Project Scope
The Customer
A growing engineering firm specializing in commercial construction was managing rising demand for multi-story steel building projects. Tight schedules and limited in-house bandwidth made it difficult to accept larger commissions while consistently maintaining delivery quality.
Its projects required expertise across steel framing, connection design, lateral system analysis, and foundation engineering. The firm also needed proficiency in AISC 360, AISI S100, IBC, and ASCE 7, as well as advanced analysis and documentation tools.
The Challenges
Several operational constraints were limiting the firm's ability to meet growing project demand.
Limited internal resources
Tight timelines and staffing constraints restricted the firm's ability to handle larger commercial steel building projects.
Specialized expertise gaps
Engineers proficient in advanced structural analysis software were difficult to source at cost-effective market rates.
Complex code requirements
Maintaining expertise across AISC 360, AISI S100, IBC, and ASCE 7 was difficult and expensive in-house.
Broad design scope
Projects required simultaneous work across steel framing, connections, lateral systems, and foundations.
Recruitment burden
Hiring, onboarding, and retaining specialized structural engineers required significant time and incurred high costs.
Business risk
Without dependable external support, the firm risked turning away high-value projects and losing ground to better-resourced competitors.
The Solutions
A dedicated structural engineering team was deployed as an extension of the client's office to support design, analysis, documentation, and coordination activities.
Structural analysis and design
The team analyzed gravity and lateral load systems and designed steel beams, columns, bracing systems, and moment frames.
Foundation design
Work included spread footings, mat foundations, and pile caps.
Lateral system evaluation
Wind and seismic load paths, drift checks, and system optimization were addressed.
Engineering software
ETABS was used for 3D modeling, dynamic analysis, and steel frame design, while SAFE was used for foundation and slab design, mat analysis, and punching shear verification.
BIM and calculations
Revit supported structural BIM modeling and construction documentation, while custom Excel templates were used for load takedowns, connection verification, and design summaries.
Code compliance
Deliverables followed AISC 360, AISI S100, IBC, and ASCE 7 requirements.
Project documentation
Outputs included annotated structural calculation packages, Revit drawings, connection details, foundation drawings, steel member schedules, quantity takeoffs, and verification spreadsheets.
Delivery coordination
Regular calls, real-time collaboration, iterative reviews, and quality checkpoints maintained alignment throughout the engagement.
The Result
The engagement produced measurable improvements across delivery, cost, quality, and project handling.
- 40–50% faster project turnaround through parallel analysis, design, and drafting.
- 2–3x more steel building projects handled simultaneously without adding in-house engineering staff.
- 30–40% reduction in overall engineering costs compared with equivalent internal staffing or local specialized resources.
- Zero code compliance issues across delivered projects.
- Fewer revision cycles due to near-final quality on first submissions.
- Reduced recruitment and onboarding costs associated with specialized engineering roles.
- More leadership focus on business development and client relationships instead of resource management.
- Larger and more complex commercial commissions are pursued with confidence.
- Ongoing monthly engagement established a reliable long-term partnership.
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