El Paso County, Colorado is located approximately 70 miles south of Denver, has a land area of 2,127 square miles, and had a 2012 population of approximately 645,000 (representing 12 percent of the population of Colorado). Although the majority of the El Paso County population is concentrated in Colorado Springs and along the Interstate 25 corridor, densely-populated areas also exist at the east edge of the Pike National Forest where the Rocky Mountain Foothills meet the Front Range. …
The process of awakening young minds to the beauty and excitement of structural engineering is not as complicated as one might think. What are the necessary ingredients? …
Part 2: When is Final…Final?
In Part 1 of this series, the importance of proper routing review of a deferred submittal was highlighted. Pre-engineered wood trusses were used as a case study and, while this topic is obviously an issue directly affecting the Engineer of Record (EOR), it impacts the Building Official and their ability to properly enforce the building code. …
The Structural Engineering Institute (SEI) proudly recognized the following recipients at the Structures Congress 2014 in Boston, Massachusetts on April 3, 2014: …
As an engineer, I believe that our highest obligation is to provide for the public welfare. Most jurisdictions and many professional societies express this obligation in their laws, rules or bylaws. In keeping with this, the NCSEA Structural Licensure Committee believes that the public would be better protected by establishing structural licensure in all jurisdictions – legislation requiring a licensed Structural Engineer to be in responsible charge for the design of significant structures. …
Part 1
In a recent Structural Forum column, A Remarkable Profession!, September 2013, Stan Caldwell pointed out some of the negative aspects of structural engineering that often prompt complaints from its practitioners. Those comments resonated with me and, I suspect, many of the more seasoned engineers who have witnessed significant changes in the profession over the past few decades. …
Buro Happold Consulting Engineers was an Award Winner for the World Trade Center Memorial Pavilion project in the 2013 NCSEA Annual Excellence in Structural Engineering awards program (Category – New Buildings $30M to $100M).
The new National September 11 Memorial Museum Pavilion, located within the archaeological heart of the World Trade Center in New York City, opened to the public on May 21, 2014. …
Part 1: Integrating Responsible Parties
Over the course of my career, I have worked in both engineering design and construction. While I have dealt with each of the systems described above, most of my experience has been with pre-engineered wood trusses. My purpose here is not to so much discuss their design, but rather focus on the overall coordination needed during the design process, including their role as a deferred submittal. – Dean Brown …
Among the many code provisions which may be characterized as ambiguous, few seem as pervasive as the issue of full-height blocking for either wood or cold-formed steel construction. Opinions regarding the need for full-height blocking widely varying, and it seems that even the purpose of full-height blocking is subject to debate. …
The model building codes in the U.S. cover virtually every safety-related topic associated with construction of buildings. Fire-related issues comprise a surprisingly large portion of the model codes. Designing for fire safety is a complex and multifaceted issue. Discussion in this article is limited to design of exposed wood members. Additional information on building code requirements for wood can be found in the American Wood Council’s (AWC) Code Conforming Wood Design documents, available for free download. …