Which types of structural framing systems and materials are most commonly used in the US for residences? For office buildings?
Wood framing and shear walls are very commonly used in US residences. This helps to create construction costs low and make the house lighter, thus not needing as much structural consideration due to it receiving less loads.
In office buildings, steel gravity systems are usually the most common in the US. In seismic areas, steel braced frames are likely used. Steel is preferred as it is strong and can last a long time, in addition to being able to support larger loads and building larger buildings.
How do you think design coordination was done before we started using digital models?
Before digital models, engineers and architects probably worked under the same roof and could walk to each others desk and ask questions. Also, engineers most likely understood the architecture side of design better and maybe even had a role in that phase, as roles were not as specialized back then. Now, we all work remotely from our own houses and specialize in specific fields and need to coordinate digitally because the overlap between engineers and architects is so little now.
Digital models are beneficial as an architect can create a model, which a structural engineer can then add onto to without having to create an entire new model. This saves a lot of time and helps to quicken the design process and introduce less error.
At what point in the project development process should design coordination start?
Coordination between architects, engineers, and other designers should ideally begin when design concepts are first being discussed. Coordination could be considered too early if MEP is being designed before a structural engineer sizes beams/columns or if too many design steps are being skipped, but it is always a good idea to begin communication on each phase as early as possible.