In the early morning hours of December 25, 2012, an EF-2 tornado passed through midtown Mobile, Alabama, causing damage to numerous buildings, including the Trinity Episcopal Church. The church, which was originally constructed in 1853 and moved from downtown Mobile to its present site in 1946, suffered severe structural damage. A large section of the roofing and supporting solid sawn lumber rafters along the east side of the church were detached from the building. The tornado also displaced several heavy timber roof trusses and purlins, partially fractured several heavy timber columns supporting the roof trusses, and partially fractured several of the remaining rafters. The authors completed an investigation to evaluate the damage and determine whether the existing wood structure could be repaired. The examination revealed partial fractures of the wood columns, particularly those along the east side of the building and relative displacement of the roof trusses with respect to the tops of the columns on the west side. As part of the authors' investigation, the wood elements were visually graded and wood samples were removed for species identification. Structural analyses were performed of the as-built wood structure using 3D computer models, in conjunction with hand calculations to determine whether repairs were feasible. This study, determined that repairs were feasible, and due to the complexity of the repairs, in-depth construction administration services were provided. Repair installation commenced in late summer of 2013 and was completed in the spring of 2014. These structural repairs helped to preserve the history and original aesthetics of this historic church.
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