Portland Engineering Companies
Portland Needs Expert Structural Engineers
Few mechanical designers, architects, fabricators, construction contractors or industrial developers will risk creating any large structure without the guidance and skills of expert structural engineers.
Too much depends on the structural design features to ignore what all structural engineers know best: No new building or facility design can assure building or use safety without the assistance of a team of highly qualified structural engineers.
What are the Major Benefits of Expert Engineering
The overall atmosphere of Portland, Oregon’s building and construction projects offer maximum durability, dependability and safety.
To understand the basics of how structural engineers accomplish flawless design and projects, it is important to know what their duties are.
To begin with, structural engineering is a branch of civil engineering with diverse applications focused on professional consultations for abroad range of client projects. These include:
. Tunnels
. Bridges
. Industrial and commercial buildings
. Structural systems of concrete steel, wood and masonry
. Hi tech environmental industrial structures for regulatory compliance
It is easy to see why so many municipalities in the Portland area place full faith and trust in the structural engineering companies they choose.
Engineering Design – The Foundation of Structural Design
Engineering design for infrastructure, construction, commercial and industrial projects begin with design concepts based on client specifications. However, design concepts for engineering must also meet federal, state and local regulatory compliance. Thus, structural engineering designs are created by licensed design experts.
Structural Design Concepts
Since engineering design is based on known concepts and techniques, designs must meet certain specifications of resistance to known forces. These include:
. Unstable soil
. High winds
. High water tables and potential for flooding in flood zone areas
. Earthquakes
. Blast explosions
. Possible collisions
. Force of gravity
. Collapse
Engineering Design Technique
In design technique engineers are required to understand, assess, predict and calculate building and structures’ stability, strength and rigidity. This also applies to non-buildings and structures like bridges and tunnels.
One very important feature of structural engineering today is that these engineering designs have the ability to resolve environmental effects of changes in temperatures and climate.
Primary Aspects of Engineering Design
Some of the primary aspects of engineering design are related to a broad range of projects that include:
. Bridge designs such as riding surfaces, girders and piers
. Foundations, framing, walls, arches, columns, wall framing and braces
. Flooring framing for decks, trusses, joists, girders, beams
. Roof framing, roofing beams, rafters, joists and trusses
The Scope of Professional Engineering Projects
The city of Portland is the largest in the state and rests on the Columbia and Wilmette Rivers. In such a heavily urbanized area, Portland’s engineers have a responsibility to the population of nearly 700,000 to ensure each structural project they propose to the city and businesses meets all safety and compliance standards.
For example, in certain areas of Portland city officials report approximately 1600 city buildings that require upgrading due to their brick construction that is aging and were not built to withstand an earthquake or other seismic activity. Also, some of the city’s buildings require upgrading in water prone areas.
The interface between construction developers and structural engineers usually occurs when Portland’s city officials decide buildings such as “The Portland Building” a 15-story structure faced renovation in 2014, at a cost of $95 million required demolition and replacement.
This is the point at which engineering consultants are called upon to review municipal plans and consider projects needed by the city.
Generally, these types of municipal projects are part of a “bid process” where they propose design specifications to a city and projected pricing for their part of the project.
For business projects such as new buildings and urban skyscrapers the bid process may also be in effect in large urban areas. For smaller projects, engineering bids are not usually required since the client chooses the engineering company most recognized with a proven track record of successful design projects, consultations and customer satisfaction.
Finding a Quality Engineering Company in Portland Oregon
Of greatest importance in finding an engineering company in the ultra modern city of Portland is engineering qualifications and specific knowledge of structural forces of resistance.
To find the best engineering company for a structural project, you should seek the services of a licensed and experienced pacific northwest engineering team with name recognition and a history of successful projects.
The next step to find an engineering company is to research company projects and experience. For example, a company that is ranked high in Portland for structural engineering is Lewis & Van Vleet.
Lewis & Van Vleet have provided structural engineering design and consultation for more than two decades. This team of experts is licensed in several states that includes Arizona, Idaho, California, Nevada, Washington State and Oregon.
A Full Compliment of Engineering Projects
The Lewis & Van Vleet staff are proud of their record of consistent success and growth of clients. Portland engineering
With successful projects like hospitals, schools, industrial parks, corporate offices, seismic retrofits, retail and public works to name a few, Lewis & Van Vleet is a structural engineering industry leader.
As a result of comprehensive business planning, Lewis & Van Vleet work with clients to meet all structural project specifications within budget.
As a Portland engineering company, Lewis & Van Vleet endeavor to provide trust, dependability and state-of-the-art engineering skills.
Contact Information:
Lewis & Van Vleet | Structural Engineers Portland
515 SW 4th Ave
Portland OR. 97204
(503) 966-4993
