Structural guidance for homeowners and small builders — walls, beams, foundations, suites, multiplexes and retaining walls.
Residential work is where most people meet a structural engineer for the first time, usually because a municipality asked for a sealed drawing. This section is written for homeowners, designers and small builders across Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley: how to tell whether a wall is carrying load, what happens to the load path when you open one up, when a crack in a foundation is cosmetic and when it is not, what a secondary suite or laneway house changes structurally, and what BC’s small-scale multi-unit housing rules mean if you are putting three, four or six units on a lot that used to hold one house.
A suite adds openings, not weight. What actually changes structurally when you add a secondary suite, garden suite or laneway house to a property in British Columbia.
Not every crack is a problem. How to read pattern, width and movement in a Greater Vancouver foundation, the local soil and water causes behind cracking, and what an engineer's assessment covers.
Four or six units on a lot built for one house changes the structure completely. What a BC multiplex needs, from unit minimums and party walls to tight-lot foundations.
Joist direction, a sealed beam design and the footing under each new post decide whether an open-concept renovation works. Here is the Vancouver permit set and the order of work.
