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Exterior Structural Concrete and Masonry Wall Systems

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Exterior Structural Concrete and Masonry Wall Systems

PL: BECS has long-term, wide-ranging expertise in masonry structures whose exterior walls consist of structural brick, concrete block masonry, or structural concrete. Direct experience with analyzing numerous problems, such as infiltration and stress-cracking, has been fully incorporated into PL: BECS recommendations concerning the design and construction of new structures. Comprehensive familiarity with masonry construction has … Read more

The Garden House

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The Garden House

Atherton, California Client: Olson Sundberg Architects Dates of Service: 1993-1994Project Summary: This large, new, and technically complex home was located on a very challenging site with extensive subterranean moisture and highly-expansive clay soils, posing the twin risks of sub-grade leakage and large differential movement due to the expansive soils. Other exterior envelope components included cast-in-place concrete, wood siding, … Read more

Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History

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Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History

Santa Barbara, California Client: Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History and Schacht-Aslani Architects Dates of Service: 2009-2011Project Summary: The expansive campus of this museum includes many distinct buildings built over decades.  Though most of the structures are Mission-style, wood-framed, stucco-clad buildings, some consist of concrete or concrete masonry and include wood-sided and stone masonry walls. Sloped roof … Read more

Washington State History Museum

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Washington State History Museum

Tacoma, Washington Client:  Olson Sundberg Architects & Moore/Andersson Architects Dates of Service:  1992-1994 Project Summary:  This new, $23,000,000 museum structure in Tacoma, Washington, was designed by Moore/Andersson Architects in association with Olson Sundberg Architects, to be sensitive to its vintage surroundings, including the adjacent historic domed train station. The site’s high water table and underground springs … Read more

Construction Oversight

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Construction Oversight

Improper installation of exterior envelope elements can jeopardize even the best design details and specifications.  Such improper installations occasionally reflect inadequate care by the installer, but more frequently, they result from the installer’s misunderstanding of how specific systems should be integrated, or from inadequate coordination between several sub-contractors executing different tasks at the same locations. … Read more

Ballard Hospital, South Wing

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Ballard Hospital, South Wing

Seattle, Washington Client: Swedish Hospital at Ballard Dates of Service: 1997 Project Summary: This decade-old, 5-story hospital has been experiencing extensive window leakage since its construction. Its structural system consisted of post-tensioned lift-slab construction supported on steel columns, with an exterior skin of panelized brick as well as brick veneer cladding, and strip and curtain wall glazing.  … Read more

Skagit County Courthouse

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Skagit County Courthouse

Mount Vernon, Washington Client: SHKS Architects Dates of Service: 2009Project Summary: The exterior masonry of this historic courthouse was displaying extensive degradation, including mortar erosion, cracking, mortar delamination, corrosion of steel lintels, etc.  The architectural firm SHKS Architects was retained to prepare construction documents for the needed masonry restoration. PL: BECS Services: PL: BECS, due to its … Read more

Tacoma Public Library

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Tacoma Public Library

Tacoma, Washington Client: Schiffrin Olson Schlemlein Hopkins Attorneys Dates of Service: 2002Project Summary: This historic masonry library building was in the process of having its masonry joints re-pointed when issues arose between the owner and contractor concerning alleged deficiencies in the re-pointing. PL: BECS Services: After fruitless efforts to resolve these issues, PL: BECS, due to its specialized … Read more

Drake Condominium

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Drake Condominium

Bellingham, Washington Client:  Barkley Company and RMC Architects Dates of Service: 2006-2008 Project Summary: RMC Architects of Bellingham prepared the construction documents for this new condominium/retail structure on the basis of an overall design provided by Mithun Partners Architects. The somewhat unusual configuration of the building included a concrete base structure of ground-level retail spaces with a … Read more

North Seattle Community College Opportunity Center for Employment and Education

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North Seattle Community College Opportunity Center

Seattle, Washington Client: Schacht-Aslani Architects Dates of Service: 2008-2010 Project Summary: The new Opportunity Center for Employment and Education had to be fitted into a web of already-existing buildings on the North Seattle Community College campus, presenting unique challenges.  The new structure, composed of cast-in-place concrete and steel framing, is clothed with metal panel wall cladding, curtain-wall … Read more