Austin Foundations & Clay Soil: Why You Absolutely Need a Structural Engineer

Posted on August 18, 2009 by LEVEL 3

What kind of foundation system does your home have? Is it a slab with steel or cable? Perhaps a pier & beam? Is it doing its job? How do you know? How do you repair it? Will it be safe? Can I rely on what my builder or “home” inspector tells me?

A building foundation system separates your home or building from the supporting ground. It prevents your floor, walls and roof from moving along with the soil is sits on, and helps protect you and your family from the outside elements.

Foundation design types vary geographically. Local soil conditions, climate, and material and labor availability influence foundation design styles. Many homes in the Midwest and northeastern part of the U. S. have basements, while southern and western U. S. homes tend to be built atop solid concrete slab-on-grade foundations systems. Both foundation types are functional and respond to the needs of the locality.

Foundation performance varies from house -to-house, and from building-to-building. Foundation failure does not appear to be related to geography or locality. Often, a residential area with expansive soils may be interpreted as an area with a higher than average risk of foundation failure, where the failure is attributed to the poor soil conditions. In reality, the failure is correctly placed upon novice level construction and foundation evaluation techniques.

Foundation and wall cracks may suggest impending problems such as abnormal water infiltration sources or other structural irregularities. If your foundation is too rigid or too flexible, you may see signs of distress like brittle material fractures on the inside or outside of your home. This does not necessarily mean your foundation is physically broken. It may be that your foundation system was simply designed or built incorrectly and its performance is impaired.

But how do you know if you have a problem? What type of inspector should you hire to inspect and determine if your foundation system has problems? To find out, ask your prospective inspector the following questions:

  1. What is your educational background? (correct answer: I have an accredited engineering degree from a four year college or university);
  2. What type of foundation inspection training do you have? (correct answer: I have a professional engineering license with the state of ________ and I have inspected over 500 foundations;
  3. How long have you been designing and building foundations? (correct answer: I have over ten years previous foundation design and construction experience).

If you prospective foundation inspector does not answer these three questions correctly as noted above, then it’s likely that inspector is a novice. Do you really want to trust the most important (and likely most expensive) part of your house or building to a less skilled “home inspector”?

The bottom line is this: If you suspect you may have problems with your foundation, hire a licensed professional engineer to evaluate it. That way, you’ll get a state licensed professional with the best combination of education, training and experience to evaluate your foundation system. Your piece of mind and the health of your foundation system are well worth it.

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Austin Foundation Repair:   Get a Second Opinion

…Unfortunately, Foundation Repair can be very costly, so get a second opinion before you hire a repair contractor-if not by a Texas Licensed Engineer, than by someone who does not stand to gain financially from repairing your foundation system…

cracked brick wallWhat kind of foundation system does your home have? Is it a slab with steel or cable? Perhaps a pier & beam? Is it doing its job? How do you know? How do you repair it? Will it be safe? Can I rely on what my builder or “home” inspector tells me?
A building foundation system separates your home or building from the supporting ground. It prevents your floor, walls and roof from moving along with the soil it sits on, and helps protect you and your family from the outside elements.
Foundation design types vary geographically. Local soil conditions, climate, and material and labor availability influence foundation design styles. Many homes in the Midwest and northeastern part of the U. S. have basements, while southern and western U. S. homes tend to be built atop solid concrete slab-on-grade foundations systems. Both foundation types are functional and respond to the needs of the locality.
Foundation performance varies from house-to-house, and from building-to-building. Foundation failure does not appear to be related to geography or locality. Often, a residential area with expansive soils may be interpreted as an area with a higher than average risk of foundation failure, where the failure is attributed to the poor soil conditions. In reality, the failure is correctly placed upon novice level design, construction and foundation evaluation techniques.
Foundation and wall cracks may suggest impending problems such as abnormal water infiltration or other structural irregularities. If your foundation is too rigid or too flexible, you may see signs of distress like brittle material fractures on the inside or outside of your home. This does not necessarily mean your foundation is physically broken. It may be that your foundation performs poorly due to improper design and construction.
But how do you know if your foundation is “broken” and needs repair? What type of inspector should you hire to inspect and determine if your foundation system has problems? To find out, ask your prospective inspector the following questions:
  1. What is your educational background? (correct answer: I have an accredited engineering degree from a four year college or university);
  2. What type of foundation inspection training do you have? (correct answer: I have a professional engineering license within the state of ________ and I have inspected over 500 foundations;
  3. How long have you been designing and building foundations? (correct answer: I have over ten years foundation design and construction experience).
If your prospective foundation inspector does not answer these three questions correctly as noted above, then it’s likely that inspector is a novice. Do you really want to trust the most important (and likely most expensive) part of your house or building to a less skilled “home inspector”?
The bottom line is this: If you suspect you may have problems with your foundation, hire a licensed professional engineer to evaluate it. That way, you’ll get a state licensed professional with the best combination of education, training and experience to diagnose and properly repair your foundation. Your piece of mind and the health of your home or building foundation are well worth it.

Austin Foundation Repair:   Get a Second Opinion  Austin Foundation Repair:   Get a Second Opinion  Austin Foundation Repair:   Get a Second Opinion

Posted on August 14, 2009 by LEVEL 3 | Comments Off on Austin Foundation Repair: Get a Second Opinion

What Every “Austinite” Should Know About Structural Engineering

Posted on August 14, 2009 by LEVEL 3

Structural engineering is a field of engineering dealing with the analysis and design of structures that support or resist loads economically. Structural engineering is usually considered a specialty within civil engineering, but it can also be studied in its own right.

Structural engineers are most commonly involved in the design of buildings and large nonbuilding structures but they can also be involved in the design of machinery, medical equipment, vehicles or any item where structural integrity affects the item’s function or safety. Structural engineers must ensure their designs satisfy given design criteria, predicated on safety (e.g. structures must not collapse without due warning) or serviceability and performance (e.g. building sway must not cause discomfort to the occupants).

Structural engineering theory is based upon physical laws and empirical knowledge of the structural performance of different geometries and materials. Structural engineering design utilises a relatively small number of basic structural elements to build up structural systems that can be very complex. Structural engineers are responsible for making creative and efficient use of funds, structural elements and materials to achieve these goals.Structural engineers are responsible for engineering design and analysis. Entry-level structural engineers may design the individual structural elements of a structure, for example the beams, columns, and floors of a building. More experienced engineers would be responsible for the structural design and integrity of an entire system, such as a building.

Structural engineers often specialise in particular fields, such as bridge engineering, building engineering, pipeline engineering, industrial structures or special structures such as vehicles or aircraft.

Structural engineering has existed since humans first started to construct their own structures. It became a more defined and formalised profession with the emergence of the architecture profession as distinct from the engineering profession during the industrial revolution in the late 19th Century. Until then, the architect and the structural engineer were often one and the same – the master builder. Only with the understanding of structural theories that emerged during the 19th and 20th century did the professional structural engineer come into existence.

The role of a structural engineer today involves a significant understanding of both static and dynamic loading, and the structures that are available to resist them. The complexity of modern structures often requires a great deal of creativity from the engineer in order to ensure the structures support and resist the loads they are subjected to. A structural engineer will typically have a four or five year undergraduate degree, followed by a minimum of three years of professional practice before being considered fully qualified.

Structural engineers are licensed or accredited by different learned societies and regulatory bodies around the world (for example, the Institution of Structural Engineers in the UK). Depending on the degree course they have studied and/or the jurisdiction they are seeking licensure in, they may be accredited (or licensed) as just structural engineers, or as civil engineers, or as both civil and structural engineers.

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