Services
& Experience....
Consulting
Engineering
Services
Building Design or
Architectural Engineering
Services
Structural
Engineering Design
Services
Experience
Types of Projects
Chris' Resume
Consulting
Engineering
Services: These
Professional Engineering services
require a high degree of knowledge,
experience, and expertise in a wide
range of structural engineering
issues. They generally require
little if any design work.
- Pre-purchase:
This service (also known as a
resale inspection) is designed
to assist buyers and sellers
with their due diligence
during a property sale by
addressing questions and
concerns. This service
does not replace a normal
building inspection but is
meant to augment one.
- Has an inspector
expressed a concern?
- Are you concerned
about those cracks?
- Thinking about
remodeling or maybe an
addition?
- Do you want to be an
aware buyer or
seller?
- Are you a seller who
wants to offer solutions
to known problems?
- Pre-Design:
These services are designed
to assist in determining the
structural or
"architectural" impact of a
idea before large amounts of
time, energy and resources
are used pursuing an actual
design. We can help
shed light on your choices.
- New
construction.......what
is the structural
impact of putting in
that wall of windows,
opening up the floor
plan, taking out
columns, putting in
that 10' door,
removing that wall,
etc.?
- Additions and/or
renovations.......what
is the impact of
finishing off the
attic, putting in that
wall of windows,
removing a column or
wall, etc.?
- Design
Consultation:
These services assist clients
in getting the most out of
their "prescriptive" (also
known as "conventional
construction")
design.
- Do you want to avoid
having to "engineer"
your whole building?
- Chris can help you
avoid "engineering"
while getting the most
out of your
"prescriptive"
design.
- Let Chris help you
with some "tricks" he
has developed over the
years.
- During
Construction:
These services are designed to
assist owners and contractors
with changes made during
construction, to help with any
unexpected condition found
during construction, to
address structural comments
made by a Building Official,
and to verify "as-built"
conditions.
- Site Observations
(inspections).......verification
of field conditions.
- Building Official
comments? We
address concerns and
provide a workable
solution.
- Is there a better
way?
- After
Construction:
These services assist owners
and contractors should
questions arise. All
concerns are addressed in an
unbiased, professional
manner.
- Call-backs? We
can help answer
questions and solve
problems.
- Need
advise? We provide
the expertise.
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Building
Design (Architectural
Engineering) Services:
If you don't need the full
design services of a licensed
Architect but you would like more
than a stock plan provides or do
you need more direction than a
designer or draftsman can
provide? We can
help!! So
what's the difference between an
Architect, designer, draftsman and
Architectural Engineer? Here's
my
take
on
it! And even
if you decide you need a Licensed
Architect, we can help with that
too. We have many
contacts.
- Menu:
Below are the typical steps in
the full design process.
Why
is the design process even
necessary? Because
it is VITAL to the success
of your project!! The
later you start, the more
control you lose!
Don't believe me? Look at
these arguments
and check this out for a
comprehensive study on the
subject. All
projects have these steps, but
the successful ones spend time
on each one. But keep this
in mind; depending on the
project, some steps can be
drastically truncated. But
with HCE, YOU get to choose
what you want, ala carte.
We provide only the services you
desire.
- Pre-Design (PD).......What
do you want, need,
desire? What are the
possible design problems,
existing conditions, site
issues, planning issues,
other potential hurdles,
etc.? This phase
simply gathers information
about the potential
project and tries to
identify its surrounding
difficulties.
- Schematic Design
(SD).......The
design process shifts from
gathering information to
how can we solve problems
(design ideas).
A broad brush approach
defines this step where design ideas
are produced and presented
for discussion. This
step also involves
entering into a dialogue
with the local Planning
Department and discussing
what is "allowed" from a
planning
perspective. A plan
on how to address Planning
Department "issues" should
be determined prior to
proceeding into the Design
Development phase.
- Design
Development (DD).......Now,
the design process
progresses from
identifying possible
solutions (design ideas)
to picking the best path
and refining that idea
into a design concept.
Basic details start being
considered. This
step produces sketches of
the final design concept.
- Construction
Documents (CD).......At
this point the design concept
gets enhanced and made
into a set of
appropriately detailed
and noted drawings.
Structural
Engineering
information is now
added. The purpose
of this step is to produce
a concise set of drawings
and/or specifications
communicating your wishes
to a
contractor.
- Bidding
and Negotiations.......We
can assist in this
process as you
feel
necessary.
Do you want to
"bid it out" or
negotiate with one
contractor?
Do you want a
fixed price or do
you want to be
flexible with a
"time and
materials"
approach?
This step can be
full of pitfalls
and we can help
identify some
concerns and
solutions.
- Construction.......Do
you
want/need
help
keeping
an
eye
on
the
contractor
(your
due
diligence)?
We
can
help as
you
need.
- Pick
only the services you need,
ala carte:
Again, we design our services
around what you need.
Pick from the steps described
above and we will help
determine your needs during
our initial meeting. Contact us for some help
and direction.
- More things to
consider:
- When should you
start planning your
dream home? Ideally,
allowing
approximately one year to
proceed through the above
steps in a non-hurried way
will, from a design
standpoint, produce a well
thought-out design.
It also allows you enough
time to think through the
different options and make
good decisions.
However, designs can and
have been produced in MUCH less
time. A few weeks
(and sometimes less) can
be all it takes to produce
drawings if you know what
you want and have taken
your design through the
Design Development (DD)
phase yourself. Contact
us and we
can help guide you through
each step.
- Do you want to
start dreaming and
planning that dream
house? We
can help you get started
and take it only as far as
you are ready.
- Do you have a
plan in mind, either your own
idea or a stock
plan? There
may be some copyright and
professional ethics
hurdles to overcome if the
design is someone else's
plan. But if it's
your design, then you can
have us refine your design
or just draft it for
you. Give
us
a
call
and we can help.
- Have you
completed the
Pre-Design, Schematic
Design and some of the
Design Development phase
on your own? No
problem! We
can help take it across
the finish line from
wherever you are in the
process.
- Unsure of what
kind/style of building
you want? We
can help but it may be
worth contacting a
licensed Architect.
Much like an artist,
helping you provide a
vision is an Architect's
forte. But you'll
also be paying artist
prices. See My Take on
this.
We can complete the full
design process with you,
retain an Architect as a
consultant or direct you
to an Architect that can
help. Contact us!
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Structural
Engineering Design Services: These
services are designed to provide a
structural design that is sound,
addresses potential problems and
concerns, is workable, and assures
a quality product.
- Residential
Properties:
Below are some of the types of
structural engineering services
typically provided.
- Gravity only
analysis and design.......design
of the roof support
system, floor support
system, and foundation
system for code imposed
snow, live and dead
loads. This can be
completed only when the
lateral force resisting
system meets a
"prescriptive"
design.
- Lateral only
analysis and design.......design
of the roof system, floor
system, wall system, and
foundation system for code
imposed wind and seismic
loads. This may
include items such as
shear walls, moment
frames, braced frames,
cantilevered columns, etc.
and can only be completed
when the gravity force
resisting system meets a
"prescriptive"
design.
- Full gravity and
lateral analysis and
design.......design
of the complete structure
from ridge to footing for
the code imposed gravity
and lateral loads.
- Isolated member
design.......design
of
specific members and/or
connections for the code
imposed gravity and
lateral loads.
Although this sounds very
limited it may require an
in-depth lateral and/or
gravity analysis just to
determine the loads on a
particular
member.
- Commercial
and Industrial Properties:
Chris has designed the
structural system of many
different types of
commercial (office, retail,
etc.) and industrial
buildings.
- We design your
commercial or industrial
building so you can sleep
well during the next
snowstorm, windstorm or
earthquake. Having
your building designed to
meet all the code imposed
loads and any special
loads will minimize the
chance of having problems
or having those annoying
"maintenance" issues in
the future.
- Protect your investment,
personnel and clients by
updating your existing
building to withstand the
next big earthquake with a
seismic upgrade or a
seismic retrofit.
- We've seen many problems
that are "built in" to the
structure. Let me
help you avoid some of the
same problems.
- Retaining
Walls and Miscellaneous
Structures:
Chris has designed many
types of retaining walls and
unusual structures.
- Retaining
walls.......all types of
materials.
- Have an unusual
structure? Let us
help you!
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Experience:
Currently Haffner
Consulting
Engineering is a one
person operation. Chris
received his Bachelor's degree in
Architectural
Engineering in 1984
from Kansas State University in
Manhattan Kansas.
After graduation
Chris worked for two different
engineering firms and designed a
wide variety of commercial,
industrial, public, and
institutional buildings in
addition to some miscellaneous
structures. In 1990 he
started his first engineering
practice with the help of Norton
& Schmidt Consulting
Engineers, Inc. and achieved an
even wider array of experience
working on residences, providing
special inspections, and providing
consulting services on both
commercial and residential
properties.
In 2001 Chris
decided to start his second
structural engineering practice
from scratch in the mid-Columbia
region of Oregon and Washington
(Hood River, The Dalles, White
Salmon, Goldendale). With
the wide array of experience he
brings to the area his clients
have and will continue to benefit
from the expertise he has acquired
throughout his career.
Types
of Projects
Chris' Resume
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top) |
