This project was done within our existing Continuing Structural Engineering Minors Contract with the University of Florida. BASE Consultants was hired to evaluate the structural capacity of the Communicore Roof Plaza for a proposed vertical expansion of the Sun Terrace building. The Communicore Roof Plaza is a high-visibility, high-traffic area which serves the needs of the Health Science department. The Sun Terrace building currently houses a small food court, which the University wishes to expand to accommodate the large student, faculty, and staff population.
BASE performed a site visit and reviewed existing construction documents and structural reports that were at least 30 years old. The weights of the materials used for the Plaza slab had to be determined from these original documents. An assessment of the existing steel framing members was performed both for the current loads and the proposed future loads resulting from the expansion. In addition, select new members were designed to provide the University with a weight per square foot of steel to be used in determining a construction budget.