×
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Log In

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips Forums!
  • Talk With Other Members
  • Be Notified Of Responses
    To Your Posts
  • Keyword Search
  • One-Click Access To Your
    Favorite Forums
  • Automated Signatures
    On Your Posts
  • Best Of All, It's Free!
  • Students Click Here

*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail.

Posting Guidelines

Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden.

Students Click Here

Jobs

Connection between space frame roof and walls in Haiti building

Connection between space frame roof and walls in Haiti building

Connection between space frame roof and walls in Haiti building

(OP)
I am working on a classroom structure in Haiti. The walls are constructed of compressed stabilized earth blocks with rebar. The top course consists of a U-shaped block "ring beam" filled with reinforced concrete. The roof structure is a space frame made out of welded steel pipe or tubes, connected with crude node pieces which we're still working out how to fabricate down there.

I am trying to think of the best way to connect the roof to the wall, through the concrete in the ring beam, in a way that distributes the load along the wall as evenly as possible and helps the roof function as a flexible diaphragm to transfer lateral loads. Resources are limited and we cannot just order any steel section we like, but must work with the simplest configurations possible. Any ideas would be appreciated, or if anyone would like to chat about the trials I'm encountering with the space frame fabrication that would be great too. I have no previous experience designing in developing countries with no codes and limited material choices, and very few precedents to work from. Thanks!

RE: Connection between space frame roof and walls in Haiti building

Libby87:

Without more info. in the way of wall thickness and height, block size, reinf'g. locations, mechanical properties of the wall system, etc.; and more info. on the space frame, size, bearing points, etc.; your discussion may not go much further than this.  Some sketches might be in order.  But, since you have a ring beam (bond beam) at the top of the wall, why not core down into the wall a couple feet, place A.B's. and fill the rough cored holes while filling the bond beam with conc.

Sounds like an interesting project and a real opportunity to do some good where it is truly needed.  With your experience, follow the logic and intent of the codes, that we use to do our designs here, the best their methods will allow.  Almost anything you do will be better than what they have, and it would be unlikely that you can fully comply with our codes, given what they have to work with.

Where is Concretemasonry when we need him?  Dick, check in here and add your $.02 worth.
 

RE: Connection between space frame roof and walls in Haiti building

You will likely get better answers if you ask in forum507: Structural engineering other technical topics or one of the other building fora.

I suggest that you need to think about keeping the roof attached during hurricanes too.

Red Flag This Post

Please let us know here why this post is inappropriate. Reasons such as off-topic, duplicates, flames, illegal, vulgar, or students posting their homework.

Red Flag Submitted

Thank you for helping keep Eng-Tips Forums free from inappropriate posts.
The Eng-Tips staff will check this out and take appropriate action.

Reply To This Thread

Posting in the Eng-Tips forums is a member-only feature.

Click Here to join Eng-Tips and talk with other members!


Resources