When Hurricane Ian made landfall in late September 2022, it became the deadliest hurricane to hit Florida since 1935. The storm devastated Lee County, causing catastrophic damage to the Sanibel Causeway, the 4.8-kilometer (three-mile) bridge system connecting Sanibel Island to mainland Florida. The causeway’s destruction severed the only road access for residents, businesses, and emergency […]
Structural design pressure ratings for windows, doors, and curtain walls are typically validated through laboratory testing. However, building projects often require fenestration configurations that differ from tested baseline assemblies, making full retesting for every variation both cost-prohibitive and time-consuming. The Fenestration and Glazing Industry Alliance (FGIA) has developed a consensus-based engineering analysis procedure under AAMA
Historic churches and civic buildings built during the nineteenth century across the United States commonly feature wood framed roof trusses supported by mass masonry exterior walls. These structures, designed using empirical building traditions rather than modern engineering mechanics, often contain latent structural deficiencies that emerge over decades of service. Understanding the failure modes specific to
Structural engineers working on low-carbon civic buildings face a critical challenge: achieving dramatic embodied carbon reductions without compromising structural performance, safety, or serviceability. San Mateo County’s County Office Building 3 (COB3), designed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (SOM) and currently under construction in Silicon Valley, provides a compelling case study in hybrid mass timber structural
When a fire destroyed the historic Eugene Civic Stadium in Oregon, the community saw an opportunity not just to rebuild but to reimagine what a civic sports facility could deliver. The result is Civic Park, a multi-phase redevelopment project anchored by a 3,716-square-meter (40,000-square-foot) field house built on a pre-engineered steel structure. For building professionals
Understanding Stucco-Clad EEEs and the Stucco Bucket Problem Exterior elevated elements (EEEs) such as balconies, walkways, exterior stairs, and landing platforms are among the most weather-exposed components in any building. When clad in stucco without adequate drainage and ventilation, they create conditions that lead to hidden structural deterioration. The term stucco buckets describes these enclosed
Recent structural collapses of exterior elevated elements (EEEs) such as balconies, walkways, and stairs have drawn increased attention to the inspection and maintenance of these building features. Stucco-clad EEEs exposed to weather present particular risks because the stucco assembly can trap moisture against structural wood members over extended periods. This sustained wetting accelerates decay of
The FIU Bridge Collapse: What Happened and Why It Matters On March 15, 2018, a pedestrian bridge under construction at Florida International University in Miami collapsed catastrophically, killing six people and injuring eight others. The 53-meter (174-foot) span crushed eight vehicles, seven of which were occupied. The bridge, designed as a signature accelerated bridge construction
In a landmark decision for the construction industry, the Washington State Building Code Council (SBCC) approved code changes that permit mass timber as a structural system in buildings up to 18 stories tall. Washington became the first state in the nation to integrate tall mass timber provisions directly into its building code without requiring alternative
Structural steel embedded within masonry walls has served as a reliable load-bearing system for over a century, yet corrosion remains a persistent threat. When moisture contacts unprotected steel, oxidation produces rust scale occupying up to ten times the original metal volume, damaging both steel and masonry. Understanding corrosion mechanisms, assessing section loss, and implementing maintenance
