This is an article our favorite engineer wrote about the importance of engineering your residential project. Professional engineering is recommended on all projects and more and more it is being required by many local jurisdictions or on the state level. All of our projects in California, Colorado, New Mexico, New York require the project be stamped by a professional engineer. We wanted to share with our readers why it is important on all projects from the engineer’s perspective, enjoy. -Derek

Structural Engineering: Assurance for Your Insurance

The common goal on any log cabin design and construction is to have an experience that is built on trust and understanding. From the beginning, there are a lot of decisions that need to be made with building a log cabin structure. Often referred to as the ‘process’, one must decide on several key items such as budgets, the style of log cabin, floor plan layouts and total square footages, what log cabin company to use and the general building contractor. One often overlooked decision in this process is the need for structural engineering design and review.

The structural engineering of your log cabin ensures that all elements of your final construction documents are:
• Well coordinated
• Have been properly sized for structural components such as roof beams, floor joists, girders, headers, decks, foundations and retaining walls
• Adequately designed connections and details using the correct loads and load paths
• Designed for the proper resistance of building lateral loads (out-of-plane wind or earthquake loads)

Often the question is asked, “When is structural engineering required for my log cabin structure?” Based upon where you are building your structure, some of the local building departments and/or local governing jurisdictions will require some form of professional structural engineering construction documents and calculations that are stamped and signed by a licensed professional engineer. These documents would include your foundation plan, floor framing plans, roof framing plan, building sections, structural details, general structural notes and structural engineering calculations.

Several factors that would require or cause recommendation for structural engineering include, but are not limited to:
1) You are building within a high snow load area,
2) You are located within a high wind or earthquake zone,
3) The complexity of your final floor plans and building elevations (i.e. how does each floor level stack up, is there a prow, are there a lot of exterior window or opening placements, what is the column/post spacing, what are the beam/girder spans, is there a basement, etc.),
4) Does the local governing building jurisdiction require it for issuance of building permits
5) What are the site requirements in which you are building your log cabin structure on (i.e. is the building pad site flat or sloped, are you building into a hillside and what are the native soil bearing types).

A structural engineer can work with your local jurisdiction to help streamline the ‘process’ and obtain your building permit in a timely fashion, then allowing you, your log cabin company and your general building contractor to begin work. A structural engineer can also be available through the construction process to answer or clarify any questions that can arise during construction.
Whether or not it is required, it is highly recommended to consult with a licensed professional structural engineer on any log cabin structure that you build. The common goal for any structural engineer is to safeguard life, health, property and public welfare through design and implementation. When put into perspective with what typical structural engineering fees are in relation to the overall cost of your project, you will find that these fees are typically less than 1% of your overall construction budget. For the quality assurance that you are given knowing your log cabin residence is designed and coordinated properly by a professional, it provides additional insurance in protecting your life long investment.

Brian J. Sielaff, P.E., Tamarack Grove Engineering, PLLC