0:28Our approach
Meet Cara Morton
Cara introduces her structural engineering background and the signs a building can give before a larger repair is needed.
Cara Morton, P.E., Ph.D.
The structural engineering perspective
Cara MortonP.E., Ph.D.
Structural Engineering Advisor
Cara Morton is a structural engineer licensed in Oregon, Washington and other states, with more than seventeen years of experience in structural design, investigation and repair. Her work spans concrete, steel and wood structures. She has worked with Moffatt & Nichol, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Coughlin Porter Lundeen, taught structural engineering at Washington State University, and founded Resilient Structures. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of South Florida.
As Structural Engineering Advisor and a member of Northwest Construction & Insurance Law’s Advisory Council, she contributes the structural engineering perspective to the firm’s coordinated approach. Her role is to help assess what a building’s condition shows about its structure, what an engineer would check, and what a sound repair requires.
Cara Morton, P.E., Ph.D.
Meet Cara Morton
Cara introduces her structural engineering background and the signs a building can give before a larger repair is needed.
Conversations with Cara Morton
What the building is telling you.
Conversations about cracks, concealed damage, load paths and the evidence behind a sound repair. Each film includes captions and a transcript.
0:28
2:43Construction & repairs
What a crack is telling you
How dated photographs, measurements and a record of movement help an engineer evaluate a crack.
Cara Morton, P.E., Ph.D.
2:45Construction & repairs
Look beneath the deck boards
Why a deck’s walking surface can conceal problems in joists and the supporting structure.
Cara Morton, P.E., Ph.D.
3:39HOAs & communities
The baseline at turnover
Why boards need a documented building baseline, structural drawings and inspection records at turnover.
Cara Morton, P.E., Ph.D.
4:49Construction & repairs
When a remodel changes the load path
How a removed wall or altered framing can change the path that carries a building’s loads to the ground.
Cara Morton, P.E., Ph.D.
3:26Construction & repairs
Repair or replace: answer the engineering question
Define the engineering problem and repair scope before comparing bids or deciding whether to repair or replace.
Cara Morton, P.E., Ph.D.
3:18Construction & repairs
Foundation cracks and water
How drainage, ground conditions and a record of movement can help explain foundation cracks.
Cara Morton, P.E., Ph.D.
2:22Construction & repairs
When a retaining wall starts to lean
What water pressure and drainage can tell an engineer about a leaning retaining wall.
Cara Morton, P.E., Ph.D.
3:22Construction & repairs
An attic floor is not always a floor
Why converting an attic to living space requires a closer look at the framing and its original purpose.
Cara Morton, P.E., Ph.D.
3:05Construction & repairs
When cosmetic damage is structural
Why a visible change in a facade, curtain wall or finish can raise a deeper question about the supporting structure.
Cara Morton, P.E., Ph.D.
2:09Construction & repairs
The floor that reports hidden damage
How a small soft spot in a floor can point to concealed damage or an interrupted load path.
Cara Morton, P.E., Ph.D.
2:56Construction & repairs
When it is time to replace the balcony
How condition, exposure and the supporting structure inform a balcony repair or replacement decision.
Cara Morton, P.E., Ph.D.
2:35Construction & repairs
What a removed wall was carrying
How cracks in different parts of a building can tell a connected story about a removed wall and its loads.
Cara Morton, P.E., Ph.D.
4:21Construction & repairs
The building that is fine until the ground moves
An engineering explanation of soft stories, seismic upgrades and the way a building responds when the ground moves.
Cara Morton, P.E., Ph.D.
0:11Our approach
The manager’s toolkit
Cara points property managers toward the checklist and resources from this interview series.
Cara Morton, P.E., Ph.D.
0:21Our approach
Request a damage and repair review
What to include when requesting a review of building damage and the proposed response.
Cara Morton, P.E., Ph.D.
Start a conversation
Describe the damage and the proposed repair.
Share what you have observed, any investigation or repair recommendations, and important dates. We review inquiries for conflicts and fit before discussing further work.
No fee unless money is recovered for you on accepted matters, subject to a written fee agreement.