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Right.
It was incomplete. The sheathing was not complete on the lower level, where racking initiated. That building looked so top heavy. Not necessarily poorly constructed, but perhaps poorly executed.
However, as commonly done, it seems that framers are just hanging sheathing on the studs as a siding backer, rather than maximizing the structural contribution.
I have always wondered why builders don't install the OSB sheathing in "landscape" orientation, and tie all the framing together with it.
Start at the bottom plate, and go up, with 48" stagger of the verticals. Including running it right over the second floor framing. It would offer much more rigidity than just applying it to wall framing.
Yeah, what Mike said
Honestly though, from the short video it looked no different than any other construction project I've seen. Not having all the braces, support, sheathing, drywall, windows and doors in place doomed it if an 80+ mile per hour wind gust tore through there.
I think this particular building was especially bad because of the garages on the lower level. More open area and fewer cross walls. Plus, every framing crew is different, but its entirely possible these guys were just finished with the initial frame and were just starting to go back and do the bracing. Like if it had been a day or two later, it would have been much better.
But I can tell you firsthand, that there were lots of superintendents going out and checking on jobs after that storm. There is a reason why you can't occupy a building until the certificate of occupancy is issued and construction guys wear hard hats. Buildings under construction are just not as safe as when they are done.
I live near the Brier Creek area and had left a window open a bit because of the nice temperatures outside.
Right after the storm passed, I was astonished to see that the pressure fluctuations were enough to 90%-empty the standing water in my toilet! Some surge had pushed the water past the P-Trap.
That had to be a HUGE pressure surge between the ground floor toilet and the vent pipe opening 3-floors up on the roof!
I'd never seen anything like it.
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