Insurance Structural Assessments
Following a storm, impact, flooding or another damaging event, an important question is whether the building itself has been structurally affected. Visible damage to finishes does not necessarily mean that the underlying structure has been damaged, while apparently minor damage can sometimes justify closer investigation.
A structural assessment provides an independent engineering opinion on the structural condition that can be observed following the reported event.
From Damage To Engineering Evidence
Insurance-related structural assessments are different from an ordinary property inspection. The focus is on the building's structural elements and on documenting conditions that may be relevant to the reported damage.
Depending on the circumstances, the inspection may consider:
• Cracked or displaced masonry
• Damaged concrete slabs, beams or columns
• Structural movement
• Impact damage
• Damage following storms or high winds
• Flood-related effects where structural components are affected
• Movement of retaining walls
• Damage to structural connections or supports
• Structural consequences of fallen trees or other external events
• Existing defects that may be relevant to understanding the condition
The assessment is visual and non-invasive unless additional investigation is specifically instructed and feasible.
Establishing What Is Actually Visible
A useful insurance assessment begins with the condition that can be established at the property.
For example, a storm may result in damage to roofing, ceilings and external walls. Some damage may be confined to finishes, while other damage may involve structural members or connections. The assessment considers the visible structural evidence and records significant observations.
Similarly, following an impact, a wall may show cracking and displacement. The important engineering issue is whether the structural stability or load-carrying function appears to have been affected and whether further investigation is warranted.
Existing cracks and defects can sometimes complicate an insurance claim. A crack observed after an event does not, by itself, establish when or why it occurred. The report therefore distinguishes between observed conditions and conclusions that cannot reasonably be established from a visual inspection alone.
Cause And Limitations
An engineering assessment can consider whether the observed structural damage appears consistent with the reported circumstances, but the available evidence does not always permit the precise cause or timing of a defect to be established.
Where the cause cannot be determined with reasonable confidence from a visual inspection, this limitation is clearly stated.
This is particularly important where pre-existing deterioration, ground movement, water ingress or previous alterations may also have contributed to the observed condition.
The purpose is to provide a technically defensible opinion based on the evidence available, rather than to attribute a cause without sufficient evidence.
For Loss Adjusters And Insurers
A concise structural assessment can assist when the issue requires structural engineering input rather than a general building inspection.
The report can document the observed structural condition, identify areas of concern and explain whether further structural or specialist investigation appears necessary.
Photographs are used where appropriate to record significant damage and help relate the written findings to the actual condition observed at the property.
Where repair is appropriate, recommendations can be made at a level suitable for the circumstances of the assessment. If detailed repair design, calculations or specifications are required, these can be identified as a separate engineering requirement.
What I Do Not Attempt To Establish
A structural assessment should not be presented as something it is not.
It does not determine insurance policy coverage, decide whether a claim is payable or replace the role of the loss adjuster or insurer. Those are matters for the relevant parties.
My role is to provide an independent structural engineering opinion on the physical condition observed and, where reasonably possible, its structural significance.
Safe, Practical Inspection
The inspection is limited to areas that can be safely accessed. I do not undertake unnecessary climbing or specialist access into hazardous or inaccessible areas. Where an aspect of the building requires specialist investigation, this is identified in the report.
This approach allows the assessment to concentrate on obtaining useful structural evidence without creating unnecessary risks during the inspection.
Experience With Western Cape Buildings
I have many years of practical structural engineering experience involving reinforced concrete, masonry, foundations, slabs, beams, columns, retaining structures and residential buildings.
I also have experience assessing buildings where cracking, settlement, movement, water-related problems and other defects need to be distinguished from genuine structural distress.
Request An Insurance Structural Assessment
If structural damage has been reported following an insured event, arrange an assessment to establish the structural condition that can be observed and documented.
I provide independent structural assessments for property owners, insurers, loss adjusters and other professional parties in Hermanus, the Overberg and selected areas of the Western Cape.
