March 26, 2019

Considerations for Custom Facade System Design

By: Scott Bondi, John Jackson
Designing custom glazing systems – such as structural glass walls or unitized curtain walls – is a complex task that varies widely from project to project, often depending on architectural goals and logistical constraints.
Services:Building Enclosure Design
Keywords:Curtain Wall, Glass and Glazing
March 26, 2019

Passive House Design for High-Performance Building Enclosures

By: Cheryl Saldanha, Gert Guldentops

The building enclosure is at the core of Passive House (PH) design – it is the “passive” system that regulates energy transfer. The mechanical and other “active” systems supplement the enclosure design to maintain...

Services:Building Enclosure Design
Keywords:Building Science
March 15, 2019

Window Receptor Frames in 2018: More Than Just Accessories

By: John Karras, Megan Toumanios, Jin Rui Yap

In the March issue of the RCI Technical Journal, Interface, John Karras, Megan Toumanios, and Jin Rui Yap examine window receptor frames. The article takes a close look at the topic, including provisions in window industry standards and...

Services:Building Enclosure Design
Keywords:Windows
March 15, 2019

Thermal Enhancements for Aluminum-Framed Curtain Walls - A Practical Perspective and Some Nonthermal Considerations

By: Mary Arntzen, Derek McCowan

In the March issue Interface – The Journal of RCI, Mary Arntzen and Derek McCowan discuss various modifications that may be made to aluminum-framed curtain walls to improve their thermal performance. This article discusses enhancement...

Services:Building Enclosure Design
Keywords:Curtain Wall, Glass and Glazing, Thermal
February 12, 2019

Welded Steel Moment Resisting Frames

By: Ronald Hamburger, James O. Malley

This is one of a series describing surprising lessons engineers have learned from earthquakes and, in particular, the January 17, 1994, Northridge earthquake. Engineers have been learning from earthquakes for more than 100 years by observing the...

Services:Structural Investigation
Keywords:Frame Moment, Metal-Steel, Seismic Engineering and Retrofit
February 12, 2019

Performance-Based Design is the Future

By: Donald Dusenberry

We, as structural engineers, often find ourselves confined by a situation we created for ourselves. We operate in a design environment with easy access to information, have the ability to collect and analyze extensive data, and have access to...

Services:Structural Design
Keywords:Codes & Standards, Performance-based
January 16, 2019

Designing for Flooding and Sea Level Rise

By: Aaron Lewis, Gregory Doelp
Natural disasters can significantly damage buildings and disrupt operations. With flooding as the nation’s leading cause of disaster, it is important for facility owners and managers to understand flood risk and possible mitigation options.
Keywords:Below-Grade, Below-Ground Waterproofing, Flood, Waterproofing
December 18, 2018

Recent Changes to New York Building Code Regarding Parking Garages

By: Robert Antes
A new rule in New York now requires that all parking garages under the jurisdiction of the New York State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code undergo a periodic condition assessment to help ensure structural integrity and user safety. Owners of parking garages must retain a professional engineer to perform the inspection and submit a report to the local authority having jurisdiction to obtain an operating permit.
Keywords:Condition Assessment, Inspection, Ordinance, Parking Structure
December 10, 2018

Double Impact

By: Mark Webster, Kara D. Peterman, Lizhong Wang, James A. D'Aloisio, Jerome F. Hajjar

Buildings account for nearly 40% of U.S. energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. The materials required to construct a building all require energy to manufacture, fabricate, deliver and erect. Once it is operational and in use, the...

Services:Structural Design
Keywords:Green / Sustainable Design, Metal-Steel
November 26, 2018

Case Study on the Collapse Potential of a Wharf Supported by Severely Deteriorated Steel Piles under Gravitational Loads

By: Dominic Kelly, Paul Schuman, Oswaldo Russian, Mina Dawood

This paper presents findings from a research project on the development of a numerical framework to predict the collapse load of a wharf supported by corroded piles under gravitational loads. Data from a detailed marine investigation performed in...

Services:Structural Investigation
Keywords:Collapse, Corrosion, Finite Element Analysis, Marine Engineering, Nonlinear, Pier/Wharf/Boat Ramp, Research/Development

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