Biomedical Production Facility

Highlights of our structural design include the following:

• Pile-supported mat slab foundation to accommodate the heavy structure and achieve the tolerances required for the precision equipment with a soft-soil site
• Tilt-up concrete walls constructed in 55 ft tall by 20 ft wide panels
• Lateral load-resisting system comprising the tilt-up panels designed as special reinforced concrete shear walls
• Three 10 ft deep by 148 ft long steel trusses that provide a large column-free space
• Roof framing, comprising wide-flange beams spanning more than 100 ft, chosen to avoid the long-lead times for open-web steel joists that would have affected the construction schedule
• Staggered splices in the beams to facilitate shipping constraints
• A second-floor mezzanine with special concentric braced frames for lateral resistance

SGH also consulted on the design of below-grade waterproofing, which was especially important for production areas housing operation-critical equipment that needed to be protected from moisture and water infiltration.