Practical applications · A Practical Guide to Seismic Flexible Retaining Wall Design

So, you’ve just been handed a project with a decently sized retaining wall, and it’s in a location with some seismic kick. Immediately, you know that your standard static analysis isn’t going to cut it. The response of a retaining wall to seismic loading is a complex soil-structure interaction problem, and figuring out the right approach can be daunting. This is a classic example of where we move beyond simplified prescriptive rules and into the world of engineered precision using Part 4 principles.

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Standards · Design principles · Materials · Industry insights · Professional development · Practical applications · Navigating Wind & Snow Loads in Part 4 vs. Part 9

If you’re practicing structural engineering in Canada, you know that Mother Nature doesn’t pull any punches. From heavy snowfalls to whipping winds, our designs constantly have to stand up to the elements. The National Building Code of Canada (NBCC) gives us the rulebook, but how we apply those rules can differ significantly, especially when we’re talking about Part 4 (Structural Design) versus Part 9 (Housing and Small Buildings).

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Standards · Design principles · Industry insights · Practical applications · Part 4’s Leap vs. Part 9’s Sticking Point

In this post we’ll be looking at seismic. Specifically, let’s chew on something that’s been a hot topic since the NBCC 2020 dropped: the growing gap in seismic design philosophies between Part 4 (Structural Design) and Part 9 (Housing and Small Buildings). If you’re juggling projects that dance on the edge of Part 9’s limits or work across different seismic zones in Canada, this is a conversation you need to be in on.

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Standards · Practical applications · Design principles · When Does Part 9 End and Part 4 Begin in the NBCC?

Let’s talk about something that trips up even seasoned engineers from time to time: figuring out exactly where National Building Code of Canada (NBCC) Part 9, “Housing and Small Buildings,” hands off the baton to Part 4, “Structural Design.” Get this wrong, and you could be heading for a world of compliance headaches, or worse, an under-designed structure. Get it right, and you’re setting your project up for success from day one.

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Practical applications · When Part 9 Leans on Part 4 – A Guide for Complex Small Buildings

You’ve got a project that, at first glance, looks like a straightforward Part 9 building – a “house or small building” as the NBCC puts it. But then you start digging into the details, the architect throws in a few “features,” or the site conditions are less than ideal, and suddenly you’re wondering if those prescriptive Part 9 solutions are going to cut it.

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Standards · Design principles · Industry insights · Practical applications · Canadian Codes, Challenges, and the Road Ahead

In our first three posts, we’ve journeyed through the “what and why” of Performance-Based Design (PBD), mapped out the typical PBD process and player lineup, and even gotten our hands dirty with the nitty-gritty of modeling, analysis, and verification. If you’ve been following along, you know PBD isn’t just a fancy buzzword; it’s a powerful approach to designing structures that meet specific, tangible performance goals.

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