1901 Van Ness Avenue | San Francisco, California | Projects

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San Francisco, California

1901 Van Ness Avenue
Evaluation of Blast and Fire Damage

During construction of two residential towers, an explosion occurred in the top floor of the south tower. The blast and subsequent fire caused extensive damage to the stucco cladding, nonstructural partitions, ceilings, and windows. While much of the damage was easily identified, the insurance company was concerned about the presence of less obvious damage to both structural and nonstructural elements.

CLIENT
Lexington Insurance Company

STRUCTURE
The two nine-story residential towers are constructed of concrete moment-resisting frames with post-tensioned concrete floor slabs. The buildings are clad with stucco, and the interior partitions consist of metal studs and gypsum board.

SOLUTION
Through simple visual examination and limited nondestructive sounding, we quickly determined that damage to the buildings' structural systems was limited to minor spalls that had no impact on structural integrity. WJE's findings were later confirmed through additional testing by an independent laboratory. We also identified the limits of blast and fire damage to the exterior cladding and helped develop evaluation criteria for interior partitions and windows.

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RELATED PROJECTS

STRUCTURE

Multi-Unit Residential

SERVICE
Blast Engineering
Facade Assessment
Failure and Disaster Response
Structural Evaluation