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CASE Practice Guidelines Currently Available

CASE 962-H – National Practice Guideline on Project and Business Risk Management

This guideline is intended to assist structural engineering companies in the management of risk associated with projects and to provide commentary regarding the management of risk associated with business practices. The guideline is organized into two sections that correspond with these two areas of risk, Project Risk Management and Business Practices Risk Management. The goal of the guideline is to educate and inform structural engineers about risk issues so that the risks they face in their practices can be effectively mitigated, thus making structural engineering firms more successful. …

Mar, 2021 By STRUCTURE magazine In News Comments 0

Engineer’s Week February 21 – 27, 2021

National Engineer’s Week celebrates the contributions of engineers to the world. For STRUCTURE, we recognize the phenomenal contribution of Structural Engineers to the built environment.

STRUCTURE appreciates the efforts of our partners (NCSEA, SEI, and CASE) and other engineering organizations and firms to shine a light on what engineers do – and encourage young people to consider careers in engineering.

With many schools still virtually learning and teaching, one such engineering firm has created a free STEM learning activity that provides a look inside the intricate art of bridge-building.

The step-by-step booklet (available for download here) offers an educational take on the design and structural process, providing a great way to get children excited by engineering challenges and show them how rewarding creative problem solving can be.

If you are aware of additional free resources about structural engineering that can be used year-round to get the next generation of SEs excited about engineering, please contact publisher@STRUCTUREmag.org. We would be happy to include a list on our website. And please share this post with any teachers that might be interested.

Happy Engineer’s Week!

Feb, 2021 By STRUCTURE magazine In News Comments 0

The Challenge of Virtual Collaboration

When I was a kid in the 70s, there was a children’s TV show called Zoom. I wouldn’t say I liked it too much, and it didn’t last too long. It was reintroduced in the 90s and, again, didn’t stick. For understandable reasons, I suppose, this past year has had me thinking about that show and how little I suspected the word zoom would reenter my life in such a big way. A series of new software to install, learn, and make sure they are compatible with my hardware. The need to run many programs (Zoom, Hangout, Teams, Webex, Goto, Bluejeans, Connect) interchangeably depending on hosts. And a series of terms introduced into our vocabulary (zoom fatigue, zoom etiquette, virtual background, etc.). And now common phrases, “Can you see my screen,” “Can you make me the cohost,” and “Can you turn on your cameras so we can see you?” The current question in my mind is, where will this lead us moving forward? …

Feb, 2021 By David Horos, P.E., S.E., LEED® AP In Editorial Comments 0

Structure as a Statement of Purpose

Can a building’s structure enhance the human interactions that occur within and communicate its raison d’être to those outside its walls? These are the ideas that shaped the design of Building 201 at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland, the nation’s largest University Affiliated Research Center. The result is an innovative structure that promotes collaboration and embraces the sense of the unknown inherent to revolutionary scientific research. …

Feb, 2021 By John Roach, P.E. In Feature Comments 0

Encountering Historic Metals in Renovations

Structural steel has been a dominant building material for more than 100 years. Although steel is not considered a particularly remarkable material today, Vaclav Smil’s book, Still the Iron Age, illustrates how important iron and steel have been and continue to be in industrialized societies. For a structural engineer working on historic renovations and adaptive reuse of pre-war buildings, working knowledge of the history, development, and metallurgy of structural metals is necessary for the engineer to be effective and efficient. …

Feb, 2021 By Ciro Cuono, P.E. and Christopher Ribeiro, E.I.T. In Structural Renovation Comments 0

Structural Connections for Hot-Dip Galvanizing

Reliable connections in structural steel assemblies must accompany superior corrosion protection. Hot-dip galvanized (HDG) coatings produce maintenance-free corrosion protection for many years. The structural connections must provide equivalent corrosion protection as well as structural integrity to ensure maintenance-free performance. A solid structural connection is ensured by providing corrosion protection for the bolt and nut connection and providing clearance for the HDG coating special treatment of the nut. A critical factor in structural connections is the slip factor for the faying surfaces. This article discusses recent changes made by AASHTO to the design parameters for HDG faying surfaces and the increased clearance holes for connections using bolts with a diameter above 1 inch. …

Feb, 2021 By Alana Fossa and Thomas Langill, Ph.D. In Building Blocks Comments 0

Tariffville Bridge Disaster

The Connecticut Western Railroad was chartered on June 25, 1868, to run from Hartford, Connecticut to the New York State line at Salisbury, where it was planned to connect with the Dutchess & Columbia Railroad in New York State near Millerton, NY. It would then connect to the New York & Harlem Extension railroad running northerly out of New York City towards Albany, NY. It was completed on December 21, 1871, with many of its bridges being wood and iron Howe Trusses, even though many railroads had adopted iron bridges by this date. Tariffville was a small town west of Hartford and located in a bend in the Farmington River that generally flowed eastward into the Connecticut River. …

Feb, 2021 By Frank Griggs, Jr., Dist. M. ASCE, D. Eng., P.E., P.L.S. In Historic Structures Comments 0

Modern Wood Fasteners

The Key to Mass Timber Construction
Part 2: Introduction to Glued-in Rods

This is the second part of the series of articles on modern wood fasteners. Part 1 (STRUCTURE, August 2020) focussed on self-tapping screws (STS). Part 2 introduces the reader to glued-in rods (GIR) and the components making up these joints. Part 3 will summarize design guidelines for the GIR connections. Despite the interest among designers of mass timber construction, there is no official recognition in U.S. and Canadian design codes for GIR connections. This article sheds light on the state of the art of this emerging technology. We caution the reader that this an area of development without code approvals in the U.S. and Canada – the content is provided as informational and not to be used for design. …

Feb, 2021 By Alex Salenikovich, Eng., Ph.D. and David M. Moses, Ph.D., P.Eng., P.E., LEED AP In Structural Connections Comments 0

Bringing Real-World Experience into the Classroom

In 2019, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) published the Civil Engineering Body of Knowledge (CEBOK, 3^rd ed.), which “defines the set of knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary for entry into the practice of civil engineering at the professional level.” ASCE acknowledges that the “fulfillment of the CEBOK must include both formal education and mentored experience.” Indeed, the CEBOK lists 21 desired outcomes, although 14 cannot be achieved without mentored experience after or separate from formal classroom experience. In 2019, ASCE also hosted the Education Summit: Mapping the Future of Civil Engineering Education. In the proceedings published in August 2020, the Summit listed four objectives of future engineering education; Objective 2 is to “Elevate professional skills to a truly equal footing with technical skills.” …

Feb, 2021 By Mark Kanonik, P.E., F.ASCE In Education Issues Comments 0

How to Recession-Proof Your Engineering Career

There is a skillset that makes your engineering career “recession-resistant.” That skillset is basic business development and has proven value to ALL structural engineering firms. Yet, many engineers actively avoid learning it for a variety of reasons. …

Feb, 2021 By Stephanie Slocum, P.E. In Business Practices Comments 0

Current Issue	Resource Guide

The Key to Mass Timber Construction Part 2: Introduction to Glued-in Rods

The Key to Mass Timber Construction
Part 2: Introduction to Glued-in Rods