If this was me I would want to see the drawings and all call outs on the straps along with any RFI’s that may be approved by engineering. The building department should have already blessed off on the drawings and if the builder had any issues with them the RFI’s would have already been reviewed by the building department.
I would not accept any drawing from an engineer that shows straps in brick, spaced conventionally, when the manufacturer specifically prohibits it their use in brick. They would have to provide me with some statement from the manufacturer in that case.
Home plans down here are rarely stamped by an engineer or architect. That is not required by most building departments.
Cabarrus County does not review drawings unless they are over 3000 square feet…you simply show the clerk the plans of which they simply look for foundation, floor and elevation drawings…they ask a few questions about size, price and who your subcontractors are…you then pay your permit fee and they issue it on the spot…I know because I build in this county and am familiar with all of their inspectors.
While difficult, straps can be aligned into the cells of the brick of which the foundation contractor then fills them with mortar.
Is this a violation of the manufacturer instructions…yes…do I think this is going to adversely affect the home…no…and I simply say this in light of the fact that we have homes all over the Carolina’s built pre 90’s of which the sill plate is only be held down by concrete nails…if there is even a sill plate…I come across homes where there are no anchor / fasteners…house is simply sitting on a foundation.
I would report what I find, provide documentation and whom the client may contact about this matter and move on to the next item.
Jeff
Yes, for thousands of years, mankind has lived in homes where the wood structure was held down only by gravity. Jeff, your experience with home building is anecdotal. Have any of your homes ever actually experienced an earthquake, flood, or 140 mph winds? That’s the purpose or anchorage.
See any homes below that were not properly anchored? Some of those structures would not have been significantly damaged had they not been moved off their foundation. Some appear not too badly damaged…and others are entirely gone. Now how are you going to move the ones back that have moved down the street? Most of us will live our lives and never be involved in a natural disaster like this. But it’s in the realm of possibility. Building codes are designed to prevent this movement. 4" block or brick cannot resist these types of forces and the anchors are not designed to be woven through the brick or 4" block. They are designed to go straight down through the fully grouted cell of an 8" x 16" CMU or be embedded directly in concrete.
Joe and Jeff
You both have great points, and Joe I lived through floods, earthquakes, tsunamis, and tornados and let me tell you that I seen homes that were tied down, strapped and anchor still come apart. I do agree with Jeff, you found it reported it and move on. My building department is different since everything is reviewed and plans are stamp. The liability of what you found rest on the city and engineer. Joe, you should become a plan reviewer so you can insure that code is being followed.
When a code official inspects and old home being renovated they have to understand the scope of what was touched and not, to insure the contractor, owner or designer is following the 2009 IEBC. This has more challenging to me then new construction.
Great find and great conversation
Happy Thanksgiving
Robert
[quote=“jfunderburk, post:1, topic:73500”]
What do you guys think? New home. NC building inspector OK’s it after I call it a structural defect in my report.
Leading strap manufacturers say you can’t put straps in red clay brick or 4" masonry block.
www.strongtie.com/ftp/catalogs/c-2011/C-2011-p034.pdf](http://www.strongtie.com/ftp/catalogs/c-2011/C-2011-p034.pdf)
www.uspconnectors.com/pdf-full-line-2010/32.pdf
/QUOTE
Joe,
I found the inspectors approval tag interesting. Quote " It appears to conform To Code" How can he state that it appears to conform. It either does or it does not and in my opinion it does not. First if North Carolina has adopted the International Building Code Residential that connection is required to be detailed on the construction documents per section 107.35. Secondly if structures are designed by the prescriptive methods of the code they are deemed to be in compliance. Because the connection shown in your earlier pictures is not detailed in the code it can not prescriptively be in compliance and would require that the designer of record provide calculations that this calculation meets or exceeds the minimum requirement. Not saying that the connection will not work, just that it does not meet code and that it must be calculated
Hey Joe,
Hurricanes…Hugo was a real bitoch…lol…as was the following: Hazel, Connie, Ione, Hellen, Donna, Diana, Gloria, Emily and Fran.
Earthquakes…NC has them just not as intense… I think the strongest we experienced was in the early 1900’s which registered over a 5.
When God decides to take an area out then no amount of anchorage is going to stop it. Again, that is not to say to let your findings go but as I said before…report it and move on. Home inspecting to me is informing your client the condition of the home while at the same time managing your liability in a reasonable manner. I have inspected countless homes under construction as well as those just finished with C.O.'s issued of which all have some sort of issue that did not meet code and at times manufacturer guidelines…ultimately its up to the purchaser as to weather they want to go forward with the transaction…some times that decision is based upon my report other times it simply based upon emotion or the price of the home in relation to the severity of the issues and its corrective action cost.
Mark is correct in that you would make an excellent plan reviewer…unfortunately with the economy as it is…those jobs are not in high demand.
Manufacturer instruction are based upon performance…building codes are more prescriptive as is the case with North Carolina…let your client know the difference along with what options they have if THEY decide to push the issue.
regards my friend…
Jeff