Generally, when an owner begins to be really tight on the construction budget - especially if this is a change (or a surprise) from the intent when we write our professional services contract - I increase the conservatism of my analysis. I view this as a prime instance where failure is more likely to occur, as the owner is more interested in saving a few dollars than getting a properly built building, and corners are likely to be cut.
Design it to take the forces you expect given the constraints you have. If you find you need #7s in every cell, then that's what you need.
Jordan
Jeff Hedman wrote:
We are currently working on a 24'-0" tall masonry building whose rear wall is on the property line and must be a 2 hour fire wall. 12'-0" of the rear wall is a concrete retaining wall. The owner is hell bent on wood trusses and diaphragm. If a ledger is used to tie the wood roof to the masonry fire wall/shear wall, we must use straps to eliminate cross grain bending. According to IBC 2006 section 705.2, the wall must be designed to resist the un rated diaphragm catching fire and collapsing and bringing the fire wall with it. The easy thing to do would be to use a rated roof system but the architect is telling me that the system would consist of steel trusses and b deck with concrete or 4 layers of exterior gyp board, and the owner does not want to do either. The rear 12'-0" tall concrete retaining wall is 12" thick due to the fact that it is supporting the building as well as a surcharge of another 12'-0" retaining wall only 6 feet away. The best idea we can come up with is to place a 6" fully grouted masonry wall on top of the 12'-0" concrete retaining wall to act as the 2 hour fire wall only. We would then frame a wood framed shear wall on top of the 12'-0" concrete retaining wall next to the masonry fire wall to transfer all lateral and gravity loads down to the 12'-0" concrete retaining wall. If in the event of a structure fire the unrated roof collapses, the fire wall would still be intact and protect the adjacent lot and satisfy IBC 2006 705.2. The wood framed shear walls are 12'-0" tall and all sheathing panel edges are blocked so they conform to the exceptions of IBC 2006 2305.1.5. As far as simply moving the building off of the property line, the lot is flag shaped and if the building is moved to the larger area of the lot, it will destroy any kind of storage yard. The way the lot is laid out, if the building is moved off of the property line, there will not be sufficient room to have a two way drive into the property, so the building has to be where it is. We are wondering if any one has run into this before and solved it with a better idea.
Jeff Hedman , E.I.T.
L.R. Pope Engineers & Surveyors, Inc.
1240 East 100 South Suite # 15B
St. George, Utah 84790
Office: 435-628-1676
Fax: 435-628-1788
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