structural damage
Integrity has failed
Structural damage is harm to a building's load-bearing elements—the frame, foundation, walls, or supports that keep it standing.
Unlike cosmetic damage such as chipped paint or cracked plaster, structural damage threatens integrity and safety: The inspector found structural damage to the foundation.
Insurance claims and real estate transactions often hinge on whether damage is merely superficial or structural.
- bucklingBending from compression
- spallingSurface material fragmenting off
- reinforcementAdding support or encouragement
- building codeRegulations governing structure erection
- earthquakeSeismic ground movement
collapse · total loss · instability · deformation · delamination · flood · cracking · foundation crack · corrosion · splitting · settlement · sagging · safety inspection · fracture · stress fracture · overload · load bearing · windstorm
structural damagestructural integrity
Wholeness under load
structural stability · structurally sound · good condition · undamaged · uncompromised