The Curious Case of the Pulsating Wall Leak
One of my more perplexing investigations was a case of reported water intrusion in a commercial fast-food restaurant. The water intrusion was reportedly occurring in the kitchen area, where limited food preparation and housekeeping activities occurred. The interior wall surfaces were finished with plastic laminate panels, which precluded direct examination of wall framing conditions.
Commercial food storage racks and tables further compounded access to an area where some interior finishes had been removed at the base of the wall, revealing a crack in the base of a concrete curb wall. Staining and wetted conditions were concentrated around the crack, so we cleared out the area and brought in some better lighting. Sure enough, the moisture-related damages and staining patterns were almost perfectly symmetrical around the crack in the concrete foundation curb.
And then we noticed something fascinating. The water wasn’t wicking into the building through the crack; it was pulsing into the building at a very low, but regular frequency. We noted that every 2 to 3 minutes, a small quantity of water flowed through the crack and into the building. This pattern was repeated over and over. Since there was no sewer or chemical odor associated with the liquid entering the building, I decided to have a look at the exterior face of the wall. I thought perhaps a malfunctioning sprinkler might be the cause.
Once outside, I had a look at the exterior face of the foundation. There were no planter strips or malfunctioning sprinklers. The concrete paved drive lane was immediately adjacent to the wall and cracked curb. Puzzled, I sat there a bit and watched the cars lining up for their lattes and frappes. I marveled at how quickly the restaurant was able to get the customers through the lines…almost every 2 to 3 minutes!
This was my aha moment.
During a rare lull in the flow of traffic through the pickup window, I had a close look at the concrete pavement. It was in rough shape, and the slab had been fractured into several subsections with multiple through-depth cracks. While examining the slab, a VW Passat interrupted my musing. As I watched the relatively lightweight passenger vehicle drive over the cracked pavement, I noted the behavior of one particularly mischievous section. It appeared to rock back and forth approximately ½ inch under the weight of each passing wheel load. The standing puddle next to the slab section, an unwitting co-conspirator, would temporarily empty before being refilled by the adjacent saturated soils.
What I realized is that the cars – by simply driving over the broken concrete slab section – were unwittingly pumping water into the building.
This one was an easy fix – a properly reinforced replacement drive slab – and problem solved. But diagnosing it required good observation skills and the ability to make connections—the cadence of the water intrusion matching that of the cars going through the line tipped me off to the source of the problem. I decided to treat myself to a celebratory beverage.
Make that a tall Americano, please, straight up – no extra pumps.
Always Pet the Dog
It was a grey, rainy day in the Pacific Northwest. I was investigating reported roof leaks at a single-family residence on behalf of a major homeowner’s insurance provider. The insured/owner of the house was a 75-year-old widowed man who lived alone except for his dog, a Labrador retriever. The house was cold, dimly lit, and smelled faintly of mildew. A quick glance around the interior revealed aged interior finish stains that spoke of a history of moisture contact.
The owner was suspicious and nearly directly accused me of being a “hired gun” for the insurance company. He was certain that I was there to deny his claim and any sort of money he might have coming to him. I tried to explain that I was an engineer hired by his insurance company to investigate the damage and provide my opinion on the cause(s) of the damage that had been reported, but my explanation fell on deaf ears. My questions about the history of the roofing materials and interior paint recoatings were met with gruff, nonresponsive answers. He scowled as he looked over my business card and bag of tools and test instruments, then muttered something about getting it over with.
As I examined the attic space, the tidal-pattern stains on the sheathing and the absence of ventilation gave classic indications of an aged and ongoing problem. The attic examination also revealed the presence of wood rot at the sheathing and framing members, making it unsafe to directly access the roof. I then moved my examination outside. From the safety of a ladder, I was able to access the roof and observe the three-tab asphalt shingles, numerous missing shingles, exposed and faded roofing underlayment, and a patchwork of temporary shingle repairs that had become permanent over time.
I returned my attention to the homeowner to discuss my observations and ask some follow up questions regarding the shingles and history of repairs. The homeowner was still suspicious, and even cagey with his responses. I spotted the dog over on his bed in the corner of the room; to satisfy his apparent curiosity about this visitor in his house, I walked over, knelt down, and began to pet the dog. I was immediately met with a welcoming dog smile and a thumping tail. I asked the homeowner how old his dog was and his name.
“Buck’s fourteen; all I got left now,” said the homeowner, still a bit gruff.
I continued to scratch Buck’s ears, clearly earning the approval of the dog.
“I put that roof on myself. Must’ve been….30? Maybe 35 years ago,” the homeowner shared, unprompted. He seemed to be softening his stance a bit. I complimented his effort and told him that I had shingled my roof in 2005 with my brother-in-law. He nodded, knowingly.
I shared that it was the hardest work I’ve ever done – that there’s a reason there aren’t any old roofers. That comment got a smile out of him.
“Yeah, that old roof got us through some tough times. Seen some storms. Patched it up a few times.” He paused a bit, then went on. “At first it was just a few stains, but it’s gotten a lot worse over time. What do you think; will I get any money? I’m on a fixed income, you know…”
I reminded him that I wasn’t an adjuster and that those decisions weren’t mine to make. He looked satisfied with my explanation but had questions about the next steps in the process. I explained that I would report to his adjuster what I had seen and discussed with him, and that they would likely want a written report, which would take a bit of time to produce.
The dog was now on its back, letting me know the ideal spot to scratch for maximum dog relaxation. The owner, too, seemed a lot more relaxed than when I’d arrived at his doorstep.
“Do you think it’s time for a new roof? I don’t know how I’m going to afford it…” he lamented.
I replied that I understood, but I felt that 25 years is about the end of the useful service life of a 3-tab asphalt shingle roof. I joked with him that if he got 30 or 35 years out of his, he was ahead of the game. We laughed together as I picked up my tools and headed for the door. I shook his hand and thanked him for his time. He smiled and thanked me for mine and for the information about his house. As I opened the door to leave, a cold wet nose pressed up against my hand for one last scratch.
* * *
Always pet the dog is advice I give to all investigators. It’s a metaphor for extending empathy in our technical investigations and for never losing sight of the people – and dogs – with whom we come in contact. It can go a long way in establishing trust and understanding and facilitating communication in arenas where adversarial positions are far too common.
Kate Worcester
Emily Jahansouz
Degenkolb Expands Forensics Engineering Practice to the Pacific Northwest
Degenkolb Engineers is pleased to announce the expansion of forensics engineering services in our Seattle office. Mike Bramhall, Scott Thomas, and Cecelia Larson join Lisette Terry to build on our long-established forensics practice in Northern California by covering Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Alaska, and Hawaii.
Mike Bramhall, Principal
Mike has more than 30 years of experience specializing in structural and forensic engineering. He has an extensive range of design and forensic experience encompassing virtually all common building types, building materials, and damage types. His primary focus areas are repair and reconstruction of damaged buildings, structural damage investigations and assessments, and structural engineering expert witness services.
Scott Thomas, Senior Associate
Scott has more than 30 years of experience with investigation of causation and assessment of damage associated with structural, civil, and building envelope failures. He has an extensive background specializing in materials testing and inspection and provides engineering support to the insurance, legal, and building management industries for construction defect litigation.
Cecelia Larson, Associate
Cecelia has over a decade of experience specializing in structural forensics engineering. Her primary focus areas are structural damage assessments and investigations for property losses including fire, vehicle impact, water intrusion, foundation settlement, and acting as an expert witness for commercial, residential, and marine facilities.
Our Practice
Degenkolb provides expertise to unravel the technical mysteries of construction defects, structural failures, and other situations which give rise to disputes. Their addition to the firm provides a wide variety of engineering services to professionals in the insurance, legal, and construction industries. Our forensic engineering services include:
- Engineering investigations to determine the cause and origin of structural failures and extent of structural damages, and provide scope of repair recommendations;
- Reconstruction and repair documents such as calculations, plans, and specifications for building permits;
- Expert witness opinions, reports and testimony;
- In-house advanced analysis and analytical modeling; and
- Pre-lease and pre-purchase due diligence investigations for property condition assessment
- Post-disaster response (CAT) support.
Michael Bramhall
Ruvim Skitsko
Steve Moore
Tim Lindsey
Rebecca Weldon
Jared Ouellette
Gyorgy Guevarra
Degenkolb Engineers and Barrish Pelham Consulting Engineers announce plans to combine forces
Issued Sept. 4, 2018
Acquisition expands Sacramento presence and adds core expertise
San Francisco based structural engineering firm Degenkolb Engineers (Degenkolb) and Sacramento based structural engineering firm Barrish Pelham Consulting Engineers (Barrish Pelham) signed a Purchase Agreement and will close the acquisition on October 1, 2018. Barrish Pelham’s 22 employees will join Degenkolb, which will now have 180 employees in seven offices. The current Barrish Pelham’s Principals will serve in the same capacity with Degenkolb.
The acquisition expands Degenkolb’s Sacramento presence while increasing its portfolio and experience in the K-12 education market and forensics investigation. Degenkolb will operate in Sacramento as “Barrish Pelham, a Degenkolb Company.”
“This is a great time for Degenkolb and Barrish Pelham. As firm’s we have collaborated in the past, sharing staff on projects and working together through the Structural Engineers Association of California and Applied Technology Council. The Barrish Pelham staff embodies the same Degenkolb values of service and excellence that our clients have come to expect and we’ll now have that resource in the greater Central Valley region, “ stated Degenkolb CEO, Stacy Bartoletti.
Barrish Pelham is a 73 years old structural engineering firm headquartered in Sacramento, California, with strong portfolios of forensics investigation, reconstruction engineering for damaged buildings, educational and healthcare facilities. Since October 2017, Jason Scanlan has served as President; and Stephen Pelham has served as Chairman.
“We have known, worked with, and respected Degenkolb Engineers and their leadership for many years. This is the next logical step in continuance of Barrish Pelham’s expertise, integrity, and service to our clients. Barrish Pelham is truly excited to join the Degenkolb family extending both the bandwidth and expertise of locally based structural engineering services in California’s Central Valley,” stated Barrish Pelham Chairman, Steve Pelham.
Degenkolb previously opened a small Sacramento office and those employees will join the Barrish Pelham staff in a combined office at 3001 E. Street, Sacramento CA 95816.
Degenkolb Engineers is a San Francisco headquartered structural engineering company. Founded in 1940, Degenkolb Engineers’ practice reflects more than seven decades of commitment to technical expertise, exceptional client service through close collaboration, and life-long learning. Our award-winning structural designs have saved clients hundreds of millions of dollars and are delivered by taking full advantage of our expertise and experience.
For further information contact: Laurie Lumish, Director of Marketing, llumish@degenkolb.com, 415.354.6416
