Foundation Design of a 32m (10 story high) Feedmill Tower 3

[edward jade]

hello there, i will be designing the foundation of a 10 story, 32m high feedmill tower. Right now i am waiting for the ultimate load conditions from the building supplier but the warehouse which the tower integrates with has already commenced. now, since this will be my first time doing such design, could you offer me your insights when you first had a crossroad with such situation as i am right now. i would appreciate if those who have in depth knowledge pertaining to designing of high rise structures would share his/her thoughts on this. TIA



edward

 

[drawoh]

edward jade,

I hope you are being supervised by a more experienced structural engineer.

--
JHG

 

[Terratek]

Seems like a good question for the Foundation Engineering forum, not the "How to Improve Myself to Get Ahead in My Work" forum.

 

[JedClampett]

Maybe if Edward does a good job on this, he'll get ahead in work?

 

[Jboggs]

Go back to your supervisor (or client) and ask them how they would feel if, just before making the first cut, their surgeon said "This is the first time I've done this type surgery"? Would they continue?

Also, picture yourself sitting in the witness box of a liability trial or lawsuit and answering the opposing attorney's question with this statement: "Some guys on an engineering forum I've never met said this is the way I should design it."

Get some real, personal, close, responsible, and experienced supervision. Now! Put no lines on paper without it.

 

[berkshire]

I used to work as a draughtsman in the feed-milling industry many years ago , the first time I detailed the foundations for the main process tower I took the layout to the senior engineer who just about quadrupled the dimensions of everything I had on my sheet. I said why? He said poor load bearing at that location.
Information I did not have when I started the drawing. Ask questions.
B.E.

You are judged not by what you know, but by what you can do.

 

[MotorCity]

If construction on the warehouse has already started, that means it has a foundation design. Why isn't the engineer who designed the warehouse foundation also designing the tower foundation? Without knowing the tower loads, NOBODY can design the foundation. I'd say the only chance you have at making this work is to wait for the loads from the tower supplier and design the tower foundation independently of the building foundation.....and hope for no differential settlement between the two structures.

 

[Jboggs]

Are there no building codes in your jurisdiction requiring a licensed professional engineer for such work?

 

[edward jade]

sorry for posting this in the wrong forum and thanks for your comments. to clarify some points, i did the foundation design of the warehouse building based on our previous design loads of our existing feed mill. the actual load combo for warehouse and the tower has not yet provided to us due to unavailability of funds for initial payment. as for the warehouse foundation design, i am confident since i have done it previously many times and it has not found any failures. well, we could hire a structural designer that could do the job for us, but i am trying as much as possible to do it on my own that's why i asked for your thoughts. anyway, if i made up my mind of giving up the structurals of the tower then i dont have anything to lose.

 

[MacGyverS2000]

i am confident since i have done it previously many times and it has not found any failures.

Just because something hasn't failed today doesn't mean it won't tomorrow...

we could hire a structural designer that could do the job for us, but i am trying as much as possible to do it on my own. if i made up my mind of giving up the structurals of the tower then i dont have anything to lose.

Challenging yourself is commendable... but doing something potentially dangerous to the public to save a few dollars is reckless behavior.

Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com

 

[oldrunner]

Even if you do the design, make sure that it is reviewed by another independent professional structural engineer. I am not surprised that they may be asking you to design a foundation for a structure that you have not seen.

Once I was given a small project and my supervisors asked if I could get a foundation design that afternoon so that they could get started. Did not happen.

Do you have a geotechnical report? Are there big winds? Are you in a seismic area? Does it get very hot or very cold?

You will certainly have to some overturning issues especially if the tower only supports a vertical elevator. This is not hard if you stay with fundamentals. Would this be a spread footing or slab on piers/caissons? Even though you have done similar designs most likely the geotechnical report for this particular site may be different.