Structural Engineers
This building was originally planned as a four-story structure with a penthouse totaling 80K SF. During the design phase, it was reworked into a three-story, 60K SF building with no penthouse. The open floor plan and perimeter windows drove the lateral design to use moment frames, and the bolted SidePlate® moment connection was chosen to reduce steel tonnage (~350 tons) and eliminate field welding, saving erection time. The project team included Peterson Associates as design architects and MEP engineers, with Robins & Morton as the CM@Risk contractor.
The structural model was shared with the detailer several times during design. By the time the scope shifted to three stories, about 85% of the detailing was complete. Instead of concurrent shop drawings, a structural BIM takeoff (including SidePlate and base plate materials) was provided for fabricator bids. After the redesign, CM Steel was selected, and within a week, preferences for shop and fabrication processes were reviewed. The final package was delivered to CM Steel only six weeks after notice to proceed—significantly faster than the traditional timeline. There were no RFIs related to structural steel, and a discrepancy with stair details was resolved in two days through direct coordination with the architect, streamlining a traditionally lengthy process.
"This was by far the best experience I have had in a long time. [The elimination of the RFI process] saved a tremendous amount of time." – Greg Sain, Project Manager (CM Steel)
