How Smart Parking Technologies Benefit Airports (Parking Today Magazine October 2020)
Discover how smart parking systems can provide new data to empower airports to better plan and react to a fluid operating environment.
Learn from award-winning professionals — explore our whitepapers, blogs, and the latest industry updates.
Join our dynamic organization of engineers, land surveyors, landscape architects, environmental scientists, and architects!
Talk to a market leader today! We’ll answer any questions you have about our professional services.
CPCC is a public institution that serves more than 56,000 students in the Charlotte metro area. WGI’s Restoration Engineering team was engaged by the college to develop design documents and provide construction administration services for the replacement of the aging northwest stair tower.
Built in 1979, the northwest stair tower extends six levels and serves as one of the main means of egress for the users of student parking deck #3. The steel-framed structure was constructed with concrete filled steel pan treads and concrete slab landings supported by steel channels.
The Northwest stair tower was aesthetically unappealing and had numerous structural issues.
The stair tower, although adequately designed in 1979, was no longer in compliance with the current building code standards, based on user comfort, safety, and fall prevention, due to the configuration of the treads, risers, and rails.
Extensive areas of corrosion and steel deterioration were observed throughout the stair elements. The corrosion and deterioration in the stair elements were the results of 40+ years of repetitive contact with moisture/water from run over rain and exposure to harsh cleaning agents.
The stair tower replacement effort was led by WGI’s Charlotte, NC restoration team; Andrew Kong; Juan Sanchez, PE; and Attila Gergely, EI. WGI’s design approach consisted of providing a full replacement of the original steel frame system, and the installation of a more modern, code compliant, and robust stair system capable of providing a service life of 50+ years with routine maintenance.
The new stair system designed by WGI has the following key aspects and features:
To expedite construction and to minimize shutting down the stair tower for a prolonged period, bolted connections between the stair elements were implemented throughout the design, in lieu of the typical welded connections. The demolition of the old stair and installation of the new stair system took approximately 30 days to complete.
By properly and consistently implementing preventive features in the design of the new stair system, major structural repairs can be reduced in the future.
The new stair was designed to comply as much as possible with the current building code. Some of the changes adopted in the new design included:
Aesthetic repairs are work items that result in a more pleasant and secure environment, increasing users’ comfort in the facility. Some of the key aesthetic repairs in the new stair system included:
Implementing new stair systems in existing spaces can be difficult, as the current building code requirements may clash with the constraints left over from the previous design. WGI’s Restoration Team can assist with navigating these constraints and code requirements. Contact us today to get started!
Juan Sanchez, PE is a project engineer with over 11 years of structural and restoration engineering experience. Juan has worked on a diverse number of parking-related restoration and repair projects, helping extend the service life of many parking structures throughout the region.
Juan received his master’s and bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering with an emphasis in structures from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He is a licensed professional engineer in multiple states and has extensive consulting experience specialized in parking structure evaluation, restoration, strengthening techniques, and structural engineering.
Discover how smart parking systems can provide new data to empower airports to better plan and react to a fluid operating environment.
Don’t let your next TOD project flop. WGI has the top 10 site-design considerations for building residential housing near transit and the expert team to ensure your TOD project is a success!
WGI moves up 37 spots on Engineering News-Record (ENR)’s 2020 Top 500 Design Firms List.
Developers who are shifting from traditional on-street parking to underground parking are maximizing parking value and dramatically improving the pedestrian experience.
We’re refreshing our brand to reflect the energy, inspiration, and excitement that we feel when we come to work every day.
The project consists of a three-level, 283-space parking facility with site improvements including a rain garden and realigned campus ring road.
You’ve been searching for a place like WGI. We look forward to meeting you soon.
Sign up to receive emails to hear our latest news and achievements in our monthly newsletter.
Enter your zip code, and we’ll personalize your experience with local projects, office locations, team members, and more.
WGI supports its associates with meaningful opportunities for growth, strong benefits and perks, while we work collaboratively with clients and co-consultants to shape and improve communities.
WGI is a dynamic organization with opportunities nationwide for engineers, land surveyors, landscape architects, environmental scientists, and architects.