Natural Disaster Emergency Response - Structural Condition Evaluation for the Spotswood Emergency Medical Services Building and the George Street Pump Station
Less than a week after the earthquake, Hurricane Irene struck New Jersey in late August of 2011. This powerful storm caused widespread destruction throughout the Garden State. Prepared to respond to any emergency call for engineering services, CME's structural engineers visited the Spotswood Emergency Medical Services Building and the George Street Pump Station. As the Borough Engineer for Spotswood, NJ, CME Associates evaluated the overall condition and performed field assessments of the extent of structural distress at these two buildings in the Borough of Spotswood. At the height of the storm, these buildings reportedly were flooded with at least 3 feet of water. CME performed an inventory of visible structural distress and performed a qualitative assessment of the magnitude of flood loadings in relation to the observed damage. Our engineers provided structural repair recommendations with corresponding order of magnitude cost estimates to the Borough. CME also investigated the feasibility and cost impacts of demolishing and reconstructing the flood-damaged buildings.