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HomeMy WebLinkAboutNB Bldg Assessment - 2002NEWPORT BEACH CITY HALL BUILDING ASSESSMENT We have performed review of the drawings made available by the city of Newport Beach (1945 City Hall, 1975 Counsel Chambers, 1984 Community Services building and miscellaneous other additions). We also conducted a site observation tour of the referenced project on March 7, 2002. This review consisted of a overview of the building shell as well as a walk -thru of the interior spaces. The buildings assessment is one of the first steps in the Griffin /LPA team's scope of services to understand what improvements need to be made to the City Hall Campus to better serve the citizens of Newport Beach. No testing of materials or removal of finished materials for observation of concealed construction was done. GENERAL BUILDING ASSESSMENT CONCLUSIONS Overall the complex has responded to short-term needs without a master plan to guide the expansion and changing needs of the City. Many of the current problems with the work environments, space allocations, lack of adequate parking, and inefficiency in systems are caused by this lack of planning. Confused circulation and a lack of a central lobby or entry point make many departments too accessible to the public. Lack of control and security are an issue with all buildings. No building meets current practices for seismic design. Of the four buildings where seismic systems could be reviewed all building would experience varying degrees of structural damage in a major seismic event. The existing Fire Station very likely does not meet the requirements of an essential facility and would likely sustain significant structural damage in a major seismic event. ADA violations are widespread with no building complying with ADA requirements leaving the City expose to litigation. HVAC systems and Electrical systems are all individual building based which causes energy inefficiency while being costly to maintain and service. This evaluation represents our opinion of the conditions of the construction based on our general review of the drawings and our site observation. It is not in the scope of this report to extensively evaluate code compliance, or determine probable damage and losses caused by seismic activity. In making a general review, it should be recognized that conditions and deficiencies might exist which we have not been able to identify specifically. This review is not intended to preempt the technical or professional responsibility of the project design consultants in any way, and does not represent a warranty or guarantee on our part that other problems may not exist. Please find herein a building - by- building review. Z O U V 7 0 O ac H Z NEWPORT BEACH CITY HALL BUILDING ACCESSMENT BUILDING A - COUNCIL CHAMBERS General Buil_ding_D_a_ta Building area: 3,578 s.f. Numbers of floors: One Construction type: V N Occupancy Group: B -3 Architect: Kermit Dorius Structural Engineer: Floyd Weaver Construction Date: Circa 1975 Building Function: Council Chambers, Conference Room and Restrooms Does Not Number of Restrooms: I Does Not Men 3 W/C 1 Urinal 2 Lavatories Women 2 W/C 2 Lavatories Building type: Single story, wood framed. Roof construction: Tapered steel girders supporting 4x16 Comply purlins, 2x6 Sub - purlins and plywood Exterior wall construction: Wood studs with 4" thick masonry veneer Foundations: Spread footing (no piles) Lateral system: Plywood shear walls Architecture The lobby space is adequate for the size of the existing council chambers. The finishes are worn and dated. Audiovisual /television broadcasting capabilities are well below current standards for Council Chambers. The existing electronic voting system is adequate but could be incorporated into a future audiovisual system. a u Z 0 J_ D M ADA /Access Compliance Building Threshold Door Restrooms Drinking Wheelchair Door Access Clearance Fountains Seating Hardware Comply Does Not Does Not Does Not I Does Not Does Not I Does Not Comply Comp I y Comply Comply Comply Comply Structural The drawings do not indicate mechanical anchorage of the 4" thick masonry veneer to the supporting wood stud walls. Current codes require much larger design anchorage forces and mechanical anchorage to the supporting walls. It is possible that the veneer could sustain significant damage in a major seismic event. NEWPORT BEACH CITY HALL BUILDING ACCESSMENT The design force for the out of plane connection of walls to wood diaphragms in current codes is as much as 3.8 times higher than what was used in the original design. A major seismic event could cause the walls to separate from the roof diaphragm and cause substantial damage to the structure. The overall building lateral design forces have changed substantially since 1975. Current code lateral forces are based on geological information that is unknown at this time but using information from a near by site produces design forces as much as 30% larger than the forces used in the original design. The majority of the front of the building is glass with a small shear wall on the east side. Architectural features of the building create an unusual load path for lateral force delivery to the shear wall. These features coupled with the lower design lateral forces described in the previous paragraph could lead to significant damage in a major seismic event. Mechanical There are 6 AC Units serving the building. Three (3) gas /electric units and one (1) cooling only unit serve the Council Chambers, one (1) gas /electric unit serves the Entry Lobby and one (1) gas /electric unit serves the Meeting Room. The restrooms are ventilated with ceiling mounted exhaust fans. The AC Units are at the end of their service life and are scheduled for replacement in the next year. When replacement is considered the existing mechanical well does not provide adequate space for all units with proper service clearances. Plumbic Since most plumbing piping is concealed, detailed evaluation of existing conditions was not possible. However based upon discussions with building engineering staff, the following is noted: All domestic water piping in all buildings has been retrofitted to copper pipe, and is in serviceable condition. Toilet fixture count is not up to current code. All below grade sewer piping is original installed. While no specific leakage or stoppage was noted, based on previous experiences in the area, the sewer piping serving Buildings A, B, and D is most likely not in serviceable condition. Video forensics of the waste piping can be conducted to determine specific conditions. However again based on previous experience it would be prudent to replace the below slab waste piping in these buildings. All roof drainage was observed to be sheet flow to roof gutters. Q z z 0 J D W NEWPORT BEACH CITY HALL BUILDING ACCESSMENT Electrical The electrical panel is located in a small room behind the Council Person's Bench. The panel appears to be fed from the Main complex and while old appears to be in operating condition. The lighting, while recently upgraded to T -8 fluorescent lamps is inadequate. We would recommend adding fixtures and controls to provide more light and more flexibility. The space has little lighting control and flexibility to properly display and feature presentation to the citizens and staff. N` R IL - -,j a V Z O J m NEWPORT BEACH CITY HALL BUILDING ACCESSMENT BUILDING B —MAIN BUILDING General -Bu il_ding_D_a_ta Building area: Number of stories: Construction type: Occupancy Group: Architect: Structural Engineer: Construction Date: Building Function: Number of Restrooms 12,803s.f. One not available assumed B Ralph Flewelling Ralph Flewelling Circa 1945 Office space Men 2 W/C 2 Urinal 2 Lavatories Women 3 W/C 2 Lavatories Building type: Single story (with a small mechanical Wheelchair mezzanine) reinforced concrete Roof construction: Reinforced concrete pan joists Exterior wall construction: Predominantly reinforced concrete with Fountains brick in some locations. Foundations: Pile foundations Lateral system: Reinforced concrete shear walls Architecture Exterior: Historic 1945 Main Complex is board formed concrete and brick structure and has a strong relationship to Newport Beach Boulevard with a large formal entry park. Mature manicured landscaping enhances the building aesthetic. New exposed electrical panel and roof top mechanical equipment visible from the entry speak to the age of the building. These elements also point out the need for the building to be modernized for they detract from the over all building appeal, especially at a front door. The width of the building is not ideal for an interior double loaded corridor office layout and tends to make departments spread out and very inefficient. The building depth dimension would be more appropriate as a single loaded building from the exterior. There are no common office furniture components. Many configurations, colors and sizes create an inefficient and confusing working environment. Strl Alth con: goo take cod con. desi H as r tho! reqL seismic performance of concrete has increased the amount of reinforcement required and changed the way it is detailed and installed. ADA /Access Com liance Building Threshold Door Restrooms Drinking Wheelchair Door Access Clearance Fountains Seating Hardware Comply Does Not Does Not Does Not Does Not N/A Does Not Comply Comply Comply Comply Comply m u Z 0 J_ m Y NEWPORT BEACH CITY HALL BUILDING ACCESSMENT Calculations have not been performed to determine if the building would be overstressed based on current building code standards, but based on the comments provided in the previous paragraph, it is quite likely that overstressing would take place. Also, seismic performance would be negatively affected based on the lack of ductile reinforcement now required in the code. Mechanical This is the oldest building in the complex and has operable windows throughout. Until recently the building was conditioned with a forced air heating system only, along with natural ventilation. New rooftop package AC units and split- system heat pumps with variable volume variable temperature controls (VVT) were installed in this building last year. The units are generally in good repair and have not been operated extensively due to recent efforts to minimize energy consumption. The split system heat pump system does not incorporate airside economizers for free cooling making this an inefficient system to operate for the City. Mu_mbiny Since most plumbing piping is concealed, detailed evaluation of existing conditions was not possible. However based upon discussions with building engineering staff, the following is noted: All domestic water piping in all buildings has been retrofitted to copper pipe, and is in serviceable condition. All below grade sewer piping is original installed. While no specific leakage or stoppage was noted, based on previous experiences in the area, the sewer piping serving Buildings A, B, and D is most likely not in serviceable condition. Video forensics of the waste piping can be conducted to determine specific conditions. However again based on previous experience it would be prudent to replace the below slab waste piping in these buildings. All roof drainage was observed to be sheet flow to roof gutters. Electrical The main electrical system for this building is very new and appears to be in the best condition of all the buildings in the complex. The Main Electrical Service is located on the west side of the building on an outside wall along with a transfer switch for connection to a generator for select loads within the facility. All building sub electrical panels are new with plenty of spare capacity. The lighting has been upgraded to T -8 lighting and appears adequate throughout. m u Z 0 J D W NEWPORT BEACH CITY HALL BUILDING ACCESSMENT BUILDING C - PROFESSIONAL SERVICES BUILDING General Buil_ding_Data Building area: Number of stories: Construction type: Occupancy Group: Architect: Structural Engineer: Construction Date: Building Function: Number of Restrooms 13,489s.f. Two 5 -N B -2 Wilson Woodman Faisal jurdi Circa 1985 Office space Men 4 W/C 1 Urinal 3 Lavatories Women 4 W/C 3 Lavatories Building type: Two story steel frame with wood in -fill Roof construction: Steel beams supporting manufacturer Access plywood web I- joists and plywood Floor construction: Steel beams supporting manufactured Fountains plywood web I- joists and plywood Exterior wall construction: Studs and plaster Foundation: Pre -cast, pre- stressed concrete piles Lateral system: Steel braced frames Architecture Exterior: The Professional Services building is the most recent addition to the campus (1985). With the entry hidden behind the existing buildings. Interior: The interior space is organized around a second floor overlook /skylight that feeds the ground floor with light and connects the interior spaces. Public access is limited to the service counters at the Building Department, Planning and Public Works. The area allotted for waiting is too small and needs more provision for seating. It also appears that there is a need for conferencing space. Overall the personnel spaces are too tight to be efficient working environments. ADA /AccessCom fiance Building Threshold Door Restrooms Drinking Wheelchai Door Access Clearance Fountains r Seating Hardware Does Does Not Look Does Not Does Not Does Not Does Not Not Comply Comply Comply Comply Comply Comply *No elevator to the second floor Structural The drawings appeared to be well detailed and consistent with engineering practices used at that time. Current building lateral design forces are actually slightly less than those used in the original design however individual member design has changed significantly as discussed below. V V Z O J D W NEWPORT BEACH CITY HALL BUILDING ACCESSMENT The poor performance of braced frames and drag struts in recent earthquakes have brought about significant changes in the design of members and connection in the seismic system of braced frame buildings. Braces, struts and connections must now be designed for forces that are more than two times what they were in 1984. In a major seismic event it is possible that members or connections in the lateral system could be damaged leading to significant damage to the structure. Mechanical This is newest building in the complex constructed in 1984. The mechanical system consists of fourteen (14) split- system heat pump units. The units are nearing the end of their expected service life and three (3) units have recently been replaced. Incremental unit replacement is expected in the near future. The split system heat pump system does not incorporate airside economizers for free cooling making this an inefficient system to operate for the City. Plu_mbiny Since most plumbing piping is concealed, detailed evaluation of existing conditions was not possible. However based upon discussions with building engineering staff, the following is noted: All domestic water piping in all buildings has been retrofitted to copper pipe, and is in serviceable condition. All below grade sewer piping is original installed. While no specific leakage or stoppage was noted, based on previous experiences in the area, the sewer piping serving Buildings A, B, and D is most likely not in serviceable condition. Video forensics of the waste piping can be conducted to determine specific conditions. However again based on previous experience it would be prudent to replace the below slab waste piping in these buildings. All roof drainage was observed to be sheet flow to roof gutters. Electrical As the newest building in the complex, it appears to be in relatively good shape. In speaking with the electrical staff, the building is apparently served by the building D electrical service /generator system. The staff believes the Southern California Edison transformer located outside building C to be disconnected from the building C electrical service. Additionally, very few spare circuit breakers remain in the existing electrical panels. The lighting in this facility is generally good and has been upgraded to T -8 lamp technology. V V Z O J D M NEWPORT BEACH CITY HALL BUILDING ACCESSMENT BUILDING D/E —ANNEX BUILDINGS General Buil_ding_D_a_ta Building area: Number of stories: Construction type: Occupancy Group: Architect: Structural Engineer Construction Date: Building Function: Number of Restrooms 13,489s.f. Two 5 -N B -2 Wilson Woodman- Unknown Unknown Circa 1945 -1960 Print Shop, Computer technology, Central phone server, Fire Department and the office of the City Attorney Men 2 W/C 3 Urinal 4 Lavatories Women 5 W/C 0 Lavatories Building type: Two story, wood framed Roof construction: Wood joist and plywood Floor construction: Wood joist and plywood. It is unknown if the wood joists are sawn lumber or manufactured joists Exterior wall construction: Unknown, but the exterior finish is stucco so based on the age of the building and other features it is assumed that the walls are wood studs Foundations: Unknown Lateral system: Unknown but probably plywood shear walls Additions: There have been some additions to this building and some structural drawings were reviewed. The addition construction is consistent with that described for the original building Architecture Exterior: The annex building is a compilation of buildings. The original police and jail facilities plus numerous other additions have created a less then functional structure. The building has points of entry on all sides. There is also an exit courtyard that has only one exit that could be a hazard in an emergency situation. Interior: Because of the number of changes and their random nature, the spaces are not well planned and do not function at a high level. The office spaces have been adapted as well as possible but are below current standards for office environments. u Z 0 J_ m NEWPORT BEACH CITY HALL BUILDING ACCESSMENT ADA /Access Compliance Building Threshold Door Restrooms Drinking Wheelchair Door Access building Clearance the Fountains Seating Hardware Does Not Does Not Does Not Does Not Does Not N/A Does Not Comply Comply Comply Comply �Comply Comply Structural Seismic design forces required by current building codes are as much as 30% higher as discussed in the comments for the Council Chambers building. The seismic performance of this building is unknown at this time and depends on whether the lateral forces are resisted by plywood shear walls or by other means. The code in force at the time allowed lateral forces to be resisted by gyp board and stucco. Since that time buildings using stucco or gyp board shear walls have experienced poor performance in major seismic events, consequently recent codes have eliminated the use of these systems for lateral bracing. In order to determine how this building might perform in a major seismic event, drawings would have to be made available for review or finish material could be removed to reveal the concealed type of construction. Mechanical Two (2) split- system heat pump units serve the two sides of the original 1st Floor Community Annex. A rooftop package unit serves the Telecom Room, and a window mounted package terminal AC unit serves the Computer Services room, both located in the original 1st Floor Community Annex. Three (3) rooftop package AC units serve the 1st and 2nd floor Fire Department Services area and the 2nd floor Fire Department Services Conference Room. Two (2) rooftop package AC units serve the 1st and 2nd floor MIS, City Attorney and Print Shop areas. A dedicated 7.5 TR packaged AC unit located on grade serves the MIS Computer Room. The split system heat pump system does not incorporate airside economizers for free cooling making this an inefficient system to operate for the City. In addition, if existing functions were to remain, new systems should address functional and zoning requirements of specific areas, such as the MIS Computer Room and Print Room. Plumbing Since most plumbing piping is concealed, detailed evaluation of existing conditions was not possible. However based upon discussions with building engineering staff, the following is noted: V Z O J m J NEWPORT BEACH CITY HALL BUILDING ACCESSMENT ., V Z O J D M All domestic water piping in all buildings has been retrofitted to copper pipe, and is in serviceable condition. All below grade sewer piping is original installed. While no specific leakage or stoppage was noted, based on previous experiences in the area, the sewer piping serving Buildings A, B, and D is most likely not in serviceable condition. Video forensics of the waste piping can be conducted to determine specific conditions. However again based on previous experience it would be prudent to replace the below slab waste piping in these buildings. All roof drainage was observed to be sheet flow to roof gutters. Electrical This building appears to have the oldest electrical system in use at the complex coupled with a relatively new generator system. This facility houses the data center, PBX room and print room among others functions. We recommend replacing as much of the electrical backbone as possible during any renovation of the facility. The lighting in the facility is still being upgraded to T -8 lamp technology and appears adequate throughout. NEWPORT BEACH CITY HALL BUILDING ACCESSMENT FIRE STATION The following observation and comments are based on a site visit. No drawings have been made available for review. General Building Data Building type: Two story, wood framed with some masonry walls Date of construction: Estimated to be mid- 1950's with a remodel /addition in the mid- 1980's. A weight room was added over the Apparatus Room in the mid- 1990's Roof construction: Wood Floor construction: Wood Exterior wall construction: Living Areas: Masonry for the first six feet with wood stud walls and plaster above Apparatus Room: Masonry walls Additions: Wood stud walls and plaster Foundations: Unknown, but it appears that the additions used spread footings due to saw cuts in the existing slab at various locations Lateral system: Shear walls. -P -P -- A aratus room_ Since no drawings were available for review and finish materials conceal most of the structure, the following comments are based on judgment only and would require more investigation to completely confirm. The east exterior wall is masonry and extends from the ground level to the roof /floor over the Apparatus Room. It appears that the masonry wall stops slightly below the finish ceiling, and the only connection to the roof /floor is with a single bolt to the roof /floor beams spaced at about 15 feet on center. The type of connection observed has not performed well in major seismic events and would be significantly overstressed based on current codes. In a worst case scenario, a failure of this connection could lead to the wall pulling away from the roof /floor allowing it to collapse on the fire trucks and equipment below. Lateral bracing of the new weight room over the Apparatus Room seems questionable since it does not appear that additional lateral bracing was added to the existing structure when the room was added. The tower previously used for hose drying has questionable lateral bracing on the north side. Current codes would require a lateral bracing force as much as five times greater than the design force used at the time. Z 0 a r N W C LL NEWPORT BEACH CITY HALL BUILDING ACCESSMENT Z 0 a r N W C LL Main Fire Station In many areas of the building the exterior wall has an 8 inch -thick masonry base wall about 6 feet high. On top of that, a wood stud wall extends to the roof. It is unusual to change construction types of a wall at a location that is not braced by a floor or roof, and without more information and study it is not known how this condition will perform in an earthquake; but it is irregular and seems to have an increased potential for damage. The rear (north) wall lateral capacity is questionable due to the number and random alignment of window and door openings. Damage to this wall in a major seismic event is likely. The front (south) elevation has five different roof /floor elevations with a masonry shear wall located at the west end. The method of directing the lateral loads from the different levels to the shear wall is concealed and unknown, but the irregularity of the structure coupled with current design forces that are significantly higher than those originally used suggest the possibility for structural damage in a major seismic event. Overall Fire Station The original structure with its numerous remodels and additions has evolved into a very irregular structure. In plan, there are jogs, re- entrant corners and non - stacking shear walls. In elevation, there are numerous levels creating a series of structural diaphragms that may or may not be adequately tied together and braced. Based on the observations and comments listed above it is quite possible that this building would sustain structural damage in a major seismic event, with the areas of biggest concern being the connection of the east wall of the Apparatus Room to the roof /floor and the lateral stability of the tower. The amount of work required to bring this building into conformance with the current building code requirements for an essential facility is likely to be substantial and very costly.