Structural Design Report: Sample Structural Design Report

Note:Image by EMatias

Structural engineers designing residential buildings will need to compile their calculation to satisfy their client requirements. Thus, submission of Design Report is a must. This is a document showing that you followed the appropriate codes used in the country or state where you are designing.

In the USA, some of the governing codes are the following:
1. ASCE 7 - This code covers the provisions in seismic,wind and minimum loading condition and combintation to be used.

2. ACI - American Concrete Institute is the body publishing the concrete provision referred in IBC.

3. AISC - American Institute of Steel Construction.

In designing, an engineer may use one software alone to design the structure. However, some structural engineers still preferred to use both analysis software and spreadsheets. Design criteria is the most important sheet because parameters like rebar strength, concrete strength as shown below must be linked to all excel sheets containing the beam design, column and footing design.

Softwares tend to produce overdesign result or different sets of rebars in members in the same floor. Most expert or old engineers will obtain the maximum governing design forces in a certain set of beams say all seismic carrying members then design them in spreadsheet and implement result to all members under that set. Example, values in green below image i.e. rebar fy and fc', is linked to all values under Design Criteria tab in spreadsheet.

Same manners of design in column and footing is followed. Lets say in all corner column member, we get the governing forces and design then apply rebar design to all corner columns.

For footing say in all corner footing, we get all governing design forces in all corner footings and design that then apply the rebars obtained to all corner footings. See below image.

The footing spreadsheet should have inputs for both unfactored and factored loads to check the footing size and to design for rebars.

Lastly, even the design of other members like stair can be done in spreadsheet. Again, values in red is linked to design criteria page in spreadsheet to retain uniformity in fy and fc values in all structural members.

Slab takes the major volume of concrete in structure. Hence, a spreadsheet for this member is really important to check if certain thickness at certain span is really capable before modeling in software like STAAD.