New Senior Center in Glendale Heights
The groundbreaking for the Glendale Heights’ new Senior Center was held in March, 2009. This new facility will expand the space and programs for the growing needs of their over 62 population. The Village is funding the project with the sale of bonds. They selected the architectural firm of Williams Architects as the team leader, along with W-T Civil Engineering, LLC and W-T Mechanical / Electrical Engineering, LLC to manage the structural and mechanical/ electrical/plumbing engineers for the project.
The single-story, 10,000-square-foot building will contain a multipurpose room, arts and crafts space, a fitness center, a library, a game room and numerous other program activity areas. The Village and the design team dedicated many hours working together to develop the ideal aesthetics for the building. The result was a blending of natural materials such as masonry, stone and wood to compliment the “open” feeling with a generous use of glass windows to provide abundant natural lighting.
Elevation of the Senior Center
The exposed architectural wood beams, joists and tongue and groove roof planking located in some of the rooms will provide the necessary structural support and the desired “natural” ambience. The design team balanced the placement of these natural materials into the exterior finishes only revealing the building’s structural elements in order to capture that desired appeal.
3D View of Structural Framing Using REVIT
The large amount of open exterior wall area, the varying roof heights, and the extended soffits of the building provided numerous challenges. In order to provide the lateral stability of the building and maintain the unobstructed visibility and sufficient day lighting, a combination of wood shear walls and steel moment frames was utilized. The lightweight wood material reduced the seismic design loads significantly lowering the roof diaphragm decking and associated framing costs. After reviewing alternate materials, the design team decided that the selection of wood proposed for this facility was an excellent choice, satisfying both the imposed architectural and structural requirements.
The building support system was developed using the AutoCAD REVIT Building Information System (BIM). By processing the structural element design with the RISA Building System computer software, it integrated seamlessly for a final design that met the performance and economic expectations of the development team.
Structural Wood for Commercial Projects
W-T Civil Engineering staff recently attended a Wood Works Workshop where presenters and participants discussed the many benefits and applications of wood construction in commercial projects. Did you know that approximately 95% of all structures built in the United States include wood? Some of our recent commercial projects with structural wood framing include:
Panda Express in Oswego, IL
This specialty fast food restaurant includes 2 x 6 stud framing exterior bearing / shear walls (with brick veneer) and exposed prefabricated wood roof joists.
BP c-store in Lockport, IL
BP’s am / pm convenience store includes 2 x 6 stud framing walls (with stone, brick, and EIFS exterior), parallam wood columns and headers, and exposed prefabricated wood roof joists.
BP c-store in Glenview, IL
BP’s am / pm convenience store includes 2 x 6 stud framing walls (with brick and stucco exterior), parallam wood columns and headers, and exposed prefabricated wood roof joists.
Fox Valley Dialysis Center in Yorkville, IL
The Fox Valley Dialysis Medical Center Facility includes 2 x 6 stud framing interior and exterior bearing / shear walls, parallam and microlam columns and headers, and prefabricated wood roof trusses.
With our expertise in wood framing we are able to assist you in developing lower cost options for your next project. We can demonstrate how using wood can expedite your schedule, provide an architecturally appealing facility without sacrificing durability or performance, and help sustain our environment by using one of nature’s most renewable building materials.
Our Professional Team
W-T Civil Engineering adds another staff member to the ranks of a “Professional Engineer.” Todd Abrams, P.E. passed the rigorous Professional Engineer’s Exam and is now a Licensed Professional Engineer in the State of Illinois. Congratulations Todd!
W-T Civil Engineering’s highly qualified staff of 14 team members includes: five (5) licensed professional engineers, one (1) licensed structural engineer, one (1) licensed land surveyor, and five (5) registered engineering interns (soon-to-be P.E.s) who are ready to design your next project. Please contact us to see how we may assist you.