Recent content by emceditor

pba: Thanks for the info. Do you know of any guidelines on how to figure the internal forces?

Thanks Ron, Thanks Prex, The bent truss member cannot be tested until it is bent, which is hopefully going to happen after the design. I was hoping I could somehow estimate the residual stress level and take that in consideration when evaluating the stress level under gravity and wind loads...

I am in process of designing a steel truss that utilizes bent steel shapes as web members. I would anticipate that bending steel would result in residual stresses that I would need to include in my analysis. DOES ANYONE KNOW HOW TO FIGURE THE MAGNITUDE OF THE RESIDUAL STRESS? DO DIFFERENT...

Thanks Focht3 and Ganderson for your feedback. The construction of the wall was monitored on and off. The first time was at course 4 I believe. The contractor said that he had done the the incorrect shear pin engagedment just for the last two courses as it wasd too hard to do it the...

A segmental block retaining wall was constructed with several "oddities" incorporated. At some courses the geogrid has not been engaged with a shear pin per the manufacturers recommendations and using asphalt shingles as shims between courses to correct alignments. About a month after...

Thanks Everyone for your feedback. I will discuss this with the owner...

I was asked to review partition walls for an equine clinic in process of being built. The walls are 2x4 and 2x6 at 16" o/c (SPF No. 2), 10'-4" heigh, unblocked. Originally the top of the walls were unbraced. The owner asked the contractor to provide bracing, which was installed (the...

How about adding plywood sheathing below the fire rated gyp to add strength of some measureable degree?

I am working on an existing building where the elevator penthouse walls are made of two whythes of brick. The wall is in bad shape. We are considering using shotcrete on the inside and outside face over the wall surface with some sort of ties all the way through. Does anyone one have...

Floor vibrations are quite a bit less with the higher mass 4" slab thickness.

I heard once that reinforcment for footings should not be supported on either clay masonry or from rebar stuck into the ground because moisture can creep up on either and cause the footing reinforcing to corrode. What is your opinion on that?

dzyn, Besides increasing mass, try maximizing the joist spacing. The more load per joist the lessor the vibrations. Check with the Architect whether you can have a contact ceiling. That helps too. I prefer a 6 1/4" normal weight concrete slab on composite deck on composite wide- flange...

Even unreinforced masonry can arch under right conditions. In old masonry buildings you frequently can see the masonry over window and door openings cracked starting at the jambs and stepping up at approximately 45 degrees meeting in the middle (forming a triangle). That happens when the...

boo1, I have been trying to find information on the influence area of sheathing. Where is the 40t referenced?

I believe that building codes "learn" and get refined by natural occurances. A building designed to according to the building code will be always designed for just to a minimum acceptable level according to the standard of the code councils' knowledge. As the code does not address...