Residential Construction

When pondering natural hazard in Colorado, we might think of lightning strikes, violent hailstorms, wind, blizzards, flash floods, meteorites and maybe even Bigfoot. But the number one natural hazard, according to the Colorado Geological Survey, actually comes from the ground. 

By late 2017, construction industry leaders predicted that the Colorado Front Range economy would continue to boom throughout 2018. So it has.

It's nice to have options. New construction can incorporate a number of structural support elements, the basic three being steel, wood or concrete. 

Structural design is all about calculating loads. The engineering firm Nishkian offers a succinct description: "Loads are commonly understood as forces that cause stresses, deformations, or accelerations. 

Every pound counts in architectural design. The more materials used, the more expensive the building. However, too little material results in a weak edifice.

When pouring concrete, rapid set-up and drying can ruin your day. The warmer the day, the greater the danger of a quick set. 

You can erect nearly anything with steel: homes, shops, hangars, factories, warehouses, high rises, entertainment/sports arenas and shopping malls. The inherent compressive and tensile properties of steel lend more versatility to architectural design than any other conventional framing system.

"Build it and they will come" seems a philosophy best left to corn farmers and the ghosts of ball players. In construction, the reality is closer to "they come, therefore we build." 

The terms "raft footing" and "mat foundation" describe the same type of building foundation. 

What concrete offers in compressive strength, it lacks in ductility. Unsupported, it can bear fairly heavy loads without cracking, but if poured when using rebar construction, concrete can take considerably more load, even when suspended.