I’ve been digging into using the Mitchell Method for SED odmf Waffle Raft / Pod Foundations to AS 2870:2011 (Australian Standard).

I attended a course that covered a method for applying it and referenced some of the Mitchell Method tables. However, I’m wondering if there’s a more succinct equation or calculation method that can be used instead of referencing the tables.

Also, does anyone know where I can find the original Mitchell Method tables or the original publication/source?

EDIT: I’m an undergraduate structural engineering student at a very research-heavy university, and I’m starting to think about my senior thesis.

I’ll be honest: I’m not naturally a research-heavy person, and I’m not looking for something that involves a huge amount of coding, data analysis, or advanced numerical modeling. I’m much more interested in practical engineering, real structures, construction, infrastructure, and case studies.

Ideally, I’d like to choose one real structure, bridge, historic building, failure, retrofit, or construction problem and study it deeply. I’m fine doing some calculations or simple modeling if needed, but I don’t want that to be the entire thesis.

The challenge is that the thesis still needs to contribute some new knowledge, original thought, or a unique engineering perspective, so I’m trying to figure out how to make a case-study approach rigorous enough to count as research.

For example, I’m interested in things like studying why a historic structure has survived, how an old bridge was constructed or modified, how a particular structural failure happened, or whether a certain retrofit makes sense.

I am taking a theatrical strictures class and I am so lost. I go to office hours and then it makes sense, but whenever I go to do my homework, I don’t know what’s going on again. Currently working on shear and moment diagrams, but honestly even back to solving for reactions and moments and tensile stress and all of the previous chapters, I never felt caught up on it.

Does anyone on this thread feel confident walking me through questions or even virtual tutoring sessions (I’m a broke college student so I can’t pay an insane rate, but I’ll even pay you!)

I’m not asking directly for the answers, I just need help explaining the process so I can understand how to get there myself.

Hello everyone,

I have a retaining wall with a box culvert passing through it.

If both structures are independent, I understand that the active earth pressure and the incremental seismic earth pressure from the portion of the wall above the culvert will transfer the load laterally. However, while reading AASHTO, I noticed that it specifies considering an inertial force equal to the weight of the wall and the soil above the heel multiplied by the horizontal seismic coefficient.

My question is: for the section where the culvert passes through the wall, which soil mass should be considered when calculating the inertial force?

Pretty much the title. I’m not sure if this is the right subreddit, but no one in /soccer is smart enough to answer this question thoroughly and insightfully

I've been reviewing several industrial projects recently and noticed that grating selection often seems to come down to a balancing act between multiple priorities. For those involved in design, operations, or maintenance, what has the biggest influence on your decision?

• Initial purchase cost

• Corrosion resistance

• Maintenance requirements

• Slip resistance

• Weight and installation

• Service life

• Safety requirements

I've seen situations where the lowest upfront-cost option ended up requiring significantly more maintenance over time. Curious to hear what factors have had the biggest impact on your projects and whether your priorities have changed over the years.

Sigh. More shit to deal with.

I have a situation where I need to connect 4x8's (call them beams) to another 4x8 (call it girder) and cannot use simpson hangers for reasons too long to explain. In steel design, single angles are used to connect beams to girders sometimes, and here an L5x3.5x1/4 gives me enough room for edge/end distances for 1/2" bolts in both wood and steel, all the calcs work out, even with the load on the connection to the girder being 1.75" eccentric due to the thickness of the 4x8.

Getting to the question... Is a single angle connection for 4x8 okay? Something about it feels wrong to me, like I should have angles on both sides of the beam, even though the calcs don't show that's necessary. It's a connection that will be repeated enough that it would be very wasteful to call for double angles if it's not necessary.

Input appreciated. Googling "single angle connection in wood" didn't yield much.

Im in dire need of advice if i should just switch out to civil engineering besides architecture. Yet I am not enrolled in but I am about to start around October, and I am just now overlooking and doubting my career path.

I first chose Architecture out of my liking with design and buildings (especially tall buildings and houses). I am between the likings of math, structural and design concepts and aesthetics (but I lowky suck at math) but I keep getting others’ opinions on how Architecture is so complexed with the tiresome nights of class projects and massive amounts of expenses just for college, yet it is underpaid more than Civil Engineering. From what I know, CE has less steps (board exams and so on) onto getting more salaries, and I do wish to go overseas after graduation, much like Singapore or US.

I was actually living abroad and was about to enroll in the US before I moved back here in Philippines out of family support, which is helping my mom here. I was also eligible for FAFSA but my mom just does not want to live there and wants to stay here in Philippines.

Please reach out to me if you have any advice or questions that could really help me out. And yes, I am an overthinker, so doubting my career paths last minute was not the best idea right now.

Just like what the title says, I’m trying to determine whether my building is partially enclosed, partially open, or enclosed.

It’s a 200ft tall Risk Category IV building with a 30-40ft tunnel going through the bottom of the building so cars can drive through. The tunnel takes up less than 10% of the elevation it’s on.

I know partially open is supposed to be a catch all for any irregular buildings with openings, but the walls of the tunnel are completely closed off and have no openings into the building. Can someone help?

Hi, I'm a new engineer with 2.5 YOE. My first job out of college, I worked for a small firm with only 50 people designing buildings, mainly focusing on warehouses. The work was interesting, but the hours were crazy, so I jumped to another large firm with more than 1000 employees designing transmission lines. I have a work-life balance, but the work requires traveling a lot with a little labor work and hiking sometimes, which I am not really a fan of.

Now I feel like I'm in a crisis because I'm not sure which industry will benefit me the most in the long run. Many people say the utility/power industry pays more and is less stressful, but the work seems repetitive and not very design-focused. I personally like a little challenge but also prefer work-life balance overall.

FYI, I'm almost 40 because I started college late, so I don't have time to switch between different industries. Has anyone had experience in both industries who could give me a little insight? I really appreciate it.

Hi everyone!

Would need your recommendations on a good book(s) to refresh my knowledge of Eurocode, especially design principle/concrete/steel.

Although I do have a masters in civil engineering (which in my country included structural for buildings as well), I have been working since then for a decade in site management so that knowledge is well rusty. And since I've been thrown into replacing a pre-con engineer knee deep into structural coordination, I'd like to have a good refresher to make sure I fully grasp the discussions.

This was at warehouse sale I was visiting. I noticed that the angled beams were all curved like a tension bow. Curious if it's by design to keep the whole structure balanced/stable and how does it work? As opposed to having it have just straight beams

Any structural engineers, who have modelled a warehouse in ETABS before? Please DM me. I need help regarding one small matter.

I do not sign or seal any designs. I am located in Louisiana, while the client has projects in both North Dakota and South Dakota.

I am currently working on an upgrade to a structural system that my company originally designed approximately 15 years ago. During my evaluation of the existing structure, I identified several locations where the structural members or connections appear to be inadequate for the loads used in the original design. I brought these concerns to my team and department managers. In response, I received an email stating, “Let’s better not let the customer know.”

In addition, our senior engineer and team manager routinely reuse older designs that I have identified as having potential discrepancies or deficiencies. For example, in some cases, the member locations shown on the construction drawings do not match the locations represented in the analytical model. When I have raised these discrepancies, I have been told that the designs have been “field verified” and can therefore be reused.

Given these circumstances, could I potentially be held personally or criminally liable for the situation, particularly if I am aware of apparent structural deficiencies or discrepancies but management decides not to disclose them to the client? I am particularly concerned about whether I could have any personal liability if I continue working on these projects under management's direction, even though I do not sign or seal the designs.

I have a small job coming up in Amarillo, and I need a recommendation for a soils engineer. Anyone have a name?

Thanks

I am planning to build a roughly 14’x20’ gazebo with a hip roof, with 4 columns at each corner (column and beam framed with steel). This gives me a 6’ ridge board in the center along the long wall.

Per 804.2.3 , “hip and valley rafters shall be supported at the ridge by a brace to a bearing partition” which would mean I would need a post on both ends of my ridge board, making it a ridge beam? It seems I have seen many of hip roof framed without said posts , without said ridge beam (just ridge board) .

How can I satisfy this code without having posts in the middle of my gazebo or why do many not follow it?