Articles

2023 Florida Building Code 8th Edition

2023 Florida Building Code 8th Edition

The Florida Building Code (FBC) has released the 2023 8th Edition, and the most significant change is that it now references ASCE 7-22 rather than ASCE 7-16.  We have already summarized the major changes made in ASCE 7-22 in this article link.  There were some minor...

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ASCE 7-22 Wind Load Changes

ASCE 7-22 Wind Load Changes

There are several changes included in the ASCE 7-22 'Minimum Design Loads and Associated Criteria for Buildings and Other Structures' related to wind load calculations. This article will attempt to summarize the major changes to the wind load calculations.Chapter 26:...

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Wind Loads on Tanks

Wind Loads on Tanks

In the ASCE 7-16 publication, new sections were added to address wind loads on tanks, bins, and silos.  All three of these structures (tanks, bins, and silos) are handled exactly the same, since all of these structures are basically the same structure but with...

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Steel Stack Deflection

Steel Stack Deflection

When designing a stack should steel stack deflection be a concern?  It's a good question and one that comes up frequently,  The design standards give some guidance, but the standards vary in how they handle steel stack deflection and there is some room for...

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Wind Loads at Elevations

Wind Loads at Elevations

In designing structures we typically want to calculate wind loads at elevations that are important for the structure.  Some tall buildings have each floor being the same height and other structures such as the Sagrada Familia Cathedral in Barcelona which is completely...

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Stack Conical Transition Analysis

Stack Conical Transition Analysis

Analysis of a conical transition isn't as simply as looking at just the section properties along the cone. Cone-cylinder junctions are areas of high discontinuity stresses. They have unbalanced radial loads from the axial and bending loads it sees, as well as...

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Wind Loads on Freestanding Walls

Wind Loads on Freestanding Walls

This article addresses the method used to calculate wind loads on a freestanding wall.  This calculation follows the same method as that used for solid signs, which we have covered in a previous article.  The calculation of wind loads on freestanding walls is most...

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Anchor Bolt Pretension

Anchor Bolt Pretension

There is nothing simple about recommending anchor bolt pretension, ask ten engineers and you could get eleven different recommendations.  Meca has done all of the research in order to try to resolve this topic once and for all...at least until the next anchor bolt...

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Wind Loads on Solid Signs

Wind Loads on Solid Signs

While in a dream driving down the highway, I saw the image shown above and I thought to myself that this must be a sign.   I was correct, it was a sign. A sign that we need to write an article explaining how to calculate wind loads on solid signs.  Although this...

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