Design steel structure with USA/Michigan regulations

ingfumian · May 5, 2020

Hi everybody,

I'm an italian civil engineer (sorry for the language mistakes) working here in Italy, and I've been asked to certify a steel structure that will be send in Michigan, at an assembly facility of a big automotive company. It's a small structure where there will be some kind of machinery but it's only 1.50m of height.
Here in Italy, for a work like this, you have to write down a technical report and other documents such as maintenance plan and a report of the materials feature.

To be honest, excluding the use of IBC and AISC which I can buy and learn, I have no idea of the technical documentation that I need to produce, also I don't know if it is necessary to analyse the seysmic forces (which in Italy you always have to do). Maybe just a simple report with the structural analysis with only static forces?

Do someone know wich kind of documentation I have to produce? And also, it is necessary to use IBS/AISC or can I use italian/european regulations and then ad american technician will check it and approve it?

Best regards,
Giorgio

Ganesh Persaud · May 5, 2020

I’m not from the USA, however general requirements for approval are design calculations together with analysis and drawings.

You could do as you mentioned, analysis of only static forces. For this you’ll have to use the AISC 360, to size the frame and AISC design guide 4 to do simple moment connection for the frame.

If the machinery is doing heavy lifting, you can check the dynamic forces combined with the seismic forces, depending on which govern. Design accordingly.

If seismic forces govern, use aisc 360, aisc 341, aisc 358, and design guides 4 and 13, these work hand in hand to each other. To size frame and provide limitations with respect to type of frame and member sizes used for type of connection. I’m not sure if anything here was helpful, but there are a lot of persons here on the forum, I’m sure you’ll get an answer.

r13 · May 6, 2020

For a small machinery support platform (I assume), it won't subject to regulatory review, but the engineering staff employed by the plant. If you can follow IBC/AISC for static load consideration, and provide reference for dynamic calculation, include characteristics and parameters used in the calculation, will help to avoid confusion and questions.

r13 · May 6, 2020

Also, you shall provide non-factored support reactions to facilitate foundation/mounting design.

ingfumian · May 7, 2020

Thanks for the answers, in fact I have been told that due to the fact that the structure (exactly a support platform)is small, there is no need for the calculation of seysmic forces.

My idea is to use the load combinations of IBC/AISC, use a fem software to calculate the total stress on the beams and confront it with the admissible yelding stress of the steel ( in italy this is not the exact method but the results are the same due to the semplicity of the material). Then calculate the connections (I will look for the calculation method on the aisc), and ultimately write down on the report the maximum forces at the base of the column, so someone else in situ will check the foundations.

Is this process right? Or in the USA there are others structural checks to be done?

Thanks

r13 · May 7, 2020

I think you've got it all. Good luck.

ingfumian · May 8, 2020

Thank you a lot for your support!

r13 · May 8, 2020

You are welcome.

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