Recent content by BigBakwas77

A colleague approached me with a structural problem. He issued a drawing for construction where the tension reinforcement for a beam were specified less than required. (As(Reqd)=1783 mm², As(Prov)=1000 mm²). The slab and beam are now cast but formwork is not removed. I have advised him not to...

@canwesteng Thank you for your quick reply. I am sure I can propose adding a 8"-10" thick pad on top to the client. But let me get this clear from you how will this work. We will roughen the slab top surface where the pad is to be built and then do we apply some sort of adhesive before pouring...

I am working on a project for replacement of small (5HP) compressors. Vendor shop drawings show light gravity and lateral reactions. (4.5 kN gravity and 2.0 kN lateral max) Existing slab on grade is a, 8" thick concrete with two layers of rebars. I have no concern if the slab will be able to...

Does anyone has any experience in using in-floor radiant heating for cold-weather concreting?

@JoshPlumSE I agree that this is a lazy construction. Usually contractors do shoddy work to save time and / or money. What I did not understand is that how were time or money saved in doing shoddy job like this.

@dik Yes the sheathing is attached to 2x6 wall studs. The verticall joints between sheathing sheets are at the stud locations. What the picture shows is the horizontal joint between sheathing sheets.

@phamENG It is not a shear wall nor a tall wall. The other concern I have is energy dissipation.

I have just been to review the floor framing of a site. Though wall framing was not part of my scope but I noticed gaps of 3/8" to 3/4" at the horizontal connection of plywood sheathing. I know that recommended gap for expansion of sheathing is 1/8" to 1/4" minimum but what I found on site was...

@jayrod12 This is regarding your comment about the location of tension face of the foundation wall. The sketch below shows why I show rebars on the face away from earth in a residential foundation wall. But when it comes to a cantilever retaining wall, it is near the earth side. Does this make...

@jayrod12 Before I moved to North America, I never designed a retaining wall that wasn't a cantilever retaining wall. I still design cantilever retaining (CIP concrete) walls which is not part of any building. These walls usually have larger footings and heavier rebar requirements. It took me...

@jimstructures Your reply is quite rude, especially when you don't know who I am. See the image below and if you rotate it 90°, then you must have done many structures like that. @phamENG You are correct in assuming that the studs will extend from top of concrete wall to the second floor level...

I posted a query two years ago regarding concrete foundation walls which are not considered laterally supported if the top end is not reaching the floor diaphragm. ( https://www.eng-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?qid=451821 ) I have just thought about a solution where by the wall studs are extended up...

I agree with L/600 approach. As KootK suggested, the channels should be stiffer than required which shall make the deflection negligible. Considering 60° load triangle over the 10 feet opening, the dead load from self weight of wall is not that high. 2-C300 (C12) should take care of it.

Thank you all for your valuable inputs!

My client bought two bays in a commercial building and wants to connect them by creating an opening in the demising CMU wall. The wall is non-loadbearing but it is ±24 feet high. He wants an opening of 8'-0"H x 10-'0"W opening. I am thinking of adding two channels on each side of the wall...