STRUCTURE Magazine recently ran a five-part series of articles summarizing significant structural code changes that the building industry will be seeing as jurisdictions begin adopting IBC 2021. Part 1 of the series explores code changes and their significance for the following Chapter 16 topics related to building loads:
• Construction Document Wind Zones
• Risk Categories of Assembly Spaces
• Load Combinations
• Dead Loads
• Snow Maps
• Soil-Caused Uplift
• Rain Loads

It is so important that we, as structural engineers, are staying up to date on these changes. You can find the article here on part 1 and join us in the following weeks as we share each of the updates provided in this series.

MC is currently seeking an Entry-Level and Experienced Structural Engineer to join our team.  The ideal candidate should possess a BSCE with an emphasis on structural design, good theoretical background, working knowledge of AutoCAD and Revit, and good oral and written communication skills. EIT Certification is desirable.  Knowledge of RAM, Staad, or Enercalc considered a plus.

Morabito Consultants, Inc. offers a competitive salary and a comprehensive benefits package including health, dental, life and disability insurance; profit sharing and 401K plans; and tuition assistance.

Prospective candidates should email [email protected] a copy of their resume, any sample work, and unofficial transcripts (for entry-level position) to be considered.

Morabito Consultants takes pride in the quality of our structural drawings for their code compliance, clarity, constructability, and coordination. Behind the scenes, MC uses AutoDesk Revit to manage all new and remediation construction details and standards. This allows quick and regular updating of details and notes for code changes, contractor design preferences, new industry standards, “lessons learned,” and general design improvement. Our dedicated design standards committee reviews proposed improvements on a weekly basis. The Revit template details contain colored “design notes” which point out important items our design engineers should consider when incorporating a detail into their project. Further, our Microsoft Teams engineering “wiki” is linked to our Revit template details for quick reference. This wiki allows our young engineers to efficiently self-learn from design standards developed over the nearly 40 years of MC experience. The wiki also serves as an important reference for young and senior engineers alike when starting a new project or needing a refresher on a design process or MC standard. Morabito Consultants believes that these design tools and processes significantly support our continual commitment to producing quality and consistent structural designs and drawings.

MC would like to wish our staff and colleagues a Happy International Women’s Day! 

We would like to take a second to recognize Ruth Gordon Schnapp, who is well known as the first woman, structural engineer. In 1950, she graduated from Stanford University with a degree in structural engineering and in 1959 became the first woman to receive a structural engineering license in the state of California. Ruth is just one of the many women that have helped pave the way for women to be accepted in engineering and we encourage everyone, in all fields, to join in on the commitment to #BreakTheBias

MC had the privilege of teaming up with Whiting Turner, Becker Morgan Group,  and Gipe Associates on the addition to Stephen Decatur Middle School in Worcester County, MD.  The 25,000 SF addition will house 12 new classrooms, four new science labs, along with meeting and storage areas.  This new wing will replace the nine portable trailers that are currently in use and is expected to be completed by the end of this year.  Check out this article by Ocean City Today to learn more about this month’s construction updates on this project.

MC would like to wish our staff and colleagues a Happy Engineers Week!  

Earlier this month, we had the privilege to be a sponsor for the Baltimore Museum of Industry (BMI) 2022 Wood Bridge Challenge. Local high school students competed to build the most “efficient” basswood and glue bridge to span a one-foot gap. The most efficient bridge is one that carries the most load, relative to its own weight (Load / Bridge Weight). The winning bridge weighed 3.2 Pounds and supported 110 pounds at failure! Our local schools have some excellent engineers in the making.

If you know of any aspiring engineers, BMI has other engineering challenges coming up for students in grades 1-12 which you can find on their website.  Help us build the future of engineering today! 

The BMI competition is just one local event of many across the country, and information on the rules and event history can be found here.  Check out this video if you’re interested in watching the event.

Morabito Consultants had the pleasure of working alongside Becker Morgan Group on what started as a feasibility study and turned into the new Showell Elementary School located in Berlin, MD.  The replacement school opened its doors to students in 2021 featuring rooms for art and music, a media center, gymnasium, and spaces for special education, reading, math, and technology education.  This project is LEED Silver Certified and was also awarded an AIA Chesapeake Bay Award and a Sustainable Design Award.  Check out this article from Coastal Style for more information on this project that focused on sustainability.

Learning By Design

Morabito Consultants is proud to be working with UniFIED Efforts in the development of their new youth center located in the Penn North neighborhood of downtown Baltimore.  UniFIED Efforts is a nonprofit organization with a commitment to reducing summer learning loss by providing various programs year-round for children at no cost to parents.  Here you can see a video of Tony Morabito and some of future students taking measurements of the existing building.  MC takes great pride in working alongside these students and we are excited to be involved in creating this safe space for the Baltimore community.  Hopefully we can inspire a few future engineers along the way!

Morabito Consultants has been fortunate to be an integral part of the design team selected by Brightview Senior Living for many of their Independent and Assisted Living Facilities throughout the east coast. To date, we have been the Structural Engineer of Record on more than 10 different communities! The communities are often comprised of wood framed Independent Living wings and light gauge and composite joist framed Assisted Living and Memory Care wings.

Some recently completed communities include Brightview Columbia, Brightview Grosvenor, and Brightview Fair Oaks. During the recent overhaul of our website, we added great new photos of these communities!  (Brightview Senior Living)

MC’s partnership with Brightview Senior Living remains strong to this day as we are currently in the design phase for three (3) more communities! It continues to be a pleasure to work with them and the phenomenal design teams on these stunning and impactful projects.