Vehicle Collision to building

[architrave]

Hello! I am an architect and I would like to ask you a question. Yesterday a small SUV (Ford Escape) crashed into a friend of my client's pizza place crashing the store front glass and its frames. I spoke with a DOB inspector who was at the scene and he wanted to submit a report for the structural stability. I went there this morning and looked around the area of the damage and found it doesn't seem to have any visible structural damage. Thankfully the suv's front tire hit the 8" high concrete stoop that this storefront was sitting on and the front of the car hit the storefront that was set about 16" beyond this 8" ledge.
Building is 2 story in height with masonry bearing walls and with wood joists which is built in 1934 . It is within a rowhouse type development with common party walls that are about 25' apart.

My question is 1) Should I approach this report with series of calculation : which I have no idea how to analytically describe the event except to show the assumed impact energy of the collision and have this force (?) applied to the cantilevered foundation. Alternatively, I could approach this report as simply being descriptive compilation of my observation and draw conclusion that no damage was done to the building's structure.

2) In 1934's masonry building, did they used metal ties for the brick veneer? The building seems it is either 4" + 8" wall with collar joints. It is not a veneer rather it is a composite wall and my question is did they use any reinforcement back then for these kind of construction in NYC?

Thank you.

 

[Ron]

The accident has already occurred so calculations would be mostly irrelevant, unless you were trying to prove something with regard to the driver's negligence.

With regard to the potential structural damage, a good visual assessment of all structural components in the area should be done. That includes joist-to-wall connections. Look for cracks and trace the cracks to their ends to see if they were likely caused by the impact or if they are older cracks. You can tell old cracks from new ones by looking at the crack face. Also, old cracks will likely have paint in them and a rounded edge while new cracks will have sharp edges.

Start at the point of impact and work outward from there. Look at the attachment points of the storefront windows and see if the fasteners caused damage to the wall as they were moved by the impact.

Since you have a rigid wall material, damage will be rather obvious. Usually if you can't see a manifestation of damage in a masonry structure, there isn't any. Look closely, though.

 

[cntw1953]

Agree with Ron.
Looks like the main structural components (column, beam, side walls) remainded intact, I would not worry the 2nd floor brick facade, unless its support beam/lintel was damaged/moved by the impact.

 

[JAE]

architrave,

In looking at the photo, it doesn't appear that there is any obvious cracking in the brick above the "window" impact area. Your first question - agree with Ron that calcs of impact-related aspects is useless now. What I would do is survey every aspect of the "current" structure now - looking for dislocations, distress, cracking, irregularities in the floor framing directly above the impact area, (or below the impact area if the main floor is also structural.

I would also look to see what the condition of the upper floor to wall connection looks like. Do the floor joists show any compression distress (as the impact would have possibly driven the floor back toward the rear of the building.

Your second question - older buildings such as that probably didn't use any form of steel ties between brick wythes but used cross bricks to tie various wythes together.

Lastly, do you feel comfortable reviewing the structural aspects of this building as an architect?

 

[bridgebuster]

architrave -

I agree with JAE & Ron. The first link gives some historical background on the NYC Building Code. The second link is to the 1901 Code

http://www.webanswers.com/construct...a-nyc-building-code-prior-to-1938-code-839b90

http://www.archive.org/details/buildingcodeofci00newyrich

I learned something today at the building code. When I sold my house in Queens back in '95. The buyers were trying to shake me down two days before the closing because the house didn't have a CO. Now, 15 years later I see that I didn't need one afterall. The house was built in 1921. Anyway, it worked out for me. Day before closing I went to DOB, pestered the Borough Commissioner and he signed a waiver for me - professional courtesy.

No wonder there are building code consultants in NYC because no one knows what's in it.

I tried books.google for the 1915 code, which would have been in affect in 1934 but no luck. The only full view they had was the 1906 code.

 

[architrave]

Thank you very much for your kind replies folks! Despite my hurried initial posting, seeing so many valuable inputs have anything but pleasure - I deeply appreciate it.

JAE, unfortunately, my Structural Engineer is on vacation in Greece - good for him. You guys should know that you are more and more becoming hard to find genre of the trade....(smile).

Thank you very much.