Structural Review Services

SOHA Engineers provides structural and seismic engineering review services in several areas, including:

• Peer review
  
• Plan check
  
• Constructability
  
• Value engineering
  
• Innovative engineering solutions

Peer Review

Peer review is a process that assesses the quality, correctness, and suitability of a submitted design. The peer review can focus on the whole project or any specific area, such as the design criteria, performance objectives, structural design concept, lateral-force-resisting system, code provisions, or any major design issues or design details. SOHA Engineers’ peer review approach may consist of the following:

• Conceptual Design. Advise and assist the client’s engineering staff in the development of conceptual retrofit design and related design parameters (material tests, properties, design criteria) to satisfy their performance requirements and other criteria
  
• Detailed Design. Advise and assist a client’s engineering staff during the development of analyses, detailed design, and construction documents, as required
  
• Retrofit Design. Participate in walkdowns of a facility to review physical condition of building and the workability of conceptual and detailed designs
  

SOHA has provided peer review services to several clients including owners of Bloomingdale’s Department Store in Downtown San Francisco; Department of General Services, State of California; Department of Public Works, City of San Francisco; San Francisco International Airport; and the San Francisco Public Library.

Plan Check

SOHA Engineers provides plan check services to ensure that contract documents prepared by a designer are in accordance with specified requirements. In order to be an effective plan checker, the structural engineer must have extensive design experience and thorough knowledge of applicable building codes. By definition, a plan check consists of a more detailed review of plans and calculations than a peer review.

California Division of the State Architect (DSA) is a leader in the use of plan check services. DSA provides design and construction oversight for the public school system, which includes kindergarten, elementary grades, middle schools, high schools, and community colleges. SOHA is under contract with DSA in two of their four regions to assist them in their architectural and structural plan check process. SOHA has successfully completed plan checks for more than 30 public schools, and has also designed (i.e., Structural Engineer of Record) numerous schools within California.

Constructability Review

SOHA Engineers’ constructability review services include reviewing construction phasing and scheduling, and reviewing design alternates. The purpose of these reviews is to ensure that contract and construction documents are buildable at a reasonable cost, within a reasonable amount of time, and without confusion. The benefits of constructability reviews include:

• The avoidance of design details which are difficult and expensive to build
  
• Development of economical methods to build, rehabilitate or repair structures
  
• More efficient and economical resolution of field problems
  
• Reduction in the number of field problems and construction claims
  
• Gaining insight into the contractor’s point of view regarding methods and sequences of construction
  

Value Engineering

SOHA Engineers monitors expected construction costs and provides internal value engineering throughout our projects to provide owners/clients with options and cost-effective solutions. Typical services or benefits include:

• Primary effort early in design when most effective
  
• Selection of most cost efficient methods, materials, schedule
  
• Evaluate cost/schedule impacts of alternates
  
• Suggest options based on experience
  
• Allow for incorporation of cost saving alternates through bidding process

Innovative Engineering

SOHA Engineers has strong expertise in the use and review of innovative engineering solutions, including performance-based engineering and design methods; advanced engineering techniques, such as “pushover” and time-history analyses; and the use of seismic protective systems, such as base isolation and damping systems.