Structural Support
Structural Support
Building Problem Solutions
Building Problem Solutions
Structural Design, Analysis & Investigation
We provide structural engineering services to a wide variety of clients, including building owners & buyers, architects, builders, civil engineers, real estate firms and law firms.
Municipal code officials do not "approve" or certify that design or construction of structural elements satisfy requirements of building code. Almost universally, code officials are not licensed as professional engineer or architect and have no training otherwise in structural design. New Jersey Uniform Construction Code (UCC) actually instructs code officials not to "check" structural design on plans.......almost certainly for that very reason.
Key problem is that New Jersey DCA refuses to inform public of this basic fact, even though they know, or should know, that vast majority of public......including contractors and architects.....believe, incorrectly, that code officials are spending hours and hours reviewing and "approving" structural design. Even many attorneys......who should know better......try to claim that code officials "approve" structural design.......which demonstrates ignorance of the law!
New Jersey regulations allow licensed architects to perform structural design.........merely based on license as architect.....without any other demonstration of qualifications. There is no requirement in permit process that anyone check structural design ....including lack of structural design......performed by architect. Although regulations include "ethics" requirement that architect only perform design function for which they are qualified, such competency requirement is almost never enforced; see numerous reports by this writer for details.
Key structural design requirement .....that all-too-many architects fail to address in plans......is design for lateral wind force. Many plans prepared by architects just "overlook" entire design requirement.........and code officials do not issue any plan review comments. Even when hundred-page reports have been submitted to code officials demonstrating grossly deficient structural design........for lateral wind and other design requirements........code official "simply" ignore defects.
If you are purchasing new home or having addition built........you should consider asking many questions!
For removal of interior bearing wall, "header" beam is necessary. We prepare plans & specifications, often based on information provided by customer. Please contact us to discuss your project.
Key issues often evaluated for real estate transactions, with inspections performed for home buyers and owners; (1) Cracked foundation walls, (2) Deflection ("sagging") of floors, (3) Inadequate supports in basement or crawlspace, (4) Termite or decay damage to wood framing.
Design of house for lateral wind force is key element of structural design often "overlooked" or ignored by architects.........as described in numerous, long reports by this engineer during past ten years. For new house or addition.....especially near ocean........consider having plans reviewed by structural engineer.
See report (12-5-18; 45 pages) about collapse of house in Hamilton New Jersey.
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Design of new foundations to support raised houses has been performed for many projects along New Jersey shore. Please call or email to discuss your project.
See report (11-20-17; 107 pages) about FEMA process for structural flood damage claims.
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See comments about replacement of Glimmer Glass Bridge submitted to county project team.
Comments on Glimmer Glass bridge proposal - 030718 JFM vpdf.pdf (PDF — 276 KB)
Presentations
John F Mann, PE to present webinar "Structural Design Defects" on April 20, 2018. Contact Lorman Education for further information.
John F Mann, PE presented webinar, "Foundation Damage and Repair" on March 2 & 3, 2016. In 2015, seminar was presented in Cherry Hill, NJ and Nashville, TN.
Mr. Mann presented seminar "Building Codes in New Jersey" in 2014. Code requirements for supporting raised houses in flood zones were highlighted.
We offer the following basic services:
- Structural design for residential, commercial & industrial buildings as well as other structures, including bridges
- Evaluation of building problems, including foundations
- of structural elements and systems
- Investigation of design and construction defects
Engineering services (requiring PE seal) currently provided for projects in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland & DC.
However, basic questions from anyone can be answered. A new section ("Questions & Answers") includes brief answers to queries made by visitors.
Report discussing defective basement foundation walls in New Jersey is available; see Foundation Wall Design. Use back arrow to return to site.
- Evaluation of several commercial buildings for installation of large solar panel arrays on roof; New Jersey.
- Framing & foundations for new house; Sea Girt NJ
- Design of concrete containment structure around chemical tanks, Maryland.
- Design steel framing & foundations for new municipal pump station facilities; southern New Jersey
- New girders and framing reinforcement for 3-story house in Belmar NJ.
- Inspection of guard railings on 48 balconies at hotel in New Brunswick NJ.
- Evaluate repair requirements for numerous houses to be restored throughout New Jersey.
- Design remedial framing for wind-resistance during construction of new addition near ocean; Neptune NJ
- New foundations and steel framing to support multi-unit building in raised position; Keansburg NJ
- Design calculations for code approval of modular house fabrication for houses along ocean; Ocean County NJ
- Design of concrete foundations, including retaining walls and temporary shoring, for new retail store; Paterson NJ
- Design of pile-supported foundation system to support house to be lifted above flood elevation; Sea Bright, NJ
- Evaluation of flood damage due to Hurricane Sandy; 100+ houses and commerical buildings along NJ shore
- Framing for large new house; Long Beach Island, NJ
- Evaluation, partial collapse of roof deck at industrial facility; Berlin, NJ
- Design of long steel header beam for removal of interior bearing wall at residence; Marlboro NJ
- Design of ground-mount framing to support solar panels ; Morris County, NJ
- Design of ground-mount framing for support of solar panels; Camden County, NJ
- Analysis of roof framing to support solar panels on roof of high school, including long trusses; Ridgefield Park NJ
- Develop final design requirements for curtain wall at Port Authority transit station; Harrison NJ
- Analysis of roof framing to support solar panels on roof of warehouse buildings ; Englewood NJ and Wayne NJ
- Repairs for collapsed foundation wall at retail stores, Pennington NJ
- Evaluate roof framing of church for solar panels; Jamesburg NJ
- Evaluate existing steel roof framing of 3-story office building, for installation of solar panels; Millburn NJ
- Condition of reinforced concrete building used for fire training and development of repair requirements; Brick NJ
- Development of procedure for load testing of 5-story steel fire escape for school building; Asbury Park NJ
- Structural design for new restaurant building; Jackson NJ
- Solar panels - Evaluate existing roof framing of industrial building complex; Woodbridge NJ
- Structural alterations of roof trusses for existing restaurant; Somers Point NJ
- Bracing cracked block foundation walls; Beachwood NJ
- Reinforce first floor framing to correct defects due to decay; Rumson NJ
- Reinforce first floor girder to correct lack of adequate support; Lavallette NJ
- Design reinforced concrete "horse pool"; Chesterfield NJ
- Evaluate structural defects for roof truss design for condos in large residential development ; Bluffton, SC
Report about valley truss connection design in Sun City Hilton Head, Bluffton SC; Valley Truss Report
See the following CV for John F Mann, PE;
CVJFM November 2017 vpdf.pdf (PDF — 215 KB)
Please contact us to discuss your project requirements. Evaluation of various problems can sometimes be performed based on information provided via email and phone. Answers to relatively easy questions are often provided without charge.
Lighthouse at Sandy Hook, NJ (September 2008).
Built in 1764, this is the oldest operating lighthouse in the US. photo by John F Mann, PE
For additional information; Sandy Hook Lighthouse
After 4 years of steady increase through 2014, site traffic has leveled off, though Visitors have increased in 2018.
Basic software to be added during 2019.
Visitors have arrived from every corner of the US and world. Numerous visitors have dropped by from Canada and a wide variety of other countries, including Australia, UK, India, Italy, Ireland, Russia, China, France, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam, South Africa, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Libya, Israel, Papua New Guinea, Haiti and even Nepal.
Most popular pages have been "Structural Ridge Beam", "Beam Design - Basic" and "Solar Panels On Sloped Roof".
See photos of damage from hurricane Sandy on separate page (from list).
Collapse of Foundation Wall (August 2011)
Photos below show effects due to total collapse of long segment of block foundation wall supporting commercial building in Pennington NJ. Height of soil backfill against the wall had already exceeded standard limits such that the wall was already cracked. Water from tropical storm Irene saturated backfill, providing additional pressure that resulted in total collapse into basement.
Sidewalk collapsed downward as foundation wall collapsed inward.
View from inside basement, looking towards collapsed segment of block foundation wall.
Remaining walls around basement were also cracked and pushed inward, due to excessive height of soil backfill pushing against these walls.
Photos below, showing construction of a segmental concrete bridge in New Jersey, are for general interest. Design was performed by others for NJDOT. The bridge is now completed and open for traffic in both directions.
First half of new segmental concrete bridge over inlet to Shrewsbury River from Sandy Hook Bay, between Highlands and Sea Bright, New Jersey.
View is from top of hill below north tower of Twin Lights in Highlands.
The northbound bridge has now been completed, alongside the southbound bridge.
For history of Twin Lights; Twin Lights Highlands NJ
Looking north towards bridge under construction; August 2009.
Lower span is the former drawbridge which has since been removed.
Photos by John F Mann, PE