Quality Assurance For Structural

Engineering Firms

Tips, Techniques & Strategies

by
Clifford Schwinger, P.E.
What we’ll be covering…

• Quality Assurance Programs

• Quality Assurance Review procedures,
tips and techniques.
 The Quality Assurance Program

Defined set of procedures and standards

used to facilitate design and to facilitate
documentation of that design.
Advantages:
• Better design
• Better drawings
• More efficient design process
• Fewer mistakes
• Fewer RFI’s / change orders
• Increased profits
Why is a QA program important?
• Fast schedules
• More changes
• Less experienced engineers detailing/coordinating
• Computers disconnecting some from reality
• Complex Codes
• RFI’s and change orders
• Lost art of structural drafting
• The need for good communication
In the past…
A single QA review was performed after
the design was completed and before the
drawings went out the door…

Because of fast-track scheduling this no

longer works.
Today…

Projects require a series of QA

reviews conducted prior to issuance
of each structural package.
The better the QA program, the easier
the task of performing QA reviews.
The Quality Assurance Program
 The QA program
Components:
• Training for young engineers
• Design standards
• Drawing and CAD standards
• Project Delivery System
• Knowledge Base
• QA reviews and ongoing QA manager
involvement in project
 The QA program
1. Training for young engineers:

Weekly formal training seminars on topics

required to provide young engineers the
skills and knowledge needed to become
more productive.
 The QA program
2. Design standards:
In-house design guides, office
standards and checklists for all topics
related to structural design.
 The QA program
3. Drafting and CAD standards:
• Standardized drafting procedures
• Layers
• Typical details
• “go-by” drawings
• Standard blocks
 The QA program
4. Project Delivery System
Checklists and procedures:
• Project startup
• Schematic design
• Design development
• Contract documents
• Construction Administration
 The QA program
5. Knowledge Base
• Server-based database of all
knowledge related to structural
engineering.
• Similar to Wikipedia
 The QA program
6. Involvement of QA manager:

• QA manager familiar with projects during design.

• Signoff by QA manager on details and framing
prior to going to CAD (ongoing QA).
• Formal QA reviews at defined milestones
The Quality Assurance
Review

Strategies & tactics

 Quality Assurance Reviews

In-house reviews conducted to verify that

design and documentation is in conformance
with procedures, practices and standards
mandated by the QA program.
Primary purposes of the QA review:

• Redundancy
• Monitor effectiveness of QA program.
 QA reviews

Typical QA review schedule:

Pile bid
Steel mill order
Foundation concrete
Steel detailing
100% structural steel
100% concrete
“Issued For Construction”
 QA reviews

Primary Strategy
Look at:
• The big picture (load paths)
• Critical connection details
 QA reviews
Secondary strategy:
Look at the drawings through the eyes of a:
• Contractor
• Detailer
• Inspector
• Engineer performing a peer review or
value engineering review.
• Building official
• Young engineer reviewing shop drawings
• Lawyer
 QA reviews
QA review tactics:
• Verify load paths
• Check framing
• Check special connections
• Look for mistakes
• Look for the subtleties
• Look at the drawings through contractor’s eyes.
• Review for clarity/consistency
• Look for omissions
• Look for “little” little things
• Look for “big” little things
• Structural dwgs. match Arch. dwgs.?
 QA reviews
1. Load path issues:
•Any unrealistic load paths?
•Loads jumping in/out of shear walls / braced frames?
•Any unrealistic “rigid” diaphragms?
•Any loads on the structure not in the computer model?
 QA reviews

Example: Unrealistic distribution of lateral

loads between lateral load resisting elements.
 QA reviews

Example: Braced
frame forces not
making sense (due to
rigid diaphragm
assumption in
computer model).
 QA reviews
2. Check framing (gravity and lateral):
Check:
• Typical framing to verify model
• Major load carrying members
• Wind and seismic loads
• Unique framing not in computer model
 QA reviews
Items requiring special attention:

Elevators Folding partitions

Escalators Special hang points
Facades Rooftop MEP loads
Davits Heavy hung piping
Stairs Special loads on joists
Monumental stairs Horizontal loads from
Hangers rigging
Theater rigging Catwalks
Expansion joints
 QA reviews
3. Check connections:
• Critical connections
• Unusual connections
• Connections w/ complex geometry
• Connections w/ large reactions
 QA reviews
4. Look for mistakes:
• Wrong reactions
• Members too small
• Improper framing configurations
• Not enough reinforcing steel
• Punching shear problems
• Missing structural integrity reinforcing steel
• Missing sections and details
• Mistakes in sections and details
 QA reviews
Carelessness can result
in objects obscuring
important text. Errors like
these can cause
structural failures.
 QA reviews
Slab opening added near column; girder shifted to
avoid opening; girder now connecting to beam but
beam and beam reaction not revised.
 QA reviews
Spandrels at openings are unbraced and take lateral
wind loads. Design accordingly. Facade braces and
kickers can’t be used to brace facade at stair
openings.
 QA reviews
5. Look for subtleties:
• Column splices at inappropriate locations (mid-
height of 80’ unbraced height).
• Columns mistakenly assumed to be braced by
mezzanines.
• Floors diaphragms w/ insufficient strength/stiffness
to brace columns (see next slide)
 QA reviews

Floor diaphragms need sufficient

strength & stiffness to brace columns.
 QA reviews
6. Look at drawings through the eyes of a contractor:
• Everything shown that will allow contractor to build
structure without having to guess or issue RFI’s?
• Every linear foot of building perimeter covered by a
section?
• Everything clearly indicated?
• Can drawings be interpreted by someone who’s not an
engineer?
 QA reviews
7. Review for clarity & consistency:
• Look for conflicts between framing plans and
sections/details.
• Inconsistencies with framing
Group similar beams
Consistency = simplicity = economy
• Drafting inconsistencies
 QA reviews
8. Look for omissions:
• Missing things often hardest to find
• Missing:
Reactions
Section and details
Dimensions and elevations
Sizes
Reinforcing steel
 QA reviews
9. Look for “little” little things:

spelling mistakes!

“FABRICATOR MAY PROPSE ALTERNITIVE MOMENT

CONNECTIONS THAT MATCH MOMENT AND SHEAR
WALUES LISTED IN SCHUDULE.”
 QA reviews
10. Look for BIG little things:
Some “small” drafting errors can cause structural failures.
 QA reviews

11. Do structural dwgs. match architectural dwgs.?

• Slab edges
• Columns
• Slab openings (see next slide)
 QA reviews

Slab opening
cutting off load path
to edge column;
opening not shown
on structural
drawings!
New challenges:
• Architectural and MEP changes after structural
design is completed and QA reviews
performed.
• Changes during construction that slip through
the cracks of the QA process.
• BIM
 Summary
Six elements of a QA program
• PDS
• Design standards
• Drawing standards
• Knowledge base
• Training for engineers
• Multiple and ongoing QA reviews during design
QA reviews serve two purposes
• Redundancy
• Monitor effectiveness of QA program.
QA is a continual process
 Thank you!

QUESTIONS?