The Norther Dutchess Hospital Extension involved the design of a 78,300 square foot, 3-story building with partial basement.  The new structure includes medical office space on the first floor, patient rooms on the second floor and operating rooms on the third floor. Corridor links were provided to connect the addition to the surrounding existing hospital buildings on two sides.

The building’s framing system consists of steel beams, girders and columns supporting a composite concrete slab at each framed floor. In an effort to reduce construction costs, we completed a schematic phase comparison of two types of lateral load resisting systems.  We concluded that using the elevator cores and stair towers as shear walls, we would reduce the project’s steel tonnage by approximately 130 Tons which translates to a potential savings of $75,000 – $100,000 when compared to the traditional moment frame approach.