floridaseven
Structural
- Aug 4, 2004
- 1
I'm a structural engineer licensed in Florida. I live in Gulf Breeze, FL (Immediately south of Pensacola, Florida). All of my structures designed to the Florida Building Code 2001 have survived the hurricane with very little damage.
I have been surveying many structures damaged from this storm. Three weeks after the storm, I am getting calls from people who state that their houses were built on piles and were not damaged. However, they state that their house feels like it sways more than before the storm. I know for a fact that many of these structures had piles embedded 20' below grade to bearing per geotechnical engineers with no soil scour involved. My first advice to these people is to make sure the pile/floor bolts are still torqued and tight. Other than tightning the bolts I really have no advice why the houses feel like they are moving. I understand that soils at the top of the piles may have moved causing a little play, but this should not account for the movement they are feeling in my opinion. Piles under the Florida Building Code 2001 are 12" diameter butt piles w/ 10" tips. If anybody has any experience of this problem, please respond with your advice.
I have been surveying many structures damaged from this storm. Three weeks after the storm, I am getting calls from people who state that their houses were built on piles and were not damaged. However, they state that their house feels like it sways more than before the storm. I know for a fact that many of these structures had piles embedded 20' below grade to bearing per geotechnical engineers with no soil scour involved. My first advice to these people is to make sure the pile/floor bolts are still torqued and tight. Other than tightning the bolts I really have no advice why the houses feel like they are moving. I understand that soils at the top of the piles may have moved causing a little play, but this should not account for the movement they are feeling in my opinion. Piles under the Florida Building Code 2001 are 12" diameter butt piles w/ 10" tips. If anybody has any experience of this problem, please respond with your advice.
