Archive for September, 2008
Posted on September 30, 2008 - by John
Kaiser 7 Solar Project
BJG | Architecture + Engineering announced today the firm has assisted with the completion of the solar panel instillation at Kaiser Distribution Park located in Fontana, California.
Project details include the installation of a 2.44-megawatt solar system on 320,000 square feet of existing roof space. The solar installation has the potential to generate enough electricity to power 1,426 households for one year.
“Pursuing a project of this magnitude required a solid, cooperative partnership with the developer – ProLogis, the building department and the utility,” said BJG President Pete Blakely. “We were happy to share our resources and expertise with all parties to complete a project that contributed to a breakthrough solar energy program for Southern California.”
All energy harnessed from the installation flows into the neighboring electrical grid and helps to meet Southern California’s energy needs. The installation was completed in September 2008.
Kaiser 7 is a typical tilt up warehouse. The roof area is roughly 500,000 square feet and is home to over 33,000 First Solar photovoltaic solar panels. The power plant is expected to generate 2.4 megawatts of power.
BJG’s contribution to the project consisted of analyzing the roof structure for the new vertical loads, analyzing the diaphragm and braced frames for additional seismic loading due to the added weight of the PV modules, designing screening for conduit and inverters, and designing concrete pads for the inverters. We also provided a construction staging and transport plan to prevent any damage to the roof while the system was being installed.
There were several challenges to overcome during the design phase. Some of these challenges were known from the start, such as, how do we justify the additional dead load without modifying the existing roof? The dead load from the solar panels was 9 psf in zone 1 and 5.5 psf in zone 2. The different zones reflect the heavier ballast required around the perimeter due to higher wind uplift. To justify the additional loading we had to reduce the live load capacity of the roof. Being that there is no snow load at this location, the roof live load required is for construction and maintenance loading. Because the PV modules are somewhat fragile in nature, no one can walk on the panels nor can anything be placed on them. Therefore, our justification was that once the system is installed access on the roof, and thus live load on the roof, will be limited.
How to handle the large amounts of conduit on the roof was another concern. All the wires from the solar panels are directed to four inverters at the front of the building. The wires are grouped in conduit runs across the building and down to the inverters on the ground. The conduit was something that was brought up early in the project but ultimately the conduit routes were left up to the electrical contractor. When the electrical contractor submitted his conduit plan we were concerned about the location of the conduit runs. The electrical contractor was very flexible and resubmitted a plan with the conduit runs over girders as requested, even though it required rearranging the layout of the PV modules. Other challenges arose as the project progressed.
One unforeseen problem was the transfer of seismic shear from the system’s mounting feet to the roof structure. Because there are no penetrations to the roof and the building code doesn’t allow seismic forces to be resisted by friction, the mounting feet were adhered to the roofing. The shear at the interface between the mounting foot and the top sheet of the roofing was accounted for by the adhesive, but now the question was, can the built up roofing transfer the shear to the sheathing and thus the roof diaphragm? To answer this question we contacted the roofing company to find out how they staple the bottom sheet to the sheathing. We then calculated the shear capacity of a staple in felt and estimated how many staples could be engaged by one mounting foot and determined the number of feet per array that needed to be adhered to the roofing.
When we submitted for the building permit the building official was concerned about reducing the live load capacity of the roof. In order to get the permit we had to make the building official comfortable with our judgment and reasoning. It took a few long phone conversations and letters to reassure him that additional loading should not occur in the areas where the live load capacity is reduced.
As the push for renewable energy continues, we anticipate the opportunity to work on more roof top solar projects. Our experience with the Kaiser 7 project taught us several things unique to solar installations. We’re looking forward to working on our next solar power plant. See below for photos from Cliff’s site visit.
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- View from the Air
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- Installed PV Modules
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- Zone 1 Ballast
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- Conduit on the roof
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- Inverter and conduit at front of building
Posted on September 25, 2008 - by Elliott
Update from the SEAOC Convention: Respect Edition
No Respect
I am at the SEAOC Convention in Hawaii. We are about halfway through and so far, I am pleased with the technical content and social activities. I will write a full report later, but I wanted to briefly discuss the SEAOC Excellence in Engineering Awards.
First, some background. A common theme (officially and unofficially) in the last couple of Conventions has been the desire to raise the general public’s perception of the structural engineering profession and our impact on society. We are constantly envying how revered doctors are and how much lawyers get paid. We complain about not being highly paid for our services and expertise. In general we complain about not getting the respect we deserve.
The SEAOC Excellence in Engineering Awards Ceremony was one of the most poorly attended events at the Convention thus far. It was embarrassing. Not only was the initial attendance poor, but it dwindled by about half towards the end of the ceremony. Yes, the ceremony went a little long, and yes, we are in Hawaii, and yes there are other things going on; but we need to support our fellow structural engineers.
The submitting companies spend valuable time preparing their entries. The judging panel (made up of one engineer from each of the five SEAOC sections as well as an architect and contractor) spends days assessing each project and writing opinion statements.
How can we ask society to get excited about our award winning projects when we can not get excited about them? How can we demand respect from society as a whole, when we are not willing to give respect to our fellow engineers by honoring their achievements through an hour and a half long awards ceremony once a year?
Posted on September 22, 2008 - by John
A Summer of Alternative Transportation
I have been carpooling with Boise and Kara for about a year now. I have also been riding my bike to work in the summer since my intern days. This summer I decided to keep track of how I get to work everyday. I created an excel sheet to tabulate all my modes of transportation and the different combinations of carpooling. The spreadsheet I created calculates miles accumulated by each mode of transportation, gallons of gasoline burned, money saved, and pounds of CO2 not emitted.
Assumptions
Several assumptions were made when calculating the alternative transportation benefits. For instance, we meet at my house when we carpool, so I only count the miles from my house to work and I don’t include any driving between arriving at work and leaving for the day. Also, I didn’t include any carpooling that Kara and Boise did without me, so my data may not fully represent their savings. I assumed that Boise’s car and my car get 15 mpg and Kara’s car gets 25 mpg. The value I used for pounds of CO2 per gallon of gas (19.4 lbs CO2/gal gas) was taken from the EPA website.
Data
To calculate savings on gasoline I compared the miles that I actually drove to the miles I would have driven had I driven to work everyday. The roundtrip drive from my house to work is 17.4 miles. The roundtrip on bicycle is 16.0 miles and the round trip on moped is 20 miles. The reason for the variation in miles is the different routes I take depending on the mode of transportation.
June
For the month of June the baseline was 226.2 miles. The miles I actually drove were 104.4 miles for a total savings in gasoline of approximately 8.1 gal, or $33.62. The result was a 54% reduction in miles driven in my car. Other modes of transportation included 139.2 miles carpooling, 32 miles on bicycle, and 40 miles on moped. CO2 not emitted just from carpooling efforts was equal to 193.5 lbs.
July
The month of July had the biggest reduction in miles driven. The baseline for July was 367.5 miles. The actual miles driven were 106.6 miles for a savings in gasoline of about 17.4 gal, or $71.34. The result was a 71% reduction in miles driven in my vehicle. Total miles for the other modes of transportation were 139.2 miles carpooling, and 90 miles on bicycle. Carpooling efforts showed a reduction of 274.5 lbs of CO2 emissions.
August
The savings in August were significantly less than the reductions in June and July. The baseline for August was 365.4 miles. Actual distance driven in my vehicle was 226.2 miles for a reduction of 38% compared to baseline. Savings was about 9.3 gal or $35.82. Carpool miles logged was 69.6 miles and bicycle was 64 miles. CO2 emissions were reduced by 157.5 lbs due to carpooling reductions only.
Summary
Over the last three months I saw a reduction of 54.4% in miles driven in my car to and from work and a total savings in gasoline of $140.78. See the spreadsheet for all the data. While carpooling and bicycling are not as convenient as driving your own car to work, there are tangible benefits to both.
Posted on September 18, 2008 - by Pete
Nevada Business Journal Roundtable
Yesterday (09/17/08), I participated in a roundtable sponsored by the Nevada Business Journal (NBJ). Essentially, this was a group of leaders from prominent engineering firms in the State of Nevada. NBJ hosts a yearly group discussion which they then use for an article in the November newsletter (actually, they alternate Engineers and Architects – for some reason, they invite me to both of them). This is the 3rd or 4th of these that I have done and it was really interesting how different this one was from past roundtables. Two years ago, the only thing everyone talked about was how hard it was to find the people we need to turn out the work. Last year (with the architects), people were still cautiously optimistic. This year, everyone was talking about marketing, how to deal with low ball competitors and how to improve morale after layoffs.
However, the thing that I really learned from the roundtable was that the best firms really see this slow time as an opportunity. We all got a little fat and happy over the last decade or so. Now we need to look at our operations and get more efficient. We need to focus on identifying and keeping our best employees. We need to eliminate the unnecessary expenses that have crept into our operations. We need to train our employees on how to be flexible and adaptable. Finding commissions is harder and more competitive than ever. The best firms are continuously looking for different businesses that they can move into. We all have a cadre of highly trained problem solvers working for us. What we need to do is find problems for them to solve. Sure it sounds easy, all you need is to find a problem. There is actually a lot more to it. First, you need to find a problem that you can profitably solve. Lots of problems can be solved if you don’t worry about the cost / benefit ratio of the solution. The best firms are able to find problems and identify who the solution will benefit. When the benefit accrues to someone who can afford to pay for it, a job is waiting to be had.
At BJG’s 2007 Strategic Planning Session, we set up our “Create a Project” team. The whole purpose of this group is to go out and find problems that need to be solved, determine if the cost / benefit ratio works and also make sure there are adequate resources available to pay for the solution. I have to admit that we haven’t been as successful as I would like with this initiative. What I am bringing back from my roundtable experience is that we need to focus more on these creative ways of improving our communities if we are going to weather the slow times.
Posted on September 9, 2008 - by Teresa
Make Marketing Fun
I attend events as often as I can for ULI (Urban Land Institute), NAIOP (National Association of Industrial and Office Properties), CREW (Commercial Real Estate Women) and a few others. Often one of the first things someone will ask when chatting is, “so are you in business development?” These days almost everyone should be answering yes to that question. For some, business development is their primary role and for others like me, we balance business development with our other responsibilities which are often project and office management.
I am an engineer by training and I fit rather uncomfortably in the role of business developer. I don’t think that this is uncommon. Recently, while chatting with a biz-dev person (you have to know the language if you are in business development) she admitted that she struggles to not come off as a sleazy sales person. There is a delicate balance between selling blindly and understanding a potential client’s needs and then offering your assistance, if there is a good fit.
While attending an open mic night for CREW last week I decided to try a new trick I learned recently at Vistage. Vistage is a business coaching organization with monthly meetings ran by a chair, with speakers and sessions of feedback and exploration with peers from other companies and industries. At a recent meeting our chair suggested that while marketing to new clients we use a leave behind as a visual reminder of our message. The leave behind we used as an example during our meeting was a multi tool with thermometer, whistle, compass, and magnifying glass. We all practiced our company’s message using the tool to tell our story. Most in my group used each component as a metaphor for their company. I chose to only use the thermometer and to say BJG like this thermometer responds quickly and accurately to your changing environment. The end goal is to create a lasting image by telling a story that would last longer than any brochure or random box of chocolates ever could.
So, back to the open mic, to be honest, I wa stressed about attending the event all day. This was a program where members could give a 2-3 minute public announcement about their business. I knew I had to attend and give my elevator speech, being as I am in business development; these relatively free opportunities are like a prerequisite in our job description, and even more so it was a good chance to practice in a non-threatening environment. The only problem is I have a love hate relationship with public speaking.
When the program MC kicked off the program she invited all to present on their company, or even about a non-profit they work with or she added tell a joke. Tell a joke… that was a good idea. I had been thinking of a possible image to use to tell my story all day thinking of relating BJG to a glass of red wine or other prop readily available at these types of functions, although nothing had stuck. A joke, that was a good idea, and I had the perfect joke. My mom had emailed it to me that morning. So when I walked to the microphone I started with, “Thanks for the inspiration I am going to tell a joke”, this was met with applause, a welcomed effort at open mic night. I introduced myself as Teresa Goodwin, previously Teresa Kulesza and shared that “as I am recently married my mom sent me an email today about a letter from a wife to her husband”.
I have included the joke below which I retold with the best memory I could muster, including my best effort to capture the picture in words.
Email joke, original author unknown:
To my darling husband,
Before you return from your business trip I just want to let you know about the small accident I had with your truck when I turned into the driveway.
Fortunately not too bad and I really didn’t get hurt, so please don’t worry too much about me.
I was coming home from Wal-Mart, and when I turned into the driveway I accidentally pushed down on the accelerator instead of the brake.
The garage door is slightly bent but the pick-up fortunately came to a halt when it bumped into your car.
I am really sorry, but I know with your kind-hearted personality you will forgive me. You know how much I love you and care for you my sweetheart.
I am enclosing a picture for you.
I cannot wait to hold you in my arms again.Your loving wife.
P.S. Your girlfriend called.
The audience laughed and I shared that this email made me think of my company BJG Architecture + Engineering; they laughed and looked at me questioningly. I shared with them our mantra, Responsive by Design. I explained that “we move quickly and accurately, as did this wife, did to respond to your needs from site planning to tenant improvements to new development designs. If you ever need an architect or engineer please call me and I will put the pedal to the metal for you!”
This effort made marketing more fun for me and the audience, and it also made our most important message more memorable. When marketing for your company or organization remember:
- Know your audience - this joke might not have been as funny at a mostly male event
- Tell a story - create a lasting image that reinforces your unique business proposition
- Make it fun - if you aren’t having fun your audience probably isn’t either
Posted on September 9, 2008 - by Elliott
September Engaged Employee
With everything that Kim has going on (planning a wedding, Guitar Hero champion, BJG), you’d think she wouldn’t have time for much else. Not the case! Kim volunteers her time at McQueen High School to help out the volleyball team. Great job Kim!
Posted on September 5, 2008 - by Pete
Cost vs. Value
We recently submitted a proposal for a project of a type with which we are very familiar. I thought (and still think) that our fee was very fair and was the appropriate fee given the amount of time necessary to perform the tasks in order to assure that our client had a successful experience. Three firms of similar size and expertise provided fees. Our fee was in the middle. We were 10% lower than the third firm but we were 40% higher than the firm that gave the lowest fee.
When I evaluate contractor bids on our projects, I generally feel that we prepared a good set of documents if we get 4 or 5 bids with a total spread of 10-15%. Here we have a case where the work level is not as fully defined as it will be when the documents are done so a wider spread is probably acceptable. Maybe 20% total spread between three numbers might be reasonable. 50%, however, seems odd. What other elements might contribute to this spread?
It is possible to perform design services to a variety of levels of quality and it is important that all design firms understand the quality that the client wants. In this case, all three firms have worked for the client in the past and should therefore have a good idea as to the quality required so lack of understanding of the client’s needs should not be an issue.
There are, of course many ways to break a design fee apart. In particular, some firms exclude services that the client will need from their scope and then charge the client extra for that service when asked to add it. I really hate this approach because I think it gives the entire design industry a bad name. It does, however, make a firm’s initial proposal look very attractive to a potential client. If clients get used to this, it may even be possible to keep a client happy while doing it because they may just assume it is the way the industry works. I like to think professional design firms are better than that. The public, however, tends to evaluate all professions by the lowest standards they see (for example, lawyers). Firms that take this tack are therefore responsible for lowering the reputation of our entire industry.
A firm could be in dire financial straits and would need to take a job at any fee just to keep the doors open. If this is the case, I would think we would need to look back on what the firm has done over the last year or two that caused them to get into this condition. If they have been doing a poor job managing their business, they probably are going to fail eventually and this sort of pricing is only going to hasten the end. When they do fail, the client is going to be left holding the bag and the industry’s reputation will suffer some more.
A design firm could use inexperienced people on a project and thereby reduce their costs. This would probably be a disaster for the client since it takes a lot of experience to know what goes into putting a building together. It might be possible for the firm to make a buck even while the client struggles to keep their project going. Another idea that can only result in lowering the reputation of our industry.
I am also confused why firms feel the need to lowball fees given the demographics of our workforce. Even when the economy is as slow as it is, finding quality employees for design firms is very difficult. We live in an age where there is more work than can be performed by the staff available to the industry. Basic economics says that when demand exceeds supply, prices rise. Why then would any firm feel pressured to levels that are inconsistent with quality work?
Productivity is one of the great buzzwords of the last couple of decades and I’m sure that we have become more productive as an industry. Unfortunately, a December 2004 white paper by Haskell indicates that productivity in the building industry as a whole only increased our productivity by about 33% since 1966. This is, by the way, well below the gains of the US economy as a whole, but that is a discussion for another blog article. Anyways, given the minimal productivity gains we have experienced, it seems unlikely that any particular firm is hugely more productive than any other. In addition, I assume that firms of similar size will be even closer in efficiency that the industry as a whole. So I don’t think that efficiency can justify the difference in fees in this instance.
A firm might give lowball fees in order to “buy” their way into an industry or a geographic location. If this is the case, the firm probably won’t survive in the given industry or geography since they will have created an unprofitable fee expectation for their prospective clients. I don’t see how this can be good for our industry either.
So, what is the answer? In this particular instance, I really don’t know. I would be interested to learn if the firm in this case consistently gives lowball fees or if this is a one-time aberration. The answer to that question would go a long way to understanding what the issue is. In any case, I really don’t understand why anyone who goes through the extensive education and experience necessary to lead a design firm would then have so little respect for what they do that they are willing to risk our industry’s reputation by giving lowball fees and subjecting us all to the potential problems discussed above.
Posted on September 4, 2008 - by Elliott
Bad Poetry Day at BJG
I feel like I should write a poem introduction to this article, but I am rhymed and metered out. Considering I won our Bad Poetry Contest, this is to be expected. Below is a series of poems, written by BJGers. I think some of the best ones were written by Pete, prodding everyone into writing poems. He at least deserves honorably mention!
The Start
Pete started off Bad Poetry Day with an email to the company.
Monday, August 18, 2008
At BJG will be great
You will be happy to know
It’s National Bad Poetry Day – ho hoIn honor of this festive event
A contest I propose to present
To the worst poem a prize
I can already see the gleam in your eyesPlease email to me
Verses at least three
Subject no matter
But tasteful as cookie batterAny that are Great
Will be posted, not ate
The accolade that is won
Will definitely be fun
As is to be expected, some people were a little slow at getting in their submissions, so Pete sent out this little diddy:
Total awful submissions so far
Is not to the number I crave
It is true that I’ve gotten 5 sets of prose
Yet 25 do I yearn to saveFear not however it’s not too late
The promised deadline is near
August 18 is the date
Write deeply and quickly and send to me
Prizes are waiting – you will love what you see
On the last day of the competition, Pete sent out this:
9 sets of verses so far
Today is the end of the game
Submit your prose
Or hold your nose
And avoid the fame
The Results
Today, Pete sent out the winners with this attached:
The submissions are in
The votes have been tallied
The rules say someone must win
Regardless how language was sulliedI’ve analyzed the verses
I’ve looked for good rhyme
I eliminated the curses
We had a good timeThe winner is Elliott
Who penned a memorable phrase
“My Boss is my Wife”
“BJG is my Life”Second goes to Denise
Who rhymed Great and potentate
Also list and subsist
If only I could find a rhyme for DeniseThird must be awarded to Charles
For if bad is to be good
His poem is the worst
And reward terrible we should
The Contenders
In no particular order, here are the submissions.
Untitled by Monica
There once was an employee named Frank
Who failed to complete his timesheet
On payday he cried
And wished he had died
For there was no money in his bank.There once was an employee named Rita
She wanted to order a fajita
But no money she had
For she was quite bad
Again, her timesheet was incomplete.There once was an employee Dirk
Who wanted to go on vacation
He had hoped to avoid an altercation
But I’m afraid
a big deal was made
And now he will just have to work.If it’s my week for kitchen duty
Would people think I was really fruity
If I dumped all the mold
The refrigerator can hold
And threw away the containers?
The Good Old Days by Pete
Oh when I was a young engineer
My head wasn’t as full – my thinking was clear
We used pencils and paper to create our inspirations
No computers but plenty of dripping perspirationThe code was all in a pocket-sized book
No bookshelf was needed; a small vessel to store was all it took
To stockpile the sum knowledge of engineers great
Now we know so a great deal more, it’s no piece of cake.Calculators were simple, just plain RPN – reverse polish you know
Now we have parentheses, functions, equations – all blow
Today we have SAP, Etabs, STAAD and more
Give me a break, programs do bore.In sum, it’s gotten much harder to do what we do
More books, more programs, more machines in the stew
Are our designs better for all of this stuff?
I think not - technology in lieu of judgment – that’s tough.
Untitled by Elliott (winner)
I am really excited about BJG poetry day
I finally have a chance to say what I want to say
The burden on my chest
I can finally rest
I am really excited about BJG poetry dayThe P-town office is the best around
A nice little community is what I have found
Close to the bay
It’s sunny almost every day
The P-town office is the best aroundOh so happy at BJG I am
Like someone eating a Christmas Ham
My boss is my wife
BJG is my life
Oh so happy at BJG I am
Composing Poetry by Ed
Composing poetry is a lofty goal.
Crafting the words must come from your soul.
Think carefully about each verse you write
The words must have meaning….don’t be trite.And once you have gathered the proper thoughts
….with frustration it may be wrought….
Don’t give in to this formidable test
Trying hard and again will make it the best.It’s such pleasure to hear each word you compose
Your thoughts joined together in wonderful prose.
So sit down now don’t be afraid to start,
But don’t stress too much lest you cut a fat fart.
Untitled by Teresa
I wondered why, I wandered far
Then I stumbled on my car
I thought for a bit
Then opened it
And sat and slouched and sighedI turned the key
Hopefully
It coughed and gasped then started
Is the only thing that rhymes farted?
Well that stinksOff I went into the night
Like a solar landscape light
Strong at first
Yet undoubtfully cursed
To fade away
Untitled by Scott
Alone at my desk I sat thinkin
Out with my mates I should be drinkin
So I picked up the phone
Heard the ring tone
And had three on the way without blinkinSo I jumped in my car
To a pub not too far
for libations of plenty I was seekin
as my mates and I drank
I started to think
Awww…..crap I forgot to turn in my report to Pete!
Untitled by Noko
Pete is the one who found me in cyber.
Beat will be counted for me in the binder.
Short daily meeting appears on our calendars.
Only to be sorted for highly respected affairs.Nothing much to do when I first started.
Little did I know that was soon to be changed?
Delegate work to me, so I can fill my time.
Now he’s the King of “Forward to Noko.”Here we communicate a bit better than before.
As I recall the days when I couldn’t talk at all.
To be around a boss who is truly capable.
Only makes me humble and very inspired.Yes, you are right that I’m totally sucking up.
As my review is near right here in his office.
Yet, I wonder how this one will be handled.
Bet it will be another warm and fuzzy one.
Poem by Charles (worstest place)
roses are red
violets are blue
I’m schizophrenic
so am I
Untitled by Cliff
You would think everyone would know it
That is, what it takes to be a bad poet
Is it enough to just not rhyme
Or would it be better to lack rhythm and timeMost good poems have a point to get across
They have alliteration, versus, things learned in class
Good ones can be short or long
Not much different than the lyrics in a songSo “what is it” to myself I ask
That makes a bad poem such a task
Maybe it really does just come down
To the words at the end of each line
Untitled by Marlon
I hate writing poetry
Can’t you see
But I’ll do it this one time
Just to practice my rhyme
My versus are horrible
Unlike our calcs for structural
Our new office in Pleasanton
Will one day make dollars by the ton
And let’s not leave out Henderson
I’m sure they’ll go on one hell of a run
And as for BJG’s architecture
Don’t worry architects, its respected for sure.
Bad poetry isn’t my fortay
But at least I tried and that’s all I have to say
It’s Badder Than Bad by Denise (second place)
“Bad Poetry” has been requested by our Potentate
What exactly does that mean
Who will judge which are less-than-great?
Who has sense that keen?I will write what comes to mind
Hoping for some badness
But I sit here most resigned
Amongst the daily madnessSitting amongst the madness you say?
What of your utilization?
It will go unnoticed I pray
When I charge to the most recent frustrationAT&T, ProLogis, the latest TI
What else is on the list?
Maybe the Hyatt has finally let fly
How else will I subsist?
International Language of Love by Mary
Ick bein American
Ich wohne in AmerickaJ’exprime ma passion á mon aimé
Par la poesie et l’amourScrivo le parole che ritengo, affinche tutti guardino fisso su
Ma quado la gente ha letto I miei pensieri su carta,Cualquier lengua escribo
Cualquier lengua hablo
Lo que déjà mu plumaIt’s jacked
——-
(German)
I am an American,
I live in America(French)
I express my passions to my beloved
Through poetry and love,(Spanish)
Whatever language I write,
Whatever language I speak,
Whatever leaves my pen,(American)
It always sounds like Greek
