IMEG is providing structural engineering services for the Armenian American Museum. The museum is a cultural campus that enriches the community, educates the public on the Armenian American story, and empowers individuals to embrace cultural diversity and speak out against prejudice.

The project houses auditoriums, exhibits areas, a kitchen, and offices. The building structure incorporates outdoor water features and gardens into the podium concrete slab.

The building system consists of a two-story steel portion supported over the one-story underground basement. The structure consists of approximately 57,000-sf of steel-framed area and 28,500-sf of concrete-framed area. This concrete-filled deck is deployed as the diaphragm for the two-story steel portion supported by buckling restrained brace frames (BRBF) acting as the lateral seismic force-resisting system. The exterior skin and skylight roof are among the most distinguishable aspects of the project.

Challenges included diaphragm analysis around the huge skylight opening and the transfer of seismic overturning forces and shear from the BRBF into the subterranean basement. The diaphragm was divided into chords and sub-chords; section cuts were taken, and diaphragm adequacy was checked for sub-chord action in addition to the chord action. The welded couplers needed for the transfer of seismic overturning forces and shear were provided below the base plate; column longitudinal reinforcement was threaded into the coupler, seismic overturning was resolved into TC force and was transferred to the foundations. Tension was transferred by the column longitudinal steel reinforcement and compression was transferred by the reinforced concrete column section. The seismic shear was transferred to the subterranean level using a steel shear key.

IMEG worked closely with internationally acclaimed Alajajian Marcoosi Architects to help bring the architect’s and owner’s vision to reality. IMEG is also providing construction administration support to the general contractor for smooth execution of activities on site.