If only these walls could talk

Collman & Karsky does much of its work in coastal Florida, designing mission-critical facilities that are hurricane-hardened, meaning they’re resistant to high winds, flooding, and the impact of large airborne missile debris—flying chunks of wood and metal, even whole pieces of rooftop HVAC equipment. For one recent project, a renovation of the Sarasota Emergency Data Center, Collman & Karsky used Wellbilt’s Sure-Board Wall Panel, a modular, panelized wall system, to create a bunker able to withstand a Category 5 hurricane.

Karsky says the product was very clean and easy to install and required no cutting of floor slabs. “We were on an extremely tight time frame, and because it was modular, the walls could be set up quickly, allowing the other trades to come in and start working.” The modular system also cost “a little bit less” compared to concrete block or poured-in-place concrete, he says.

Hasan S. Arouri, PE, principal and senior structural project engineer for TLC Engineering for Architecture in Orlando, also attests to the benefits of the Wellbilt system: “The panels are tested and certified as hurricane-resistant, impact-resistant, and blast-resistant products, adequate and cost-effective to provide additional protection and strength for buildings located in high-velocity hurricane zones.”

TLC used them to harden the walls of the Florida Supreme Court Building in Tallahassee. Arouri says the technology provided a lightweight solution that strengthened the existing walls, enhancing their capacity to resist lateral hurricane wind pressures and providing blast-wall protection without the need for a lot of additional footings. The panels also allowed the building’s historic façade to be preserved.

U.S. Army Fort Knox: Using the Earth for space heating and cooling. The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) facilitates the Federal Government’s implementation of sound, cost-effective energy management and investment practices to enhance the nation’s energy security and environmental stewardship.

| Jun 27, 2012

HDR opens office in Beijing

The Beijing office is HDR’s second location in China; the firm’s other office is in Shanghai.

The $54 million, 203,000-sf AFRC facility in Middletown, Conn.

| Jun 27, 2012

KBE Building wins honor for Armed Forces Reserve Center

The construction phase was completed in just 16 months.

| Jun 27, 2012

SOM’s Baker receives honorary doctorate in engineering from Heriot-Watt University

Baker recognized for his career and influential contribution in the field of structural engineering.

Chicago is known for its green roofs but has few green walls, a trend that began

| Jun 25, 2012

Living green wall planned for InterContinental Chicago

Project, with price tag of $2 million to $3 million, needs council approval.

| Jun 25, 2012

AIA-NJ honors DMR Architects

The academic building, completed in 2009, provides classrooms, computer labs, faculty offices, and meeting spaces for the College, which has a steady 7% annual increase in enrollment.