Integrity. Knowledge. Experience. Boatwright Building Consultants, Inc. was established in 1979 with a commitment to providing our clients with the highest quality of structural engineering and building investigation services. Our engineering services include structural forensic investigations, structural building design, seismic PML risk studies, and seismic risk assessments. We are licensed Civil Engineers and possess General Engineering and General Building contractor’s licenses. Don Boatwright, P.E. is a Professional Engineer in five states and has been practicing structural building design and forensic building investigation since 1972. At a minimum, a Professional Engineer (“P.E.”) must have completed a four-year college-accredited program in engineering, worked four or more years upon graduation under the direct supervision of a P.E., and passed two days (16 hours) of licensing exams. As a law school graduate cannot use the title lawyer until they pass the bar, an engineering graduate who has not met the experience requirement and passed the licensing exams may not use the title engineer.

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Structural Forensic Investigations

Structural Inspections

Our engineering services include property site investigations that provide a Professional Engineering opinion of the structure and integrity of a building. While other than a Professional Engineer may report on the presence of potential building defects, only a registered Professional Engineer, or in some cases an Architect, may consider and make judgment on the significance of these conditions. It is a misdemeanor for anyone else to provide such an opinion.

The focus of our structural inspections is the stability and soundness of the distinct structural components and elements that form a building. We assess quality of construction, identify, and classify existing symptoms that suggest a structural defect, confirm if identified conditions are problematic, and if problematic, provide recommendations for needed correction. Both existing and potential problems are evaluated.

Following are common conditions that may indicate an existing or potential structural problem:

  • cracks, shifting or movement at foundation walls
  • cracks at floor slabs
  • movement at other foundation elements
  • undermining at or near foundation elements
  • foundation components too near a slope or the soil edge
  • exterior and/or interior wall cracks
  • bulging at exterior or interior wall finish media
  • ceiling cracks
  • out-of-square wall openings
  • floors out-of-level and/or walls out-of-plumb
  • ceiling deflection
  • roof deflection
  • damage at framing members

We also provide engineering site investigations for:

  • structural modifications done without permit such as the removal of a bearing wall, adding a wall opening, etc.
  • fire damage
  • earthquake damage
  • wind damage
  • retaining walls
  • masonry chimneys

The written report of our findings includes photographic documentation of identified conditions and is written in laymen terms, so it is easy to read and understand. This document presents our professional opinion and is accepted by Building Authorities, lenders, insurance companies, real estate firms, and appraisers. The report is delivered as a PDF document via email and can also be downloaded for 90 days from our web portal.

Structural Design

Engineering Design Services

BOATWRIGHT prides itself on bringing the highest quality engineering services to our clients. We are licensed Civil Engineers, and also hold General Engineering and General Building contractor’s licenses. We work with building owners, architects, and contractors providing structural analyses and design for single-family dwellings, multifamily dwellings, and commercial projects.

No two jobs are ever alike, so we approach each project with a fresh perspective based on our decades of experience. Our goal is to provide creative options from which you can choose and select the appropriate design for your unique situation.

Our engineering services include but are not limited to:

  • Foundation design
  • Wood-framed design
  • Steel-framed design
  • Masonry design
  • Poured-in-place concrete design
  • Concrete tilt-up design
  • Seismic resisting system
  • Retaining wall design
  • Commercial signs for wind load
  • Structural repair plans
  • Evaluation of existing roof structures for added load (e.g., HVAC equipment, solar panels, etc.)
  • Evaluation of structures damaged by earthquake, flood, fires, landslides, etc.

Seismic Risk Studies & Assessments

Probable Maximum Loss (PML) Seismic Risk Studies

A Probable Maximum Loss (PML) seismic risk study is an estimate of damage to a building when it is subjected to earthquake ground shaking. The damage estimate, or PML value, is expressed as a percentage of the total replacement cost of the building. PML assessments are used by mortgage brokers to make lending decisions, insurance brokers to rate assessments, and building owners to make seismic retrofit plans.

A PML seismic risk study must be provided by a licensed engineer that is familiar with building seismic design. The engineer should also have post-earthquake reconnaissance experience and have a detailed familiarity with and working knowledge of ASCE 31 “Seismic Evaluation of Existing Buildings” and ASCE 41 “Seismic Rehabilitation of Existing Buildings”. BOATWRIGHT Consulting Civil Engineers has been providing seismic building design, evaluations, and post-earthquake reconnaissance since 1972.

Our PML risk investigation utilizes the guidelines provided by ASTM 2026 “Standard Guide for Seismic Risk Assessment of Buildings” and ASTM 2557 “Standard Practice for Probable Maximum Loss (PML) Evaluations for Earthquake Due-Diligence Assessments”. These guides provide a uniform approach and a standard of care for the evaluation and classification of risks from earthquake damage. The PML risk study consists of, but is not limited to:

    • A site visit to evaluate the current condition a building, its structural characteristics, and quality of construction
    • A review of any geotechnical reports and analyses of the site, engineering reports, building plans, and building specifications
    • An evaluation of seismic loads and capacities of selected systems, elements and connections
    • A Level G1 ground motion assessment
    • A Level SS1 site stability assessment
    • A Level D1 damageability assessment

The BOATWRIGHT Probable Maximum Loss analysis is generated using ST-Risk™, proprietary state-of-the-art software that employs advanced computer modeling technology. ST-Risk™ uses the most current data available, considers a building’s unique strengths and weaknesses that are essential to seismic resilience, the building’s proximity to earthquake faults, the effects of local soil conditions, and integrates over tens of thousands of earthquake motions and variable potential damage to a structure. This generates an estimate of damage that most accurately reflects actual reported losses from earthquakes.

ASCE 41-13 (41-23) Seismic Risk Assessments

BOATWRIGHT also provides ASCE 41-23 “Seismic Evaluation and Retrofit of Existing Buildings” Tier 1 seismic risk assessments. ASCE 41-23 is the most recent standard for seismic evaluation and retrofit of existing buildings, replacing ASCE 41-13. ASCE 41-23 incorporates significant updates to seismic hazard parameters, analysis procedures, and acceptance criteria, building upon the previous version. These changes are intended to align with the new USGS seismic hazard model and provide updated provisions for various building types and seismicity levels.

The ASCE 41-23 Tier 1 seismic evaluation is an initial seismic assessment of an existing building using ASCE 41-23 checklists tailored to different building types and seismic hazard levels, screening for common potential structural deficiencies without comprehensive mathematical analysis. Tier 1 screening is not intended for detailed retrofit design. The primary goal is to identify areas where a further in-depth investigation (Tier 2 or Tier 3) might be needed.

In summary, the checklist questions are reviewed, potential deficiencies are noted, the results are documented in a written report of findings, and any issues flagged for further evaluation.