Announcement:
We are pleased to announce that Samir Nacer, Project Manager, has passed the Professional Engineer (PE) exam and is now a licensed professional engineer in the state of Nevada! Please join us in congratulating him on this great achievement!
Samir is already working on his next goal which is to pursue his Structural Engineer (SE) license. | |
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| Greetings!
As you are well aware, a massive earthquake struck Haiti on January 12, 2010, leveling the country's capital, Port-au-Prince. The quake was the worst in the region in more than 200 years. According to some estimates, the death toll exceeds 200,000 people and the cost of property damage could range between $7-$13 billion.
A lack of seismic design requirement and construction enforcement in Haiti's building codes were the clear contributors to the devastating damage. As structural engineers with expertise in the design of building structures to be earthquake resistant, it is especially painful to see such negligence.
Haiti's tremor reminds us again of the desperate need for countries that are prone to earthquakes to implement proven building codes such as the American International Building Code (IBC). The need also extends to retrofitting old existing structures which were not originally designed to withstand seismic activity, here in America and worldwide.
One of the most significant services that we, along with architects, other design and construction professionals, can provide is to retrofit under-designed buildings to bring them up to code compliance and improve their seismic performance level and avoid such tragedies.
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| Focus On: The International Building Code 2009: Part II |
Last month's SM issue highlighted a few of the structural changes and revisions that have been included in the International Building Code (IBC) version 2009. The new code is expected to be adopted by Southern Nevada building departments in July of 2010. Some of the code changes to other disciplines are:
- Substantial parts of the code were deleted from chapters 21 (Masonry) and 23 (Wood) because they are contained in the referenced standards.
- Modifications have been made to chapters 29 (Plumbing Systems) and 30 (Elevators and Conveying Systems). The new code recognizes the International Existing Building Code as an acceptable alternative to chapter 34 (Existing Structures) for addressing existing buildings.
- Significant changes were made to the building classification criteria of chapters 3 (Use and Occupancy Classification), 5 (General Building Heights and Areas) and 6 (Types of Constructions) including clarification of occupancy classifications of ambulatory and adult care facilities. In chapter 4 (Special Detailed Requirements Based on Use and Occupancy), the appropriate residential group R classification has been established for small congregate living facilities and live/work units.
- Other changes were made to the fire protection provisions in chapter 8 (Interior Finishes), 9 (Fire Protection Systems) and 10 (Means of Egress). Parts of chapter 11 (Accessibility) have also been revised and expanded.
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| In Construction: Lexus of Henderson Auto Dealership |
Construction of the new Lexus of Henderson Auto Dealership is progressing smoothly and on schedule. The 83,500 square feet facility will include a luxurious showroom, a retail boutique, customer lounge and administrative offices. The services area boasts 18-bay service garage, 6-bay quick-lube, stand-alone car wash, detail bays and on-site cooling tower-central plant. The building is seeking LEED Silver certification.
As the structural engineer, THOMAD Engineering continues to provide construction administration services for the project which is expected to be completed before the end of 2010.
Click here to go to our website for more information and photos of the project's progress. | |
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