Arete, an engineering project by O'Connell and Associates, Fort Walton Beach, Florida.

Structural Engineering · Fort Walton Beach

Arete

Fort Walton Beach, FL

The work

The project consisted of the structural renovation of an existing one and two-story commercial office building located in Fort Walton Beach, Florida and measuring approximately 17,000 sq. ft.

The scope of work included evaluating the structural foundations, floor and roof systems, and development of a compilation of structural details necessary to provide final working drawings, documents and specifications. The two-story building consisted of steel frame construction with a combination of metal panels, stucco and ceramic tile walls. The single single-story portion of the building consisted of a grouted masonry walls with a stucco finish. The roof system consists of steel bar joists and timber framing. The project includes the construction of a new elevator shaft and a modified floor system with a balcony and stairway, and a new entry feature.

Location: Fort Walton Beach, FL
Market: Commercial and Retail
Disciplines: Structural Engineering

Scope performed

Each line below is a discipline our staff carried on this project. The description explains what that work involves and what the owner receives at the end of it.

Land Development and Site Design

Turning a parcel into a buildable site. Grading, layout, utility routing, and a drawing set a reviewer can approve.

Site and grading plans
Utility layout
Construction details
Quantity basis for bidding

New Building Structural Design

The gravity and lateral system for a new building, designed to the current Florida Building Code and the wind exposure the site sits in.

Structural drawings
Load calculations
Signed and sealed documents for permit

Structural Renovation and Expansion

Structural design inside an existing building: openings, additions, and load path changes worked out against what is actually there.

Existing condition review
Framing and reinforcement design
Sealed documents for permit

Foundation Design

The system that carries the building into the soil, coordinated with the geotechnical report and the coastal conditions on site.

Foundation plans and details
Bearing and pile coordination
Geotechnical review

Concrete and Masonry Repair

Diagnosis and repair design for spalling, corrosion, and cracking in structural concrete and masonry assemblies.

Repair details and specifications
Quantity estimates
Repair drawings for bidding

Balcony Walkway and Railing

Assessment and repair design for elevated slabs, coatings, and guardrail attachments, which are the assemblies that most often drive a repair budget on a coastal building.

Assembly assessment
Coating and attachment details
Phasing that keeps units usable

How an engagement like this runs

Work in Fort Walton Beach follows the same sequence at any size. Owners see the same four stages.

01
Scoping call
We ask what prompted the call, what documents already exist, and what deadline is driving the schedule. If the work does not need an engineer, we say so.
02
Field work and review
A licensed engineer or a staff member working under one goes to the site, documents conditions, and reviews the drawings and reports already on file.
03
Signed and sealed deliverable
Findings, drawings, and specifications go out under seal, written so a board can read them and a contractor can bid from them.
04
Contract Administration
During construction we review submittals, answer requests for information, perform Construction Observations, and review pay applications against work in place.

Questions about a similar building? Call the office nearest the site or send the address and the scope, and the discipline lead who owns that work will answer. Compare the Structural Engineering scopes we carry.