West Bank
Nablus Sports Arena
Scope/Solutions
The Nablus Sports Arena, sponsored in part by USAID, is a multi-sport and fitness complex planned for Nablus residents and area sports clubs. The arena was designed to include a 1700-seat basketball court that could accommodate a variety of other sports, concession area, kids play zone, locker rooms, and other supporting spaces. It will also serve as an emergency shelter meeting local and U.S. building code requirements. SGH peer reviewed the structural and building enclosure designs for the arena to provide additional quality assurance for the project. Construction is currently on hold.
SGH peer reviewed the proposed design for the arena, which is sited in a high-seismic area. The structure, with construction types common to the local area, comprises cast-in-place concrete frames, a long-span steel roof, and adhered stone veneer exterior walls. We evaluated whether the design generally conforms with the International Building Code (IBC) and worked with the design team to resolve discrepancies between the IBC and local building and design practices. Highlights of our work include the following:
- Reviewed drawings, specifications, analytical models, and calculations for general conformance to IBC
- Researched local practices for adhered stone veneer construction and evaluated those that deviated from provisions in IBC
- Evaluated the seismic performance of building expansion joints and how they would affect the long-span steel roof structure and overall movement during a seismic event
- Participated in teleconference meetings with the design team to discuss our comments and resolve design concerns
- Prepared a report for the project team summarizing our comments related to IBC compliance and the final resolution
Project Summary
Key team members
