After completing the programming study, Saiful/Bouquet Structural Engineers Inc. (SBI) was commissioned to provide full structural engineering design services for the new $63M Science & Health Building located on the Biola University campus in La Mirada, California. The planned classroom and instructional laboratory building is a 3-story steel structure with a partial basement comprising of approximately 91,000 gsf.
The selected structural scheme is significantly cost-effective as well as integrated with the program requirements for space layout as well as architectural and building service needs. Steel construction with concrete filled metal decks supported on steel beams is selected for this building. Buckling Restrained Braced Frames (BRBF), strategically located within partition walls, and evenly distributed throughout the building in both principal directions provide lateral bracing against wind and seismic forces. The BRBF system was selected for their high performance, efficiency in energy dissipation as well as reduced amount of frames compared to other systems that would require additional foundations.