Block 106, Lot A

Project Description

Block 106, Lot A is a 3-story mixed use Type V building located in the Mill District, and is
currently under construction. The building is 17,600 SF with 4,000 SF of at grade parking beneath the building. The ground floor is intended for retail and office space with levels 2 and 3 serving as multi-family residential units. The structure is a combination of steel and wood framing. Wood shear walls serve as the lateral force resisting system for the building. The building is configured with a 2,000 SF courtyard at the 2nd level. The courtyard was designed for a 605 SF landscaped roof garden and snow storage.

RPA served as the Civil and Structural Engineer of Record for this project. Additionally, RPA’s
structural group provided special inspection services during construction

    Project Details

    Location

    Bozeman, Montana

    Architect

    Minarik Architecture

    Big Horn Valley Clinic

    Project Description

    RPA partnered with High Plains Architects to design a new 8,640 SF, single-story medical office building. The superstructure system consisted of exposed open web, parallel chord hybrid roof truss, comprised of wood and metal, supported on steel and wood framing. Rammed aggregate pier foundations were employed beneath the building to mitigate highly compressible subgrade soils. A network of cast-in-place concrete grade beams were utilized to transfer superstructure loads to the pier foundation. Careful planning and collaboration with the architect was undertaken to ensure interior demising walls, which were framed to the underside of roof sheathing, were detailed to allow deflection of the roof trusses and maintain rigorous sound isolation between exam rooms and offices.

    Project Details​

    Client

    Big Horn Valley Clinic

    Location

    Hardin, Montana

    MT Hall

    Project Description

    RPA partnered with High Plains Architects to design a new 4-stop elevator, vertical circulation, and ADA compliant bathrooms in the existing east wing of Montana Hall. The project entailed removal of existing floors in the east wing to create space for the new elevator and stair shaft. Careful planning created a design facilitating installation of the nearly 60 feet tall shaft surrounded by stairs on three sides with minimal steel framing; small structural steel pieces were specified for ease of installation, with all bolted connections used to reduce fire risk during construction. New wall bracing in the east wing was incorporated to protect existing multi-wythe brick walls from damage or collapse during a seismic event. As part of the project, a new entry vestibule was incorporated at the east wing to protect the public entering the building from falling ice hazards from the main roof. Mass timber construction in the form of a cross-laminated timber slab was utilized for the vestibule roof to reduce weights on existing structure supporting the new roof, while being inherently resilient against impact loads. This is the first use of mass timber slabs as part of a structure at MSU.

    KEY PROJECT ELEMENTS

    • 25 y/o Historic Building Renovation/Remodel
    • Condition Assessment/Tier 2 Seismic Evaluation
    • Seismic Retrofit
    • New 4-stop Elevator and Stairs Addition to Interior
    • New Mass Timber Vestibule
    • Fire Hydrant and Service to Building
    • Special Inspection Services

    Project Details

    Client

    Montana State University

    Location

    Bozeman, Montana

    Architect

    High Plains Architects

    Helena Shooting Range

    Project Description

    RPA partnered with Slate Architecture to complete a site and building design for a new state-of-the-art indoor shooting range in Helena, Montana. The project consists of a single story, 105ft x 62ft indoor gun range facility constructed of load bearing cast-in-place concrete walls using insulated concrete forming (ICF) systems and premanufactured, metal plated wood trusses. The site civil work included a new parking lot, sidewalk and ADA compliance, site grading and drainage, onsite stormwater, and water and sewer services.

    KEY PROJECT ELEMENTS

    • 6,510 square feet

    Project Details​

    Client

    Range 406

    Location

    Helena, Montana

    Architect

    Slate Architecture

    Flying H Hangar

    Project Description

    The aircraft storage hangar was designed to provide superior thermal performance and
    sustainability compared to conventional manufactured metal framed hangars of similar size. The hangar is 100ft x 100ft, with 30ft tall side walls. Structural insulated panel (SIPs) construction was utilized for the walls and roof. The SIP roof panels are supported with steel open-web bar joists. Both the roof joists and SIP walls are supported by glued-laminated timber columns. The layout of SIP supports was intended to greatly reduce panel manufacturing waste and use the largest size panel pieces. Most panel sizes utilized were 8ft wide x 24ft long, corresponding to the SIP panel manufacturing dimensional limits. The SIP manufacturer exclaimed that they have never done such a large SIP building with such little waste.

    The lateral force resisting system is comprised of SIP shear walls on three sides, with a steel truss moment frame at the hangar door endwall. The endwall was designed to accommodate a 90ft wide x 27ft tall pivoting hydraulic hangar door.

    Project Details​

    Client

    Flying H Hangar

    Location

    Bozeman, Montana