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Incoming students at the University of California, Berkeley’s GRIME GRIME CENTER 95 million I could probably learn one thing or two about its field chosen from the building’s construction.
Built in the heart of the Berkeley Hills Campus with a view to the Bay of San Francisco, an area prone to seismic activity, the structure of 35,500 square feet was above a 45 -year -old library that had changed up to 8 inches from its original location over the years.
Also sat only 1,300 feet from the Hayward fault, a geographical feature that inspired the The “Haywired” scenario of the US Geological Survey, Based on the possibility of a significant earthquake.
Erik Russell
Courtesy of XL Construction
That unique location and design meant that Milpitas, XL Construction, based in California, had to align the new and old buildings from top to bottom, building around a 275 tonne crane that sat in the existing library.
Given the future seismic movement, the structure also used what XL describes as a first place in the memory of structural cable memory (prototype tested on the UC Berkeley campus) to optimize safety and performance in the event of an earthquake.
Here, XL Senior Superintendent, Erik Russell, talks to Construction Dive about the challenges of this unique project and how it came about an existing structure in one with seismic implications in mind.
This interview was published by brevity and clarity.
Construction division: What were the biggest challenges of this project?
Erik Russell: This project faced the unique challenge of integrating a 1979 concrete building with a modern addition that requires up to a change of 8 inches of alignment.
Structural continuity depended on accurately coinciding with 20 existing concrete columns, despite discrepancies in 45 -year -old documents and conditions.
An interior representation of the engineering center.
Courtesy of XL Construction
Our team discovered that the building was not aligned with the true north or the surface of the Earth, and some network lines do not coincide with the original drawings. To overcome it, we had to turn the new structure with respect to the site and perform a more appropriate calculation. Essentially, we performed “exploratory surgery” to determine how the new structure could be better at the top of the existing structure, maintaining a positive and non -destructive interaction with existing column reinforcement components.
One of the main priorities for the client was to preserve the original Kresge Engineering library, which remained in its place when the team built the new structure on top. The project team used structural traffic solutions to carefully preserve and incorporate the existing building, fusing past and future architecture with accuracy and care.
XL is headquartered in the heart of Silicon Valley. What role did technology play in this project?
The complex structure required a wide coordination of construction information modeling. Spare and overlapping 2D helped identify discrepancies, ensuring the alignment with the model.
The project used the BIM model to align old and new components.
Courtesy of XL Construction
Although the basement and half of the level 1 were not shaped BIM, the rest of the building, including the prefabricated components of structural steel from outside the state, was very confident in BIM. The modeling was critical of the interior authorizations, the coordination of height and the detection of collisions, especially given the density of the MEP systems that went through structural steel elements. BIM coordination was successful in preserving the integrity of architectural characteristics, allowing them to remain exactly where the design indicated despite structural complexity and systems.
This building on a building is only 1,300 feet from Hayward’s main fault. How did your design and engineering take into account?
The project designer – Skidmore, Owings and Merrill – incorporated form alloy cables into a system of voltage bars exposed for seismic resilience.
Form of memory alloy cables.
Courtesy of XL Construction
The system allows the structure to absorb energy during earthquakes and the egoocador later, reducing damage and improving safety. Prototype tests were performed at the neighboring Davis Hall testing at UC Berkeley. XL Construction was the first to install the SMA Rod voltage system.
What happens to the place itself, I understand that it was quite tight. How did you deal with these restrictions?
Sailing the logistics in this narrow place in the heart of the UC Berkeley campus required expert coordination. The project team executed the steel erection by means of a 275 tonne crane located in the existing building.
The structure was essentially built around the crane, adding complexity to the movement of the material. The precise steel tolerance building and a double design of channels C require the commitment of highly qualified welders from all over the country.
