If you have a building or home that requires inspection, then a structural engineer can help. They will not only ensure the safety of your building or structure but will also identify potential issues and recommend possible solutions.
A structural engineer can help you keep your property in top condition. This makes the property easier to manage and sell through a company like Problem Property Pals. If you want to know more about how a structural engineer can help in maintenance and renovation, keep reading to find out more.
Who Is a Structural Engineer?
Structural engineers are civil engineers responsible for private and public infrastructure. Projects include roads, water supply systems, buildings, airports, tunnels, dams, bridges, and sewage treatment.
Civil engineering sub-disciplines include environmental engineering, construction engineering, water or sewage engineering, and traffic engineering. All structural engineers are civil engineers, but the opposite is not true. Structural engineering is focused on good design, construction, and management of load/forces in construction plans. Structures that such engineers work on include:
- Culverts
- Bridges
- Retaining walls
Parking garages - Building design
Building remodeling or renovation - Condos
- Townhomes
- Barns
- Sheds
Commercial buildings - Houses
- Multi-family homes
Advantages of a Structural Engineer
- Structural engineers allow infrastructure owners to stay within a feasible and realistic budget.
- They review and design structural elements like floors, roofs, walls, and foundations for proper support and security.
- They can identify issues before they become grave and expensive problems.
Structural engineers can provide expert testimony if there is an issue or dispute with a building’s structure. They also ensure your building aligns with local codes. - A structural engineer also ensures family and employee safety during the construction phase.
Top Reasons to Hire a Structural Engineer
1. Proper Design and Analysis of Structures
Structural engineering focuses greatly on the lateral force resistance of structures, bridges, and buildings and helps establish gravity support. A structural engineer makes drawings, performs calculations, evaluates architectural work, visits construction sites, writes reports, and develops specifications to make this easier.
Therefore, hiring one for your infrastructure means properly studying force-resisting elements, physical forces, the strength of structural elements, and the analyst breakdown.
Engineers also participate in the designing process so components can be easily combined without resisting previously estimated forces. Even though design and analysis are complementary procedures, they are crucial for the final placement of various elements in a structure.
2. Creating Engineering Reports and Conducting Inspections
A report generated by a structural engineer is a thorough analysis of a building’s weight-bearing components like the posts, trusses, columns, beams, framing, and foundation. A full inspection is conducted to ensure structural stability.
Structural engineers undergo proper training to get a license to ensure expertise in load-bearing systems. This license qualifies them to perform structural inspections that are necessary for the safety of the owner and residents. Inspections also ensure building reliability and sustainability.
- Inspections are helpful if you look forward to buying or repairing a home.
- If a structural engineer finds issues with load-bearing components, you can request further examination.
- Structural engineers will provide in-depth reports on temporary basement columns, water leaks, bowing walls, settlement issues, foundation cracks, and sloping floors. This lets you decide whether to buy a house, walk away from the deal, or negotiate.
3. Identification of Structural Movement, Settling, Cracks, and Defects
A sturdy home or building should not have more than a few tiny cracks. Old homes may have wall settlement or ceiling cracks, or sloping floors because architectural elements were designed differently back in the day. If you are worried about these settlements, you must get a structural engineer on board.
Look for step, vertical, or horizontal cracks or fractures in walls and ceilings. Cracks that are bigger than 1/4th of an inch suggest movement. Other issues which call for a proper structural examination for functional safety include:
- Sticky windows and doors
- Cracking or crumbling foundation
- Ceiling or wall cracks
- Bowing floors and walls
- Steps pulling away from the house
- Sagging ceilings
5. Disaster Recovery and Identifying Heat or Drainage Issues
If a building or home has experienced damage from a natural disaster like a storm, tornado, or hurricane, an inspection from a structural engineer is necessary to ensure structural integrity. This will prevent collapses and accidents and allow contractors to decide on the most suitable equipment for renovation.
Drainage issues can destroy a structure’s foundation if left untreated. They can also lead to costly interior/exterior damage and puddle formation. Structural inspection not only helps identify these issues but also enables an understanding of how the problem began and what measures can be taken to prevent further damage.
Heat loss can lead to higher energy bills and ice dams, but a structural engineer can easily identify this. Not only can they help identify the exact region leading to heat loss, but they can also provide advice on how to address the issue permanently.
Endnote
A structural engineer is a must if you wish to renovate or repair a house perfectly. It is also a good idea to get one on board before buying or selling property to prevent issues later on.
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