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Thanks, everybody, for your candid opinions. Ours is a very small company - only eight people directly involved in engineering and design. So the single-seat license could probably work out okay for us. Based on you reports, I'll give it a more thorough look. Thanks again, Dave Thaidavid

I worked for ten years in Thailand as an evangelist, but I also participated in many building projects. I would have never even begun to think about designing ANYTHING there until I first saw how such items were built in the particular local area. As many have said here, the building means and...

Have any of you folks used any of the code search, building code load-generation software in your offices, and what is your opinion of the programs you have used? I am looking specifically at the Struware "Code Search" suite of tools, and am wondering if there were any independent opinions and...

Depends on the situation. Do you know anything at all about the soils on that particular site? Is there other construction nearby to gain insight from? If a shallow investigation is appropriate, then hand-dug, or backhoe-dug, test pits can be helpful. And you can make steel probings to at...

Ever since I was in school back in 1976, I have used the "a" subscript to indicate "allowable". Dave Thaidavid

And since the brick veneer will be attached with ties to the CMU backup wall, the brick joints should align with the CMU joints. Though you could have additional joints in the brick beyond those that you have in the CMU. Dave Thaidavid

A vapor barrier is just that, and is not a water-tight seal (as typically installed and used). I don't think that using one would change the ACI classification of being in contact with earth. Dave Thaidavid

One way to effectively get around all of these design obstacles is to have two rated wall assemblies parallel to each other, to create a rated chase. Then you take the ducts in and out of the protected space along different lines. Having them out of alignment provides a backup barrier to a...

It isn't exactly Haiti, but Puerto Rico is at least in the same vicinity, and the ASCE 7-10 code gives wind speeds for Puerto Rico. You might begin there for some numbers to use as a starting basis. Dave Thaidavid

A 25mm (1") fillet weld all-around? That's a LOT of weld passes for a fillet weld. Could this weld maybe be made cheaper (and better) as a single-bevel, full-thickness, groove weld? Dave Thaidavid

Why are you having to machine shims for the "proper fit"? If this connection is carrying axial load, then the AISC Code of Standard Practice allows for quite a bit of angular and dimensional gap misfit. Are these members designated as AESS, and if so, what class? Dave Thaidavid

I suspect that the average global-distribution weight of the ballast stones would end up much more than the typical 20psf roof live load value. The design wind uplift alone on the surface of the panels (a C&C load) would surely be much in excess of this - especially with a 145mph design wind...

Even though this is made up of open sections (wide-flanged beams), the composite section is doubly symmetrical. Similar to a closed tube, wouldn't that mostly remove lateral-torsional buckling from consideration? And the more lacing bars you provide, the closer that would approximate a closed...

Are the bundled bars stacked vertically, or placed side-by-side? It would seem that if in the side-by-side condition, you would risk segregation or honeycombing under the bars in such a narrow joist. Dave Thaidavid

Your option 1 looks to affect the overall structural system the least. And it appears to have fewer "moving parts". That could be an advantage in a remote location where materials for field modifications could be difficult to come by (per your description). Dave Thaidavid

Double-check your OSHA design load requirements. For "engineered systems",OSHA only requires an ultimate load capacity of twice the maximum equivalent static force. For most self-retracting fall limiters ("yo-yo boxes") this load is limited by ANSI to no more than 900 pounds, That means that...

The USACE design guide manual TM 5-852-1 through 5 has a complete look at Arctic construction from a military (and general) standpoint. Dave Thaidavid

Be very careful about extrapolating bolt pre-tension for other than A325 and A490 bolts. The methods tested by the RCSC are for those types only, and I am not aware of any testing that supports any other types or grades of connecting bolts. Dave Thaidavid

The ACOE has a whole manual addressing this question. It can be found for free here: Link Dave Thaidavid

Another option could be to set some shores under the joists, near their ends, and excavate and remove the entire existing footing and stub wall in that area. These would support cribbing girders bearing under the joists. Then you could excavate and remove the existing stub wall, and repour (or...