Woodstock, GA -- (SBWIRE) -- 08/05/2013 -- Innovative Engineering, Inc., (IEI), a structural engineer in Atlanta, GA, was recently retained by Toland Mizell Molnar LLC on behalf of the Department of Veterans Affairs to conduct a structural evaluation and prepare rehabilitation plans for the original hospital “Building One” located at the Bruce W. Carter VA Medical Center in Miami, Florida. The 793,206 square foot facility was originally designed in 1964 as a 1062 bed medical facility but currently only utilizes about 345 beds. Two thirds of the hospital rooms are now used for more intense, high occupancy uses such as waiting rooms, retail areas, training rooms, offices and storage rooms—all with a higher rate of occupants and equipment per square foot than originally designed. The result increased loads on floor slabs, creating the need for conducting a professional engineering structural condition assessment.
Additionally, the VA Medical Center Miami was designed prior to structural code requirements specifically for Florida and/or Florida hurricanes. Miami is located in a sub?tropical climate on the Southeast coast of Florida with low physical elevation, high humidity and weather subject to the possibility of hurricanes, cyclones, tropical storms, and flooding for about half of the year. Between 1950 and 2008 Southeast Florida was hit by numerous storms, three Category 3 hurricanes, one Category 4 hurricane and one Category 5 hurricane (Hurricane Andrew in 1992 with winds over 155 mph), according to the National Climatic Data Center. Therefore, because Florida structures built in 1964 were typically designed for less wind loading; the structure will require an analysis using current standards to ensure the safety of the building occupants.
The need for a Structural Condition Assessment and Rehabilitation Plan is typically based on a variety of factors including the need to examine and diagnose for needed maintenance, repair and rehabilitation; adaptive reuse of facilities; retrofitting for code compliance; and increased physical security. All structures can deteriorate with time as the result of repeated loadings, exposure to the elements, aging materials, wear-and-tear, abuse, inadequate maintenance; or errors in the original design, shortcomings in construction, or imperfections in materials. IEI’s in-depth structural examination of the facility will include visual observation, field measuring, photographing, probing and sampling, field and laboratory testing, numerical analyses, checking code-compliance, thorough documentation and report preparation. Once developed, IEI’s Structural Condition Report and Rehabilitation Plan will provide a forum to address changes including a phased process for correcting deficiencies, required alterations and/or strengthening and provide preliminary construction estimates.
About IEI
Innovative Engineering Inc. (IEI) is an award winning and nationally recognized structural engineering firm. Headquartered in Georgia, the company has successfully completed unique and challenging projects throughout the country. IEI provides quality, thorough, coordinated and well documented custom structural engineering services to discerning clients. Accurate and complete structural condition assessments including as-built surveying is one of the firm’s many specialties. As a medium size firm the company is large enough to handle most any project but small enough to ensure principal oversight and quality control reviews. Please visit our services and projects pages to view our diverse project experience. For more information, visit: Innovative Engineering Inc.| Structural Engineer Atlanta
Media Contact
Scott L. Weiland, PE
Innovative Engineering, Inc.
Woodstock, GA
(770) 517-5507
sweiland@ieiusa.com