The term “transition building” was coined by post-transition historians. It derives from builders of that period utilizing steel to create greater building heights and floor spans. The word “skyscraper” had its origin in either New York or Chicago, but who holds bragging rights for the oldest skyscraper?
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Author Archives : Craig E. Barnes, P.E., SECB
Craig E. Barnes, B. S., M. S., MBA P. E., S. E., was the Founding Principal of CBI Consulting Inc., Structural Engineers, Boston, MA
The undergraduate level reader will appreciate that vibration of structures will be a part of their career.
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Timber is one of the most widely used construction materials in the U.S., especially for low- to mid-rise residential structures. It is also one of the most sustainable materials available. The life cycle of the product involves the sequestration (the physical storage) of carbon, the production of oxygen, and the reduction of energy consumed in creating manufactured products. …
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This is the first of a two-part article on repairing aging, normally reinforced, concrete garage structures existing in aggressive weather environments. The first article is from the perspective of the engineer and the second article from that of the contractor. While the topic is the same, and the articles are complementary, they are not intended to be a point-counterpoint. …
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A Structural Engineer’s Experience
Engineering is not all WL2/8… or is it? Unless they’ve been to a university with a good cooperative education program where they acquired some good practical work experience, many young engineers leave school with only an academic impression of structural engineering, based mainly on the core university technical curriculum. (To refresh yourself on what the suggested curriculum is today, visit STRUCTURE’s website.) …
The alkali–silica reaction (ASR) occurs over time in concrete between the alkaline cement paste and reactive non-crystalline (amorphous) silica, which is found in many common aggregates. This reaction causes the formation of a calcium-silicate-hydrate (C-S-H) gel that expands the affected aggregate. This gel increases in volume with water, and exerts an expansive pressure inside the material that causes it to spall and break the cement bond, leading to the failure of concrete elements. …
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The process of awakening young minds to the beauty and excitement of structural engineering is not as complicated as one might think. What are the necessary ingredients? …
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In 2010, promoters and marketers agreed to construct a very visible power-generating project utilizing solar and wind in one of the busiest urban locations in the world – Times Square, New York. The power generated from this installation would provide lighting for the Ricoh billboard in the center of Times Square, with excess power stored in large batteries for periods of no sunlight and calm winds. At the inception of the project, photovoltaic panels had become fairly commonplace, but large vertical turbines utilizing wind resources to generate power had not been undertaken to this magnitude. From an environmental standpoint, the reduction of 52 short tons of carbon dioxide per year was very attractive. When CBI Consulting became involved, the scope of work was simply to confirm compliance of the 40-foot-long structure with the New York State Building Code. …
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