Industry Axis

The two Wichita State University Mixed Use Retail buildings are under construction near the intersection of 21st Street and North Oliver in Wichita KS.

Needham DBS designed the project as a design/build fast track project for Crossland Construction. Needham DBS was awarded the steel package on July 27, 2017 as the design drawings were nearing completion. Anchor Bolts were on site August 7, Joist and Deck were delivered to the site on September 8 and the remainder of the primary steel arrived September 18, 2017. Sunshades were delayed about a month but allowed the primary steel erection to be completed and stud work started before the sunshades were installed.

Pre-engineered metal buildings are popular with owners and developers since they provide a low cost economical solution for low rise steel framed construction. The PEMB supplier custom engineers the building to meet the code and owner specified minimum design load requirements. Using welded three plate columns and rafters with thicknesses varying in 1/16” increments and unlimited configurations for material utilization, the supplier has the ability to optimize the design to a great degree of precision. The PEMB supplier minimizes the cost to the owner but limits the flexibility to do future upgrades.  This has owners asking "Where's the beef?"

What does the owner do to plan for expansion, install a new roof or install new equipment? These scenarios, as well as many others, create additional loads on the building or changes how the building performs. Many of these modifications, renovations and expansions occur years after the building was designed and put in to service. The building codes are continually changing, the owner may not have a set of the existing building drawings, or the site visit may reveal undocumented changes to the building. These are just a few challenges faced when deciding if the existing structure can adequately support the new loads being applied to the building.

The first tilt-up concrete building on the historic campus of the University of Virginia is now underway. Needham DBS worked with Nielsen Builders to design an insulated, composite tilt-up panel system for the Ivy Stacks Expansion project, an addition to an existing precast building. The panels are over 45’ tall, and feature the innovative IconX Model 23 composite connector (www.iconxusa.com), with edge-to-edge XPS insulation, in a 4 5/8-2-4 5/8 configuration (11 ¼” overall thickness). This design uses 30% less concrete than the comparable non-composite panel design. The site is extremely tight, with very limited panel casting area and narrow crane path. Panels are scheduled to be tilted in mid-December.

Jeff Needham has been inducted into the Tilt-Up Concrete Association (TCA) College of Fellows for his years of service and commitment to the tilt up industry spanning over three decades. He accepted this appointment during the Awards Gala of the 2017 Tilt-Up Convention and Expo in Miami on Friday evening, September 29.

The Tilt-Up Concrete Association (TCA) College of Fellows honors the rich tradition of service to the Association on behalf of the industry. The College of Fellows cultivates awareness for the community of professionals dedicated to the mission of the Association, and elevates the service of its members to the entire industry. Fellows establish this service through their organization's commitment to membership and participation and are elected to fellowship by a jury of their peers.

As I have watched the tilt-up concrete construction industry develop over many years, I have appreciated the way it has become a preferred method of construction for many building types. This growth has been based on a number of improvements in construction and design technology, such as larger mobile cranes, the recognition and adoption of slender wall design in building codes, and a growing appreciation for the flexibility and speed of tilt-up methods. The widespread adoption of the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) embraces the tilt-up industry, which already provides a fully code-compliant panel. The industry has the potential to make these panels more structurally efficient through the use of composite panels. This is a huge opportunity many designers and contractors may be missing.

To view the entire article published in the Summer 2017 Issue of Tilt-Up Today Magazine, visit http://tilt-up.org/tilt-uptoday/2017/08/08/composite-concrete-panels-the-future-for-tilt-up-walls/

The Northland Christian School administration organized an Open House for staff, parents and students to visit their new school, currently under construction. The administration offered time slots on September 18th, 19th and 21st to tour the construction site. Teachers showed off their future classroom areas, students enjoyed seeing the construction equipment and building materials. Taking their first walk down the corridors and entering in to their classrooms in a construction environment is a different experience. We hope that students are inspired by the rawness of the building and seek a future in Construction, Architecture or Engineering.

The school will open with 400 students from Pre-K to 12th grade. In order to reduce the amount of money the school will need to finance, they are currently fundraising to provide furniture and items needed for each classroom. Sign up to sponsor a room or purchase a desk on the Northland Christian website.  http://www.northlandchristianed.com/newbuilding

The Fort Wayne office of Needham DBS welcomed Annie Nielson for a summer internship. Annie is an undergrad student at Brigham Young University studying Civil Engineering and will receive her Bachelor of Science Degree in December 2017. She will enter in to the Master Degree program immediately after graduation. We hope to have her back again next summer.

Needham DBS provided event sponsorship for the Building Contractors Association Summer Bash on August 10, 2017. The theme of the event is "Building Bridges Between Generations." This event brings together BCA young professionals with the regular membership to provide networking opportunities in a fun, casual setting. Over 130 members filled the Old Barn at Salomon Farm for the 3rd annual Summer Bash. Guests enjoyed picnic fare, refreshments, games, and live entertainment by musician Adam Strack.

Timothy D. Bengfort, PE completed coursework for his Master of Science in Civil Engineering from University of Kansas in December 2016. Graduation ceremony for fall and spring graduates was held on Sunday May 14, 2017 at 10:30 am. Tim graduated from University of Kansas in 1997 with his Bachelor of Science in Architectural Engineering with a Structural Engineering focus.
The Lenexa office personnel joined in a surprise congratulatory celebration. Jeff Needham presented him with a special bonus for his hard work and commitment to push through coursework and meet his educational career goals. A huge shout out to his family for their patience and understanding for the hours of work he put in to his Master Degree.

Craig M. Scherschel, PE, Needham DBS, was recently elected to the position of President-Elect of the Indiana Structural Engineers Association (ISEA). Craig will serve as President-Elect from June 2017 to May 2019 after which he will serve ISEA as President from June 2019 to May 2021. He previously served as Secretary of ISEA from June 2015 to May 2017.

Needham DBS sponsors a table at the 2017 Evening in Paris – A Modern Masquerade, a fundraiser for Academie Lafayette, a French Language Immersion Public Charter school in Kansas City MO.  The event was held at the Uptown Theatre on April 29.

Karen S. Hand and husband, Brian, chose steampunk themed costumes while guests Jeanie Abbett and Kyla Benjamin sported Art Deco style costumes (masks designed and created by Jeanie Abbett). Guests Bing and Mary Yzon were the superhero duet, Green Lantern and Black Canary. Needham DBS hosted four Academie Lafayette teachers Benoit Combreas (Oak music), Leila Sammou (6th), Yannick Mauvois (Oak PE) and Pascale Mauvois (5th). Guests participated fundraising events including the Wine Pull, Tombola, silent auction and live auction taking home lots of goodies. 

Needham DBS 2017 Advertising Campaign - Ad 2

Needham DBS 2017 Marketing Campaign - Ad 1

Needham DBS celebrates three employees who passed the October 2016 NCEES professional engineering exams.

Jeremy Stech passed the NCEES Principles of Practice of Engineering (PE) Exam.  The PE civil/structural exam is a civil breadth and a structural depth examination. The breadth exam contains questions from all five areas of civil engineering. The depth exams focus more closely on a single area of practice in civil engineering. Examinees work all questions in the morning session and all questions in the afternoon module they have chosen. The exam is an 8-hour open-book exam. It contains 40 multiple-choice questions in the 4-hour AM session, and 40 multiple-choice questions in the 4-hour PM session.

Needham DBS has scheduled to exhibit at two trade shows in early 2017.  Come by and visit if you are in the area.

The first show will be the Construction World Expo in Fort Wayne, Indiana on February 22nd and 23rd. The Expo will be held at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum.

Shulthis Stadium in Independence, Kansas is lays claim to be the location of the first night game in organized baseball under permanent lights. The game was played on April 28, 1930 between Independence KS and Muskogee OK teams in the Western Association League.

Originally constructed in 1918, the grandstand at the park was in dire need of rehabilitation for years. Citing the amount of deterioration and the cost of restoration, the Unified School District moved forward with a plan to replace the grandstand with a new structure that would be a close replica of the original building. It would once again become a functional structure for athletic events held at the school while honoring the grandstand’s historical significance.

Jeremy Stech joined Needham DBS in January 2003 after graduating with an Associates of Applied Science Degree in Architectural Engineering Technology from Southeast Community College in Milford, Nebraska. In August of 2004 he began taking courses at Johnson County Community College using the tuition reimbursement benefit that Needham DBS offers. The coursework would establish a foundation to pursue a degree in Civil Engineering. Jeremy worked full time, got married and started a family while taking one or two classes each semester. He applied to and was accepted to KU School of Engineering and in January 2012 he began the rigorous engineering coursework.

After several hard years balancing work, school and family, Jeremy graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from KU in December 2015. He graduated with honors and was recognized by the civil engineering department staff, receiving the “Outstanding Graduating Senior in Civil Engineering” award and was nominated for the Locke Award.

Needham DBS 2016 Advertising Campaign - Ad 2

Needham DBS 2016 Advertising Campaign - Ad 1

Needham DBS attended and exhibited at the 2016 International Tilt-Up Convention and Expo.  The event was held at the Colorado Convention Center in Downtown Denver Colorado on October 10 through October 12, 2016.  

The convention kicked off on Monday October 10, 2016 with a buildings tour followed by the Awards Gala.  The Gala event began with a cocktail hour with drinks and live music followed by dinner and the awards program.  Awards presented during the event included the Alphonse Engelman Safety Awards, Tilt-Up Achievement Awards and the TCA Professional Awards.  The entertainment was provided by Rocky Mountain Bluegrass offering a great selection of traditional bluegrass and contemporary newgrass.  Needham DBS recieved an award for Warren Theatre Broken Arrow.  Jason Blankenship, Karen Hand and Craig Scherschel of Needham DBS were in attendance to receive the award.