The original, 2-story, 42,000 square foot, Computer and Statistics building built in 1971 was transformed into the campus’s Health Sciences Teaching Center as part of the new School of Medicine. As part of the UC Regents Policy on Seismic Safety for continued use of their older building structures, the existing building was required to attain a “Good” seismic rating. As part of the renovation project, seismic strengthening measures were taken in order to achieve the “Good” seismic rating as agreed to with the University Peer Review.
Saiful Bouquet performed a detailed evaluation of the existing building’s seismic system to determine potential weaknesses and provided recommendations as part of the renovation work contained in the DPP. Saiful Bouquet designed the seismic strengthening work that included the addition of new concrete shear walls with deep foundations at the east and west ends of the building. The introduction of the new shear walls reduced the seismic demand on the existing non-ductile, non-compliant concrete piers and also provided a reliable and ductile system not present in the original configuration. The placement of the new shear walls on the exterior of the building provided an elegant solution that was architecturally expressed with exposed concrete and which did not reduce the interior floor area from the new wall thicknesses.
