EMA Structural Forensic Engineers
ema structural forensic engineers

STRUCTURAL FORENSIC ENGINEERS
CONDO MILESTONE INSPECTIONS
HURRICANE DAMAGE INSPECTIONS
CALL (321) 355-6052 (239) 900-7371

STRUCTURAL FORENSIC ENGINEERS
CONDO MILESTONE INSPECTIONS
HURRICANE DAMAGE INSPECTIONS
CALL (321) 355-6052 (239) 900-7371

50 year structural inspections clearwater, 50 year structural inspections daytona

STRUCTURAL FORENSIC ENGINEERS
CONDO MILESTONE INSPECTIONS
HURRICANE DAMAGE INSPECTIONS
CALL (321) 355-6052 (239) 900-7371

Condo milestone Inspections, Hurricane Damage Inspections

STRUCTURAL FORENSIC ENGINEERS
CONDO MILESTONE INSPECTIONS
CALL (321) 355-6052 (239) 900-7371

Milestone Inspections Per SB-4D

Our licensed professional engineers provide milestone inspections for condominium buildings per SB-4D

Structural Engineers

We are structural engineers providing engineering services and Finite Element Analysis for majority of buildings

Forensic Engineers

We are experienced forensic engineers to do building damage assessments, hurricane damage inspections & Cause & origin study.

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EMA Engineers Website

Milestone Inspections for condominium Buildings per SB-4D

Fun Fact:
On May 26, 2022, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed Senate Bill SB 4-D: Building Safety. This statute states that all condominium or cooperative buildings that are 25 or 30 years of age, with three or more floors in height must conduct structural integrity assessments known as Milestone Inspections.

The New Condo Milestone Inspection is critical to ensuring a condominium association is taking steps to identify any potential structural defects that may affect the condominium.

A licensed professional engineer must do these condo structural safety inspections with a long track record of structural design, structural monitoring, and forensic and structural assessments. That engineer will spend time in your building, looking at critical areas of concern and determining if further inspections are necessary.

Types of Buildings Needing Milestone Inspections?

Applicable three stories or higher buildings must have a Milestone Inspection once the building reaches a certain age, then every 10 years after that.

1:Within three (3) miles of the coastline: 25 years of age
2:More than three (3) miles of the coastline: 30 years of age
3:Buildings past their milestone year: by December 31, 2024

Certified letters will be mailed to condominium and cooperative associations at the beginning of the year when the milestone inspection is due. Inspections are due within 180 days of receipt of the letter. Once a design professional has been assigned to a project, all future communication will be via email to the design professional and association.

The condominium association or cooperative association must arrange for the milestone inspection to be performed and is responsible for ensuring compliance with the requirements of this section.

The condominium association or cooperative association is responsible for all costs associated with the inspection.

The inspection must be performed by a licensed engineer authorized to practice in this state.

Milestone Inspection Requirements

Milestone inspection” means a structural inspection of a building, including an inspection of load-bearing walls and the primary structural members and primary structural systems as those terms are defined in F.S. s. 627.706, by a licensed architect or engineer authorized to practice in this state to attest to the life safety and adequacy of the structural components of the building and, to the extent reasonably possible, determining the general structural condition of the building as it affects the safety of such building, including a determination of any necessary maintenance, repair, or replacement of any structural component of the building. The purpose of such inspection is not to determine if the condition of an existing building complies with the Florida Building Code or the fire safety code.

“Substantial structural deterioration” means substantial structural distress negatively affecting a building’s general structural condition and integrity. The term does not include surface imperfections such as cracks, distortion, sagging, deflections, misalignment, signs of leakage, or peeling of finishes unless the licensed engineer or architect performing the phase one or phase two inspection determines that such surface imperfections are a sign of substantial structural deterioration.

Who is required?

Coastal condominium and cooperative association buildings that are three stories or more in height and located within three miles of the coastline, with a Certificate of Occupancy date on or before December 31, 1996, must have a milestone inspection by December 31, 2024, and every ten years after that. These buildings are being identified through a GIS mapping project. All other facilities with a Certificate of Occupancy date on or before July 1, 1992, must have a milestone inspection by December 31, 2024, and every ten years thereafter.

Coastal condominium and cooperative association buildings that are three stories or more in height and located within three miles of the coastline, with a Certificate of Occupancy date on or after January 1, 1997, must have a milestone inspection by December 31 of the year in which the building age reaches 25 years, and every ten years thereafter. These buildings are being identified through a GIS mapping project. All other structures with a Certificate of Occupancy date after July 1, 1992, must have a milestone inspection by December 31 of the year the building age reaches 30 years and every ten years thereafter. So that you know, the milestone inspection year may be 2022 or 2023.

Exemptions: These requirements do not apply to a single-family, two-family, or three-family dwelling with three or fewer habitable stories above ground.

What is the inspection?

A milestone inspection consists of two phases:

(a) For phase one of the milestone inspection, a licensed architect or engineer authorized to practice in this state shall perform a visual examination of habitable and non-habitable areas of a building, including the major structural components of a building, and provide a qualitative assessment of the structural conditions of the building. If the architect or engineer finds no signs of substantial structural deterioration to any building components under visual examination, phase two of the inspection, as provided in paragraph (b), is not required. An architect or engineer who completes a phase one milestone inspection shall prepare and submit an inspection report.

(b) Phase two of the milestone inspection must be performed if any substantial structural deterioration is identified during phase one. A phase two inspection may involve destructive or nondestructive testing at the inspector’s direction. The inspection may be as extensive or as limited as necessary to fully assess areas of structural distress to confirm that the building is structurally sound and safe for its intended use and recommend a program for thoroughly assessing and repairing distressed and damaged portions of the building. When determining testing locations, the inspector must prefer locations that are the least disruptive and most easily repairable while still being representative of the structure. An inspector who completes a phase two milestone inspection shall prepare and submit an inspection report.

Requirements of report

Upon completion of a phase one or phase two milestone inspection, the architect or engineer who performed the inspection must submit a sealed copy of the inspection report with a separate summary of, at minimum, the material findings and recommendations in the inspection report to the condominium association or cooperative association, and to the building official of the local government which has jurisdiction.

Bear the electronic signature, digitally signed with either a self-certified seal for architects or a third-party vendor for engineers as stated by Statute for the respective design professional requirements.

Property owners have 90 days from the notification to inspect the property correctly. The inspection outcome will determine if the property will be re-certified for another ten years or if improvements need to be made before the recertification is granted. If repairs or improvements are needed, owners are given another 60 days to complete them.

Job compliance with the inspection notice or not completing required repairs can result in penalties.

Engineering Services we provide

Structural Condo Milestone Inspections, Structural Design, Forensic Engineering Inspections, Building Restoration design, & Threshold Inspections

Are you looking for a Last Minute Milestone Inspection of your Building?

Structural Design of Buildings

The structure to be constructed should primarily serve the basic purpose for which it is to be used and must have a pleasing look. The building should provide a happy environment inside as well as outside. Therefore, the functional planning of a building must take into account the proper arrangements of rooms/halls to satisfy the need of the client, good ventilation, lighting, acoustics, unobstructed view in the case of community halls, cinema theatres, etc.

Structural Design

Once the form of the structure is selected, the structural design process starts. Structural design is the art and science of understanding the behavior of structural members subjected to loads and designing them with economy and elegance to give a safe, serviceable and durable structure. Structural design process
Stages in Structural Design

The process of structural design involves the following stages.

Structural planning
The action of forces and computation of loads
Methods of analysis
Member design
Detailing, Drawing, and Preparation of schedules

1. Structural Planning
After getting an architectural plan of the buildings, the structural planning of the building frame is done. This involves determination of the following.
Position and orientation of columns
Positioning of beams
Spanning of slabs
Layouts of stairs
Selecting proper type of footing.

1.1 Positioning and orientation of columns Following are some of the building principles, which help in deciding the columns positions.
Columns should preferably be located at (or) near the corners of a building, and at the intersection of beams/walls.
Select the position of columns so as to reduce bending moments in beams.
Avoid larger spans of beams.
Avoid larger center-to-center distances between columns.
Columns on the property line.

Hurricane Damage Inspections of Buildings by EMA Engineers

Be Prepared for a Hurricane
Hurricanes are massive storm systems that form over warm ocean waters and move toward land. The Atlantic and Central Pacific hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, with the peak occurring between mid-August and late October. The Eastern Pacific hurricane season begins May 15 and ends November 30.

Quick Facts
It can happen along any U.S. coast or territory in the Atlantic or Pacific.
It can affect areas more than 100 miles inland.
Most active in September.

Following a hurricane or storm, an inspection by qualified professionals, including evidence of building damage and photographs of any additional damage to your property that was flagged during the review, contacts your insurance agent to update your claim. As you begin to clean up, follow five basic steps for post-flood building restoration, including (1) air out, (2) move out, (3) tear out, (4) clean out, and (5) dry out. Seek professional services and guidance before attempting to repair flood-damaged property. Clean and disinfect everything that got wet. Mud left from floodwater can contain sewage, bacteria, and chemicals.

During this inspection, EMA's Engineers will check for prior storm damage and document accordingly. If damage is found, we will document the extent and let you know immediately.

Pre/Post Hurricane Damage Assessments by EMA Structural Forensic Engineers

Our Engineering Projects

Structural Design, FEM Analysis, Foundation Assessments, Threshold Inspections, Forensic Engineering & Structural Inspections

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