211 Jefferson

San Francisco, California

Sites with historic brick buildings in high seismic areas provide special structural challenges. Put those buildings atop unconsolidated bay mud and engineering solutions must become even more specialized.

For this project our engineers incorporated “fundex” piles into the foundation. This proprietary deep foundation system is especially beneficial for use where any building vibration is undesirable.

A major concern for this new construction was the effect the installation of the foundation system would have on adjacent historic buildings. We implemented a combination lateral force resisting system, placing moment frames one bay recessed from the building exterior, which preserved the architect’s desired aesthetic and reduced column quantities along the perimeter of the building. $6 million construction cost.