Structural Design Evaluations

Building designs take into account all the loads and stresses that a structure is likely to endure in its lifetime. Loads include the weight of the building itself and the weight of all the people, furniture, and other objects inside it. Stresses include rain, snow, wind, and even earthquakes. Building designs try to take all these things into account, but a building of any size is a complicated system and it's easy for something to be missed. Structural design evaluations are done to determine whether a structure has any flaws or problems in its design that could cause structural problems.

When a building is in the planning stages, structural design evaluations are important so that the final structure will be safe and sound for many years to come. When a building already exists, reviewing its design and current condition, along with information about any possible seismic activity in the area, can save money and prevent injuries in the future. If damage has already occurred due to an earthquake or other reason, insurance companies often request an evaluation to determine if it is possible to repair the building.

Methods of Structural Design Evaluations
Physically inspecting a building is part of structural design evaluations. Finding any cracks or weakening in a structure is a major part of determining the strength of the structure. In the 21st century, however, an important tool for structural design evaluations is sophisticated software. This software can perform a variety of analyses on the design, such as linear and nonlinear analysis, seismic, buckling, fire and fatigue analysis.

Making sure that the design of a new or existing building will stand up to all stresses and loads for a long time avoids future problems--problems that could cost a lot and cause people to get hurt. For more about structural design evaluations, contact The KPA Group at www.thekpagroup.com.