That's a good point, but that wasn't included in their response when we asked to design wall extensions and use a less thick cap, but on their plans, they point out that the top of the new cap is to meet the flood zone elevation requirement. There is nothing in their documents suggesting that...
I would have thought so, but apparently not. They don't seem confident that they could remove the forms in the space provided.
I had a similar question. The caisson is existing, and they need to raise the top height to meet new flood requirements. I suggested raising the caisson walls, but...
Well this one is a doozey to me.
Attached, on the left, you'll see a rough diagram of a concrete well cap, 19ft exterior diameter, 16ft interior diameter. There are an assortment of different openings that have to be cast into the cap. Very heavy loads will be put over these openings, about...
Are the windows from floor to ceiling? If not, the wall below can be used as a shear wall. The jab posts will probably have to be more substantial than just some 2x. Extend the posts from bottom to top and design them as fixed at the top of the short wall (bottom of the windows) then put that...
I was incorrect in saying "none", as you are correct, there is the exterior brick and granite walls. I should have said "incomplete" as there are many primary support systems that are not braced, especially now after they gutted the walls; the original partitions were 3"-4" of SOLID crossing...
@jayrod12
That's a pretty good way of handling it. I'll see about getting their info. If nothing else, it might scare them into putting some effort into it, or best case, their letter was just meant to get the project going and they have some super incredible, space age analysis program where...
@jmec87
Thank you! This is the sort of information I was hoping to hear about.
Yeah, this is an awkward situation because I would expect SOMETHING to be done to better secure the building, but it falls into this nebulous zone of "it might be fine, but do they know that?" The building HAS been...
Maybe that is acceptable in the Mechanical field, but it is not acceptable in the Structural field, especially with multi-family unit buildings of 15-20 units. That is what I'm asking at; is there any system where someone can anonymously blow a whistle because of some realistic concerns of lack...
Thanks! I don't like to let my job get too heavy when it doesn't have to be; there's plenty of things to get serious about, like other engineers not caring about the reputation of the profession and the safety of the public. But I don't live for this job, this job is for me to live, and I chose...
Unfortunately, it was a signed and sealed letter/package addressed to the town JHA.
Aw, that's the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me, thank you! But yeah, I hope so, there's about 800 or so buildings out there in the world with my name directly and indirectly applied to them, and...
Wow! Okay, I didn't mean to start a lot of bickering here, so I should elaborate and hopefully that will settle some of the tensions. First, though, I would like to point out that this isn't supposed to be a question specifically about this project and what I should do about this project in...
Recently my boss sent out an estimate for a project and we did not get it. He knew the contractor that was going to be doing the building and they were concerned with the size of the engineering package; three pages and a letter. The project is a 26,000 sqft apartment building retrofit of an...
I think straub46 has the correct interpretation of the code, but I would say if the system is significantly over stressed, it would be irresponsible to not address it in the planned addition/renovations.
If we were talking about a difference of minor percentages over capacity, then an in depth...
UPDATE: I designed a repair detail of microllam king studs to go through the plates and a series of connection details for the multitude of "headers". In the other walls that had a similar issue, I added intermittently spaced, full height king studs and connection details. The primary...
We developed a connection detail to an on-the-flat plank in the ceiling system along the interior "rake" line that will act as a beam or distribution plank to a series of drag/compression struts to the bottom of the roof trusses. We included this to the fabricator and it appears to be included...
I would say the section showing the top plate as elevated was not super clear, but the issue is whether or not it needs to be. Is there anything in the IBC or NDS that instructs or suggests that studs have to be the full height of the wall and/or properly braced unless an exception is directly...
I analyzed the studs as fully height, and they needed to be 2x8@16"o.c. and they worked fine (and were called out on the plans), but were intended to be full height (which I had assumed was the expectation as that's what all my design guides show/describe).
We called out for two (2) jack studs...
There's actually quite a bit more structural support going on here than we typically give stairs with such awkward-to-assess details.
The landing/deck is pretty small, usually well assembled with nails/screws/hardware, and is going to be rigid once the plywood is attached. You can quite...
Hopefully this has not been asked too many times on these forums, but I have a gable wall on a building with a cathedral ceiling (see pic) where the framer did not make the studs full height.
Our plans do not specifically call out the requirement that the studs be full height and the...
