3 minute read
Fort Sill AIT Barracks Design Guards Soldiers
from America's Engineers: The People, Programs, and Projects of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers '24-'25
BY BRANNEN PARRISH
SOUTHWESTERN DIVISION Tulsa District
Soldiers train to develop skills necessary for the nation’s defense, and at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, where more than 9,000 Soldiers actively train on any given day, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Tulsa District is overseeing construction of two Advanced Individual Training (AIT) barracks with design features to defend Soldiers.
Each 90,000-square-foot, multi-story barracks includes a multipurpose space that enables a standing muster for nearly 400 Soldiers. Partitions allow units to divide the space into classrooms for small-unit instruction. During storms, the spaces meet International Code Council (ICC) standards for storm shelters.
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“This entire multipurpose area doubles as an ICC-500 compliant storm shelter that will accommodate occupants from each barracks building, keeping Soldiers safe during severe weather events, which are a common occurrence in Oklahoma,” said Michael Hoover, architect, Tulsa District.
Structural engineers designed the barracks to resist progressive collapse, or the spread of an initial local failure from element to element that eventually results in the collapse of an entire structure or a disproportionately large part of it.
According to Kim Sorrels, structural engineer, Tulsa District, the project delivery team used three-dimensional modeling software to determine how loading would be redistributed when a primary structural element, such as a load-bearing column, is partially or completely removed. The team repeated this process more than 30 times to analyze the structure’s response and incorporate structural framing elements with higher load capacity.
“When we remove a column, the rest of the structure must respond and resist complete structural failure by redistributing the load,” said Sorrels. “Think of it like being kicked in the shin and lifting your leg off the ground as a response. The other leg is now supporting your weight. This increase in loading requires an increase in structural member sizing.”
Designed to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Silver certification, the barracks included light-emitting diode light fixtures, daylight occupancy sensors, and energy efficient air-handling equipment.
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“The mechanical systems are a critical feature of the buildings’ energy efficiency and were meticulously designed by our mechanical team to enhance occupant comfort and meet the stringent requirements of our government design criteria and the requirements of LEED certification,” said Hoover.
A major Army housing initiative includes investing an average of $1 billion dollars per year to build and renovate barracks and family housing.
Jeff Hirschfeld, resident engineer, Tulsa District, oversees USACE engineers at Fort Sill, and construction of the AIT barracks. Hirschfeld, who served half his six-year enlistment in the Army at Fort Sill, said the project’s features are an indicator of the Army’s emphasis on quality.
“I think we’ve seen a major improvement in quality of life. It was changing when I was in the Army and it’s significant,” said Hirschfeld, who attended both basic training and field artillery training at Fort Sill in 1988. “My main concern is making it good enough and durable enough for Soldiers to walk in and feel like, ‘Man, I’ve got it good.’” AE
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