Structural Load Analysis in PhiladelphiaStrucTech Structural Engineers

Most of this work starts with a permit application that came back asking for engineering. You want to take out a bearing wall, add a floor, put solar or an HVAC unit on the roof, or convert a warehouse into apartments. The reviewer needs to see that the existing structure can carry it, and that requires calculations under a PE seal.

Existing buildings rarely come with usable drawings, so we build the analysis from the field. We measure member sizes and spans, identify framing type and direction, check bearing conditions, and verify material where it matters. Prior alterations show up constantly in Philadelphia stock, and an unpermitted beam swap from twenty years ago changes the answer, so we look for them rather than assuming the original condition.

From there we establish current capacity and compare it against the proposed loading. That covers new dead load from finishes and equipment, live load changes from a change of use, roof loads including snow drift against parapets and adjacent structures, and lateral considerations where the alteration affects bracing or a shear element. If the existing framing works, we say so and document why. If it does not, we design the reinforcement: new beams and columns, sistered joists, header sizing over new openings, or a distribution frame for rooftop equipment.

The deliverable is a stamped package that a plans examiner can approve: calculations, framing plans and details as needed, and specified connections. We keep the scope tight to what the permit requires so you are not paying for a full building analysis when the question is one wall. Turnaround is usually days, not weeks, because these projects are almost always waiting on us.

Send your drawings, photos, or the reviewer's comments through the contact form, or call (267) 310-1172 and we will scope the analysis on the phone.