THE CASE
The owners purchased a luxurious 7,000-square-foot residence in Granite Bay, California, in 2008 after it had been foreclosed on and sat vacant for several years. Almost immediately, the homeowners noticed their house would shake in a strong wind and would leak through the walls, windows and balconies. Cracks in the stucco were visible, and most of the interior floor tile was cracking. Doors, windows and floors were all sagging.
EXPERT STRUCTURAL INVESTIGATION SERVICES
Steven P. Viani, P.E., was brought in by the Granite Bay, CA, homeowners to provide expert structural investigation services. He immediately began a fresh engineering review of the home’s structure and its shear-resisting elements. He quickly discovered the hold downs were either loose, missing, poorly located or improperly installed. Moreover, the calculations did not conform to the field observations.
The results of the structural investigation indicated that strong winds could be devastating to the Granite Bay, CA, home. Based on a review of weather data, it was discovered that significant evening winds could rock the building, thus loosening the bolts and nails within the structure.
THE RESULTS
The structural investigation resulted in a substantial win for the homeowners: They received a 7-figure settlement from multiple parties involved. Most importantly, they were able to rebuild the beautiful home they loved.
After settlement, the homeowners wished to continue working with Steve. He was awarded the contract to design shear-resisting systems to prevent lateral movement and performed periodic construction inspections to protect the home’s integrity.
“I wanted to let you know that your analysis of the engineering design, structural deficiencies and wind loads was critical in establishing liability and causation, and successfully challenging the defense experts’ opinions and their purported engineering approach. Your work enabled me to achieve a settlement that was extremely favorable to our client.“
