Piner High School STEAM Certificate

Level 1 Response
Lisa Vu

Presentation Title: Structural Engineering: Making Buildings and Bridges Disaster Resistant
Presenter(s): Jessica Ellis, Luke Wilson
Date: 8 April 2021

Summary of Presentation:

Structural engineering is a common area of interest for many people, as it was for Jessica Ellis
and Luke Wilson. There is more to this field area than mathematics and physics; Structural
engineering consists of designing all of the pieces that make a building stand up. Structural
engineers first establish the model, referred to as the skin, and the structure, also known as the
skeleton. They then envision and plan, and designs come to life as the result! Sparks of interest
for this popular field of work encompass the opportunities to visually see designs, think
creatively, make choices, and value the final product!

Throughout the presentation, Jessica Ellis and Luke Wilson did an excellent job introducing and
elaborating on the loads and forces that take effect on Sonoma County structures. Some loads,
one being gravity, are constantly prompt, whereas other loads, including earthquakes, floods, and
winds, are not always present. With the occurrence of these forces, it is the job of a structural
engineer to address any disasters that the buildings of Sonoma County may encounter. Compared
to a puzzle, these tasks can often time be challenging and time-consuming while attempting to
figure out where all of the correct pieces go. However, with a visionary mindset, the overall
process can be both fun and beneficial towards the community.

Earthquakes are an environmental load that needs to be taken into consideration when managing
structures in California. Not being able to determine when, where, or how long an earthquake
will take place, this force can often result in great destruction. Regardless, structural engineers
can estimate the maximum earthquake a building can withstand in its lifetime by utilizing
computer models and real-life replications of example earthquakes. Wind loads are in fact very
similar to earthquake loads given that both forces can result in the same amount of damage. As
for flood loads, they are also another large circumstance that needs to be contemplated. Many
parts of Sonoma County are located in potential flood zones. To prevent home damage and
protect the actual living space of the house, large sections of the structures are lifted. Particular
parts of the home also have fewer windows installed to keep the structure waterproof. However,
buoyancy problems were encountered and as result, the house floated and became a boat. The
solution to this mishap was to add a great weight of concrete to the house so the building remains
in place. When working in structural engineering, numerous unique challenges are endured.

One of the ZFA Structural Engineers’ grander projects was to renovate the Napa County Historic
Courthouse. The building was deemed unsafe to occupy the reason being that there was a great
quantity of structural damage caused by past earthquakes. The team spent lots of time reviewing
and looking at the damage present by using 3D models and 3D point clouds (heat maps). Making
a 3D model of the exact building with the cracks and damage portrayed the global behavior;
while utilizing the 3D point cloud allowed for the structural engineers to visually see, especially
within the walls, what repairs needed to be made in order to make the building safe to enter
again. Luke Wilson mentions that this project was very similar to a puzzle when discovering the
unique challenge of attempting to incorporate the structure’s already traditional materials with
more modern materials to ensure that the building will not face the same amount of damage it
previously had encountered. As the end result, the team was able to repair the building back to its
original work with a fine line between repair work and retrofit work as well!

Reflection:

The 2020-2021 school year has been very unique and distinct considering that this school year is
being taught virtually. Despite the fact that we are amidst a global pandemic, this “Zoom” Cafe
was very accessible and intriguing! Personally, engineering was not a field of work that usually
caught my attention due to the fact that I believed that it only consisted of math and physics;
however, this presentation has changed my personal perspective towards engineering.
Throughout the “Zoom” Cafe, there were a variety of visuals shown that consisted of 3D
graphics and example demos. As a visual learner, being provided with these graphics only
continued to mesmerize me more! I find it so fascinating that structural engineers play such a
significant role within our society. Working in this job field allows the team to give back and to
be involved with communities. The ZFA Structural Engineering team has composed numerous
amazing projects throughout Sonoma County and not all of their structure projects are always
buildings. Their team even contributed to the establishment of the Piner High School SPARQ
Center! Overall, I really enjoyed Jessica Ellis and Luke Wilson’s presentation on structural
engineering. I appreciate the time and effort that had been put into educating their audience about
the amazing things they do!

Supporting Article: Strengthening Buildings In Tornado Alley, Heard On Talk of the Nation,
7 June 2013

https://www.npr.org/2013/06/07/189520177/strengthening-buildings-in-tornado-alley

As a follow-up to Jessica Ellis and Luke Wilson’s presentation on structural engineering, I

listened to Strengthening Buildings In Tornado Alley, by Talk of the Nation with host, Ira Flatow,
and structural engineer at the University of Florida, David Prevatt. In comparison to Structural
Engineering: Making Buildings and Bridges Disaster Resistant, by Jessica Ellis and Luke
Wilson, structural engineer, David Prevatt, also heavily focused on an environmental load:
tornados. In states in Tornado Alley, such as Oklahoma, numerous homes have been lost and
dozens of deaths have occurred as a result of devastating tornados. It is mentioned that to build
tornado-resistant buildings, better building materials are required, along with more effective
techniques, and an additional strong dose of political will. David Prevatt claims that according to
previous studies in 1971, with proper and more effective construction methods, there is a way to
reduce a great amount of damage caused by tornados. This method consists of installing
continuous vertical load paths which connect the roof to the wall, the wall to the foundation, and
as a result, everything is held together. Another solution that David Prevatt had taken into
consideration was holding buildings together utilizing extremely strong adhesive. With a
consistently committed mindset, structural engineer David Prevatt will soon stumble upon a
solution for tornado-resistant buildings.