The EmeryStation West V Garage was in design development by GPLA, the structural engineer of record on a design‑build team with DPR. Comprising five stories above grade and two stories below grade, the 194,000‑sq.‑ft. post‑tension concrete building’s structural system featured a hybrid moment frame and shear wall system with a mat foundation.
The project’s location next to the San Francisco Bay in Emeryville, CA created a significant challenge when it came to designing and constructing the mat foundation in an area with a high-water table. GPLA engineered a solution that mitigated the issue of buoyancy associated with the water table, while also responding to the owner’s request to avoid utilizing a deep‑foundation pile system in order to contain cost. That solution extended the typical depth of the mat foundation to several inches below the water table, avoiding the need for deep piles to be drilled to secure it.
Additional challenges on this project included the structure’s close proximity to an adjacent building and the incorporation of a large bioretention swale at the upper level, which included decorative plants and trees. The team worked to deliver a structural engineering design that optimized the number of parking spaces while achieving the architect’s building design goals by exploring a hybrid solution for the structural system utilizing precast columns and beams.
