JMVC Consulting Structural Engineers

28/09/2026

WHEN STRUCTURES FAIL, THE LOAD PATH TELLS THE STORY.
3 HISTORIC BUILDINGS. 3 COLLAPSES. 3 STRUCTURAL LESSONS.

Structural collapse is rarely explained by a single factor. The investigation often reqires understanding how loads move through the structure, how materials behave, and how modifications, deterioration, or loading conditions changes that system.

A study of three historic-building collapses demonstrate how structural analysis can reconstruct what happened—and why. The Researchers combined field inspections, material testing, structural calculations, numerical modeling, and documentation to investigate the failure mechanisms.

CASE 1
RENOVATION CHANGES LOAD PATH
Construction-stage conditions govern.

CASE 2
A WALL CAN FAIL WITHOUT SIMPLE "CRUSHING"
Deformation, tension, bending, cracking, and stiffness matter.

CASE 3
CORRISON CAN REDUCE STRUCTURAL CAPACITY
Existing structures must be evaluated for their actual condition and loading.

Structural Engineering is not just about designing for loads. It's also about understanding how structures behave when conditions change.

24/09/2026

SARATOGA HOUSE | FOUR-BEDROOM SINGLE-FAMILY RESIDENCE

A wood-framed residential structure engineered for strength, stability, and efficient load transfer, with structural analysis and design covering the foundations, framing, roof system, and lateral-force-resisting elements.

See our recently completed project. 👇
https://www.jmvccse.com/pf/t2t-saratoga-house-4-bedroom-house/

Structural design and engineering of a four-bedroom single-family residence located in Franklin, Johnson County, IN.

24/09/2026

Hurricane damage often comes down to a few feet of elevation.

A new study in the ASCE Journal of Structural Engineering looked at 3,408 buildings on Fort Myers Beach after Hurricane Ian. Two factors stood out. Buildings closer to the shoreline suffered far more, since homes further inland were partly shielded by the buildings in front of them. For wood-frame homes, the deciding factor between standing and collapsing was mainly how high the lowest structural floor framing sat above the incoming wave crests, along with the foundation type and the age of the building.

For owners, architects, and contractors on the coast, that means elevation and foundation choices are structural safety decisions, not just permit boxes to check.

If you own or are planning a coastal building, do you know how high your lowest floor framing sits above the design flood level?

21/09/2026

DESIGN ISN’T FINISHED UNTIL IT’S VERIFIED.
Markups help verify that calculations and engineering intent are accurately reflected in coordinated, buildable structural drawings.

Visit: https://www.jmvccse.com/

16/09/2026

Your engineer's most valuable skill is not the software.

NCSEA, the national council for structural engineering associations, has just released its 2026 report on where the profession is heading. It was built from surveys of more than 1,000 practising engineers. Two findings stood out to us.

First, the AI that engineers actually use is the kind already built into the tools they work in every day, not separate specialist products. Second, and more important, senior engineers were clear that younger staff must have a solid command of structural fundamentals before leaning on any automated tool.

That matches how we work. Software produces numbers quickly. Deciding whether those numbers are correct, whether the load path is real, and whether the detail can actually be built on site is still engineering judgment. On a project, that judgment is what protects you.

If a consultant hands you results, how would you know whether someone checked them?

15/09/2026

DIAMATIC DOMES: HOW DO THEY RESPOND TO EARTHQUAKES?

A space frame dome may look lightweight and simple—but its structural behavior is anything but simple.

Unlike conventional framing, a Diamatic dome uses a three-dimensional network of interconnected members to distribute loads through the entire structure. This makes it efficient for long-span applications, but also means its response depends on more than just member strength.

Under earthquake loading, stiffness, natural period, mass distribution, deformation, and snow-load patterns can significantly influence how the dome responds.

The key lesson: A structure that efficiently distributes gravity loads must still be carefully evaluated for dynamic behavior, seismic forces, and deformation.

The geometry distributes the load. Structural analysis determines how it responds.

14/09/2026

Notice: Instagram Account Compromised

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JMVC Consulting Structural Engineers

13/09/2026

STEEL MONO-STRINGER STAIRCASE
Timber Treads + Bolted & Welded Steel Connections

12/09/2026

11/09/2026

𝐇𝐎𝐖 𝐃𝐎 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐁𝐈𝐋𝐈𝐙𝐄 𝐀 𝟏:𝟏𝟓 𝐓𝐎𝐖𝐄𝐑?
432 PARK AVENUE | MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NEW YORK | COMPLETED 2015

𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭:
At a 𝟏:𝟏𝟓 𝐬𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨, 432 Park Avenue made 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐝-𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 critical structural design considerations. Its reinforced-concrete 𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫-𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐞, 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭-𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐰𝐨-𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐬 work together to enhance lateral stiffness and overall stability.