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  1. phamENG

    Do you guys defer steel connections? Should it be on the contact?

    Sounds like you need to read the code of standard practice! But don't worry, most engineers don't know they should read it, either. It lays out all the options for handling connections.
  2. phamENG

    Deflection on multi-story commercial building

    Depends on what it is, but usually it's just down. At the roof you may get some upward deflection due to wind uplift, but it's usually very small, especially in heavier commercial buildings where the roof is concrete and the dead load negates much if not all of that uplift. There are other...
  3. phamENG

    Learning Structural Connection Types – Pin vs Fixed (Real World Example)

    Your understanding of the concepts is generally correct. The best thing to do in these cases is to draw a free body diagram of your frame. What loads do you have acting in the X and Y directions (and Z if you want to get fancy). What reactions do you have in each of those directions? Now...
  4. phamENG

    Adding a shed roof to the backyard

    To add to my last comment - this probably doesn't matter in Colorado, but for posterity's sake if somebody from the south/south east is reading this - make sure you consider variations in reference design values. For instance, if I'm checking to see the minimum size for an existing header of a...
  5. phamENG

    Adding a shed roof to the backyard

    If there's no way around it - beefy ledger, beam above, etc. - then at the very least I'll list the minimum required header size and put the onus on the contractor to verify the size during construction. Most homeowners don't want to rip open a wall like that - it's often months before...
  6. phamENG

    Attachment to Existing Terra Cotta

    WHAT!?!?!? There's an entire sector of the industry devoted to restoring buildings made of these materials. I realize it's not a huge part of their business, but it was an under served market even when they were serving it.
  7. phamENG

    Attachment to Existing Terra Cotta

    Sort of. The latest guide says to refer to the 2022 version for brick. And that, from what I can tell, can be found here: North American Product Technical Guide: Version 22
  8. phamENG

    A Conceptual Modification to the Continuing Education Requirements

    Never saw one that big. The true floppies were going out right as I started learning to use a computer. My grandfather had one, but he wouldn't let us touch it until we'd had a class in school (7th grade, I think?). I learned on computers that had the 3.5" hard disks, and then CDs changed the...
  9. phamENG

    A Conceptual Modification to the Continuing Education Requirements

    Was the 3-1/2 really floppy, though?
  10. phamENG

    Valid Pin Boundary Condition?

    Maybe? Depends on the moment. And what deformation is expected at ultimate load and whether or not the connection will survive that deformation. Only true pin is, well, a pin. Not sure what you mean by where the moment goes?
  11. phamENG

    Thin stair concrete design

    No, there's no metal pan under any of that. I doubt there were any additives. I think this one just got lucky. Maybe the plant where they were made (I find it hard to believe it's anything but precast) used an especially good mix, or really low water so it's really strong, or something...
  12. phamENG

    How do you brace home on addition project following the IRC?

    Generally, your options are to look at the entire house and do braced wall calculations for the whole thing, or design the addition to be structurally independent. The first option is usually pretty tough, unless the house is new(ish), followed braced wall rules more or less comparable to...
  13. phamENG

    Rafter and wall plate connection

    Why are we trying to reinvent the wheel here? This is an incredibly basic and well documented type of construction. Just build it like a normal light frame wood garage. No need for funny little rotating blocks. Just tie the rafters and be done. Or put in a ridge beam if there's something...
  14. phamENG

    Understanding Concrete Framing Slope Annotation

    Looks like an error in the drawings. Only way to know for sure is to go out and measure.
  15. phamENG

    Insurance Limits

    That's probably a big part of it. When I started part time, my insurance was a pittance. As soon as it became my primary income and my revenue started climbing, rates went up disproportionally fast. But there's probably a bit of a difference between the Australian and US insurance markets...
  16. phamENG

    Insurance Limits

    You could talk to your provider about project riders. It allows you to add additional coverage just for that project. Get a quote from the insurance agent, and tack it onto the fee for that project. If they want you to have that extra coverage, then they have to pay the direct costs for the...
  17. phamENG

    Do you guys defer steel connections? Should it be on the contact?

    It is very common practice on the east coast of the US. I, however, despise it. It has it's uses - especially on very large projects or projects with unique connections. Fabricator input early can be critical for coming up with a really efficient design. But generally speaking, I find it's...
  18. phamENG

    Subdivision Work - Pricing

    These can be tricky. Most developers don't want to pay reuse fees, because they do add up. But, as you rightly point out, you're liable for the structural performance of each and every one of those houses. When it comes to multiple uses, I typically charge 100% for the first, 50% the...
  19. phamENG

    ChatGPT - Nice!

    Meh. I would still never cite Wikipedia. The sources cited in Wikipedia? Sure. But an encyclopedia isn't a source...it's a background. AI is similar (for now). It will digest information and spit it out again...hopefully in a usable format. But the good ones cite their sources for the...
  20. phamENG

    air in sidewalk

    As a structural engineer practicing in southern Virginia, I'll say that I've seen plenty of sidewalks spalled by inadequate air entrainment. Brand new library at my alma mater...sidewalks looked like trash within a year. Just meet the specs.

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