New Construction
We can provide structural design for a variety of small projects, including houses, garages and other accessory buildings, decks, barns, and more. We can design for all sorts of scenarios, using wood, engineered wood products, structural and cold-formed steel, concrete, masonry, aluminum and other materials.
Some of the structural design services we can provide for new construction include:
Foundations
Retaining walls
Basement walls
Footings
Pile & grade beam
Slab-on-grade
Steel helical piles
Permanent Wood Foundations (PWFs)
Oversized basement windows (over 1.2 m [4ft] wide)
Walls
Wind walls
Shear walls
Bearing walls
Load-bearing headers
Dropped headers
Brick lintels
Tall wood walls (over 3.6 m [12 ft] tall)
Slender masonry walls (height over 20x thickness)
Floors
Beams and joists
Flush beam framing
Reinforced openings
Cantilevers
Roofs
Rafters
Joists
Site-built trusses or gambrel frames
Extreme Loading
Storage rooms
Hot-tub supports
Supports for exercise equipment
Fall-arrest anchor points
Storm safe rooms
Rooms under a garage or driveway
Equipment sensitive to vibration
Owner specified loads exceeding minimum code requirements
renovations & Change of Use
Modifying an existing structure to suit your needs? We can analyze the existing structure and design any structural changes necessary to carry the new loads. Even if you're just re-purposing an old building for a new use, the new loads might be a lot heavier than the original structure was designed for. Another scenario many people don't consider is that adding insulation to your roof means there will be less snow melting from it in the winter. Many roof collapses have occurred because insulation was added without first checking if there's enough load-carrying capacity in the structure.
Structural design services we can provide for renovations include:
Load-bearing wall removal
Window or door enlargement
Adding roof insulation
Energy efficient building envelope
Supporting heavy loads
Clay or stone roof tiles
Concrete floor topping or other heavy finishes
Pianos, hot-tubs, stone fireplaces, library archives, etc.
Change of use or occupancy
additions
Adding new space to your building? We can provide structural engineering analysis and design to make sure the addition is properly supported and won't adversely affect the existing building. Even if you're not adding to the overall footprint of the building, any project that adds living space is technically an addition. This includes converting an attic into livable space or enclosing an attached deck.
We can assist you with structural engineering for a variety of additions, including:
Attic conversion
Building up (adding a storey)
Building out (adding to the footprint)
Basement underpinning
Covering or enclosing a deck or porch
Decks and balconies
Exterior stairs and fire escapes
Rooftop patios
Carports and garages
Repairs
We can design repairs for your old or damaged structures. We've designed repairs for all sorts of damage. We'll work with you and your contractor to make sure the repair not only restores structural integrity, but is workable and cost effective.
Some examples of scenarios we can design repairs for include:
Cracked or bowing foundation walls
Cracked, cut, or sagging joists, beams, rafters, or trusses
Leaning buildings
Sinking foundations
Wood rot and insect damage
Accidental damage
Non-building structures
We can provide structural engineering analysis and design for a variety of unconventional and non-building structures as well. We can analyze just about anything that has to hold up a load.
Footbridges
Spreader beams
Lifting lugs
Jack stands
Storage shelves & racks
Signs, billboards, lamp posts
Awnings, canopies
Drawings
We can measure your home and prepare a complete set of drawings for your building permit application.
Structural mark-ups
Already have drawings prepared? We can review your drawings and either mark them up or supplement them with the structural information and specifications necessary for the project.
Site Examinations & reports
Do you have specific structural concerns that you want to address? We can examine the building and provide you with a written report of our findings and recommendations.
permit applications
Applying for a building permit can be a confusing process, especially if you've never applied for one before. We can help you assemble the necessary documents for the permit application, apply for the permit on your behalf, and/or liaise with the building department to help get your building permit approved.
Authorized by the Association of Professional Engineers of Ontario to offer engineering services.