UmarMakhzumi

To protect privacy, please send me an PM with your actual email and desired @sepakistan.com email address and I will set it up. No need to share here. Thanks.

Basically I need someone to assist me runnig the FB page. The FB Page shares information from Forum and other stuff related to structural engineering. Good opportunity to learn to run a page as well as I will give the person full control over all contents.

Hello Everyone, Here is a list of new features in the upcoming update: Updates to Editor ( @EngrUzair might like this one ) Fluid Forum View ( @Rana check this out) Reactions Recommended Replies (Moderator Related Stuff) Content Messages (Moderator Related Stuff) Leaderboard Enhancement Richer Embeds Forcing Members to Complete Profile Improvements to Social Sign In Clubs (Clubs will allow forum members to create their own groups in the forum and discuss things other than structural engineering) I am very excited about all these improvements. Stay tuned for more. This update is expected to roll out in summer. Thanks.

Thanks everyone for your comments and suggestions. Later in the summer, a new update for the forum will come out that will allow users to browse forum in a totally new way. The feature is called Fluid Flow and it would let users see topics only and filter topics based on interest. That update would technically incorporate Rana's comments. If you want to give it a try, go to https://invisionpower.com/forums/ On this page, where it says "Start a New Topic" (Green Button), there are three boxes infront of it. Those are the new layout. You can try those layout by clicking the boxes. There is also a lot of new features coming with the update. I will brief you soon about them. Thanks.

All, You can now get a free email @sepakistan.com. All you need to have is more than 25 posts (Title of Lieutenant). The email is a forwarding email, meaning that you get to keep your original email and all emails sent at your email@sepakistan.com will show up in your original email inbox. Let me know if anyone is interested. Thanks.

Hello Everyone, If you ever wanted to contribute towards SEFP, here is your chance. We at SEFP need help with the following: 1) 2 volunteers to help us run our Facebook page. If you don't mind taking 10 minutes out each day to share a few articles from this website to the Facebook page, then this position is for you. 2) SEFP Mentoring Circle Coordinator is required. We are planning to start Mentoring Circle and would need someone to be the co-ordinator of the program. If you are interested, please let me or any other moderators know. Thanks.

Hi Waqas, I have seen your updated post. What you have quoted in correct and as per ACI recommendations. What I am trying to highlight is that we don't need to worry about compatibility torsion for typical beam-column, two way slab concrete frame structures because - and I will quote my above reply here: The approach of 0.001 is used because ACI minimum design recommendations are too conservative for compatibility torsion for beam-column two way slab structure (what we have in Pakistan 99% of the time). That is why you never see any serviceability failures due to compatibility torsion (the other reason could be the tendency to over-reinforce structure but lets focus on this one for now). You can follow the guideline but those who don't follow it (like myself), do it for the reason explained above. The difference here is the same as difference between laws and traditions. Laws are there but people tend to incline towards tradition. So, probably we can blame our innate tribalism for following such stuff and not code.

Not sure what happened.

Hello Everyone, I am not sure that if you have seen this news. Here is the original article by one of the victims. http://nation.com.pk/blogs/02-May-2017/i-m-the-human-you-left-behind-in-the-wreckage-at-bahria-enclave If any structural engineer has been part of Bahria Town and knows about this construction, would be awesome if you can provide some details and get the conversation started. Thanks.

Hello Everyone, Saw this on FB today. Thought would post. What do you think went wrong? Thanks.

You can refer to: 440.6-08 Specification for Carbon and Glass Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Bar Materials for Concrete Reinforcement

You can design them with manufacture's provided info like material's stress strain curve and modulus of elasticity. For Example, if you are using Shcok Combat, the data is available on manufacture's website. Download it http://designconcrete.ca/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/TechInfoCombar.pdf and solve stress strain equation with GFRP parameters. Thanks.

I found this picture today while looking through archives. The Ring is visible on the little finger. Wear it all the time.

Hello Hanii, The simplest soil test the can be done is Standard Penetration Test (SPT). Published academic co-relations can be used to determine shear wave velocities and shear modulus of different soil layers against SPT N values. UET Taxila is able to do SPT test. The preferred method to get shear wave velocity and shear modulus would be Cone Penetration Test. Its the most preffered field testing method for shear wave velocity determination. Hope that answers your question.

Hello Everyone, This log is intended to keep track of all consistent design articles. It would also help me assign the document numbers as the articles come out. If you have an article or post that you will like to get included in SEFP Consistent Design Series, please PM me or any of the moderators. Torsion - Reinforced Concrete Members; Doc No: 10-00-CD-0001 1997 UBC Vertical Earthquake Term; Doc No: 10-00-CD-0002 UBC Seismic Drift Limits; Doc No: 10-00-CD-0003 Diaphragm Flexibility; Doc No: 10-00-CD-0004 (Update Required) Pile Design: Doc No: 10-00-CD-0005 Comments/ Observations regarding modelling in Etabs; Doc No: 10-00-CD-0006 Beam Column Joint; Doc No: 10-00-CD-0007 Bracing Definition; Doc No: 10-00-CD-0008 (Coming soon) Location of Base for Seismic; Doc No: 10-00-CD-0009 (Coming Soon) Long Term Deflection of Beam; Doc No: 10-00-CD-0010 (Coming Soon) Thanks.

WS Farooq, Very good question. Meshing is critical to carry out a finite element analysis as analysis is done on certain points (nodes/ mesh corners) and results are interpolated between adjacent nodes. Without meshing, results would be too vague. I have attached a document that explains the logic behind meshing and its affects on analysis. Please have a read. Then you will be able to understand why your results are different for case when you did meshing and when you didn't. Thanks. Why do we do meshing.pdf

Hello, If you live in Islamabad (local) then MS from Nust is a good option. I know friends that have done MS from NUST in geotechnical and a few that have done from UET, both are equally good. Just make sure you do it part-time, don't give you job up and do in the city where you live. Thanks.

Class A stuff! Sir, I think you should write a SEFP Consistent Design Article by combining this topic and the previously posted one by you.

Doesn't Staad consider self weight? For 3" slab, the weight should be what you said.. are you checking/ vetting this model? If yes, then follow up with he design engineer. Thanks.

Hi Dipesh, Reporting forces in units / length is standard nomenclature. You will need to multiply the given value by the length of the element that is parallel to the axis of the moment. For orientation of shell stresses and forces, please see the following link: http://docs.csiamerica.com/help-files/csibridge/Output_Conventions/Shell_Element_Internal_Forces_Stresses_Output_Convention.htm Thanks.

Just to add to the earlier point that If you have a wall system, the best way to get seismic demand is to model walls only, assign diaphragm and apply manually calculated seismic loads at each level. This would keep clutter out and you can also assign/ remove selected beams to see their impact on wall capacity. Thanks.

Tahir, I missed out the attached image while replying earlier (on cellphone 3:00 am in the morning). I was assuming your layout to be a rectangular frame one where columns are way apart. Anyway, with reference to the attachment provided, your certain columns are very close. If I were you, I would have the centre three columns on 1 combined foundation and right two columns in another combined foundation and keep the other three as isolated foundation. This would be correct if your strip/ combined foundation can be considered rigid. You need to have enough foundation depth with respect to spacing between columns. If you do like I said, and use this approach for sizing combined foundations, things would work out as columns are closely spaced and the assumption underlying use of geometric centre is satisfied. Thanks.

Tahir, Is your building a frame structure or a confined masonry structure? Anyway, I don't see any mertis of providing strip foundation under a frame structure. You should go for deeper isolated foundations and if they are overlapping, then go for a thicker raft. Thanks.

WSalaam.. ASD is design based on actual non-factored loads considering reduced material strength capacties. For example, for 100 kN load on a steel beam with yield of 350 MPa, you will design it using 100 Kn load and a strength of 2/3*350 MPa= 232 MPa. The reduction in material strength would provide safety, calculated as ratio of actual strength/ (reduction factor * actual strength). This ratio is called Factor of Safety (FOS). FOS would vary for foundations, steel or concrete design etc. ULS is based on factored loads (load factor as per the statistical probability of likely hood of occurance causing failure) with reduced material capacites. The reduction in material capacites is lower than what ASD has. Like for steel design, material reduction factor is 0.9 only which is a mere 10% reduction. ULS is improved and currently the way to go in most building codes worldwide. Some building codes even prohibit using ASD. The following link contains an excellent reply by @EngrUzair about cost Compairson b/w ASD and LRFD. WSD is same as ASD. Secant modulus represents elastic behavior between stress and strain values (as it is a straight line) whereas tangent modulus gives you relationship in any portion of stress strain curve (elastic, plastic etc). Thanks.

It's correct. Just make sure if you have a Beam connecting two walls it's drawn in ETABS. Thanks.