AISC 341-16 Seismic Design Changes: Shared Columns-Intersecting Frames
In the immediate aftermath of the Northridge earthquake in 1994, steel buildings seemed to perform well. In the weeks to months following, however, extensive damage was found in special moment frame steel systems. As a result, FEMA allocated 10 million dollars to investigate, test and analyze materials, member connections, and structural systems in order to […]
Welding on In-Place Embed Plates
AISC’s Steel Solutions Center frequently receives questions related to welding in situations that are not ordinary or where special fixes are needed after something has gone wrong. To address these questions and other welding dilemmas, special care was taken in Design Guide 21: Welded Connections (Second Edition) to expand upon Special Welding Applications. Enhanced since […]
“SEU Speaker Inspires” Organization of the Month: EERI Learning from Earthquakes (LFE) Endowment Campaign Fund
In September 2019, SE University welcomed James O. Malley, SE, from Degenkolb Engineers, to present Changes to the Seismic Design of Steel Structures. Jim designated the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI) Learning from Earthquakes (LFE) Endowment Campaign Fund (http://www.learningfromearthquakes.org/) for the SEU Speaker Inspires donation of the month. Jim shared: “I selected this fund because […]
Problem Solved: Out-of-Tolerance Fillet Weld Joints
Have you encountered fit-up problems in the field for fillet welded connections? What has been your solution? AWS D1.1 requires that the engineer approve any alternative acceptance criteria for production welds, but the Code only provides general stipulations applicable to most situations. Finding an acceptable alternative for fit-up issues often plagues engineers, however in the […]
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 […]
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 […]