The Hotel Durant, built in 1929, is listed on the City of Berkeley Landmark Preservation List. A year after construction, the hotel added an east wing for a total of 145 guest rooms. SGH was retained by prospective owners to identify seismic vulnerabilities and develop conceptual retrofits and cost estimates for the hotel. After the building was purchased, SGH designed a seismic retrofit.
The six-story Hotel Durant is constructed with cast-in-place reinforced concrete walls, columns, and beams and wood infill floors. Located less than a mile from the Hayward Fault, the hotel is susceptible to strong earthquake ground motions.
The owner established that the retrofit criteria should include occupant safety and limit the risk of earthquake damage to eliminate the need for earthquake insurance. Highlights of SGH’s work for this project include the following:
Determining expected seismic performance and identifying critical structural deficiencies
Proposing a seismic strengthening program to improve the building’s seismic performance and reduce post-earthquake repair costs
Developing cost-effective solutions to meet the owner’s needs, retain the building’s historic features, and minimize occupant disruption during renovations
Estimating retrofit costs to help the hotel budget for the work
Providing structural engineering services associated with upgrading and renovating the hotel
