Municipal checks
In a municipality in South Holland, I was assisting a client who had to obtain municipal approval again to install a staircase. I found that the previously approved reinforcement was inadequate. See the calculation below. Floor span l = 5.15 + 0.125 + 0.09 = 5.365 m Design load per m² pd = 1.2 × 0.22 […]
Read moreDynamic calculations
For a client, I calculated the natural frequency of a planned chimney and compared it with the wind excitation frequency. This led to a revised design in which the chimney’s natural frequency lies well above the wind frequency.
Read moreHealthy insights inspired by engineering
My dream is that fewer people suffer from psychosomatic complaints. In my view, engineers do not have these complaints as often. I think I know why: technical insight can also help put things into perspective in other areas. I am thinking of the following: When my weight presses on a floor, the floor pushes back with the same force. […]
Read moreBuilding illusions
An office on one of Utrecht’s canals approached me with this question: “I can see how low the water in the canal is. I would like to deepen my existing basement, with the foundations at canal level. That should be possible, because then I won’t have any groundwater […]
Read moreTaking part in the Eigen Huis (Ver)Bouwen + Inrichten fair
This fair at the Jaarbeurs attracted a high proportion of private visitors. A large group of homeowners had brought their original construction drawings to discuss their structural plans with Siemelink. It became clear that many homeowners have a fairly good idea of the structural consequences of vertical loads. But […]
Read moreVisit to the Bouwbeurs 2013
For Firma Siemelink, the main innovations at the Internationale BouwBeurs 2013 were: 1) Until recently, the insulated beam-and-block floor used a prestressed concrete beam. This beam is now being replaced either by a cold-formed steel section (Reppel & VBI) or by a reinforced plastic section (Rentovloer by De […]
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