GSA Trade Shop Facility

2010 Design Award Honorable Mention

Project Team

Structural Engineer: Bliss & Nyitray, Inc.
Owner: Miami-Dade County GSA
Architect: PJB Associates
General Contractor: MCM Corporation
Steel Joist Manufacturer: Canam
Steel Detailer: Canam
Steel Fabricator: Canam
Steel Erector: Litecrete INcl

Project Type: Industrial

Project Description

This project is a 100,000-sf trade shop for the GSA. This new building replaces worn out facilities and consolidates GSA's staff from around the county. The client's goal was for an efficient and cost-effective building on a very tight schedule, along with being Miami-Dade County's first LEED Silver Certified facility. Being located in Miami Florida, the 146mph design wind speed produces critical loads to be considered when selecting the structural framing systems. By utilizing open-web joists and joist girders for both the roof and the mezzanine, we were able to meet the construction timeline criteria of constructing the shell in less than 4 weeks while taking advantage of the cost savings afforded by the joist construction.

What Makes This Project Interesting

The construction cost and time are the most important aspects of the structural framing decisions. The most prominent feature of the project is the main entry, which was also framed with open-web steel joists. The main entry consists of a large exterior canopy with a central post in the shape of a tree that consists of three structural columns. The design was envisioned by an artist to portray the sustainable design of the building and serve as an inviting entrance way for the users of the facility.
 

Advantages Of The Chosen Structural System

As a design-build project, construction cost and speed were essential, making open-web steel joist a natural structural framing system. 80,000-sf of joist and joist girders were a very efficient solution for framing the roof. The other 20,000 were office and this framing proved very efficient as well. This allowed all framing to be by a single trade. 60,000-sf of joists and joist girders were more than 20 feet above the ground, so fireproofing was not required. All framing was erected in 3 weeks and, along with tilt-up wall panels at the perimeter, allowed the entire shell to be constructed in less than one month.
 

Project Scope

The scope of this project was 100,000-sf of new space for GSA Trade Shop. Of this, 20,000-sf was second floor office, 20,000-sf was warehouse below that and 60,000-sf was warehouse with a 25-foot-clear story height.

Project Details

Project Construction Cost: $11.2 million
Joist cost, including fabrication and erection: $490,800
Size (square ft.): 100,000
Roof area using joists (square ft.): 77,000
Floor area using joists (square ft.): 23,000
Joist area (square ft.): 100,000
Joist engineering to delivery (# days): 45
Joist erection (# days): 30

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