Presented the university with alternatives to address lab vibration criteria, taking time to understand their user needs and sharing our experience with university and private sector research facilities. The choice of a post-tensioned (PT) flat slab system set a new lab design standard for the university. The building was designed with a 2-inch thicker slab on the top floor where the most sensitive equipment is located.
Dedicated PT-free zones around columns on all levels provide flexibility for future infrastructure upgrades. Less stringent vibration criteria in lower floors translated to reduced construction cost with thinner floor depth, less building material, and less load on the foundation.
A flexible steel skybridge connection to the existing Biology Building relies on sliding seismic connections that allow each building to respond separately.
Unique and complicated soil conditions required intensive, upfront coordination with the geotechnical engineer to select the appropriate foundation system. Deep piles reach down through the poor soils and peat on the east and west ends of the building, while spread footings at the center of the building tie directly into the bedrock “mountain” in the center of the building footprint.
The site showcases many shared civil-structural design components, from extensive bioretention and water treatment planters to a complex steam tunnel connecting to an existing one.
Images © Kevin Scott