California Governor Jerry Brown recently signed into law Senate Bill 496 (SB 496) representing a major step forward in reducing the uninsurable burden of indemnity provisions and the duty to defend for most public and private contracts signed by design professionals in California. …
Structural engineers of record (SER) are always under some external pressure on projects. Is there enough fee? Is there enough time to complete the work? Is the project becoming more difficult and complex because of bad decisions made without SER input? Are the Owner’s expectations unrealistic? Is there scope creep because other team members are passing the buck? …
Simpson Gumpertz & Heger Inc was an Award Winner for its War Memorial Veterans Building project in the 2016 NCSEA Annual Excellence in Structural Engineering Awards Program in the Category – Renovation/Rehabilitation. …
I would like to discuss the idea of “big” structures and explore some interesting facts about these landmark structures that have defined the egocentric ambitions of countries, rulers, and people. …
I have exciting news to share with all of you. During the second week of October, from the 11th through the 14th, the structural engineering community will descend upon Washington, D.C., for the 25th annual NCSEA Structural Engineering Summit. This promises to be our best Summit yet, and I hope that you will make time in your busy schedule to join us. Attendees will include the best and brightest our profession has to offer, including our Member Organization Delegates and some of their officers, the NCSEA Board of Directors and staff, an excellent group of presenters, and many of our young members. This is your opportunity to meet and mingle with all of them. …
The option to use structural steel supplied and fabricated in foreign countries for projects constructed in the United States is a realistic one for many projects in today’s market. Typically, the most obvious factor that is considered by the project team is the economic impact of doing so. However, in addition to economics, project teams must also consider factors that may have a significant impact on the project outcome, including project-specific issues, design requirements, material substitutions, procurement, fabrication, and construction concerns. …
In cold-formed steel construction, welding is a viable connection method. Prefabrication of trusses, panelization of walls, and hardware components are all ideal applications where welding may be the preferred joining method. …
Last month’s article (Structural Analysis, STRUCTURE, July 2017) was devoted entirely to model generation, the critical first step in an accurate analysis and design using the Finite Element Method (FEM). Remember, FEM is broken up into three basic steps: …
Regardless of your familiarity with Quality Based Selection (QBS), there are certain basics of business that all engineers should understand, even if you are not in management. Structural engineering is a professional service business. The overwhelming majority of structural engineers are compensated based on the amount of time spent on a client’s project. If you are a business owner, you know that each and every proposal starts out with the question “How much time will the project take?” …
Construction Science and Engineering, Inc., an architectural and engineering firm, has investigated several low slope roof applications with water stains, ponding, framing damage on the lower side of the roof span, and structural collapse. Further examination typically reveals a relatively level surface when compared to other roof locations (Figure 1). A similar occurrence is often found in exterior deck applications. …