Providence, RI

Veterans Administration Medical Center, Building 35

Scope/Solutions

The Center for Neurorestoration and Neurotechnology Research is housed in Building 35 at the Veterans Administration’s Medical Center (VAMC) in Providence, Rhode Island. The VAMC undertook a project to expand the facility with a two-story addition plus a basement on the east side of the building, extending over a steep hill. SGH served as the structural engineer of record for the new addition, which houses laboratories, offices for staff and graduate students, conference areas, and space for storage and utilities.

SGH designed the steel-framed structure and its foundations to be structurally independent from the existing building, with a seismic separation joint to permit differential movements between the two structures. Highlights of our design include the following:

  • Stepped foundation to accommodate the very steep slope and a walkout basement level on the east side
  • Braced frames that and are exposed in certain areas of the new space and support the large cantilevering floor on the upper levels
  • Upper levels cantilevering over the basement level to maximize the square footage of the addition, while keeping the building primarily supported at the top of the steep slope to minimize costs

Project Summary

Icon: completion-date

2018

Completion Date
Icon: construction-value

6M

Construction Value
Icon: building-size

90K

Project Size
Solutions
New Construction
Services
Structures
Markets
Health Care & Life Sciences
Client(s)
e4h
Specialized Capabilities
Building Design

Key team members

John Thomsen
Managing Principal, New Structural Design, Boston
781.907.9351 jhthomsen@sgh.com
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Michael Bolduc
Associate Principal
781.907.9247 mjbolduc@sgh.com

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