designing a church

huangyhg

designing a church
hi guys,
i am designing a 25,000 sq. ft. church in california (lancaster, los angeles), the roof is going to be wood truss so i have no problem with that  (as far as the design 鈥?.

please follow the link below which will lead you to a pdf file including some floor plans, elevations and sections of this project.
hmmmm....your questions make me very nervous, especially for such an important structure.  find someone experienced near you and work under them.
i think scottie... has some valid concerns in particular with high human occupancy... perhaps considered as an act of god?...
regarding your questions, i'm speaking from an engineering focus and not requirements of your jurisdiction.
the roof truss system can be designed as a diaphragm transferring loads seismic, dead and live to the side walls.
the side walls can be constructed using wood stud and sheathing, etc. or as masonry (if permitted).  if masonry is used a portion of the wall can have a diaphragm with the balance of the masonry being isolated so that it doesn't form part of the main resisting seismic structure.
as far as the tower is concerned, this can be tied into the roof and any intermediate floors and can be constructed as a wood/masonry diaphragm, putting loads into the roof and intermediate floors.  you may want to talk the owner out of too large or imposing tower... they tend to be located near exits and given a seismic event, this could trap/crush parishoners.
dik
i must say that scottie and dik are right on target. this is a serious structure and considering the intended use, well, i would seriously consider asking for help from a more senior engineer.
eom
regards,
lutfi
i'd suggest for one thing that you make sure you are complying with engineering licensing laws in ca (and, for that matter, architecture laws).  if you're unlicensed, or just not that familiar with building design, find someone that is.  that should help, not only in getting things done right, but avoids reinventing the wheel, exploring options that ultimately have to be rejected, deciphering the building codes, etc.  even if you're licensed to do the work in general, there's no reason not to get imput or a review from an engineer more experienced with this design, even if you do some or most of it.
i tend not to get into issues regarding licensing laws... professional integrity should preclude this.  the old adage, "if you have a pr department, then, you're doing something wrong."  best to point out some of the issues...
unfortunately, people who are not licensed or seeking licensing tend to be unfamiliar with the licensing laws as well, which is why i bring the subject up.
i've seen several disciplinary cases through the years involving church design.  churches often have limited finances and willing volunteers, and that can lead to problems in engineering and architecture.
hi guys,
thanks for your comments (specially dik), i am pe but as i mentioned before i haven't done this kind of projects,... so please lets talk about engineering issues and comments.
thanks again.
u2k6
in that case, i'd refer you to the earlier posts, about linking up with someone who can advise you face-to-face ... the issues you want to discuss are so fundamental (and general) that i don't think they can be reasonably discussed in a free forum.  when it comes to designing a biulding, i'd have thought that the codes define everything that you need and probably much more so (so you need some knowledge, or someone with knowledge, to help you with your design).
i appreciate that you are a pe (you say so, good enough) and i suspect that you're helping out some friends.  as a pe would you sign for something unless you know it's right ?  as a pe, i think you've a greater burden of responsibility that someone who isn't.
anyways, good luck
our firm design residential and light commercial buildings.  there is no way we would bid on a 10 stories building because we dont have the experience.  yes, we probably can design it, but the learning curve will proabably make the project not very profitable.  
anyway, it looks like the glass frame isnt supporting any roof load (unless you have ridge/valley beam land on the header, i hope not).  so all you have is a little weight from the lookout.  just have to look at lateral pressure from wind i think.  
whether a structure is 1 story or 5, structural principles remain the same.  start with gravity element design from the unsupported element and trace the load down all the way to the foundation.  once you have a gravity system, layout and design the lateral elements starting from the roof diaphragm all the way down to the foundation designing all elements/connections along the way.
the solution is in the "details".  hook up with an engineer who has done this type of structure before and get some ideas as to standard details that may be appropriate for structure of this type.
if i were doing this project, i would select a bearing+shear wall system using concrete blocks, steel interior columns and beams where needed and a plywood diaphragm.  there may be other ways to disect a cat.