How Construction Tolerances Affect Structural Design (1.5 PDH) – Live Webinar

The SEI Pittsburgh Chapter has acquired a site license to host this webinar, and provide it to the membership at minimal cost.  You must come to HDR to view the webinar, we are not able to grant access elsewhere.

INSTRUCTOR: Alexander Newman, P.E., F.ASCE

Purpose and Background

It is impractical to expect that every dimension and every design detail indicated in the construction drawings will be built precisely as shown. Instead, the best we can expect is that the work will be built reasonably close to the drawings, within the established construction tolerances. But which dimensional deviations are acceptable? Where is this information provided? What specifically should the design engineer do to allow the building element to function even when the dimensions are not as shown on the drawings but still within the industry-accepted tolerances? Who is to blame when some component does not fit, and the contractor's work complied with the relevant tolerances? The last issue is unfortunately a common cause of construction problems and claims. This webinar answers these and many other practical questions related to incorporating construction tolerances in the design drawings, with a focus on dimensional tolerances. Specific examples illustrate how tolerances affect structural design details.

Primary Discussion Topics

• The definition of construction tolerances
• Tolerances in structural steel elements
• Concrete tolerances
• Tolerances in masonry construction
• How to deal with conflicting tolerances

Learning Outcomes

• Learn where to find the information on the acceptable construction tolerances for various materials
• Understand which specific steps should be taken to incorporate construction tolerances in structural steel, concrete, and masonry buildings
• Become familiar with the tolerances for placement of anchor bolts and embedments in concrete
• Know how far should the outer edge of a steel lintel or a shelf angle be from the exterior face of brick veneer
• Find out how to accommodate tolerances related to camber of steel beams and precast tees

Webinar Benefits

• Understand whether flatness and levelness limits for slabs on grade apply to elevated slabs as well
• Know how masonry tolerances affect the common practice of embedding steel wires and anchors into masonry joints
• Learn about two simple details to assure that the tops of steel beams and open-web steel joists bearing on masonry walls are in alignment
• Find out what can be done if the project requires tighter tolerances than commonly accepted
• Discover how construction tolerances could make a common masonry design approach questionable

Intended Audience

• Structural engineers
• Civil engineers
• Building owners