House Explosions
On August 14, 2019 a vehicle struck the front of a house in London, Ontario and severed the natural gas line. The gas accumulated inside the house which eventually resulted in an explosion that demolished the house and severely damaged several houses around it.
On August 22, 2018 a house exploded in Kitchener from an intentional release of natural gas into the house. The explosion demolished the house and severely damaged several houses around it.
On June 28, 2016 a house in Mississauga exploded, also from a gas release in the home. The damage to surrounding properties was extensive.
On August 10, 2008 a massive explosion in a propane storage yard in North York devastated many houses in the neighbouring residential area.
Natural gas accumulation in a house can result in a blast that has a significant energy release. In each of the cases above, the blast was enough to leave only a shattered foundation where there was once a family home. The houses immediately next door will often sustain enough damage that they are not repairable and need to be demolished. Beyond that, the amount of damage will vary and depends on various factors.
The most common damage to a property that has been affected by a blast is movement of walls and cracking drywall. The blast creates a sudden high-pressure wave that acts to inflate enclosed spaces. The high-pressure wave is immediately followed by a low-pressure wave which reverses the affects of the inflation forces. Damage resulting from high and low-pressure waves can present in different ways depending on the location and construction features. It is not uncommon to see attic hatches lifted into the attic or aluminum soffits blown out or lifted into the attic when there is no other visible damage. These items are generally the lightest components of construction that move with a pressure wave. Other parts of the house like walls and roofs require more energy to be damaged. Damage to roof trusses is usually from uplift when the attic is inflated under positive pressures. At the same time, ceiling drywall is separated from the ceiling framing.
The pressure wave will travel throughout all the cavities in the house, including chimneys. Fireplace doors in basements can be blown open, or closed doors between rooms pushed open.
After a nearby explosion, it is essential to assess damage to a house to determine if the building has been compromised. We can also separate pre-existing problems from loss-related damage. There are clear unique damage patterns that are caused by explosions. Reported damages different from these patterns can be ruled out.
Being able to determine these patterns comes from experience with reviewing several recent explosions. Also being able to identify explosion damage that may not be otherwise obvious comes from such experience. Caskanette Udall Consulting Engineers has extensive experience with explosion damage that can help with working through claims.
