Seismic Bracing for the Utah North Capitol Building
The Capitol Hill master plan dates back to Utah’s statehood. The Utah North Capitol Building fulfills this vision. This replaces the old office building that had serious structural issues with a citizen-focused state history museum displaying priceless artifacts detailing Utah’s expansive history.
This takes artifacts out of the Rio Grande building, which was never meant to be an artifact preservation place, and puts them out for Utahns and visitors to experience and engage with, so they can learn more about Utah and the stories illustrating its history. Citizens and historians alike look forward to this project’s projected completion in 2025 to enjoy the Neoclassical architecture, public showcase of state history, and a secure, permanent place for the artifact collection worth well over $100 million.
The Utah State Capitol is very close to an earthquake fault, necessitating seismic protection, including base isolators and seismic bracing. This mitigates damage in the event of an earthquake, protecting the extensive collection that will be housed in this future museum. Proper preparedness is key to earthquake resilience. While one cannot earthquake-proof a structure, with the right seismic measures, the impact of seismic activity can be reduced, depending on the size of the earthquake.
While the Utah North Capitol Building is currently under construction, VIE finished design for seismic bracing for MEP systems. Seismic bracing of nonstructural components enhances the safety of structures during seismic events. Earthquake investigations show that most earthquake damage in modern facilities results from nonstructural systems, such as electrical systems, plumbing systems, mechanical equipment, and other such nonstructural elements. Inadequate bracing can result in extensive damage, such as fire, hazardous material leakage, and more. Seismic bracing reduces such damage and limits downtime following seismic events for a safer structure.
VIE is proud to be a part of preserving Utah’s historical artifacts with our innovative seismic bracing design services, as for the Utah North Capitol Building. To learn more about the work we have done and can provide for you, please don’t hesitate to contact us today.