A s structural engineers, we have many responsibilities. Our most important responsibility is to hold paramount the safety and health of the public; therefore, our primary focus is on designing sound structures with adequate strength and stability. Another responsibility that we have is to meet the owner’s expectations regarding the performance and durability of his or her structure.
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Author Archives : Richard S. Barrow, P.E., S.I.
Richard S. Barrow is the President of Liebl & Barrow Engineering based in Fort Myers, FL. He is a member of ASCE’s Committee on Forensic Investigations and ACI’s Committee 311: Inspection of Concrete. (rich@lbengineer.com)
It is common in Florida to elevate homes on wood piles in coastal zones A and V. Many of those homes are adjacent to the Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico, bays, estuaries, and other bodies containing saltwater. Most of the piles are sheltered under habitable space. Reacting to its environment, the wood has a fuzzy appearance. Why would a wood pile, driven on land or near a body of water, deteriorate at the protected and dry top and not at ground level or the waterline? To understand the cause of “fuzzy wood” and to provide an appropriate repair, we need go back to high school biology and chemistry classes. …
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