FAQs
(Frequently
Asked
Questions)
| Projects | About The Owner | FAQs |
| When should
I
bring in
the assistance of an engineer? We are happy to provide early schematic engineering assistance, especially on projects that have unique framing systems or are located in unusual locations (on a bluff exposed to winds, when snow loads are heavy, etc.). This can provide early assurance that the project is close on layout to what is needed to withstand the design loads. Normally we become involved when a building department requires certain components to be designed by an engineer (lateral bracing for the view wall of a house, foundation system, long beam spans, etc.). At that point we will look at the plans you provide and either give you a firm quote or a rough estimate of the price, and timeframe for the scope of work that you require. Some projects are complex enough that we recommend that we become involved at the design development stage (when plans and elevations are mostly complete for all levels and all views of the building, and when framing plans show rough locations of members) for a full gravity and lateral analysis (beams, shear walls and foundation). What’s the best way to send plans to you? You are welcome to email full-sized PDFs of each plan sheet to the email address shown below (or at this link), or email AutoCAD v2000 files, or mail hardcopy sheets to the address shown below. The physical address is also the mailing address. When doing so, please let us know what scope of work is required and your desired timeframe. Faxing is okay for sending some information, however, it's not usually the best due to loss of detail and loss of scale. Call ahead if you'd like to fax something. Do you normally create framing and foundation plans? We normally do NOT create structural framing plans, elevations, etc. but rely on the designer or architect to do these. We find that most building departments do not require an engineer to prepare the plans or stamp them, and this is a way to save the owner money. We are happy to review framing plans prior to building department submittal, and provide a letter summarizing this review. When building departments require the framing and / or foundation plans to be stamped by the engineer, then we would almost always need to create these plans. Then what DO you typically provide? For a typical home requiring a gravity and lateral analysis (beam / column / foundation sizing and shear wall analysis), we will use the plans you provide to create simple diagrams for reference in our report. These diagrams refer to beams, columns, footings, etc. and tables show the required sizes, connections, and options for each as appropriate. The diagrams are also used to specify minimum nailing requirements and hardware for shear wall bracing. Also included are details that show foundation reinforcing requirements, shearwall attachment details, roof framing details, etc. Along with these diagrams, sketches, and tables of callouts are the calculations used to create them, bound together in one report. Most designers will use our diagrams to revise the framing plans for the member sizes they prefer, then paste up our sketches onto plan-sized pages to include in their plan set to submit. Can I avoid the cost of engineering? Building jurisdictions usually require engineering for homes that do not meet their 'prescriptive' requirements as specified in the building code (typically the 2006 International Residential Code). This means that perimeter openings and interior walls would need to be placed at certain spacings to provide a generally-acceptable bracing capability to resist wind and earthquakes. Foundations can be designed prescriptively, though in our opinion, the code-required reinforcing is significantly less than what is prudent. Also, the members used to span larger distances must come from the span tables in the code. Note that other criteria apply regarding snow loads, wind speed, dead loads of materials, etc. Once you've met these criteria, your building department can confirm whether or not engineering is still required for certain elements. How accurate must I be in providing the location of my future building? The short answer is: quite accurate. For projects near urban areas an address and nearest intersection is fine. For rural areas we prefer the property location and the building's placement on the property. For wind calculations this is important when the structure is located near the top of a hill or bluff (where wind pressures are higher). This is also important when higher elevations call for higher snow loads. Possibly the best way to provide this is with a legal description and a sketch of your property showing where the structure is to be located. For those who are willing to do a bit more, you can find the Wyoming USGS topo map that your property appears on at this link. Then just print out the portion of the USGS map image file that is enclosed in the associated compressed GeoTIFF file and draw your structure on it. Please also let us know the name of the USGS file. Can you work with timbers that I cut? Entire homes CAN be designed around a list of timbers already cut and drying, though it’s preferable to wait until the house is designed and engineered before cutting the timbers. The best way to work with these is to bring in the species, lengths, and minimum diameters of the logs you’d like to work with, so that we’ll know what’s available when laying out the framing for each level. What can I do to permit my client almost an entire wall of glass? The system we’ve employed that has worked quite well in the past is to create a rigid steel bent or ‘U’ shape that goes from one corner of the room, directly under the roof line, and to the other corner of the room, within the thickness of the wall. Depending on sizes and loading, the bent may also benefit from horizontal beams and / or vertical posts within the steel assembly. All posts are attached directly to the top of concrete walls if possible. Windows, wall framing, and roof framing are attached to the steel using 2x nailers the thickness of the wall system, which are bolted or screwed onto the steel frame. Are you willing to travel to my site? We are certainly willing to travel to your site, should that be necessary. Normally we work from the plans provided by others that show the important site features (slope, etc.) and obtain additional information from those who have seen the property, the soils, etc. But when desired or required we are happy to travel to your job site for inspections, to troubleshoot, and for other reasons. Note that we will work with you on the travel rates when we bill for the time spent traveling. |