Waqar Saleem

in case of composite beams at connection i dont think there will be punching.

Salam Arslan, I don't think that type of modeling is possible in ETABS especially the connection one, PT slab could be modeled in ETABS, you can have Composite beam and column design so you can define composite sections but you will have to check the connection manually after taking forces from ETABS. Regards

Salam, B/C CR is normally displayed for SMRF for seismic zones 3 and 4. You may check the beam and column section capacities manually and have some idea of the weak beam strong column, detailing rules also help, keep the column sections larger than beam section, keep your beam inside the column width. Cracked versions sometime have some problems. Search the forum for this topic there are many threads for that. here is one.

Salam Osama, Increasing reinf in columns or RCC members compromise ductility, it is not good to increase the steel to 4%. when you will use the 4% in column section, what will be the %age at lap?8%. Contractors and architects normally insist to decrease the column sizes but SE must consider the ductility and should not consider them blindly. Regards

Dear Rifat, for RCC and Steel design books of Zahid Ali Siddiqiue UET LHR are good. for Geotech there is one book Soil Mechanics for Transprtation Engg. by Prof. Shaukat Ali Khan. Regards

Dear Osama, if there is no eccentric loading on the PB, reduce the modifier for torsion to redistribute the moment, else increase the depth and width of the PB. Normally we put Raft below the building 🙂 we can not put a raft above the building, take fixed for this one. Regards

Dear Engineer, Here if we start implementing any code would be more better resolution then to start changing the what some of us know already, US codes. Engineering construction practices are pathetic and needs some standard implementation. In 2005, Kashmir earthquake, highest number of building collapsed were engineered buildings which were mostly GOP schools and hospitals. This gives us a view of construction side. Consulting engineering is further on the downhill, you can get stamped by paying 1000 to consulting engineer and you are asking for the change of code from US to EN. Better to vow for some implementation of standards and fair practices. Architect takes 125/sft design and offers 1/sft for structural engineering design and some cases further less. Client higher contractor/architect and he hires structural engineer, doesn't seem humiliating. For this you can not blame anybody else but structural engineers themselves. American standards are very good and i doubt your speculation that they are based on empirical knowledge only. We need to have some serious engineering body for collaboration of industry and institutes, our graduates dont know why they graduated in civil engineering, why they are doing masters in structural engineering. what PEC is doing i dont know, how they are regulating is all nonsense, everyone knows about the engineers who are mere stamping the drawings but PEC doesn't know. Building officials are corrupt you name the department and i ll get you evidence. These officials are engineers , included in 5% of your population, who are responsible for worst condition of road infrastructure and Govt buildings. There is no question to raise for EN codes in this situation, stand for the standard will be enough if you could lobby. I have been using EN codes in my practice and i am not biased to US codes, my point of view is about the real situation we have in the country. Regards

Hi, pleased you posted here, this will be more relevant if you ask in another forum SEFI (Structrual engineering forum of India), here mostly professionals are from Pakistan so might be less probability of getting the response. Regards

How come you know that after first storey columns are cast, where was"the engineer" sleeping somewhere here no body can tell you the solution for that without any section/plan/building stories/spans/column size, ask your question with some snaps and proposal instead, that could be reviewed and something could be suggested. Regards

Adding to above 3- Consult the seniors , discuss with them, have someone as mentor. 4-Go to the field and analyse the construction practices and compare them with the assumed ones for design. 5-Have ethics to accept your mistake if any reviewer mentions that and improve it. 6-Have ability to demonstrate what you have designed and how, do not follow the software blindly. 7-keep a diary, note problems and their proposed solutions, anything you need to learn or discuss and update it regularly, discuss problems with seniors/colleagues/teachers and analyse their solutions verify them and write in your diary. 8-Have some ethics and practice them, you must be able to analyse clearly even your own works and give an unbiased opinion. ... Regards

Dear All, I came across the video lectures of Dr Fawad Ahmed Najam @Fawad Najam on youtube these are very helpful for understanding the structural systems, how the software use inputs and how the process of designing develops. Dr Fawad Ahmed Najam is currently AP at NICE, NUST and have Phd from AIT, i came across his book which he CO authored with Dr. Naveed of AIT. https://www.amazon.com/Structural-Cross-Sections-Analysis-Design/dp/0128044438

i dont see if it is restricting anything above Grade 40/60, its just explaining the Grade 40/60

To add in above mentioned by BAZ, torsional irregularity is something that causes the torsion and elements or torsional stiffeners are required to control that, in case of RCC more reinforcements required at the periphery of building. Regards

Dear BAZ, How important is to consider auto sequence construction load case, what is its contribution to torsion. if we need to add it could it be added manually also?

Thank you, I myself have reservations regarding zone 2B, i encountered one deterministic hazard study that clearly describe some areas of islamabad E sectors face greater PGA values and should be in zone 3. I am designing this building for earthquake. I need to discuss that when wind forces will govern or always earthquake forces are conservative. Regards

Dear Members, What should be more important for a tower 3B+G+13 seismic forces or wind forces, building is in zone 2B, Islamabad area, Pakistan. Regards

Design it with counterforts or butterusses or make steps height and offfsets in equal that will minimize surcharge of higher retaining wall step on lower wall step Regards

This could be but a gravity wall not cantilever, better ask the guy who told you that above 50ft wall in PCC is viable.

Dear Ahmad, No need to provide mid bars if there is no direct torsion, sometimes mid bars are provided to support if depth of beam is larger say 24". Regards

Salam, try by increasing the thickness of the raft and check the effect , if it works increase the raft thickness locally. If it does not work go for piled raft. Reagrds

A building collapse due to the adjacent unsupported excavation at Lahore.

Dear Friends, I need some help understanding contracts terminology in practice, there is a tender mentioned as lump sump of say amount Ten Lac, along with that BOQ is given and asked to provide unit rates for different items. My question is when this is a lump sump fixed amount contract what is the purpose of unit rates, what will be the solution if quantities are deferred(more or less) from the mentioned as contract is lump sump. Regards

Dear Wajahat, Understanding of different comes with experience, and grows with your practice, engineering is continuously learning. As mentioned by Ayesha basic is from building codes, further you can study different design and analysis books which will build your concepts. Discussion with your seniors will also make your understanding better. For fresh start, book of Nilson, Nadim Houssain, G.Nawy and Macregor, skim for your required topic. For advance analysis techniques, check edwilson's book Three dimensional static and dynamic analysis of structures, freely available at edwilson.org. Regards

Sorry Rana sb I was away and could not check this in time, if you are still available please update

Thank you very much Umar sb for your sincere efforts to improve this forum, Congratulations! @Rana and @BAZ