July 2023
As a structural engineering firm, C.S. Davidson’s work is critical to the stability and staying power of its projects. Yet most of the time, the engineered products our structural team designs and contributes to projects are hidden behind walls, below bridges or completely underground.
But in the newly redesigned Logos Academy, a private school, our work is out in the open for all to see.
In with the old – and the new
The owners of the school purchased a former Cadillac dealership building from the 1970s on West King Street in York across the street from where the academy is located. School officials wanted to turn that property into an expansion of the school.
RLPS, the project architect, brought on C.S. Davidson about five years ago to design the structural aspects of the renovation and address several complex challenges inherent in the project.
C.S. Davidson began designing the project in 2019, but due to a variety of reasons including the COVID-19 pandemic, the school paused the project and separated it into two phases. The first phase included renovating the property and adding classrooms and other facilities.
The second phase included construction of a new gymnasium, student commons, café, kitchen and offices. Altogether, approximately 300 C.S. Davidson engineering hours went into the academy’s renovation project.
No such thing as bad exposure
New construction and renovation included an extension of the new educational facility. The project offered a rare opportunity for C.S. Davidson’s work to be seen by everyone passing by the buildings.
The firm designed a modern, steel-framed corridor to link the renovated, existing building to the new gym facilities and student areas of phase two of the project. C.S. Davidson was also responsible for foundation design and accommodating renovations such as designing lintels for an entryway opening and framing for a staircase.
Digging in and sealing up challenges
It’s no surprise that C.S. Davidson’s portion of the project was particularly complicated. Much of the work was constrained to small spaces and a tight urban job site. There were also significant foundation issues. The site had a layer of weak fill that was not suitable for typical shallow foundations. Because of environmental concerns, the design team did not want to remove and replace the soil.
In another area of the site, the school wanted a new doorway built into an existing brick masonry wall. C.S. Davidson engineers realized the material around it was substandard, so they designed and installed an entirely new structural wall.
C.S. Davidson engineers pride themselves on being able to solve any and every structural engineering problem. If you have a complex engineering project, don’t hesitate to contact us to discuss your options and how we might work together.