Structural Moments is three years old!

 

It is hard to believe that so much time has gone by since we began publishing Structural Moments in May of 2009. We have seen many changes over the past three years, and it has been a joy to share them with you. We love to stimulate dialogue about our rapidly changing world and the work that we do. Though the type and scale of projects we work on day-to-day has changed, we remain thoroughly passionate about structural engineering, committed to client-focused service, and capable as ever! 

 

Without our clients and colleagues, Structural Moments would have no purpose, so we would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your 

continued support, readership, and business! We wish you continued success, and promise many more interesting 'Moments' to come! 

 

 

Best regards,

Mohammed Thomad, PE, SE

Principal

Focus On: Pre-Engineered Elements And Specialty Components

Specialty items, pre-engineered components, and design-build elements are those items which are specified in the construction documents by the project engineer or architect of record, but require design by the manufacturer, supplier, or installer. Some common examples include: 

1. Structural precast concrete.
2. Steel joists and joist girders.
3. Wood trusses, engineered wood joists and beams.
4. Exterior curtain walls, cladding and glazing systems.
5. Stage rigging, sound and lighting structures.

The selected manufacturer, supplier, installer or subcontractor is required to retain a specialty engineer with expertise in the design of those items. The specialty engineer prepares and submits complete construction documents for review and approval by the owner, general contractor, architect, structural engineer and finally the building department, prior to fabrication and installation. In some cases the engineer of record can also be the specialty engineer.

The Bell Trans Parking Garage expansion utilized Precast Concrete Construction. THOMAD Engineering was the Structural Engineer of Record on the 1000-vehicle addition which was completed in 2008. Click on the photo to learn more about this project.

The architect and structural engineer of record rely upon the specialty engineer's certification that the items conform to the criteria set forth in the contract documents, applicable codes and standards. The structural engineer of record's review is typically limited to certain determinations such as:    

1. The design load criteria are consistent with the contract documents.
2. The primary structure is capable of supporting the imposed loads.
3. Connections to the primary structure are consistent with the design.

Once the review process is complete and the final documents are approved, they must be submitted as part of the deferred submittal process to building departments to satisfy and complete permit requirements. The building department also relies on all previous reviews and approvals to issue their final approval. At this point, fabrication and installation can begin. A little advance planning and understanding of this process will go a long way in avoiding frustrations and work delays. 

Featured Project: House of Blues Upgrades at Mandalay Bay

Carlos Santana - The House of Blues's new resident act

The House of Blues entertainment venue at Mandalay Bay has recently undergone the most extensive changes it has seen since its opening in 1999. These changes and retrofit are to welcome the venue's new resident act, Carlos Santana. 

A new sound system was installed as part of other upgrades to the existing venue. Our team was retained to review the structural supports of the massive new JBL sound system. This project was a challenge, as the large new sound system had to be fit into a tight existing space. A review and analysis of the existing structure were performed to determine its capacity to support the additional loads imposed by the new sound system.

THOMAD Engineering worked successfully with Sound Image, the sound system contractor of the project, to deliver the new sound system much to the satisfaction of the client. We are pleased to have played a small role in bringing Santana to the world famous Las Vegas Strip. We wish him and the House of Blues great success!