Morgan County Jail Addition

Decatur, AL

Project Quick Facts


Building Client
Morgan County Commission and the City of Decatur

Structural Engineer
Advanced Structural Design Inc.

General Contractor
Lee Builders Inc.

Software Used
RISA-3D, RISAFloor, RISAFoundation

Structural Components
Concrete Frame, Concrete Walls, Elevated Concrete Slabs

Year Completed
2015


Project Background

The $11 million, 450-bed addition to the Morgan County Jail allows for the consolidation of all correction services under one roof. The new 3-story facility includes 29,000 sq. ft. of space including classrooms, sleeping areas, indoor/outdoor recreation areas and locker rooms. The main structural system for the building is reinforced concrete frames, with concrete shear walls and 2-way concrete floor slabs. Beyond the main structural system the project also presented some interesting challenges. One of the most difficult aspects was the poor soil conditions of the site. As a result, vibro stone columns (otherwise known as aggregate piers) were used to improve soil conditions. Additionally, the need for torsional reinforcement in the perimeter beams was needed due to the applied load created by the masonry and brick walls at the buildings exterior.

29
K

sq ft

3

story addition

450

bed capacity

parallax image
morgancountyjail_2-1

About the Structure

The conventional concrete system was chosen due to the heavy loading conditions, safety considerations and ability for the structural system to remain exposed. RISAFloor was utilized on the project to model, analyze and design the concrete floor slab and concrete floor beams due to its efficiency in modeling and ability to easily make changes. Once the gravity members were designed in RISAFloor, the framing and loads were transferred to RISA-3D for the design of the concrete shear walls and to RISAFoundation for the design of the concrete footing elements. The ability to work seamlessly between the three software’s allowed for integrated project delivery as well as accurate management of changes by the architect.

"The ability to establish design rules within RISA-3D for different types of structural elements, allowed us to maintain uniformity in beam and form sizes. This saved us time, money and allowed for easy modification of reinforcement when changes occurred."

Jeff Hillman, PE, SECB

parallax image

How Were RISA Products Utilized?

With the unique soil challenges and the need to keep the structural system exposed, engineers at Advanced Structural Design, Inc. relied on the full RISA Suite to efficiently deliver a robust and coordinated design. RISAFloor and RISA-3D were utilized to model the three-story concrete frame, design the two-way elevated slabs and supporting beams, and verify the performance of the concrete shear walls that provide the building’s main lateral-force-resisting system. Integration with RISAFoundation was also utilized to design the concrete footing elements bearing on vibro stone columns, helping to address the poor soil conditions while keeping foundation sizes compatible with the superstructure layout. Throughout the project, the ability to pass models and loads seamlessly between RISAFloor, RISA-3D and RISAFoundation allowed the team to maintain uniform beam and form sizes, respond quickly to architectural changes, and adjust reinforcement where needed without sacrificing constructability or schedule.

Images 1-3: Jeff Hillman

risa-icon-wht-1

Reach an Engineer

Connect with the Experts.
We have the engineering staff ready to assist you.