Safety Assessment Program Evaluator Student Manual

CA Emergency Mgmt. Agency Safety Assessment Program Evaluator Manual April 2011Some safety notes on Figure 3-20 – never do what the person is doing on the side of thisbuilding! This building can be easily assessed for safety without entering it and risking one‟slife! Also, note the failed porch on the lower story. Is the upper story porch still attached? Oneshould not risk life and limb by walking onto such structures!As with many hillside homes, the lowest level on this hillside home has the least strength due tothe lack of sheathed wall length. This damage likely occurred due to inadequate nailing of thesheathing along with the fact that there is a difference in the structural stiffness between theuphill end and the downhill end. The lateral forces tend to be drawn into the stiffer end of thewall panels, thereby overstressing the connections. This can be seen by the loss of sheathing atthe uphill end of the wall.Prior to beginning an evaluation, what actions can be taken by evaluators to protect them frombeing involved in the failure of a porch or similar structure?How would you post the structure in Figure 3-20?101