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Structural Design

Collar Ties and Ridge Beams

Wednesday, February 17th, 2010

[Author's Note - By popular demand, I'm posting this Builder's Engineer article. It was previously published in NAHB's Nation's Building News, and can be found in my book, CRACKS, SAGS, AND DIMWITS - LESSONS TO BUILD ON, available at Amazon or ...


Over-Engineer Kills Project

Friday, February 12th, 2010

I got a call recently from Stylus R. Ofom, a sales rep for a brand of Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF).

 “Tim,” he carped, “I’ve got a new high-end home project in San Francisco that an engineer WAY overdesigned. This guy spec’d …


ProBeam Solved Example: Floor Joist 16′ Span

Wednesday, November 4th, 2009

(From email:)
Hi,
Your product looks wonderful. On the previous page I read that I could send you a problem and it “may appear” on the web site…….
I want to add second floor in his recently completed shop. THe …


Why Haven’t These Buildings Toppled?

Friday, October 30th, 2009

(Following is another section from my upcoming book on Green Framing.  TKG)

Building codes are a relatively new invention. The first widely-accepted building code in the U.S. was written in the early 1900s. Today’s building code, the International Building Code (IBC), …


Green Framing, Part 1

Wednesday, August 19th, 2009

(Author’s Note: The following is part of a new Green Framing chapter I’m adding to my book, “Structural Concepts For the Non-Engineer. I’ll post additional parts in the next few weeks.) 

General

Green framing, advanced framing, frugal framing – call it what …


If Old Barns Could Talk

Monday, August 3rd, 2009

I recently read an article in our local paper about old barns. I love old barns. They’re usually red, they look cool, and they contain a certain homey smell – a mixture of hay, grease, manure, leather, and must – …


Too Many Holdowns

Wednesday, July 15th, 2009

I just finished the structural analysis for a 3-story, stick framed apartment building. It’s an addition to an existing complex with a footprint of about 10,000 square feet. I did not engineer the original buildings, which were constructed some ten …


Our Building Codes Are Broken

Wednesday, May 27th, 2009

Someone has to say it, so it might as well be me. The IBC is an unusable agglomeration of gobbledygook that should only be wished upon our enemies. …


Piano Concerto in Crawlspace Major

Friday, May 1st, 2009

THE PROBLEM:
I was recently called by concert pianist, Tchl Ivory, who wanted to place not one but two full-sized grand pianos in his family room. Why he needed two is curious to me but that’s beside the point. His house …