The Captain's Walk residence, situated on a beautifully wooded, steep hillside lot with direct access to Lake Nacimiento, suffered from an accidental fire in the spring of 2010. After providing the fire-damage structural investigation, MSD Professional Engineering, Inc. worked with the project architect, Ted Weber, to provide the structural engineering services for the replacement residence.

Phase 1: Forensic Investigation - Fire Damage
Phase 2: Residential Custom Home Design

Project Type
Phase 1: Forensic Investigation - Fire Damage
Phase 2: Residential Custom Home Design

Forensic Investigation Completed
April 2010

Structural Design of New Residence
January 2011

Expected Construction Completion
Spring 2012

Building Jurisdiction
The County of San Luis Obispo

The structural investigation following the fire revealed that the extent of the damage to the original shallow CMU-block foundation, in conjunction with the site conditions and the building department's requirement that residences destroyed in fires be reconstructed in accordance with the provisions of the current building code, necessitated that the new residence be constructed on a deepened caisson foundation. For this particular project, the scope of the forensic investigation services included working with the home owner's insurance company to effectively justify the improved foundation system.