Ground-motion data from the February 6th, 2023 Kahmaranmaraş, Türkiye earthquake sequence is analyzed. Acceleration and deformation response spectra are analyzed to predict susceptible infrastructure and failure mechanisms of reinforced concrete structures in the region. Images are used to compare the theoretical failure and actual building failures in the region. Recommendations are provided for both the seismic design code and seismic retrofitting.

This Barrett creative project includes the structural design of a coffee shop using recycled shipping containers in Phoenix, Arizona. Repurposing old shipping containers into commercial and residential buildings has become more popular. Even here in Arizona, buildings have already integrated shipping containers into their design. Shipping containers add a unique character to the architectural design of the building and at the same time cut costs of construction due to their low prices. With using the shipping containers as building materials, there is a positive impact on the use of the structures in builds. The uniqueness of using shipping containers is what sparked my interest to design a shipping container coffee shop. For my creative project, I designed the coffee shop using the already structurally sound core of the shipping container to my advantage. However, when adding modifications to the structure, the materials of the structure were analyzed to ensure the design could take the modifications. I have taken my love for structural design, the environment, and coffee and brought it to life. Through this project, I have a better understanding of how much thought goes into designing a building and have a deeper understanding of the codes that structural engineers must follow to design and analyze buildings.

An existing house is outdated and in need of a renovation. The kitchen, living room, bar and dining room are currently all closed off from one another creating four separate spaces. The goal is to recreate the main floor into an open concept space, that is great for entertaining, and being with family and friends. This Thesis/Creative Project deals in the area of structural redesign, aesthetics, client relations and budget tracking. To do this effectively, Revit, AutoCAD, RISA 3D and Excel will all be used to complete various elements of the project. In order to open the space a structural analysis needs to be done to ensure the structural integrity of the home remains solid. If structural walls are being removed the forces being exerted on those walls will need to be redistributed. This will require a redesign of the structural members to ensure the forces are supported. Once the walls are down the area can be redesigned to ensure function and usability. Every inch of the space needs to be optimized to ensure the most efficient use of space. The storage will also need to be taken into consideration because there will be storage loss when removing walls. The space will need to look aesthetically pleasing and keep in theme with the country cabin feel of the home. The Client’s will be involved in every step of the process to ensure they are satisfied with the varying design. While redesigning the area there is a strict budget that was set by the Clients, and every step of the designing process needs to take into consideration the cost. Once the successful completion of the project is accomplished, the Clients, will have the ability to take the plans and complete the renovation on the house.

This project report contains the design of a low-cost structural model of a residential structure in the City of Phoenix, AZ. The structural unit will be part of a residential area in Ahwatukee Foothills Village located just south of South Mountain. The residential structure is 3600 square feet and consists of three bedrooms (including the master bedroom), two bathrooms (including the master bathroom), a 2-car garage, laundry room, kitchen, dining room, and a living room. There are two elevation options (A & B) for the roof framing plan. Elevation A includes a straight forward truss package consisting of two truss designs with no hip or girder trusses. Elevation B includes a more complex truss package which includes girder trusses, hip trusses, and corner jacks. Within both elevations, the trusses run perpendicular to the ridge of the structure as displayed in the Architectural Floor Plan (see Figure 4) with the exception of the hip trusses and corner jacks in Elevation B.

The design objective is to meet all safety specifications while minimizing the total cost of members and member connections. The design also aims to streamline the construction time and resources by using standard member cross section dimensions. This residential building report is carried out in accordance with the City of Phoenix standards and follows the ASCE7-10 code for the dead and live load combinations and wind pressures. This report also references the National Design Specifications (NDS) 2005 for the column design. HT Consulting Group is excited to create a safe and sustainable development for the residents within Ahwatukee Foothills Village.

With a rapidly decreasing amount of resources for construction, wood and bamboo have been suggested as renewable materials for increased use in the future to attain sustainability. Through a literature review, bamboo and wood growth, manufacturing and structural attributes were compared and then scored in a weighted matrix to determine the option that shows the higher rate of sustainability. In regards to the growth phase, which includes water usage, land usage, growth time, bamboo and wood showed similar characteristics overall, with wood scoring 1.11% higher than bamboo. Manufacturing, which captures the extraction and milling processes, is experiencing use of wood at levels four times those of bamboo, as bamboo production has not reached the efficiency of wood within the United States. Structural use proved to display bamboo’s power, as it scored 30% higher than wood. Overall, bamboo received a score 15% greater than that of wood, identifying this fast growing plant as the comparatively more sustainable construction material.

The 8.1 magnitude earthquake that struck Mexico City in 1985 left 10,000 people dead, and over 400 buildings collapsed. The extent of the damage left behind by this powerful quake has been extensively studied to make improvements to engineering and architectural practices in earthquake-prone areas of the world. Thirty-two years later, on the exact anniversary of the devastating earthquake, Mexico City was once again jolted by a 7.1 magnitude earthquake. Although still significant, the 2017 earthquake collapsed only about a tenth of the buildings collapsed by the 1985 Earthquake, and in turn resulted in a lower death toll. Even though these earthquakes struck in the same seismic region, their effects were vastly different. This thesis completes a comparison between the two earthquakes focusing on the structural impacts including background on Mexico City's unique geology, basic concepts necessary to understand the response of structures to earthquake excitation, and structural failure modes observed in both earthquakes. The thesis will also discuss the earthquake's fundamental differences that led to the discrepancy in structural damage and ultimately in lower death tolls. Of those discussed, is the types of buildings that were targeted and collapsed. In 1985, buildings with 6 or more floors had the highest damage category. Resonance frequencies of these buildings were similar to the resonance frequencies of the subsoil, leading to amplified oscillations, and ultimately in failure. The 2017 earthquake did not have as much distance from the epicenter for the high frequency seismic waves to be absorbed. In contrast, the shorter, faster waves that reached the capital affected smaller buildings, and spared most tall buildings.