Our principal engineer is an active member of the Timber Framer’s Guild of North America and a founding member of the Timber Frame Engineering Council.  ERS offers our clients’ many different levels of timber frame consulting, and we have outlined a summary of those services here.

Timber Frame Design, Bid Administration & Structural Engineering

This is ERS’s preferred level of service since it requires one engineering firm to be responsible for the entire project.   ERS is contracted at the conception of the project as the “structural engineer of record”.  We can work directly with the client to provide the design for the entire project or we can work together with an architect to ensure that the design is on course for traditional raising and construction sequencing.  In both scenarios, we will design a traditionally timber framed structure for the project taking into account architectural aesthetics, budget, engineering requirements and the ability for the timber frame to be traditionally joined and raised.  Once the design is finalized, ERS will assist in securing a qualified timber frame manufacturer to craft the frame and the shop drawing process will begin.  Sealed structural construction documents provided to the Client by ERS will consist of a full set of engineered framing plans for both conventional and timber framed portions of the superstructure as well as an appropriately engineered foundation plan.  The timber frame company will be required to submit engineered shop drawings depicting all required joinery to assemble the frame.  ERS will provide joinery engineering for the frame but this is sometimes under a separate contract directly with the frame manufacturer. (See Frame Only Engineering below)

Full Service Structural Engineering

This level of service is similar to that described above in that ERS is contracted as “engineer of record” for the project but is not contracted for timber frame design or bid administration.  Information for the timber frame structure, designed and engineered by others, is supplied by the client to ERS.  We will review the proposed package for use as one component of the overall structural system recommending adjustments as necessary.  This level of service tends to be less efficient and more prone to error since responsibilities are divided among different parties.

Frame Only Engineering

Timber frame manufacturers are typically required to submit shop drawings sealed by a professional engineer.  ERS provides this engineering service directly to timber frame companies for this purpose.  In this case, ERS is contracted directly to the frame company and does not serve as engineer of record for the project.  All other engineering requirements for the structure must be provided by others.  We then work with the Engineer of Record to ensure that the frame is properly integrated into the project.