Title: Unraveling Responsibilities in a Parking Structure Floor Slab Failure

Author(s): William Wilson and Daniel Moser

Publication: Symposium Paper

Volume: 332

Issue:

Appears on pages(s): 23-44

Keywords: post-tensioning repair; button head post-tensioning; litigation; slab failure; parking structure repair; normal wear and tear; lines of responsibility

DOI: 10.14359/51719122

Date: 7/1/2019

Abstract:
This is a case study involving an aging parking structure that deteriorated to the point where the structural floor slab failed. The lines of responsibility between parties involved with owning, managing and repairing the existing, exposed structures are not always clear, based on contractual language. This case ended in litigation to determine who was responsible for repair costs when the structural slab reached the end of its service life, taking into account the root cause of the slab failure. In this case study, we review the field and background information obtained for this case as well as the court interpretation of lines of responsibility and contract language regarding parking structure maintenance and normal wear and tear.