Assessment of

Fire Damaged
Structures
Michael Cuevas, P.E.

2016 PT&C Forensic Consulting Services, P.A.

Topics
Fire Effects on Building Materials
Wood, Steel, Masonry, Concrete

Fire Damage by Systems

Roof Structures, Wall Structures, Floor
Structures, Foundations

Damage Due to Firefighting Efforts

2016 PT&C Forensic Consulting Services, P.A.

Fire Damage to Wood?

Temperature
T< 200 F
Effects reversible
200< T < 400 F
Prolonged exposure produces charring
400 < T < 575 F
Significant charring damage
T > 575 F
Ignition
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Fire Damage to Wood?

Char
How deep of char?
Charred wood
No structural capacity

Tolerances
inch
Pyrolysis
Diminished structural capacity

How deep is the pyrolysis though?

2016 PT&C Forensic Consulting Services, P.A.

Fire Damage to Steel?

Blackened, soot covered steel
Light Scale
Paint or coatings remaining?
Galvanization
Temporary change in
properties
Return to original properties
when cooled
Light gauge steel more
vulnerable
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Fire Damage to Steel?

Evaluate by geometry
straight/buckled?
Connections!!!!!
Steel expands with temperature
25footlongbeamgrowsover1inchin600F
temperaturechange!

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Fire Damage to Steel?

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Fire Damage to Masonry?

Spalling
Surface delamination
from water or heat
Cracking
Typically at points of restraints

Lateral Displacement

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Fire Damage to Masonry?

2016 PT&C Forensic Consulting Services, P.A.

Fire Damage to Masonry?

2016 PT&C Forensic Consulting Services, P.A.

Fire Damage to Masonry?

2016 PT&C Forensic Consulting Services, P.A.

Fire Damage to Concrete?

Change in color
Spalling
Cracking

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Fire Damage to Concrete?

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Fire and Structures

Roof Structure
Wall Structures
Floors
Foundations

2016 PT&C Forensic Consulting Services, P.A.

Roof Structure
Wood Panel Sheathing
Char
Mechanism similar to solid wood
Lower tolerance!
1/64 inch for < thick panels

Water
Picture Framing

Repair?
Smoke Clean and
Encapsulate
Char Remove and Replace
Remove water/humidity

2016 PT&C Forensic Consulting Services, P.A.

Roof Structure
Dimension Lumber
Depth of char
Connections

Metal Plate Connected

Trusses
Chords and webs

Complete loss?
Simple charring?
How deep did the char go?
What effects did pyrolysis have?

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Roof Structure

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Roof Structure
Metal Plate Connected
Trusses
Plates

0.38 Penetration
Loss of galvanization
Temperature of wood below plate
Strength?

Lets look at a case study

Fire loss with heavy damage at one
end of building and minimal at the
other end.
Multiple commercial tenants
Damage to most trusses at heels on
one exposure.
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Roof Structure

2016 PT&C Forensic Consulting Services, P.A.

Roof Structure

2016 PT&C Forensic Consulting Services, P.A.

Roof Structure
Imminent char

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Roof Structure

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Roof Structure
Repairs
Removal
Repair

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Different Tennant

Roof Structure
Gusset Repairs

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Roof Structure
Old Homes
Period Framing?
Uncovered Conditions!
Roof framing can be a problem!

Case Study Old

residence, small fire
2 wall studs slightly charred.
Plaster removed due to smoke
and soot Filthy fire!
Problems uncovered with framing

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Roof Structure

Cut rafters

Interior load
bearing
wall?

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Roof Structure

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Roof Structure
Code Official
Required engineer to
sign & seal framing plans
Historically no insulation
Add insulation at roof?
Result, FULL snow load
Can the roof framing
support the full snow
load?

2016 PT&C Forensic Consulting Services, P.A.

Roof Structure
Owner wanted home bulldozed
But only two studs charred
Issues with structure
2nd Floor framing inadequate damaged by holes,
notches
Roof framing deficient/undersized
No fire blocking
Window framing deficient/undersized

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Roof Structure
Proposed solution
Cut wall studs to allow floor joists to bear on 1st
floor wall framing (now have fire blocking)
Frame 2nd floor on top of 1st floor framing
Traditional wall framing and roof trusses
Solves window/roof framing deficiencies
Reinforce 1st floor windows
Approximately half the cost of totally replacing
the structure

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Wall Structures
Studs
Depth of char
Headers Structural Composite
Lumber

LVL - Laminated Veneer Lumber

LSL Laminated Strand Lumber
PSL Parallel Strand Lumber
Plywood assembly
Strength degrades over time and temp
Temps as low as 250F permanent damage

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Wall Structures
Old Structures
Code Endorsement?
Balloon Framing
Fire stops?
Let-in floor joists?
Windows
No headers/jambs/kings

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Wall Structures

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Wall Structures

No fire blocking
Let-in floor joist

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Wall Structures

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Floor Structures
Dimension Lumber
Same as before Char!
I-Joists
Depth of char
Lots of glue
Glue melting temperature > 500F
Scarf joints
Web to flange interfaces

Water?
Fire suppression
Dried after fire has been extinguished

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Floor Structures
Case Study Dried out?
Fire/Home not Dried In Several months!
What Could be Salvaged?
Fire consumed roof and part of second floor
Remainder of home intact but exposed

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Floor Structures

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Floor Structures

2016 PT&C Forensic Consulting Services, P.A.

Floor Structures

2016 PT&C Forensic Consulting Services, P.A.

Floor Structures

2016 PT&C Forensic Consulting Services, P.A.

Floor Structures

Bottom line: Complete loss.

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Floor Structures
What About Floor Trusses?
Similar Wood Trusses
Same problems at metal
plates!
Char
Pyrolysis
Repair?

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Floor Structures

2016 PT&C Forensic Consulting Services, P.A.

Floor Structures
What About Steel Beams?
Are they straight?
Are the connections intact?
Remember Expansion
25 foot Beam 1!

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Floor Structures
Welds can be treated the same as the adjoining
base metals.

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Foundations
What kind of foundation is it?
Concrete?
Masonry?
Remember Heat Rises

Greatest damage should be at the top!

Check combustibles such as sill plates for fire temperatures.
Were there stored materials against the wall or slab?
Typical house fire approximately 1100 F
Was the slab damaged?

2016 PT&C Forensic Consulting Services, P.A.

Foundations

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Foundations
So, what does fire damage?
Materials
Concrete/Masonry

Anchor Bolts
Spalling
Cracking
Demolition damage?

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Foundations
Demolition Damage!
Basement walls resist earth pressure
Floor braces top of wall
Floor burned away?
Floor demolished?
What hold the top of the wall!

Must brace walls!

2016 PT&C Forensic Consulting Services, P.A.

Foundations

2016 PT&C Forensic Consulting Services, P.A.

Foundations

2016 PT&C Forensic Consulting Services, P.A.

Foundations

2016 PT&C Forensic Consulting Services, P.A.

Firefighting Efforts
Firefighters need to ventilate the building or
residence to allow smoke to escape. This
facilitates entry into the interior by improving the
firefighters vision and breathing.
Break as many windows as possible
Create openings/holes in the roof

2016 PT&C Forensic Consulting Services, P.A.

Firefighting Efforts

2016 PT&C Forensic Consulting Services, P.A.

Firefighting Efforts

2016 PT&C Forensic Consulting Services, P.A.

Firefighting Efforts

2016 PT&C Forensic Consulting Services, P.A.

Firefighting Efforts

2016 PT&C Forensic Consulting Services, P.A.

Firefighting Efforts

2016 PT&C Forensic Consulting Services, P.A.

Questions?

Michael.Cuevas@ptclwg.com

2016 PT&C Forensic Consulting Services, P.A.