Architectural structural design

High winds jeopardize project completion.
A quick response saves a contractor from threatened liquidation.

A problem developed during the construction of a three-story office building in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Before the structural steel had been placed, high winds blew down one of the concrete shear walls that formed the building lateral support system, damaging other portions of the building and delaying construction of the structural steel. The setback was serious enough to threaten the contractor with liquidation. Time was of the essence.

Ken Root was called in to review the situation and make recommendations on how to proceed. He needed to assess whether the foundation and structural slab had been damaged and, if so, whether the damaged area could be removed, then recommend the best way to reconstruct the concrete wall. Unfortunately, the foundation had been backfilled and the debris from wind damage made the foundation and the slab not visible for inspection.

After a quick field review, Ken advised the contractor on the best method to remove the debris as well as portions of the slab-on-grade without causing further damage. He then conducted a thorough inspection and made final recommendations for repair of the foundation and reconstruction of the concrete shear wall. He designed new structural connections based on the modifications made to the shear wall when it was reconstructed. Use of existing embed plates helped reduce the cost of the reconstruction.

With the problem resolved in less than three days, the contractor suffered minimum lost productivity and was able to complete the project on schedule.