| Builder's
Engineer |
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Tim Garrison, P.E., president of ConstructionCalc, Inc is
the nationally-acclaimed author and columnist, Builder's Engineer™.
Tim's columns have appeared in the Journal of Light Construction,
BUILDERnews magazine, Land Development magazine, the National
Association of Home Builders premier on-line publication,
NBN Online, as well as builder's association newsletters from
coast to coast.
The following are never-before released original versions
of Tim's published columns. Many of these are more in depth,
containing considerably more technical information than the
watered-down versions published by space-conscious, politically-constrained
magazines.
| Download individual columns in .pdf format: $1 each |
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Get the entire collection of all
sixty below-listed columns in Tim’s book, Cracks,
Sags, and Dimwits – Lessons to Build On. From sagging
rafters to leaking basements, to cracked concrete,
to Level-3 Idiots, they’re all here in one handy
6x9 professionally published volume. Plus, this
book includes four pages of easy-to-understand technical
definitions that don’t come with individual columns.
Terms like horizontal diaphragm, out of plane, moment-resisting,
and much more. |
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free example: "Gad, There's a Beam Sprouting From My Countertop" |
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Tim
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| This age-old question is finally answered - in detail. This greatly
expanded version of the original published column explains why roofs
sag, which members are overstressed, and which connections will likely
cause problems. Three possible fixes, including a collar tie "remedy",
are discussed. A case study involving a sagging old schoolhouse roof
is also explored. Includes seven sketches. |
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| Normally the author uses fake names in his articles, but not in
this case. Jeff Whitebear owns a small siding company and was hired
by the author to do the siding and exterior trim on his house. After
coming to terms on price, the experience was nearly thrilling for
both the author and Cindy, his wife. Find out why, and how your company
can benefit from Jeff's excellent example. |
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| Driving through Everett, WA the author notices a retaining wall,
broken, leaning badly. Cantilever retaining wall theory is discussed
in detail. Tension and compression within the wall and footing, and
rebar placement is explained. Different types of retaining walls are
introduced. One photograph and three sketches are included. |
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| This column explains how groundwater gets into basements and how
it can be avoided - and how it can be fixed after the fact. Six pointers
for waterproof concrete are given. The structural aspects of basement
(braced) retaining walls are explained in detail. A case study in
which the author was an expert witness is explored. Includes three
sketches. |
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| Three solutions to provide support for a long-span beam that otherwise
would have been supported by a post embedded in a kitchen counter.
Includes three sketches of potential solutions and a photo of the
author's ceiling showing one of the solutions. |
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| Five reasons email can be dangerous to your business' health. An
example of a very angry, should-never-be-sent email, and its revised
business-savvy version. |
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| How do you handle bad news about your company? Phillipe Crappe owns
a surveying company and is never wrong - according to him. Bobby Cheerful
on the other hand fesses up to his company's shortcomings. The author
won't do business with one; can you guess which? |
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| The author got the call every engineer dreads - a problem with a
past design. This client's commercial building's floor was a little
bouncy. The three design criteria: bending, shear, and deflection
are explained. The actual computer design of the floor joist, using
ConstructionCalc software, is printed and explained line by line.
Find out whether the author goofed or something else caused the problem. |
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| Stan Taughl owns some acreage planned for development. His neighbor,
Pewter Mugg, tears out the old barbed wire fence bordering the properties
and has new survey stakes placed ten feet on Stan's side. Tempers
flare. Find out how a law suit is avoided and fences get mended. |
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| The author responds, in classic Builder's Engineer style, to a NIMBY's
letter to the editor from a Phoenix newspaper. Read about mind-numbing
miles of pristine Sonoran desert, frisky cactus wrens, and why the
Valley of the Sun is precisely the place for more development, baby. |
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| Chilly Verde (not his real name) is a brash young building official.
Only problem is he doesn't know his TJI from his PSL. To make matters
worse he gets belligerent when called on an issue. Here are five tips
on dealing with this type of Level 3 idiot. |
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| Chilly Verde strikes again! Find out what a Level 3 idiot is and
why Mr. Verde earns that dubious distinction. Idiots are categorized
in three levels: Cementhead, Sack of Hammers, and Dull Hoe. The author
has only one suggestion on how to deal with a Level 3. This column
is a personal favorite. |
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| Cindy asks Tim to join her Christmas shopping. Such a seemingly
innocent question. But the potential for disaster embedded in that
simple request is enough to give any good engineer night sweats. Tim
tries in vain to explain the virtues of a properly organized, templatized
list. |
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| Manny Bucks complains that he owns a construction company but spends
very little time actually constructing. Instead he's running around
like a headless chicken putting out fires. Like the $150,000 accounting
bust on a job he thought was running well. Three possible solutions
are discussed. |
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| Ronda Rhadish, architect, designs a ridiculously overdone deck for
her client Mr. Eggplant. It comes to the author for engineering. Does
he put on blinders and design the way-too-expensive deck as-is, or
does he suggest a much more efficient way? Four ways consultants cost
too much are discussed. |
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| How do you keep a slab from cracking? The answer is you can't. Period.
Instead you need to know how to manage and limit the cracks. Subgrade
preparation, rebar, wire mesh, control joints, thickened edges and
more are discussed. An example of an over-designed fire house slab
is discussed. Includes three sketches. |
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| The author and two buddies go to a Ted Nugent rock concert in 1976.
The author's ears are still ringing to this day. Our ears are finely-tuned
acoustic devices meant to detect a twig snap at a hundred yards. They
literally have no built-in defense mechanism, yet in today's bombastic
world, they're constantly subjected to noise, noise, noise. |
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| Amos the excavator operator knows better than to waste all that
time compacting his trench backfill in 12 inch lifts, which reminds
the author of a Brer Rabbit and Brer Fox tale. Brer Fox thinks it's
downright splimmy-splammy how the geese take their heads off at night
for safe keeping while they sleep. Brer Rabbit explains that they've
been doin' it that-a-way fer fifty years! Impressed, Brer Fox takes
confab with his woman. |
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| Emory Gjarh is a loaf - a bread load and is causing a drain on his
employer, Manny Bucks. Manny knows Emory (who is also a personal friend)
has to go, but how? Fire him face to face? Over the phone? Via letter?
Pussyfoot around? Brutal honesty? The author provides some insight
and makes a suggestion. |
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| Two young, green engineers head to the field to gather data for
a storm drainage study. They encounter a herd of Hostile Cows and
soon find themselves sprinting across the pasture to avoid the stampede.
Farmer Dobbins finds them several hours later and calls their boss,
the author. |
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| Have you ever wondered why one set of plans may call for fifty holdowns,
anchor bolts at 12-inches, and heavy-duty shear walls everywhere,
while a nearly identical set - but from a different architect or engineer
- may only call for five holdowns and minimal shear wall construction?
The four possible scenarios are discussed as well as cost vs. benefit
- and what to do about it all. |
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| Farmer Dobbins owns some acreage worth several million. Two developers,
Fastlane and Down To Earth, send attorneys to draw up option contracts.
The offers are nearly identical, however one team's attorney blunders
so badly Farmer Dobbins has little trouble selecting the other offer.
Anyone in business can learn from this (for the most part true) story. |
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| In order to save a few bucks, the author ignores the old adage,
"stick with what you're good at" and endeavors to grout the saw cuts
in his new stained concrete floor. All 750 lineal feet of them. In
the process he kills his Grouting Arm, beans a kid on his little league
team, and causes considerable consternation with his wife, Cindy.
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| Are you a Lone Ranger - too proud to ask for help or advice? In
the movie Dumb and Dumber, the product of two halfwits equaled a one-fourth
wit, if they were lucky. This makes good engineering sense because
˝ times ˝ does equal Ľ. But what about the sum of ˝ + ˝? That equals
one, right? |
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| Much of the hiring the author does is sole source. He literally
gives contracts to those companies he trusts. No one else even gets
a chance. It should be every contractor's goal to be on lists like
these. Do you try to get work by impressing owners with your fancy
car or gold-fringed business card? Rich owners got that way by being
cheap. |
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| How many lots can you cram onto an acre of land? Five? Ten? Fifteen?
Would you believe 25, or more? And I'm not talking "units" as in multi-story.
This column is a recap of Mithun Architect principal Bill Kreager's
seminar of the same title. Ten tips to high-density development are
discussed. |
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| A true story from the San Francisco Chronicle: An elected official
in San Francisco holds a developer hostage to the tune of $102,000,000
in exchange for not killing his proposed condo development. "Extort"
according to Webster: "to obtain from a person by force, intimidation,
or undue or illegal power: wring". The only thing missing from the
definition was this official's picture in the margin. Find out what
Oregon has done to remedy their "takings". |
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| Can you guess the most important project management innovation since
the cell phone? Project management software? Nope. Would you believe
email? Absolutely - yes. And if you don't use it, it's a black mark
against you. The author discusses four critical reasons why email
is so important, and how to put it to good use. |
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| How do you drive an engineer crazy? A - Put him in a roundhouse
and tell him to calculate its hypotenuse. B - Secretly apply a light
coating of pancake syrup to her calculator buttons. C -Give him some
clothes actually in style. D - Dart your head around during conversation
to make it impossible for her to avoid eye contact. E - Have him do
calcs, then keep changing the project. The correct answer is "E".
Trust me. Changes to a project have negative effects up and down the
project chain. Methods of avoiding them are discussed. |
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| The author discusses advantages and disadvantages of ICF construction
and offers his opinion to a builder thinking about getting in to that
line of work. Find out why the author only built his basement of ICF.
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| Joe Drut has been operating heavy machinery for 20 years and has
done it well. One day his boss, Slick Jette, asks if he would like
a promotion to foreman. He reluctantly says okay. The job goes badly
and Joe finds himself back in front of Slick telling him he can take
his foreman job and shove it. Slick's jaw hits the desk. Wasn't it
every working stiff's goal to ascend the job ladder to management?
Find out what else Slick learns after one-on-one meetings with the
rest of his crew. |
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| Clay Doughe is foreman and Joe Drut a journeyman under him. They
both have similar tenure and competency. Problem is they hate each
other and that bad blood is causing production and morale problems.
The owner, Slick Jette, comes to realize the finger of guilt points
squarely back at himself. The problem really is a management issue.
Four possible alternatives are discussed. |
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| What is the most important design element to ensure a building survives
a strong wind or earthquake? Does the style of roof, hip or gable,
have anything to do with building survivability? Find the answers
to these questions, and five structural tips to help ensure your building
makes it through the next big one. Three graphics are included. |
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| Have you ever been frustrated by an engineer that gives you a guilt
trip because you have the audacity to want windows on the view side
of your house? Here are seven ways to have your windows and eat them
too. A discussion about which engineer to use is also included. |
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| If the author has learned anything in business over the years it
is this: If you want to be successful, half of what you do should
be marketing. Half, that's a big number. Find out what one contractor
did with his marketing dollars, other than phone book ads, newspaper
ads, etc. to ensure with 100% confidence that those dollars resulted
in more and more clients. |
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| Rick in Golden Colorado has a house with cracked drywall and suspects
settlement is the culprit, but the house is built on bedrock. How
can this be possible - that solid rock settles? The author recounts
two similar experiences and what was really causing the cracked drywall. |
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| A contractor who has enjoyed any measure of success understands
the dilemma. Most would just as soon cut their arm off with a dull
hacksaw than tell a client, especially a good one: "No, I'm too busy
to take your job right now." The author give four reasons why anyone
in business needs to be comfortable with "no", and six methods of
getting around "no". |
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| Freddy of Sedro-Woolley, WA asks the author why he is no longer
a building contractor. An honest explanation is given along with five
business-critical points anyone considering ownership of a construction
company should be intimately aware of. |
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| Ole Van Stroodle hires Sam Oscar's plumbing company because Sam
can really talk the talk. But his crew shows up (late) and quickly
earns three black marks. The author discusses Oscar Plumbing's shortcomings
and what Sam needs to change if he ever wants to make any money in
the construction industry. |
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| Every would-be business owner seems to think a partner or two is
necessary. Not so, argues the author. What percentage of business
partners who've been together at least five years would describe their
relationship as harmonious? How long should a partnership last… in
other words, should a partnership have a shelf-life? All these ponderocities
are explored, along with a good dose of advice from the Builder's
Engineer School of Hard Knocks. |
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| The author describes in detail how pin piles (aka micropiles) and
helical anchors are used to re-level settled buildings. The strengths
and weaknesses of each are discussed. A case study where an owner
should have used piling but opted for jacking and shims is presented.
Six diagrams are included. |
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| Hank the plumber cores a 3-1/2 inch hole through Joe the framer's
glulam floor beam. Joe is severely hacked, figuring he'll have to
replace the beam. Fisticuffs follow. The author happens along, pries
them apart and looks at the beam. Joe can't believe that Hank's hole
is in a zone of zero stress and so is okay. Beam theory is touched
on and a cut sheet from Trus Joist™ is included illustrating the concepts
further. |
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| Exactly what is a reentrant corner? The author suspects it is fake
codespeak made up by building code officials to flamboozle us. He
does a little research and exposes his findings. The word is thoroughly
defined, complete with several sketches and examples - including rebar
placement in a reentrant corner slab on grade. Also included is the
author's experience with hydronic heating tubes embedded in a concrete
slab. |
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| Ernie D. Tuff is selling property to The Good Guy Developers, but
a perceived wetland problem crops up threatening the sale if the jurisdiction
chooses to make the non-problem a problem. The Good Guys wind up getting
their way because they're, well, good guys. The author is reminded
of a positive saying or phrase daily because it is posted on the chalkboard
of his kitchen pig. Photo included. |
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| A reader in Bellingham, WA has 2x4 rafters spanning 15 feet which
are sagging ominously. He wants to know if they're dangerous and if
so what are his options. The author analyzes the 2x4's and finds them
dangerously overstressed - that they should have been 2x12s. Four
repair options are presented. Included are two sketches, and computer
output screenshots of ConstructionCalc ProBeam software used in the
analysis. |
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| Are beams snapping in two, or imploding roofs, or shear walls sheared
in half the most common structural failure? No, it's settlement. The
author discusses typical reasons why soil settles. Any moron knows
how to properly compact soil, right? Wrong. The author relates his
own story of settled fill under his own front porch. Sketch included.
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| A well-respected developer asks you for a bid that you suspect will
be the only one he asks for. Do you: A. Give him your bare-bones,
most competitive bid because you want him to really be impressed with
your low price so he thinks of you again next time; or B. Give him
a fair, competitive bid, with your standard markup for profit and
overhead; or C. Give him an inflated bid because this is a golden
opportunity to reap some extra profit. Two examples of contractors
who guessed wrong are discussed, then each of the three possible answers
is explored in detail. |
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| Clay Fillslope gets elected president of a charitable organization.
He heaps way too much work on himself, nearly ruining his health and
his family. His problem: he can't delegate. His reasoning: it's too
hard to train others; it's not in their job description; and heck,
it's only a one-year term. This same issue affects nearly every construction
company to some degree. The fallacy of Clay's thinking is exposed
and corrective measures discussed. |
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| How much compressive load can a 2x4 stud take? Would you believe
4,500 lbs, and also zero, depending on its unbraced length. This concept
(buckling) is explained in detail, with three sketches included. An
example temporary post supporting a porch is presented. To drive home
the concepts, the author describes a simple test you can do with a
piece of uncooked spaghetti. |
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| Do you really understand the power of a spreadsheet? Manny Bucks
visits the author and within a minute has a whole new appreciation
for this amazingly powerful tool. The author describes how he got
started with spreadsheets and how you can get started too. An excellent
book reference is given, as well as a few getting started tips. |
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| Scott in Oak Harbor, WA observes that the real money in the construction
industry is in land development, not contracting. The author (a land
developer himself) provides sound advise and six critical factors
anyone thinking about developing land should consider before jumping
in. |
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| Bob N. Frappl, a tradesman who takes pride in work, is employed
by S.T. Inc. Unfortunately, the owner, S. Lackh, has a desk so full
of holes, it's like a slab of swiss cheese - things are always falling
through the cracks. This drives Bob N. literally to a new employer.
Is your desk made of swiss cheese? Four simple, yet very effective
means of plugging the holes are presented, including two photos of
the author's own hedge against swiss cheese. |
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| Are you Gloomy or Cheerful? It makes quite a difference to your
customers. The author describes a motivational tape that, unlike most,
changed his life in a small, yet significant way. It's all about terrific!
- an attitude that you choose every day. How this affects your company
is discussed. Lastly, take the eight-question H.Q. (Happiness Quotient)
test. Score less than 13, and hello Mister Murk: you are a grump and
are likely losing customers because of it. |
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| Why would anyone go into business with their spouse? Because it's
not sexual harassment when it's with your spouse? Because you want
to love, cherish, and slave together 24/7? The author, who's been
in cahoots with his gal, Cindy, for about 15 years reveals some Do's
and Don'ts that work well for them. This column is inspired by the
husband - wife team from R&R concrete finishing. Virtual poetry in
motion, they. |
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| Vinny Veinbulge buys to-go from Chin's Teriyaki. The girl behind
the counter charges extra for soy sauce on "Manager's odah". Vinny
blows his stack and storms out. Three valuable lessons applicable
to anyone in business are gleaned from this minor calamity, and countermeasures
are explained. |
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| Manny Bucks was discussing his grandiose land development plans:
a few million here, several million there… the usual. The author knows
Manny well. His work day is typically 12 hours long. You can easily
identify Manny because of the cell phone surgically implanted to the
side of his head. His kids get to see him sometimes. The author devises
a simple, two minute test to determine how many hours per day one
would need to get everything done. The results are so shocking, it
caused the author himself to rearrange his own life-priorities. Take
the test. |
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| Measure twice, cut once, right? But how many times do you have to
measure when you're within a tolerance so precise, no saw in existence
could cut it? Some employees are scared stiff they'll make an error
and as a result move so slowly their production crippled. Others go
so fast they make mistakes right and left, snuffing out profit. It's
all about common sense. The issues are explored and remedies offered. |
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| The author has some concrete flatwork done at his home, but isn't
there during the pour. The contractor, who has a bad back and a blister
on his thumb, asks the readymix driver to add lots of water to the
mud so it's easier to pour. The driver reluctantly says okay, but
disclaims liability. The author explains water-cement ratio, slump,
water reducing admixtures and their effect on concrete strength. |
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| The phrase, 'cut a truss' should throw all builders into a cold
sweat. You can get away with drilling and notching beams, rafters,
and joists if you know where it's safe. Wood (and steel for that matter)
trusses are among the most efficient structural devises there are.
You just don't just go around snipping and cutting them. The author
is faced with cutting a four foot hunk of bottom chord from a truss
in his house, which he does, but only after analysis and lots of bracing
and bolstering. Four photos included. |
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| Our industry is fraught with peril, it comes with the territory.
But why does it have to be the awful, terrible things that cause us
to pause and reflect inwardly? A man the author knew, a logger, dies
in a logging accident, leaving a family bereft. The author reflects
on what's really important. |
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| The title question is figurative of course - it's none of the author's
beeswax who you are literally in bed with. But he may care a great
deal who your business alliances are if you're to work together. Two
examples are given where deals are awarded to a particular company
because of the other company's affiliation with undesirable entities. |
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| There is no substitute for experience; not school, not seminars,
not fancy equipment, not anything. But how do you get that experience
when no one wants to hire you? The author admits to his shortcomings
as a rookie, then give six tips to help any newbie beat this classic
catch-22. |
