Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutClausen Engineers Clausen x , Engineers, 1727 6414 Street. ErReryville, Calrinrnra 94608 Prone- {510)655-A144 Fax .(510) 656-1133 August 31, 2011 Z C e I V Cherie Kidd, Councilwoman AUG 3 1 RECV City of Port Angeles aD 321 East 5`' Street city of Port dngele& Port Angeles, Washington 98362 Re: Pre-Design Structural Review for Historic Firehouse Restoration 215 South Lincoln Street Port.Angeles, WA n WBC Job No.24665 In review of a news article in the August 25 copy of the PDN,it reads"Time running out on fixing former City Hall". The article goes onto state the retrofit costs will be approximately$1,250,000. We write this to you as you have been a stakeholder in this proposed project. We offer, as our civic duty, Design and Construction Management services to try to help save this building, Though we do not have full knowledge about this building, we believe that we could cut significant costs from the estimated$1,250,000 quoted in the PDN. We made a proposal to the City to be the Structural Consultant for this building in January, 2011 and were advised that our firm was not selected as afinalist for the project. We had thought our credentials were,perhaps, stronger than any of our competition. We are currently working on four dozen building retrofit projects. We are unsure whether the structural study we bid on has been completed. If so, we offer our services, at no cost to the City, to review the report and make a commentary. We have provided such Peer Review services for over one hundred projects for Kaiser Hospitals and many other clients. Would the project still be feasible if we could cut the costs for the retrofit of this building in half? If we are successful in this quest,we would team up with a local Contractor and contract with the City or that Contractor for our Design and Construction management fees to complete the project. Il>+Iore information about Clausen Engineers is attached. We are available to meet with you or other decision makers on September 2, September 23, September 30,or Oc Ober 14. M.M. Clausen fQm4tm0 Engineers, Pw- K.ersClausen, Structural Digineer Kers Clausen 115 E. Railroad Ave., Suite 309 l.0 Pori Angeles. WA 99362 it (36D) 452.3223 Fax; (360)457-2929 elausenBc€auseneng€neens.com www.cfausenengioecrs.com ABOUT+CLA.USEN ENGINEERS Clausen Engineers recently completed design and construction management services for a retrofit of the Elwha KlallatnHeritage Center. This budget-driven job was completed below budget and included complete retrofit and tenant improvements of a 60 year old building. Clausen Engineering is presently working on about 40 apartment retrofit projects in the San Francisco Bay Area and has become Known as the company who can retrofit these buildings economically. We are also going for permits to reteofit a 50,000 SF two story concrete building at 555 Florida St. in San Francisco at a cost of$400,000,and recently retrofitted a 6 Story concrete building at 890 Vallencia St, in San Francisco. Clausen Structural Engineers has provided structural design services for over 60 years. Clausen Engineers has operated a satellite company in Port Angeles for over ten years, Work completed on the Olympic Peninsula includes design and retrofit of three fire stations, three schools, seismic retrofit projects, small commercial projects and many residential projects. Clausen Engineers has joined the Port Angeles Community and operates out of an office in The Landing Mall shared with Gentry Architecture Collaborative. Some focal projects designed by Gentry ArchitectPre and Clausen Engineers include the Elwha MallarnHeritage Center on First and Peabody Streets and the Longhouse Market in Bly'n. Clausen Engineers is recognized as a Professional Structural Engineer in ten Western States including Washington. Clausen Engineers has been fully insured by the same insurance company since 1974, including commercial liability,and professional liability coverage. CIausen Engineers leas five structural Engineers with a support group on staff. Clausen Engineers operates a Construction Management division which reinforces construction budgeting services that are provided to our clients. More information is available on our website,www.clausenenginers.com SEISMIC DESIGN QUALI FZCA'IIt)NS Clausen Engineers has expertise in response to significant earthquakes that occurred in the San Fernando Valley in Southern C.aliforniaand the San Francisco Bay Area. Following the Northridge and Loma Prieta earthquakes in these regions, Clausen Engineers provided rapid life safety assessment of hundreds ofb0dings. Using aprearranged program,Keys Clausen evaluated and tagged buildings on behalf of the Oald;and Building Department in a 20 square block portion of downtown Oakland during the two days following the Loma Prieta earthquake. This included rapid assessment of several concrete and brick buildings which were either red tagged,green tagged, or yellow tagged using ATC 14 as a guideline. Clausen Engineers provided rapid assessments for a dozen Ross Dress for Less retail stores immediately following the Northridge earthquake in the San Fernando Valley. Under the direction of our principal engineer, Phillip Huntingdaie, Clausen Engineers performed marathon post-earthquake evaluation services during the months following these earthquakes. These post-earthquake services included damage evaluation of over 500. bOdings for insurance companies and retrofit of a few buildings inThe Los Angeles Area. Post-earthquake services included evaluation ofraear1y400 buildings and reteofit of many soft story,unreinforeed masonry,and concrete buildings in the San Francisco Bay area. Clausen .Engineers completed seismic damage reports for over 1,000 earthquake damaged buildings after these seismic events. During our reviews of earthquake damaged buildings, a predominant amount of the damage observed was to building elements such as ceilings,partitions,cabinets, and utility systems. Representatives of Clausen Engineers observed significant damage to building inventories as a result of failures iii fire sprinkler systems. Representatives of Clausen Engineers have attended many trade seminars relating to seismic response to buildings, including those focusing on building elements. Representatives of Clausen Engineers have learned that the practice of restraining building elements using industry has been less than satisfactory,which.has been addressed by changes in recent Codes,some ofwhich are yet to bee Riorced. Clausen Engineers continues to perform preventative seismic evaluation and design services as part of pre-sale inspections,occupancy changes,voluntary seismic retrofits,mandatory retrofits of earthquake and general remodel work. We have opened over 100 such projects during the last year. Our seismic review work normally focuses on one to two story buildings. However,we have completed work for multistory buildings at several locations. Clausen Engineers introduced a change to the California:State Architect Building Code for voluntary seismic retrofit of Hospital Buildings twenty years ago. This Cade change was in response to aproposed voluntary seismic retrofit of the seven story Geary Street Kaiser Hospital in San Francisco. The Code in effect at the time triggered seismic retrofit if any weight was added to a building. Since we wanted to strengthen this building,we needed to add seismic elements which added a small percentage of weight to the building. Through two years of work, we were successful in having the State Hospital Code modified to allow f ve percent increase in weight before triggering mandatory seismic retrofit ofhospital buildings. The Geary Street project was then retrofitted to our standards. This provision of the Code has since been included in the International Building Code for all existing buildings. John Pryor, a member of our staff,has designed and patented custom seismic restraint hardware used specifically to tie coDcrete walls to wood floors and roofs. His products are widely used around the San Francisco Bay region. John has,perhaps,mom experience in retrofit of"tiltup"concrete buildings than any other engineer in California John's company is Mercalli III, INC and his website is WMAT mercallixii.coin. Please note that there are several Codes and standards identifying different seismic design criteria for existing buildings, especially when dealing with building elements. We,as a team with our clients; identify-which of these Codes,of standmrds,we will use as our basis for completing.seismic evaluations before work is done. We help our clients understand these different Codes and Ordinances. Laving witnessed the seismic distresses on building structures and having been active in several trade seminars focusing on seismic desigr4 Clausen Engineers provides our clients a"hands on"approach to seismic evaluation and retrofit of existing buildings. Our lessons observations of the performance of building connections during these post seismic events has given us an education that can not beprovided in the academic-%world. Clausen Engineers adds a complete understanding of Seismic Code requirements to this"hands on" approach to complete our responsibilities as engineers to comply with such Codes, r SM. Clausen NER'NUM Engineers, be Kars Clausen j 115 E. 5aliroad Ave,, 5 U3,Dja dd Port Angeles,WA 9$362 V (380) 452-3223 Fax (360) 457-2929 siausen�clausenenganeers.aam October 17, 2011 wwvr.c�ausanens0ineers.com To: Derek Beery � � CJE IVED City of Port Angeles Cultural Resources Community and Economic Development Department CC I 321 East Fifth St adI J Port Angeles,WA "Y Of Port Angeles cc: J Cherie Kidd, Councilwoman City of Port`Angeles 321 East 5" Street Port Angeles,WA 95352 nc: Kent Myers City Manager City of Port Angeles 32l East 5"'Street i Port Angeles, Wa Re: Pre-Design Structural Review for Historic Firehouse Restoration 215 South Lincoln Street Port Angeles, WA WBC Job No. 24665 Thank you for your October 12 response to our offer to help retrofit the referenced building. You asked whether phasing the construction will effect our proposed budget. Design and Construction at this building should be phased unless the tenant is selected Before construction begins. Phasing the project will'not effect the budget we offered.. We will"stand by"and continue to offer our services if they are needed. We hope the Preservation Committee can fund this project. 1 Kers Clausen, Structural Engineer