Is it worth studying the IRC & WFCM as an engineer?

[AaronMcD]

For those who are familiar with prescriptive design process, is it worth looking into, or is there no benefit in knowing/applying prescriptive designs vs engineered IBC/NDS designs?

http://www.hellodwell.design

 

[KootK]

If you plan to do any residential or wood frame construction, I think that studying those documents would be massively beneficial. Consider:

1) The hardest part of any structural engineering project is knowing what normal expectations are for that space. IRC/WFCM are that in a goddam can. If only there were such a thing for skyscrapers or industrial work.

2) In many ways, I find residential work more difficult than ICI work because there's just an endless number of bits and pieces associated with the more sophisticated residential projects. I need something like IRC so that I can take a few shortcuts and stay in the game without going mad.

Heck, if it wasn't for DCA6, I'd probably still be working on my first deck design.



HELP! I'd like your help with a thread that I was forced to move to the business issues section where it will surely be seen by next to nobody that matters to me:

http://www.eng-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?qid=456235

 

[AaronMcD]

Do these documents bypass structural calcs? Do you actually design to them, or just use them as guidance for "typical" construction?

http://www.hellodwell.design

 

[KootK]

I do both things but mostly just the guidance on typical construction. Where IRC applies, it can be used to bypass calcs. I'm still coming to terms with this aspect of it but I believe that you can even use IRC to design parts of buildings when those parts of buildings meet the IRC limits.

Suppose you were building a home for your family and you had to choose between these two options:

1) KootK designing it for you never having seen IRC.

2) Joe contractor building it for your according to IRC with no engineering.

Without question, you'd want #2.

HELP! I'd like your help with a thread that I was forced to move to the business issues section where it will surely be seen by next to nobody that matters to me:

http://www.eng-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?qid=456235

 

[AaronMcD]

Idk though, I live in SF and I'd feel more comfortable living in a house with a lateral system designed by myself than by Joe contractor. Although I currently rent a house build by Joe contractor 113 years ago...

But maybe I'll try and make some time to delve into the IRC and realize Joe contractor could do a fine job on it (if it's simple enough).

http://www.hellodwell.design

 

[KootK]

It would also be a pretty small investment of your time. I expect you could flip through both in an afternoon and have a pretty good feel for the useful takeaways.

HELP! I'd like your help with a thread that I was forced to move to the business issues section where it will surely be seen by next to nobody that matters to me:

http://www.eng-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?qid=456235