Archtect Stamping Structural Drawings
Archtect Stamping Structural Drawings
(OP)
I recently came across structural drawings in NYC stamped by an architect. Does anyone know if that is legal? The building is a 3 story steel framed structure. There were major issues in the design that made me wonder how that is allowed.
Thanks for the insight.
Thanks for the insight.






RE: Archtect Stamping Structural Drawings
I like to debate structural engineering theory -- a lot. If I challenge you on something, know that I'm doing so because I respect your opinion enough to either change it or adopt it.
RE: Archtect Stamping Structural Drawings
RE: Archtect Stamping Structural Drawings
Um
uhhh...
I believe, my friend, you might be providing, with your first ever post, the 'incite' in this forum.
But, legally speaking, I yield to the others above...
RE: Archtect Stamping Structural Drawings
Professional Engineer (ME, NH, MA) Structural Engineer (IL)
American Concrete Industries
www.americanconcrete.com
RE: Archtect Stamping Structural Drawings
If you have reason to question the structural integrity of the architect's work, you have an obligation to bring it up. Three stories and steel framing would likely be outside that overlap zone. It is common to see architects handle a single story masonry building with open web joists, but 3 stories of open steel framing can be a different ball game.
RE: Archtect Stamping Structural Drawings
IMHO, the only Architect worthy of stamping structural drawings is Mike Brady (may he R.I.P)
RE: Archtect Stamping Structural Drawings
www.PeirceEngineering.com
RE: Archtect Stamping Structural Drawings
RE: Archtect Stamping Structural Drawings
RE: Archtect Stamping Structural Drawings
Have you ever seen an engineer being honored at an opening ceremony
best regards
Klaus
RE: Archtect Stamping Structural Drawings
www.PeirceEngineering.com
RE: Archtect Stamping Structural Drawings
RE: Archtect Stamping Structural Drawings
One of my cousins earned a BA in architecture from UC Berkeley in the early 1980s, just a little behind my BS in civil engineering from the far more esteemed CSU Fresno.
As I recall, she had two semesters of calculus (to my three semesters plus one semester of DifEqs), two semesters of mid-level physics (to my three semesters of top-level physics), Strength of Materials (similar to my course), and one semester of basic structural analysis (similar to my first structures course). Somewhere in there, she also learned how to read beam span tables so she wouldn't have do any calculations. She started her career in custom homes, so the beam span tables were put to good use. She later moved into commercial building design and laboraties and had structural engineers to boss around.
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"Is it the only lesson of history that mankind is unteachable?"
--Winston S. Churchill
RE: Archtect Stamping Structural Drawings
It is fun pointing out when architects due stupid things in my eyes. When structurally speaking it is easy but they accept it... When I point out their flaws in an envelope however they grow fangs and try to lash back... most time they know better just ran out of budget and didn't detail or used a loophole performance spec. but still!
RE: Archtect Stamping Structural Drawings
As with most things of this sort, it relies on the judgement of the professional to understand what their limitations are.
It doesn't make sense for an engineer experienced in that industry to retain an architect to determine fire exit requirements for a low occupancy industrial building, and it doesn't make sense for an architect experienced in that industry to retain an engineer to specify a steel beam in residential construction.
RE: Archtect Stamping Structural Drawings
RE: Archtect Stamping Structural Drawings
Either way, they can still get sued for incompetence.
RE: Archtect Stamping Structural Drawings
Actually, I have worked for or in parallel with many architects over the years (mostly doing site designs for state and federal prisons, buildings for the US Navy, a private truck terminal, etc.) and on every project the architect delegated the structural design to a real structural engineer. They kept him in stocks and barely fed him, but he was there.
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"Is it the only lesson of history that mankind is unteachable?"
--Winston S. Churchill
RE: Archtect Stamping Structural Drawings
RE: Archtect Stamping Structural Drawings
Dave
Thaidavid