As many of you are aware, I recently traveled to Bolivia to participate in a humanitarian mission with the University of Tulsa student chapter of…
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We’re excited to announce two new changes to kickoff 2021! As of January 1, Howell & Vancuren has joined Wallace Engineering, adding landscape architecture to the services we offer. Learn more about Howell & Vancuren here.
origin: starting the conversation
Archive for the ‘Structural’ Category
Find Some Fun
Sometimes, it doesn’t matter how much we love our jobs there are going to be times when things may get monotonous, repetitive, or you may…
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What’s Shakin’ in Tornado Alley?
Having grown up in the Oklahoma City area and now living in Tulsa, it has always been tornadoes, thunderstorms and the occasional snow or ice…
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Team Unity
My youngest son plays soccer for a team that has had success both at the state level (two-time state champions) and at the regional level….
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Quality Control
I recently gave a presentation on quality control policy. During preparation, it dawned on me that as engineers we often miss the boat as to…
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Saferooms for Schools – One Year Later
It’s been nearly a year since my last blog post. At that time, South Oklahoma City and Moore were just really getting started with the…
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Stop and Smell the Roses
Stop and smell the roses…sure it’s an old cliché, but do we really stop and do it? As engineers and architects, we create structures that…
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“To boldly go where no engineer has gone before…”
Architectural Space: the final frontier. These are the voyages of Wallace Engineering. Its thirty five-year mission: to explore strange new geometries, to seek out new…
Read More Safe Schools 101 – FEMA and Oklahoma Emergency Management
As residents of Oklahoma we are fully aware the month of May means severe weather and tornadoes are likely to occur at any time throughout…
Read More It’s Not Always About The Numbers
As engineers, we tend to focus on the calculations and drawings and not on the other aspects of running a successful business. I think a…
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March Madness
When the month of March rolls around I think most everyone is aware of March Madness in college basketball. First, there are the conference tournaments,…
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Naturally Curious
“Curiosity is a willing, a proud, an eager confession of ignorance.” -S. Leonard Rubenstein. I wonder if I act and think the way I do…
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A Different Perspective
Several years ago, I started providing metal stud shop drawings for sub-contractors, and it made me change the way that I detail the construction drawings…
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Retaining Wall Design
As a structural engineer, I am frequently called upon to investigate and develop repairs for failed or failing earth retaining wall structures. The call often comes…
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The Art of Engineering
At Wallace Engineering, we often talk about the “art of engineering”. But what does that mean? The American Engineers Council for Professional Development (ECPD), an…
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Watch Where You Step
PPE – Personal Protective Equipment. These small items are there to protect you, typically from making some careless decisions. I, unfortunately, have gone through more…
Read More Positively Stable
If a structural system includes an unstable element, a sudden (and possibly catastrophic) failure will eventually occur. In addition to safely resisting the applied gravity…
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Be Aware of Your Surroundings
I have the privilege, together with my wife, of raising three daughters. They are usually eager to learn, and they also like to teach. Yes,…
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Fulfilling A Dream
Over 30 years ago, a man named Allen Sappington was called to be a missionary to the Kuna, a people indigenous to Panama and Colombia….
Read More What is an Architectural Engineer?
This is a discussion that I have had several times with relatives, friends and other engineers as a graduate of the Architectural Engineering program at…
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Planning Ahead
My wife and I do a small amount of gardening and one thing we always plant are some hot chili peppers. Varieties vary depending on…
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Shelters for Schools, It’s Time to Start the Conversation
Growing up in Oklahoma City, you just get used to springtime weather warnings. Local news stations preempt your favorite shows or sporting events to shout…
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Pay It Forward
I sincerely appreciate working for a company whose culture encourages employees to give back to the community. Most have done more than I, but to…
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Get A Hobby!
Structural engineering requires a broad skill set in order to be well rounded and deliver successful projects. We have to visualize projects mentally in three…
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Analysis of Thin Plate Metals Under Uniform Loading with Large Deflections, Structural Pookie, Metal Panel Voodoo and Ozark Engineering
Many of you know that in addition to our “regular” engineering we also work on building “skins” for lack of a better term, mostly in…
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Old Meets New
Many challenges face the Structural Engineer when designing a new building that will be an addition to an existing building designed and constructed in a…
Read More Structure Expressed
I was a young student of architecture at the University of Illinois when I took my first structures course: statics and dynamics. This was my…
Read More Hammer Away
While there have been many experiences that have shaped me as an engineer, I believe that the ones that have benefited me the most have…
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