SPOTLIGHT

Protecting a Landmark The War Memorial Veterans Building

By Stephen. K. Harris, P.E., S.E. and Benjamin A. Mohr, P.E., S.E. Simpson Gumpertz & Heger Inc was an Award Winner for its War Memorial Veterans Building project in the 2016 NCSEA Annual Excellence in Structural Engineering Awards Program in the Category – Renovation/Rehabilitation.

The War Memorial Veterans throughout the building to Building was built in 1932 and provide acoustic isolation is one of the last major American between performance spaces buildings constructed in the and administrative offices. Beaux-Arts Style. It stands across the street Unfortunately, these shear from San Francisco City Hall and is a des- walls also come with disadignated historic landmark. It houses various vantages. Construction of City offices, spaces for veterans, and several concrete walls introduces moisture, heat, and performance and event rooms. heavy equipment in the building, all of which The centerpiece of the building is the Herbst put the building’s historic finishes at risk. Theater. The walls of the theater incorpo- Specifically, new concrete walls were placed in rate eight 25-foot high murals, which were the wall cavity directly behind the Brangwyn originally created by the renowned artist murals. This required waterproof formwork Frank Brangwyn for the 1915 San Francisco for the shotcrete walls, as well as ventilation International Exposition. In 1945, President and monitoring of the space between the Truman signed the United Nations Charter formwork and the murals. on the stage of the Herbst Theater. The walls are constructed as infill within the Despite its illustrious history, however, existing steel frames. This naturally increases the Veterans Building suffered from neglect the flexural strength of the walls, causing for many years. By 2011, the building was their behavior to be governed by brittle shear plagued by extensive roof leaks, inoperable failure. A traditional, fixed-base linear-static elevators, and inadequate building systems. analysis resulted in excessively thick shear Also, the building had significant seismic walls and very large foundation hold-down deficiencies, which constituted a life safety forces at the wall ends. Clearly, the project hazard in a major earthquake. required a more innovative approach. For these reasons, the City and County of A system of rocking concrete shear walls San Francisco initiated a $156 million project, was implemented to improve the building’s driven by the need for a seismic upgrade and seismic performance while maintaining reaincorporating complete replacement of build- sonable wall proportions. In this way, the ing systems. Simpson Gumpertz & Heger need for deep foundations was eliminated and (SGH) acted as the prime consultant for the the maximum shear force imparted to each project, as well as structural engineer of record wall was limited. In order to allow the walls and waterproofing consultant. to rock but still transfer shear to the foundaThe original structure comprises a steel tion, SGH designed a “shear lug” connection frame, encased in concrete, with reinforced at the base of each wall. The shear lugs are concrete walls and slabs. It is clad in terra cotta constructed of steel pipes cast into the new and granite panels. The original lateral system walls and grouted into a greased sleeve in was weak, torsional, and discontinuous. It the existing foundation – they resist lateral was unable to resist the seismic demands cre- movement but do not resist uplift. A total of ated by the building’s significant mass and 250 shear lugs were incorporated at the bases its proximity to the San Andreas Fault. Also, of the shear walls. The design was validated the finishes – both interior and exterior – are with nonlinear response-history analyses in ornate and brittle, capable of sustaining only both SAP and CSI Perform. The final thicksmall lateral drifts. ness of the walls was 10 inches, with modest Early on, the project team decided on shot- reinforcing and no hold-down requirements crete shear walls as the seismic upgrade solution. at the wall ends. Shotcrete shear walls have two distinct advan- Heavy steel coupling beams were designed to tages: first, their stiffness was compatible with connect the walls across the building’s main the concrete walls in the existing structure. corridors, while maintaining the shape of Second, they could be placed strategically the vaulted ceilings, to control the rocking behavior of the shear walls. A system of extensive steel bracing in the building’s attic space was also designed, essentially providing a supplemental horizontal diaphragm where none existed before. All this allowed SGH to limit the expected drifts in the Maximum Considered Earthquake to less than 0.5%. The final design meets the Enhanced Rehabilitation requirements of ASCE 41 – equivalent to a new Risk Category III structure designed per ASCE 7. The design also included a new 70-foot span truss to allow removal of two columns at the Herbst stage, a new gridiron above the stage, new steel catwalks throughout the attic, and seismic bracing of historic hollow-clay-tile partitions and heavy plaster ceilings. After a two-year construction effort, the building is now open and hosting performances again. The project is on track to achieve LEED Gold certification and has received awards from the American Public Works Association, SEAOC, the American Institute of Architects, the California Preservation Foundation, NCSEA, and ASCE. The completed project is a great source of pride for the entire project team.▪

Stephen K. Harris is a Principal with Simpson Gumpertz & Heger in San Francisco. He can be reached at skharris@sgh.com. Benjamin A. Mohr is a Project Engineer at Mar Structural Design. He is a past chair of the Seismology Committee for the Structural Engineers Association of California. In 2017, Benjamin was awarded the Ed Zacher Award for Outstanding Service to the Structural Engineers Association of Northern California. He can be reached at ben. mohr@marstructuraldesign.com.

NCSEA News

is year’s Structural Engineering Summit marks 25 years of bringing together structural engineers, and will also host NCSEA’s largest Trade Show to date. e 2017 Summit Trade Show will include over 55 exhibitors!

ADAPT Corporati on AISC Alpine TrusSteel American Society of Civil Engineers American Welding Society Atlas Tube AZZ Galvanizing BASF Corporati on Bekaert Blind Bolt Cantsink Cast Connex Corporati on CHANCE (Hubbell Power Systems, Inc.) CoreBrace CTP Anchors DACS Inc. DeWalt/Powers Dlubal Soft ware, Inc EM-BOLT Euclid Chemical Company Fabreeka Internati onal Freyssinet, Inc. Fyfe Co./Fibrwrap Constructi on Geopier Foundati on Giza Steel Graitec, Inc. Hayward Baker Headed Reinforcement Hexagon Hilti ICC-ES LafargeHolcim Lindapter Meadow Burke LLC Menard USA MIDASoft MiTek USA/MiTek Builder Products New Millennium Building Systems Nucor Performance Structural Concrete Soluti ons Piekko USA RISA TECHNOLOGIES SCIA a Nemetschek Company SidePlate Systems, Inc Simpson Strong Tie Stabil-Loc Steel Deck Insti tue Steel Joist Insti tute Steel Tube Insti tute Strand7 Structural Engineering Engagement & Equity (SE3) Comm. Trimble USG Valmont Vector Corrosion

Denotes NCSEA membership

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Reserved Available - Prime NCSEA Thursday Diagram CH 5-8 General Session/Track 1 - 210 Classroom, 168 Theater, 378 total CH 9-12 Track 2 - 86 Classroom, 112 Theater, 198 total CH West, North, 1-4 Exhibits - 60 Tabletops 2017 NCSEA Structural Engineering Summit October 11 - 14 • Washington Hilton, Washington, DC Reserved Prime loca� on available Available Available

Visit www.ncsea.com for more information on exhibitors and exhibit opportunities.

Since 2012, NCSEA has awarded Scholarships to Young Members to attend the NCSEA Structural Engineering Summit. For the second year, NCSEA was able to award a total of eight scholarships. Congratulations to the young members listed below! Visit the Awards tab on www.ncsea.com to read the essays that won them their spot at the 2017 Structural Engineering Summit.

James Foreman

A Project Engineer with Martin/Martin, Lakewood, Colorado, James is a member of the Structural Engineers Association of Colorado. Isabella Horton

A Structural Designer at FSB, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Isabella is a member of the Oklahoma Structural Engineers Association.

Lori Koch

e Manager of Educational Outreach for the American Wood Council, Leesburg, Virginia, Lori is a member of the Structural Engineers Association of Virginia. Eric McElrath

An Engineer-in-Training with Mattson Macdonald Young, Inc., Minneapolis, Minnesota, Eric is a member of the Minnesota Structural Engineers Association.

David Nauheimer

An Associate III with Sargent and Lundy, LLC, Chicago, Illinois, David is a member of the Structural Engineers Association of Illinois.

Mary Shinners

An Engineer-in-Training with PES Structural Engineers, Atlanta, Georgia, Mary is a member of the Structural Engineers Association of Georgia. Kyle Palagi

A Structural Engineer with TD&H Engineering, Great Falls, Montana, Kyle is a member of the Structural Engineers Association of Montana.

Rajesh Vuddandam

An Assistant Professor at Tarleton State University, Stephenville, Texas, Rajesh is a member of the Structural Engineers Association of Texas.

Young Member Group of the Year Finalists Announced

Each year, NCSEA recognizes an outstanding Young Member Group from one state SEA at the Structural Engineering Summit. e emphasis of this award is to recognize Young Member Groups that are providing a benefi t to their young members, member organization, and communities. Eleven YMGs applied for the award this year and fi ve fi nalists have been chosen to attend the 2017 Summit: Colorado (SEAC), Georgia (SEAOG), Metro Washington DC (SEA-MW), Minnesota (MNSEA), and Oklahoma (OSEA). Each of the fi ve groups will send a member to represent their YMG during the Summit. e fi nal winner will be announced during the Young Member Reception on Wednesday, October 11th . Visit www.ncsea.com to view their applications.

is year’s Summit benefi ts Young Engineers like never before! Each year NCSEA off ers discounted registration for young engineers, special activities including a Young Engineers’ Reception, and resources. For the 2017 Summit, an entire track dedicated to Young Engineer education and growth has been included! Learn more at www.ncsea.com.

NCSEA Webinars

September 12, 2017 ASCE-7-16 Wind: How it Affects the Practicing Engineer Donald R. Scott, S.E., F.SEI, F.ASCE October 24, 2017 Understanding and Interpreting Geotechnical Reports Trent Parkhill, P.E.

Visit www.ncsea.com for full descriptions and registration.

Courses award 1.5 hours of continuing education after the completion of a quiz. Webinars run at 10:00 am Pacifi c, 11:00 am Mountain, 12:00 pm Central, and 1:00 pm Eastern. Diamond Review approved in all 50 States.

NCSEA News

The Newsletter of the Structural Engineering Institute of ASCE Structural Columns

Save the Date Exhibits & Sponsorships

The Premier Event for Structural Engineering to be held in Fort Worth, Texas, April 19 – 21, 2018. The technical program is being finalized and will include new session and plenary formats. Visit the Congress website, www.structurescongress.org for more information. Increase your company’s visibility and reach hundreds of industry professionals at this premier event for structural engineers. Contact Sean Scully at sscully@asce.org or 703-295-6154, for exhibiting and sponsorship opportunities.

New SEI Program for Young Professionals

SEI is currently seeking young professionals interested in serving on SEI standards committees to apply to participate in the SEI CSAD – YP program. (http://bit.ly/2hCkiSh). The SEI Board of Governors has approved a new program to fund young professionals to participate in SEI standards committees who apply for and are accepted to the specific positions on standard committees such as secretary, balloteer, or historian. Currently, ASCE 7-22 is seeking YP applicants to participate in this new program. If you are interested in applying for the committee, please submit an application via the online form by selecting SEI from Institute drop down and then Minimum Design Loads (ASCE/SEI7). Carefully indicate the committee for which you are applying (main or sub). Contact Jennifer Goupil at jgoupil@asce.org or 571-421-3998 with any questions.

New Code Cycle for ASCE/SEI 7

The ASCE/SEI 7 Committee Leadership will be presenting a special panel session on How to Improve ASCE 7 at the 2017 NCSEA Structural Engineering Summit on October 12, 2017, at the Washington Hilton, DC. Attend the morning session and learn about the new cycle of ASCE/SEI 7. If you are interested in applying for the new ASCE/SEI 7-22 committee, please submit an application at http://bit.ly/2flOEYo by September 30, 2017; on the online form select SEI from Institute drop down and then Minimum Design Loads (ASCE/ SEI 7). Carefully indicate the category of membership for which you are applying (Voting or Associate) for each of the main or subcommittees and if you are applying for the Young Professional program. Associate members can be accepted until balloting begins. Eligible regulatory members can qualify for travel reimbursement per ASCE Travel Policy. Contact Jennifer Goupil at jgoupil@asce.org or 571-421-3998 with questions.

2018 Ammann Fellowship Call for Nominations

The O. H. Ammann Research Fellowship in Structural Engineering is awarded annually to a member or members of ASCE or SEI to encourage the creation of new knowledge in the field of structural design and construction. All members or applicants for membership are eligible. Applicants will submit a description of their research, an essay about why they chose to become a structural engineer and their academic transcripts. This fellowship award is at least $5,000 and can be up to $10,000. The deadline for 2018 Ammann applications is November 1, 2017. For more information and to fill out the online application visit the SEI website at www.asce.org/structural-engineering/ ammann-research-fellowship.

ASCE Week – Las Vegas SEI Collaboration

There is still time to register for ASCE Week, September 24 – 29, 2017, at the Green Valley Ranch Resort Spa & Casino in Las Vegas and earn up to 42 PDHs in one week. Register now at www.asce.org/event/2017/asce-week.

ASCE 2017 Annual Convention

October 8 – 11, 2017

New Orleans, Louisiana Registration is now open www.asceconvention.org. The SEI Technical Committee on Advances in Information Technology, in collaboration with National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, is hosting a workshop on September 26, 2017, in Irvine, CA, on The Role of Advanced Technologies in Structural Engineering For More Resilient Communities. Register now at www.nationalacademies.org/PGA/ResilientAmerica The SEI Global Activities Division is presenting a special panel session at the 2017 IABSE Symposium in Vancouver on September 23, 2017, on Structural Engineering Global Interoperability in addition to sponsoring the Friday Evening Gala Dinner. View the Symposium schedule and register at www.IABSE2017.org.

CASE in Point

On August 2-3, the CASE Summer Planning Meeting took place in Chicago, IL, with over 35 CASE committee members and guests in attendance, making this a well-attended and productive meeting. Included in the planning meeting was a roundtable discussion lead by members of the CASE Executive Committee. During the meeting, breakout sessions were held by the CASE Contracts, Guidelines, Membership, Toolkit, and Programs & Communications Committees. Listed below are the current initiatives being developed by the committees:

Contracts Committee

• Looking at all the Terms and Conditions for the contracts, making sure the language is standard in all contracts • Working on what “must have” language needs to be standard within the documents • Next outside legal review of contracts will be 2019 Guidelines Committee – Kirk Haverland (khaverland@larsonengr.com) • Working on updating the Code of Standard Practice document to reflect updated information • Working on updating the Guideline on Special

Inspections to reflect updated information • Working on the following new documents: – Commentary on ASCE-7 Wind Design Provisions – Commentary on ASCE-7 Seismic Design Provisions – Guideline on Geotech Reports Membership Committee – Stacy Bartoletti / Win Bishop (sbartoletti@degenkolb.com) • Will be surveying the membership in preparation for strategic plan update Programs and Communications Committee – Nils Ericson (nericson@m2structural.com) • Confirmed/finalized sessions for 2018 ASCE/SEI

Structures Congress • Working on session for 2018 AISC Conference and the

ACEC Annual Convention • Putting together the editorial calendar for articles to

STRUCTURE magazine from CASE • Worked on putting together list of topics/sessions for next year’s Business & Risk Management Seminar Toolkit Committee – Brent White (brentw@arwengineers.com) • Working on the following new tools: – Project Management Training Tool – Multi-Disciplinary Project Coordination Tool – Contract Clause Tool – Short Term Staffing Tool The 2018 CASE Winter Planning Meeting is scheduled for February 1-2 in Austin, TX. If you are interested in attending the meeting or have any suggested topics/ideas from a firm perspective for the committees to pursue, please contact Heather Talbert at htalbert@acec.org.

ACEC Fall Conference Features CASE Risk Management Convocation and More!

October 15-18 ACEC is holding its Fall Conference at The Hilton Bonnet Creek, Orlando, FL. CASE will be holding their convocation on Monday, October 16. Sessions include:

10:45 am Did I Say That? Managing Claims and Liability in Electronic Business Communication

Speakers: Karen Erger, Lockton; Eric Singer, Ice Miller, LLP

2:00 pm Dangerous Contractual Terms

Speakers: Ryan Harley, Collins, Collins, Muir + Stewart; Tom Bongi, Brit Global Specialty Insurance

3:45 pm Managing Risk in the Design and Construction of Property Line Building Structures

Speakers: Benjamin Cornelius, Leslie E. Robertson Associates, RLLP; Kriton Pantelidis, Welby Brady & Greenblat, LLP

5:00 pm ACEC / Coalition Meet and Greet

The Conference also features: • CEO roundtables • Exclusive CFO, CIO, Architect tracks • Numerous ACEC coalition, council, and forum events • Earn up to 21PDHs

Additional Risk Management Strategies for Bottom-Line

In addition to the CASE sponsored sessions, the ACEC Fall Conference will feature more than 30 advanced business programs, including the following sessions, focused on managing a firm’s liability and risk: Cybersecurity, Terrorism and Crisis Management Michael Hayden, Former Director of the CIA and NSA (Keynote Address)

CEO Panel: Contracting Trends – How to Protect the Role of the Engineer

Reducing Information Risk: Lessons Learned from Recent Construction Legal Tangles Tyler Ferguson, Newforma, and a Panel of Experts

Funding Future Capital Claims/Risk Mitigation Rich Chapman, Chartwell

Cybersecurity for Critical Infrastructure Dee Brown, Brown Engineers, LLC

The Conference will also feature: • Martin Ford speaking on robotics, artificial intelligence, and the impact on the workforce and economy • Robert O’Neill, former Seal Team Six leader, speaking on high-impact, actionable insights on leadership, decisionmaking, operating in uncertain environments, and how to become the “best of the best.” • Neil Howe, a world-renowned expert on generations and demography, will give powerful insights into who today’s

generation is, what motivates them as consumers and workers, and how they will shape our national future. • Michael Hayden, former Director of the CIA and NSA, will dissect hot spots around the world, analyzing the tumultuous global environment, the impact of the recent

U.S. election, and what it all means for Americans and

America’s interests. For more information and to register www.acec.org/conferences/fall-conference-2017.

CASE Risk Management Tools Available

Foundation 9: Contract Documents – Produce Quality Contract Documents Understand the definition of contract deliverables • Include staff in the work planning effort • Develop written design criteria • Capitalize on similar designs without starting over on each project • Establish reasonable schedule expectations • Share agreement/contract information with staff • Tailor project documents to project delivery method • Integrate the BIM/CAD team

Tool 9-1: A Guideline Addressing Coordination and Completeness of Structural Construction Documents

It is recommended that engineers read this Guideline and take the test at the end of the document. More experienced engineers should then sit down with the engineers to go over the various subjects and answer any questions. The CASE Drawing Review Checklist will be a valuable tool to take away from this experience and implement for regular office use.

Tool 9-2: Quality Assurance Plan

High-quality client service – from project initiation through construction completion – is critical to both project success and maintaining key client relationships. Elements of ensuring quality service include: • Client and project ownership by the individuals responsible for the project • Continual staff education including both leadership and technical skill development; Firm-wide standard of care • Quality control process with a complete communication loop • Written Quality Assurance Plan As part of the Ten Foundations of Risk Management, CASE Tool No. 9-2: Quality Assurance Plan guides the structural engineering professional toward developing a comprehensive, detailed Quality Assurance Plan suitable for their firm.

Foundation 10: Construction Administration –

Provide Services to Complete the Risk Management Process Train staff for the CA work • Clarify SE’s role during submittal review and construction site visits • Get to know the Superintendent and other important players • Document efforts well • Make site visits and reports meaningful • Follow up on changed construction tasks • Strive toward the goal of a successful project

Tool 10-1: Site Visit Cards (Updated November 2016)

This tool provides sample cards for the people in your firm who make construction site visits. These cards provide a brief list of tasks to perform as a part of making a site visit – What to do before the site visit; What to take to the construction site; What to observe while at the site; What to do after completing the site visit. The sample cards include several types of structural construction, plus a general guide for all site visits.

Tool 10-2: Construction Administration Log

Construction administration is a time when good record keeping and prompt response are essential to the success of the project and to limit the risk of the structural engineer. For this reason and many others, a well-organized and maintained construction administration log is essential.

You can purchase these and the other Risk Management Tools at www.acec.org/bookstore.