Downtown Women's Center
434 South San Pedro St.
Los Angeles, CA
The adaptive reuse of this 80 year old building required that the building be brought up to 2008 Los Angeles Building Code in order to accommodate the change in use to residential. Code challenges included extensive structural reinforcement, handicap accessibility, fire-rated corridors, state-of-the-art fire/life-safety systems, and new HVAC/ electrical systems.
The building is a reinforced concrete structure. A performance-based structural analysis was performed utilizing multiple Linear Dynamic Procedures and Non-linear Static Procedures (Push-over Analyses) to identify weak elements and to correct critical systems. Rehabilitation, guided in all aspects by the Secretary of the Interior's Standards, included new concrete shear walls, existing column strengthening utilizing a carbon-fiber composite wrapping system, and a foundation augmentation including new friction piles and concrete grade beams to resist the increased overturning forces. The new concrete shear walls and foundations were designed to resist all expected seismic forces without relying on the existing, non-ductile shear walls nor the original spread footing foundations.
The building is a reinforced concrete structure. A performance-based structural analysis was performed utilizing multiple Linear Dynamic Procedures and Non-linear Static Procedures (Push-over Analyses) to identify weak elements and to correct critical systems. Rehabilitation, guided in all aspects by the Secretary of the Interior's Standards, included new concrete shear walls, existing column strengthening utilizing a carbon-fiber composite wrapping system, and a foundation augmentation including new friction piles and concrete grade beams to resist the increased overturning forces. The new concrete shear walls and foundations were designed to resist all expected seismic forces without relying on the existing, non-ductile shear walls nor the original spread footing foundations.
Winner of Los Angeles Conservancy 2011 Preservation Award
National Trust for Historic Preservation 2011 Honor Award
Structural Engineers Association of Southern California,
2012 Excellence in Structural Engineering Merit Award
and LEED Silver Award
National Trust for Historic Preservation 2011 Honor Award
Structural Engineers Association of Southern California,
2012 Excellence in Structural Engineering Merit Award
and LEED Silver Award