It All Started Across the Street

This story begins in 2016. Hamilton was taking Broadway by storm, Superheroes were dominating the box office, Pokémon Go encouraged everyone to be outside, and me? I was wrapping up my college studies and transitioning into my career as an engineer. I had spent the last three years working and volunteering at Santa Ana Library, mentoring local students. Even though I was looking towards my own future, I knew I wasn’t ready to step away from serving my local community.

A conversation with my boss at the Library pointed me toward Thrive Santa Ana, a local nonprofit located across the street, which was spearheading an initiative to reclaim public land for community use through a Community Land Trust model.

Community Land Trusts, which emerged as a form of community development in the late 1960s in Georgia, were instrumental during the Civil Rights Movement. Local Black farmers sought to assist African American families in securing access to land. By working the land cooperatively, these families enhanced their economic security and supported their multi-family communities.

Santa Ana has long struggled with outside businesses coming in, profiting from the people of Santa Ana, and sending those dollars back to the surrounding Orange County cities. Rallies were held, asking for “community lands in community hands.”

Thrive’s idea was ambitious: convert underutilized public land into a community farm and marketplace, operated by and for the residents of Santa Ana. When I heard their vision, I knew I had to be part of it. Their approach resonated with me, both as an engineer and as a resident invested in Santa Ana’s future.

Engineering Meets Grassroots

From the start, this project required a collaborative, multidisciplinary approach. I served as a connector between Thrive and key industry partners.

By this point, I had started working at KPFF. I reached out to my colleagues in our civil department, who were more than willing to help. They reviewed the schematic design and helped me put together a list of deliverables THRIVE would need from the civil engineer they planned to hire. Along the way, I learned about the importance of a Water Quality Report (WQR), something the City of Santa Ana’s Planning and Building Department would expect. Thanks to Ali Khamsi and his team’s experience working with the City, they knew exactly how to navigate the requirements and set the project up for success.

I also leaned on the support of our structural reporting center managers, who helped me understand that when shipping containers are repurposed for public use, they require foundations and some limitations on new openings in the containers. Bill Thorpe, who shares a strong commitment to civic engagement through his work with local school foundations, was a great advocate for the project. He understood that a community project like this couldn’t be approached with a typical “sticker price” mindset. With that in mind, I eventually pushed to formalize our involvement with a proposal.

Next, I connected Thrive with several architects I had built relationships with during my time at KPFF, and I even promoted the project on LinkedIn to help them find the right consultants. Thrive invited me to sit in on the interviews, since navigating the consultant selection process was new territory for them as well. In the end, they chose to collaborate with City Fabrick, a nonprofit organization based in Long Beach.

Throughout this process, Thrive recognized the value I brought to the project, not just as an engineer, but as a passionate advocate and a resource familiar with the city. They wanted to continue working with me, and asked City Fabrick to partner with KPFF as their structural consultant. From there, Thrive assembled an incredible team to bring the project to life:

• City Fabrick for architecture
• Ardurra as civil engineers
• All American Construction Solutions as the contractor

Our design centered around using shipping containers as the primary structures. This approach was eco-friendly, modular, and cost-effective. It also presented valuable learning opportunities such as designing foundation pad footings to distribute the loads between containers. We also structurally “stitched” together the containers so, in case of an earthquake, the containers would move in unison rather than colliding against each other. To complement the design, Bill Thorpe and I designed a cost-effective wooden walkway to connect the containers and other structures across the site.

While the City provided the land under a 99-year lease, the funding was secured through grassroots fundraising and grants.

Designed by the Community, for the Community

Thrive made it a priority to keep Santa Ana residents and future vendors at the center of the process. In fact, the idea for the farm came directly from the community itself. Early on, as part of the city’s Sunshine Ordinance, which requires residents near planned construction sites to be notified, we went door-to-door to share the land-use plans. During those conversations, residents shared a common desire: they wanted spaces where they could gather, learn, and cultivate healthy food.

It’s not uncommon in Santa Ana for households to contain entire extended families. The crowded environment creates a strong desire to build something of your own. Additionally, many of Santa Ana’s residents work in the hospitality industry across neighboring cities, often relying on full buses each morning to get to work. Having a community space close to home meant more than just convenience. It represented belonging. Even before construction officially began, Thrive hosted community events on the graded land to build awareness for the project, making sure the vision remained truly community-led from the start.

Pandemics, Lead, and Plan Checks (Oh My!)

No great project comes without hurdles. Between the COVID-19 pandemic, plan check rounds, and the discovery of lead contamination in the soil, delays in the project were inevitable. But through City Council meetings, community advocacy, and lots of late-night emails, we kept the project moving forward.

My involvement extended beyond engineering; I frequently attended City Council meetings, advocating for the project’s community-driven mission and sharing insights on soil unpredictability to reinforce the need for flexibility in timelines. It was my own passion for the project that guided me to fight for the space Santa Ana deserved.

The City closely monitored the project, as the lease agreement for the land required regular reporting and accountability. Branded as “Santa Ana’s First Community Land Trust Project,” Thrive understood the significance of setting a strong precedent. Their hope was that this success would encourage the city to continue investing in its residents by repurposing some of the ninety-plus vacant lots scattered throughout the city. The goal was to demonstrate that even at a micro-farm scale, these small plots of land could become vibrant community assets.

As the plan for the farm developed, it became clear that we needed to collaborate with the OC Health Department, as the City intended to serve food from the containers. After clearing those final obstacles and receiving project approval, the real magic began to happen.

Construction Meets Community

Thrive made sure the inhabitants—local residents and vendors—were always part of the process. After we craned in the shipping containers and framed out entrances on them, we invited the community to help us with painting murals on the containers. We planted seeds together: both literally in the soil and metaphorically in the heart of the community.

My favorite moment though? Inviting students from Valley High School (as part of the ACE Mentorship Program) to the site. They toured the farm, learned about Community Land Trusts, and saw firsthand how engineering and architecture can shape communities. Fortuitously, the OC/LA ACE program is focusing on Community Land Trusts for their 2024-2025 All-Schools Student Presentations. Although still in development, I recently heard the students brainstorming ideas for food cultivation, which warms my heart.

The Grand Opening

The grand opening was a celebration of culture. The ceremony featured indigenous dances honoring and celebrating that soil is a living organism. Local vendors sold artisan crafts. There was free food for visitors and coffee tastings to promote the coffee shop container. Lines wrapped around the entrance. I invited City Council members, who showed up and witnessed firsthand what I had known from the beginning: Santa Ana wants more spaces like this.

Leaving a Legacy

With the land secured under a 99-year lease, this hopefully means the farm will thrive long after I’m gone. Knowing I played a role in creating something that will benefit generations to come is profoundly meaningful. Seeing young gardeners already working the land means I’m leaving something in the world that will have generational benefits. It’s why I do what I do.

I’m excited to see how this farm sparks more opportunities for community spaces in Santa Ana and beyond. By demonstrating the success of this model, I hope it inspires additional projects that blend engineering with community engagement.

As Lin-Manuel Miranda says in Hamilton, a legacy is “planting seeds in a garden you’ll never get to see.” Well, I’m glad I got to see this one flourish.

Photos by Felipe Ramirez, and courtesy Erik Sanchez and Thrive

The post Built to Belong: The Story of Santa Ana’s First Land Trust Farm appeared first on KPFF Greater Los Angeles Structural.

GRIFFITH PARK

In the late 1800s, wealthy landowner and bachelor Don Antonio Feliz contracted a deadly case of smallpox. When his niece Petranilla discovered she was left out of the will, rumor has it she put a curse on the land her family had owned for generations. All subsequent owners have met untimely deaths or misfortune, including Griffith J. Griffith, who sold the land to the City before going to prison for shooting his wife. The ghost of Petranilla is said to haunt the Feliz Adobe at Crystal Springs, staring out the window at night.

KPFF LA holds our annual summer party at Crystal Springs. While we have yet to encounter Petranilla, a Pokemon piñata did suffer an untimely demise this year. Additionally, KPFF LA has provided civil engineering services to the LA Zoo, located in the heart of Griffith Park.

HOLLYWOOD ROOSEVELT HOTEL

KPFF LA provided structural engineering services for the existing stair #6 and lowered landing demolition, a new raised stair and landing connected to the Upper Ground Floor level. We hope the ghost of Marilyn Monroe appreciates this new staircase to help her revisit her old stomping grounds.

COLORADO STREET BRIDGE

The hauntingly beautiful Colorado Street Bridge in Pasadena was completed in 1913, claimed its first life in 1919, and has been the backdrop to a string of untimely deaths ever since. KPFF LA provided peer review services for the structural support and anchorage of a proposed new perimeter iron fence to increase bridge safety.

Additionally, we have been a trusted advisor to the City for years, including serving as the on-call structural engineer since 2018. As part of our on-call contract, KPFF provided a structural engineering evaluation of the Pasadena Central Library, an Unreinforced Masonry (URM) building initially constructed in 1925. URM buildings are known to be collapse prone during earthquakes, requiring seismic strengthening to meet life safety standards. The City plans to rehabilitate and retrofit the Library so the historic building can safely reopen in time for its centennial celebration.

ELSEWHERE IN TOWN

We’ve also helped build some other scary haunts in town, but we’ve been sworn to secrecy for those, so we’ll take those details to our graves.

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The age of the construction inherently presents a lateral resisting system (consisting of perimeter concrete walls at the basement and concrete frames above grade) that lacks adequate detailing for a ductile seismic response. Preliminary retrofit schemes, developed by another firm, incorporated conventional strengthening approaches, including the addition of exterior braced frames or moment frames. The initial project scope as envisioned by UCLA was the selection and implementation of one of the preliminary schemes. Recognizing that such a retrofit would have significantly impacted the architectural nature of the building, as well as presenting significant cost, construction duration, and disruption to ongoing research within the building, the project team explored potential retrofit alternatives that would work in concert with the existing architecture and alleviate negative impacts.

The prominent façade consists of tightly spaced, uniquely profiled concrete beams and columns that support the gravity load from the exterior structural bays. The primary deficiency identified in prior seismic evaluations was an apparent shear failure at the beam/column joints, colloquially referred to as the “fin column” and “ledge beam” system, initiating at extremely low drift ratios on the order of 0.1% to 0.25%. Recognizing that this conclusion was based on existing ASCE 41-13 component models that were developed for conventional concrete frames with larger dimensions and spans than those occurring in this building, we hypothesized that the inherent redundancy from the numerous columns and the potential for load sharing between the ledge beams and the interior waffle slab floor system would significantly enhance the ductility of the system, and accommodate drift ratios on the order of 1% or more at the collapse prevention performance objective. As the specific details could not be precisely modeled with existing ASCE 41 guidelines, and a literature search did not reveal any prior research into similar structural systems, our team identified the “knowledge gap” between the analytical models and the intuition, and conceived of a component testing program to test this hypothesis and develop a better model of the seismic response of the façade structural system, thereby bridging the knowledge gap and supporting the development of a more elegant seismic retrofit solution.

The component testing program was developed in collaboration with Dr. John Wallace at UCLA, and consisted of the construction and testing of 2/3 scale component models to explicitly determine the deformation capacity of the façade structure. The specimen was designed by Dr. Wallace, and PhD Candidate Ellie Moore with the UCLA Civil and Environmental Engineering Structural Design and Testing Laboratory, and constructed by PCL Construction’s Special Projects Group. The test specimen was based on a location at the base of the tower where fixity imposed by the large transfer girder resulted in the highest deformation demands on the system. The final test specimen included five columns, extended vertically for one and a half stories and included one-half of an interior floor framing bay. Inclusion of the interior bay was critical to impose the appropriate rotational restraint on the columns for out-of-plane deformations, and to simulate the load sharing between the ledge beams and the waffle slab gravity framing. Gravity and overturning axial demands were applied to the columns by a system of actuators while biaxial lateral deformations were imposed on the specimen. A figure-eight displacement pattern was utilized, with increasing displacement amplitudes applied on each cycle. The tests were conceived to be conducted until a loss in axial capacity was realized in the columns, however the tests were eventually limited by the lateral displacement limitations of the actuators and no loss of vertical capacity was observed in the testing.

Upon completion of the testing program, the instrument data was used to develop hysteresis loops that were further distilled into a backbone curves for the façade components. The resulting data successfully bridged the “knowledge gap” by showing a nearly tenfold increase in allowable deformation at the Life- Safety and Collapse-Prevention performance objectives. Preliminary 3-dimensional nonlinear analytical models were refined through incorporation of the experimentally derived backbone curves. Analysis was performed with Perform3D software using the nonlinear dynamic procedure in ASCE 41-.-13. GeoPentech conducted a site-specific seismic hazard analysis to obtain seven pairs of ground motion records representing a uniform hazard spectra for 225 year (20% in 50 years), 475 year (10% in 50 years), 975 year (5% in 50 years), and 2475 year (2% in 50 years) return-period earthquakes.

The nonlinear analysis demonstrated that the addition of supplemental damping was an effective means to reduce interstory drift to the order of 1% to 2% at the 475 year and 2475 year return-period earthquakes representing the BSE-1N and BSE-2N hazard levels. As these drift levels were comfortably under the Life Safety and Collapse Prevention limits derived from the experimental results, the retrofit objective was set at achieving a SPL III rating under the UC Seismic Safety Policy through the introduction of supplemental damping. Analysis also demonstrated that a limited number of interior columns required the addition of confining FRP wraps to meet the required ductility demands.

The damping system developed for the project utilized fluid viscous damper devices installed in-line with steel drivers placed on primary grids between beam and column joints. Analysis demonstrated that the addition of four damper devices per floor from grade to Level 6 effectively limited the building drifts sufficiently to meet the SPL III rating objective. At the lower levels, dampers were implemented in discrete locations at the building perimeter, while dampers on the upper stories were located on interior grid lines and incorporated into a full interior remodel designed by CO Architects. Meticulous attention was given to details that subtly reveal the presence of the dampers while seamlessly integrated into the building architecture. Most notably, the exterior braces were connected to the structure using a discrete, bespoke picture frame gusset plate conceived by CO Architects, demonstrating their high level of attention to design details. The remodel also included opening the original lobby into a two-story space by removing a portion of the mezzanine level. The overall retrofit scheme was designed to minimize the impact on the exterior and historical aspects of the building, and preserving maximum usable space in the interior.

Our collaboration with Rudolph and Sletten, the general contractor, included an early procurement package for the viscous damping devices, which were manufactured by Taylor Devices. The project team understood that the lead time for the dampers, estimated at six months, was a critical path that needed to be addressed as soon as the testing phase was complete. Additionally, the retrofit scheme minimized the number of attachment points to the structure in order to reduce vibrations that could disrupt ongoing research within the basement levels which would remain occupied. Extensive preconstruction investigations helped ensure that unforeseen conditions were minimized and the high level of attention on detailing and the commitment from all of the team members to deliver a great final product resulted in smooth construction and installation.

The preservation of this architectural gem is inherently the most sustainable outcome for the UCLA campus. The ability to continue using an existing building significantly reduces the use of new materials, waste from demolition, and develops a sense of place for the students on campus. The retrofit scheme required only 20 new bracing elements which minimized the introduction of new materials and the carbon emissions associated with the manufacture and transport of major structural elements, and particularly with the introduction of new concrete. In addition to preserving a part of the campus culture, the cost savings and construction schedule improvements demonstrate that this retrofit scheme successfully integrated new research, nonlinear analysis and viscous damping technologies to provide another 50 years of service for this campus landmark.

The post UCLA Pritzker Hall Seismic RenovationExcellence in Structural Engineering SEAOSC 2021 Award appeared first on KPFF Greater Los Angeles Structural.

In March 2018, MSJC purchased this 350,000-SF facility in Temecula to expand their facilities rapidly, rather than starting from a greenfield site. An additional building will be constructed around the existing structures. When all phases are complete, the campus will provide classrooms, science labs, and computer classrooms to students focused on careers in STEM. Amenities will also include a learning resource center, career center, library, health center, veterans center, bookstore, café, art studio and campus safety office. It will serve as a center for student life and services including enrollment, transfer office, counseling, and financial aid. MSJC provides access to higher education for residents of the Southwest Riverside County and serves about 27,000 students in a district covering 1,700 square miles from the San Gorgonio Pass to Temecula. Campus locations include San Jacinto, Menifee, Banning and now Temecula.

The challenge presented to our team was bringing office buildings, traditionally designed for life safety, up to the same demanding seismic standards for educational facilities required by the Field Act and subsequent code changes and Senate Bills, which are overseen by DSA. KPFF was brought to provide both structural and civil engineering services because of our intimate knowledge of the design of these particular buildings. The upgrades were not limited to the seismic retrofit, but also included renovation of the interiors at select locations. However, both MSJC and the architect, 19Six, wanted to re-use as much of the original building as possible to keep the project both economical and sustainable.

When we began to review the compliance issues for the structural upgrade, we started with an initial evaluation that was based on a traditional code-base prescriptive approach. This revealed the need for significant foundation strengthening that would be achieved by adding numerous micro piles. In essence, the building needed to be pinned down at the foundation to satisfy prescriptive uplift requirements. The construction effort behind adding micro piles would have involved the demolition or temporary removal of some very costly architectural and MEP components. In a code-base prescriptive approach we are limited in how we can address deficiencies. Therefore, to meet the goals of our client, we proposed a slightly radical approach for DSA buildings. Using advanced analysis techniques in a performance-based design framework, we could justify a more delicate retrofit approach by capturing the explicit and realistic seismic movement that already occurs without micro piles. With this model we could demonstrate the effects of a more subtle retrofit. Our design was peer reviewed by UCLA faculty members Dr. John Wallace and Dr. Sofia Gavridou. DSA has been very responsive, and helpful in our effort to utilize performance-based design. This will be the first project under their jurisdiction to be retrofitted using this advanced analysis technique.

For nonstructural components of the seismic upgrade, we conducted a comprehensive evaluation of existing parts to justify the adequacy of attachment and seismic bracing of elements like façades, ceilings, partitions, overhead utilities, as well as others. The level of complexity of this undertaking is more intricate because of the stringent guidelines DSA follow. For this effort, we developed an exploratory demolition program for components that were not visibly accessible as well as a testing program to investigate existing attachment and bracing systems for selected nonstructural components including ceilings, overhead utilities and MEP equipment.

The post Mt. San Jacinto College Temecula Campus ExpansionAn Ambitious Project to Expand MSJC into a New Campus Brings Exciting Retrofit Possibilities to the DSA World appeared first on KPFF Greater Los Angeles Structural.

The original building was a mostly open one-story space plus a mezzanine. The exterior wall construction consisted primarily of precast concrete tilt-up panels with a plywood roof diaphragm supported by wood joists which spanned to open-web steel joists and girders. The building topped out at 30’ tall and the first floor was approximately 114,000 SF, while the mezzanine added another 33,000 SF to the usable square footage. There were significant MEP upgrades to accommodate the demands of the new laboratory program and necessary improvements to keep testers safe while handling samples and working in an indoor environment during social distancing mandates. The increased HVAC capacity meant studying to the roof to ascertain if the structure could handle the additional load. This presented an engineering and construction challenge, considering the time constraints.

This project was delivered with extraordinary speed using a highly collaborative approach and Design-Build Delivery with Hensel Phelps and SmithGroup. This delivery method was chosen because of the urgency in rapidly delivering the beneficial occupancy. It took a high level of collaboration and trust between all of the design and construction partners to achieve this remarkable turnaround. The entire team pulled together to deliver a great project and maintain excellent service in a compressed timeframe.

Some key time stamps are as follows:

• Authorization – August 24th
• Mobilization – August 22nd (yes, prior to Authorization)
• Demolition Start – August 24th
• Beneficial Occupancy – October 19
• Construction work schedule – Typically seven days a week (including Labor Day weekend), three shifts per day, overlapping schedules to transfer information and status to the next shift.

Special recognition goes to our own Ben Ferrero in the structural engineering office of KPFF in Los Angeles. His dedication to support the construction activities went above and beyond. His off-hour availability, immediate responses, sending emails with sketches and direction were clutch to keep the construction team in the field moving forward. He worked tirelessly through the week, including sending materials out late on Fridays because work was happening Saturday and Sunday.

I appreciate working on these projects: complex program, excellent Design-Build partners, demanding schedule. It reflects our dedication to projects and the trust we have built with our clients. But more so because they provide a critical service to the public.

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OWNER’S VISION

The General Services Administration (GSA) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) sought to consolidate the operations of the FBI previously located throughout the island to a state-of-the-art new facility located on federally owned property in Hato Rey-San Juan. A LEED Gold and Design-Excellence project, this 171,000-gsf facility includes a five-story office tower and a 16,500-gsf service and technology Annex within a secure six-acre site. The project also afforded an opportunity to incorporate artwork into the building design and federal campus as part of the GSA’s Art in Architecture program.

RELATIONSHIPS AND INTEGRATED SERVICES

The SJFO opportunity was built on our partnership with Wight & Company Architecture (formerly Lohan Anderson) and Walsh Construction on previous design-build Federal Office Buildings in Norfolk, VA (2013) and Sacramento, CA (2017). The project was another opportunity to support the talented GSA and FBI team of professionals to help create a new federal facility critical to U.S. law enforcement missions. It was also an opportunity to flex our integrated services muscle by providing both structural engineering and protective design services. We were able to inject expertise and depth of talent from across multiple offices to solve technical challenges and provide the leadership needed to deliver a successful project. KPFF’s New York office led the structural design effort with the Los Angeles Structural office and Protective Design Group, based in San Francisco, providing blast and protective engineering design.

HURRICANES AND EARTHQUAKES

During September of 2017, Hurricanes Irma and Maria devastated the island causing widespread damage and an enormous disaster recovery effort by local agencies, FEMA, the U.S. Federal Government, and the people of Puerto Rico. Site work and foundation construction was underway when Maria hit with recorded 150+ mph winds, resulting in damage to construction trailers and temporary site elements. Walsh and GSA were able to implement repairs quickly and to keep the project going which was important in providing continuity of work for many in the local construction trades workforce in the midst of the tragic natural disaster.

In January 2020, the strongest earthquake since 1918 struck Puerto Rico with the epicenter located just off the southwestern coastline, approximately 100 miles from the new field office. The magnitude 6.4 event produced moderate ground shaking (MMI V) and peak ground accelerations of around 0.05g registered near the project site. No damage to the new facility was reported.

BEYOND NATURAL HAZARDS – MANMADE THREATS

KPFF designed the facility to resist environmental load effects due to earthquakes and hurricane winds, including large missile impact due to wind-borne debris. In addition to consideration of these natural hazards, the facility was designed to meet Interagency Security Committee (ISC) criteria for Facility Security Level (FSL) IV to mitigate risks associated with acts of terrorism and crime. KPFF collaborated with Wight, Walsh and FBI security stakeholders to perform a threat and vulnerability assessment related to vehicle ramming; the result was design and integration of unique, site-adapted elements into the secure perimeter barrier system. Applying nonlinear, dynamic analysis techniques, KPFF utilized performance-based-design to engineer the building’s primary frame, exterior facades, and utility protective elements to resist blast loading due to stationary unscreened and screened vehicle-borne IEDs and other explosive threats. The office building was hardened to resist progressive collapse in accordance with GSA criteria. The hurricane- and blast-resistant façade features architectural precast panels constructed with white Portland cement and integral aluminum sunshade systems.

The post San Juan Field Office (SJFO) FBI Federal Building, Puerto Rico: An Inter-disciplinary and Inter-office Model in Project Delivery Excellence appeared first on KPFF Greater Los Angeles Structural.

The California State University Los Angeles Student Housing East (CSULA SHE) will be a new student housing facility, expanding dormitory capacity to accommodate approximately 1,500 additional students on campus. This transformative complex will offer traditional double and triple residence units for freshman and sophomore housing. The roughly 1,500 bed residence will include many amenities and gathering spaces such as: a fitness center, lounges, wellness room, laundry facilities, advanced vending machines, a kitchen, collaborative and independent study rooms, administrative spaces, and community and multi-purpose rooms. The project will also feature a new dining facility of approximately 20,000 square feet that will incorporate both a new and existing student housing dining program.

Additionally, this construction effort will include some enhancements on the site that will improve circulation between these dorms and the campus core. The most exciting element is a new 112 foot long pedestrian bridge and 80 foot tall stair/elevator tower to provide quick and easy access for students traveling to and from the housing complex, especially those with disabilities, as the site of the new center is significantly lower in elevation than the main campus.

While we look forward to the opening of this impactful project, the CSULA SHE building is still under construction. As of writing, the enclosure is fully complete except for some windows strategically left open for ease of construction. The elevator cores are nearing completion, and all floors have their basic structures built out. The interiors are being painted as quickly as the framers are finishing interior partitions. Other finishes, such as carpets, tiles and doors, are also being installed signaling the final stages before completion.

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True Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) construction projects are rare and require an exceptional team to deliver the rigorous demands of a collaborative team that utilizes lean methodology to maximize operational efficiencies while working under a multi-party risk/reward contract. It takes an extraordinary building to inspire such a team, led by efforts from the Caltech ownership team, to create a new typology of on-campus living.

The 211-bed Bechtel Residence, named after life trustee Stephen D. Bechtel Jr., kicked off in 2016 and was officially opened September 17, 2019, as the first new undergraduate housing facility to open on campus in over 20 years. Caltech approached the program with the goal to provide housing for all of their undergraduate students on campus for the duration of their studies. This multiuse residence houses undergraduates from all class levels along with two faculty in residence, a half-dozen graduate resident associates, and a residential life coordinator. This new construction frees up off campus space for graduate student housing, enhancing student life both on and off campus.

The IPD delivery included a Tri-Party agreement between Caltech and our construction and design partners MATT Construction and ZGF Architects. KPFF was part of the Risk/Reward Team under the architect’s prime IPD agreement and participated in the Incentive Compensation Layer (ICL) of the contract. The design and construction team depended on trust and financial transparency of each team member as individual profit for each team member depended on the overall performance by the team to meet the Final Target Cost at the construction completion of the project. This agreement kept the team focus on clear communication and collective problem solving in a supportive environment to achieve the required milestones. The design of the new residence encourages and enhances the collaboration and communal housing culture already on campus, while simultaneously offering residents new types of dormitory spaces intended for maximizing the collective experience.

The six distinct buildings that make up the compound are all three-story structures surrounding a protected courtyard that acts as an outdoor living room. Influence by the landscape of the Pasadena area, the 105,000 SF buildings work seamlessly together to respond to site conditions, bring variability and visual interest from any vantage point. Student bedrooms are organized into suites of four to 12 with shared facilities such as restrooms and living spaces. Like many luxury multifamily complexes built today, there are a variety of amenity and community spaces including kitchens, lounges, conference rooms and study areas of different sizes. A beautifully appointed dining facility provides a sense of community, and an anchor for the residences.

This LEED Platinum® building has been designed to achieve net-zero energy, utilizing sophisticated and cutting-edge sustainability solutions that were seamlessly integrated into the design. The building is fully powered by a series of hidden rooftop photovoltaic panels. By maximizing clever systems, such as siting of buildings, an open courtyard, material choices and thermal lag in the structure itself, the design team minimized solar heat gain, and coupled with the use of active chilled beams for interior climate control, the energy needs of the building have been significantly reduced. Water is problematic in arid Southern California, and so the building was designed to be net-zero water-ready. Piping and water reuse systems are built in for future needs, should water shortages become a significant issue.

The structure of the residential buildings consisted of a concrete shear wall building with a conventional reinforced concrete flat slab system supported by concrete columns. The concrete walls, columns, and slabs remained primarily exposed in the building and were architecturally featured and highlighted as part of the aesthetic intent for the building. Concrete construction was selected to meet not only for the durability goals of the building but also to contribute to the sustainability goals of the project. Since the production of cement is responsible for approximately 5% of the carbon dioxide emissions worldwide, some of the concrete mixes for the concrete elements on this project used fly ash as a replacement for the cement content in concrete. Fly ash is recycled product primarily collected from the bi-product that is produced by coal-fired and steam generating plants, and is estimated that for each pound of fly ash used instead of cement, one pound of carbon dioxide emissions can be saved.

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In this segment, we will focus on one such street and community: Crenshaw Boulevard. It is, perhaps, not as glamorous as its cousins Hollywood Boulevard and Sunset Boulevard but known to many Angelenos as the cultural and commercial hub of the African American community in Los Angeles. More specifically our focus is on the birth and development of Destination Crenshaw, a 1.3-mile-long outdoor art and cultural corridor. Destination Crenshaw is the first project of its kind in Los Angeles using an iconic street as an anchor for public art and streetscape design. It was an idea that was born in response to LA Metro building LAX Crenshaw rail line at grade instead of underground, and championed by councilman Marquees Harris-Dawson, Council District 8. LA Metro’s decision to build at grade could have negatively impacted the local businesses along the corridor but the community showed resiliency in creating an opportunity from a threat.

The outdoor museum project will have community gathering spaces for recreation and relaxation including an amphitheater, 2.6-miles of paved sidewalks with custom pavers, decorative lighting, pocket parks, parklets, and hundreds of new trees. The pocket parks and parklets are adaptive re-use of existing parking lots with artwork installations. Designed by Perkins + Will and Studio-MLA, the project purposes to restore and highlight the unique contributions of African Americans to life in Los Angeles.
The project includes three major iconic structures. the first one is a 120-ft tall structure that reads Crenshaw on all its sides, a beacon that will be appreciated from several places around the City. Destination Crenshaw also incorporates an existing landmark ‘Wall of Crenshaw’, an 800-foot-long mural featuring artwork by well-known African Americans from the community. The mural on the wall covers several generations and intended to be preserved for future generations. Lastly, the crown jewel of the project is a piece called “Sankofa Park,” an elevated concrete observation deck which offers views of the corridor and the City, including Downtown Los Angeles.

Currently in design and permitting phase, the creation of Destination Crenshaw project will be an important feature along LA Metro’s LAX-Crenshaw rail system as it connects LAX to Exposition Line (thereby connecting to Downtown Los Angeles in the east, and Santa Monica in the west). The project is aimed to benefit not just the local community but also offer a peek into the past, present and future of this prominent African American community to the passengers of the rail line as they traverse through the corridor.

LA Civil and LA Structural are providing civil engineering and structural engineering services for the project. Since our involvement on the project in early 2018, Destination Crenshaw, has presented and continues to present opportunities for creating relationships with key bureaus of the City of Los Angeles Public Works Department, LA Metro, Council District 8 and the LA Mayor’s Department of Transportation. As the technical engineering lead, KPFF is working closely with the team by addressing important design and permitting issues with active participation in project development meetings including strategies for a seamless transition between Destination Crenshaw and LAX-Crenshaw projects as they overlap re-construction of the street infrastructure.

Construction on Destination Crenshaw is expected to begin in early 2020 with a goal to open it to the public along the opening of the LAX-Crenshaw line.

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St. Petersburg Pier has a long history in the City of Tampa Bay, and this new project is the next phase for this storied development. The Pier was built as a part of the original Orange Belt Railway in 1889, and was the first pier in Tampa Bay allowing for the delivery of goods to the city. In an effort to modernize and revitalize the area, the City and then mayor, Rick Kriseman, conceived of an ambitious project to build a new pier and resultant amenities. The new pier will include three exciting and attractive buildings meant to engage the public through an Education Center, a Pavilion Building and the Pier Head Building.

Throughout the years, the pier had survived several remodels, expansions and modifications. In a 2004 report addressed to the City Council, a team of consultants concluded that the structural maintenance program in place for the Pier approach and head were no longer cost effective. and the report urged the City Council to consider a complete replacement of the structure. The new development will incorporate three main buildings:

1. The Education Center Building
2. The Pavilion Building
3. Pier Head Building

All of these buildings are concrete structures with shear walls, post-tensioned slabs and columns. Construction of this transformative project started in 2017, and is nearing completion, at end of this year. KPFF became involved in the project after construction was underway. KPFF became involved as part of the subcontractor team with MG McGrath, a valued partner of ours. Together we designed the exterior steel canopies and metal cladding components for all three buildings. Our relationship started in 2016 when we worked together on the design and construction of “the Horn” Medtronic Monument, located at the Minnesota Vikings Stadium. The relationship continues to strengthen on this project thanks to our teamwork on this fast-paced schedule. The design of the canopies had to be done while the building was under construction, and early procurement of connections played a large role in the adjustments to the concrete pour schedules.

The canopies for the Education and Pavilion Buildings are connected to the main post tensioned slab only at the edges, cantilevering between 5-10’ for the Education Center and 10-16’ for the Pavilion Building. The first challenge that we faced was to design a connection that allowed the pouring of the post-tensioned slab without interfering with the tendons, the post-tensioning process, and the installation of hardware for the connections. All of the concrete is exposed, therefore visible connections were not an acceptable option.

Our team proposed the use of cast-in-place form savers to accomplish the desired connection and allow the construction process to proceed without disruption. This also allowed the design team to continue the development of the steel framing options while the embeds were installed on site. The connection to the form savers was accomplished by high-strength galvanized bolts which saved time during the erection of the steel on site.

The steel design included a value engineering option to minimize the lead time by using standard steel sections in lieu of customized steel plates. We collaborated closely with the architect of record to select the appropriate steel section in width and depth to meet the design intent. Standard steel channels were the preferred option as they provided the required width and depth. Also, standard steel channel sections could be procured quickly, minimizing the steel lead time.

Another aspect of the design of the canopies is the interaction with the aluminum frame to support the perforated aluminum panels. Getting the design right required coordination between our team, the steel fabricator and the MG McGrath team to create a frame and supports that were modular in nature. This sped up the construction process by maximizing offsite fabrication and minimizing the installation time on site. Our design included the use of mortise and tenon connections between the perimeter aluminum frame and the stiffening interior frames that support the perforated metal panels. This connection design accelerated the construction of the frames in the shop and provided clean exposed joinery for the underside of the panels.

The Pierhead Building, a six-story concrete structure, is the jewel that crowns this masterpiece of a development. Our contribution included the design of the fourth-floor aluminum panels soffits and the steel canopy at the top. The structure, like the other buildings, is comprised of concrete walls and post-tensioned slabs. The main canopy has a cantilevered span of 37’ and a section that connects the top level to the fourth level also known as “The Tail.”

The steel sections are 36” deep and a maximum of 6” wide for the flanges. Several options of standard sections were considered, but the most optimal section for this canopy was a built-up I-type girder that matched the architectural width requirements and provided a clean edge for the exposed steel members. The connection of the steel beams to the concrete walls was done with Williams all-threaded reinforcing bars connecting the beam seats that are connected to the steel beams. This canopy is currently under fabrication and the first pieces of steel have been shipped to the site to begin the erection process.

The Pierhead soffit aluminum structure is hanging from the fourth-level slab and is comprised of aluminum triangles supporting the aluminum perforated metal panels. The soffit has over two hundred and twenty-four connections only to the underside of the slab. The main challenge with these connections was to allow the needed movement during construction to accommodate the slab slopes, the narrow heights between the slab and the soffit, and the potential misalignment of the embeds. Our team, in close coordination with MG McGrath team, developed a concept with hanger rods, couplers and aluminum plates that provided the required flexibility for field installation. The soffit is currently under production and the installation of the panels will begin in the upcoming weeks.

Our dedicated team has put significant effort into this project, and every engineer has been exposed to concrete, steel and aluminum design. As is our custom, the process has been highly collaborative, and we have enjoyed working with the architect, fabricators, and the contractor to develop unique solutions to streamline the fabrication and erection process. We are proud to be part of MG McGrath team and this impactful project for the City of Tampa Bay.

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