Apartment Complex Fire Damage Investigation

A major fire ravaged one building of a major apartment complex. The fire started in one unit and quickly spread to include all 16 units of the building due to strong winds and access complications preventing firefighters from suppressing the fire before the entire building was compromised. As part of the origin and cause investigation, outside investigators called the design and construction of the structures into question. A lawsuit was filed stating the damage from the fire was magnified due to faulty design and construction. American Structurepoint was retained by the insurance carrier for the architect to conduct a complete review of the original design as it related to the spread of the fire. This review from our engineering consultants proved the design exceeded the requirements of the Building Code and uncovered deviations of the construction from the approved plans and specifications.