Recent content by psustruct

Is there a program (similar to Ram Structural System) that will aid in the design of wood shear walls? I'm looking for a program where I can build a 3D model of the building (with window/door openings in the walls), apply the lateral loads, and get the most efficient shear wall layout. Any tips?

When modeling an ordinary steel moment frame (I'm using RAM Frame), should I pin the beam ends in torsion?

Thanks, Ron. Do you think there is anything else structurally holding this roof up? My brain tells me there has got to be, but I really don't know.

Here's another photo (taken from the floor).http://files.engineering.com/getfile.aspx?folder=dfcc5afb-720a-4776-acf6-a1c75839d377&file=P1010274.JPG

I was on a job site today -an old warehouse- where we thought concrete was spalling on the roof. What we thought was concrete was actually a wood chip and cement mix. What we thought was rebar, well... it wasn't. I'm not sure what it was as I could not get close enough to touch it. There was...

There is a certification test in Maryland in 2 weeks. I told my boss about it in hopes that he would send me and my other coworker who does alot of inspection work. It's never good when someone's answer is, "Because that's how we've been doing it for _____ years!!!"

I just looked at the specs for this job. They refer to ASTM C-31. So I looked up ASTM C-31, and it states, "The field technicians making and curing specimens for acceptance testing shall be certified ACI Field Testing Technicians, Grade I or equivalent. Equivalent personel certification...

Ron and Hokie, thanks for your replies. I just want to say that I in no way think that a PE trumps all. But that is what a senior engineer at my office told me when I told him what happened on the job site today. Also, when I get to the jobsite, I am upfront with the superintendent (and...

I do work for a structural consulting firm and yes, we make cylinders ourselves alllllll the time. I'm being trained to do inspections... so this is all new to me. I don't know what I need certifications to do. My training is very nonchalant.

I am a structural engineer and a new P.E. My boss has asked me to inspect one of our concrete jobs. So I went out and made test cylinders and did a slump test, along with my other duties. Well, the contractor came over to me and asked me if I had a certificate that allows me to make the...

OK. Thank you for the clarification.

If a retaining wall is permanently exposed to earth, shouldn't the concrete cover be 3"? Why am I seeing so many engineers use a 2" cover?

Should I be adding snow load to the top of a roof top unit? If so, do I add the minimum roof live load (30psf) or the flat roof snow load (~20psf)? My RTU is covering 460 sf of the roof, at 30psf, that's an extra 14 kips I need to account for. Engineers I know seem to have different views...

Thank you, everyone, for your input. I agree with what you are saying. I figured there was much more to it. I just don't have much intuition for how the slab will react when the opening is cut. My project manager told me to just take tributary loads and size the steel beams that way. He...

They are framing into other (new) steel beams which are framing into the existing concrete columns.