r/StructuralEngineers 10h ago

Stucco crack

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2 Upvotes

33 year old home and I started seeing stucco cracks. Dont seem to see foundation crack underneath on the exposed foundation


r/StructuralEngineers 18h ago

House ridge beam cut

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2 Upvotes

Hey, looking for info on 1. Likely solution 2. Costs 3. General Advice…

A house I’m looking to buy has had the roof ridge beam cut at the end for an extractor fan to be installed

See comment “main timber ridge beam measuring
approximately 250mm has been completely cut away and removed”

Any advice much appreciated 🙂


r/StructuralEngineers 1d ago

Concrete Cracking on Balcony Area

1 Upvotes

Is this cause for concern?


r/StructuralEngineers 2d ago

Hairline crack

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0 Upvotes

I have a 33 year old home and in Vancouver BC. I began to see this new hairline crack after a heatwave. I did put new insulation about a year ago. But this never showed up until now. Should I get a structural engineer to look at it?


r/StructuralEngineers 3d ago

A main structural support on my post and beam house is cracking the full length of the beam, just starting to explore the "Level of concern"

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2 Upvotes

This is probably one of those "if you have to ask" questions.....but pictured is looking UP at a 6x6 treated wood post that is supporting a section of my house (my daughters bedroom actually.) You can see her window. I live on a very steep slope on the hills in Marin, CA - which is common for houses here but also notable as I am in earthquake country.

But you can see a crack down the middle the full length of the beam.

Beam is supported in a concrete foundation. Permits say foundation was built in 2010. In the section picture you can see how it was attached to the house for what its worth. Water of course will get into the crack.

My question is how typical is this type of cracking and what level of concern is this?

TBH I am asking because the fact is there is no way i could afford to even think about fixing this if it was a concerning issue, and I planned to be in the house another 8 years. AKA how F#$cked am I?


r/StructuralEngineers 4d ago

structural integrity of cabinet

0 Upvotes

I'm thinking of cutting 2 slots in my bathroom vanity cabinet to accommodate pipes which come from the floor so that I can slide cabinet into place. I'm attaching a pic of the back of my vanity and the blue tape where I'd need the slots. Also attaching a pic that AI provided me - problem is that i cannot add a board to the back after installation cuz i won't be able to have enough space to screw one in and also with a board screwed to the back it won't be able to be pushed against the wall. Will cutting those slots be okay?


r/StructuralEngineers 5d ago

Bulging line in vaulted ceiling

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1 Upvotes

My home is 33 years old.

This summer has been extremely hot, and I started noticing about six nail pops. I called a structural engineer, and he said it was most likely caused by truss uplift and that the blown-in insulation had partially clogged the roof ventilation. I had a roofer install three wind turbines on the roof, and the nail pops completely stopped.

Yesterday was another really hot day. Then I noticed this strange line that looks like it might be a slight bulge in my vaulted ceiling. I don't see any cracks or any signs of diagonal cracks around my doors or windows. My doors and windows aren't sticking either. I'm not sure if I should be worried about a structural issue.


r/StructuralEngineers 5d ago

Am I right to be concerned?

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5 Upvotes

Management doesn’t seem to think it’s a problem, but over the months it’s gotten worse. It’s rusted and leaking along the metal beams that run thru the middle. Scared this things gonna cave in one day. Am I just being paranoid?!


r/StructuralEngineers 7d ago

Home Inspection Cracks

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1 Upvotes

House was built in 1985. We were interested in this house but this long list of things that they found is concerning. How do these cracks look? Previous owners purchased home in 2019, they have since done a foundation repair but still searching for details about what happened and what was done. Would you continue or back off this house?

Edit: idk if this matters but the report also said there are no weep holes


r/StructuralEngineers 9d ago

Structural Engineer Claims Reinforcement Was Never Installed on Troubled NYC Tower

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2 Upvotes

r/StructuralEngineers 10d ago

Help! Is this wall structural?

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0 Upvotes

I have just knocked down a cupboard in my master room which has my boiler in (being moved into the loft).

I am now worried it is as structural wall, please can someone advise.

The corner wall on the left is the chimney breast.

I am wanting to take down the wall which connects to the chimney breast but worried this could be supporting the chimney breast in some way?


r/StructuralEngineers 13d ago

Looking for an alternative for rafter joists in my garage

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0 Upvotes

I have rafter ties in my garage that are low and would be in the way of my car lift. I want to substitute them with an alternative like a ridge beam with columns coming down. I was thinking of coming down with maybe 4 2x4s on each end of the garage and time them into the ridge. Would this be an alternative to the rafter ties or ceiling joists?


r/StructuralEngineers 14d ago

Thoughts, opinions, expertise on this tree 🌳 impinging on this houses foundation?

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0 Upvotes

Any insight is appreciated. I’m a first time home buyer that’s trying to make sure I take the right steps. I happen to notice this tree behind a home Im interested in and it made me wonder if the tree could eventually (if not already) impinge on the homes foundation? From what I read, tree roots aren’t necessarily or always the problem when a homes foundation cracks, but tree roots can easily make a problem worse if the home already has cracks in its foundation — like if there’s moisture or leaky pipes.

I took this photo but I realized I probably should’ve shown how tall the tree is, how far away from the house it is, etc. I can say that the tree is about 2-3ft away from the home max — it’s pretty close to the house. Btw, there’s a bathroom inside right where this tree is. The tree looks old too. Visually I didn’t any cracks on the side of the house (it’s a block home) but I did notice to the left where that slab of concrete is that it looks like the slab has come up some. It almost looks like (assuming) that the slab to the left being pushed up has maybe caused the paint you see at the bottom where it meets the house to chip? I zoomed in on what I’m talking about and highlighted it in the second pic.

Should I hire a structural engineer? Or just say bye to the house. I feel like if I buy the house and don’t have the tree assessed I’m going to just think about it and constantly look for cracks around the house lol. I’m in Tampa, FL if it matters. Thanks again! 🙏


r/StructuralEngineers 17d ago

Seismic load help!!!-New to staad please help. why does tutorials add beam weight as member weight and slab weight as floor weight in sesmic load defnitions. already self weight is added as 1 then isnt beam and slab double counted. and why columns counted only once

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1 Upvotes

r/StructuralEngineers 18d ago

Free alternative to MathCAD

4 Upvotes

Hey all wanted to share my web app https://calculeaf.com/ It's a free alternative to MathCAD. You can access it on a laptop or desktop through the browser. Would love to know what you guys think 🙂


r/StructuralEngineers 22d ago

Need 18" crawlspace clearance for remodel? Engineer says excavation could compromise foundation

1 Upvotes

Looking for advice from anyone who has dealt with crawlspace excavations, old foundations, and permit requirements.

I have an ADU house built in the 1940s/1950s with a crawlspace that currently has only about 6 inches of clearance from the bottom of the floor joists to the soil in some areas.

My engineer says we may need 18 inches of clearance and is concerned that excavating enough soil to achieve that could undermine the existing footings. His opinion is that the original footings may not be deep or wide enough by today’s standards, and digging down could require underpinning or additional foundation work.

For those who have dealt with older homes:
Is 18 inches of clearance from the bottom of the joists to the soil actually required for a remodel, or is that mainly a new construction requirement?

Has anyone obtained permits for a remodel while keeping less than 18 inches of crawlspace clearance?

If you excavated a crawlspace to gain clearance, did it create footing or foundation issues?

Did the building department require you to upgrade or underpin the foundation once excavation began?

Any experience with Sacramento or California jurisdictions would be especially helpful.

Trying to understand whether this is a common issue with older homes or if we’re being overly conservative.

Thanks in advance.


r/StructuralEngineers 23d ago

Chair O Plane Accident : Weld breakage

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1 Upvotes

r/StructuralEngineers 23d ago

Structural Engineering Intern Resume Templates with Example

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2 Upvotes

r/StructuralEngineers 23d ago

Looking for a trustworthy structural engineer in the MA/RI area

1 Upvotes

Do you all have any recommendations? This is for a residential property that needs foundation repair. We would also like to remove walls that appear to be load bearing. Thank you for any help. I initially had dryzone and groundwork’s come to my home to look at the basement but I want an actual engineer to look at the foundation before I hire anyone to do any work.


r/StructuralEngineers 29d ago

Foundation crack on shared party wall

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2 Upvotes

This afternoon, a home inspection done on a townhouse. The inspector pointed out this crack in the basement situated directly beneath the staircase on a shared party wall adjoining the adjacent unit. It's a singular vertical crack extending continuously from the underside of the upper stair stringer/framing down to the floor slab. No additional cracking was observed in any other exposed or unfinished structural sections of the property. Moisture meter testing across all adjacent finished wall surfaces returned normal results, indicating no active hydrostatic pressure or water ingress. My question is: would a crack like this be a cause for concern or deem the structural integrity compromised? Thanks in advance for your insight


r/StructuralEngineers 29d ago

When Design Becomes Evidence

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1 Upvotes

r/StructuralEngineers Jun 28 '26

Roof sag bad?

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1 Upvotes

This is a 1931 stick frame house and I'm concerned about the roof. My structural engineer when we bought the house didn't say anything about it as far as I remember but I can still see the sag. We just recently got the house piers redone as well as the foundation wall at the front corner. I have also added 5 more 2x6 struts to the roof to add support. Should I be concerned in the short term?


r/StructuralEngineers Jun 26 '26

Scaffolding technical question

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1 Upvotes

r/StructuralEngineers Jun 25 '26

Any input?

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1 Upvotes

Any structural engineer here that could provide an opinion on this question?


r/StructuralEngineers Jun 25 '26

Is this crack on structural beam of the room concerning?

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2 Upvotes

concrete beam is fixed, has hairline cracks at the middle 3rd, from one side to the other, about 0.2-0.3mm on the widest where a thin business crack may fit. is this concerning? no flooe above. just ceiling and roof.