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HomeMy WebLinkAbout007 - Appendix F - Structural report 307 S. Brack Ave Johnson Structural Engineering, Inc. 152 West Short Street Structural Engineering Analysis, Investigation Bozeman, MT 59715 Larry P. Johnson, MSCE, PE Ph: 406-585-2939 larry@johnsonengineer.com Bozeman Department of Planning and Community Development August 30, 2024 r 20 East Olive Street Bozeman, MT Reference Property: Residential Building 307 S. Black Ave. Bozeman, MT Subject: Structural Inspection To whom it may concern, I conducted an inspection of the reference building, a two-story structure originally constructed in circa 1910. The house has a mixture of foundation materials with wood framed walls, floors and roof. The building has had numerous additions and remodels over the years, of questionable construction methods and is currently configured as two separate living spaces on the main and upper floor levels. In general, I found this house to be in general poor structural condition. This report will outline the elements that would require upgrading to bring the building into compliance with the governing 2021 International Existing Building Code. Starting at the roof level, the roof is framed with only 2x4 rafters and a non-structural ridge board. A dormer was added to the East side of the upper level. I observed the ridge member is sagging in numerous places and the roof lines are out of level. There are cracks in the walls and sagging ceiling of the upper level. To bring the building up to current code, it would be necessary to add a new structural beams and rafters as every element of the framing is grossly undersized. The roof beams would require new column to be added within the exterior walls and interior support locations. The ceiling height of the upper level is less than code requirements. Numerous additions have been added to the main level of the property with questionable structural integrity. The floor framing at both the upper level and main level appears reasonably sound but are significantly out of level. I was unable to observe the condition of the upper level floor joists, so I could not verify the size and condition of the floor system at this level. Given the fact there have been additions to this building, and various remodels to add plumbing, I would fully expect that there are locations where the floor framing and connection would require repair and/or replacement of joists to be considered safe and habitable. Johnson Structural Engineering, Inc. 152 West Short Street Structural Engineering Analysis, Investigation Bozeman, MT 59715 Larry P. Johnson, MSCE, PE Ph: 406-585-2939 larry@johnsonengineer.com The main level floor system has numerous floor joist and beams as well as connection that would require upgrading as they are undersized. I observed numerous locations where the door headers were out of level indicating differential settlement of the house foundation and/or overstressed failure of these elements. The exterior walls were not constructed with plywood sheathing nor diagonal shiplap sheathing, but rather horizontal shiplap siding. As such, the structure lacks the required wall bracing to resist lateral loading (wind and seismic) as required in the building code. In addition, there is no positive connection between the exterior walls and the foundation such as anchor bolts, etc. The foundation has been added onto in numerous locations as related to the additions to the building. There is a combination of concrete, rock rubble, brick and hollow masonry block elements supporting the home. There are numerous cracks and signs of settlement. The foundation is not adequate to support concentrated point loads from the roof framing system. It is my opinion that a complete new foundation would be required for this building to bring adequately support the home and provide a safe condition. In summary, this building has a vast number of structural deficiencies that would be difficult and exorbitantly expensive to repair. Even with these repairs, the building would still fall short of providing the structural integrity of a newly constructed building. It is my professional opinion that the city would be providing a disservice to the public to require the extensive renovation of this building in lieu of allowing demolition and replacement with a new structure, designed to aesthetically align with the historical character of the neighborhood and built in compliance with current building codes. Regards, Larry P. Johnson, P.E. Johnson Structural Engineering, Inc. Johnson Structural Engineering, Inc. 152 West Short Street Structural Engineering Analysis, Investigation Bozeman, MT 59715 Larry P. Johnson, MSCE, PE Ph: 406-585-2939 larry@johnsonengineer.com Johnson Structural Engineering, Inc. 152 West Short Street Structural Engineering Analysis, Investigation Bozeman, MT 59715 Larry P. Johnson, MSCE, PE Ph: 406-585-2939 larry@johnsonengineer.com Johnson Structural Engineering, Inc. 152 West Short Street Structural Engineering Analysis, Investigation Bozeman, MT 59715 Larry P. Johnson, MSCE, PE Ph: 406-585-2939 larry@johnsonengineer.com Johnson Structural Engineering, Inc. 152 West Short Street Structural Engineering Analysis, Investigation Bozeman, MT 59715 Larry P. Johnson, MSCE, PE Ph: 406-585-2939 larry@johnsonengineer.com Johnson Structural Engineering, Inc. 152 West Short Street Structural Engineering Analysis, Investigation Bozeman, MT 59715 Larry P. Johnson, MSCE, PE Ph: 406-585-2939 larry@johnsonengineer.com