A newly constructed residence in the Raleigh area was the subject of a gas explosion, with the event emanating from the crawlspace. ARA was retained to produce the structural record that every subsequent decision would rely on: repair, demolition, claim settlement.
Documentation first
The first priority was the scene: measured, 3D-scanned, and documented in sufficient resolution that the condition of the structure could be reviewed long after the site was altered. Point-cloud capture of the interior, the foundation, and the surrounding envelope produced a dimensionally accurate record of the as-found state.
The structural analysis
Working from the documented scene, ARA’s engineers examined the structure for signs of failure:
- Fatigue in framing and connections
- Cracks in the foundation, slab, and load-bearing assemblies
- Alignment issues between structural elements
From measured conditions, the engineers calculated the degree to which individual structural components had been altered by the explosion: slope of walls and foundations, square footage of affected areas, and the angular or positional deviation of each element from its as-built geometry.
Each alteration was then compared against standard construction tolerances to determine whether the condition was within acceptable limits or constituted structural damage requiring remediation.
The deliverable
Findings were processed through a custom data-processing workflow and presented topographically via CAD, a visual record of where the structure had deviated, by how much, relative to its as-built state. The output was built to support the downstream decisions: whether to repair, whether to demolish, and what the scope of each would be.