FM Science And Technology Center

SGH served as the structural engineer of record for the building with a steel-framed superstructure and structural base slab supported on drilled micropiles. The design includes:

• Heights varying from four to five stories, multistory transfers, and below-grade parking
• A testing floor served by an overhead crane with ground- and ceiling-mounted equipment anchors
• A two-story mechanical penthouse and 40 ft roof-mounted exhaust stacks
• A 200 ft cantilevered canopy that curves along the connecting walkway

SGH consulted on the building enclosure design, including below-grade and terrace waterproofing, roofing, and unitized and custom-fabricated curtain walls with faceted aluminum panels for the expansive curved wall profiles. Highlights of our work include:

• Evaluating the design for airtightness, watertightness, thermal performance, condensation resistance, and constructibility
• Developing approaches for reducing thermal bridging to comply with the energy code requirements, including complex expansion joint details
• Conducting air barrier adhesion testing, curtain wall water testing, plaza flood testing, and whole-building air-leakage testing to support the commissioning efforts and demonstrate the building enclosure meets performance goals

For the five-story parking garage, SGH developed the structural and functional design, and coordinated the work of other subconsultants. The 930-car garage, which is constructed over a geothermal field, includes one on-grade level and a four-story precast concrete superstructure with an attached steel-framed enclosed stair tower.