Category Archives: Design

The building structure is the supporting frame of the building. It is designed to withstand the vertical forces imposed on the building which include the weight of the building materials, the weight of the things in the building (people, furniture, files, etc.) and weight imposed externally, like snow on the roof, equipment, etc. The building must also resist lateral forces. These are horizontal imposed forces on the building structure and are primarily wind loads. The other forces that the building structure must resist are seismic forces which are the result of ground movement. The vertical forces are relatively static loads, however, when lateral forces are applied to the structure, they try to push it over and in the process try to twist and rack the structural frame. Continue reading →

Power. We seem to take it for granted but are reminded during storm season that it can be extinguished with one strategic lightning strike or a fallen tree or broken power pole. I haven’t shared much about the electrical engineering side of the project, but it is an important design element to the Chickasaw Visitor Center. The electrical system powers the lights, outlets, pumps, heating/cooling equipment, elevator and more.

Power is often discussed in terms of voltage which is the energy required to move an electrical charge along a path where negative charged objects are pulled towards higher voltages and the flow is called current. Volts are measured in joules per coulomb. All perfectly clear, right?  Well you could always refer to Kirchhoff’s circuit laws to get everything straightened out, but wait, there’s more. Where have I heard that expression? E-gads! OK, here’s the simple version. Continue reading →