Usually the closest a structural engineer’s work will get to experiencing the forces of climbing is a maintenance worker ascending a tower or bridge… or a trespasser scaling a skyscraper via suction cups…

In terms of engineering, climbing structures are their own unique animal, involving all the usual suspects—wind loads, seismic loads, gravity loads—but with a little extra thrown in.

In the past century, an evolution has occurred in the field of structural engineering. It’s the evolvement of design practice and building codes that allow us to construct even taller buildings for people. So what makes it possible to go so tall without letting the structure collapse in wind or during an earthquake?

We sat down with our October DCI Expert in the Spotlight, Richard “Dick” Hemmen for a Q&A session about Seismic Renovations and Tenant Improvements. Hemmen, who has worked on many seismic renovations and TI’s, shares with us the importance of maintaining a buildings structural components for the occurrence of a seismic event.

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