Journal of Performance of Constructed Facilities

This report describes the structural performance of residential and low‐rise commercial structures in south Florida, based on observations from onsite inspections conducted within one week after Hurricane Andrew struck the Miami region on August 24, 1992. All types of construction—concrete, masonry, steel, and wool—were inspected by a 45‐member task group consisting of structural engineers, scientists, building‐code officials, and technical representatives of the building‐construction industry. The task group included a team of three technical and field promotion staff members from the American Plywood Association, Tacoma, Wash. The report concentrates primarily on the observed performance of wood systems. Observations and conclusions are presented dealing with roofing attachment, wood structural panel roof sheathing (both plywood and oriented strand board) and its attachment to framing and gable‐end roof systems in particular, and walls and connections of components. Some general observations are made concerning the performance of other structures during this event.

A debris flow is defined as soil with entrained water and air that moves readily as a fluid on low slopes. A case history of a debris flow adjacent to the Pauma Indian Reservation is described. Two contributing factors in the debris flow were the cutting down of trees and the construction of haul roads. The debris flow travelled a long way (370 m) in the depositional area before striking a house. Fortunately, by the time the debris flow reached the house, the energy was nearly spent and there was no damage to the structural frame. The material involved in the debris flow was classified as silty sand. Results of laboratory tests indicate that this type of soil is susceptible to debris flow. There is a range of coefficient of permeability from about 10⁻² to 10⁻⁶ cm/s that corresponds to soils that have an optimum soil permeability for long‐distance flow in the depositional area. Based on the historical method, it is probable that there will be future debris flow in this area.

For more than 10 years, starting in the mid‐1970s, an unprecedented construction boom transformed Middle Eastern nations into modern industrial societies. It is now common for reinforced concrete structures built during that time in the region to experience durability problems. This case history is based on an investigation of deterioration of reinforced concrete structures completed within the last few years at a large industrial facility in the Arabian Gulf. Investigations were performed on structures selected from the plant's hundreds of facilities that support both equipment and plant piping. Typical deterioration included cracking, delamination, and spalling of concrete as well as underlying reinforcement corrosion. In some cases, the extent of deterioration had compromised the structural capacity of members. What makes this case unique is not the widespread reinforcement corrosion but the fact that the corrosion was caused by high internal chloride levels, almost exclusively resulting from the use of sea water in the original concrete mix.