Paul Laudenschlager, P.E. has over 20 years in the planning, design and construction management of civil and structural engineering projects. Currently, he is owner of Alpen Engineering, Inc. a civil and structural engineering firm in Truckee, California. Paul holds a Masters degree in Civil Engineering from the University of California Berkeley. He is a registered Civil Engineer in California, Nevada and New Mexico.
Structural Engineering
His areas of significant experience and expertise include: Structural engineering of residential and commercial buildings, especially in heavy snow areas and high seismic areas including traditional timber frame (post & beam), straw bale, handcrafted log and milled log structures. Additional structural areas of expertise include design with conventional stud wall buildings, structural insulated panels (SIPSs), insulated concrete forms (ICF) using CEMPO, RASTRA, CONFORM and NUDURA systems and forensic engineering for structural failures. Current projects include straw bale construction, log, timber frame, ICF and conventional buildings. He has worked with many different agencies including building departments from in many jurisdictions in California and Nevada. Paul has engineered projects in high seismic zones such as Lyon County, NV; City of Vista, CA; Ventura County, CA, Mono County, CA; Mendocino County, CA; Sonoma County, CA; and Monterey County, CA.
Civil Engineering
Civil engineering areas of significant expertise and experience include: commercial and residential subdivisions; commercial and residential site engineering; roadway design including mountain roads, streets, highways, major arterial streets and freeways; hydrology, water sewer and storm drainage design; bike trail recreation projects, piers, and construction management and inspection. He also has experience with processing of projects through agencies with very demanding review processes including The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA); the Regional Water Quality Control Board, Lahontan Region; the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, The California State Lands Commission, The California Department of Fish and Game, CALTRANS, Placer County, CA and the Town of Truckee, CA. He has worked with several of utility purveyors including the Truckee Sanitary District, the North Tahoe Public Utilities District, Tahoe City Public Utilities District, the Truckee Donner Public Utilities District and the Placer County Water Agency.
Green Building
Paul is educated in green building methods and employs green building methods in his structural and civil projects. He is a Build it Green Certified Green Building Professional. His green building experience includes designing with Structural Insulated Panels (SIPS), Insulated concrete forms (ICF), Advanced (stick) Framing, staggered stud stick framed walls, green roofs and straw bale buildings.
General
Paul designs his projects electronically using the following software: AUTOCAD, AUTODESK LAND DEVELOPMENT PACKAGE (civil and survey design), HEC2 (hydraulic flood plain analysis), ENERCALC (structural engineering), VISUAL ANALYSIS (frame & truss analysis) and SIERRA STRUCTURAL (a custom structural design program).
Structural Project types
1. Structural engineering for new construction and addition projects for residential and light commercial buildings. Structural projects include numerous timber frame, log, Insulated Concrete Form (ICF), straw bale and advanced framing-staggered stud wall structures. Log structures include handcrafted and milled log buildings. Structural designs include SIPs, steel frames, concrete, ICF concrete and concrete block.
2. Forensic engineering investigations and reports for insurance companies and owners for structural failures and distress including snow and ice damage, frost heave, water damage and foundation settlement, inadequate construction. Projects include conventional and log structures.
3. Structural engineering and structural retrofits for residences and buildings damaged by vertical, lateral snow forces or by inadequate construction.
4. Retrofit engineering for projects requiring both minor and major structural repair.
Civil Project Types
1. Improvement plans for roadways, subdivisions, parcel maps and commercial sites.
2. Grading, drainage, road and site plans for difficult and large residential lots.
3. Water, sewer and storm drain utility design.
4. Hydrologic analysis and stream channel stabilization design
Professional Affiliations
Build it Green – Certified Green Building Professional
Sierra Green Building Association-member
Town of Truckee Green Building Committee member
Tahoe Truckee Engineers Association-board member
Timber Frame Business Council- Member
Timber Framers Guild-Member
Timber Frame Engineering Council-Member
American Society of Civil Engineers-Member
California Straw Building Association-Member