The old Social Science Building at Weber State University, located in Ogden, Utah, was constructed in 1970. Programmatically, the building has been one of the most heavily used on campus, serving the social sciences, humanities, and many other departments throughout its life. One would be hard-pressed to find a graduate of the University who had not taken a class there. The concrete building, consisting of one floor below grade and three floors above, remained largely unchanged in its 45-year useful life.
…
Author Archives : Jeremy L. Achter, S.E., LEED AP
Jeremy Achter is a Principal with ARW Engineers located in Ogden, Utah. Jeremy is also a member of the STRUCTURE Editorial Board (jeremya@arwengineers.com).
How Should the SER Respond?
Structural Engineers of Record (SER) should all be well trained by insurance providers and legal professionals to avoid the realm of means and methods of construction – that sometimes grey area where the contractor is responsible for temporarily supporting partially erected structural elements even though they may not fully understand the statics of force transfer, temporary construction loads, and effects of environmental loads that may occur. …
An effective diaphragm is an essential component of a structurally sound building. The diaphragm provides lateral stability for the columns and/or bearing walls, braces the compression edge of floor framing members, and distributes wind and seismic forces to elements of the vertical lateral force-resisting system. …
Read More →