Structural Steel Shapes
Structural steel is one of the most commonly used construction materials in the building industry. There is a variety of hot-rolled steel shapes that can be designed to fit almost… Read More »
Articles by Brian Ki, P.E.
Structural Framing Made Easy
Structural members are building components that are used to construct a building. Whether it be your home or a commercial building, the structural members are often labeled with the same… Read More »
Signs of Overstressed Wood Framing
Most of New Hampshire and Massachusetts homes have been constructed using wood framing for floors, walls and roofs. The material is readily available and generally inexpensive when compared to other… Read More »
Is this Design Over-engineered?
As engineers, we often are accused of “overengineering” a building’s structure; when, in reality, we are just following the design rules set forth in the local building code. In most… Read More »
Everett Street Apartments, Nashua, NH
We helped Sequel Development & Management on another multi-unit apartment design. This 6-unit apartment is located on Everett Street in Nashua, NH and construction was completed in November 2019. The… Read More »
Truss Uplift Wall Connection
Roof trusses have become more and more common in wood-framed construction. Their strategic design allows for economical material to be used, easy fabrication, and quick installation that saves costs all… Read More »
Allowable Holes and Notches in Wood Joists
There are very specific guidelines of where and how to drill holes and notches in conventional wood joists for plumbing and electrical. Taking out the wrong section of a wood… Read More »
Upside Down Joist Hangers
No, this picture is not upside down. These joist hangers were found to be installed upside down. Although the nails help keep the joists connected, the 2x wood member should… Read More »
Properly Installed Lally Columns
Check out the new lally column and concrete footing installed in a recent basement renovation we helped engineer. It doesn’t look like much from the surface but, too many times,… Read More »
Concrete Wall Cracking
As structural engineers, one of the most common residential concerns we see are cracking concrete basement walls. Because concrete materials are very solid, we often think any cracks that appear… Read More »