Studio Engineering FAQs

Very simply, we design foundations, roof and floor framing (such as joists, beams and columns) and in general ensure that the building doesn’t fall down.

Currently we are licensed in Colorado, Indiana, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas, and Wyoming.

Experience, skill, value, personal chemistry and communications. Our President and CEO has hands-on construction experience as well as having managed construction projects. He has the valuable perspective of holding the structural engineering degree and professional license and the practical experience of having built all types of structures. This is a powerful combination.

We offer full structural design services to a wide array of clients including architects, realtors, contractors, developers, governmental entities, and property owners.

Studio 8.18 Engineering does both. We design and prepare construction documents/permit document packages for brand new buildings, both residential and commercial. We also are able to integrate the structure from an addition into that of an old building and provide the construction drawings/permit package for additions and remodels. We also analyze current structures to identify problems and provide structural solutions to those problems.

Studio 8.18 Engineering has expertise in and provides structural engineering design for both residential and commercial projects.

A soil report or geotechnical report is a survey of the soil strata on a building site, based on a sampling bore taken from the ground, usually from the surface to bedrock. Based on laboratory testing, recommendations for the appropriate foundation type are made. In the Denver metro area, this most usually is either a spread footing foundation or a drilled pier foundation. The report also provides design parameters for the recommended foundation type, such as the allowable soil bearing pressure (for spread footings), or specifications for proportioning drilled piers. In addition, the presence of ground water is identified, as are an any other hazards encountered (including recommended mitigation). Another important factor that is identified is the potential for soil swell, and, therefore, the suitability of slab on grade construction.

Shoring is a  form of prop or support, usually temporary, that is used during the repair or original construction of buildings and in excavations. Temporary support may be required, for example, to relieve the load on a masonry wall while it is repaired or reinforced.  Design of shoring piers is outside of the scope of services that Studio 8.18 Engineering provides.

Studio 8.18 Engineering can send a representative to your home to determine what will be needed structurally to remove a wall in your home. In some instances a wall is load bearing and would require a support system to carry the load if it is removed. In other instances the removal of a wall would not affect the structure of your home. We can tell you definitively what is required for the structure of your home to remain sound.

Studio 8.18 Engineering does not provide investigation services at this time as our availability to begin new work currently exceeds the turnaround needed for the fast paced residential sales market in the Denver area.

Cities are more strict now than they ever have been with their requirements for permitting construction projects. If it requires cutting a hole in a wall or a foundation, then yes, it is likely that you will need an engineer.

The process takes anywhere from less than an hour to a couple of weeks, or longer. Project size, complexity and the availability of completed architectural drawings defines the time frame.

Studio 8.18 Engineering believes that having a report ensures that the foundation best suited for the site soil is utilized. By accurately defining the soil capabilities, the foundation design becomes as efficient as possible, as opposed to being oversized when based on conservative assumptions. It also reduces the potential for encountering unanticipated conditions that could lead to revisions to the foundation design, delays, additional costs, or undesired foundation movements. In the case of an addition or remodel, having this information allows us to accurately assess the capacity of the existing foundation system, so that new loads or re-positioned loads only require foundation upgrades if the current foundation capacity is exceeded.