External Elevated Elements (EEE): Are You Sure That Your Balcony Is Safe?

Elevated balconies have failed in shocking fashion with catastrophic results. No occupant thinks that their balcony could fail; people take building safety for granted and have every right to expect that a built structure will remain safe during normal service. Unfortunately, many balconies, exterior stairs, and other external elevated elements (EEEs) rely on wood structural elements that tend to degrade in the presence of water, fungal growth, or termite attack. In many cases, these wood structural elements are concealed by architectural finishes and are difficult to assess without partial deconstruction. Adding to these challenges, engineered lumber can retain moisture, increasing the potential for fungal growth and associated degradation. In this webinar, we will describe how EEEs can fail and explore case studies and an associated research program to help architects, engineers, and contractors reduce the risks associated with these wood-framed EEEs.