I haven't done a structural design for a condominium since the economy tanked, but was asked for a proposal recently. Can anyone give me a rough idea or a ballpark for design fees per sqft? Location is Pacific Northwest (Seattle), building has 3 stories w/ about 25,000 sqft total.
Thanks for...
A prospective client has a floor system (2x10" lumber @ 16" o.c., joist span 12 ft) that is vibrating (vertically) frequently and for hours at a time. The source of the vibrations is unknown. He had somebody measuring the frequency, but they couldn't tell what caused the vibrations.
While there...
I'm looking into buying a design software for steel connections. Can somebody give me an idea of LIMCON vs DESCON, such as performance, handling, pricing?
Thanks for your input
Due to the slow economy I am considering not renewing my E&O insurance. Does anybody know about options to insure specific project, when the builder requires insurance?
If so, what would the cost be? Absolute $amount? Percentage of design fee? Percentage of construction cost? Where can I buy...
I am pretty confident about my pricing for wood frame construction, but haven't done steel design for a while, and not in the US market.
A potential client wants to cover an existing 30x80 ft concrete slab on grade with a structure similar to a car port, with a height of 15 ft. The structure...
At one of the residential homes I designed, TJI floor joists were installed with top flange hangers welded to a steel beam (no nailer used). All components are in accordance with the manufacturers recommendations, but we still have nasty noises, like metal on metal (it is not because of...
an engineering firm from Germany designed provisions to support a stage for pop concerts. They asked me to help with transforming the design to US standards, as the band will tour the United States. Do these temporary structures also need to be stamped and approved in each state, or is there...
Is there a standard procedure or reference to design shear walls (stud framing) not parallel or perpendicular to the wind direction? All design examples I found use a standard rectangular box.
Thanks for any input
I am doing about half of my jobs as an independent subcontractor for a small engineering firm. They pay me 50% of the contracted price. This looks ok at first sight. But then, they don't cover anything else. I have no dedicated desk at their office, and I pay for everything out of my cut, like...
A friend of mine was approached by Korean guys with the idea of starting a US Corporation marketing Biomass Plants throughout th US. My friend is supposed to be the CEO, as the want a US citizen as representative. They say they have already built some 25 plants, mostly in Europe and Asia. I am a...
A client wants to build a porch at the entrance of his house. He asked me to design the post and beam system of the porch using steel members, as he is afraid that one of the nearby trees might fall on the porch during a storm.
Does anyone have an idea how to determine the load resulting from a...
I am currently working on downsizing a remodeling (2nd story addition) project, where the former engineer called out for pressure treated floor joists spanning from the bearing plane in the middle of the building to the exterior wall, with a cantilever to create a new deck. While it is...
Can anybody give me an idea where I could find a template for an engineering contract for small projects, like single family residences, building additions etc?
I don't want to turn off the clients, but want to cover the basics
Thanks
