How can you calculate maximum occupancy limits based on floor area and floor design load? For example, a 500m² room with a live load capacity of 3kPa. How can this be converted into a maximum room occupancy (e.g. max 500 persons)?
Does anyone have references or established statistical methods...
In the below thread on the Hard Rock failure there is a conversation regarding the problem of preliminary member sizes and details being incorporated into construction documents without undergoing proper scrutiny. Some have suggested this may have happened in the Hard Rock failure, although it's...
A contractor has made 30mm saw cuts in a new 200mm thick suspended driveway slab which is supported on piers. The slab is on ground, however is piered to rock due to hillside construction. (The surrounding slab on grade driveways have a history of settlement and failure.)
The slab is reinforced...
A decent crack.
Watch the video in the second link showing how much it moves. Presumably some sort of dynamic/fatigue crack?
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12254903/Rollercoaster-North-Carolina-theme-park-closed-huge-CRACK-spotted-support-pillar.html...
A large fire recently gutted an old building in Sydney.
https://www.9news.com.au/national/sydney-cbd-fire-update-firefighters-work-overnight-to-extinguish-blaze-surry-hills/e377b10f-0d30-48e6-b5f7-faffac4283f5
The freestanding facade is quite a sight:
I have a job in which a residential building is being converted to private office usage, including a training class room. The existing floor joists satisfy residential live loading (1.5/2.0kPa), but struggle to satisfy commercial live loading (minimum 3kPa).
Is there any way to avoid upgrading...
What in your opinion is the maximum allowable crack width in a typical PT slab (say a post tensioned car park deck) before structural integrity may begin to be affected? I.e when is the shear and moment capacity across a crack starting to become compromised due to the gap? When does a shrinkage...
AS1684.2-2010 (Timber Framing Code) says that collar ties are to be provided at each row of underpurlins:
This rule is often ignored in Australia at underpurlins. There will be collar ties at the top, but there will often be underpurlins which do not have a corresponding collar tie. Eg the...
We are installing split system AC in our house. Multi-storey house with partially open plan.
Im trying to understand how open it needs to be between rooms for the cooling effect to reach other rooms (assuming the system is sized large enough).
E.g if you have two 4m x 4m rooms side by side...
Bagged quick set concrete always says "not for structural use". What is "structural use" in this context of bagged concrete? and why do they warn not to use it? Is it because of the way it tends to be used, e.g. with limited control of water content? Is it because of the speed of set, which make...
How do you guys assess the bending stiffness and deflection of concrete stairs?
Typically I ignore the treads and use minimum thickness, and add the treads as dead load, however I wonder if this underestimates real stiffness? The concrete is in reality much thicker for much of the length.
Supposing we replaced the bulk of fossil fuel use with biofuels (wood, ethanol, etc). Roughly how much additional farm land would it take to replace current fossil fuel consumption?
I have a 50,000L swimming pool with rooftop solar heating.
Im trying to understand the rate at which it cools overnight with the pump on, compared to off.
I’m running a variable speed pump and tossing up between 24 hr running on very low flow, vs 8-12 hrs at medium to high speed during the...
I have a question regarding rooftop pool solar collectors that I would be interested to hear your opinions on. (I’m a structural guy and am a bit out of my depth on fluid mechanics.)
Basically, is it worth balancing your rooftop collectors?
See attached images for what I’m talking about...
Theoretician question-
Supposing we pour two thin concrete slabs, say 25mm
thick, allow one to rapidly dry out after placement, and immerse the other in water immediately after it sets.
The one that is left to dry will turn out weaker if tested in say a years time.
But what if after say 3...
In regular sand:cement grouts and mortars you see increasing compressive strength with increasing cement quantity. Eg a 3:1 sand to cement ratio gives you a stronger grout than 6:1. However I understand pure cement is weaker than a strong sand/cement grout (correct me if I’m wrong there)
At...
We have some threaded rods we need to hang from Z-purlins (5 degree incline). Load around 1kN per rod. What's the best way to attach them?
The recommendation is always to hang loads from the purlin web, however many proprietary rod clips hang from the flanges...
