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KPFF has been providing our clients with outstanding service for over forty years. We have been a pioneer in the design of creative and innovative structural solutions. We were responsible for the design of the first base isolated hospital in the world, USC University Hospital, and we have designed more seismically isloated facilities than any other structural design firm. We are committed to an approach, which focuses on exploring all possible design alternatives in a collaborative and teamwork oriented environment, and we are highly experienced in the process of assessing the feasibility of a structural solution to best satisfy the architectural, functional, and cost goals for any project.
Some of the features that we have integrated into past projects improve post earthquake performance, such as seismic isloation, and some improve the future flexibility of the facility, such as the use of steel moment resisting frames with large floor to floor heights and long spans. KPFF has been instrumental in "writing the code" for these types of engineering design.
We have a broad base of expertise, which covers all aspects of Structural Engineering ranging from the design of excavation and shoring systems, exterior wall systems, passive energy dissipations systems, high damping rubber systems, lead rubber systems, hydraulic viscous damping systems, sliding systems, seismic analysis, the evalutation of the seismic capacity of existing structures, and innovative approaches to seismic retrofitting. This expertise is also seen in the wide range of building materials used throughout our projects, such as, wood, masonry, concrete, and steel. These are all staples of KPFF's work on the West Coast.
The necessity to seismically upgrade California healthcare structures is in full gear. Thus, our research into finding less invasive solutions has taken our focus to Performance Based Design. Our experience in Performance Based Design, specifically utilizing the methodology in FEMA 356, is to evaluate the seismic performance of existing buildings and to design the seismic retrofit. KPFF is one of the first companies to devleop a retrofit scheme for a hospital buiding based on FEMA 356 using non-linear analysis. By taking advantage of Performance Based Design methodologies, we have provided the client with a more economical and constructible retrofit scheme that still meets the performance objective for a hospital building. In addition to our own projects, we have assisted OSHPD by completing case studies evaluating FEMA 356 as it applies to Senate Bill 1953 Upgrades.
We have been the Engineer of Record for both DSA and OSHPD projects. We have a long list of design projects that have been under DSA jurisdiction. We have been the Structural Engineer of Record on over $3.5 billion dollars of OSHPD projects over the past 13 years. This experience has given us a strong background in the high standards of DSA and OSHPD.
Please review a sample of representative projects in the Portfolio section of our website. If you are interested in additional information on KPFF's capabilities and experience, please contact our Marketing Department brochure@kpff-la.com.
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