HNTB Corporation was an Outstanding Award Winner for its South Park Bascule Bridge Replacement in the 2015 NCSEA Annual Excellence in Structural Engineering Awards Program in the Category – New Bridges and Transportation Structures.
When HNTB designed the new first-of-its-kind South Park Bridge in Seattle, the goal was to make the structure something that would provide excellent service to area residents and make them proud. …
As sure as the Earth keeps turning, each generation finds ways to stereotype the ones that preceded it. Generation “Y” or the “Millennial” generation is no different, and it has no shortage of opinions on preceding generations. Those in the Greatest Generation are curmudgeons who are out of touch with technology. …
Please assist us in supporting the I-Code adoption of ASCE 7-16 and opposing the attempt to block the update to the 2016 edition of ASCE 7 Minimum Design Loads & Associated Criteria for Buildings and Other Structures for the International Building Code (IBC), International Residential Code (IRC), and International Existing Building Code (IEBC). …
Is our Code of Ethics relevant today, or has its strength faded with time? Is our Code of Ethics a powerful tool to assist and guide the engineer in being a professional and in making good and right decisions, or is it outdated dogma?
Recently, an engineer with animated gestures and passion in his voice proclaimed, “We, as professionals, are duty bound and morally obligated to understand, live by, and enforce the Code of Ethics.” With equal commitment, another engineer stated “The Code of Ethics is an outdated albatross that hangs around the neck of the profession and limits opportunities.” …
Anchor channel systems are cast into a concrete member. They are used to attach both structural and nonstructural components. Attachment of nonstructural components, such as curtain wall, is a typical anchor channel system application. Traditionally, anchor channel systems have been designed using manufacturer’s data and allowable stress design. Anchor channel systems can now receive recognition under the International Building Code (IBC) for design with strength design provisions. …
Non-destructive Testing (NDT) plays a critical role in the understanding of existing structures. Investigative techniques available offer practical, efficient, and cost-effective solutions to obtaining information on quality, construction, and performance that may be otherwise hidden to the naked eye. The use of NDT tools vastly reduces the need for exposing embedded structure through probing, and assists in making more informed decisions when samples or probes must be performed. …
Fire is an extreme loading condition that must be considered in the design of buildings. Upon initial ignition, building fires are typically small, localized and dealt with efficiently by active protection systems, such as sprinklers. In certain situations, where there is adequate fuel, ventilation, and lack (or failure) of active protection systems, the compartment fire may flashover and develop into an extreme fire loading scenario. During such design fire scenarios, the gravity loading on the structure does not change significantly, but the structural properties (elastic modulus, yield strength, and failure strength) of the steel and concrete materials decrease dramatically. …
The American Concrete Institute (ACI) published the Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete (ACI 318-14) and Commentary (ACI 318R-14) in the Fall of 2014. ACI 318-14 has been adopted by reference into the 2015 International Building Code (IBC). There are very significant organizational as well as technical changes between ACI 318-11 and ACI 318-14. …
The Brooklyn Bridge, across the East River in New York City, is perhaps the most recognized bridge in the United States. As a result of David McCullough’s book The Great Bridge and Ken Burns’ American Stories – Brooklyn Bridge series, many engineers know some of the backstories of the bridge. Don Sayenga’s book, Washington Roebling’s Father, also clarified which Roebling, John or Washington, built the Bridge. Part 1 starts with the earliest plans for a bridge and runs up to John Roebling’s death in 1869 before the onset of construction. …
This is the second in a two-part article on repairing aging, normally reinforced, concrete garage structures existing in aggressive weather environments. Part 1: The Designer’s Perspective was published in the April 2016 issue of STRUCTURE® magazine. …