BE Structural PC Articles

Five Major Reasons Why Building Envelopes Fail, & Prevention Tips

At BE Structural, we see our fair share of building envelope failures. Think of a building envelope as the shell or skin of a structure. When exposed, the structure’s primary framing and building systems beneath it become vulnerable. A building envelope is therefore an essential component of the building’s infrastructure, creating a barrier in protecting it from external forces, primarily weather. Moreover, a building’s envelope regulates interior heat and moisture levels, while offering first impressions of its aesthetic appeal. A building envelope includes walls, doors, windows, foundations and roofs. So, why do building envelope failures happen?

Five Common Reasons Why Building Envelopes Fail

  1. Design Flaws
    The building envelope is a unique system requiring precise design-build engineering expertise to get it right. While facades may present desired aesthetic impressions, they may not be the best choices for intended uses. To err is human, architects may create designs that specify inappropriate materials.A common mistake occurs when building materials do not meet thermal movements in the area. Architects may forget Mother Nature always has the last say. Regardless of stone or masonry, temperature changes inevitably create cracks and loosen joints in structures. Design deficiencies also occur from water penetration, resistance and structural capacities. When water penetrates the building envelope, moisture becomes trapped, causing materials to warp. This also creates the perfect breeding ground for mold to grow—and introducing a new problem.
  2. Construction Defects
    Building envelopes fail due to construction defects or poor workmanship. This ultimately results in serviceability issues or worse—structural failures. For instance, subcontractors may minimize costs by reducing size, weight and the number of different components essential to maintain structural integrity. This is where BE Structural engineers mitigate defects by inspecting and assessing every required code is incorporated, to uphold the highest building standards to ensure the building’s lasting value.
  3. Poor Workmanship
    Poor workmanship arises during construction booms with many inexperienced, untrained and unsupervised personnel working on projects. Often, building envelope components are improperly installed, disregarding manufacturer specifications. Minimize this danger by putting the right people in the right job and providing a quality control program of installation, observation and inspection.
  4. Natural Disasters
    When a building envelope is exposed to major storms, wind-driven rains and hurricane-force winds, problems compound. This scenario includes structures that have been designed properly. A homeowner may have diligently installed siding and sub-systems correctly; but disasters happen, exceeding design expectations. Unexpected fluctuations in temperatures, hurricanes, and pounding rains damage even the best designed and installed features of any building. Tip: To lessen these weather effects, perform routine checks and regular maintenance repairs.Building envelopes are exposed to numerous elements, making them susceptible to damage even when “looking safe.” Be sure transitions and areas around doors and windows are checked regularly to avoid water from penetrating. Also remember that siding and other envelope components do not last forever; sometimes it makes sense to replace them, than spend lots of money later, on repairs. Be Structural is experienced in building envelope mitigation issues, and ready to offer cost-savings tips.
  5. Costs of Repair Will Only Increase
    Late maintenance and poor repairs inevitably contribute to problematic transitions and joint seals. Say a homeowner decides to remove a gutter expansion joint instead of repairing it. When it rains heavily, water will flow in all directions, with gutters receiving more water than they can handle. This example of poor maintenance adds to water intrusion, further weakening building envelopes.Seasoned property managers and homeowners know putting off repairs always costs more in the long run. Weather and natural deterioration of materials over time exact heavy tolls. Wintry conditions and freeze-thaw cycles severely impact building exteriors, leading to cracks in masonry, split caulked joints and deteriorating mortar joints. Roofing systems weaken and degrade with snow piling on and melting off. If a building’s degradation is not monitored and maintained, it snowballs to unsafe living conditions.In addition, expenses to repair and fix degraded conditions are more exorbitant. However, being proactive and conducting routine inspection, repairs and maintenance, will protect property owners from unnecessary emergencies. BE Structural engineers are happy to inspect and detect problem areas before water and moisture cause extensive and expensive damage to properties.

Tips for Mitigating Envelope Failures

  • How to mitigate, even prevent, building envelope failures? At BE Structural,
    We start with a properly designed building envelope engineered to follow all applicable codes and standards.
  • Second, we select appropriate building materials.
  • Third, prioritizing these first two critical functional steps means incorporating them into the early stages of design-build, to prevent future failures and serviceability issues. Every building component must be well-maintained for the building’s weatherproofing and structural soundness.
  • Fourth, we recommend consistently inspecting and maintaining the building envelope.
    BE Structural uses thermal imagers to detect moisture intrusion and building envelope failures.

If a building is well-maintained and kept safe, current tenants and potential buyers will continue to enjoy living and working there. Tenants spared from leaks are happy tenants. That’s why BE Structural believes an ounce of prevention saves pounds of costly cures.

September 11, 2019
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Benefits of residential solar

The Benefits of Residential Solar and Whether It’s Right for You

Written by  Bret Engle

Residential solar continues to grow in popularity. This is largely due to the fact that solar power, as well as other types of renewable energy, is quickly becoming more affordable for households throughout the United States. What’s more, it’s also becoming increasingly abundant. This article will discuss the advantages of using residential solar, as well as which roof types are ideal for panels and how the installation process works.

THE BENEFITS

Let’s take a look at some of the biggest advantages to using solar power:

It provides you with energy independence.

One of the most appealing aspects of solar power is that it provides freedom and control of your electricity. Many components of the US power grid are outdated, and it has resulted in increased outages over the last decade-plus. By installing solar panels along with a home battery unit, households can have enough electricity to power their home day and night — no matter what is going on with the grid in their neighborhood.

It’s clean and renewable.

Environmentally speaking, solar energy is ideal because it’s completely clean and renewable. The need for coal, natural gas, and oil is significantly reduced, which helps to mitigate the harmful impact these fossil fuels have on the air, water, and soil. No pollution is caused by solar power, and as more people use it, it can help to protect the earth from global warming.

It now makes sense financially.

Another appealing part of solar energy is that it’s beginning to make more sense for the average American household to invest in it. Residential solar costs have dropped more than 70 percent over the last 10 years, and home battery units have become more affordable as well. Plus, solar panels are low-maintenance, they can help you save on your monthly utility bill, they come with tax benefits, and they can raise your home’s value.

If you need help getting the funds to install solar panels, there are financing options available. According to Redfin, if you qualify for the FHA’s Energy Efficient Mortgage program, it will incorporate the costs of installing panels into your mortgage. The program also provides assistance for other home modifications that benefit the environment.

THE BEST ROOF TYPES

Most residential solar panels are mounted on the roof of a home because it takes up the least amount of space. While pretty much any type of roof can be used for panels — given that the roof is in good condition — there are a few kinds that work best. For instance, asphalt shingles are strong and durable, and it’s fairly easy to mount panels on this type of roof.

While tile roofs typically require brackets to be installed along with the solar panels, installation should still be pretty simple. These kinds of roofs come at a higher price, but they ultimately require little maintenance and typically last longer than some other types. Like tile roofs, metal roofs are long-lasting and low-maintenance. They also make for the fastest solar panel installation, and that can save you some money on labor.

INSTALLATION

Installing residential solar is a process. Typically, an engineer will come to evaluate your home to ensure that it’s compatible with a solar system; the engineer will also make sure the roof is in good condition. Then, there’s a lot of paperwork, though most of it is handled by the installer. The paperwork includes applying for solar incentives and permits, and it’s important to have a basic understanding of each document.

After that, you’ll be ready to consult with the installer to choose and order the equipment (e.g., solar panels, inverters, etc.), and then schedule the installation. This process includes things such as roof preparation, electrical wiring, attaching racking to the roof, putting the panels on, and connecting the inverters. You can expect the entire process to take about one to three days, depending on the type of roof and the size of the system.

Changing to solar energy comes with a lot of benefits. However, be sure to consider what kind of roof you have, and make sure you’re prepared for the installation process. Most importantly, continue to educate yourself on residential solar so that you can make an informed decision about whether it’s right for you.

Photo Credit: Pexels

August 22, 2019
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Building Collapse - Notre Dame

Why do we grieve for a collapsed building?

Written by Dana Pezzuti, BE Structural, PC

I’ve read a few pieces that try to put it into words.  Since the fire that claimed much of the structure of Notre Dame, it seems social media is buzzing with opinions on why we shouldn’t grieve for this building and better uses of our time and energy.

After all, what is a building but a bunch of materials stacked, framed and bolted together?

As an individual working within the architecture/engineering/construction industry, my thoughts are a bit different.

For building designers, consulting engineers, architects, masons and carpenters- a building is so much more than a bunch of inanimate objects. It is a place of shelter, a place of congregation- carefully thought out, tested and engineered.  It is a work of art that is both beautiful and functional.

Every year, every decade, every century it endures it is a testament to the expertise, craftsmanship and the newly discovered technology that was used to build it.  Every time a war, plague or storm fail to destroy it-the more the structure becomes a benchmark of human progress. 

There were no building codes in place when the cathedral of Notre Dame was constructed.  Let’s remember that.  The engineering, science and math it took to ensure stability is mind boggling considering very few people understood the principles that we embrace today.

There were not building inspectors handing out citations for shoddy work.  No stamped drawings carefully reviewed by a structural engineer and permitted.  There were only human beings putting their faith in one another and inspiring others to join their cause.  All of our modern day safety measures came about hundreds of years later and even in 2019, buildings fail and bridges collapse-And we mourn the loss of human life.

So when a 700 year old cathedral built in the Dark Age’s burns, we do grieve a little bit.  Just as we grieve if our own home or our neighbor’s home is destroyed.  Not for the loss of bricks and stone but for the people who came together, the memories they made and the children they raised under its common roof.

In the case of Notre Dame, we mourn for the carpenter who worked on the building 700 years ago.  We mourn for the architects and masons that came together to create a functional masterpiece so long ago.  Those who jumped at the chance to be a part of human advancement without question.  Those who poured their heart and soul into its creation but never saw the final result.  That is why we mourn the loss of this building.

#NotreDame  #Building Collapse               #Structural Engineering #ForensicEngineeirng

April 22, 2019
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Structural engineering company

The Different Ways a Steel Structure Can Fail

The job of every structural engineer is to ensure any given building is safe and structurally sound. This can occur during the initial design of a building or during the inspection of an existing building. When it comes to steel structures, it’s hard to imagine them failing due to the strength of the building materials themselves. However, there are several different ways steel structures can fail, and most of them can be prevented with the help of great structural engineering practices. Here are the main ways steel structures can fail.

Insufficient Strength With Connections

Almost every time you hear about a steel structure failing, it’s because of a connection issue. A structural engineer has to put in an incredible amount of thought and detail when designing the joints and connections to ensure they are strong enough. Calculating the strength of joints and connections is a tedious process, and it’s important for the structural engineer and the construction professionals to be on the same page. Any type of miscommunication in the type of bolt or other materials to use can lead to insufficient strength and possible failure.

Tension Failures

Another possible failure in steel structures is putting too much tension on any given member. It takes a significant amount of tension to create this type of failure, and most of the time it only occurs when the structural engineer makes a mistake in the design process. Tension failures are widely known as the most dangerous type of failure, so every structural engineer places a high level of importance on it in the design phase.

Too Much Weight On Beams

Beams can fail in a steel structure as well. It’s fairly simple to figure out when this type of failure will occur, since it happens when the weight on the beams exceed the weight limit they can handle. Lateral torsional buckling is the main concern for every structural engineering company, since it involves predicting where the most significant amount of weight will be placed on the beam. The strongest point of the beam is in the center of it, so buckling could occur and lead to beam failure if the weight on either end of the beam is too much for it to handle.

BE Structural is a team of structural engineering professionals that has an extensive portfolio of construction and engineering projects. Whether a steel structure undergoes minor local buckling or has experienced significant structural failure, we have an expert ready to evaluate the situation and provide the best solutions. No project is too large, small or complex for our structural engineering professionals, so don’t hesitate to contact us at any time when you need us.

November 29, 2018
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Structural engineering

The Problems the Millennium Tower is Facing in San Francisco

When the $550 million construction for the Millennium Tower in San Francisco was announced, there were no shortage of buyers ready to spend millions of dollars to purchase living space. However, less than a decade later, those buyers have lost significant value in their investment due to various unforeseen issues to the tower.

Various structural engineering companies, as well as geotechnical companies, are evaluating the building daily to analyze the cracks, sinking and leaning that are clearly present. While the problems with the Millennium Tower are evident, there are still plenty of questions surrounding the safety of it, who is responsible for these issues and what structural engineering experts are going to do about it.

How Safe Is The Building Today?

The good news is the last time a structural engineer evaluated the building, it was deemed to be safe to live in, even if an earthquake occurred. However, the fact that the sinking of the building doesn’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon can’t be ignored. Structural engineering experts estimate the building will continue sinking between 1.5” to 2” every year, which simply means action needs to be taken now to prevent a potential disaster in the ensuing years.

Where The Blame Lies

Initial inspections indicate the main problem being in the foundation of the Millennium Tower. The soil it’s built on consists of sand, clay and mud, and the foundation does not even extend far enough down to reach solid bedrock. There’s some controversy surrounding the City of San Francisco and why they allowed the construction and design team to not anchor the foundation low enough to reach the bedrock.

Another area of blame has to do with the construction of the transit center that was newly built adjacent to the tower. The construction company responsible for building the Millennium Tower is suggesting the company that constructed the transit center pumped too much groundwater during their project, which caused the sand under the Millennium Tower to compress, and has resulted in the sinking.

Possible Solutions To Fix The Millennium Tower

As structural engineering experts continue to discover the reasons why the Millennium Tower is experiencing these problems, they are also developing short-term and long-term solutions. One of the possible solutions includes removing some of the top floors in order to reduce the weight of the tower. The most discussed solution for the long-term is to bore micro piles on the side of the building that’s sinking in order to eventually anchor it to the bedrock underneath. Once this occurs, the high side of the building must sink to the level of the low side before the anchoring can occur. This proposed solution could take up to five years and cost several hundred million dollars, but it is the most viable solution for the long-term, as analyzed by structural engineering experts.

At BE Structural, we always monitor these types of stories and are actually involved in many of them. We are a structural engineering company with experts coming from many different backgrounds and having various levels of experience. If you have any specific questions about the problems the Millennium Tower in San Francisco is facing, or have a need for a structural engineer, contact us today.

November 27, 2018
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Structural engineer

What Qualities Should Your Structural Engineer Have?

When you have a new construction project or are doing major renovation work, one of the first experts to call is a structural engineer. However, just like not all structural engineering companies are created equally, neither are individual structural engineers. The best ones will work with the architects, designers and other contractors you hire in order to ensure everyone is on the same page with the same vision for the project. Before you hire a structural engineer for your project, make sure they possess these qualities.

Creativity

No two buildings are exactly alike, so your structural engineer should use their knowledge, skills and expertise to design the safest and strongest building for your particular project. This includes evaluating the weather and climate and using building materials that will withstand the harshest elements. Structural engineers have to be creative in order to build a safe structure, while still fulfilling the needs and vision of the homeowner or property owner.

Extreme Attention To Detail

There are plenty of obvious reasons why a structural engineer has to be extremely detailed in the work they do. One seemingly minor mistake could lead to a fatal flaw in the design of the building. And the structural engineer needs to follow through with the other contractors who are actually building the structure to ensure everyone is on the same page and there’s a complete understanding of their thought process.

Innovative Strategic Thinking

With the technology available to every structural engineering company today, there’s no excuse for not using innovative technology to help design a building. The challenge every structural engineer faces is being able to satisfy the needs and desires of the individuals, while also adhering to safety regulations, sustainability practices and more. It requires innovative and strategic thinking to be completely well-rounded, and taking the time to find a structural engineer who possesses these qualities is well worth the effort.

Problem Solving

Problems will always arise in any project, no matter how large or small it is. Whether it’s external factors like the weather, or other unique challenges that aren’t evident immediately, a good structural engineer must be able to think quickly. The best structural engineering professionals will be able to identify problems before they occur and plan on a solution, but sometimes it’s not possible. In either situation, coming up with the best solutions possible is an important quality for structural engineers to have.

At BE Structural, we have a unique mix of structural engineering professionals that work together every day. Each of our structural engineers are well-rounded when it comes to their education, experience and background, and we are constantly in collaboration with one another to enhance our skills. We strive to be your go-to resource for any structural engineering needs, so don’t hesitate to contact us if we can be of service to you.

November 22, 2018
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