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Recent content by KootK

  1. KootK

    Sole proprietor as engineer or business man.

    I am a sole proprietor. I would be flattered to be called a businessman. My brother is a former accountant and a businessman in the truest sense of the word. And he has a take on this that I find convincing. He says that I do not really have a "business" even though I am legally...
  2. KootK

    How to fix this?

    Given that we're talking about less than 500 lbs in a highly redundant light frame system, what do you feel is the probability of a dangerous collapse here. What's your version of my 1:50,000? What are some examples from your own work where contractors have suffered significant financial...
  3. KootK

    How to fix this?

    Ugh... still with this downvoting stuff. Nowadays, I get the sense that there's some cowardly chickenshit following me around ET downvoting me every time that I share a frank opinion or experience. Dear Cowardly Chickenshit: if you've got something to say, just say it. Peak out from behind...
  4. KootK

    How to fix this?

    Rephrased more optimistically: allow them to avoid suffering undue reputational damage as a result of having made an error that an experienced structural engineer will recognize as having no meaningful consequences. I've no doubt that it does occasionally result in a compounding effect of more...
  5. KootK

    How to fix this?

    I do not feel that it empowers clients to do shoddy work in any meaningful sense. Rather, I accept that everyone makes mistakes and I only approve errors that I feel deserve to be approved based on technical merit which is, often, just my technical judgment. This mitigates business risk for my...
  6. KootK

    How to fix this?

    I doubt this actually needs saying but I'll say it anyhow for the sake of completeness. I won't take any risk, no matter how small, if it is not balanced by some manner of reward. That reward might be money. That reward might be influence. That reward might just be a good dopamine hit. But...
  7. KootK

    How to fix this?

    Exactly that. I would argue that the ASCE guidance on load testing also has a fair bit of "arbitrary" built into it. Guides like that are put together mostly by committees of other engineer using their judgments. Do those guys and gals have better judgment than I do? Surely. Does a...
  8. KootK

    How to fix this?

    Honestly, I don't recommend it as a marital setup. There definitely are moments where it is fun / useful but, on balance: 1) It can be a bit incestuous with respect to the information that both parties are collecting out in the wider world and sharing with each other. If I could snap my...
  9. KootK

    Ridge Beam Moment

    Dude, we are so meeting up for beer / coffee. I can even provide ET references to attest to my being a decent person to spend an hour with. I've had the privilege of breaking bread with both @jayrod12 and @BAretired. Contrary to what you might suspect, I won't just argue with you about stuff...
  10. KootK

    Ridge Beam Moment

    Yesir. Born in Trail (not on one). Grew up in Cranbrook. Now residing in Calgary, the Gotham City-esque metropolis to which my family would travel for new school clothing each Labour Day weekend. My dad was kinda flaky in his youth so we moved around a lot.
  11. KootK

    Ridge Beam Moment

    I also say yes.
  12. KootK

    Multiple welds between i beam and circular steel column

    A sketch of the situation would be helpful. I can't see welding strengthening a column in any way that I'd want to rely upon. If you're welding to a column that will be carrying load during the welding, that warrants some consideration. Are we talking about single shear tab connections...
  13. KootK

    How to fix this?

    In the context of a new build like this, I would never do a load test unless I was 99.5% sure of it passing. Here, I'm 99.999995% sure of it passing. I would literally be willing to place my head in a guillotine and watch the test be performed with the consequence of failure being my demise...
  14. KootK

    How to fix this?

    It's annoying how fragile our food supply is. Particularly the healthy stuff. Mrs. KootK is a US citizen. I'm banking on her being able to go down to Montana and negotiate me some peanuts and grapefruits.
  15. KootK

    How to fix this?

    I had the same question and was mocked mercilessly for asking it. Isn't that a lot of shelving real-estate for 32 cans?? The shelves have grippy liners that get adhered into place to protect the painted particle board. The four corner cans are just to keep the corners from peeling up while the...

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