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Guide To Mechanical Unit Permits and Engineering Requirements In Florida

Mechanical Equipment Design – A National Requirement Generally speaking, building codes are national in nature, but are adopted locally for unique geographic conditions. While national codes require designing code-compliant structures during design events, areas such as South Florida take the lead on high-wind requirements  for rooftop mechanical units & serve as a guide for design …

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PRODUCT APPROVALS ARE NOT ALWAYS REQUIRED! HERE’S WHY:

Here Are 3 Myths About Product Approval Requirements Background Product evaluations (sometimes called “product approvals”, “ICC reports”, NOA’s or similar) for building products are general requirements as found in the International Building Code.  Building officials, architects, insurance companies, third-party reviewers, and even homeowners ask for them all the time.   Permits frequently require them, insurance discounts …

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FAQ How do I submit my completed drawings to the city?

Engineering Express only provides engineer-sealed structural drawings for your project.  Submitting these drawings to the city is the responsibility of the permitting contractor. We encourage the use of qualified permit application companies to assist if you are new to the process.  These companies are independent of this firm.  Information provided via the below link is …

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What Services Do We Offer And Don’t Offer?

Engineering Express is a national engineering firm that only provides structural design services for building components for commercial & residential projects.   Examples of services we offer include glazing design, sunrooms, pergolas, fence and rail, mechanical equipment tie-downs and stands/curbs for wind, and product evaluations for government approval see more. We do NOT design buildings, …

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Door and Hardware Online Glossary

Thanks to our partners at ASSA ABLOY, we’re happy to pass along this helpful glossary of industry lingo. Learn all about the many terms used in the door and hardware industry Click here to visit the ASSA ABLOY Glossary

How To Validate A Digital Signature On An Engineers Digitally-Sealed Plan

Digital signatures for engineers in Florida require third-party validation per FAC 61G15-23.004. Other states offer similar rules that require the signature to be verifiable to which this also applies. Here’s how to check a digitally signed document in Adobe & Bluebeam to ensure the signature is valid. How To Verify In Adobe A digitally signed …

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How To Use Performance Evaluations – TER’s – Calculator Reports Purchased From Engineering Express

READ BELOW BEFORE USING NON SITE-SPECIFIC PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONSFROM ENGINEERING EXPRESS FOR YOUR PROJECT General Information About Non Site-Specific Plans: Certified Performance Evaluations (also referred to as Master Plans, Generic, or Non Site-Specific Plans) you receive contain a physical or digitally certified engineer seal. They are intended to be used to assist in obtaining a building …

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Can you help me find Existing Florida Product approval, Miami Dade NOA, or ICC-ES information and plans?

If you need to find a Florida Approval, Miami Dade NOA, ICC ES, Intertek, IAPMO, or Dr. J’s Engineering number please visit EngineeringPlans.com  EngineeringPlans.com continuously synchronizes data with these agencies and indexes them for a better search and view experience. Single-click over to the source agency site, download documents, ask and discuss, and more. All …

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Residential & Commercial Terms & Engineering Design Differences 101

Residential & Commercial Glazing Differences & Common Terms 101   Engineering Express is typically asked what the difference between residential & commercial glazing & how we help each industry.  Read below for answers to the most common questions & terms.   Commercial Glazing   What is Commercial Glazing? This generally involves the framing systems used …

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Types of At-Grade Footings Explained

Here’s a description and illustrations we’ve created for footing types we frequently reference in our work for sunrooms, pergolas, carports, screen rooms, signs, and similar at-grade building component structures.  Photos of each appear below.   An isolated footing is used to support a single post. Isolated footings are independent footings which are provided for each …

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Test Laboratories

  Tet laboratories have been combined into our Online Directory. The information contained herein is offered as an unbiased list of firms and services that complement the services offered by Engineering Express.The information is provided with no guarantee or endorsement of any kind and not with our recommendation.We strive to achieve a well rounded list of services …

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Glossary of Engineering Terms

Glossary of Building Component Engineering Terms & Abbreviations These terms are published by Engineering Express to coincide with help menus for our online tools & published articles and as they relate to the Building Component Design industry. See also our FLOOD ENGINEERING GLOSSARY for more terms related to flood engineering. See Also SUNROOM TERMINOLOGY for …

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Technical Evaluation Report – TER – Types of Product Evaluations Typically Performed By Engineering Express

Engineering Express provides structural design evaluations of various types of mechanical equipment exposed to weather.  There are four (4) evaluation types typically performed, each with their own benefits and limitations of use.  This article explores each type and provides examples and summary of output. Some notes to first understand:   All tiers listed below include …

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Whats The Difference Between a Digitally Signed Plan, Electronic Seal, & Scanned Digital Copy of a Plan?

HISTORY Back in the day, kings used wax to seal an envelope to prove its authenticity. That seal evolved over time to become variations of paper embossing and ink ‘wet’ sealing up until this day to certify blueprints by architects and engineers.  In today’s digital world, a more secure solution is needed. Engineering documents are …

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