Structural Risk Assessment

ISE’s structural risk assessment services are a natural extension of our structural dynamics services. We take the concept of nondestructive testing to its logical conclusion by combining wave theory with structural mechanics. Since any structure can only vibrate a certain number of ways based upon its geometry, mass, and material stiffness, we utilize this knowledge to our advantage to ‘see’ inside the structure to determine structural integrity, anomalies, and areas of weakness and/or potential failure.   

Typical structural risk assessment services provided by ISE include:

  • Physical inspection and structural reporting of dated, questionable, or historic structures.
  • Pre- and Post-construction structural surveys.
  • Seismic blast modeling and monitoring.
  • Nondestructive testing of structural elements, or entire structures, using forced excitation (modal analysis) methods or random vibration methods.
  • Determination of structural element loading using dynamic response characteristics.
  • Determination of foundation transmissibility to external force excitation from sources such as construction activities or blasting.
  • Historic preservation vibration monitoring and mitigation in accordance with Code of Federal Regulations, 36 CFR Part 61 (Secretary of the Interior’s Standards).
  • Deployment of remote warning systems for historic structures.

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Featured Video Clip (Concrete Fail)

ISE performing load testing of concrete test specimens to determine its axial compressive failure characteristics.

In this example, you can see quite dramatically how concrete fails under a compressive load. Once the ultimate stress is reached, the load carrying capacity of the material rapidly drops off producing the fracturing seen in the video.