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Robust Anchorages to Concrete Structures

Anchor Channels in Industrial Structures, Bridges, and Tunnels

Anchor channels with channel bolts enable the robust anchorage of components to reinforced concrete structures. State-of-the-art systems comprised of anchor channels and channel bolts, also commonly known as anchor channels, handle static, seismic, and fatigue loads in any direction. Installing components with channel bolts is fast and easy even under adverse conditions, where wind, water, and confined space entry restrict work activities, particularly with electrical equipment needed for welding, or when overhead installation may be too exhaustive for the installer due to long installation times.

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Sep, 2022 By Christoph Mahrenholtz, Ph.D., Donald F. Meinheit, Ph.D., P.E., S.E. and Nicholas Cekine III, P.E. In Structural Connections Comments 0

Ductile Coupled Reinforced Concrete Shear Wall System

Per ACI 318-19 and ASCE 7-22

This article provides background on the recognition of ductile coupled shear wall systems of reinforced concrete in ASCE 7-22 Minimum Design Loads and Associated Criteria for Buildings and Other Structures (ASCE 2022) Table 12.2-1, Design Coefficients and Factors for Seismic Force-Resisting Systems. The system itself is defined in ACI 318-19 Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete (ACI 2019).

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Sep, 2022 By S.K. Ghosh, Ph.D. In Structural Systems Comments 0

Alternative Cements

Compliance Beyond the Code

As the most widely used manufactured material on the globe, concrete is one of the materials that may be considered part of society’s foundation. Concrete can be a highly durable, resilient, and affordable material in the built environment, supporting sustainable, economic, and social development when properly proportioned. In addition, concrete can be molded into nearly any shape at the job site, bringing versatility to construction and making concrete a highly popular construction material.

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Sep, 2022 By Mahmut Ekenel, Ph.D., P.E. In Structural Sustainability Comments 0

A Closer Look at Structural Lightweight Concrete

Myth Versus Reality

Lightweight concrete has been a staple of the built environment for centuries, predating the Roman Empire. While some early lightweight concrete structures still stand, their materials bear little resemblance to today’s offerings. Industry professionals now recognize structural lightweight concrete as a strong, low-density mixture of Portland cement, water, and various combinations of normal weight aggregates and lightweight aggregates. In such concrete, lightweight aggregate produced from shale, clay, or slate is heated to approximately 2000 degrees F in a rotary kiln process. During this process, it softens and bubbles form that remain as unconnected pores when it cools.

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Sep, 2022 By Ken Harmon, P.E. In Building Blocks Comments 0

Avoiding Failures in Concrete Structures

Reinforced concrete is a construction material widely used in many applications, including buildings, bridges, and other infrastructures. Due to its massive size and various redundancies, concrete structures are often considered solid, robust, and safe. However, there have been instances of concrete structure failures and collapses, many due to erroneous assumptions or oversight by the designers in evaluating the design situation or poor construction practices. This article highlights several design and construction situations that designers and builders should pay special attention to in order to prevent failures.

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Sep, 2022 By Hee Yang Ng, MIStructE, C.Eng, P.E. In Structural Failures Comments 1

Adapt and Transform

Part 2: Performance Metrics to Measure Recovery

The NCSEA Resilience Committee is committed to educating the structural engineering community about the ever-evolving concepts of resilience and functional recovery. Adapt and Transform: COVID-19 Lessons for a More Resilient Future ran in STRUCTURE in October 2021. That article explored the concept of adaptability to the FEMA four-phase disaster management cycle characterized by “prepare, respond, recover, mitigate” (Figure 1) and considering the challenges and disruptions of the pre-vaccine COVID-19 pandemic.

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Sep, 2022 By NCSEA Resilience Committee In Structural Resilience Comments 0

Automation and the Future of Structural Engineering – Installment 4

Continuing our series on automation – December 2021 (Installment 1), March 2022 (2), June 2022 (3) – I sat down (virtually) in April 2022 with two more industry experts in digital design: Steve Reichwein, a Senior Associate at Severud Associates Consulting Engineers, and Carlos de Oliveira, a founder of Cast Connex. Below are highlights from our discussion.

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Sep, 2022 By Eytan Solomon, P.E., LEED AP In InFocus Comments 0

NCSEA 2021 Practitioner Survey

What are Expectations for New Hires Entering the Workforce?

Structural engineering firms have a vested interest in selecting new hires with the skills to flourish in an office environment and an education that prepares them to solve the myriad of technical challenges that structural engineers encounter daily. Additionally, students who obtain an accredited degree from a civil/structural/architectural engineering program are interested in obtaining a job that applies their education and helps them advance their careers.

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Sep, 2022 By STRUCTURE magazine In Basic Education Comments 0

Fr. Hennepin Bridge, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 1855

19^th Century Mississippi River Bridges Series

The Mississippi was the last major river to be crossed as the nation moved to the west. From its headwaters in Lake Itasca in Northern Minnesota to its discharge into the Gulf of Mexico, the river, with its tributaries, drained the entire United States between the Appalachians and the Rocky Mountains. It had a watershed of 1,245,000 square miles or approximately 40% of the country’s total land mass. It formed the boundary of ten states; Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. With the advent of the steamboat, it became a major shipping lane, and shippers wanted free navigation of the river without bridge piers.

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Sep, 2022 By Frank Griggs, Jr., Dist. M. ASCE, D. Eng., P.E., P.L.S. In Historic Structures Comments 0

Working with a Geotechnical Engineer

Structural engineers charged with designing a structure depend upon the input of geotechnical engineers to determine the appropriate foundation type for a particular site and building design. Although both are critical team members on a project, the geotechnical engineer and structural engineer may be engaged through different processes, and each may have different clients though parallel responsibilities.

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Sep, 2022 By ACEC Staff and CASE Executive Committee In CASE Business Practices Comments 0

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