Archive for May, 2010

What is a Structural Engineer?

Thursday, May 27th, 2010

So, what is a structural engineer, and what can one do for you? KADTEC has both a structural engineering license for the state of Utah, and a civil engineering license for the state of California, which means they can handle structural drafting. Most people don’t pay attention to this issue; they look more for a highly qualified architect. However, being sure your engineer is certified to operate in the state where you want to build is important. Structural consulting engineers have to pass a state examination in the state in which they operate, and take what are known as continuing education classes in order to renew that license. That way, you know that that they are knowledgeable about the latest structural engineering formulas. After all, if your engineer is an older lady or gentleman, you want to be sure that they know about green technology, the latest in energy efficiency, and so on. Most states require that an engineer display their license prominently. Look for that when you meet with them. With KADTEC, you can be sure that they are board certified in both structural and civil engineer. They can handle structural steel engineering, which many homes use today.

So, what is a structural engineer going to do on the home plans for your dream house? Well, the blue prints have to be drawn up to meet the building code of the municipality in which you’re going to build. That’s why you need licensed professionals, and they have to be the right professionals for the job. This is where structural consulting engineers may be needed. Architects can sign and affix their seal to some plans, but not all of them. As their name implies, they handle architectural matters. But, when it comes to plans for something heavy duty: what’s known as load-bearing members or something heavily structural in nature. Well, that’s the answer to what is a structural engineer; he or she has to oversee the structural drafting, and sign and seal some of the plans. This is where KADTEC has got you covered. It doesn’t matter what type of plans your dream home requires; KADTEC can either take care of them in-house or get an appropriate sub-consultant. We can handle all types of engineering calculations, energy and Title 24 calculations, and analyze your project to see how rough terrain and varying soil conditions will affect it. There are structural engineering formulas that are quite complex; our staff know how to handle them, and do the structural engineering calculations!

The virtue of a firm like KADTEC is the variety of their services, and that they have connections in the industry to handle whatever kinds of plans you need. When you ask us, what is a structural engineer, we’ve for the answer. You might wonder why we don’t have an architect in-house. You don’t want that. Architects are really quite the artists, but they have the weakness of their own virtue – their individual style. If you don’t care for that style, what are you supposed to do? With KADTEC, they can work with any architect you choose, thus freeing you to select the right one to design the perfect dream home for you. After the plans are prepared, KADTEC can walk you through the difficulties of getting a building permit, by making sure that the right sorts of plans are submitted to the appropriate review agency. By focusing on being civil and structural consulting engineers, we can meet the needs of your individual project.

Luxury Home Plans

Wednesday, May 5th, 2010

When building a home, it’s often said that one thing is the most important: location. If you’re looking to draw up your luxury home plans, you probably can’t build in a major metropolitan area. Let’s face it, even with the depressed housing market, areas like New York City, Los Angeles, Orlando, Austin, and so on are very expensive markets. Unless you’ve got a hefty building budget, you’re going to need to look in a more modest area to build.

That’s where rural and mountain areas are best; land is cheap, and building codes are more flexible. It doesn’t matter what sort of luxury mountain home you want to build, KADTEC is an expert at ranch home design, Victorian home design, German architecture, contemporary, and even such things as solar home design, gingerbread house designs, and even whimsical house designs. Our staff uses the latest in 3D home architect software to create any sort of luxury home plans you can imagine. Then, when the floorplan is just right, you can take a virtual tour of your home, and make sure that it’s just what you want.

If you love the idea of mountain view luxury homes, KADTEC are the experts you want to come to. True, we don’t have architects in-house – yet, but the firm is preparing to get an architectural license. We’re certified in structural and civil engineering, which can both be critical in luxury home plans. Do you want a high entryway, or a porch that doesn’t have a lot of columns spoiling the view? You’ll need a structural or civil engineer to design that. If your property is especially steep, we can lay out the grading of the land so that water doesn’t rush across it too fast. Too much of that, and you’ll get erosion! You may need a retaining or stemwall for your luxury home plans; are staff can handle those as well.

We can also coordinate your luxury home plans with any architect you want to work with. The power of CAD luxury home plans are that they are easy to share. It doesn’t matter if your architect is around the corner from our offices, or across the country; we can work together to create your dream home plans. When you consider the dual issues of the environment and the remoteness of some areas, you may want to incorporate solar power, biofuels, and all manner of green architect resources and building materials into your luxury home plans. Just because you’re building a luxury home doesn’t mean it can’t be an eco-friendly home.

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