Seismic Renovation – Robert A. Young Federal Building

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The Robert A. Young (RAY) Federal Building is a twenty story concrete framed federal office building located within 150 miles of the Wabash Valley and New Madrid seismic zones. While estimates of the actual force of the 1811-1812 New Madrid seismic activity vary, it is considered among the largest known earthquakes in North America. Due to the RAY’s proximity to these seismic zones, studies in both the form of bridging documents and our own design teams research determined that there are several hundred structural bays in need of concrete shear wall or damper solutions, foundation modifications and parapet reinforcement, as well as the interior modifications incurred by the major renovations. All areas disturbed due to construction activities are being patched, repaired, or replaced with similar materials or finishes. All of the activity mentioned above is being completed in the fully occupied building, using swing space and fully coordinated documents. Some areas of the facility may require additional consideration, such as alterations to the existing space layout to accommodate the structural retrofit. The project being above prospectus was congressionally funded for $70M. The project will continue to grow through RWA funds from the individual agencies throughout the building for tenant improvements. Many of the agencies are involved in the Right-Sized Program, which requires them to decrease their footprint to meet the new standards.