The Economics Of Building Codes And Repairability Issues

When a structure becomes significantly damaged, the analysis usually begins with the question, “Does it make sense to repair this or start from scratch?” From an engineering standpoint (spoiler alert), the answer is almost always “Yes, it can be repaired.” But just because it can be repaired doesn’t necessarily mean that it makes sense to do so. More often than not, the decision becomes an economic question with many components that rest comfortably outside the traditional engineering realm. It involves questions revolving around subjects like salvage value, policy limits, construction cost, depreciation, service life, current construction environment, business interruption cost, and building code requirements.