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  1. G

    Header For Garage Man Door

    Regardless of what the plans show ... Is the construction prescriptive? If so, there is no problem.
  2. G

    Check valve on well pressure tank

    My well pump (55' down the well) has a check valve near the bottom. Might be part of the pump or just fastened above the pump. I am not about to pull the pump to find out. I used to have a check valve under my house but the rubber seal failed and I found it easier to just cut the pipe section...
  3. G

    See Ya In COURT !!!

    It appears you are unhappy with the outcome of legislation. I would suggest that you spend some time looking into how you can influence legislation. --- My wife is a licensed professional in a non-construction field. Each year she goes to her professions state regulatory board's meeting and...
  4. G

    Can a slab-on-grade be salvaged after a burn-out?

    Before I built something on it I would do a core test and see if the concrete still met code. I guess that would be rational for the AHJ as a condition for a permit.
  5. G

    Millions saved in Japan by good engineering and government building codes

    I guess we want to place responsibility in different places. You would prefer that the government take responsibility for enforcing building standards and for the consequences. I would prefer that we individually take on those responsibilities. At different times in our history one side or the...
  6. G

    Engineer: Tough Japanese building codes worked

    Mark K --- I believe that the NRC enforces a very strict building code. I suppose a large number of engineers think that there are issues that are mistreated in that code. So many non-professionals think that the NRC's building code is in error that it is pretty difficult to site a nuclear...
  7. G

    See Ya In COURT !!!

    "As professional engineers, our first obligation is to the public, not our client. We are also required to follow accepted engineering practice. Accepted engineering practice means we have to follow the guidelines produced and developed by our industry. That includes the IRC, IBC and NFPA 5000."...
  8. G

    Engineer: Tough Japanese building codes worked

    I am glad you pointed out that you were starting the denial and misinformation not I. Getting the risk wrong is common for building codes. Outside of government $10s of billions of dollars is a really big mistake. As are the thousands of lives lost. You might also note the long term economic...
  9. G

    live or dead load?

    temporary construction load. Some guys will part anywhere.
  10. G

    Millions saved in Japan by good engineering and government building codes

    What does the government have to do with commercial or residential construction? (I am taking about the economics of building for risks not the adopting of codes) Any builder in an earthquake zone can build to the Japanese codes or above them. If that is a good economic decision, the builder...
  11. G

    Engineer: Tough Japanese building codes worked

    The argument given, the building codes are strict, is sort of foolish. There is no impediment to building to the Japanese codes in Podunk Midwest USA. There is just no reason to build to that standard. (Yea. Yea. Sure there was a small quake in 1812 or so.) It appears that some buildings were...
  12. G

    Millions saved in Japan by good engineering and government building codes

    As you said it takes MONEY. We don't have money. Well some of us do, but the majority do not. The reality of the situation is that (for the most part) people are not forced to live in dangerous places. They chose to. Let them live and work in the structures that chose to live in. There is...
  13. G

    Ya. we don't need no stinking commie fire sprinklers....

    forensics --- Perhaps you could give us a objective criteria you want to use. I always thought economics was a reasonable criteria. You might value lives as being worth more than $1 million, but ... You might have an extra $5000 or so to install a sprinkler system, but those below you in the...
  14. G

    Unusual guardrail assembly. Is this a violation?

    The risers seem to be different heights. While I don't like the guardrail, I suspect the door handle will provide enough support for the occupants.
  15. G

    Contractors and education, take 2

    Around here most of the design and build firms that do a reasonable amount of business have staff that know the codes and provide cheat sheets for any details that the construction crews need. And since most of the designs have "common" design solutions to code issues the crews gain experience...
  16. G

    Tree branch above deck railing issue

    I am glad the issue was resolved to everyone's satisfaction.
  17. G

    Ya. we don't need no stinking commie fire sprinklers....

    My wife buys a $17000 car every 4 or 5 years. We put about 100K of business miles on it and get a tax deduction of $50,000 over those years. The tax deduction is worth $17,500 (35% tax bracket). I guess I get a small tax deduction for the smoke detectors in the business part of our house.
  18. G

    Ya. we don't need no stinking commie fire sprinklers....

    It is all about a buck. If you think the cost of a early fire detection is worth the cost, pay the cost. Let others make the decision for themselves. --- Many times I slept well in my mother-in-laws house. With my wife and 2 small kids. Up on the second floor. No egress window. No smoke...
  19. G

    Sleeping room definition

    So a bedroom that also serves as a home office may be primarily used for office work and would not be a sleeping room. --- I have nothing against the use of smoke detectors. But there seems to be a big problem in the definitions.
  20. G

    Ya. we don't need no stinking commie fire sprinklers....

    Using your 4000 deaths per year, the $5000 estimated cost for installation and 80% reduction in deaths on the other thread, and my estimate of 100 life span and 4 people per residence, results in a cost of $1.25 million for each life saved. Seems a bit much.
  21. G

    Ya. we don't need no stinking commie fire sprinklers....

    3000 deaths from fires a year is not a very large number. For comparison 7000 people die each day in the US. There are ways to prevent deaths that cost less per life saved than sprinklers. Just so you understand 7000 people will die every day regardless of what we do to prevent death. Only the...
  22. G

    Ya. we don't need no stinking commie fire sprinklers....

    It is very poor practice to make building codes to handle exceptional circumstances. Very few single family residences ever burn. Very few of that do burn result in deaths.
  23. G

    Sleeping room definition

    fatboy makes a good point. --- How many AHJs see a room labeled as a bonus room or what not and decide it should be a kitchen or bathroom?
  24. G

    altered equipment

    Around here the local utility makes the decision on that equipment. --- Most electrical shops build enclosures of one type or another. I suspect that you have no grounds to complain unless you want to shut down every contractor in the area.
  25. G

    Cardiac Rehab Fit Out

    Tables are often used in rehab. Rooms allow for privacy. (Our local hospital even has rehab in the cafeteria.) Since many rehab facilities are in local malls, it appears that they have the more common electrical requirements. Nothing special.
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