About the author ⁄ Greg Schindler, S.E.

Greg Schindler is an Associate with KPFF Consulting Engineers in Seattle, WA. He is a member of the NCSEA Code Advisory Subcommittee on Special Inspections and Quality Assurance, is also a Past President of NCSEA, and serves on the Editorial Board of STRUCTURE magazine. Greg can be contacted at greg.schindler@kpff.com.

FRP Bridge Repair

Saving the Path to the Beach

Perched on a bluff along the shore of Puget Sound, Howarth Park is a heavily wooded and frequently used public park in Everett, Washington. With its spectacular views of the Sound and small beach at the water’s edge, the park is very popular. However, like most of the eastern shore of Puget Sound north of Seattle, the actual beachfront is cut off from the uplands by the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) railroad line. The public must cross a pedestrian bridge over the railroad tracks and descend down to the beach level on a wooden stair tower to access the beach. …

Aug, 2017 By Greg Schindler, S.E. and Sara Roberts, S.E. In Feature Comments 0

Structural Observation

Confirming Your Intentions and the Interpretation by Others

There are three aspects of field Quality Assurance for construction projects: Inspection by the Building Official, Special Inspection by the owner’s special inspection agency, and Structural Observation performed by the Engineer of Record (EOR) or his/her designee. All three of these functions are important and non-redundant. As the scale and complexity of a project increases, the more important it becomes that all three functions are provided. …

Aug, 2017 By Greg Robinson and Greg Schindler, S.E. In InSights Comments 0

Filling the Void

As structural engineers, we typically don’t pay much attention to insulation issues. But modern energy codes are getting much stricter regarding the thermal integrity of the exterior building enclosure. You are likely seeing architects adding insulation in places that they didn’t worry about before, such as between slabs and foundation walls, and on the outside of the exterior sheathing on steel stud walls. …

May, 2013 By Greg Schindler, S.E. In Articles, InSights Comments 0