Congratulations on the “harmony” of this edition and the “symphony” of the 4 articles beginning with your ‘Narrative and Engineering’, continuing with Ramon Gilsane’s ‘Understanding Seismic Design through a Musical Analogy’, then ‘Reflections on the 2014 South Napa Earthquake’ by Jon A. Dal Pino and finally by the thoughtful ‘Acceptable Collapse ‘ by Reid Zimmerman. …
Author Archives : STRUCTURE magazine
What Every Project Manager Needs to Know (John M. Lowe, Jr., P.E.)
Review by Keith M. Bouchard, P.E., Structural Engineer, CBI Consulting, Inc.
Jan, 2015
STRUCTURE magazine
Book Reviews
The National Council of Structural Engineers Associations (NCSEA) is pleased to announce the following 2014 Excellence in Structural Engineering Awards. The awards were presented on the evening of September 19 during the Awards Program at NCSEA’s 22nd Annual Conference in New Orleans, LA. The awards have been given annually since 1998 and highlight some of the best examples of structural ingenuity throughout the world. …
Dec, 2014
STRUCTURE magazine
Feature
Clay and Concrete Masonry – 7th Edition (2012)
By David T. Biggs, P.E., S.E.
The handbook is jointly published by the Masonry Institute of America (MIA) and the International Code Council (ICC). Now in its seventh edition, the handbook continues to be a must-have reference for both structural engineers designing masonry and inspectors. The original author was James E. Amrhein, P.E., S.E. who continued developing the handbook until his passing in 2011. For the last two editions, co-authors have assisted Jim. This edition was capably co-authored by John M. Hockwalt, P.E., S.E. of KPFF Consulting Engineers, Seattle. …
May, 2014
STRUCTURE magazine
Book Reviews
Thank you for your excellent article in STRUCTURE magazine on “‘edge barrier walls” in parking structures. …
Apr, 2014
STRUCTURE magazine
Letters to the Editor
The March 2014 Structural Forum column baffled me. The author has not documented the basis of his assertion that “sustainable” buildings are only one percent better than “standard” buildings, nor did he explain why he “ignored the energy used to run buildings” even though, of the total energy used to construct and maintain a building over its lifetime, operation typically accounts for about half. …
Mar, 2014
STRUCTURE magazine
Letters to the Editor
San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge
As a life-long San Francisco Bay Area resident, I was motivated to write this letter when I read the two articles published in the February 2014 issue regarding the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. I found the articles topical and provocative. However, if we are to improve rush hour traffic through the San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley corridor by considering the addition of a second identically configured parallel bridge adjacent to the existing one, I would have liked to have seen some of the more obvious questions/issues addressed: …
Feb, 2014
STRUCTURE magazine
Letters to the Editor
I just came across this article in STRUCTURE magazine. Drum turbines do have some of the best turbine coefficients (Ct). They do produce more efficient power then horizontal turbines in urban areas. …
Feb, 2014
STRUCTURE magazine
Letters to the Editor
This text comes with high regard, being supported by engineer practitioners, engineering firms and professional organizations. If you think of forensic engineering as simply the investigation and study of building structural failures, you will be surprised at the breadth of material discussed. I use the term text rather than book because, in 140 pages, the reader will be exposed to far more than the process for the investigation of failures. This publication is heavily weighted with information of interest to engineers providing expert testimony. It is apparent early into the read that few, if any, universities offer a course in such depth. …
Jan, 2014
STRUCTURE magazine
Book Reviews
A Crash Course in Engineering and Architecture
By Edward Denison and Ian Stewart
I must preface my review of How To Read Bridges by confessing that I am a Bridge Engineer who “reads” bridges every day. I was intrigued when afforded the opportunity to review this book, which summarizes the introductory aspects of bridge engineering… and is written for readers with various types of backgrounds. …
Jan, 2014
STRUCTURE magazine
Book Reviews