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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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:
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NEWPORT BEACH CITY HALL
BUILDING ACCESSMENT
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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.
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NEWPORT BEACH CITY HALL
BUILDING ACCESSMENT
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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.