Residential Construction Failures Caused by Hurricane Andrew

This paper presents results of a study conducted on several residential structures to determine the design and construction deficiencies that contributed significantly to their failure. The failures in masonry construction can mainly be attributed to lack of anchorage because the wall reinforcing was either missing or not hooked to the tie beam. Some masonry-wall failures were also caused by the tie beam bending about its minor axis when subjected to lateral loading. The failures in framed construction can mainly be attributed to deficient design and construction practices. Wood end gables were a typical feature in houses in South Florida that failed due to lack of proper bracing. Loss of roof sheathing was also common due to inadequate nailing. The breach of the exterior building envelope by the loss of roof sheathing and broken windows/doors led to extensive interior damage in most houses.