Foster/White Gallery Seismic Upgrade

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Integrated Design Engineers provided structural engineering services for the seismic evaluation and retrofit of a 100-year-old unreinforced masonry building. The registered historical building was occupied by a private art gallery on the ground floor and the Seattle Fire Marshal’s Office on the upper floor. 

Due to the original unreinforced masonry of the building, we needed to ensure the building’s exterior would remain intact during an earthquake, and that the new system would be compatible with the existing structure and prevent damage to the historical masonry. Our design also needed to be resource efficient for construction during the economic recession.

To meet the client’s primary objective both on time and on budget, we engineered a solution with shotcrete on the lower level and the placement of new steel brace frames on the upper level.

Project Overview

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Owner/Occupant: Foster/White Gallery; Seattle Fire Department

Location: Seattle, Washington