An architect in New York partnered with Uppteam for the entire structural design of a large residential project spanning 25000 sq. ft. Want to know how we easily handled the complex project? Keep reading.
Project Type: Residential
Software Used: Autodesk Revit and Trimble Tekla Tedds
Task Assigned
The complex structural design task entailed creating a complete structural design for a massive residential mansion. The client shared the architectural drawings, including elevations, to ensure that our structural designs aligned with them.
Challenges
Although the initial design phase was not challenging, Uppteam’s designers encountered a coordination issue as this was an existing building. Additional loads for structural updates must be calculated before redesigning the existing structure.
Estimating the loads on the existing structure was challenging as the client wanted to upgrade the concrete basement with wooden walls and a wooden roof. In addition, the sheer size of the mansion posed a significant challenge to our team.
Solutions
The first step to handling the challenge was carefully analyzing the client’s requirements. Once our team analyzed the overall design, including the architectural and structural design connection, we started designing the roof, columns, basement walls, and foundation.
We had to divide the 25000 sq. ft. area into multiple sections while aligning each design to ensure faster completion and efficient design. Based on the client’s updates, the team of structural designers started working on the project, keeping the materials used in mind.
We also assessed the need for shear walls to ensure structural stability and calculated the buckling load to ensure the existing construction could withstand external loads.
The customer was pleased with our design outcome and appreciated the timely submission. Uppteam completed the task with only one iteration within 10 working days, which helped us gain client appreciation.
Structural engineering firms are critical in designing the infrastructure that supports modern buildings and facilities. These engineering companies form the backbone through their expertise, innovation, and contributions to the building engineering industry.
Each year, a few of the many companies rank at the top of the list based on their innovation, future-ready thinking, project management skills, and engineering marvels. We have compiled a list of top structural engineering companies in the US that have benchmarked their presence through their dedication to quality and project development.
Selecting these firms is not easy. Many companies perform well. However, a few are financially stable, have outstanding expertise, and are adopting digital changes. These companies often stand the test of time and perform well while enhancing their capability by properly utilizing resources. Many of these companies choose remote structural design service providers to reduce overhead costs while improving productivity.
Moreover, to these quantitative measures, we've also considered the structural firms' market reputation, ability to bid for design projects, senior management experience, and involvement in noteworthy projects.
Here are some of the top structural engineering companies in the US, based on the latest rankings and industry insights:
Wood / O'Donnell & Naccarato
The Miami-based structural engineering firm, formerly known as Douglas Wood Associates, Inc., has amalgamated with O'Donnell & Naccarato. The merger has expanded the company's projects and allowed Wood / O'Donnell & Naccarato to use resources to enhance its reach and national position. The company is now able to offer structural engineering services for architectural building design requirements to all the states in the US.
Wood / O'Donnell & Naccarato offers every service related to structural engineering, including structural load calculation, combination, and analysis. They also conduct resistance calculations and produce designs accordingly. The company adheres to US and international standards to ensure its designs are compatible with the globe.
Barron Civil Engineering
Owned and run by Professional Engineer Daniel Barron, Barron Civil Engineering preserves historic monuments by implementing structural engineering with architectural support. The company also conducts home inspections for prospective home buyers to ensure they invest in a structurally sound residential building.
The company is known for providing structural designs and conducting inspections. On the one hand, Barron Civil Engineering has created cost-effective and efficient structural designs for deep foundations like wells, bridge foundations, retaining walls, etc.
On the other hand, the firm has also conducted structural inspections for various commercial and industrial projects to ensure the integrity of the buildings. From inspecting building codes and standards to detecting conflicts in the designs – Barron Civil Engineering conducts inspection so the final project meets deadline and is error-free.
Milhouse Engineering and Construction, Inc.
While Milhouse Technical and Construction provides full technical services, it oversees building projects and specializes in structural engineering. The company has been in the industry for over two decades, offering worldwide solutions to complex structural problems. It is also committed to being future-ready with its innovative structural designs.
Milhouse Engineering and Construction provides conceptual drawings to its clients, allowing them to estimate each project's costs. The company has trained engineers who ensure the designs are US code-compliant and provide customized designs with unique features.
Texas Piers Consulting LLC
Although Texas Piers Consulting is a multidisciplinary firm, its specialty lies in structural engineering designs. Initially established in Texas, the company has expanded to Florida and Louisiana. Forensic structural engineering analysis consultation is offered by Texas Piers Consulting. It also helps its clients with insurance claims and property damage assessments.
Texas Piers Consulting houses experienced and skilled professional and structural engineers who combine their expertise and knowledge to offer exceptional support even for the most complex structures. With over 50 years of experience, Texas Piers Consulting ensures optimum reliability and accurate design support.
PSE Consulting Engineers
PSE Consulting Engineers offers various structural engineering services with its corporate office in Oregon. The company conducts lateral and vertical load analysis based on the building standards of the specific state. PSE also conducts foundation and framing plans, provides structural details, and creates other forensic investigation reports of a structure. Started and led by an Egyptian Civil Engineer, Nabil Taha, PSE Consulting Engineers started its journey in 1988 by overseeing, reviewing, and supervising structural designs. Licensed in 47 states, PSE now provides structural designs across the country and even in other countries.
BIMPRO LLC
Even though BIMPRO primarily offers BIM modeling, it has also established itself as one of the US's top structural and construction engineering service providers. Based out of Texas, USA, the company brings a fresh approach to construction design with its small team of engineering professionals.
BIMPRO focuses on ensuring that the structural designs are high quality while ensuring the building's safety. Hence, the company constantly seeks to introduce innovative ways to improve its design quality. In a short span, the company has established its position in the structural engineering industry through its values, which allow it to serve its clients in the best way possible.
Hensel Phelps
Hensel Phelps was founded in 1937 as a real estate developer. Now, the company is known for its extensive services in managing construction through its structural designs. The company also provides construction and facility management. By integrating BIM, Hensel Phelps helps companies mitigate risks, ensure proper collaboration, and increase efficiency. Abel Hensel Phelps, the founder of Hensel Phelps, started the company in Colorado. It worked on multiple commercial building projects during World War II. The company has been in the construction industry for the last 80 years, and structural engineering is one of its core areas of focus. Throughout its long and prosperous years, it has incorporated updated technology and software to stay relevant while providing the best service to its clients.
Tangent Design and Engineering
Sometimes, clients look for companies that offer structural, civil, and MEP engineering support. Tangent Design and Engineering is a California-based engineering company that brings multiple services to the table. The structural engineering firm provides all types of support a company may require related to structural engineering, from truss design and coordination to roof framing, foundation, shear wall, and other structural planning.
Quality makes Tangent Design and Engineering one of its area's most valuable service providers. The company has a dedicated quality assurance team that ensures the premium finish of its services.
Alpha Structural, Inc.
Alpha Structural is based in Los Angeles and has been operating there for more than 25 years. It is one of the best structural engineering design services providers in Los Angeles. From foundational repairs to structural engineering designs, the company provides support at various levels. It is the only licensed structural engineering company in LA. The company has experienced engineering designers who provide design services to single-family, multi-family condos, community buildings, and more.
Alpha Structural has helped multiple projects with its critical engineering expertise. It offers greater efficacy while offering structural designs. The company believes in capturing the client's spirits through its comprehensive designs for commercial, industrial, public, and residential buildings, among other things.
Chandlee Construction
Chandlee Construction has been in the AEC market since 2006. While the company started with architectural building design, it also expanded to engineering services. With its commercial and industrial designs for departmental stores, studios, restaurants, and more, the company has maintained consistency and survived the recession.
Chandlee has been addressing the primary problem in the AEC industry, which is miscommunication. It has maintained its place in the industry by ensuring smooth collaboration and transparent communication with its clients. The company's designers turn their clients' ideas into 2D models and, with their approval, convert them into 3D renderings. Thus, they avoid miscommunication.
Industry Trends
The structural engineering industry has evolved significantly with technological advancements, sustainability, and integrated design approaches. Many companies have adopted Building Information Modeling (BIM), energy modeling, and smart building technologies to enhance efficiency and performance.
Others have started using updated tools such as AutoCAD, Autodesk Revit, Tekla Structures, etc. Thus, they ensure that the designs meet industry standards. While sustainability is driving the AEC industry, structural engineering firms also focus on developing green buildings. From maintaining environmental standards to meeting energy efficiency, these firms improve a building's overall longevity while maintaining its sustainability.
Conclusion
While the top companies in structural engineering are pioneers in the industry, many hire remote professionals to supplement their teams. Remote structural engineering design service providers, like Uppteam, work as an extended team, increasing the efficiency of their in-house engineers.
At Uppteam, we deliver complex yet code-compliant designs. Our engineering designers receive regular training on structural engineering software updates. We also keep abreast of industry trends, new regulations, and compliance updates.
One key differentiator for Uppteam is that we provide premium-quality structural engineering designs at a fraction of the cost. Our long list of satisfied clientele speaks volumes about our commitment to excellence. As a structural engineering firm, we understand the importance of innovation, quality, high performance, and sustainability in structural designs. Hence, our engineering designers augment a structural engineering team.
Structural engineering firms must focus on fruitful collaboration among various disciplines to ensure success in BIM structural engineering and modeling. Although the previous versions of Tekla fostered open communication, Trimble has improved its collaboration possibilities in these new advanced applications. As a result, engineers and architects can now deliver model information and required documents much more efficiently with a wide spread of supported industry formats.
The AEC industry, a beacon of sustainability, is at the forefront of everybody’s focus. The more connected the various disciplines in an AEC organization are, the better outcome the workforce can produce. This industry’s commitment to sustainability is driving the need for increased efficiency, reduced material wastage, better resource allocation, and overall support for construction maintenance, making the role of engineering designers more vital than ever.
With the newer version of Tekla 2024, the AEC industry can confidently ensure timely delivery within budget by improving its collaboration with stakeholders. This update confirms Trimble’s commitment to your success and the industry’s future.
What the Tekla Structural Designer 2024 Offers:
The updated Tekla Structural Designer 2024 version has enhanced the 3D rendering support engineer’s capability to conduct a thorough Staged Construction Analysis. It considers the sequence of loading and construction to ensure a seamless automated process. Hence, engineers can apply the method to steel and concrete structures for a fast-paced outcome.
The new version allows structural engineers to collaborate with other disciplines, such as MEP and architects, using reference models for better communication and enhanced compatibility checking. The implementation of this process minimizes the potential for conflicts within the design phase, leading to an overall improvement in the quality and success of the construction project.
The Improvements in Tekla Structures 2024:
Similar to Tekla Structural Designer 2024, Trimble has improved Tekla Structures 2024 to ensure engineers can complete their projects within budget and timeframe. The new update is especially beneficial for intricate geometric projects. Engineers can now access more instinctive modeling that allows them to complete a project with fewer iterations, which boosts productivity.
Tekla Structures 2024 has an automated construction drawing cloning feature, improving the outcome for precast and steel unit drawings. The robust change in the software will allow more efficient and quicker delivery while ensuring error-free data transmission for structural engineering firms. The model is more in sync with the regulations and standards designers must follow for construction projects.
Here are a few sections Trimble focused on to improve Tekla Structures 2024:
Supporting open standards: Enhanced industry alignment through open standards like BIM Collaboration Format (BCF) in Tekla Structures 2024 enables seamless communication of model-based issues with project collaborators at all phases. Trimble has enabled an extended and improved version of IFC property to support buildingSMART properties.
Advanced offering for fresh licenses: With the latest Tekla Structures 2024, new license holders can now access three products for one permission or license. Users can access Tekla Model Sharing and Tekla Business Premium under one “Named User License.” As a result, users can now deliver projects faster while maintaining high-quality standards and accuracy using integrated updated BIM tools.
Better collaboration: Tekla Structures 2024 improves collaboration by improving interoperability among third-party solutions, Trimble software, and hardware, leading to new integrated workflows. The updated version optimizes rebar geometry generation for better delivery logistics, site operations, and fabrication. Designers can now share accurate designs with the new data exchange feature with field and scanning hardware integrated by Trimble. In addition, Tekla Structures 2024 comes with Trimble Connect Business Premium, which allows users to improve their collaborative operations capabilities, such as model-based status sharing.
Offerings from Tekla PowerFab 2024:
Tekla PowerFab is the ideal steel fabrication tool for engineers and 3D rendering support designers. The 2023 version of the software allowed designers to make visual changes, which enabled them to manage and estimate job costings.
The new updated Tekla PowerFab 2024 offers better project management tools for designers. Architects and engineers not only keep track of the modifications they make but also organize their tasks much better. The integration of Trimble Connect BCF Topics allows them to change the order breakdown.
Engineers and architects often work using different tools. A seamless collaboration of these tools ensures a project’s success. BCF Topics bridges the gap among various tools and establishes a seamless partnership. Using BCF Topics, project managers can simultaneously follow up and create reports on multiple projects.
Tekla Tedds 2024 Updates:
Structural engineering designers rely on Tekla Tedds for calculations. The new, updated software version collaborates with Tekla Structures 2024 for seamless documentation and information integration. Thus, designers can produce more detailed designs built based on real-time calculations.
With the new Tekla Tedds 2024 launch, designers will have access to libraries of structural calculations. They can either use the predefined calculations or customize them to enhance their capabilities. Thus, they can produce more reliable structural drawings much faster.
Besides, since Tekla Tedds 2024 comes with integrated US building codes and standards, architects and engineers can produce flawless drafting following the regulations.
Information Security Assurance:
With the updates of the various Tekla applications, Trimble has also focused on improving its security information structure. Trimble provides enterprise-level security to ensure organizations can keep their data safe.
Hence, the company declared its Tekla products and their new updates to be ISO27001 compliant, the ultimate international benchmark for managing information security.
Conclusion:
Trimble claims to be revolutionizing the Building Information Modeling (BIM) process for structural engineering firms by releasing different versions of Tekla applications in 2024. Tekla Structures, Tekla Tedds, Tekla PowerFab, and Tekla Structural Designer have all been updated to provide enhanced interoperability, collaboration capabilities, and cutting-edge technologies that accelerate the design and construction process.
These tools utilize open standards, integrate seamlessly with third-party solutions, and ensure compliance with industry regulations. As a result, they empower engineers and architects to deliver projects more efficiently, accurately, and sustainably.
In addition, Trimble’s dedication to enterprise-level security in accordance with ISO27001 compliance offers reassurance to organizations dealing with sensitive data. Since the AEC industry is rapidly shifting toward sustainable practices, Trimble’s new updates will work as a driving force. From structural engineering to architectural drafting, the advanced Tekla applications will improve the efficiency of the design process.
arnab
ajay tribhuwan 
