One of the more dramatic types of failures that I have investigated have been the collapse of front porch slabs (see photo above). These occur when the concrete porch slab drops anywhere from a few inches to quite a… Read More
News & Resources
Happy St. Patrick’s Day (A St. Patrick’s Day Quiz) – March 17, 2013
What do historians believe was the birth nationality of St. Patrick? A. British extraction B. Scotsman C. French extraction D. Irish (Hibernian extraction) Historians reference a genuine document written in Latin by St. Patrick for… Read More
They Don’t make ‘Em Like They Used To – Update #4 (February 20, 2013)
Over the past year or so we have been posting on the changes in the design values for Southern Yellow Pine. You might recall that 2011 test results for the strength values of 2×4 lumber showed that the strength values for… Read More
Concrete Masonry Units Are Being Made with Smaller Cross Webs – This is Better, but “On the Other Hand…”
It has been over a year since the American Society of Testing Materials approved ASTM C90-11 which allows thinner cross webs in concrete masonry units (CMU). The new standard allows cross webs to be ¾ inches thick instead of 11/8 inches. … Read More
Congratulations to Peter Zwick – Cleveland Surveyor of 2013
On January 24, 2013 Peter D. Zwick, P.E., P.S. of Zwick Engineering was honored as the “2013 Surveyor of the Year” at the annual meeting of the Professional Land Surveyors of Ohio’s Cleveland Chapter. He is also a Professional Engineer who… Read More
High, But Not Excessive Winds Measured at Cleveland Airport – February 11, 2013
Wind gusts measured up to 50 MPH out of the west-southwest on Monday, February 11, 2013 at the weather station at Cleveland Hopkins Airport. Similar, but lower readings were measured throughout the Cleveland area. Wooster reported a gust of 48… Read More
Fire Damage to Open Web Steel Joists
The determination of fire damage to open web steel joists is not always as obvious as the damage in the photo above, but the application of a few rules can make a preliminary evaluation of fire damage to open web steel… Read More
Frost Heave
January is the time of year when we occasionally get calls regarding a service door that is binding or a garage door does not close or open properly. Subsequent examination of the situation often discloses that a portion of the… Read More