Our projects in "Structural" category

12th East Apartments- Salt Lake City, Utah

The 12th East Apartments consist of two three-story apartment buildings that are connected by a concrete balcony walkway that spans the two buildings, and an exterior stair system. Each apartment was designed to be structurally independent from a seismic perspective, which presented challenges when designing the concrete walkway connection. FOCUS engineers developed a structural expansion system that allows for lateral drift so that each building can move independently while still being connected. This solution met all code requirements and was detailed in a way that made it cost efficient and easy to construct.

CC Bank Office Building- Pleasant Grove, Utah

FOCUS engineers did the full scope of structural work for the three-story, 20,600-square-foot office building for CC Bank. This is the first of five or six buildings that will be constructed in the Battle Creek Business Park. The architect’s vision for the building presented some structural design challenges. Primarily, there was a large amount of glass in the exterior design, which created some torsional irregularities and pushed the limit of capacity of the masonry shear walls. Working closely with the architect, FOCUS was ultimately able to balance the building’s structural and design requirements, resulting in building that is not only structurally sound, but also aesthetically pleasing and in line with the architect’s vision and the tenant’s wishes.

Wilde Residence- Salt Lake County, Utah

FOCUS provided full structural plans and calculations for a single-family home in East Canyon Estates. The residence was designed using distinctive design elements including curved study walls and complex steel work. The use of the steel beams brings a defining architectural element to the home. Exposed steel beams support the angled roof of the great room. High above the circular living space is a suspended circular roof supported by the roof above with curved steel beams. The design of curved walls posed a challenge for FOCUS structural engineers. It required unique analysis and detailing of structural members to account for the irregularity.

Gagan Residence- Charleston, Utah

The Highland Group hired FOCUS to provide structural engineering for his new two-story, 10,024 SF custom home. The front entry features a unique staircase design, encircled by a silo-like frame. For this distinctive element, the FOCUS team used curved beams; accurate load calculations were imperative to the design. The custom staircase within was designed with steel stringers to complete the overall design aesthetic, which included other detailed work from FOCUS—custom design corbels, timber truss designs, and exposed timber framing for the house’s deck.

Mirsky Residence- Wasatch County, Utah

Highland Group is known for their one-of-a-kind residential designs, and FOCUS was privileged to provide structural engineering on this 2-story, 15,424 SF custom home in the Heber area. The residence was framed entirely on site, with a design that required exposed timber rafters on eaves. During this process, high snow loads created numerous unique engineering design challenges. A significant amount of builder and architect interaction was necessary to achieve ideal and workable detailing solutions. To help the homeowner’s vision come to life and to circumnavigate how the high snow loads prevented the home’s interior framing from lining up perfectly with the exposed rafters, we stayed organized and accommodated the changing site conditions. By communicating easily-understood adjustments and framing to the framers, we obtained a structurally sound and impressive result.

Curtis Center- Lehi, Utah

The Curtis Center is a 21,550-square foot arts and educational center for individuals with intellectual disabilities. It houses classrooms, fitness and athletic facilities, and a performing arts center. To accommodate the facility’s various needs, FOCUS engineers had to address several challenges. These included tying in large concrete masonry walls of varying heights (between 15 and 30 feet), and spanning 60- to 70-foot spaces over the gymnasium and auditorium with steel joist, while accounting for heavy loads due to several large rooftop air conditioning units, heavy auditorium lighting, and stage curtains. Close coordination between FOCUS and the architect on these elements was critical to the successful outcome of this project.

Chloe’s Pointe- Ogden, Utah

Chloe’s Pointe is a 114-unit apartment community located in downtown Ogden. The four-story building offers one- and two-bedroom units ranging in size from 697 to 1000 square feet. Amenities include a common area and interior patio, balconies, fitness center, and parking. FOCUS was tasked with completing the structural design of the 104,000 square-foot structure in seven weeks. Engineers coordinated with the architect to address fire rating requirements for the wood-framed building as well as design the load path sequence for all structural elements. The long rectangular complex features unique roof eyebrows, which cantilever out from the building below the parapet.

Hidden Ridge- Ogden, Utah

FOCUS was hired to design the load path sequence for all structural elements from the roof down to the footing system and foundation, as well as retaining walls. Drag struts were designed to resist the effects of seismic loads and proper load path at the transition between the three- and four-story portions. Other load-bearing elements for the wood-framed structure include wood joists and shear walls.

Stewart Retail- Orem, Utah

Located on University Parkway in Orem, the new retail building will include five retail units. FOCUS provided structural design services for the retail addition. The center’s unique roof framing includes a tower with windows on all four sides and a large elevated arched roof section. The materials and treatments were designed to match nearby existing structures along this busy commercial corridor.

Cooper Residence

This two-story, single-family residence is located on a large, sloped site near numerous canyons and trailheads. The 10,860 SF home features a walkout basement, indoor sports court, and rooftop patios. The homeowners enjoy large, mature trees and a creek that runs through the property.