Linchpin was the structural engineer for the remodel of the existing 81,000 square foot Reno Gazette Journal Building into the City of Reno’s new Public Safety Center and police station. The change of use raised the building from Risk Category II to IV, so it had to meet essential facility requirements, which called for substantial seismic upgrades to the lateral system.
The building was effectively two structures with different lateral systems. Because it was built in the 1980s, before the Northridge earthquake, its seismic design and detailing were well behind current code, including connection details later found to be flawed. The first system, chevron braced frames, was strengthened by adding a column at the center of each frame to convert it to a special diagonal braced frame. The second system, steel moment frames, was strengthened by adding a brace inside the bay. The existing foundations were inadequate for either system, so we combined shoring the building to pour new foundations with micropiles at the existing foundations, which also serve as the new braced frame anchorage.
A second story was added within the large eastern wing, which was previously single-story, and the new framing helped brace the existing system. We also retrofitted the existing beams, framing, and wall supports that remained.