CTLGroup saddened by the loss of W. Gene Corley, Preeminent Structural Engineer
CHICAGO, IL (March 4, 2013) – CTLGroup is saddened by the news that W. Gene Corley, Ph.D., S.E., P.E., Senior Vice President, died on March 1, 2013 after a brief battle with cancer. With a legendary career that spanned over 50 years, Dr. Corley developed his structural engineering expertise at CTLGroup and its predecessor, the Portland Cement Association. His diverse work included applied research, structural evaluations and repairs, and structural forensic investigations.
Dr. Corley, dubbed the “preeminent expert on building collapse investigations and building codes” by the American Society of Engineers (ASCE), built his reputation as one of the world’s experts on structures damaged by natural and manmade disasters as he investigated some of the most notable building failures in recent U.S. history. As Team Leader, he directed the FEMA investigation into the September 11, 2001 collapse of the World Trade Center’s twin towers.
A recognized industry leader, Dr. Corley was at the forefront of the structural engineering profession and the development of building codes and standards. He served in key leadership roles of numerous technical and professional organizations. Gene was a Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers where he helped establish the Structural Engineering Institute and served as Chair of the Technical Council on Forensic Engineering. He was also a Fellow of the American Concrete Institute where he serviced as Chair of the Institute’s Committee 318, Structural Concrete Building Code. Gene was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2000, one of the highest distinctions accorded to an engineer, for his leadership in raising the standards of the engineering profession for building and bridge construction.
“The management and staff of CTLGroup want to acknowledge Gene’s contributions to the firm and his exemplary technical and professional accomplishments,” said Jeffrey L. Garrett, Ph.D., S.E., CTLGroup President & CEO. “Gene’s legacy in the structural engineering profession is unparalleled. He was an innovative thought leader who consistently contributed generous amounts of his time and knowledge to the profession.”
Dr. Corley’s leadership in the development of CTLGroup’s forensic engineering capabilities laid the foundation for CTLGroup to become the expert consulting engineering and materials science firm that it is today. Thanks to Gene’s example, CTLGroup’s thought leaders continue to apply their diverse expertise to solve our clients’ most challenging problems as CTLGroup grows, expands, and diversifies. Over the years, CTLGroup has broadened its capabilities, expert services and geographical coverage to serve significant markets within the engineering and materials science industries. The firm’s senior management and staff include many industry leaders, providing consulting and materials science expertise in such diverse markets as the Transportation Industry, Buildings & Facilities, Energy & Resources, Litigation & Insurance, Materials & Products, and Advanced Technologies.
APA Assumes Responsibility of ANSI Glulam Standards
The American Institute of Timber Construction (AITC) has transferred three American National Standards from AITC to APA with an effective date of January 1, 2013. The standards include:
- ANSI A190.1 – 2012 (previously ANSI/AITC A190.1) American National Standard for Wood Products, Structural Glued Laminated Timber, renamed to ANSI A190.1 under APA’s management,
- ANSI 405 – 2008 (previously AITC 405) American National Standard, Standard for Adhesives for use in Structural Glued Laminated Timber, renamed to ANSI 405 – 2008, and
- ANSI 117 – 2010 (previously AITC 117) American National Standard, Standard Specification for Structural Glued Laminated Timber of Softwood Species, renamed to ANSI 117 – 2012.
“APA has had a good working relationship with AITC for many years. We’re pleased to take the responsibility for these standards, which are vital to the glulam industry,” said APA President Dennis Hardman. “We’re taking steps to ensure a smooth transition of the standards committee and to provide uninterrupted support to the industry with up-todate product standards and design specifications.”
APA is a national standards developer accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and has a long and extensive history in building codes and standards development activities. It serves, for example, as the sponsor for the standing committees of U.S. Voluntary Product Standard PS 1 for Structural Plywood, the consensus softwood plywood standard, and Voluntary Product Standard PS 2, the U.S. harmonized performance standard developed under the U.S.-Canada Free Trade Agreement. It has developed performance standards over the years for numerous products, including ANSI/APA PRP 210-2008 for engineered wood siding, ANSI/PRR 410-2011 for engineered wood rim boards, ANSI/PRG 320-2012 for cross-laminated timber, and APA PRI-400 for prefabricated wood I-joists.
APA also serves as a third-party quality auditing and testing agency. It is recognized as a certification body, inspection agency, and/or testing organization by the International Accreditation Service (IAS), Standards Council of Canada (SCC), U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), State of Florida, Miami-Dade County (Florida), New York City, City of Los Angeles, Japan and Dancert (for certification of APA member products in the European Union).
Tilt-Up Concrete Association Releases New Temporary Wind Bracing Guideline
MT. VERNON, IOWA – The Tilt-Up Concrete Association (TCA) – an international nonprofit organization that serves to expand and improve the use of Tilt-Up as the preferred building system – has announced the release of a revised guideline on Temporary Wind Bracing of Tilt-Up Concrete Panels During Construction.
According to Jim Baty, Technical Director of the TCA, the guideline is intended to provide a standardized method for the design and erection of a temporary bracing system for use during construction of a Tilt-Up structure. The current OSHA requirement requires that Tilt-Up concrete panels be temporarily braced to prevent panels from overturning or collapsing during the construction of a Tilt-Up structure. Since OSHA does not specify how to prevent Tilt-Up wall panels from overturning or collapsing, the TCA developed a temporary bracing guideline for use by the construction industry.
“The 2012 edition of the TCA Wind-Bracing Guidelines is a combination of technological progress in this industry and reassurance for the performance of these systems,” said Baty.
Baty noted that the industry was challenged when ASCE 37 identified it would change to adopt ASCE 7 pressures as it established the concern that bracing schemes may be under-designed for the resulting wind conditions. However, he noted, TCA’s engineering experts have been able to confirm that Tilt-Up bracing systems are sufficiently designed with today’s standards.
“This confirmation permitted us to move forward with recommendations for response design recommendations on slab thickness and integrating helical ground anchor systems to this more robust version,” he said.
The original TCA Bracing Guidelines, published in September 1994, suggested a temporary bracing design based on a minimum uniform lateral wind pressure of 10 psf., applied over the entire panel area. This was based on a 40-year history of bracing panels that were for the most part, shorter than 30-feet tall. TCA revised the document in 1998 to incorporate the analytical procedures contained in ASCE Standard 7-95, Minimum Design Loads For Buildings And Other Structures. This ASCE standard forms the basis for calculation of wind forces used in the design of wind force resisting systems in completed structures. The wind load provisions of section 6.0, ASCE 7-95 were followed in the design of temporary bracing for Tilt-Up panels during construction.
The application of ASCE 7-95 resulted in an applied lateral wind pressure that varies over and increases with the height of the panels. The 1998 guideline used a construction period wind speed of 70 mph as a minimum in the design of temporary bracing. This was based on a basic wind speed of 90 mph, with a fifty year mean recurrence interval and multiplying it by 0.78 to convert it to a construction period wind speed of 70 mph with a five year mean recurrence interval. This method also incorporated the 3-second gust speeds reported by the national weather service and other weather information services.
In 2005, TCA revised its 1998 wind-bracing guide to incorporate the provisions of SEI/ASCE 37-02, Design Loads On Structures During Construction. The SEI/ASCE 37-02 standard incorporates the design wind load requirements of the ASCE 7-95 standard, using a basic wind speed of 90 mph. For construction periods up to one year, the SEI/ASCE 37-02 standard specifies the use of an adjustment factor of 0.8 to be applied to the basic 90 mph wind speed. This adjustment results in a 72 mph construction period design wind speed, which is the wind speed recommended for design of the temporary bracing system.
The 2012 edition continues to base its design loadings on SEI/ASCE 37-02, however, the wind loadings are now based on ASCE 7-10 provisions. ASCE 37-02 will adopt the ASCE 7-10 wind provisions in the next revision to the publication. In addition, it is very likely that many, if not all local building codes, will endorse ASCE 7-10 in the near future. As such, the TCA decided to endorse ASCE 7-10 as the standard for temporary bracing of Tilt panels during construction.
The major changes to wind load provision of ASCE 7-10 include:
- Introduction of new wind speed maps to be used with a 1.0 load factor for LRFD design
- A 0.6 load reduction factor for ASD design
- Re-introduction of Exposure D in hurricane prone Regions
To purchase your copy of the new Guideline, visit www.tilt-up.org/resources. Considering the environmental impact and declining use of printed material, this publication is available solely in its digital form.
Public Comments Requested for Several MSJC Standards
The Masonry Standards Joint Committee (MSJC) has proposed revisions to the 2011 Edition of its Building Code Requirements for Masonry Structures (TMS 402-11/ACI 530-11/ASCE-5-11), Specification for Masonry Structures (TMS 602-11/ACI 530.1-11/ASCE6-11) and their companion commentaries for a planned 2013 edition of the Standards. The MSJC is sponsored by the The Masonry Society (TMS), American Concrete Institute (ACI), and the Structural Engineering Institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers (SEI/ASCE). In accordance with the rules of The Masonry Society, and consistent with the rules of the other sponsoring organizations, proposed changes to standardized documents must be open for public comment for a period of not less than 45 days. That Public Comment Period opens tomorrow and closes at 11;59 pm Eastern Time on January 14, 2013. Details on the public comment period, including a summary of major proposed changes to these documents and a complete Working Draft of the proposed revisions to MSJC Code, Specification, and Commentaries can be accessed at the link below. If you wish to submit a comment on the provisions, please use the table provided here before 11:59 pm Eastern Time on January 14, 2013.
If you have questions about the Public Comment Period or the MSJC, contact TMS at 303-939-9700.
New Reinforced Masonry Engineering Handbook Now Available
The most up to date reference for masonry design, the Reinforced Masonry Engineering Handbook, 7th edition, is now available. This book is based on the 2012 International Building Code and reference documents, Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures, (ASCE 7-10) and Building Code Requirements for Masonry Structures (TMS 402-11/ASCE 5-11/ACI 530-11). Originally authored by the legendary James Amrhein, the handbook maintains practical and easy-to-understand design examples and expanded design aids of Tables and Diagrams.
Topics include masonry materials, assembly properties, loads, distribution of forces and design by Strength Design and Allowable Stress Design. There are also typical building details and special topics relating to structural reinforced masonry. To order, visit the ICC Bookstore www.iccsafe.org/store or the Technical Publications section of the Masonry Institute of America Bookstore www.masonryinstitute.org.
WINNERS NAMED IN 2nd ANNUAL COLD-FORMED STEEL DESIGN STUDENT COMPETITION
Virginia Tech Wins Big With “More Challenges, Greater Rewards”
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The winners of the second annual Student Competition on Cold-Formed Steel Design, hosted at the University of North Texas (UNT), have been announced. The competition is held to promote higher education in cold-formed steel structural design and to encourage students to use creative thinking skills to solve engineering problems. Co-sponsors of the competition include the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI), the Cold-Formed Steel Engineers Institute (CFSEI), the University of North Texas and the National Science Foundation (NSF).
This year’s theme was “More Challenges, Greater Awards” as students sought to design an open section shape for a 48-inch-long cold-formed steel truss member which yields the highest possible nominal compression strength, where distortional buckling is ignored. UNT received 56 entries from four different institutions in the United States and China. The winners were:
- First Place – Matthew Wilde - Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA
- Second Place – Armen Adekristi, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA
- Third Place – Duping Zhang, Chongqing University, China
“There were many excellent projects submitted, and the judges were faced with their own challenges in ranking them according to the design’s efficiency and constructability as well as the quality of the essay,” Jay Larson, P.E., F.ASCE, managing director of AISI’s Construction Technical Program, said.
Noting that special kudos is in order for Virginia Tech, whose students claimed eight of the top 10 entries, Larson said: “Each entry was reviewed carefully. We congratulate the finalists, and appreciate the time and effort taken by each of the contestants to submit their cold-formed steel solutions.”
WINNERS NAMED IN 2012 COLD-FORMED STEEL DESIGN STUDENT COMPETITION
Cheng Yu, Ph.D., associate professor at the University of North Texas, said: “We welcome ideas and suggestions for future competitions and look forward to hosting this event again in 2013.”
The top three winners will receive monetary awards and award plaques, with recognition provided by Dr. Cheng Yu at the 21st International Specialty Conference on Cold-Formed Steel Structures being held October 24-25, 2012. The top 10 students in the 2012 competition will receive one-year student memberships in the Cold-Formed Steel Engineers Institute (CFSEI). The winning designs are posted here.
The competition was launched in March 2012, with entries due on June 30, 2012. Entries were judged by a panel of individuals who are nationally recognized in the area of cold-formed steel design:
- Rick Haws, P.E., engineer, NUCOR Building Systems
- Roger A. LaBoube, Ph.D., P.E., Distinguished Teaching Professor, Missouri University of Science and Technology and director of the Wei-Wen Yu Center for Cold-Formed Steel Structures
- Cristopher Moen, Ph.D., P.E, assistant professor, Virginia Tech
- Sutton Stephens, Ph.D., P.E., S.E., Kansas State University
- Cheng Yu, Ph.D., associate professor, University of North Texas
AISI’s codes and standards work is conducted under the Construction Market Council of the Steel Market Development Institute (SMDI), a business unit of AISI, which oversees the industry’s investment in advancing the competitive use of steel by meeting the demands of the marketplace. For more information on SMDI’s Construction Market program, visit www.smdisteel.org.
AISI serves as the voice of the North American steel industry in the public policy arena and advances the case for steel in the marketplace as the preferred material of choice. AISI also plays a lead role in the development and application of new steels and steelmaking technology. AISI is comprised of 25 member companies, including integrated and electric furnace steelmakers, and 124 associate members who are suppliers to or customers of the steel industry. AISI's member companies represent over three-quarters of both U.S. and North American steel capacity. For more news about steel and its applications, view AISI’s website at www.steel.org.
Spring 2013 Khan Distinguished Lecture Series
The dates and speakers have now been set for the Spring 2013 Khan Distinguished Lecture Series to be held at Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA. The details for the individual dates are listed below and the announcements for each lecture are attached for your information and convenience.
1st Lecture: R. SHANKAR NAIR, Senior Vice President exp US Services Inc., and Past Chairman CTBUH, Chicago, IL
"The Evolution of the Skyscraper"
Friday, February 15, 2013 - 4:10 pm
2nd Lecture: JOHN M. KULICKI, Chairman/CEO Modjeski and Masters Inc, Mechanicsburg, PA
"Observations on AASHTO Bridge Design"
Friday, March 22, 2013 - 4:10 pm
3rd Lecture: ALFREDO H-S ANG, Research Professor, University of California, Irvine
"Minimizing the Effects of Uncertainties in Developing Reliability-Based Design Criteria"
Friday, April 19, 2013 - 4:10 pm
For additional information about the Fazlur R. Khan Distinguished Lecture series please go to: http://www.lehigh.edu/~infrk/
New Report from IBHS Evaluates Building Codes in 18 Coastal States
The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) released a new report which provides an analysis of residential building codes in the 18 hurricane-prone coastal states along the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Coast. Building codes are intended to increase the safety and integrity of structures, thereby reducing deaths, injuries and property damage from hurricanes and a wide range of other hazards.
Rating the States: An Assessment of Residential Building Codes and Enforcement Systems for Life Safety and Property Protection in Hurricane Prone Regions is the first of its kind, state-by-state assessment of individual state performance in developing and promulgating a residential building code system, which uses modern building codes, coupled with strong enforcement related activities to enhance the protection of homes and families.
“The report goes beyond just evaluating each state’s code system,” said Julie Rochman, IBHS president and CEO. “The report offers each state the detailed information and tools it needs to improve its building code process to better protect its citizens. It also gives interested citizens useful information so that they can understand the need for, and demand, better building codes.”
The report combines IBHS’ engineering expertise and regulatory research to examine the three main elements of a state’s building code system:
1. Code adoption and enforcement – Statewide mandatory code adoption and enforcement are the primary elements to require that the minimum standards of codes are utilized.
2. Code official training and certification - Code official training and certification are part of the regulatory scheme to ensure that code officials are properly educated, trained and tested in order to correctly enforce building codes.
3. Licensing requirements for construction trades - Licensing requirements for construction trades ensure that contractors and subcontractors are familiar with the sections of code that impact them, that
Full report and state-specific information is available on the IBHS Building Code Ratings web page.