Over the past few code cycles, prescriptive requirements have toughened for deck support posts, deck railings, and structural attachments of decks to the side of houses.
But there are millions of outdoor decks in America that were built before the codes got tougher, or that were built in jurisdictions where there was no applicable code, or where codes weren’t strictly enforced. And even well-built, well-supported, and well-connected decks get older and wear out.
So the bottom line is, there are still a lot of unsafe decks out there. And as the weather warms up, and people seek the enjoyment of outdoor life, some of those decks are bound to fail.
It has been a while since there was high-casualty deck failure dramatic enough to make the national news. But in the past month or two, several deck failures have made the local news around the country.
In one case in Savannah, Georgia, there are lawsuits (because the deck failure occurred at a commercial establishment and injured customers). The Island Packet had this report (see: “Lawsuits line up after collapsing Savannah bar deck injured 14,” by Joan McDonough).
“The suits, filed by attorneys Jeremy McKenzie, Dorian Britt, Paul Hart and John Hafemann, contend the incident was the result of negligence by the owners who they allege breached their duty by allowing the deck to ‘become dilapidated, fall into disrepair and exist in a dangerous condition,'” reported the Savannah Morning News (see: “Seven people file suits in St. Patrick’s Day deck collapse,” by Jan Skutch).
Reporting by Savannah TV Station WSAV3 includes bodycam video footage showing a scene of controlled chaos as first responders work to provide first aid and evacuate injured people from the bar (see: “Savannah bar faces six lawsuits after deck collapse”).
In North Logan, Utah, a deck collapsed suddenly as party-goers congregated to play games, the South Logan Herald Journal reported (see: “North Logan deck collapses under dozens of partygoers; 3 taken to hospital,” by Amy Macavinta).
And in O’Fallon, Illinois, a deck collapsed suddenly as a dozen family members were gathering after a funeral. St. Louis TV Station KTVI FOX 2 News had this on-scene report (see: “Investigation continues for cause of deck collapse in O’Fallon”).
As construction codes get stricter, attention turns to existing older decks, which may be far less safe than a code-compliant new structure. Nationally known expert (and JLC author) Frank Woeste commented in an email to JLC, “While residential [construction practices] may be progressing, it seems to me there are more (reported) multi-family cases—which makes sense, since we certainly have a lot of apartment buildings that are aging. I believe a lot of these projects were deficient when they were built, so instead of having a safety factor of about 2.8, the actual safety factor was about 1.0. Now, they have a safety factor less than 1.0, meaning if they get fully loaded (to 40 psf) they will collapse. The safety factor erodes due to corrosion of the metal connectors and fasteners and the decay of the wood materials.”
