I know some people are still looking for a post-quake structural inspection. Please contact us (www.lcgak.com) and we will make sure you are taken care of. If you are unsure you need an engineer, take a self-assessment and see if you fall into any of these situations:
In general, if you have ANY doubt contact an engineer! There is bound to be a wide range of damage to our homes and offices. Some damage is superficial and some damage is of more concern. Let us help you determine which is which.
1. If you see any cracks in your walls (exterior siding or interior drywall) or have had chunks of material fall off your walls or ceiling, your best action will be to take some photos and contact us via email (ryan@lcgak.com or dale@lcgak.com) so we can get a brief idea and we will follow up with you.
2. If any of your walls look like they are no longer straight up and down, or if you walls have bulges, call immediately (Dale McCoy 947-7863)! This could be a dangerous situation.
3. If any of your floors no longer feel flat, or if your floor has dips or bulges, call immediately (Dale McCoy 947-7863)! This is an indication of a dangerous situation.
4. When in doubt, reach out!
Alaskans are resilient and can take care of themselves. But it is important to know that you have a safe home, so it is good to err on the side of caution. Stay safe.
Confused about technical terms of your structural earthquake inspection? Here are some layman descriptions of three major structural failures (block shear, liquefaction, and fault line) that we have been observing from the November 30th earthquake.
Fault Line: A local fault line crack is the same type of event as a major fault line. The sections of the ground are moving in different directions and literally rip apart. This is indicated by a noticeable crack that can be separated both horizontally and vertically.
Liquefaction: This occurs when the ground contains fluid material. This is not just water, but any material that acts as a fluid under certain conditions (such as sand). The ground beneath your home literally shakes until it becomes "liquid" and flows out of place. This is indicated by the ground dropping straight down and in some cases crawlspaces or basements that appear to have had mud pumped into them from below.
Block Shear: The least recognizable by most people, this occurs when a section of ground separates and slides downhill. This is almost always on properties with a hill, cliff, or slope. This is indicated by parts of the ground sliding down and away from its original location and entire walls of buildings tilting away from the rest of the structure.
Our lead structural engineer, Danny Graham, was mentioned in the Anchorage Daily News discussing the role that poor property development (inadequate ground fill material) may have contributed to which homes and businesses were damaged by the November 30th earthquake.
https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/2018/12/13/in-the-southcentral-alaska-earthquake-damage-originated-in-the-ground-engineers-say/
ADN.COM
Post-quake structural damage isn’t so much a building problem as a ground problem, engineers say
A reminder to reach out to a structural engineer if your home or office needs an inspection. This assessment should be your first step to any repairs.
https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/anchorage/2018/12/06/list-structural-engineers-trained-on-post-earthquake-inspections-in-southcentral-alaska/
ADN.COM
List: Structural engineers trained on post-earthquake inspections in Southcentral Alaska
Nice article about 'green homes'...where architecture and sustainability meet. Check out our photo album for examples of sustainable design projects. Of note is the Aleutian Housing Authority sponsored Living Aleutian Design competition. LCG Lantech was the only Alaskan firm selected as a finalist among the 109 international competition entries.
LOVEMONEY.COM
This family’s extraordinary home within a dome costs almost nothing to run
LCG Lantech, Inc. added 5 new photos from July 2016 — at 907 Paintball
24 August 2017 at 13:41 · Anchorage, AK, United States ·
LCG Team celebrating 23 years in business with a friendly game of paintball. We lost our dedicated photographer so the pics aren't as plentiful. What is noticeable...the players keep getting younger...raising the next generation of LCG Paintballers.