A BIANNUAL PUBLICATION FROM COUGHLIN PORTER LUNDEEN REVIEWING ALL THINGS AEC AND PACIFIC NORTHWEST TABLE OF CONTENTS ED. NO. 5 | SUMMER 2019 2 5 7 7 FEATURED FEATURED ARTICLE ESTELITA’S KIOSK: A TINY CULTURAL FROM THE FIELD: EXTRAORDINARY ON THE CALENDAR SPACE DREAMED, DESIGNED AND BUILT BY RESEARCH SPACES A snapshot of upcoming industry events, AEC Highlights from projects that showcase creative conferences, and PNW happenings. THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST’S STUDENTS Local non-profit Sawhorse Revolution helps programming for research facilities. Featuring LATEST CODE UPDATES foster confident, community-oriented youth UW Life Sciences Building, WSU Troy Hall and We breakdown some of the through the power of making. the VA Mental Health and Research Facility. region’s most important code changes, summarizing the new requirements, providing insights into how these changes will affect the industry, and recommending how our AEC partners can be prepared. 8 Each edition, we dive into some of AEC’s most compelling topics, PIKE PLACE PICKS featuring content that reveals Back by popular demand, we’ve assembled our what’s inspiring us, exciting us, resident foodies’ favorite establishments in Pike and keeping us on our toes. Place Market. FEATURED ARTICLE / THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST’S LATEST CODE UPDATES SEISMIC CODE CHANGES THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST’S 1 BRYAN ZAGERS LATEST CODE UPDATES Contributing Authors: Zach Whitman & Carson Baker Bryan is one of the firm’s foremost experts in seismic retrofits, In the last 30 years, seismic codes have been trending toward higher Codes affect all that we do as engineers. Designed providing flexible, creative, and visionary designs for facilities requirements, evolving by tiny percentages at a time. But next summer that exceed life-safety standards. He contributes to seismic (July 2020) the building code for new construction will change to regulate methods, materials and processes, code development as chair of the SEAW State Existing Buildings Committee. He brings a collaborative approach to design that drastically, increasing seismic requirements by 30 to 100 percent. It’s an code is essential to keeping communities safe and consistently delivers thoughtful structural solutions that address unprecedented jump that goes far beyond the standard changes (that an owner’s goals, budget, and schedule requirements. only us code nerds find fascinating). The updates are significant and will ensuring practical, well-counseled industry growth. [email protected] be felt industry-wide, especially here in the Pacific Northwest. While essential, code can also be confusing, especially as it’s nuanced and constantly changing. 1. What’s driving these changes? Why varies by jurisdiction, so it’s the Puget Sound. Previously, only 5. What can teams do to prepare for However, significant code changes are on the such a great jump in requirements? important for the project team to buildings on liquefiable soils required the July 2020 code change? Engage And why now? These are national discuss. This means something such analysis. This may mean working your structural engineer early! We’ll horizon in the Pacific Northwest, and all need to changes driven one hundred percent different for each stakeholder. with the geotechnical engineer earlier help determine if/how your project pay attention. Projected changes will influence the by geology and ground motion. Owners should be prepared for in the design process. will be impacted by the local geologic Because of our geology and location, increased building costs. Architects research and national code changes. way we build in the region, particularly in three the new requirements have a huge should expect impacts on lateral 4. What’s happening behind the categories: seismic, unreinforced masonry (URM) impact here. Not only does our region system layouts. Some previously scenes on seismic code committees? You can also schedule a presentation have some of the most unique seismic acceptable offset core layouts may What are the challenges you with us! The presentation we created and wood. geology in the country (Its proximity need to be supplemented with anticipate? Recent local research, like to prepare our internal team for to the Cascadia Fault off the additional perimeter elements or UW’s M9 project, has given seismic the coming code changes has been Washington coast, as well as the deep replaced with a centered system. As committees like SEAW’s Earthquake adapted so it’s a fit for your project In the following Q+A, our in-house experts glacial deposits of the Seattle Basin structural engineers, we’re preparing Engineering Committee, new data team. We’d be happy to host you or which amplify seismic waves from for increased structure cost by to evaluate and contend with. As the coordinate an office visit. help break down some of the most important Tacoma to Everett), but new research exploring solutions that we believe national and local code cycles merge code changes in the region, summarizing the has yielded findings that weren’t can mitigate negative impact through this year, the greatest challenge is considered in previous code cycles. creative layouts and advanced timing. Committees must make sure new requirements, providing insights into how Additionally, the current code cycle is analytical techniques. Additionally, research is correctly represented both these changes will affect the industry, and especially unique as it coincides with we’ll use new approaches with time- locally and nationally. the major seismic code evaluation tested technologies like seismic recommending how our AEC partners can be that occurs every five to ten years. It’s dampers – shock absorbers for We’re looking forward, working on prepared. a double whammy of sorts. earthquakes. proposals which refine the seismic code and doing our best to infer 2. With the code dropping next 3. What’s an example of a new where ongoing research will lead us. summer (July 2020), what should requirement? A site-specific PART 1 - SEISMIC CODE CHANGES owners, architects and AEC geotechnical analysis will now be PART 2 - URM CODE CHANGES professionals expect? First, it’s required for most buildings on softer PART 3 - WOOD DESIGN CODE CHANGES important to understand the timeline soils which are common place in for projects starting now that may be permitted under new code. Vesting THE REDLINE | 2 FEATURED ARTICLE / THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST’S LATEST CODE UPDATES 2 URM CODE CHANGES REBECCA HIX COLLINS Contributing Author: Tyler Weinbrecht 1. For those who may be unfamiliar, owner decides to alter a building, not triggered, so building owners 5. What do you consider the biggest As a firm, Coughlin Porter Lundeen has an extensive URM why are URM buildings so that alteration “triggers” a series of will face increased costs (financing misunderstanding when it comes to resume and has evaluated and retrofitted countless Pacific Northwest buildings. Leading many of these programs is dangerous? URM buildings are seismic upgrades intended to bring a retrofit and construction) as well Seattle’s URM buildings? Rebecca Hix Collins, a Senior Structural Project Manager. Her dangerous as a class because the the building up to current standards. as potential loss of revenue as We often hear that a building resume includes retrofits of the King County Courthouse, brick is brittle in an earthquake. It’s There are five different triggers, called they relocate tenants. The city is must be fine because it has been Palladian Hotel, and State Hotel, and alongside Terry also heavy, so all of its mass is prone the Substantial Alterations Provisions. challenged with supporting so many through earthquakes before — Lundeen, she’s been involved in writing national provisions for evaluation and retrofitting. to move and fall. Not only are the The city’s interpretation is always different owners, and accommodating this is not the case. Past Pacific [email protected] brick, load-bearing walls a recipe for evolving so it’s best to partner with a Seattle’s many historic buildings. For Northwest earthquakes have been full collapse, but often these walls firm who understands both the city this reason, this ordinance has been smaller, deeper underground, and aren’t attached to the floors, leading and the provisions very well. slow, even stalled, for some time. farther away than the potential big Seattle is considering a mandatory ordinance demanding to wall-to-floor separation. earthquakes that can hit the Seattle the retrofitting of all unreinforced masonry (URM) buildings. 3. What are the biggest challenges 4. What advice can you provide to region. California adopted a similar mandate a decade ago, and 2. You talk to clients and partners presented by this ordinance? owners and architects? Portland followed a few years later. In a way, Seattle is behind about this topic all the time. What As structural engineers, we know Most importantly, hire a contractor You can learn more about Seattle’s the times compared to other major West Coast cities. But the is the URM item you find yourself URM buildings are dangerous; experienced in URM retrofits — it will upcoming URM changes here: implications of such a rule are widespread, as a study identified explaining most often? I do have we know what the issues are, we save you money and time in the long more than 1100 Seattle-area buildings requiring retrofits. a URM conversation about once know how to fix them. But we also run. It’s also important to evaluate seattle.gov/sdci/codes/changes- Balancing safe buildings with manageable requirements for a week! Currently, in Seattle, all understand the complexities of this buildings early, allowing time to to-code/unreinforced-masonry- building owners is a challenge that will take the efforts of the seismic upgrade requirements are brand of ordinance. The ordinance will identify issues, plan as a full project buildings entire community. triggered. This means if a building make building upgrades mandatory, team, and find creative solutions.