For commercial and architectural clients, today's issues surrounding the rehabilitation and renovation of buildings are as uniquely intricate as some of the structures themselves:
• Cost of structurally updating to current building code requirements can far exceed the entire
replacement cost.
• New seismic restrictions of the International Building Code (IBC) dictate minimum load
requirements and lateral resisting systems.
• Primary focus of the IBC is new construction, and is not necessarily intended for use as a
renovation or retrofit design standard.
• Clients continue to look for ways and means for reducing construction costs of renovating exiting
buildings.
In 2003, the new International Existing Building Code (IEBC) design standard began allowing structural engineers to use specific procedures to evaluate and use both structural and non-structural elements of an existing building. Since that time, PEA's structural engineers have been using these same methods so that, when possible, existing elements in a structure can be used to withstand earthquake forces. These procedures are, in fact, the same methods developed and researched for use in California's high seismic areas.
PEA continues to advance our expertise in complicated area of design processes required with structural evaluation procedures. We understand a client's desire to architecturally update older structures and we know how to make your renovation project more economical -- by using less structure.
Mr. Alan Lumpkin, P.E. and Mr. Jeff Barrett, P.E., S.E. of Professional Engineering Associates have met with various building officials from around South Carolina to present the use of these procedures for existing facilities, and subsequently presented the procedures to various architects and building officials at the AIA sanctioned meeting in Columbia, South Carolina. Both men were instrumental in the office of state engineers adoption of the IEBC code as the standard for the evaluation of existing buildings.
