Working as a structural inspector is challenging and dangerous. In this line of work, you constantly come into contact with chaotically built structures and foundations that are (to put it mildly) completely and utterly unsafe.
California-based firm Alpha Structural, Inc. shares photos of the most bizarre and outrageously dangerous things seen during structural inspections and we’ve collected some of the very best for you to enjoy, dear Pandas. As you gasp and shudder while scrolling down, remember to upvote the pics you enjoyed, and leave us a comment or two about what you think.
"The most nightmarish inspection we’ve done this year has to be the property in Portuguese Bend down on the Palos Verdes Peninsula," Derek Marier from Alpha Structural, Inc. told Bored Panda. "First off, because of soil conditions and high landslide risks, not much structural work can be performed there."
"The home had a very interesting foundation system made up of screw jacks, steel beams, and cribbing (commonly used for temporarily lifting a structure while work is being done underneath). The front portion of the deck and home were sinking and unfortunately, the homeowner can’t really do much about it. It could have toppled over at any given moment and that’s why the 'nightmarish' description fits well," he said. Scroll down for the rest of the interview and, when you’re done with this list, have a look through our previous posts about structural nightmares right here and here.
#21
This is supposed to be a pigeon deterrent. Multiple fake crows (with purchase tags still on them) and a row of spikes should do the trick!
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47points
#22
This is a 1910 home we inspected in Los Angeles. The owner provided original photos taken of the home and the original owners. The foundation of this home was all brick and mortar walls. The brick was surprisingly in decent shape. Additionally, it falls under Historic Preservation Law and the brick cannot be removed. The city actually helps with the preservation of the foundation and other historical elements by allowing homeowners to conduct an engineering report and give it to the city. This falls under what is called the Mills Act. You gotta love when a whole chunk of the foundation is just missing. I'm sure it's rodent heaven under there in the summer.
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46points
#23
We went out to this property a few years back and informed the owner that the hillside was at risk of having a landslide. Well, it happened.
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45points
#24
This column is partially holding up a story above and most of it was completely rotted inside. A knife could be driven into the wood and it would crumble with little effort.
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42points
#25
Here we have a cracked and deteriorated foundation wall. Something like this is too damaged to be strapped or filled with epoxy. Here's part of that same wall. Moisture from the exterior has slowly decayed the concrete and caused a breach in the actual wall through to the interior. You can see the dirt and root systems behind the concrete wall.
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38points
#26
This is a garage that's sinking pretty badly... It had a massive crack in the middle, creating a wedge in the concrete. It created a slope from the middle to the edge. On the edge, you can clearly see the leaning footings and where it connects to the framing. It's bowing like crazy!
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36points
#27
I was at a jobsite and saw an army of Amazon trucks up on a hill above the highway. I didn't notice any building next to it so it seemed very random for them to be located there.
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36points
#28
Crawls like this are just the worst. Tons of debris, broken objects and fiberglass insulation at every turn. Most of the post and piers need work though
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32points
#29
This is a hillside that is slipping away from the home at a rapid rate, bringing the deck posts with it.
(We have since replaced the wood and put in new concrete piers below the deck.)
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30points
#30
You just gotta love some LA plumbers. They've been undermining foundations since the very beginning! Now, any foundation work needed in this area will likely call for removal of this plumbing and relocating it to another area.
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29points
