Structural Engineer Longwood FL Area

Can anyone recommend a structurale engineer in the Longwood Florida area?
Thanks in advance.

Where is Longwood Florida - is it Central Florida?

We do structural & foundation engineering among other things. We have an office in Vero Beach & Sarasota - Anything between or close by is fair game if the job is sufficient to justify a little travel time.
What do you need done?

Longwood is 10-15 minutes North of downtwon Orlando. Large tree next to the foundation, wall has shifted, there are 1/4" cracks and the wall is leaning out. Some of the cracks are vertically through the middle of the block. It’s in a high end neighborhood so $ won’t be too much of an issue if you’ll travel.

Sounds familiar, normally when the roots of large trees get underneath the foundation they can easily lift the footer, especially in older homes where reinforcing steel was sometimes left out. If the cracks are vertical trough the hollow cells then the slab and footer are definatey pushing up, placing the wall in compression where it cracks at the weekest point, which is a hollow block cell. If the cracks were stepped, it would be a sign of settlement. It is definately the tree roots.

There are many different potential remedies, but most involve removing the tree or at least severing a side of the trees root system (which often kills the tree). The extent of damage to the wall, slab, footer and tie beam need to be evaluated before a final remedy could be offered, but ---- typically the damaged foundation and slab can be repaired by pressure grouting (pumping concrete under pressure). Obviously the potential for root decay leaving voids exist so the roots would need to be removed. As for the wall, it sounds like it probably is a home built prior to the seventies or earlier when vertical reinforcing steel was only placed in corners and about every 12- 16 feet of wall length. If the wall has cracks at the underside of the tie beam or at the slab interface, then it is also an indication of minimal vertical reinforcing steel. If the wall is to far gone, it can easily be remove (with proper supports under tie beam), and a new wall constructed in its place. This is normally achieved by epoxy dowelling rebar about every four feet into the foundation and tie beam and pouring the reinforsed cells solid with concrete. If the wall is not to far gone, sections can be busted out, plywood forms fastened, and new concrete poured to repair damaged areas. This of course, may all change after an initial inspection is done to reveal all things great and small.

I love jobs like this, and if the money is there, could entertain the thought. It would probably only involve a couple of trips there. The contractor would just have to follow the engineering drawings that we prepare, and its a done deal.

Are you in charge of finding an engineer or just helping them out?
Are they trying to save the tree?

We are Professional Engineers, by the way.

Dennis P. Quigley
HomeSpector, LLC

Please give me a call so we can set it up asap.
321-287-6007