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- Quonsets in the Pinch
At a recent project in the Pinch district (just north of the Bass Pro pyramid), we were hired to reinforce and repair a two-span 1940's Quonset Hut for new use as a commercial rental kitchen. Things did not go exactly as planned - in large part due to lack of Construction Phase support services. What we industry folks call CA. When it comes to our smaller adaptive reuse projects, we often find that CA services are overlooked by the Client despite our bests efforts to the contrary. Clients need to know that ensuring a building’s structural integrity is not guaranteed by delivering a good design and good construction documents. The real challenge is often about making sure what’s designed gets built correctly. Construction Administration (CA) serves as the critical bridge between engineering design and construction reality. Unfortunately, CA is often undervalued or even skipped entirely, especially on existing building alteration, repair, or retrofit projects, where its absence can result in significant safety risks, cost overruns, poor performance, and legal liabilities. Sidebar: A bit of Quonset History Quonset huts are the original pre-engineered metal buildings developed for WW2, consisting of ultra-light-weight steel ribbed vaults, supporting thin steel deck, and bearing on a concrete stem wall foundation. The beauty of the Quonset hut lay in its simplicity and efficiency. Not only could it be quickly and cheaply produced, it could be transported as easily as a comparable sized tent, and with greater end-use versatility. More than 153,000 Quonsets, often called “tin cans” by their occupants, were eventually produced over the course of the war. After the war, as bases worldwide were decommissioned, the huts were torn down or sold off by the thousands for pennies on the dollar as surplus. Many of these wound up in post-war residential and commercial use. In one unusual post-war use, the fledgling Decca Record Company used a surplus Quonset as a recording studio in Nashville, Tennessee. It seems that the shape and the steel construction made for excellent acoustics. Stars such as Patsy Cline, Conway Twitty, Loretta Lynn, and the legendary Man in Black, Johnny Cash, recorded in that Quonset hut studio early in their careers. Although many have disappeared over the past decades, here and there, you can still find the familiar half-round shape serving as out-buildings, barns, homes, garages, diners, or even churches. Some urban examples, like our project in the Pinch, have brick facades, to disguise the utilitarian shape: Trouble in the Pinch Quonsets were developed to provide enclosure from the environment, not to handle all the roof loading required for a commercial kitchen. Also, they weren't designed for permanence. To make them permanent, the steel roof needs to be protected from stormwater using a commercial roofing system. Due to the unusual shape, the roofing system boundaries were not always detailed properly, allowing water to enter at the edges and rust the thin metal. Such is the case with this project - the most severe liability is in the bolts connecting the steel to the concrete stemwalls. Many of these are severely rusted and approaching failure. If these connections fail, the vault will spread and the roof may collapse. To repair the connections, we designed new connections of the steel ribs to the stemwalls, and added new CFS ribs to reinforce the roof for RTU's etc. We produced a detailed drawing set, Sealed and Permitted. Knowing that the labor pool for smaller projects is often not very skilled at reading drawings, I was worried that we did not have an explicit CA contract (we did have a line item in our contract that CA would be provided on an hourly basis). This is often not enough, as the Team doesn't follow through to schedule a Pre-Construction meeting to kick off the CA. Sure enough, the Contractor took our drawings, looked them over, and moved forward with the Architectural and MEP drawings instead. I followed up with the architect regularly, and once I became aware that construction had started, I dropped in on the job site to find construction well underway, with slab cuts for plumbing, interior studwalls framed, furring for the new ceiling finishes installed, etc. The contractor had scanned our drawings but missed some of the structural reinforcement, and what he did install, was not connected per our design. Much of the new furring would need to be removed to allow the structural reinforcement to be installed. Once the contractor priced all we had designed and documented, the added cost convinced the owner/developer to scrap the project (also the commercial kitchen tenant had backed out of the Lease) The owner now plans to keep the existing shell and use it as an antique car storage and maintenance facility. Much of the work already performed was wasted, and the repairs are not completed. Will the owner finish the repair of the compromised connections? That is TBD. Conclusion Undervaluing or omitting CA can have severe consequences. A Pre-Construction meeting is essential to getting the GC on the right track. And to make sure they have studied and understand the drawings. How about you, my Architecture and Engineering Design colleagues? How do you ensure that CA is included in your existing building projects?
- Adaptive Reuse: Deteriorating Walls of Archaic Brick and Lime Mortar
As discussed in our prior post, "Revitalizing History: Ozer Engineering's Innovative Timber Solutions for Somerville's Museum ," we have been working on preserving a historic building in downtown Somerville, TN. Recently, our focus has been on restoring the old brick-and-mortar facade. When we initially uncovered this exterior wall, we found the bottom three feet of brick and mortar completely decomposing and crumbling. What went wrong? This is a common condition in older brick buildings with brick foundations. In this case, there was a brick basement. Moisture from the foundation will wick up the wall through capillaries in the brick-and-mortar. This is a condition called "rising damp." Traditionally, before the era of concrete foundations, this was addressed during construction with the insertion of a "damp proof course." Usually, this was a granite or slate course just above the foundation, which would break the wicking action. The extreme level of disintegration in this particular building had a second factor that exacerbated the situation. A previous owner applied corrugated sheet metal to the inside of the wall over the interior plaster to keep the interior dry. This created a barrier that prevented the drying of the wall to the interior of the building, causing the wall to become waterlogged and pressure to increase. That situation was extremely destructive to the old and insufficiently fired interior brick and lime mortar. So, at this stage, we have determined what went wrong. How do we preserve this historic building and have our repairs serve future generations? Our strategy includes four main components: Replace the damaged brick and mortar , including the header courses, with new modern brick and natural hydraulic lime mortar. Unload the wall . This wall is unsuitable as a bearing wall, especially in our seismic zone. We are installing an interior heavy timber frame to support the floor and roof. We also will anchor brick walls to each floor and roof with through-wall anchors. You have likely seen these cast iron stars on the exterior of other historic buildings in the area. Allow the wall to dry out naturally to the interior . An 8' stud wall will be installed in front of the brick. It will be open at the top and vented at the bottom. Also, a dehumidification system is planned for installation in the basement. Install a new damp-proof course . Europe has developed new technologies for injecting into masonry specifically for this purpose. The injection fluid fills and seals the capillaries to prevent wicking. The product we have specified for this project is Koster Crisin 76 . Stay tuned for updates on the construction progress. Several aspects of our design are new or uncommon in the mid-south, including using Natural Hydraulic Lime mortar and the Damp Proof course technologies. Finding subcontractors experienced with using these is an important step in the process.
- Want to Save an Old Brick Building? Start by anchoring the Walls to the Floors
You've seen the steel or cast iron plates on the faces of brick walls downtown. Sometimes they're stars or diamonds, sometimes plain squares. They are there because they serve an essential purpose. They are part of an affordable solution to strengthening our brick buildings for future generations and satisfy IEBC Code requirements. Think of them as anchors. Like a ship's anchor that keeps the boat from floating away, these anchors keep the exterior walls of a building from leaning and eventually falling away from the floors and roof. When brick buildings were constructed years ago, the floor joists were supported at each end by inserting them into pockets in the brick walls. These joist ends were stabilized by friction and mortar acting as glue; often no mechanical connections were provided. The brick walls thus carry the cumulative weight of all the building's floors and roof. On the other two sides of the building, typically the front and back, the joists run parallel to the walls and may not even be in contact with them. Fast forward 100+ years: the old lime mortar "glue" is failing. The walls have started to shift, bow, or lean due to several actions, including temperature differentials, moisture degradation, wind events, and eccentric loading. The hard truth is that our old brick buildings in Memphis are "time bombs" when it comes to the risk of collapse because the bricks and the mortar are slowly breaking down & disintegrating. It typically takes 150 years for the old archaic brick to turn to clay dust and the lime mortar to turn to loose sand. However, this process is greatly accelerated by high moisture at the foundations and tops of walls. Evidence of this is something we commonly see on inspections of old brick buildings. This is where the anchors come in. The steel plates you see are structural retaining washer plates secured to steel rods that fasten to floor joists or beams inside the building. The rods go through the brick walls, essentially "tying" the floors to the walls. This connection restrains the wall's lateral movement and ensures that the joists and beams remain fully seated in their pockets. Thus improving load transfer between floors and walls in all three axes. And relieving the aging brick walls from destabilizing eccentricities. Since wall stability failure is most commonly the cause of collapse for this building type, this repair significantly extends the useful life and safety of the building. Think of this as the "weakest link" or "low-hanging fruit" approach to structural strengthening. It can give our precious historic urban buildings another generation or two of useful service life. This anchoring should usually be installed on all four sides of a building, on each floor and roof. And yes, it is also a relatively low-cost and effective way to provide seismic stabilization. This is often the first step of a multi-pronged strategy to preserve a building of this type. But even used alone, it can, in some cases, be an economical way to keep these buildings safe and serviceable for another generation or two. And this practical method has stood the test of time. From its roots in ancient Rome, tie rods and anchor plates have been trusted to reinforce masonry structures. They have become a standard tool in restoration because they are dependable and practical. And most local municipalities have adopted the 2021 IEBC as the Building Code for Existing Buildings, which requires URM Wall Anchors for many adaptive reuse projects. If you have an aging brick building and would like to preserve or adapt it for a new use, ask us about an assessment to determine if these anchors are part of the solution. And get ahead of the game!
- IEBC Compliance for URM Buildings: Eliminate the Steel, Save Money
Here in Memphis, our aging unreinforced brick buildings (URMB) stand as monuments to our cultural heritage. But their safety in seismic events remains a critical concern, even as many of these buildings are reaching the end of their intended service life and facing demolition or unintentional collapse due to instability. Meanwhile, developers are searching for value and adapting these URMBs to new uses and higher occupancies, in a tough market. Fortunately, there's a method to retrofit these structures affordably and without compromising their historical integrity, all while satisfying building Code requirements. This blog discusses the four main components of our approach to seismic strengthening for URMBs with wood-framed floors and roofs. By applying them, architects, engineers, and developers in the Memphis area can achieve seismic stability that meets IEBC Code requirements while preserving their unique charm. Four Essential Components of Seismic Strengthening. These buildings' structural and aesthetic hearts are proudly displayed for all to see. The heavy exterior brick walls provide support for the roof and floor framing, protection from the elements, and decoration for aesthetic pride. But they also tend to lean, settle, crack, and lose capacity over time. They must be anchored to the floors or risk collapsing into the street. Stabilizing them relies on four interconnected elements that work like links in a chain to keep the walls standing plumb by delivering their lateral forces to the foundations. Shear Walls and Footings are the primary lateral force-resisting elements that deliver forces from each floor of the building to the ground. Floor and Roof Diaphragms (i.e. sheathing), collect and distribute seismic loads horizontally to the shear walls. URM wall anchors secure brick walls to the diaphragms, preventing separation. Critical Connections for a Continuous Load Path that link up the above elements. CMU Shear Walls: A Smart, Cost-Effective Solution for Stability. Common, cheap, and simple: Grouted and reinforced CMU shear walls (Concrete Masonry Units) are the most economical vertical component for stabilizing aging URM structures. CMU shear walls offer great flexibility - they can serve adequately even with large penetrations. Their length (in plan) can be as little as 10 to 12 feet and placed in locations that minimize their impact on floorplans (although they must be stacked vertically to maintain structural continuity). This compact, flexible design allows CMU shear walls to support the building without significantly imposing on the architectural layout. For the engineers reading, we're developing an approach to make the shearwalls more ductile, thereby reducing seismic forces and improving compatibility with the existing structure, all while reducing costs further. Floor and Roof Diaphragms: Collect and Distribute. Floor and roof diaphragms (also known as Sheathing or Sub-Floor) are crucial in stabilizing URM buildings by gathering the seismic forces from the heavy brick walls and distributing them to the shear walls. Our retrofit approach utilizes new horizontal wood elements—typically OSB sheathing and conventional lumber — with many hundreds of essential nails and screws and clips , like stitches, to reinforce the diaphragms. The use of wood in this setup offers the added benefit of flexibility, accommodating the often variable dimensions common in older buildings and allowing for easy on-site adjustments without the need for costly steel fabrication. URM Wall Anchors: Grab and Go. Seismic strengthening of URM buildings would be incomplete without URM wall anchors , which secure the brick walls to the floors and roof. You've seen the cast-iron stars on many buildings downtown. Each one is connected to a steel rod that penetrates the wall and is anchored to the ends of the wood joists. They are essential in reducing the risk of exterior wall collapse during an earthquake. Simple square steel plates can be used instead of the "stars" to save even more money. These through-wall anchors are a common and economical solution, ensuring that URM walls remain securely connected to the floors and roof. Connections: Creating a Continuous Load Path from Roof to Foundation. Ensuring strong connections between all elements—shear walls, footings, floor and roof diaphragms, and URM anchors—is essential for creating a continuous load path . This is the backbone of structural stability during seismic events, allowing seismic forces to travel seamlessly from the heavy walls down to the foundation. Prefab steel connectors with specified fasteners and anchors offer practical, highly adaptable solutions for making these connections. Conclusion: Code Compliance on a Budget For those tasked with renovating historic URM buildings, CMU shear walls combined with wood framing offer an economical and adaptable path to IEBC compliance. Both materials are easily modifiable on-site, avoiding costly and time-consuming shop fabrication. By incorporating these components, seismic strengthening costs can be limited to just 3% to 5% of the total construction budget , a significant reduction compared to the 10% to 20% typically seen in similar projects nationwide. By replacing steel members with CMU and wood, this system saves money, helping make these projects more feasible. This approach allows us to preserve the historical character of these buildings, fulfill present-day safety standards, and ensure their longevity. By focusing on this practical approach and using materials consistent with the historical fabric, we protect both the project budget and the building's architectural integrity, making this method an ideal choice for developers committed to preservation. Stay tuned for Part 2 where I discuss the role Construction phase support plays in ensuring satisfactory results in the finished project.
- Want to Save an Old Brick Building? Damp Proof Course: Protecting Brick from Destructive Moisture Damage
What is rising damp? Rising damp affects the walls of old brick buildings at their bases up to about three feet above grade, especially older brick buildings with brick foundations. It occurs when moisture from the ground travels up through the brick walls by capillary action. This action means that groundwater is effectively sucked up through tiny tubes in the bricks, like a series of straws. This water contains salts that also travel up through the wall. Around the affected wall, other porous building materials, such as plasterwork and timber, are in the floorboards and joists. These materials will also absorb the groundwater easily, and as a result, you may find evidence of wet rot in the timber. Rising damp is generally first noticed by the damage it causes to a building's internal walls. Plaster and paint can deteriorate, and wallpaper tends to loosen. A visible stain often appears on the wall as a "tide mark" at the point where the groundwater has reached. You may also see salts blooming on the internal surface. This is often associated with rising damp and will lead to the debonding of paints and even plasterwork. Externally, mortar may crumble, and white salt stains may appear on the walls. Very old bricks in the Memphis area, pre-1910, disintegrate and crumble. This is because, before 1910, much of the brick used in mid-South construction was not fully fired, i.e., not heated enough when manufactured, leaving the clay especially susceptible to destructive moisture damage. How to treat and stop rising damp? Until recently, stopping rising damp meant extensive reconstructive work, basically requiring replacing the bottom bricks and mortar in a wall in sections. Over the past twenty years, new European technology has made this repair much more feasible and economical. It uses injection methods that often do not require replacing existing bricks. Injecting damp-proof courses (DPCs) into existing brick buildings is a practical solution for addressing specific moisture issues without extensive demolition or reconstruction. At Ozer Engineering, our commitment to innovative solutions in structural preservation was recently showcased during the renovation of the historic Somerville Museum in Somerville, TN. Our team, led by Dmitry Ozeryansky, P.E., implemented a technology commonly used in Europe to address rising ground moisture issues plaguing the museum's archaic brick structure. This was accomplished by injecting Koster Crisin 76 low-viscosity synthetic resin. Injecting damp-proof courses into existing brick buildings involves drilling holes into the brickwork, injecting DPC material into the holes, and sealing the injection points. This method effectively creates a horizontal barrier against moisture wicking up from the ground, helping to protect the building from dampness and, even more importantly, for structural engineers, protecting the archaic brick and mortar from disintegration. This can help significantly extend the service life of our oldest and most historically significant brick buildings. Ozer Engineering is proud to bring this much needed technology to Memphis. If you are considering whether or not this treatment would be a good choice for your historic brick building, call us to discuss. 901-305-6450.
- Pinch District - Historic Synagogue Faces Unknown Future
In the heart of Memphis' Pinch District at 112 Jackson Avenue, across from St. Jude, stands an aging building with architectural character and cultural heritage. The former Anshei Mischne Synagogue, built in 1927, was Memphis's first. It's a monument left by the early immigrants who made the Pinch District Memphis's first Jewish community. Now owned by Jack Schorr III, the synagogue has gone through many incarnations since it was deconsecrated in the late 1960s. Schorr, also the proprietor of adjacent Westy's bar, purchased this property with the dream of transforming the building into an expanding restaurant and entertainment venue. However, as time has passed, the reality has set in that the deterioration of the building has outpaced its potential for restoration efforts. Now, the future of the structure is unknown. Recently, I sat down and talked to Jack candidly about his hope for the structure. He told us he feels it "needs to be saved," and his "priority is to save the building." This means he is now willing to put his past dreams behind him and sell the building to someone willing to restore it. Jack Schorr has come to the realization that if a buyer can't be found, he may have to tear the building down. Despite being deconsecrated as a place of worship, its significance as a symbol of local Jewish heritage remains undeniable, it still resonates deeply with older Memphians who attended temple there as children, and who take a short detour to drive by and check on it when they come downtown. Thus, the purpose of this blog is to urgently convey that there is still time to save this building if the Memphis Jewish community is willing to do so. But the time to act is now. "About two years ago," Jack said, "architect Berry Jones fought to get the word out, and several local Jewish leaders came to look at the building, but it didn't go further, and now the building is in worse shape." Sometimes, if a building can't be fixed properly and made safe, it has to be torn down. This is the risk facing this building. I understood this property's plight when I was asked to provide a structural assessment and rehab design for the planned restaurant in 2017. When I walked inside, I immediately realized that the main space would make a splendid setting for social gatherings with its pleasantly proportioned mezzanines and great east-facing arched windows. Also, as a structure, there is good news... The cast concrete basement and conventional foundation are well-built and in good condition. The sturdy yet forgiving wood-framed floor still has plenty of capacity to support a congregation—or dance party, for that matter. The rehab work that is needed is above the foundation. The wood framed roof, still adequate, is being rapidly degraded by leaks. The east brick veneer wall, shown below on the right side of photo, with tall window arches, and a poorly detailed stylized parapet design that allowed stormwater to infiltrate and degrade the brick, requires stitching, masonry repair and repointing, and anchor installation. The front facade needs careful restoration, repair, and anchoring so that its elegantly proportioned and delicately ornamented features can once again dignify and enliven a small Southern city street. This work needs to be done by a team experienced in restoration, under the supervision of a sympathetic structural engineer, and with adequate funds to complete it properly. Jack and Berry still discuss it regularly, wondering whether it could still find new life as a museum, a gallery, or a space for music, entertainment, and socializing. But they also realize that time is running out to save it. If you are interested in historic Memphis building preservation, Memphis Jewish heritage, or the Pinch District revival, please get in touch with us for more information. Whatever happens, we will feel good knowing we raised awareness that this historic structure is at risk. Dmitry Ozeryansky, P.E. Ozer Engineering dmitry@ozer-eng.com 901-305-6540 www.ozer-eng.com
- Adaptive Reuse: Breaking Ground on a Small Brick Storefront with Big Ambitions.
In Memphis on Bowen Ave, an aging brick storefront building - typical of many built early in the last century - encountered significant challenges that required a creative solution to avoid demolition. The extremely vulnerable two-story structure was partially constructed of archaic hollow clay tile and also unreinforced brick. The second floor and roof wood framing were severely rotted due to long-term roof leaks. The owner and GC, Dane Forlines, was working with a tight budget considering the condition of the structure, less than $100,000. Enter our principal engineer, Dmitry Ozeryansky, who brings a practical and cost-effective approach to the table that will also bring an open and spacious contemporary feeling to the old storefront. Rather than opting for a conventional renovation of both floors, the decision was made to remove the second floor entirely, providing an opportunity to create an 18' high retail space. This ambitious plan, however, required a strategic solution to reinforce the building without breaking the bank. The design relied on the use of 12x12 timber columns strategically placed around the building's interior perimeter. These columns, spanning 18' tall, were interconnected and strengthened with steel cables, and timber girts. This created a robust timber skeleton within the existing fragile brick shell. This not only addressed structural concerns (both gravity and lateral support as well as bracing of the brick walls) but also allowed for the second-story windows to fill the space with natural light, making the space more appealing for retail use. This particular building is the future home of Cxffeeblack. Dane, the driving force behind the project and a dedicated contributor to Memphis revitalization complimented Dmitry's approach, stating, "Your practical approach to addressing challenges and your willingness to take on one-of-a-kind projects are among the main reasons I wanted to work with you on this project." "Your practical approach to addressing challenges and your willingness to take on one-of-a-kind projects are among the main reasons I wanted to work with you on this project." - Dane Forlines The simplicity of the timber skeleton's design brought about cost efficiencies. Unlike traditional finishes that can significantly contribute to project costs, the industrial aesthetic of exposed timbers and cables requires no additional finishing. Additionally, the use of solid timber exceeding 8"x 6" ensured natural fire resistance, adding a safety element and satisfying the Fire Codes. Beyond the structural transformation, the project will retain the historic exterior charm of the building, aligning with the growing trend of adaptive reuse projects that preserve neighborhood storefront appeal. This cost-effective design sets a practical precedent for investors and owners looking to rejuvenate aging structures without exceeding budget constraints. As this Bowen Ave structure is transformed, it stands as a testament to the power of adaptive reuse to breathe new life into urban landscapes affordably. At Ozer Engineering we say: "Bring us your tired old buildings, and we will help you revive them!" This project is currently under construction. Stay tuned to see how it develops.
- CONDO ASSOCIATIONS - What Benefit Does a Structural Engineer Bring to a Project?
If you are in the greater Memphis area and are about to take on any of these projects at your association, please give us a call for a consultation to discuss. roof replacement balcony, deck, stair, landing repairs or replacement facade repairs locating water intrusion sources and repairing planning for alterations or additions We will cost less in the long run than you anticipate. And we bring all these benefits: Expert knowledge of your building's existing materials and building systems. Determination of the most practical, economical, and long-lasting repair and protection solutions that will integrate well with what is existing. Cost vs. benefit breakdown of repair vs. replacement options so you can make good decisions. Consideration of your building's historical style maintains consistency and aesthetic appeal. We advocate for the condominium association, meaning our goal is you get the best bang for your buck, whatever your goals. We provide plans and specifications for bidding to ensure all contractors are estimating the same things, no more or less. Our site visits during construction assure quality workmanship. The engineer is critical to the success of the project. Why? The engineer allows the condominium board to stay in control of the project from the outset and not let the contractor run up your bill on things you don't need. The engineer gives you and the contractor the project specs and ensures the project gets completed properly. The only unbiased way to know that your contractor completed a project as they were supposed to with the correct steps and products is by having a third-party engineer provide construction administration. The engineer is YOUR expert and advocate. Even the best contractors are not. Having an engineer assess the needs of the structure and provide a scope of work to be bid and specifications for that scope is the only way to ensure that all the contractors are bidding on the same thing. "What is the worst that can happen if we don't hire an engineer?" Not having an engineer involved from beginning to end typically ends up costing the building more money in the long term in many cases. We have been brought in numerous times AFTER a project was in process or completed by a qualified and well-intentioned contractor who was missing the qualifications on a key piece needed to fix the problem correctly. At that point, the engineer has to come in and assess anyway, and the contracting work has to be redone properly.
- CONDO ASSOCIATIONS - When is a Structural Engineer Needed?
Condominium association boards have a tricky responsibility to act in the best interests of the association. This is also very serious because as a board member, you are acting in a fiduciary capacity on behalf of all the owners. So, when it comes to deciding how to best care for the building, there can be a question of when it is best to involve a structural engineer, and when it is unnecessary. After all, your contractors may even tell you that an engineer is not needed. This article will clarify what associations should keep in mind. Some on the board may think, "We can save money if we don't have an engineer involved." Is it always that simple? A structural engineer's role is to ensure anything related to the facade or structure is safe and protected for the long haul. This includes the roof, framing, masonry, balconies, decks, foundations, and waterproofing. These all can have issues with corrosion and damage to concrete, steel, wood, and brick. Are all structural engineers the same? No. The majority of engineers focus on new buildings. OZER is different, we specialize in existing buildings, and we are trained and experienced in understanding how to assess, design, integrate, repair, and protect existing materials. We work with the best contractors in Memphis to make sure that the work is completed to the highest industry standards. Common projects you would want to involve a structural engineer with include: roof replacement balcony, deck, stair, landing repairs or replacement facade repairs locating water intrusion sources and repairing planning for alterations or additions If you notice any signs of building failure, such as water intrusion, cracks in masonry or finishes, foundation cracks, wood rot or swelling, or rust. You are wondering, is this a serious problem? The first step should be to call a structural engineer for an assessment. After all the problem may not be serious if caught early and all you may need is relatively minor, but well-designed repairs to keep it from becoming serious. So, when do you bring the engineer on the project? Do you wait until you have chosen a contractor? That is a common approach, but it is not the best choice. Why? Because you need the unbiased opinion of an engineer before calling a contractor or having contractors provide estimates. That way the contractor is basing their estimate on what the engineer specified, not their own opinions. A contractor has many reasons to be biased, and even though they likely have good intentions, they simply do not have the qualifications necessary to understand the larger structural context and complexities of a building system as a whole. With an engineer in your corner, you are empowered to advocate for the best interests of the association. The overall cost of hiring an engineer pales in comparison to the benefit of having them from the start. Hire an engineer for any of the above-mentioned projects and do so at the beginning of the project process. "What is the worst that can happen if we don't hire an engineer?" Not having an engineer involved from beginning to end typically ends up costing the building more money in the long term in many cases. We have been brought in numerous times AFTER a project was in process or completed by a qualified and well-intentioned contractor who was missing the qualifications on a key piece needed to fix the problem correctly. At that point, the engineer has to come in and assess anyway, and the contracting work has to be redone properly.
- The Importance of Improving Stormwater Drainage in the Mid-South
The Mid-South region, encompassing portions of Tennessee, Arkansas, and Mississippi, faces unique climate and environmental challenges. Structures in this area are susceptible to foundation settlements and other deterioration caused by standing stormwater near the foundation. With flat, poorly draining sites, unstable soil conditions, crawlspaces, and high humidity, addressing stormwater drainage issues is crucial to protecting buildings from damage. In fact, this is one of the most common causes of building problems that we are called upon to assess. Ozer Engineering understands the importance of proper drainage and offers comprehensive solutions to resolve these issues. Standing water is the most common cause of of foundation settlements in our region. Excessive water accumulation saturates the soil, leading to settlements, this, in turn, often causes cracking of finishes at both interior and exterior of the house. On slab foundations, the wood wall framing is often insufficiently elevated high enough above grade, which leads to structural damage to wood framing (i.e. rot). Crawlspaces are also particularly vulnerable, with stormwater causing moisture buildup under the house and promoting mold and mildew growth, endangering both the structure and occupants' health. Ozer Engineering conducts thorough site assessments including crawlspaces, identifying drainage problems, and developing comprehensive drainage improvement plans along with repairs to any damaged components. Tailored drainage solutions include grading adjustments, gutters, swales, French drains, and appropriate landscaping techniques. These measures redirect water away from foundations, mitigating or eliminating the risk of standing water. Ozer Engineering emphasizes the value of grading and swales for flat sites with little or no elevation drop. Swales are shallow drainage channels that collect and direct stormwater to the street or to lower areas in the yard, providing natural and environmentally friendly stormwater management. Our stormwater drainage solutions can be incorporated into landscaping designs that enhance property aesthetics. By investing in proper drainage, property owners protect their structures and create healthier living spaces...and healthier landscapes.
- Metal Building Systems - Case Study: Why Have an EOR?
Metal building systems, also known as PEMB or "pre-engineered metal buildings", continue to hold a solid market share in the construction marketplace - from strip centers to car dealerships, and office complexes to warehouses. Here at Ozer Engineering, we have been hired to assist with these structure systems by many clients and appreciate the benefits they offer in terms of affordability and ease of construction. Our involvement in these projects from the early planning stages definitely helps the overall project cost less and proceed smoothly. Sadly though, when deciding to purchase one of these building systems, it is not uncommon for the building owner or contractor to forego the services of an engineer to serve as an Engineer of Record (EOR) for the overall project, assuming that an engineer only will be needed to design a simple foundation once the building itself is already designed and ordered from the manufacturer. However, the Metal Building Manufacturers Association (MBMA) highly recommends that the end customer hire an EOR to be responsible for specifying the design criteria for the metal building system. "MBMA highly recommends that the end customer hire an architect and or engineer of record to be responsible for specifying the design criteria for the metal building system. Collaboration is essential..." Here we will share a recent experience that discusses why the involvement of an EOR from the beginning stages can be a key component to a project's success. First, it is fundamentally important to understand how design responsibilities are divided between the manufacturer and the EOR. This division is something commonly not understood by the purchaser of the metal building system. Metal building system manufacturers are responsible for custom designing a building after an order is placed based on the applicable building code, loading conditions, and serviceability requirements. They do have professional engineers on staff who are highly skilled and supply sound engineering principles to design an optimal metal building system for your needs. However, this is where the important dividing line is drawn. The manufacturer is responsible only for the structural design of the metal building system it sells to the builder. The manufacturer is not the design professional or EOR for the construction project. This means the manufacturer is not responsible for the design of any components or materials not sold by them. This includes that they are not responsible for any of the interfaces and connections of other components with the metal building system. This includes the foundation, any existing loading docks or other features on the site, and any other structures it will connect to. Now for our recent experience. We were contacted by an industrial facility that had ordered a metal building system through a general contractor prior to contacting us. By the time they called us they were in a hurry to get the building installed so asked us to move quickly to provide them with a foundation design. This may have been simple if it was entirely new construction, but when we visited the site, we saw the metal buildings were to be placed where there were exiting concrete loading docks, access ramps, and existing metal buildings. The metal building was intended to enclose the loading area over the existing docks and ramp. The metal building system manufacturer had visited the site and was aware of the docks, ramp, and adjacent existing buildings, but hadn't fully accounted for them in their design. The column locations that the metal building system manufacturer had laid out would have encroached about 2' into the docks and ramp, not allowing them to function fully. Once we worked through all the layout details, the owner decided to have the manufacturer go back to their design and move the columns per our layouts, which caused delays in the project. While it's easy to blame the manufacturer or contractor for this oversight, design for complex field conditions is not their area of expertise, that's the job of an EOR. And in truth, the manufacturer and contractor should have told their client, once they had become aware of all the conditions, to get an EOR on board. We hope they both learned a lesson from this and will do so next time a complex existing condition situation arises. For the owner, the assumption that an engineer would not be needed from the start ultimately created greater expense and more importantly lost time that could have been avoided by having us, as an EOR understand the existing site conditions and communicate them during the design process to the manufacturer. If you are considering a metal building system, feel free to call us at 901-305-6540 first.
- Preserving History: The Role of the Engineer in Historic Preservation
At Ozer Engineering, our passion lies in preserving the structural integrity of the historic buildings in our region. With great pride and dedication, we take part in the extensive renovation project of the esteemed Lowenstein Mansion, nestled in the heart of Memphis's Victorian Village. Working alongside architect Andy Kitsinger and folk-hero developer Bill Townsend, we are committed to breathing new life into this cherished landmark while honoring its rich historical significance. Our Developer Historian: The Lowenstein Mansion, a richly detailed mansion built in 1890, then expanded and converted in the 1930s to serve as a boarding house for working women, has held a coveted place on the National Register of Historic Places since 1979. Recognizing its timeless charm, William "Bill" Townsend of Townsend Development, the mansion's new owner and a historian, envisions a dynamic co-work facility needed as suburbanites leave their homes for the tighter confines of urban living. Collaborating closely with Kitsinger and our team at Ozer Engineering, Townsend's commitment to preserving the mansion's heritage while infusing modern comforts is commendable. Our Architectural Expertise: Led by architect Andy Kitsinger, known for his expertise in historic preservation, the renovation of the Lowenstein Mansion is a testament to the seamless blending of architectural elements from the past with contemporary design. Kitsinger's meticulous attention to detail ensures that the restoration maintains the mansion's authenticity and charm and embraces the functionality required for modern living. Working hand in hand with Kitsinger, our team at Ozer Engineering combines technical expertise with a deep appreciation for historical preservation. Ozer Engineering's Structural Role: Ozer Engineering has taken a holistic and thoughtful approach to Lowenstein Mansion's renovation. This meant first using our understanding of historic buildings to analyze the load forces and how the building has performed over time. Then, we proposed multiple solutions and assessed their pros and cons with the team. This expertise in structural integrity led to the decision to design a complete internal timber frame capable of supporting the floors and roof. We introduce new CMU shearwalls into the structure to ensure the mansion can withstand wind and seismic loads. The existing brick façade will be preserved throughout the restoration, serving as a visual reminder of the mansion's rich history while maintaining its structural integrity. See more about the progress of this internal timber frame design here.