Steel Flitch Beams
A flitch beam is a composite beam made of steel plate(s), sandwiched between multiple plies of wood members, and then bolted together to create a single beam. Flitch beams are… Read More »
Lowering a Basement Floor
Have you ever considered making living space in your unfinished basement? It’s a possibility if the ceiling height is high enough. The International Residential Code requires a minimum 7 ft.… Read More »
Learning About Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF)
The idea of Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF) dates back from after World War II when blocks of treated wood fibers mixed with cement were used in Switzerland. At about 14… Read More »
Residential Braced Wall Design
A few members of Team Engineering recently had the opportunity to attend a specialized training on braced wall requirements for residential buildings. This conference was held by the New Hampshire… Read More »
Mechanical Anchoring
In the construction industry, we often need to connect one thing to another. The kind of fastener or anchor you need for every connection depends on a few different variables:… Read More »
Steel Moment Frames
The main goal of a steel moment frame is to resist lateral load, such as wind or seismic, that often calls side sway or racking. These types of structures are… Read More »
Wood Post Blocking Between Floor Framing
Creating a continuous load path is a fundamental principle of structural engineering. In steel construction, steel columns are often spliced in the field to be continuous for the entire height… Read More »
Adaptive Foundation Design
This project is referred to as The Needles (after the original hunting lodge owner, I think). When I first inspected under the building’s crawl space (tight squeeze), I had to… Read More »
Residential Barn Renovation
We recently had a client who wished to convert their 1800’s unfinished barn into an in-law apartment in Derry, NH. The exterior aesthetics had its own antique characteristics that the… Read More »
Engineered Wood I-Joists as Tension Members
Engineering wood I-joists (TJI, BCI, AJS, etc…) are a popular choice for floor framing members in wood-frame construction, and we like them for the same reason others do: they are… Read More »