PBSO Building A is located on Gun Club Road in Palm Beach County and houses the 911 Emergency Call Facility, among other critical services. As part of an overall building space planning and renovation, Palm Beach County wanted to expand the call center in areas adjacent to the existing 911 hurricane-hardened area; conduct a structural assessment of the existing facility to assess the perimeter envelope, allowable floor, and roof loads; and provide construction documents for upgrading the building to meet current FBC hurricane loading requirements.

WGI performed an analysis of the existing building to establish the structure’s capacity. A frame analysis of the original and 1990 additions was performed, areas of concern were identified, and recommendations for replacement or strengthening were provided. The foundations, floors, and roof were analyzed for their allowable capacity. The client’s areas requiring additional support of equipment, storage, reroofing, and a mezzanine infill was reviewed or designed with repair and enhancement recommendations provided for additional support and structural modifications.

WGI developed construction documents for the exterior envelope hardening of the building with the use of a helical pile-supported masonry wall. The hardened wall was designed and constructed to be independently supported while lateral loads are transferred into the existing building. WGI performed construction phase services including submittal review, responses to RFIs, participation in progress meetings, and development of construction details due to changes in interior framing and space usage throughout the construction process