Do I Need to Put a Vapor Barrier Down Below My Concrete Slab?
A few months ago, I was sitting in a project meeting that included the owner, general contractor, and the design team. The owner asked the question “Do we need to put a vapor barrier down below the slab?” The contractor immediately said he is not making that decision because he does not want to be liable for the outcome. The presence, or lack thereof, of a vapor barrier has both advantages and disadvantages.
Preferred Parking: New Ramp Brings Relief to Morgantown
Home to West Virginia University and its acclaimed Mountaineer football team, the town of roughly 30,000 sits amongst the rolling hills of northern West Virginia along the banks of the Monongahela River, but what the town lacks is public parking. A recently completed parking garage is helping to meet parking needs.
Do I Need a Geotechnical Report for My New Building?
Investing in a Geotechnical Report, conducted by a Professional Structural Engineer, is a crucial first step in planning your building site. The Geotech Investigation will allow you to assess the site for safety and compatibility for your building type, preventing major future expenses and issues.
The Advantage of a Steel Framed Parking Garage
Steel parking garage structures are a minority in parking garage construction. The most common material used for parking garages is concrete. Most everyone has parked in a concrete parking garage. They serve their purpose, but aesthetically speaking, they’re...
How Necessary is a Geotechnical Report When Designing A Building?
What Owners & Developers Should Know: Notice that the title of this discussion doesn’t start with, “When is it Necessary"? I would also take it a step further and say that the title of this discussion should have an exclamation mark at the end of the title in lieu...
Allegheny Design Services Named A Top Engineering Firm
Allegheny Design Services (ADS) was named by the Giants 300 Report as a top engineering firm in July’s issue of Building Design and Construction Magazine. ADS qualified in the Multi-Discipline Engineering category placing it at number 54 in the nation of this...
Gracefully Flipping 50 Tons of Steel Like a Pancake
Building a structure made of steel takes a lot of work. Design, planning and erection are all accounted for from conception to completion.
Load Paths, Gravity Loads and Lateral Loads
Structural Engineering 101 Foundations are the first thing to be built during construction. Therefore, they must be the first thing to be designed, right? WRONG! This is a common misconception. Surprising as it may be, buildings are built from the ground-up, but are...
What to do if You Accidentally Misplace or Bend Anchor Bolts
What to do if you misplace or bend anchor bolts: Damaged or misplaced anchor bolts during the construction process is a very common occurrence, and I will address a few solutions. Example of bent anchor bolts. For bent anchor bolts, in certain situations, it is...
What is the Most Important Component to Sport Facilities?
MEP Design in Sports: Proper Lighting is Essential It is no secret that Americans are consuming sports entertainment more than ever before causing live sports television markets to skyrocket. With every grant of rights agreement reached, with every broadcasting bid...