a toll on this balcony, compromising its structural integrity. Immediate attention is needed to prevent further deterioration and remedy a potential safety hazard.
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Another oceanfront home encountering issues. It’s important to note that there are many challenges that you can come across when choosing to live on the ocean.
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A close-up photo of one of the pillars. The pillar is displaying clear signs of deterioration due to the corrosive effects of saltwater and constant exposure to the elements.
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A substantial portion of this foundation is missing, and it crumbled easily with a slight touch. To fix this, our crew will have to demolish and replace the affected parts. A strong foundation is key to a sturdy home.
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A close up of the house from the previous video. This substantial crack snakes through this house, tearing it apart and no longer being a safe place to reside.
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A leaking planter on this balcony initiated a series of structural issues. The plywood subfloor, succumbing to water damage, exhibits signs of rot extending its impact to the joists below.
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The internal stem wall of this home is in a deteriorated state as the rebar has succumbed to extensive rust and rot. The damage is evident as the stem wall is now compromised.
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The ongoing issue of rebar corrosion continues all throughout this home’s stem wall.
Anyone else see LA in those wires?
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Follow the yellow brick road.
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These homeowners attempted to address the aftermath of a massive landslide on this steep hill, but the repair efforts appear inadequate and potentially ineffective.
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Guess that’s one way to do it.
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These homeowners were out of town when their pool service technician left the water running. As a result, the pool overflowed and contributed to the failure of this deck.
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To make it more frustrating, they had already warned him another time not to leave it running.
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The support columns on this deck are in a precarious state, leaning significantly and posing a risk of collapse.
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The heavy rainstorms from last year have led to slope failure, completely undermining this entire house. The house is now in a compromised state at the edge of this hillside.
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Extreme efflorescence covers the entirety of this store. Efflorescence is the deposit of minerals that can occur on the surface of concrete, brick, or stone, typically caused by the migration of water through the material.
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While efflorescence might not be too alarming on its own, if left untreated, it can pave the way for more serious moisture issues. These can eventually lead to structural damage like spalling.
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After a DIY attempt to remove the retaining wall, the homeowners left their backyard with an unsafe vertical cut. We are now intervening and installing a new retaining wall to ensure safety and stability.
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“This will hold the failing wall just fine… right?” Wrong!
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You can see this river rock footing and internal brick stem wall is in bad shape. These types of foundations are unreinforced and not recommended for use.
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The mortar in this stem wall has significantly deteriorated due to long-term settlement, causing the bricks to give way. Numerous sections display visible holes and damage.
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These are known as “shiners,” which are nails that were incorrectly driven into the framing, causing their ends to protrude freely from the ceiling. As you can see, there’s a generous number of them here.
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The homeowners needed what seemed to be a simple drainage project done and unfortunately hired a company that had no foundation experience leaving their foundation and crawlspace exposed.
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Can we even call it a foundation anymore?
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When it comes to oceanfront homes, it’s important for the homeowners to be aware of the damage that could arise from the elements.
This steel beam has completely rusted and is in need of immediate attention.
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Don’t worry, we weren’t planning on parking there.
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Looks like this cool guy was enjoying his day and we’re loving it!
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You can see the building is built with CMU blocks. It is very common for these buildings to be unreinforced, meaning there is no rebar inside.
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We received a call to assess this historical building which unfortunately suffered extensive fire damage 3 years ago. We are going to shore up the building to help preserve the remaining historical elements. Shoring is the process of supporting a structure or hillside that is in danger of collapse.
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This internal stem wall has suffered severe deterioration due to the rebar inside rusting. This area of the foundation will need to be torn out and replaced before it oxidizes further and causes more damage.
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Wondering why your doors and windows are constantly getting stuck? Your foundation could look similar to this.
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The attempt at “retrofitting” their DIY post and pier is almost admirable.
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All of the piers in this home were severely deteriorated and could be effortlessly pulled apart.
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This one is actually very on theme for today. Happy Halloween!
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This retaining wall is clearly failing and needs to be replaced as soon as possible.
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The homeowners complained of bouncy floors. Little did they know they had the whole The Last of Us set in their crawlspace.
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The relentless fungus growth is gradually eating away at the wood.
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This home burnt down in the Malibu Woolsey Fire that happened in 2018, leaving behind solely the foundation. You can see the waterproofing melted and the concrete is pink in some areas due to the intense heat.
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This retaining wall was inadequately constructed. Someone attempted makeshift repairs by filling it with concrete, which is not a reliable solution.
Additionally, the artificial grass is trapping water underneath, preventing proper evaporation, thus leaving the soil wet and contributing to the oversaturation and instability of the wall.
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To the left of the same wall, you’ll notice an incomplete extension. It consists of a few blocks and appears to serve no functional purpose.
The wall remains unstable and poses a risk of collapsing into the house.
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Groundwater is seeping up through this slab resulting in efflorescence. This can be attributed to the fact that there is no vapor barrier underneath the slab.
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The columns for this deck are sitting on mat foundations, meaning they rest directly on the ground without being properly embedded. This lack of adequate support is likely to result in undermining and gradual sinking.
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This area next to the deck has a small drop of about 3 feet, after which it transitions into a sheer vertical cut plummeting approximately 40 feet straight down, creating an unsafe and hazardous environment.
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Oceanfront homes face the constant challenges of exposure to saltwater and the elements, which can significantly impact their structural integrity over time.
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This eroded pile is an issue we see often in oceanfront homes. It exemplifies the ongoing structural concerns posed by coastal elements.
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This retaining wall is showing severe signs of failure.
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As you turn the corner you can see there is a second failing retaining wall. This is likely due to poor construction.
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This soft story retrofit has been sitting untouched for 4 years now. It appears that they began the retrofitting process and then left it there mid-project leaving everything exposed.
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A grade beam left behind in the process. Due to the extended exposure to the elements, it has now began to rust.
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This mickey mouse “repair” looks like it was actually done by Mickey Mouse and his Toodles tool kit.
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The same situation in a different area of the home. They probably looked at this and said, “Yeah, that’ll do.”
Also, shoutout to this homeowner who joked that she’d feel famous if we posted these.
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A plumber dug out a section of the crawlspace for drainage purposes and in the process removed the post and pier where the two girders meet. This is a highly critical area for support, and now the girders, spanning 16 feet each, are left unsupported in this area.
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This home is experiencing significant movement, primarily due to the soil conditions and the fact that it’s located in a landslide-prone area. This movement has resulted in substantial separation in various parts of the home.
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Here’s a close-up of the significant separation in the same home. To make it worse, rain has been pouring into the wall of the house, saturating the insulation, and causing the drywall to become wet. This moisture issue is a potential precursor to wood rot problems if not addressed.
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The internal stem wall in this area is visibly bowing. As a result of poor workmanship, the entire structure is leaning.
Also, for some odd reason, there is newspaper against the wall that seems to have been used during the pour as well.
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Ending on a lighter note this week, we came across this home built around the ‘60s that has retained its original design since it was built.
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I like it, Picasso.
From the carpeting to the wallpaper, stepping into this home was like a look back in time.
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This deck experienced a leak which led to the deterioration of the supporting structural system underneath. Due to the loss of the deck’s support system, it ultimately collapsed.
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You can see the rotted structural members here.
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Follow the trail of wood to the deteriorated cripple wall.
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We were called out to one of these properties a few months ago when the homeowners first noticed a shift in the slope.
We were back out last week when the entire backyard collapsed and turned their patios into cantilevered decks.
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The bottom half of these stairs have been completely destroyed, and the adjacent wall shows severe damage. This was a result of the tropical storm we had back in August.
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The world’s smallest shim—if it even counts as one.
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Due to the expansive soil this home sits on, the soil shifted, creating a gap between the post and the floor joist. In an attempt to address the gap, two shims were inserted, which is not a long-term solution.
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Don’t judge this one, it’s trying its best.
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These posts and piers are severely undermined. Undermining refers to the erosion or deterioration of a structure’s support system. This can lead to the stability of the structure being compromised.
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Brick foundations do not perform well in areas prone to seismic activity as they lack proper engineering and reinforcement.
It’s also important to note that brick foundations can’t be retrofitted without either sistering the existing foundation or replacing it completely.
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We’ve noticed an increase in assessments of subterranean parking garages exhibiting spall damage.
Addressing these concerns promptly is crucial as it can lead to collapse.
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This retaining wall, situated at the bottom of a hill, has experienced significant damage caused by hydrostatic pressure, which is the force exerted by accumulated water in the soil behind the wall.
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A car crashed into this column. Luckily, it managed to withstand the impact, but is now in need of immediate repairs to ensure the safety of the tenants.
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Guess they couldn’t decide which one to use.
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A landslide exerted immense pressure on the walls inside this home, causing major damage.
On the bright side, the home had 2×6 columns with a tall reinforced concrete stem wall which prevented a bigger disaster; otherwise, the entire structure might have been compromised.
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This one speaks for itself.
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Efflorescence, as seen along the parking garage wall, is the white, powdery residue that forms on the surface of concrete or brick. This is typically due to water intrusion and moisture-related issues.
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This home has an unconventional foundation which utilizes both river rock and brick. Brick and river rock were common materials used in foundations constructed in the late 1800s & early 1900s. Seeing a combination of both is quite uncommon.
Both materials are unreinforced and lack the proper engineering, making them non-ideal for providing long-term structural stability.
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Wood rot has taken its toll on this balcony. Demolishing and replacing the balcony would suffice for a fix.
This approach allows for the removal of the deteriorated parts and ensures the safety and longevity of the structure.
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The amount of cinderblocks we’ve been seeing used incorrectly as piers lately has been way more than we’d like it to be. Yes, the one on the left is broken.
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Well, just when we thought it couldn’t get worse. At least the other ones had posts.
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Here we have a jack being used in place of a post and pier. Jacks are not meant to be the final solution for supporting a home.
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This porch is leaning significantly. As the support columns continue to fail, the structure is in danger of total collapse.
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In an attempt at a remedial repair for the substantial crack on this stem wall, these framing straps are being used as foundation straps.
The use of this type of strap in this scenario is ineffective and fails to address the structural concerns adequately.
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This deteriorating retaining wall has seen better days.
The visible cracks and crumbling indicate that the wall is compromised, making it important to address the issue promptly to prevent further damage or potential hazards.
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Not only is this post lacking the necessary pier support, but it’s also riddled with cracks. The cracks in the post are clear indicators of structural distress, and the absence of proper support only adds to the issue.
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Differential settlement occurs when a portion of a structure’s foundation settles faster than the other. The massive crack along the wall is a prime example of how much one side has sunk faster than the other.
This can occur because the soil underneath is contracting and expanding at different rates.
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The extent of moisture damage on this wood has gone to such lengths that the wood has turned black. This level of moisture-induced deterioration is extreme and would need to be ripped out completely to fix the issue.
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The girder is in serious need of repair. With such a serious crack, the floor joists above are not being properly supported.
This is what the crawlspaces of homes with sloping/bouncy floors tend to look like.
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This internal stem wall is noticeably compromised, with a substantial section missing and exposed rebar.
Ignoring such damage could lead to further deterioration and potential safety risks
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In this parking garage, we encountered a severe case of spall damage. The concrete surfaces have deteriorated significantly, with large sections crumbling away.
100 ‘Nightmares’ And ‘Miracles’ Spotted During Structural Inspections (New Pics) Bored Panda
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