Great instructor with diverse knowledge in structural engineering. A well structured presentation covering multiple topics.  Antonio Horrnik, Pinellas County Public Works, Clearwater, FL

Based on an authoritative book with the same title, the seminar covers the practical methods of upgrading major types of building materials and structural systems - steel, concrete, masonry, and wood. It examines typical renovation provisions of building codes and the issue of renovation vs. rebuilding. The must-have details for upgrading buildings for lateral loads are included. Much of the discussion applies to buildings of any size and even to structures other than buildings.

Because the subject of building renovation is immense and time limited, a necessary compromise is reached between a rudimentary primer and a lengthy technical presentation. The subjects familiar to most participants receive only a general overview, while more time is devoted to the topics inviting controversy and to practical design issues.

The bulk of the seminar is devoted to problems experienced by building structures and to specific renovation techniques to remedy these problems. For each material, the discussion starts with a brief overview of past construction methods, outlines typical problems, explains why they occur, and presents practical remedial solutions. The seminar is jam-packed with useful design tips and renovation details. The participants will leave with a sense of being able to tackle all kinds of design and construction issues related to building renovation, from evaluation of existing buildings and feasibility studies to preparation of construction documents.

• Learn when a renovated building must be upgraded to comply with the code for new construction and when it can be grandfathered.  Find out when it is appropriate to renovate and when to consider replacement instead. Discuss typical code provisions for structural renovations.
• Study the available methods of investigating existing conditions. Learn where to find information about the original structural design and how load testing can help determine load-carrying capacities of the framing when its exact properties are unknown.
• Learn about the early practices for cast-iron and steel construction, the allowable stresses of vintage steel and fasteners, how to determine whether the steel is weldable, and how to identify open-web steel joists in the field.
• Explore various methods of strengthening wood framing and connections.
• Discuss the methods of strengthening various concrete structural systems. Find out how to improve load-carrying capacities of beams, one-way slabs, columns, and how to safely make openings in slabs. Examine typical properties of old concrete and reinforcing steel.
• Discover the most effective methods of concrete repair and how to prevent premature - and unfortunately very common, failures of concrete repairs.
• Discuss why some common masonry systems fail prematurely and how to specify them correctly.

Upon completion of this seminar, you will be able to:

• Become familiar with four methods of upgrading beams to a higher live-load capacity
• Identify the most practical method of repairing crumbling bricks
• Learn the differences between the appearance of concrete cracks caused by restrained shrinkage in elevated one-way concrete slabs from those caused by plastic shrinkage
• Understand what carbonation is
• Know the most common approach for mitigating damage to lightweight wood trusses

Achievement of the learning outcomes will be assessed through class discussion following the presentation of each major topic as well as through short case studies and a post-seminar test.

Each participant will receive a copy of the 866-page book Structural Renovation of Buildings: Methods, Details, and Design Examples by Alexander Newman (McGraw-Hills, 2001), a $99.00 value.

Structural and civil engineers, architects, facility managers, building officials, and competent contractors seeking to broaden their knowledge of building renovation methods. While the discussion topics are technical in nature, those who are not engineers will not be overwhelmed because the instruction is kept to an enjoyable and easy-to-understand level.

Time:  8:30am - 4:30pm

Day 1

• Challenges of structural renovation
• Code provisions for renovations
• Renovate or rebuild?
• Investigating existing conditions
• Renovating steel-framed buildings
• Strengthening concrete buildings
• Repairing deteriorated concrete

Day 2 

• Renovating wood buildings
• Renovating masonry
• Wind and seismic retrofit
• Conclusion