Degenkolb Helps Facilitate Largest Concrete Pour Sequence in Coachella Valley History
All Night Project Begins at Sunset
RANCHO MIRAGE, CA (July 20, 2007) —Six hundred cement trucks made their way through the desert heat Friday evening in preparation for a record-breaking concrete pour sequence designed by Degenkolb Engineers, the structural engineering firm heading design of the new Walter and Leonore Annenberg Pavilion operated by Eisenhower Medical Center. The pour sequence represents the largest in Coachella Valley history, beginning at 7:00 p.m. on Friday and continuing until approximately 10:00 a.m. the following day. To ensure complete seismic stability of the new pavilion, strict coordination among the 600 truck drivers and 20 inspectors on site was made to comply with the precise measurements specified by Degenkolb.
Awarded the contract in February 2004, the design team led by Moon Mayoras Architects and supported by Degenkolb Engineers in tandem with Turner Construction sought to bring this new 250,000 square foot, four-story, special concentric braced frame building to life. Poor soil conditions necessitated the use of a mat foundation system in order for the medical center to comply with the state requirements for seismic safety mandated by OSHPD. The project was brought about by SB-1953, which requires all acute care hospitals in the state of California to evaluate and report on the structural and nonstructural safety of all their hospital buildings. This building will replace services that are provided in a building that will be decommissioned. The new facility will prevent Eisenhower Medical Center from closing following any sizeable seismic activity and will put them in compliance with Senate Bill 1953. With construction costs approximated at $150 million, the project, centered on a mat foundation system, functions as a cost-effective solution to the poor soil conditions at the site. The entire project cost is estimated at $212 million.
“We are very proud to be working with the medical center on a project of this magnitude,” said Brenda Guyader the project manager from Degenkolb Engineers. “The pour sequence is an exciting and rather unique milestone in the building process. Degenkolb prides itself in working with clients to find safe and cost-effective alternatives to conventional solutions that may not apply to every structural problem.”
The braced frame lateral system was positioned in the building to minimize the impact on occupant flow and to provide a robust response to expected seismic demands. The concrete foundation, amounting to 23 million pounds, contained a mixture of cement, aggregates (crushed stone and gravel) and water poured over two layers of thick rebar, which are crisscrossed and spaced two feet apart. Anchor bolts measuring three inches in diameter and seven feet in length were placed at all gridline locations to bolt the steel structure to the foundation.
Larger than any other project of its kind in the entire desert area, the pour required a convoy of 600 trucks hauling concrete from two local plants in Thousand Palms and Indio, five concrete boom pumps with two standing by, six pack back concrete vibrators with six additional standing by all to ensure proper consolidation of the five foot thick mat slab.
Rapid growth in the Coachella Valley and higher patient demands will be met with a net gain of 65 beds for a total of 160 in the new facility. The patient rooms will serve as an extension of the existing hospital’s ICU and CCU to accompany other inpatient care and administrative offices. Access to the new building will be facilitated by a three-story bridge structure connecting it to an adjacent existing wing.
“Pouring the foundation of the new Walter and Leonore Annenberg Pavilion is a momentous phase of construction—not only for Eisenhower Medical Center, but also the Coachella Valley,” says G. Aubrey Serfling, Eisenhower Medical Center President and Chief Executive Officer. “This milestone represents Eisenhower’s commitment to offering the best in patient care for years to come.”
Scheduled for completion near November 2008, the structure will be able to house new patients, doctors and nurses as soon as October 19, 2009.
About Degenkolb
Established in 1940, Degenkolb Engineers is one of the nation’s leading structural engineering firms in the design and seismic strengthening of buildings. Degenkolb offers comprehensive design, rehabilitation, and consulting services to architects, building owners, hospitals, educational institutions, corporations and government agencies. The firm has offices in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Oakland, San Diego, Portland and Seattle.
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