Client: Dow Chemical Canada Inc.
Location: Weston, Ontario
Kleinfeldt was retained to conduct a structural condition assessment for a concrete block masonry wall where falling debris had been observed. Request for this work was received on April 12, 2005. The site was visited that afternoon and the report was complete and forwarded to the client the following day.
Site inspection was conducted on a concrete block wall where pieces of mortar and block were observed to have come loose and begun to fall. The wall was accessed via a ladder for review. The wall is a non-load bearing wall that acts as a fire separation between two pre-fabricated steel framed buildings. No structural issues or problems were found with the wall. The concrete block was installed tight to the steel frame and when the structure flexes under wind and snow loads the movement causes the masonry to loosen and crack. No structural repair was required however, recommendations were made to remove remaining loose masonry and repair the penetrations in the wall with a flexible fire stop material to allow for the natural building defections and to maintain the continuity of the fire separation.
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