Eagan Gardens - 2023-10-17 Balcony Assessment Report October 17, 2023 Encompass
engineering consultants
Mr. Steve Kvasnik forensic analysis
Community Association Manager
Cities Management
2100 Summer Street NE, Suite 280
Minneapolis, MN 55413
Re: Eagan Gardens Balcony Assessment
4110 & 4130 Rahn Road
Eagan, MN 55122
Encompass Project No.: 23-6015-006
Dear Mr. Kvasnik:
At your request, Encompass has conducted a condition assessment of the balconies at the Eagan
Gardens Condos, located at 4110 and 4130 Rahn Road in Eagan, Minnesota.The primary purpose
of the condition assessment was to perform a visual review of the balconies and supporting
structure and provide general repair recommendations.
1.0 INTRODUCTION/BACKGROUND
1.1. The Eagan Gardens Condos were reportedly constructed around 1973. Balcony
construction methods are consistent between buildings. There are a total of 144
balconies in the development. See photos 1-3 for typical balcony layouts.
1.2. Encompass personnel visited the site on several occasions to perform the balcony
assessment.
1.2.1. September 25th, 2023: Anne Crisp, Tristan Burt, and Joe Casanova of
Encompass, Inc., visited the site to perform a visual inspection of the balconies
and to perform investigative openings to the balcony.
1.2.2. September 26th, 2023: Tristan Burt and Joe Casanova of Encompass, Inc., visited
the site to perform a visual inspection of the balconies and to perform
investigative openings to the bearing wall.
1.3. Conditions were documented via field notes and photographs. The balconies were
viewed from the ground and invasive openings were performed.
1.4. Referenced photographs can be found in the attached Appendix A.
Encompass,Inc. 15435 Felt Road I Minnetonka,MN 55343 1 Main 952.854.4511
2.0 OBSERVATIONS AND ANALYSIS
2.1. Railings
2.1.1. Two styles of railings/guard rails are used on the balconies. A black steel railing
system is used along the front edge of the balcony and a wood-framed knee
wall is installed at the side.
2.1.2. The steel railings are generally in fair to good condition, but the configuration is
not fully code compliant.
2.1.2.1 Localized corrosion is visible through the black paint of the railings
(Photo 4 and 6).
2.1.2.2 The railings are approximately 42 inches tall, which meets the
International Building Code (IBC) height requirement (Photo 4).
2.1.2.3 The vertical members (stiles) of the railing are spaced approximately
8 inches apart, which exceeds the 4 inches maximum allowed by the
IBC (Photo 5).
2.1.2.4 A mesh is attached to the steel railings with zip ties (Photo 4). These
zip-ties would reduce the size of the openings to be into code
compliance, but they do not have the necessary load capacity
required by code.
2.1.3. The railings are connected via mechanical anchors to the decking and to the
2x6 sill plate at the exterior beam. The connections of the railing are both sun
facing and prone to accelerated weathering. Rusted and failed connections
are common (Photo 5). It appears that additional posts have been added at
some balconies to reinforce this connection (Photo 7). The poor condition of
the railing connections poses a significant safety issue.
2.1.4. The railing along the side of the deck is a wood stud framed wall that spans
between the ledger and the exterior beam (Photo 7). The framing is in poor
condition with extensive rotting and peeling paint present (Photo 8-16). The
stud framing is loose and shifts under pressure. The exterior siding and trim do
not provide water-tight protection to the wall, which has allowed the stud
framing to rot. The loose and weakened state of this side wall is a significant
safety issue.
Eagan Gardens—Balcony Assessment Page 2
October 17, 2023
2.2. Decking
2.2.1. Typical design uses 2x6 wood boards for decking. Some original deck boards
have been replaced with newer deck boards while others have composite
decking installed.
2.2.2. The wood decking typically has peeling paint and is generally in poor condition
(Photo 17-19). The edges of the decking are rotted (Photo 20, 21). With the
large spacing between joists (discussed in 2.3), the continued rot of the deck
boards can lead to significant safety issues.
2.2.3. The replacement decking is in better condition. The replacement decking is also
better supported by joists at a tighter spacing (Photos 7 and 24). See section
2.3 for additional information.
2.3. Joists
2.3.1. The original balcony construction has 3 joists per deck, roughly 4' on center.
The joists attach at the siding in this configuration (Photo 22). Any ledger or
other framing at the exterior wall is concealed behind the siding. No invasive
openings were made at this location. The wide joist spacing allows the decking
to deflect excessively. New decking is unlikely to satisfy the design load
requirements of the current IBC in this configuration.
2.3.2. The joist framing has been repaired and/or modified at many balconies. At
these locations, a ledger and additional joists were added to reduce the joist
spacing to roughly 2' on center (Photo 23).
2.3.3. The newest additions to the balconies consist of additional joists between the
existing or a full replacement of all joists with new joists at a tighter spacing
(Photo 24 and 7).
2.3.4. Joist hangers are typically painted, but 15t floor ledgers are unpainted, and the
nails of the hanger are starting to rust and fail (Photo 25 and 26).
2.4. Exterior Beam
2.4.1. The exterior beam consists of a built-up composite wood T-section. 2 pieces of
plywood sheathing are stacked two 2x10s and a ripped 3-inch board section. A
2x6 is nailed to the top (Photo 27).
2.4.2. Due to the slenderness of the T-section, multiple decks are twisted (Photo 28).
Eagan Gardens—Balcony Assessment Page 3
October 17, 2023
2.4.3. The sealant is tearing at the joint between the beam and the exterior stucco
wall (Photo 29 - 33). At some locations, the beam appears to have dropped,
likely indicating deterioration of the interior framing of the bearing wall (Photo
31 and 34). Several balconies have sheathing, and sealant torn away from the
bottom of the beam, exposing the bearing surface to water and further
degradation (Photo 35 and 36). These gaps allow both water and animals
(including the observed squirrels, birds, and insects) to infiltrate into the
bearing wall, accelerating the deterioration of the beam.
2.4.4. The sheathing used for the composite section has peeling paint and is in poor
condition (Photo 37 and 38).
2.4.5. Significant wear and peeling paint were noted on the 2x6 (Photo 39—42).
2.4.6. Most level 1 decks have some form of mid span bracing (Photo 43 and 44). This
bracing helps reduce, but not eliminate, the twisting of the beam.
2.4.7. Based on the above observations, the exterior beams are unable to provide the
code-required strength and stiffness to the deck structures. This exterior beam
will need to be replaced at all balconies.
2.5. Bearing Walls
2.5.1. The bearing walls supporting each end of the exterior beam have a rock-dash
stucco finish (Photo 45).
2.5.2. Typically, these stucco walls are constructed with 2x4 stud framing with
gypsum sheathing (Photo 46-48). Some walls are constructed of concrete block
for at least part of the height.
2.5.3. The penetrations into the stucco wall at the beam bearing locations are
susceptible to water intrusion, see section 2.4.3. These penetrations at Eagan
Gardens are protected with sealant, which has deteriorated.
2.5.4. The bearing walls are slender and do not appear to be well-braced against
twisting/buckling.
2.5.5. Due to the observed deterioration of the framing and the poor condition of the
bearing walls, these walls will need extensive repairs.
Eagan Gardens—Balcony Assessment Page 4
October 17, 2023
2.6. Miscellaneous
2.6.1. Trim framing around the windows between balconies is showing significant rot
and deterioration (Photo 49 and 50). This may be allowing water infiltration
into the units and continuing to further accelerate the degradation of the
building.
2.6.2. Additional facade damage is present in areas adjacent to the balconies. This
damage is outside the scope of this report.
3.0 CONCLUSIONS/RECOMMENDATIONS
3.1. The balconies are in poor condition, with extensive damage/deterioration of the
structural framing. Much of the damage has reduced the bending and shear capacity of
the framing, creating unsafe conditions.
3.2. Based on the observed level of damage, Encompass issued an email on October 3, 2023
deeming the balconies unsafe for use until repairs can be made.
3.3. Encompass recommends the following general repairs to address the observed
conditions:
3.3.1. Full replacement of the balcony structural framing and decking will be required.
These repairs will necessitate replacement of the railings to bring them up to
current code.
3.3.2. The bearing walls at the balconies will require repairs to correct structural
damage related to water intrusion and to allow for connection of the new
balconies to the walls.
This report has been prepared based on observations and review of the material available as of
this date. The conclusions and recommendations contained herein represent our professional
opinions. These opinions were arrived at in accordance with accepted engineering practices at
this time and location. Our opinions may be revised based on the availability of additional data.
The services performed by Encompass, Inc. were conducted in a manner consistent with the
level of skill and care ordinarily exercised by members of the profession that are currently
practicing in this area and under similar fee, scope, and schedule requirements.
No other warranty is implied or intended. Should you have any questions, please call.
Eagan Gardens—Balcony Assessment Page 5
October 17, 2023
Prepared by:
Joe Casanova, P.E. Anne Crisp, S.E., P.E.
Project Engineer Senior Project Engineer
Eagan Gardens—Balcony Assessment Page 6
October 17, 2023
Eagan Gardens—Appendix A Page 1 of 25
ENC Project#23-6015-006 October 17, 2023
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Photo 1—Balcony Layout next to building entrance.
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Eagan Gardens—Appendix A Page 4 of 25
ENC Project#23-6015-006 October 17, 2023
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Photo 7—Added posts to stabalize the railing.
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Photo 8—Hole and peeling paint at side railing.
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Eagan Gardens—Appendix A Page 6 of 25
ENC Project#23-6015-006 October 17, 2023
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Photo 11—Extensive rot at base of side railing.
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Photo 12—Extensive rot of plywood sheething and peeling paint.
Eagan Gardens—Appendix A Page 7 of 25
ENC Project#23-6015-006 October 17, 2023
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Photo 13—Rot and peeling paint at side railing.
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Eagan Gardens—Appendix A Page 8 of 25
ENC Project#23-6015-006 October 17, 2023
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Photo 15—Typical condition of side railing.
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Photo 16—Typical condition of side railing.
Eagan Gardens—Appendix A Page 9 of 25
ENC Project#23-6015-006 October 17, 2023
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Photo 17—Typical topside of the decking.
Photo 18—Peeling paint on the underside of the decking.
Eagan Gardens—Appendix A Page 10 of 25
ENC Project#23-6015-006 October 17, 2023
Photo 19- Peeling paint on the underside of the decking.
Photo 20—Rot of decking boards.
Eagan Gardens—Appendix A Page 11 of 25
ENC Project#23-6015-006 October 17, 2023
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Photo 22—Typical joist layout at the balconies.
Eagan Gardens—Appendix A Page 12 of 25
ENC Project#23-6015-006 October 17, 2023
Photo 23—Addition of joists and a ledger.
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Photo 24—Addition of newer joists with older joists.
Eagan Gardens—Appendix A Page 13 of 25
ENC Project#23-6015-006 October 17, 2023
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Photo 25—Joists at VY floor to exterior beam.
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Photo 26—Joists at 15Y floor to the exterior wall.
Eagan Gardens—Appendix A Page 14 of 25
ENC Project#23-6015-006 October 17, 2023
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Photo 27—Cross section of the exterior beam.
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Photo 28—Signs of the exterior beam starting to twist.
Eagan Gardens—Appendix A Page 15 of 25
ENC Project#23-6015-006 October 17, 2023
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Eagan Gardens—Appendix A Page 16 of 25
ENC Project#23-6015-006 October 17, 2023
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Photo 32—Torn sealant at the bearing wall.
Eagan Gardens—Appendix A Page 17 of 25
ENC Project#23-6015-006 October 17, 2023
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Eagan Gardens—Appendix A Page 18 of 25
ENC Project#23-6015-006 October 17, 2023
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Photo 35—Significant rot and deterioration of the bottom of the beam at the bearing wall.
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Photo 36—Significant rot and deterioration of the bottom of the beam at the bearing wall.
Eagan Gardens—Appendix A Page 19 of 25
ENC Project#23-6015-006 October 17, 2023
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Photo 37—Peeling paint of beam sheathing.
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Photo 38—Peeling paint of the sheathing at the beam.
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Eagan Gardens—Appendix A Page 21 of 25
ENC Project#23-6015-006 October 17, 2023
Photo 41—Peeling paint and section loss of the 2x6 around mid-beam.
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Eagan Gardens—Appendix A Page 22 of 25
ENC Project#23-6015-006 October 17, 2023
Photo 43—Overall of deck with roughly midspan post.
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Photo 44—Closeup of post around midspan of the beam.
Eagan Gardens—Appendix A Page 23 of 25
ENC Project#23-6015-006 October 17, 2023
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Photo 45—Stucco and felt paper from gyp sheathing at bearing wall.
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Photo 46—Gyp sheathing behind lath and stucco.
Eagan Gardens—Appendix A Page 24 of 25
ENC Project#23-6015-006 October 17, 2023
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Photo 47—Interior shot of bearing wall at level 1.
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Photo 48— Interior shot of bearing wall at Level 2.
Eagan Gardens—Appendix A Page 25 of 25
ENC Project#23-6015-006 October 17, 2023
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Photo 49—Rotted trim around unit window.
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Photo 50—Typical rotted trim at windows.