Australia Structural Calcs

[fecope]

I am just wondering if anyone can help me. I have just moved to Australia from UK. I am thinking of going solo due to time constraint. Can anybody please send me some sample of structural calculations for Australian Building regs or are there any resources that I can access on line. many thanks in advance.

 

[rowingengineer]

Hope you’re not in Queensland, probably best to put this in the Engineer Business Practices and Issues, because I would be willing to bet that it will be deleted from here.

Are you Istrute? What areas are you looking to practice?

We design to the Australian codes, basically the best bits picked from other codes around the world.

Arguing with an engineer is like wrestling with a pig in mud. After a while you realize that they like it

 

[csd72]

fecope,

I have worked extensively in both countries.

If you use the level of calculations that you would use in the UK then this would be more than adequate for building regs.

Which state are you practicing in? Have you checked out registration requirements in that state?

 

[fecope]

thanks. I'm in SA.

Maybe I should re post this in the Engineer Business Practices and Issues. Thanks for your advice.

 

[dhengr]

fecope:

Whatever your time constrains, maybe you should consider working under a registered engineer long enough so that you don’t have reason to ask that kind of question. Solo, should mean analysis and design knowledge and experience and it does mean the potential of liability and building failures. It sounds like you have a lack of the former and are heading for the latter.

 

[racookpe1978]

Of course, you realize (being new to OZ and such) that all of the Australian structural loads are negative (since this is on the other side of the equator) and so you have to reverse the direction of loading on all the buildings unless you erect them from the top down.

But the cranes run backwards anyway because all the AC current down there is actually cosine waves shifted 1/2 a frequency forward to compensate. 8<)

 

[cntw1953]

Doesn't UK shars some of the same traits?

 

[BAretired]

Very unusual question! Maybe you would care to elaborate on your original post.

BA

 

[csd72]

fecope,

I am not sure about SA registration requirements as I have only dealt with Queensland, NSW, Victoria and NT. Most of these states have registration requirements so I would not expect that SA would be any different.

I would suggest you contact engineers Australia to get some information on the requirements.

http://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/

Practice in Australia is very different to that in the UK and I would also expect you would have a very hard time going solo without local knowledge and contacts.

 

[cntw1953]

BAretaired:

I assume you were talking about my response.
It was a return of favor aimed at racookpe1978 for the nuclear bomb he dropped

 

[BAretired]

cntw1953,

Actually I was referring to the original post in which the OP asks for sample structural calculations. It would be difficult to cover the subject thoroughly in a single response.

BA

 

[cntw1953]

Agreed.
Looks to me he needs to review local codes, work into it and seeking specific help along the journey. It is difficult to make comprehensive comparison by one shot.

 

[fecope]

BA, cntw,

Actually, I am only after for the general format and code of practice references. Hence one or two simple and typical calcs will suffice.

 

[cntw1953]

General format is quite similar worldwide, otherwise rocookPE1978's comments should be taken seriously
As someone has pointed out, the level of efforts shouldn't be much different from UK to Australia, but specific codes and general practices on certain type of construction could be another story. For that you have to work into the flow. Good luck.

 

[csd72]

cntw1953,

These forums are not the place for supposition. Either you know from experience and therefore have a valid comment, or you don't.

I have worked in Australia, the UK, and the US and all three countries have very significant differences in practice.

fecopes' request is a valid one and one that I would probably ask myself if I were in similar circumstances.

 

[cntw1953]

csd72:

Please advise specifically the invalid comments. While I don't get your latest post, I tend to agree to your first one, isn't that valid?

 

[csd72]

cntw1953,

My words were:
'Either you know from experience and therefore have a valid comment, or you don't.'

I never said which category your comments fell into but apparently you are trying to do that for me

No I was referring to your comment
".....the level of efforts shouldn't be much different from UK to Australia,..." which implies that this is based on your opinion without any backup from specific knowledge or experience - e.g. supposition.

Please correct me if I am wrong.

 

[cntw1953]

csd72:

You have impressed me by picking my "opinion" out of all these responses. Looks like I have ran into an exclusive membership-only club in the open/worldwide forum. I appologize for that.

 

[BAretired]

I guess I should shut up since I have never practiced in Australia, but I honestly do not understand the original question.

If I had just moved to a new location and hoped eventually to start my own practice, I think I would get a job with an established company and get familiar with the local building codes and practices. After a reasonable length of time, I would consider my options, one of which might be to work my way up in that firm. Another might be to start my own practice.

An engineer without local knowledge is, in my opinion, not ready to start his own consulting business.



BA

 

[csd72]

cntw1953,

It is not an exclusive club, all posters should be prepared to defend their opinion, something that I have been called on to do a number of times.

BAretired,

I agree with you on this, something that is hard to explain to people that have not moved countries is how different some things can be.

Residential Foundations is a real classic example of how things change between countries as it is largely based on regional construction practice. Many residential foundation types came about because they just happened to work with the prevailing soil in the area.