Background & Experience

Education:

Steven Neff, president of Structurally Framed, Inc. (SFI), has over 25 years of structural engineering experience which includes new design and investigative work. Steve’s education includes two Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degrees, one in Architectural Engineering and one in Civil Engineering at Drexel University, 1995 and a Master of Science (M.S.) degree in Civil Engineering with Emphasis in Structures at University of Colorado, Boulder, 1997.

Design:

After graduate school Steve worked primarily on new design of building structures for over ten years where he successfully analyzed, designed and managed small and large projects from conceptual design through construction. This work experience includes the following:

  • High-end custom homes in the mountains
  • Educational facilities
  • Recreational centers
  • Office buildings
  • Religious facilities
  • Football stadium expansion
  • Hospitals
  • Retail centers
  • Condominiums
  • Commercial buildings
  • Multi-story buildings up to 17-stories tall

Design experience includes all the major materials and structural systems. Whether it is timber, wood, masonry, concrete or steel, Steve has extensive experience with all of them. Some special design systems include the following:

  • Custom timber trusses
  • Long span steel trusses
  • Glass chinking log construction
  • Composite floors
  • One-way and two-way mild reinforced slabs
  • Convex radial two-way elevated slab
  • Post-tensioned slabs
  • Rooftop pool system
  • Floor-to-floor truss system for vibration control
  • Exterior cladding support connections for pre-stressed concrete panels

Steve’s high level of attention to detail and strong problem solving skills have allowed him to successfully manage and address complex structural issues during design and construction. It is this attention to detail and problem solving that further led Steve into the investigative work.

Investigations:

Prior to starting SFI, Steve focused on investigative work for over seven years which has afforded him opportunities to observe a large variety of structural problems. His investigative work generally involved observations, evaluation and recommendations for addressing various problems. Some of his investigative work includes the following:

  • Structural due diligence of buildings
  • Evaluations of existing conditions for parking garages and building structures
  • Worked on tenant finish occupancy changes for load changes and floor openings
  • Apartment building repairs
  • Structural review of existing gravity and lateral systems for structural retrofit repairs or improvements
  • Historic building masonry repair and foundation stabilization
  • Specifications for building foundation lifting
  • Post-tension floor analysis, review and testing of newly proposed slab core holes for tenant build-out changes
  • Investigation of roof tornado damage and provided roof truss repairs
  • Investigation of a roof truss collapse that occurred during construction
  • Investigation of structural fire damage
  • Swimming pool repairs
  • Performed expert witness forensic work on several large legal cases involving construction defects

In providing investigative services Steve worked closely with clients to help resolve structural issues, phase and/or modify repair work to help with budget constraints, develop plans for repairs and provide construction administration services during repairs. While focusing on investigative work, Steve developed a strong interest with construction defect legal cases where he worked on several legal cases prior to starting SFI.

Steve’s work on legal cases has allowed him to observe many different building issues, review other engineer’s designs for code compliance and potential design issues, observe implemented repairs and their performance, and provide legal reports for lawyers. The legal work has provided him the opportunity to observe engineering design from a different perspective and see firsthand what can go wrong with engineering and construction. Steve’s involvement on legal cases includes construction defects of single family residential homes and various multi-story structures.

Professional Association Involvement:

Steve’s strong interest in investigation and repair work has led him to be actively involved in the local Rocky Mountain Chapter of the International Concrete Repair Institute (ICRI). Steve has been a board member since 2011 where he worked his way up through the board of directors to chapter president in 2014. He is currently still on the ICRI Rocky Mountain Chapter board of directors for 2015 as the immediate past president.