Recent content by bpstruct

Working on a wastewater plant and I have required Type II cement. The contractor is asking for an alternate. I'm not comfortable requiring specific admixtures to achieve the same sulfate resistance with Type I/II or IL. There may be something in ACI 350, but I am not sure where to look. Any...

GC - you are right. I am not really concerned about the structure. It is really a concern about the potential for the exterior to crack. As you know, it is pretty difficult to explain to the owner that concrete cracks are not a structural issue. Good thoughts on quality control. Josh -...

Working on a big manufacturing facility that will utilize tiltwalls as the gravity/lateral load system. We will be using a formliner. The architect is wanting to use a vertical pattern - 2 inches deep spaced at 4" oc +/-. The structural thickness will be 7 1/4" - total 9 1/4". My concern is...

How do you design FRP I-beams? I'm not familiar with those. Is there a guide?

I am working on a wastewater treatment plant and I currently have galvanized steel I-beams shown to support some of the grating and diamond checker plating covering a coarse screening structure. The environment will be corrosive, especially in this part of the plant. I have used galvanized...

Funny.. That is what I thought too. I had square tubes, which I could deal with. I'll ask the architect if he is good with it lasting only a moment.

I am working on a project that will require some moment connections. The architect is wanting to use pipes, but the horizontal framing is rectangular tubes. Anyone have experience creating fixed connections between pipe and tube?

I do specify the Fb and E on the drawings. I try to give myself a little wiggle room when doing the calcs in case a lower strength LVL is delivered. If I am right at the allowable stress, I would consider bumping up the size. Rarely an issue, as I am normally increasing the size due to...

I also rarely run into bending stress problems with LVL's before I have deflection issues. I could see it for a deep LVL that has a long unbraced length. What is the room being used for? Can you get away with using 30 psf?

We have been working on WWTP's (basically a bunch of giant concrete tanks) over the past couple of years, and I am beginning to question how I have detailed some of the concrete joints. I have been requiring PVC waterstops (chemical resistant) on the OUTSIDES of the reinforcing steel (water...

Thanks, I did see those links. But those don't have much structural info at all. Nothing bridge-related that is developed.

We have a project coming up for a developer in Arizona that will require a vehicular bridge. We have done many bridges in Texas, but no experience in Arizona. I have looked through their (ADOT) website in search of CAD standard drawings for bridges, and have not found much. Does anyone have...

Thanks to all!

Has anyone ever worked on a project involving shipping containers? I have a potential project that will involve stacking a series of these to create a building. There will be openings that are cut into the walls. I'm curious about how these are framed and if anyone has any other pitfalls to...

Thank you all for the responses!