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I've run into some unique ethical and professional challenges on a small tenant finish-out project, and I’d really appreciate some insight. The scope of my work involved designing a 20-foot-tall cold-formed steel and hot-rolled steel building façade to support a curtain wall system, several...

Hi everybody, I frequently get asked to evaluate older retaining walls, and I'm trying to develop some typical cost-effective reinforcement details for walls deemed inadequate. For context, I'm currently assessing a 4-foot-tall reinforced concrete cantilever retaining wall that's approximately...

I've been using classic AutoCAD for all of my drafting and detailing over my entire career. I'm really fast and efficient doing it the old way, but I'm curious if there is a better way or newer specialized software to try out. The detailing process is super laborious and tedious so I'm looking...

Hi All! I'm designing a pool foundation which consists of 8" diameter steel pipe piles, 12"X30" concrete grade beams spanning between piles which supports a pool shell. The pool is about 7' deep and there is a high water table so there will be net uplift from buoyancy forces. The typical...

Hi eng-tippers! I have a renovation project where we are installing a large number of anchors into an existing 100+ year old limestone and clay brick wall. The quality of the limestone walls are suspect so I was going to retain Hilti to do a load test on some anchors to verify our design...

Hi all, I have a residential remodel project where the contractor is refusing to install 6x6 oak columns with the knife plate detail we have specified. Right now the columns are bearing directly on concrete and are held into place with concrete screws. This connection is horrible in the first...

Hi Guys and Gals! I've been tasked with designing a free-standing steel portal frame. The span is 35', height is 10', and the frame will be supporting a wood cantilevered deck and roof. The frame is not braced laterally where the beam meets column, but I am assuming the beam top flange is...

Hi All, I'm designing a a brace frame steel structure which is supported on concrete straight shaft piers. I am doing a concrete blockout detail and was wondering what is more customary at diagonal braces? Is it acceptable to bury the brace connection in the blockout or should I shift the...

Hi Guys and Girls, I have a remodel project where the architect wants to create a new 12 ft opening in a 2 ft wide limestone block wall. I'm trying to come up with the most practical detail for a new lintel. For thinner walls I've done pinch beam lintels, but I don't think it would work well...

Hi All, I have a commercial project where an existing slab on grade will be replaced with a new 5" concrete slab, reinforced with #4 @ 12" O.C. each way. The concrete mix is 4000 PSI concrete with 25% flyash. The contractor wants to use the slab as soon as possible to perform the remodel...

Does anyone see any issues with pouring a concrete slab over a 138"L x 75"W x 59"D precast concrete grease trap tank. The concrete slab is a 7" dumpster pad slab and will be poured directly over the tank. The tank is rated for H20 loads. I'm thinking there should be a crack control joint...

Hi Eng-tippers! Does anyone have any good details for adding a brick ledge to an existing foundation? I provided a detail to the contractor, but this particular detail will not work because the existing foundation only extends 8" into grade. I'm trying to come up with an alternate detail...

For your viewing pleasure. Caught by third party inspector.

Hi All! I have a large 15,000+ SF house project that we've designed. This house has roughly 50 embed plates for steel columns. The column placement is extra crucial to get correct, so the general contractor was asking us if there was a tool, software, or procedure to locate the columns using...

Hi all! I'm working on a small 2 story concrete podium project. The structure is a conventionally reinforced moment frame supported on piers on top of a slab on grade with pier caps. The piers have been poured roughly 3 weeks ago and now the slab/pier caps are ready to be poured. The owner...

Hey eng-tippers! I have a client who was asking about the use of fly ash in his concrete floor slab. This house is very high end with exposed concrete floors so proper appearance is crucial. I have some old standard notes that state "Fly ash shall not be used in architecturally exposed...

Hey eng-tips! I have an old CMU/brick structure 150'x50' (low seismic area). This is a tenant finish out where the client wants to remove a center CMU wall and place additional openings at the existing facade. There are a number of issues that I wanted an opinion of: There is a center CMU...

Howdy Engineers! I currently have a project where I am designing a steel frame to support punching bags at a fitness center. The main wideflange beam supporting the punching bags is supported by an HSS column on one end, and on the other end rests on top of a wideflange beam and is bolted at...

Hi Engineers! After getting through a huge residential project that had 120+ details, I am wondering if there is a better way for managing a drawing with a large number of details and section cuts. Inevitably drawing sheets will be added/removed, details will be renumbered and shifted around...

Hello engineers! I have a very unique project. A client wants to design a $200k+ curved steel staircase. The intent is to have the stringer "carved" by the steps and have a minimal "effective" depth of stringer. I modeled it in RISA3D with 1/4" thick threads and risers, and 1/2" thick...