*Mr. Pool obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering, with emphasis in structures, from Texas Tech University in 1982. He has performed engineering work across the United States and developed his investigative skills through the analysis of a variety of buildings including schools, churches, industrial facilities, warehouses, fire stations, agricultural buildings, and single and multi-family housing. Mr. Pool is experienced in investigating and analyzing various types of buildings including concrete, steel, and wood to determine causation of damage ranging from minor movement of individual components to partial or full structural collapse. He is skilled at identifying storm-related damage to building components and systems, and determining causation of such damages. Mr. Pool has also served on the Engineering Review Committee for the Wood Truss Council of America and the Technical Advisory Committee for the Truss Plate Institute of America.
**The course begins by educating the licensee on the cause and extent of flood-related damage. The cause of damage is identified through evidence and condition of the building, and how to distinguish between pre-existing conditions and flood-caused conditions. Additionally, the origin of damage is discussed; that is, how to determine what caused the original breaching of the building envelope: surge, flood, or wind. The extent of structural damage for buildings with varying construction materials is discussed. Next, the course goes on to discuss repairing the damage versus full building replacement based on the existing conditions, and which option is more feasible. The course then describes how UBSE is able to determine the date of loss by reviewing reports, on-site conditions, and researching storm data. This course includes case studies on projects UBSE has investigated for flood damage.