Design-build of a new $33 million consolidated indoor fitness center that includes over 50,000 SF of new construction and over 26,000 SF of renovation. The state-of-the-art fitness facility includes basketball/volleyball courts with spectator seating, fitness equipment, group exercise areas, locker rooms and support areas. One of the primary design features that ties together the old and the new, accentuates the entrance and acts as a focal gathering point is the central “spline.” The spline is a long barrel-shaped corridor that extends over the entrance and draws users into and through the facility. Kalwall light-transmitting panels provide natural daylight while also meeting high wind, seismic and antiterrorism requirements.
The structure is constructed of reinforced concrete walls supporting precast concrete double tees with CIP topping. Because of large clear spans, the hipped gymnasium roof is framed with long span steel trusses and rafters supporting metal deck and concrete topping. One of the primary challenges was incorporating the existing gymnasium into the overall aesthetics and functionality of the new facility. In order to match the new rooflines and to provide better drainage during typhoons, a new architecturally hipped roof is provided over the existing flat roof. The new roof is framed with structural steel and metal deck to minimize added weight to the existing structure. A cost effective but very robust solution was developed using tension rods to anchor the new steel roof to the existing concrete roof to counteract high uplift wind forces developed during typhoons. Another significant challenge was the replacement of existing load-bearing concrete walls at existing racquetball courts with glass walls. Fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) strips were used to reinforce the remaining sections of wall for both shear and flexure.
In addition to being structural engineer of record, BASE also performed special inspection during FRP installation.