TURN AND FACE THE STRANGE

TIME MAY CHANGE ME, BUT YOU CAN'T TRACE TIME

In 1859 Charles Darwin postulated “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.”

113 years later, David Bowie, put the concept to song – then, in the following 50 years we experienced unprecedented change: philosophical and technological, imaginative and pragmatic, theoretical and transformative, local and global. Proving unequivocally, as a species, we are adaptable and warrant time.

Over those same 50 years we have watched the evolution of the built environment – taller, leaner, iconic, culturally adept, efficient, sustainable, and always cognizant that time equals money with money as the universal catalyst. It is our industry: owners, developers, designers, constructors, bankers, agencies, insurers, attorneys and consultants who are tasked with managing this era and odyssey.

On February 12th, 2022, Charles Darwin Day, let’s celebrate change with a caveat that, as stewards, may it always be for the greater good.

~ Inspiration David Bowie Changes

THE CATALYST – Mark Coggin, PE, LEED AP, Senior Principal/Philadelphia

Over the course of my nearly 40 year career, technological innovation has catalyzed drastic change in the AEC industry, providing new tools and materials, re-defining work flows and deliverables, and allowing increasingly complex structures to be designed and built with greater efficiency. When I reported on my first day of work as a structural engineer, the office tool room was stocked with tape measures, plumb-bobs, and rolls of Kodak film, and paper drawings were strewn on every desk. Today, our tool room houses 10 kinds of laser measuring devices, a hydrostatic altimeter, digital cameras and 100’s of gigabytes worth of SD cards, and physical drawings no longer factor in our daily work. These examples are modest compared to many of the tools TT has developed through our R&D initiatives in machine learning, 3D photography, and on-site data collection and maintenance.

Many attempts to understand complex societal institutions extend the insights that led Charles Darwin to the Theory of Evolution beyond the biological and into the sociological, economic, etc., and at first glance this approach seems apt in describing the role of innovation in the AEC industry.

Technological innovation is understood as an environmental pressure akin to predation or food availability; companies that can harness new technologies toward increasing the quality, efficiency, and diversity of work products are at a competitive advantage and thrive. In this light, Thornton Tomasetti counts as an evolutionary success, having grown and flourished for over 50 years due in large part to the eagerness and facility with which we adopt and adapt new technologies.

This analogy however misses the mark. Under Darwin’s theory, the presence of environmental factors favoring certain traits over others is a precondition of evolutionary change. Without these external pressures, genetic change within the population occurs randomly, and stasis is the status quo. Innovation within the AEC industry contrasts in that it is as likely to come from within the industry as without. Thornton Tomasetti is as good an example of this as any. We undertook the previously mentioned R&D initiatives not in response to competitive pressure, declining revenue, or a failing busy model, but as natural extension of our company ethos to be global drivers of change and innovation. The initiatives required that we divert resources and forego immediate gains, but through planning and hard work, have yielded fruit. The tools that resulted will help push our industry forward, offering new capabilities, improved services, and greater efficiency that will change our client’s expectations and force our competitors to adapt. Innovation is the catalyst, but in TT’s case it’s also a fundamental value and organizing principle, not an external pressure forcing us to adapt or be relegated to oblivion.

DISASTERS: AN OPPORTUNITY FOR IMPROVEMENT AND SERVICE – Alberto Cuevas, PhD, Vice President/Los Angeles

“We learn from every natural disaster. Whether it’s a fire or a flood, we learn something from it so we can respond to the next one better.” ~ Malcolm Turnbull

This also holds true for earthquakes. The lesson learned following the Morelos, Mexico 7.1 M quake of 2017 are a good case in point. Unfortunately, over 360 people died, and hundreds of buildings either collapsed or were severely damaged.

Thornton Tomasetti deployed structural engineers from nine offices to Mexico to assist an insurance company with a portfolio of buildings damaged by the earthquake. I moved from New Zealand and spent over nine months on the ground overseeing the recovery and interacting with all project stakeholders.

The assignment required entering structures to document the degree and type of damage, perform field testing and structural analysis to understand the damage implications in the building’s structural response. We also developed appropriate repair and strengthening plans so the buildings could be upgraded to meet current codes.

During the time in Mexico, I recognized the need to make improvements to the local regulations, so I connected with local engineers and academics who were working on code revisions. We shared our knowledge with the local engineering community, which was grateful for our contributions.?

For our projects, we were able to “fill the gaps” that existed in the local guidelines by applying advanced in-house analytical tools and best practices developed and learned through years of experience in other earthquake-prone regions.?

The final goal of our assignment? To deliver a series of repair and retrofit projects that addressed not only damage from the recent earthquake, but also addressed pre-earthquake conditions and other critical structural weaknesses. Once implemented, the buildings would perform better during future earthquakes.

We have no control over natural hazards, yet they serve as great opportunities to learn, help each other, and assist our society and local communities. Ultimately, we all must share our knowledge and work together to make structures less vulnerable and reduce the risk of future fatalities and collapses.

PURSUIT OF TRUTH – Kris Dahl, PhD, Vice President/New York

The term ‘evolution’ evokes thoughts of adaptation, advancement, and change… keeping what works and developing new traits or tools to deal with more complex issues. In structural forensics, we have enjoyed an evolution of new tools for inspection, diagnostics, and investigation. The use of drones and robotics, improved and integrated sensors, and a host of new non-destructive tests have allowed us to view and measure spaces and materials like never before. Improved data analytic methods allow us to process large amounts of information in short time. Also, there is a nearly seamless integration of knowledge between fields. Fluid dynamics simulation of severe wind and geotechnical theory of soil conditions allow us to test current conditions and anticipate features of climate change. Also, for my specific role, my background in chemistry of mold, corrosion, fire, other chemical processes has been integrated into structural forensics. For example, mold and corrosion can be dangerous themselves, and they can also act as mechanisms to determine the timing and age of water incursion. Thus, there is an evolution in our concept of the built space to be more holistic and include time, the environment, materials, usage within, and many other factors.

When I look over On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin, I am struck by the quality and timelessness of the work (if anyone wants to nerd-out on the history of science, it’s one of my passions). It is thorough and rigorous in its pursuit of the truth. As the tools and methodologies of our trade advance and evolve, what will never change is that great scientists and engineers – including those of us at Thornton Tomasetti – will continue to be thorough and rigorous in pursuit of the truth.

THE CAN, CAN’T – Michael Dowdall, PE, Senior Vice President/Kansas City

I was called in to investigate the cause and origin of a large petrochemical tank that buckled and partially collapsed. The tank collapsed similar to what an empty soda can would do when empty, the sides and top buckled inward.

Some months prior to the incident, the tank was freshly reinsulated with 4” of new spray applied foam. The initial hypothesis by plant personnel was that the spray foam contractor covered the tank vent with foam. Forensic investigation showed that the tank collapsed shortly after annual maintenance was performed by plant personnel several months after the new insulation was applied.

Plant maintenance personnel sealed and bolted closed an access hatch which was previously loose after they exited the inside of the tank. Additionally, they noticed that there was an uninsulated 6-inch diameter tank vent pipe with an insect screen covering the pipe opening that was not insulated. A $5 can of spray foam from the local hardware store soon fixed that!

The first time that chemicals were pumped out of the tank after the maintenance inspection, the tank walls, roof, and pipe support structures attached to the tank buckled. The foam surrounding and covering the vent pipe was examined in detail and sectioned with a serrated kitchen knife. The sections indicated two distinct types of foam, one the contractor used and one installed much later from the local hardware store that actually blocked the pipe vent opening.

The ultimate cause was twofold. Sealing the previously loose-fitting hatch and blocking the vent with a $5 can of spray foam made it impossible for enough air to enter the tank to make up for the quantity of chemicals being pumped out of the tank. The tank buckled like an empty soda can. Failure to recognize the changes they made to the capability of the tank to vent properly proves yet again that Darwin was correct.

ADAPT FOR GOOD – Lauren Millman, PhD, PE, Associate/Fort Lauderdale

In the middle of the night in June 2021, the unthinkable happened, a building just collapsed. We all thought to ourselves, “buildings don’t just collapse, something must have happened, but what?” Engineers from a multitude of disciplines are currently working very hard to answer this question. I don’t think there is a single person from south Florida who wasn’t personally impacted or touched. We all want to know what caused it, and how we can prevent a similar tragedy from happening again.

With the collapse of the Champlain Towers South, our industry has been required to respond and change. Unfortunately, this horrific event has required us to look within and reassess our definitions of structurally safe, the importance of maintenance, and the impact from the environment and surrounding areas. I hope our industry’s introspection brings about positive changes and that we are the better for it. As a forensic engineer, I never know what failure I may be investigating tomorrow, but I do know that we can learn from that failure, adapt, and use what we learned to help inform others to prevent similar failures from occurring in the future.

LEGOS TO HOLOSUITES – Jonathan Rivera, PhD, SE, Senior Project Engineer/Boston

When I think of evolution in structural engineering, I think of days of playing with Legos, K’nex, and Lincoln Logs as a kid. Every day I would spend hours building huge cities and making up stories about what each city was about, only to tear down the city without ever knowing if the city could actually be built. Little did I know, I would become a professional Lego builder with a different set of toys...I mean tools and making imagination a reality.

Nowadays, I am amazed to see the speed with which the technology we use to design structures is evolving. At the Boston Office, we employ virtual/augmented reality to understand the true scale of the members that we originally designed as lines on a piece of paper. This technology shows us how the structure interacts with the architecture and its surrounding environment. It also allows us to anticipate issues that may arise in the field that would not have been possible to understand from a two-dimensional set of drawings.

If we're already working in three dimensions, what's next? Is it possible, with the introduction of AI, there will be holosuites (similar to Star Trek) where we fully experience the building using all five of our senses before a single column is erected?

LOOK BEYOND THE OBVIOUS – Kylie Schalz, Associate/Washington, DC

?Hurricanes can create some of the most powerful and destructive weather conditions when making landfall. The combination of high-speed winds, storm surge and rainfall can create devastating impacts on the built environment.

The majority of my career as a Forensic Mechanical Engineer has focused on the investigation of mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems following a catastrophic event. After a hurricane or tropical storm makes landfall, we are engaged to investigate the resulting damage to building systems. This scope of work relies upon expertise in MEP systems, historic and current building codes, and the varying impacts to building performance that weather conditions such as wind, storm surge and water can create.

Every hurricane event brings its own set of impacts and challenges. CAT Sandy engulfed New York City with devastating storm surge. CAT Harvey tore through the Texas gulf coast with severe winds, only to stall over Houston, bringing with it record rainfall and flooding. Events such as CAT Laura and CAT Delta brought a unique set of challenges by impacting the Louisiana coast just over a month apart.

Each storm challenges us as engineers to not only investigate the overall damages sustained, but also look beyond the obvious to differentiate what weather conditions in combination with pre-existing construction and design flaws or weaknesses may have contributed to the overall destruction. Asking questions like ‘Why does one building suffer irreparable impacts to the performance of their building systems, while the neighboring buildings only suffer aesthetic damages?’ can create lasting impact in the built environment.

Forensic investigations following a catastrophic event often expose flaws such as insufficient design and construction standards in historic building codes, construction defects such as improper anchoring of rooftop equipment, and lack of maintenance to equipment over time. The sheer force and impact from a hurricane can also show us that while some building codes may seem excessive during the design and construction phases, they can also be the difference between devastation and survival during a catastrophic event.

Events such as hurricanes and tropical storms teach engineers and building officials where there are strengths and weaknesses in the building codes, construction standards, design criteria and maintenance protocols. As storms continue to increase in size and strength, it is our responsibility to use the knowledge gained during forensic investigations to help adapt and strengthen our built environment to develop and maintain buildings to stand tall and operate at peak performance in the face of any storm.

NATURE AND TIME – Bryan Tokarczyk, PE, Vice President/Seattle

Two recent trips were powerful reminders of change.

A fair amount of our friends and families were impacted by the August 2005 Katrina event. Each opportunity I have to visit the area, I check on some familiar locations. The Lower Ninth Ward and surrounding areas shock me every visit – each time my visual benchmarks are reset, as the neighborhoods are slowly being consumed back by nature. Abandoned small segments, complete structures, and fully zoned blocks have been broken down by organics and reclaimed by vegetation. Street grids and constructed landmarks we all use for reference are confused, or simply missing.

A trip to Detroit to see some friends gave me another opportunity to see how some of the abandoned auto fabrication facilities still remaining have been impacted by time. A difference in climate compared to Southern Louisiana accelerates water intrusion damage as freeze-thaw cycles have powerful effects on concrete surfaces. Combined with wind driven soil and dust, seeds have also found an environment to take hold, adding to the destructive nature of their roots tearing into the comparatively stronger concrete floors. Nature is slowly demolishing these facilities.

Powerful examples in problem solving - when left to their own devices, Mother Nature and Father Time will slowly and methodically take back what they want. Their omnipresence makes a strong case for designers, owners, and operators to detail, maintain, and properly care for the facilities they create.

On this February 12th, let’s all celebrate Darwin’s birthday by hugging an engineer … emphasizing the “importance of sciences in the betterment of humanity.”

~ Inspiration US H.Res. 67 (114th Congress)

ABOUT THORNTON TOMASETTI

Thornton Tomasetti optimizes the design and performance of structures, materials and systems for projects of every size and level of complexity. We are an independent organization of engineers, scientists, architects and other professionals who collaborate from offices worldwide to help you achieve your goals. We are committed to being a sustainable, diverse and enduring organization and the global driver of change and innovation in our industry. www.thorntontomasetti.com

FORENSICS

We investigate problems in the built environment and provide evidence-based solutions founded on rigorous science and physics. We assist attorneys, property managers, building owners, contractors, manufacturers and design professionals with a wide range of engineering and architectural issues.

Our multidisciplinary professionals help clients mitigate design and construction issues of all kinds and work to prevent future problems. Decades of experience enable us to quickly generate hypotheses and evaluate them based on physical evidence, interviews and operational data.

INSURANCE AND RISK

Our Insurance practice helps insurance companies and other professionals analyze pre- and post-loss risks, damage and property claims arising from natural or man-made perils. Our professionals represent diverse disciplines, from architecture to experts in structural, mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineering. At the heart of our practice is the investigation of damage to structures, infrastructure and equipment which includes cause and origin analyses, engineering assessments for reinstatement of damaged buildings, building code upgrade analyses, and responding to emerging specialized claims such as LEED-certified structures, renewable energy claims, and requirements for buildings to react to changing environmental conditions. In many instances, we provide expert reports and testimony based on our cause and origin investigations.

For additional information: Amy Phillips, [email protected]