Tilt-Up Walls: Shear Wall, Wall Pier, or Column Frame Element?
When does a shear wall turn into a wall pier? Have you struggled in the past to decide whether the short wall segments that surround a loading dock opening qualify as a wall pier or a column frame element in your tilt-up wall design? Each type of wall element demands different detailing requirements, and more […]
Tilt-Up Wall Anchorage
The design of wall anchorage in tilt-up walls has been influenced most by past failures during seismic events. While many failures were the result of cross-grain bending in wood roof designs, many problems were found also in steel structures, where the steel lacked the necessary ductility and overstrength required during an earthquake. How do ACI […]
2018 National Design Specification Changes
Have you reviewed the upcoming changes in the 2018 National Design Specification? Many changes resulted from changes to other reference standards, and it is important to note their impact on future wood design. In the June 2019 SE University session, Lori Koch, PE, from American Wood Council, presented 2018 National Design Specification (NDS) Changes. Lori […]
“SEU Speaker Inspires” Organization of the Month: The Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County
In July 2019, SE University welcomed John Lawson, PE, SE, from Cal Poly – San Luis Obispo, to present Engineering Tilt-Up: Design Provisions Born from Past Experience. John designated The Land Conservancy of San Luis Obsipo County (www.lcslo.org) for the SEU Speaker Inspires donation of the month. John shared that he made this selection because: […]
“SEU Speaker Inspires” Organization of the Month: Richmond SPCA
In June 2019, SE University welcomed Lori Koch, PE, from American Wood Council, to present 2018 National Design Specification (NDS) Changes. Lori designated the Richmond SPCA (https://richmondspca.org/) for the SEU Speaker Inspires donation of the month. Lori shared that she chose this organization because: “They are a great local no kill shelter here in Richmond […]
Higher Block Strength – Lower Costs
What do you use as your default design strength for masonry? Have you checked with local suppliers to see what is commonly available? Masonry strengths can vary widely, but new findings show the design strengths may be higher than what engineers typically assume. In the April 2019 SE University session, Cathleen Jacinto presented Lintels for […]
Box Beam Design in Cold-formed Steel
Have you struggled to find a good reference for the design of built-up members in cold-formed steel? The code tends to address some assemblies used in a few applications, but often leaves the engineer to determine how design equations may need to be modified for dissimilar shapes or configurations. In the May 2019 SE University […]
CFS Stud Packs vs. HSS
Have you encountered a design where you just can’t seem to make a stud pack work sensibly without using an over the top amount of studs or having to increase the thickness? When is it appropriate to stick with a cold-formed stud pack, and when should you consider using another option such as an HSS […]
“SEU Speaker Inspires” Organization of the Month: Children’s Hospital of Orange County
In April 2019, SE University welcomed Cathleen Jacinto, PE, SE, from FORSE Consulting to present Lintels for Masonry Walls. Cathleen designated the Children’s Hospital of Orange County (https://www.choc.org/) for the SEU Speaker Inspires donation of the month. Cathleen shared that she chose this organization because: “Children’s Hospital of Orange County is an amazing organization that […]
Benefits of Masonry Lintels
Masonry lintels have been used throughout history and have withstood the test of time in many instances. Why is the masonry lintel such an efficient design compared to other available materials? You might think higher strength values can be achieved using other materials, however, masonry lintels built integral with the wall can produce robust and […]