Blog 19: Independent Component 2

LITERAL
(a) “I, Wesley Wu, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 30 hours of work.”
(b) My mentor Tzouh-Jaw Wu, professional structural engineer, helped me complete this independent component. My mentor is always there to help me during my mentorship or independent component hours. 
(c) Independent Component 2 Log Sheet Hours
(d) I designed many foundation structures, because it connects with my answers in better designing a building for earthquake resistance. Most of the foundation structures I drew consisted of footings, connectors, and column beam structures. Before, I start designing the structures, my mentor gives a simplistic summary and purpose of the design. He would include engineering terminology such as the relationships between the impact of building loads onto the footing, and axial loads on the columns. After my mentor is finished giving his explanation, I design the drawing and have my mentor proofread my work. Structural engineers, one of their purposes is to proofread entire building blueprints, which also includes other buildings part that are not associated with structural engineering. It's the job of a structural engineer to make a building safe.
Sometimes when I don't have to design structures. I do research on seismic analyses and building codes. The mentorship doesn't have programs with seismic analyses because there expensive and are not used at a common structural engineering firm. Usually universities use seismic analyses and experiment on buildings with seismic forces.

INTERPRETIVE 

This is a column and footing structure I helped design.

This the footing schedule (specifically for the picture above). The footing schedule shows a list of standard values for certain structural parts and identifies each structural part.

This is detail B of  the connection between typical beam and steel column that I drew on AutoCAD

This is detail C of  the connection between typical beam and steel column that I drew on AutoCAD

APPLIED
This component helped me answer my EQ because most of the designs dealt with foundation structures, which are always used to provide the most earthquake resistance for a building. My first answer dealt with only one specific foundation structure so now I can list other foundation structures to reinforce my first answer, having a better foundation. This independent component also gave me a better understanding on my answer 3 regarding to building code ASCE 7. Engineers have to always follow a procedure of building codes and cannot use their own imagination to design structures. As I was design structural parts on AutoCAD, I noticed that there were many schedules or lists of values and labels and structural parts. My mentor always explained how that these values come from building codes and that engineers need to input these values in their calculations because these codes are usually accurate in keeping a building strong and sturdy whether it was against earthquake or other circumstances. So to summarize, this component helped me gain more experience in designing structures, which helped me better understand my answer 1 and answer 3.