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Q: I’ve heard that engineers give no structural "credit" to gypboard, but I know it greatly stiffens partitions when I nail it up. How much shear strength does drywall really have, and why not credit it in the design?
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Q: Collar ties don’t seem necessary in attics where the rafters come all the way down to the ceiling joists. Can you remove some of them to create headroom?
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Q: I often see roof loads calculated based on the horizontal run of the roof. But isn’t it more accurate to figure the weight of snow and roofing materials by measuring along the actual length of the rafter? Thus, as the roof gets steeper, the rafter gets longer, and the weight of roofing materials...
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Q: Doesn’t the safety factor in wood construction mean that most wood structures are way overbuilt?
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Q: Does using purlins and struts at midspan allow you to cut the roof span in half compared with what’s given in a rafter table?
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Q: A client wants me to add a second story addition on a small Cape. The add-on would necessitate bringing new floor and roof loads onto existing steel columns in the basement that heretofore have supported only first-floor loads. Are the footings for those steel posts up to the additional loads...
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Attaching decks to the band joist
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Repairing a cracked block foundation
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A structural engineer offers some practical guidelines for building tall window walls that are strong enough for the job.