ThorntonTomasetti
We use engineering principles to solve the world’s challenges– starting with yours. From practical tasks to creative asks, we have your solution. We are a team of problem solvers who understand that collaboration leads to better results. When faced with any challenge, we look at the big picture and work to nail the details while fulfilling your broader goals. Problems, solved. Challenges, conquered. Ambitions, accomplished. Dreams, realized. Here’s how.
Our Practices
Structural Engineering
We collaborate with architects, building owners and builders to design elegant solutions for projects of all types, sizes and levels of complexity. From designing the world’s tallest buildings and longest spans to engineering inventive special structures of every scale and designing major expansion projects, we continually seek the best balance among the demands of form, function, sustainability, constructability, schedule and budget.
From top: 30 Hudson Yards, New York City; glass staircase at AMG Design, Long Island, New York (courtesy Grimshaw); Shanghai Tower, China (Shanghai Tower Construction and Development Company); Kingdom Tower in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (© Jeddah Economic Company/Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture); Florida Polytechnic University, Innovation, Science and Technology Building, Lakeland, Florida (courtesy Florida Polytechnic University); Portland FBI Field Office Complex, Portland, Oregon (© Lara Swimmer); La Plata Stadium, La Plata, Argentina.
Protective Design & Security
We help architects, owners, developers and public agencies worldwide achieve security objectives while upholding each project’s aesthetic, functional and budgetary goals. We collaborate with clients and project teams to develop physical, technical, electronic and operational security solutions for facilities of every type, use and size. We assess vulnerability to multiple hazards and provide balanced mitigation strategies. We work with project stakeholders to evaluate options, determine appropriate performance targets and craft holistic solutions that minimize risk. Our suite of services provides comprehensive risk mitigation across the complete project life cycle.
From top: Oklahoma City Federal Building (© Steve Hall–Hedrich Blessing Photography); San Diego (© Darren Bradley); United States Embassy, Berlin, Germany (© Werner Huthmacher); Robert H. Jackson Federal Courthouse, Buffalo, New York; holistic, layered and integrated security solution; Four World Trade Center, New York City.
Façade Engineering
We provide façade consulting services to architects, building owners and developers. We offer a suite of specialty analyses to solve complex design challenges, improve constructability, maximize energy efficiency and increase security. From materials research and specialty analyses, through detailed design, engineering and construction support, to glass and façade failure investigations, our expert staff helps clients execute ambitious architectural visions. From top: Sky Soho, Shanghai, China (Marco Jacobs); the Cube at Old Orchard Mall in Skokie, Illinois (© James Steinkamp Photography); Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; rod-and-cablesupported glass façade, The Avenue, Washington, D.C.; Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center (ARTIC), Phase I, Anaheim, California (Bess Adler/Thornton Tomasetti).
Transportation
We specialize in providing engineering solutions for a wide variety of transportation infrastructure. We perform analysis, design, construction inspection, evaluation, monitoring and rehabilitation for projects ranging from aviation facilities, bridges, cruise terminals and waterfront facilities to rail and intermodal transit stations, streetscapes and tunnels. Our multidisciplinary expertise – in structural, civil and geotechnical engineering – supports client needs for both new and existing transportation structures. From top: Civil engineering for the reconstruction of the Times Square area (Snøhetta/Stephen Mallon); Monterrey Metro Rail extension, Monterrey, Mexico; Bronx-Whitestone Bridge deck replacement and wind fairing design, New York City; San FranciscoOakland Bay Bridge East-Span concept development and design (courtesy Caltrans); Manhattan Bridge, lower roadway rehabilitation design, New York City; Brooklyn Bridge approach ramp redecking and substructure rehabilitation, New York City.
Construction Engineering
From top: Epic Systems Corporation, Deep Space Auditorium, Verona, Wisconsin: lift of the project’s 4,200-ton roof and a Tekla model of a steel connection; Exploration Tower at Port Canaveral, Florida; Sun Life Stadium renovation, Miami, Florida; Cathedral of Hope’s Interfaith Peace Chapel, Dallas, Texas, where the use of advanced modeling coordinated the structural steel frame with the complex surface geometry.
We work closely with designers, developers, contractors, fabricators and erectors to efficiently move a project from concept to opening day. Our services include integrated design and fabrication modeling, connection design, erection engineering, crane engineering, field engineering and site representation. Our construction support expertise enhances our structural engineering services on complex, time-sensitive projects, but we also offer these services for projects designed by other engineering firms.
Sustainability
We collaborate with clients and project partners to integrate successful green solutions into the planning, design, construction and operation of buildings, reducing their environmental impact at every stage of their life cycle and supporting energy performance, health and well-being. Our services include sustainable design strategies, energy analysis, green building certification consulting, sustainability analysis and upgrades for existing structures, along with education and training.
From top: A sun-path diagram, part of our climate visualization capabilities; Gunnar Hubbard lecturing at Swedish environmental research institute IVL (Anette Andersson/ AA Fotograf); LEED Fellow Lynn N. Simon facilitates a LEED v4 charrette in San Francisco, California; Genzyme Corporation, Biologics Support Center, Framingham, Massachusetts (John Horner Photography); San Francisco Public Utilities Commission Headquarters Building (Bruce Damonte); Hunters Point Shipyard and Candlestick Park sustainability master planning, San Francisco, California (Š IBI Group, permission by Lennar); solar radiation study generated in DIVA.
Applied Science
We undertake research, development and design to engineer practical solutions that manage risks to life across a diverse range of military and civilian applications. We analyze and model everything from buildings, infrastructure and industrial facilities to vehicles, biomedical devices and novel engineered materials. We leverage a unique combination of technologies and expertise to solve complex problems. Military, government, energy, corporate and academic clients value the validation of our software and the critical insights we provide.
From top: Blast effects in urban canyons, as predicted by software developed in-house; NLFlex simulation of a penetrator munition traveling through a layered concrete target; simulation of needle-
skin interaction; simulation of a vehicle blast on the deck of a cablestay bridge; plume from an underwater explosion at our explosive test facility in Scotland.
Forensics
We provide attorneys, property managers, building owners, contractors/manufacturers and design professionals with a wide range of engineering and architectural forensic services. As design professionals, we evaluate for standard of care; as forensic specialists, we seek root causes; as problem solvers, we seek resolution. Our deliverables typically include a report, expert testimony, a set of calculations/ drawings, and computer models and simulations. From top: Forensic information model used to organize data from our structural investigation of the Sherman Minton Bridge on I-64 between Indiana and Kentucky (Thornton Tomasetti/Ena Cheung); Chuck Van Winkle inspects the retractable roof and supporting structure at Seattle’s Safeco Field; emergency response and structural failure investigation at Miller Park in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (Thornton Tomasetti/John Abruzzo); Gary Panariello (left) and Gary Storm on site at the investigation of the Indiana State Fair collapse incident in 2011 (Thornton Tomasetti);
Property Loss Consulting
From top: Jane Zellar (left) and Ali Ashrafi assess the condition of a basement in lower Manhattan after Sandy; Principal Joe Vyhanek inspects damage from the infiltration of brackish water into a steam turbine-driven chiller; Metrodome roof collapse investigation, Minneapolis, Minnesota; post-earthquake structural analysis ETABS model of
the Rydges Hotel, Christchurch, New Zealand; the Thornton Tomasetti SmartMaps app: a cloud-based tool that allows property owners, managers and insurers to easily and securely access a wide range of data about their portfolios (Walter Smith); post-tornado damage assessment, Joplin, Missouri.
We help insurance companies analyze pre- and post-loss risks, damage and property claims arising from natural or man-made perils. Drawing on our architects, structural engineers and MEP experts, we offer single-source solutions to complex issues. At the heart of our practice is the investigation of damage to structures, which includes cause and origin analyses, engineering assessments for reinstatement of damaged buildings, building code upgrade analyses, and responding to emerging specialized claims such as LEED-certified structures, renewable energy claims and requirements for buildings to react to changing environmental conditions.
Renewal
From top: Faรงade repair and stabilization, Helmsley Building, 230 Park Avenue, New York City; seismic retrofit, Royce Hall, University of California, Los Angeles; Chrysler Building restoration, New York City; 20 Washington Road renovation, Princeton University, New Jersey; adaptive reuse, 200 Fifth Avenue, New York City (Ed Eckstein); renovation, 30th Street Post Office, Philadelphia; adaptive reuse, Liberty Hotel, Boston.
We provide building owners and managers with a wide range of envelope, structural and MEP solutions for existing structures of all types. We conduct performance investigations, condition assessments, pre-purchase due diligence surveys, feasibility studies and peer reviews. We design repairs, renovations and alterations, and oversee their execution.
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FORENSICS We investigate engineering problems and provide evidence-based solutions founded on rigorous science and physics. We assist attorneys, property managers, building owners, contractors, manufacturers and design professionals with a wide range of engineering and architectural issues.
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ALWAYS INNOVATING We continuously seek better ways to investigate and analyze engineering problems and share our results. Our staff works closely with the firm’s CORE studio to develop new technology – such as simulation tools, FIM and TT SmartMaps (an app that compiles project and GIS data into a single, interactive map viewable on a phone, tablet or PC) – that helps us better serve our clients. We also develop flexible dataacquisition systems to collect and process in-situ information. Collaboration with colleagues in our Edinburgh, Scotland testing lab allows us to delve into experimental mechanics and devise testing protocols for experimental verifications.
WHAT WE DO Our multidisciplinary professionals help clients mitigate engineering issues of all kinds and work to prevent future problems. Decades of experience enable us to quickly generate hypotheses and evaluate them based on physical evidence, interviews and operational data. ADVANCED ANALYTICS We apply specialized techniques to develop solutions for complex design tasks, compromised structures and forensic investigations. We use scientific approaches to analyze the behavior of soil, structures and equipment subjected to loads from the environment, construction, natural hazards and extreme events. Expertise in advanced finiteelement analysis and computational mechanics helps us identify underlying issues and determine targeted performance levels. We also engage in research and development for new technology. EXPERIMENTAL MECHANICS When evidence is required to support mathematical models, we offer physical testing, data processing and reporting. Our laboratory and testing facilities support tests on land as well as over or under water. We also offer laser scanning and structural monitoring services. DECONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING Our engineers analyze all components, conduct engineering reviews, calculate demolition and debris footprints, and analyze stresses and vibrations to aid development of safe and efficient demolition scenarios and logistics plans. EMERGENCY RESPONSE When a structure is crippled or collapsed, we evaluate the site, preserve and document forensic evidence and provide recommendations to reduce post-accident hazards. For 24/7 emergency response assistance, call (+1) 877.933.9737.
LITIGATION SUPPORT We apply design experience, forensic expertise, process understanding and advanced analytical tools to assist attorneys with expert witness services in dispute resolution, court hearings, arbitration or mediation. We investigate construction defects and evaluate for standard of care and for design errors and omissions. ARCHITECTURAL FORENSICS Our forensic architects diagnose building deficiencies and design practical, cost-effective repair programs for interior and exterior issues, including water intrusion, condensation, air and water infiltration, thermal issues and material failures. FAÇADE FORENSICS We offer façade evaluation services tailored to forensic investigations and litigation support, helping to resolve disputes, solve construction problems and determine cause and origin of façade failures. MECHANICAL FORENSICS With experience in the design of HVAC, fire and plumbing systems, utility plants, renewable energy plants, and industrial equipment, our professionals provide forensic services for a wide range of industries and building types. ELECTRICAL FORENSICS We conduct scope-of-damage and cause-and-origin investigations for low- and medium-voltage power distribution systems and are experienced in investigations involving renewable energy sources such as wind turbines and solar arrays.
SPECIALIZED EXPERTISE
HOW WE WORK OUR EXPERTS ARE ACTIVE PRACTITIONERS & VICE VERSA As a result, our testimony is informed by practical field experience, and our field practice is informed by lessons learned in legal settings. THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR RELENTLESS CRITICAL THINKING We keep delving until we’re certain we have the relevant facts. We begin by developing an understanding of the problems, constraints and desired outcomes, then validate our ideas using a scientific approach and advanced analytical tools.
WE CLARIFY COMPLEXITY Our aim is to teach, illustrate and communicate our ideas as clearly as possible. Our visualization specialists develop models, renderings and animations that accurately and precisely present mechanics and mathematical calculations. WE DON’T GO HOME UNTIL THE JOB IS DONE PROPERLY In emergency response work, we maintain a 24/7 presence on-site to ensure safety. And in our deconstruction work, we make sure it’s all down before we leave a job site.
Vice President Marguerite Pinto (front left), Senior Project Engineer Callum Norris and Project Engineer Pierre Ghisbain check test data during installation of our fluid harmonic damper in a Brooklyn high-rise.
Bess Adler / Thornton Tomasetti
PROCESS FORENSICS With expertise in a wide variety of manufacturing processes, we provide nuanced investigation into fires, explosions, design and construction defects, and professional liability. We offer process analysis, code studies, hazard analysis and cause-andorigin investigations in facilities where hazardous materials are used or processed.
STRUCTURAL FORENSICS We offer investigative and analytical services for everything from chronic performance failures to catastrophic collapse. We perform safety and damage assessments, reliability and risk analyses, component and materials testing, and adjacent construction monitoring. SWALLOW ACOUSTICS NOISE & VIBRATION INVESTIGATION In 2017, Thornton Tomasetti acquired Swallow Acoustic Consultants Limited. Our professionals test, quantify, analyze and find the sources of acoustic and vibration problems.
ADVANCED FINITE-ELEMENT ANALYSIS (FEA) We use FEA to understand the behavior of structural systems and components, gases, flows and multibody interactions, evaluating complex conditions and communicating the scientific facts using advanced engineering-simulation tools. SCIENTIFIC & ENGINEERING SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT Thornton Tomasetti develops software to solve challenging engineering problems. Examples include the Flex family of finite-element codes, including Onscale; VistaMat, for advanced material modeling; and FacilityBlast VCE, a fast-running computational fluid dynamics tool that accurately predicts vapor-cloud explosion loads. CUSTOM ANIMATION We use applied mathematics and mechanics to simulate physical events and determine their controlling parameters. Graphical animation visually re-tells an event, and visualizations convert the mathematical outcomes into something we can see and more easily understand. FORENSIC INFORMATION MODELING (FIM) We developed a better way to manage and analyze data in a 3D or 4D model. Data is linked to model components for easy retrieval, keyword queries and statistical analysis. Our FIMs can quickly generate reports and visualizations for clear, persuasive communication of complex technical issues. DATA COLLECTION & PROCESSING We use laser scanners, thermal cameras, structural monitoring dataacquisition equipment and other sensors to obtain critical information on the behavior, position and condition of the structures and components under examination. Handheld devices enable us to collect and process data in real time with mapping technology. We are also well-versed in process data analysis to characterize the variation of critical data.
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APPLIED SCIENCE We undertake research, development and design to engineer practical solutions that manage risks to life across a diverse range of military and civilian applications. We analyze and model everything from buildings, infrastructure and industrial facilities to vehicles, biomedical devices and novel engineered materials.
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WHAT WE DO We leverage a unique combination of technologies and expertise to solve complex problems. Military, government, energy, corporate and academic clients value the validation of our software and the critical insights we provide.
DEFENSE R&D, ENGINEERING & TESTING Our engineers, physicists and computer scientists assist clients with expertise in nonlinear dynamic structural analysis, 3D computational fluid dynamics, fire and thermal response and protection, structural acoustics, sonar, development of advanced analysis techniques and assessment of structures under explosive loads. We also plan and undertake large-scale testing for certification, and for verification and validation of our digital models.
ALWAYS INNOVATING Innovation is a defining characteristic of the applied science mission. Ushering scientific ideas from the academic realm to practical application is a fundamental aspect of the practice’s many different service offerings. We tackle unsolved challenges by applying multidisciplinary thinking and an open-minded approach. We pioneer new scientific methods and develop technological tools in diverse domains, from military facilities to biomedical devices. Another key aspect of our practice is a focus on real-world testing to validate the simulation tools we create to engineer solutions.
ADVANCED MATERIALS, METALLURGY & FRACTURE We provide investigation, modeling, evaluation and quantification in support of material design and development. We create advanced constitutive models to simulate thermomechanical non-linear behavior and failure of structural materials. And we analyze and optimize engineered materials – including metamaterials – for novel applications in acoustics and thermal management. VIRTUAL HUMAN MODELING We assist in the development of medical devices, wearable electronics, clothing and protective devices. Our ability to simulate the human body and organs, such as the heart and skin, using advanced modeling coupled with statistical methods and rigorous validation and verification principles, provide detail and insight that speed the optimization of these devices.
TEST DESIGN & TEST INTEGRATION We offer test design, post-test support and test integration services, including product performance verification, critical infrastructure protection validation and petrochemical facility testing. We plan product performance testing, assist in test facility selection and testing program management, and provide on-site observation and support. EXPLOSIVE SAFETY We perform explosive-safety siting and design for new facilities and retrofits, applying a nuanced understanding of US- and UKgovernment and international IATG and AASTP standards. Knowledge gained through extensive experience enables us to craft solutions that pass reviews by the US Department of Defense (DoD) and National Nuclear Security Administration, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) and Health & Safety Executive, and other local governments. ADVANCED ANALYSES FOR EXTREME EVENTS We analyze structural response to an array of extreme events to quantify vulnerability, risk and mitigation methods. This enables us to optimize the design of protective measures and meet government criteria for civil infrastructure, hardened military structures, ships, transport vehicles and vulnerable building components. Our simulation results have been extensively validated against field tests conducted by the DoD, MoD and commercial clients.
HOW WE WORK WE SOLVE PROBLEMS OTHERS CAN’T We routinely tackle nonroutine challenges; our clients bring us difficult problems that have never before been addressed. Our expertise – across a broad range of disciplines – in R&D, testing, materials science, computational simulation methods and software development, enables us to invent a unique approach to each challenge.
Ben Rahn / A-Frame
Simulation of a vehicle blast on the deck of a cable-stay bridge. CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE SECURITY & RESILIENCE We develop threat, vulnerability and risk assessments (TVRAs) and design mitigation measures for critical infrastructure for new and existing – modern and historic – structures. Our assessments address structural elements, glazing and cladding systems, and topographical and landscape details surrounding the asset. NUCLEAR FACILITY ENGINEERING SERVICES We provide specialist services for nuclear facilities – including plants, repositories and laboratories – at every stage of their life cycle, from new build, through asset management, to decommissioning and reuse. We support nuclear safety cases through design and justification for extreme loads caused by natural hazards, accidental explosions, fire and man-made events. Our analysis capabilities – including explicit and implicit nonlinear dynamic finite-element analyses, soil-structure interaction modeling, computational fluid dynamics, fragility studies, impact analyses and response-spectrum development – complement our expertise in plantlife extension, transportation and storage containers, and mobilization and transportation systems for nuclear waste sludges.
SCIENTIFIC & ENGINEERING SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT We design software to solve challenging engineering problems, answer new questions and perform functions not addressed by off-the-shelf packages. We tailor solutions to our clients’ needs and have a proven record of safeguarding products and data. We develop applications for firms of all sizes, helping them innovate in hightech manufacturing, automotive light-weighting, biomedical device design and manufacturing, aircraft fleet sustainment and more. OIL & GAS, LNG & PETROCHEMICAL SERVICES We support off- and onshore facilities by identifying, analyzing, mitigating and managing natural and man-made major accident hazards, from design to decommissioning. Combining cutting-edge tools with decades of experience, we support clients with day-to-day operational management, analysis and process optimization, hazard and associated safety-system assessment and management, asset integrity, siting, design and retrofit of facilities, fitness for service, and incident investigation and recovery.
WE DELIVER PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS While R&D is critical to our work, in the end we are engineers, not academicians. We focus on real-world applications that solve specific problems at the appropriate level of detail.
WE DEVELOP NEW METHODS We develop advanced scientific methods ourselves and work to transition academic methods to production-engineering environments. We address new challenges seeking higher performance, more efficient solutions or newer and more flexible schemes for tackling old problems.
TESTING FOR VALIDATION Our goal in developing physicsbased simulations is to create models of reality. We compare our computer-generated results with experimental data and practical engineering “sanity checks” to ensure their accuracy and validity. Simulation of a penetrator munition traveling through a layered concrete target, developed using NLFlex, our computational structural dynamics software.
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RENEWAL We provide property owners and managers with solutions to a wide range of structural, building systems and envelope needs for existing properties of every use, age and construction type.
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WHAT WE DO Our multidisciplinary design and assessment services cover a wide range of needs. We perform condition assessments, investigations, feasibility studies and peer reviews. We also design repairs, renovations and alterations and oversee their execution in the field. STRUCTURAL RENEWAL We help clients repair structural damage or deterioration, perform alterations or upgrade structures to meet current code. Our services address needs ranging from tenant improvements, repairing deteriorated sidewalk vaults and strengthening floor slabs, to complex structural repairs and full-building gut-renovation, modernization or adaptive reuse. We are also experts in advanced computational analysis for exceptional load demands such as blast forces, vehicular impact, seismic events and hurricanes.
ALWAYS INNOVATING We continually seek new ways to make our Renewal services smarter. We develop and apply specialized tools and techniques that improve both the way we capture information in the field and present complex technical data. This can lead to deeper insight and streamlined decisionmaking, resulting in a more persuasive, effective results.
ENVELOPE RENEWAL Expertise in hands-on investigation, analysis and repair or restoration design – for all material types and vintages – enables us to effectively address all aspects of building enclosures. We assist clients with structural supports, waterproofing components, windows, roofing, and site elements such as plazas and sidewalks. We evaluate root causes of performance failures and develop solutions that meet the building’s needs and the client’s budget. Our holistic approach extends to tackling energy code challenges and determining viable approaches to improving energy performance.
MULTIDISCIPLINARY BUILDING SYSTEMS RENEWAL Our building systems specialists combine design savvy, hands-on problem solving and experience in forensic failure investigation. We evaluate performance and develop appropriate upgrades, replacements and improvements for heating, cooling, electrical, plumbing and fire-protection systems. We assess energy performance, helping owners identify opportunities and strategies for savings. And, with expertise across multiple key disciplines, we can bundle our services into a comprehensive package that includes structural and waterproofing solutions. HISTORIC PRESERVATION We combine in-depth, specialized knowledge of façade restoration, historic materials conservation, and archaic structural systems with cutting-edge structural analysis and computer modeling capabilities. We investigate root causes and design sensitive repairs, seeking out the most appropriate and cost-effective solutions for each project. We strive to minimize impact to the historic fabric by applying our practical experience in nondestructive evaluation techniques, minimally invasive methods and remote monitoring.
HOW WE WORK
SPECIALIZED EXPERTISE
WE ARE MULTIDISCIPLINARY Our expertise covers all major building components and systems. No matter what problem needs solving, we bring the right people onto the project. Our wealth of experience in building renewal draws upon our extensive work in fabrication and construction, as well as our design and investigative work on structures, façades and in sustainability. We know what works in the field, from the inside out.
We employ an ever-expanding suite of specialized tools on our projects, including:
WE DO MORE THAN JUST THE TECHNICALLY CORRECT THING We look beyond the obvious to solve the real problem. We start by asking the right questions in order to understand our client’s objectives, and to account for such considerations as time and budget constraints, occupancy requirements and site logistics. We work with our clients to understand the history of their specific challenges. Our extensive experience enables us to zero in on the best practical recommendations to save both time and money.
ENERGY ANALYSIS We use computer-simulated representations of whole buildings and specific spaces to test designs – for façade options in a re-clading project or new or modified HVAC systems – for maximum operational energy savings. Kelly May / Thornton Tomasetti
When several 1920’s-era buildings were adapted to form part of the University of Chicago’s Saieh Hall for Economics, we provided structural services for their rehabilitation as well as for above- and below-ground additions.
WE HAVE LOCAL FEET ON THE GROUND (OR ON THE CORNICE) To best serve local needs, you have to be there. With 40+ offices, we know what works in many markets. We are well-versed in local building codes, suppliers, construction practices and material preferences.
Senior Designer Minas Konstantinou discusses terracotta replacement details with a contractor during a balcony and façade restoration at 251 Central Park West, a New York City landmark built in 1920. Bogdan Stefanescu / Thornton Tomasetti
3D LASER SCANNING AND PHOTOGRAMMETRY We use laser scanners to capture a precise record of existing building conditions, then create 3D models from the resulting point-cloud data. Our custom photogrammetry software can generate a 3D model from a series of high-resolution digital photographs. Both tools allow us to quickly produce highly accurate models of actual field conditions. FORENSIC INFORMATION MODELING (FIM) We developed a better way to manage and analyze data in a 3D or 4D model. Data is linked to model components for easy retrieval, keyword queries and statistical analysis. Our FIMs can quickly generate reports and visualizations for clear communication of complex technical issues. They can also track – and plainly show – changes to a structure’s physical condition over time. FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS (FEA) We use FEA to accurately model stresses in complex masonry façades, which provides insight into the underlying causes of observed distress. This clearer understanding of specific force-flow and stress behavior allows our restoration specialists to develop repair schemes that resolve the real problems.
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PROPERTY LOSS CONSULTING Multidisciplinary professionals provide investigation and analysis services to insurance industry clients in a wide variety of market sectors on cases large and small, around the globe. Our work spans the spectrum of pre- and post-loss risks, damage and claims arising from natural or man-made perils.
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ALWAYS INNOVATING We work closely with our CORE studio to develop new technology that gives us better ways to serve our clients, such as simulation tools, forensic information modeling (FIM) and TT SmartMaps (an app that compiles project and GIS data from multiple sources into an interactive map that can be viewed on a phone, tablet or PC). We also develop flexible data-acquisition systems to collect, process and deliver in-situ, real-time information. Collaboration across the firm’s 10 practices enables us to draw on an unparalleled array of expertise, skills and tools to solve problems for a wide variety of industries.
WHAT WE DO Our staff encompasses many disciplines: architects; structural, civil, mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineers; scientists; and acoustics and sustainability professionals. This breadth of expertise enables us to fully investigate damage to structures of all types and sizes to promote accurate and appropriate claim resolution and speedy recovery. PRE-LOSS SERVICES Analyzing and anticipating risks to buildings and other structures are central to pre-loss services. Based on our experience with post-loss events, we are uniquely qualified to assess, analyze and forecast the nature of risks that may affect the performance of buildings and other structures. Pre-loss studies enable building owners to better prepare for both natural and man-made events. • Multi-Hazard Risk Assessments • Probable Maximum Loss (PML) Studies • Resiliency Solutions
POST-LOSS SERVICES In the aftermath of a property loss – one caused by a natural or man-made catastrophe, or by other events that reduce function or value – our experts help clients evaluate damaged structures and plan remediation. Deploying multidisciplinary expertise, we analyze, document and report on the condition of diverse types of structures in the built environment. Whether the damage is minimal or extensive, we provide technically informed solutions to post-loss claims. • Building Code Evaluation • Cause & Origin Evaluation • Damage Investigation • Complex Claim Investigation
Thornton Tomasetti
Project Engineer Kyle Mayfield and Senior Project Engineer Brenden Adams evaluate earthquake damage to a warehouse roof in Christchurch, New Zealand.
SPECIALIZED EXPERTISE
Senior Associate Steve Yamashita and Engineer Intern Sayna Rajabzadeh evaluate wind and water damage at a historic church in Montebello, California.
We have decades of experience assisting insurance industry clients around the world with claims of every type and size.
INSURANCE INDUSTRY SECTORS • Aviation • Construction Services • Entertainment & Sports • Errors & Omissions • Global Insurance Programs • Marine • Onshore Energy & Mining • Ports & Terminals • Power & Utilities • Property & Casualty • Property & Liability • Public Sector
SOLUTIONS
Chris Kahanek / Thornton Tomasetti
• Claims Provider Services • Captive & Insurance Management • Catastrophe Response Planning
HOW WE WORK
• Cause & Origin Reporting • Emergency Response Solutions
ANYWHERE, ANYTIME Our international reach allows us to speedily dispatch experts to any location at any time, set up operations and remain on-site until the assignment is complete.
• Flood Resilience Consulting • Litigation Support • Professional Indemnity • Property Risk Control • Scope of Damage Determination • Subrogation • Sustainability Claims Consulting • Technical Services
WE SEE BOTH FORESTS AND TREES Our professionals come from a wide variety of backgrounds. We actively seek diversity in all our teams to enhance our multidisciplinary approach. This enables us to ask the right questions that ultimately produce well-informed analyses. WE DELIVER We develop engineering-based solutions that enable our clients to confidently make informed decisions. We stand by our work as well as our conclusions.
• Terrorism Risk & Political Violence Risk Control
Thornton Tomasetti
Forensic information model displaying the severity of soot and heat damage caused by an explosion at a power plant in the Western Pacific.
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PROTECTIVE DESIGN & SECURITY We help architects, owners, developers and public agencies achieve security objectives while upholding each project’s aesthetic, functional and budgetary goals. A recognized leader in protective design and security services – with more than 60 years of experience – we collaborate with clients and project teams to develop comprehensive physical, electronic and operational security solutions for facilities of every type, use and size.
ALWAYS INNOVATING We pursue innovation in both our services and our methods. Extending our offerings beyond blast hardening into security design and consulting services (SDC) allows us to deliver truly holistic solutions. Our SDC team employs advanced data analytics, biometrics and sensing technologies, and other leading-edge tools to identify, prevent and mitigate the effects of ever-evolving threats. We use the best-available tools to accurately predict the complex behavior of building materials impacted by high-explosive waves, mine data and analyze threat risks. And when commercially available tools don’t do the job well enough, we work with the firm’s CORE studio and Applied Science specialists to develop new applications.
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WHAT WE DO We assess vulnerability to multiple hazards and provide balanced mitigation strategies. We work with project stakeholders to evaluate options, determine appropriate performance targets and craft holistic solutions that minimize risk. BLAST ANALYSIS & DESIGN We design comprehensive solutions to mitigate the effects of bomb attacks against all types of structures. We determine how an attack would affect a facility and use nonlinear, inelastic dynamic analysis methods to develop costeffective measures that provide protection without compromising aesthetic ideals. RISK ASSESSMENT We help clients make informed design decisions by conducting comprehensive risk assessments for facilities or client portfolios to identify critical assets, applicable threats and corresponding consequences. We then develop a menu of holistic solutions to mitigate identified risks, tailoring options to the project’s unique needs. We couple our risk assessment and engineering capabilities to guide our clients through the SAFETY Act certification process. DISPROPORTIONATE COLLAPSE PREVENTION We prevent disproportionate collapse by engineering structural elements to provide survivability, even with the loss of one or more key elements. We seek the most appropriate option for each project, meeting or exceeding security criteria while remaining sensitive to the building’s materials, geometry, construction budget, site constraints and architectural flexibility.
SECURITY DESIGN & CONSULTING Our security solutions protect the critical assets and investments of our clients. We use a variety of assessment methods to identify threats, vulnerabilities, and risks and implement seamless security and technology roadmaps that mitigate risk without distracting from primary business functions. Our team of proven experts – in counterterrorism, countertheft, electronic security, cybersecurity and physical security – customize solutions for any project in any environment. PERIMETER PROTECTION & SITE SECURITY Our engineers collaborate with building team partners to develop layers of protection that integrate seamlessly with a facility’s overall site planning, layout and architecture. We assist master planners with strategic site layout in accordance with CPTED (crime prevention through environmental design) principles, design anti-ram site architecture and assist in sitecirculation and parking planning to enhance asset protection. FAÇADE HARDENING We collaborate with design teams and façade contractors to develop customized systems that mitigate hazards from bomb blasts, firearms and unauthorized entry. We guide project stakeholders through an array of options to balance each project’s security requirements with its budgetary, environmental and aesthetic goals.
We provided protective design and structural services for the Santiago Calatravadesigned World Trade Center Transportation Hub in New York City. Matthew Hill
HOW WE WORK STAKEHOLDER PRIORITIES ARE OUR PRIORITIES We collaborate with project stakeholders to achieve protective design solutions that uphold each project’s aesthetic and budgetary goals. We get involved early and communicate openly with all team members to fully integrate security measures into the overall design. Our goal? To craft “invisible shields” against potential threats for our clients. EDUCATING CLIENTS FOR BETTER OUTCOMES Structural and façade hardening can be expensive, so we take time to educate clients about the full range of available options. Once they understand the issues, we help clients determine appropriate performance targets and levels of protection. Only then do we work together to select the combination of design solutions best suited to each project. INVENTING NEW METHODS While the threat of terrorist attacks against buildings has increased in recent years, innovations in protective design and security strategies have greatly improved our ability to mitigate associated damage. We combine evolving analytical and engineering capabilities, state-ofthe-art materials and construction techniques, operational security measures, emerging security technologies, and lessons learned from our extensive experience to develop better, more cost-effective methods for increasing security and safety.
SPECIALIZED EXPERTISE We have unparalleled experience in protective design and security services for the U.S. and U.K. Governments. Areas of expertise include: EMBASSIES We have provided the U.S. Department of State’s Overseas Buildings Operations (OBO) with structural and protective design engineering for hundreds of embassy facilities. After a 1983 carbomb attack in Beirut, we developed new guidelines for OBO. Our Engineering Guidelines for Design of New Office Buildings provided industry standards for improving the physical security of embassy compounds. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE (DOD) We pioneered the analysis of DoD structures in response to blast and shock. Our advanced material models and specialized nonlinear finite-element methods are extensively validated against explosive test data. Our work has contributed to the DoD’s Unified Facilities Criteria. U.S. GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION (GSA) FACILITIES After the 1995 bombing in Oklahoma City, we co-authored the NIST Best Practices report on disproportionatecollapse prevention. We developed software to accurately analyze the performance of curtain wall systems in response to bomb-blast loading, and we helped develop GSA, Interagency Security Committee and Public Building Services criteria for security and the prevention of disproportionate collapse.
Courtesy Kieran Timberlake, rendering by Studio amd
We provided protective design and structural engineering services for the new U.S. Embassy in London.
U.K. MINISTRY OF DEFENCE (MOD) We have provided specialist security consulting to MoD on more than 100 projects over 30 years. Our experience includes master planning and design for new-build projects as well as blast upgrades, physical and electronic security improvements. We also helped the MoD develop more effective hostile vehicle mitigation standards.
PETROCHEMICAL & OIL FACILITY ENGINEERING SERVICES
Petrochemical & Oil Facility Engineering Services
Photo Š Khunaspix
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PETROCHEMICAL & OIL FACILITY ENGINEERING SERVICES Thornton Tomasetti serves clients worldwide in the fields of structural and civil engineering, transportation/infrastructure, and advanced analysis for applied science research. A pioneer in the design of high-rise, long-span, fabric, blast-resistant and other special structures, the firm is also known for innovative bridge rehabilitation, blast and seismic design and retrofit, and development of software for government and private industry.
We set ourselves apart from traditional engineering companies by developing advanced simulation software that is widely used by government and industry in the United States and abroad. Combining theory, testing, investigation and practice, the firm’s continually expanding knowledge base of blast, shock, impact and nonlinear material behavior effects leads to better designs, enhancing the safety of the nation’s tall buildings, infrastructure, military assets, and petrochemical processing facilities. Our advanced analysis tools improve approaches to litigation and retrofits and produce risk analyses that increase the objectivity of decision-makers responsible for hazard and disaster mitigation planning.
SERVICES
Vapor-Cloud-Explosion Blast Estimates We perform blast-characterization analysis of deflagrations, deflagrationto-detonation transition and detonations for onshore and offshore facilities exposed to accidental hydrocarbon release. We use a variety of methods to accurately estimate building-envelope applied loads and line-of-site loads from vapor cloud explosions. Analytical approaches include the TNO multi-energy and BST methods. Our fast-running computational fluid dynamic (CFD) modeling method propagates VCE blast loads to account for shielding, channeling and reentrant corner effects not provided in line-of-site methodologies.
Building-Occupant Vulnerability Quantification We use sophisticated modeling to predict building-envelope damage – and the corresponding threat to occupants – caused by blast overpressure and impulse. The models include such factors as distribution of building occupants and hazards posed by exterior doors, punched windows and glass curtain walls.
Security-Vulnerability Assessments We perform security and vulnerability assessments for intentional chemical facility attacks. Our assessments also estimate blast, toxic, and fire hazards associated with these attacks. Accurate SVA results help facility owners and operators make appropriate adjustments to security measures and inventory quantities.
Strengthening of Occupied Buildings We design strengthening measures for new and existing occupied buildings, both on- and offshore, to meet quantitative-risk-assessment and consequence-based facility siting requirements, as mandated by OSHA PSM Regulation 29 CFR 1910.119 and API RP 752.
Quantitative Risk Assessment for Facility Siting We help our petrochemical and oil-services clients determine the best placement for structures and for building occupants within a facility by predicting the maximum risk – both individual and societal – of lethality. We evaluate risk based on construction type and estimated structural damage as determined by overpressure-impulse damage curves. We also produce revised damage curves based on building strengthening or retrofits to help our clients optimize facility-siting decisions.
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Petrochemical & Oil Facility Engineering Services
Accident Investigations Our specialized expertise in accident and forensic investigation includes site control; evidence collection; property loss, cause and origin; and root cause and expert witness investigation support for accidental vapor cloud and bursting-pressure-vessel explosions. We also perform life-expectancy and failure analyses for equipment affected by known metallurgical and weld deficiencies, including corrosion.
Hazard Mitigation: Blast, Fire, Toxic & Fragment Our hazard-mitigation services include shield design to mitigate fragmentimpact damage and perforation. We perform thermal-response analysis of shelter-in-place buildings under radiant-heat-flux and jet-impingement fire loads. And we design modifications to conventional building envelopes, such as strengthening to resist postulated peak applied-pressure and impulse loading and enhancements to increase thermal longevity and reduce toxic infiltration, to decrease risk to occupants.
Natural Hazard Mitigation: Wind and Earthquake We evaluate facilities for loads imposed by seismic and wind events and design retrofits to achieve satisfactory performance for structures, piping and other elements critical to plant operations. We also design retrofits and other modifications for combined accidental and natural risk mitigation.
Downhole Tool Verification Testing, Fragment Velocity & Blast Characterization We provide analysis to predict the characteristics of an accidental failure during tool testing in high-pressure and extreme high- and low-temperature environments that simulate downhole conditions. The resulting data are crucial to developing appropriate design criteria for test cells to protect test personnel. We use proprietary time-stepping software, along with 2D axis-symmetric and 3D CFD numerical calculations, to efficiently model fragment velocities and shock loading. Both approaches allow for moving rigid objects, such as moving flanges, end plugs, and failing walls, to better estimate nitrogen and water release under high pressure.
Design for High-Pressure/ Extreme-Temperature Test Cells We provide analysis and design for hardened test enclosures that are used to validate oil-services tool performance under extreme pressures and temperatures that simulate downhole conditions, to protect test personnel against unforeseen test fixture failures. We are experienced in the design of a variety of test cell types, including pits with hardened lids; walk-in test cells with and without roofs, to allow crane access; and tabletop coffins. We design cost-effective structural barriers to resist fragment perforation and blast loads, using proprietary nonlinear dynamic finite-element analysis calculations that enable efficient modeling.
PETROCHEMICAL VALUE CHAIN
Mitigating Hazards Throughout the Petrochemical and Oil Services Industries For more than 50 years, we have provided quality engineering, R&D, investigative, and field-testing services for clients handling explosive and flammable materials. We help clients understand and prioritize risks, and offer cost-effective solutions to help manage them.
Crude Oil
Natural Gas Exploration
Production
U PST REAM 4
Petrochemical & Oil Facility Engineering Services
Transpo Storag
M IDST
Fuel Gas NGLs Gasoline Naphtha Jet Fuel Fuel Oil Heavy Gas Oils Resident Fuel Asphalts Coke
ort & age
R EAM
Refining & Processing
PVC Polystyrene Ethylene HDPE Acrylics Epoxy Resins Rubber Polyester Nylon Fertilizer
Petrochemicals & Derivatives
DOW N S T REAM
Collaborative Innovation We believe that true success comes from the spirited sharing of knowledge, insights and ideas. We collaborate across disciplines, teams and regions – working with each other and with our clients to generate the best possible solutions together. Here, “the way it’s been done before” never limits us when doing things differently means doing them better. Lasting Impact Our mission is to bring our clients’ ideas to life. But our work’s impact reaches beyond our clients. It also affects communities. That’s why we always think about the greater implications of our projects. We not only offer services that directly address security, sustainability and resilience, we also seek opportunities to incorporate these solutions into all the work we do.
50+ offices worldwide www.ThorntonTomasetti.com thorntontomasetti thornton-tomasetti ttinc
12 / 2018
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Building Solutions