On March 3, 2023, Jonathan Hernandez and Mark Beltramello served as presenters at APT Northeast’s 2023 Annual Meeting & Symposium at the Hawthorne Hotel in Salem, MA!

During their presentation, Jonathan and Mark discussed the structural restoration and renovation of terracotta materials, which included the implications and challenges that they have encountered in the terracotta buildings that have been restored, renovated, and repurposed. As they explained, the buildings containing terracotta arches and flat terracotta arch slabs utilize terra cotta as a load-bearing structural material. Also discussed was the history of these floor slab systems, and how much they’ve changed over time since being developed in 1871.

A few of their more recent case studies that were covered during their presentation included Manhattan Eye, Ear, & Throat Hospital (MEETH), 2 Bryant Park, the Flatiron Building, and 230 Park Avenue South, all of which contain flat terracotta arches.

You can read the full program here.

Yesterday GMS Partner Jessica Mandrick was named one of ENR New York’s 20 Top Young Professionals. She was cited as “An advocate for sustainable structures in a changing environment.”

This article for STRUCTURE Magazine’s November 2022 issue outlines the collaboration between the GMS team of Partners Karl Rubenacker and Jessica Mandrick, along with Project Engineer Lizhong Wang, and the building owner, Jack Resnick and Sons.

On June 21, 2022, Ramon Gilsanz presented the differences between the seismic portions of the 2014 New York City Building Code and the latest released Code as part of SEAoNY’s Code Update Training Series. The course showcases the different design factors, calculations, classifications, systems, and inspections required depending on the structural makeup of the building.

This study, authored by Ramon Gilsanz, Daniel Gleave, Andrew Dolan, and Sarah Ropert of GMS and Erica C. Fischer of Oregon State University, examines the feasibility of a new concealed connection for steel gravity framing that has been shown to protect connection components from the increasing temperatures and subsequent thermal degradation that occur during a fire.

The February 2022 Architectural Design features Casa Loro, a large Panama Estate for which the GMS team – including Phil Murray, Jessica Mandrick, and Ana Gallego – provided structural engineering services. The completed estate includes a three-bedroom main house, four guest cabins, a pool house, and a separate spa building totaling approximately 16,000 sf.

This article discusses the technologies used to allow flat-plate concrete floor systems to achieve longer spans in the 45-50 foot range. The combination of higher-strength materials, voided slab formers, and post-tensioned systems provide an economic and environmentally friendly solution for Class A office building construction.

The competing factors governing structural design and dimensioning of reinforced concrete slabs create opportunities for optimizing the cost and performance of reinforced concrete flat-plate slabs. Using a slab prototype from an existing building, this study compares designs using different strengths of reinforcing bars and concrete.

At the Woolworth Building, the 1913 skyscraper designed by architect Cass Gilbert, which was the tallest in the world until 1930, Alchemy Properties is in the process of converting the top 30 floors into 33 condos priced from $3.875 million.