I am currently presenting several 2-day face-to-face seminars (with a remote option for attendees) with the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and would love to meet you at one of them! Feel free to browse the descriptions below, let me know if you have any questions, and contact ASCE to register!
Design of Non-Building Structures
This seminar will provide tools for a practicing engineer to design efficient non-building structures, using the requirements of ASCE/SEI 7-22 as a base document for determining wind and seismic forces. Some of this efficiency comes with an ability to recognize the limitations of prescriptive code requirements and to produce a defensible design using time-tested principles of engineering mechanics. We will also study existing structures, which oftentimes require retrofit when non-building structures are added to them.
BENEFITS + LEARNING OUTCOMES
• Become familiar with ASCE 7-22 for non-building structures subjected to pertinent load cases
• Coordinate requirements of ASCE 7-22 with those of the 2021 International Building Code and material standards, such as ACI 318-19 (concrete), AISC 360-16 (steel), and others (copies of these documents will not be provided, nor are they needed to attend)
• Recognize non-building structures not addressed in ASCE 7-22
• Understand the importance of simplifying design procedures
• Assess the need to justify alternative design solutions for non-building structural systems
Current Schedule: June 26 & 27, 2025
Structural Design of a 4-Story Building
This 2-day seminar will cover structural design and problem solving considerations for a 4-story building that includes concrete, masonry, steel, and wood structural members and systems. Design codes include the 2024 International Building Code, ASCE 7-22, NDS-2024, SDPWS-2021, AISC 360-22, AISC 341-22, TMS 402/602-22, and ACI 318-19. Some of the topics covered include the calculation and distribution of lateral forces; consideration of problem solving techniques for different materials during the design phase; design of beams which also act as chords or drag struts; gravity-load design for girders, posts, and connections; design of diaphragms, shear walls, and frames; distribution of lateral forces based on the rigidities of resisting elements; collectors and chords; anchorage of elements; design of simple shallow foundations.
BENEFITS + LEARNING OUTCOMES
• Explain how to design lateral force resisting systems for all building materials
• Discover techniques to resolve problems that may affect the design process
• Explain the requirements for combining loads per ASCE 7-22 to design typical structural members
• List principles for code interpretation
• Apply knowledge of the background behind code issues to make practical design decisions
UPDATE (Session 4, Seismic, July 2017)
Current Schedule: September 25 & 26, 2025
Crafting Practical Solutions to Field Construction Problems
A successful project requires good communication and coordination between dedicated design and construction teams. Even with the most qualified people, however, problems can occur during construction that require a structural engineer’s input and creative problem solving expertise to help minimize the cost and time spent on taking corrective action. This seminar will engage the participant in the discovery and evaluation of problem solving techniques and theory, error analysis, and practical examples of common structural problems that can arise during construction. Case studies and numerical problems will be presented to illustrate effective solutions, and tools will be offered to further enhance the problem-solving capabilities of attendees.
BENEFITS + LEARNING OUTCOMES
• Examine situations that lead to error in structural designs
• Interpret and apply problem solving theory and techniques
• Calculate beam strengthening requirements where holes occur in structural members
• Understand the incident of concrete and masonry cracks and evaluate their effect
• Evaluate deficient member connections and a need for retrofit
Current Schedule: May 22 & 23, 2025