×
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Log In

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips Forums!
  • Talk With Other Members
  • Be Notified Of Responses
    To Your Posts
  • Keyword Search
  • One-Click Access To Your
    Favorite Forums
  • Automated Signatures
    On Your Posts
  • Best Of All, It's Free!
  • Students Click Here

*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail.

Posting Guidelines

Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden.

Students Click Here

Jobs

Flooded Bldg

Flooded Bldg

Flooded Bldg

(OP)
I been asked to help to resolve the bldg. was seeing 2" water on floor
Where shall I start?
What needs to be done?

Thanks

RE: Flooded Bldg

Little information, so you can expect little constructive advice. A description of the building would be helpful, including floor and walls.

RE: Flooded Bldg

I'd start with sump pumps, then progress to mops, squeegees, maybe wet-n-dry vacs. At some point, plug up the leak.
Perhaps contact the dehumidifier people to dry the thing out. I think there are flood-salvage services that do that kind of thing.

RE: Flooded Bldg

(OP)
hokie66 (Structural)
One story metal building used as office, locker room, electric room in CT plant.
Floor is ceramic tile.
a swale goes by plant.
around the building was paved with concrete slab recently (4 yrs)

RE: Flooded Bldg

And finding out where the water is coming from might help.

This is not sounding like a structural engineering topic yet!

RE: Flooded Bldg

Assuming the floor is concrete, you just need to clean the tiles.

If there is gypsum board on some of the walls, the bottom part which has been wet will require removal. If you don't do that, mould contamination will result.

RE: Flooded Bldg

If by metal building, it has a channel as a bottom plate, it may still be holding water and will need ragging, sponging etc. Essentially concrete floor and tiles can be cleaned and dried. Bottom of walls will likely need replacement of cladding and inspection of framing. Best to clean silts/organic material carried by water off the framing also. May need other trades if wiring etc... has been affected. Insurance?

RE: Flooded Bldg

Is there a sanitation engineering forum?

RE: Flooded Bldg

(OP)
rapt,

I don't know where and how to find the source and where water coming from?
Anybody any ideas?

RE: Flooded Bldg

you have about five options
  • leaky pipe
  • leaky roof
  • flooding caused by rainfall / river
  • sewer backup / plugged
  • ground water seepage

RE: Flooded Bldg

In my experience, leak searches are often a process of eliminating potential sources until all you are left with is the actual source.

If you have a thermal camera, they can be a great help. If not then work your way through a list:

Is this potable water? Are there pipes nearby?
Is this rainwater from a roof leak.
What equipment is nearby that generates water (air conditioners etc.)
Are their fluid storage tanks nearby?
Are their drain lines in the the floor where water could be leaking from.

We might need to start a plumbing forum for this post?


RE: Flooded Bldg

As far as structural engineering is related- if the leak is coming from under the slab, you will probably have some significant voids below the slab. Could even impact the foundations.

RE: Flooded Bldg

strp88,

Considering the fact that we know absolutely nothing about the building, I would suggest the chance of anyone being able to give specific help would be about 0.

Is there a water table problem?

is if partly underground?

Is it fully submerged?

Did someone leave a tap running?

If you get the water out, you might be able to see where it is coming from! Unfortunately, none of us are physcic, as far as I know, so I doubt that we can help.

RE: Flooded Bldg

strP 88 ,
You are not a newbee on these forums , you know better details give you better answers, so far you have not given enough information for anybody to give you a definitive answer , all you are getting is shots in the dark, you know better than that.
B.E.

You are judged not by what you know, but by what you can do.

Red Flag This Post

Please let us know here why this post is inappropriate. Reasons such as off-topic, duplicates, flames, illegal, vulgar, or students posting their homework.

Red Flag Submitted

Thank you for helping keep Eng-Tips Forums free from inappropriate posts.
The Eng-Tips staff will check this out and take appropriate action.

Reply To This Thread

Posting in the Eng-Tips forums is a member-only feature.

Click Here to join Eng-Tips and talk with other members!


Resources