One notable structural challenge was designing the column-free roof span required for the Physical Training Building’s 45,000 sf gymnasium. Silman employed architecturally exposed 180-foot-long cellular beams with 52-inch-diameter holes through the web. These large openings allow the large MEP runs that service the gym space to exist within the depth of the structure.
This new three-building complex provides a consolidated campus for the NYPD, satisfying the agency’s needs for new tactical training and recruiting facilities. The 240,000 sf Physical Training Building and the 480,000 sf Recruit Academic Building are separated by an inlet that cuts through the middle of the site. The campus also contains a central utility plant (CUP).
Silman studied multiple framing schemes for each building and ultimately chose concrete on metal deck with steel beams and columns. This system provided the most flexibility for the campus and enabled the design team to provide one framing scheme for all the buildings. The lateral system varied between moment frames or concentric braced frames from building to building to fit within the architectural design.
Read Caption
One notable structural challenge was designing the column-free roof span required for the Physical Training Building’s 45,000 sf gymnasium. Silman employed architecturally exposed 180-foot-long cellular beams with 52-inch-diameter holes through the web. These large openings allow the large MEP runs that service the gym space to exist within the depth of the structure.
Seismic and security issues were two of the project’s primary concerns. Silman chose to split the eight-story, 400-foot-long Recruit Academic Building into two wings for thermal and seismic concerns, using the natural breaking point at the building’s central seven-story atrium. All the site’s buildings are also designed for both blast and progressive collapse and are set back a specific distance from a secure perimeter.
Silman addressed the site’s poor soil conditions and high water table by designing a foundation system of over 2,000 end bearing piles driven 130 to 150 feet down to meet bedrock. Due to the likelihood of flooding, the building’s infrastructure is elevated above 100-year floodplain. With sustainable features including a high-performance facade, this new complex is LEED NC Gold certified.
