Red Rocks Amphitheater is considered one of the world’s premier concert venues. Located in Morrison, Colorado, the open-air concept was constructed between a series of sandstone rock formations, creating a natural amphitheater with some of the best acoustics and visuals in the world. When the amphitheater first opened in 1941, the stage was uncovered and exposed to rain and snow, which could arrive at a moment’s notice traveling over Colorado’s Rocky Mountain Front Range. The stage remained uncovered until 1989, when a steel space frame was constructed out of small diameter pipe sections. For 30 years, the original stage roof was functional to shelter performers from the elements. Still, over time, the roof was deemed structurally insufficient due to rigging issues inherent to its design and increased rigging demands as shows became larger from a production standpoint. Therefore, the facility owner and the City and County of Denver asked for the complete removal of the existing roof structure and a replacement structure with an increased rigging capacity, which was safer to use and complemented the surrounding setting.

Cast iron columns, commonly used in building construction in the 1800s and early 1900s, possess low tensile capacities and require special attention to detail in building alterations. 315 Hudson Street is a ten-story cast iron column building undergoing such alteration in New York City. Extensive renovations to the building included lowering a portion of the ground floor structure, transferring two off-grid columns at the ground floor via transfer beams at the second floor, and reinforcing columns for new rooftop loads. Each endeavor required novel detailing to brace, support, and reinforce the cast iron columns in a manner that limited tension on the cross-section.

Nestled into a hillside of ponderosa pines with views of Humphrey’s Peak, the High-Performance training facility attracts top student-athletes to Northern Arizona University. DLR Group delivered a 65,000 square-foot, three-story, state-of-the-art High-Performance Center with a 10,000 square-foot weight room, sports medicine spaces, academic center, practice basketball courts, team meeting rooms, locker rooms, and a hall of fame. The facility also has an iconic team auditorium on the third level, with unobstructed views of the 12,600-foot Humphrey’s Peak and the San Francisco Range (Figure 1). The unique spaces and environment provided structural challenges and opportunities for creative design.

Boston University Center for Computing & Data Sciences

How do you build a 19-story, 305-foot-tall tower with 25-foot cantilever volumes offsetting in a counter-clockwise arrangement every two to three stories around the perimeter? Early discussions with Boston University, the design team of KPMB Architects, structural engineering firms Entuitive and LeMessurier, and construction manager Suffolk Construction identified the means and methods of erection as critical to the success of the Boston University’s Center for Computing & Data Sciences Building. Design-Assist, starting after the submission of Schematic Design, was utilized to identify the temporary erection procedures required to construct the tower. Steel fabricator, Canatal Industries, erector Prime Steel Erecting, and their engineer Simon Design Engineering were engaged to partner in the Design-Assist process with the design team.