January Post: Grade Beam Detail

Recently, I've been working on more cross sections of structures. The drawings below shows the inner layers of a grade beam and grade slab. In drawing A, the grade beam is connected to the grade slab with reinforcements such as rebars and bolts. What are rebars you may ask? Rebars are a bundle of steel bars in a pattern linear formation. The rebars, in detail D, are located between the bolts inside the grade beam, supporting the load coming from the grade slab. 

I drew this structure a long time ago and showed it during my lesson 1 presentation. This blog post is focused on a portion of this structure, which is located (in this drawing) on D.

 This is the process of me finishing Grade Beam Detail (D).

This is my finished work of Detail D.

Blog 12: Third Interview Questions

1.      How can a structural engineer best design a building for earthquake resistance?

2.      How does a design for earthquake resistance make a building safer?

3.      Do you design structures that provide earthquake resistance? Can you describe the designs?

4.      How does the magnitude of an earthquake change a design of a building?

5.      Can you talk to me about buildings that your firm has built which are earthquake proof?

6.      What procedures does your firm follow before designing an earthquake proof building?

7.      Does providing a building with more earthquake resistance have any negative effects?

8.      How do you build a better foundation?

9.      How does AutoCAD play a role in how you design a building for earthquake resistance?

10.  What signature structures does your firm incorporate into a building designed for earthquake resistance?

Blog 11: Mentorship 10 Hours

1.   Where are you doing your mentorship?

I'm doing my mentorship at Kanda and Tso.

2.   Who is your contact?

My contact is my mentor Tzuoh-Jaw Wu.

3.   How many total hours have you done (total hours should be reflected in your mentorship log located on the right hand side of your blog like your WB)?   

So far I have completed 39 hours of my mentorship.

4.   Summarize the 10 hours of service you did.

I focused on sketching detailed parts of the SMRF system. These parts are the column base detail, panel zone, and the grade beam. Most of the details I had to sketch within these parts involved labeling, adding bolts to specific structures, indicating welding, and indicating flanges.

5.   Email your house teacher the name of your contact and their phone number confirming who they should call to verify it. 

Ok

Blog 10: Senior Project: The Holiday

Content:

1.  It is important to consistently work on your senior project, whether it is break or we are in school.  What did you over the break with your senior project?

I did more detailed drawings on the SMRF (Special Movement Restraint Frame Elevation). Specifically I worked on the footings the panel zones of the SMRF, drawing more details such as indicating bolts and welding. 

2.  What was the most important thing you learned from what you did and why?  What was the source of what you learned?

The most important thing I've learned from what I did is that there's always a lot of support in keeping a structure intact. There's never one main component holding a structure together; every single support structure is important. When a structure is specifically designed for earthquakes, there are more supports and that the supports are also composed of even more supports. For example, a footing connects with a column through bolts, hinges, welding and a grade beam. Inside the grade beam contains more bolts, hinges, and welding. Also, the footing is also surrounded by soil to not only withstand the load of the building, but also to put the footings in place with the beams.  This learning experience comes from the knowledge of my mentor and the blue prints that were given too me.

3.  If you were going to do a 10 question interview on questions related to answers of your EQ, who would you talk to and why?

I would talk to my mentor because he has done simulations of buildings reactions to earthquakes on the computer and he also has over 20 years of experience in his career.

I would maybe also ask the boss of my mentor, since he has more experience as a structural engineer than my mentor.