Modern steel buildings are designed by architects and structural engineers to be stable, with considerations for safety and stability often delegated to the contractor and their specialty steel subs. The chosen sequence of building any given complex structure—the contractor’s “means and methods”—can vary widely, and the cost of ignoring the inherent vulnerability of partially completed structures is often severe. Our Erection Engineering services are bridging this gap between design and construction, reducing risk to a project before it “goes physical” by building the structure virtually, step by step.
We analyze and confirm whether the desired approach for building the project is consistent with how it has been designed and suggest modifications necessary to suit the approach. Our extensive 90+ years of experience designing complex and long-span building structures gives us a unique perspective on how the Engineer of Record (EOR) likely expects their building to perform.
Relative to the service life of the structure, there are very few building code provisions for loading criteria of a structure during construction. In collaboration with the client, we tailor loading and other design criteria to the needs of each project and avoid a “one size fits all” approach. Our engineers use non-linear staged construction analysis to find the vulnerable states of the structure and design temporary shoring and bracing systems. When shoring is used on a project, we develop procedures for decentering the structure in a safe and controlled manner using jacking or similar means. We also advise on the right cranes to use for the project, perform lift planning support, design custom rigging components and systems, and provide critical lift documentation.
Finally, we provide advanced modeling deliverables to convey our solutions, including LOD400 models and associated detailing. This helps to eliminate misunderstanding of design intent and improves speed to market by clarifying any design complexities as well as material quantities.
