Multi-Purpose Marvel

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The complex design of the Indiana Farm Bureau (INFB) Fall Creek Pavilion project on the Indiana State Fairgrounds campus was a collaborative effort between architects at Schmidt Associates and structural engineers from Lynch, Harrison & Brumleve, Inc. and Complete Structural Consulting, Inc. Over 18 months, from 2021 to 2023, the group designed a notable example of creative structural engineering. The structural elements shared in this story not only highlight the firms’ work but also offer chances for insight and learning through observation and lessons.

Seven years in the making and with $50 million from the Indiana General Assembly, the INFB Fall Creek Pavilion opened in July 2023 and preserved history with structural engineering. The structure is a 196,000-square-footbuilding that caters to the State of Indiana with expanded possibilities. During the Indiana State Fair, it serves as an exhibition facility, providing an environment for livestock competitions, historical exhibits, and education. With a 120,000-square foot show floor, exhibitors and visitors can interact, promote agriculture, and participate in various state fair events. Beyond its livestock focus, the Pavilion’s flexibility can be seen through consumer and sporting events.

Features include:

The INFB Fall Creek Pavilion created a multifunctional space for hosting events as varied as NCAA indoor track meets, large car auctions, and annual Indiana State Fair swine competitions. What sets this project apart is its versatility and the engineering achieved during challenging times such as the COVID-19 pandemic, supply chain disruptions, and the requirement to maintain the historic 1923 north façade.

At the time of bidding this project, the production market for open web steel joists was at capacity, mainly due to the construction of warehouse facilities for online retailers such as Amazon. The limited supply for steel joists, especially 200’, three-piece, double-field-spliced super longspans, presented a significant problem for the design team. Allocating the necessary production time for a complex and demanding project made costs prohibitive for a traditional joist supplier. Realizing the need to keep the project on track, a specialty engineer, Complete Structural Consulting, Inc., was brought on-board so that the joists could be produced by the steel fabricator using the specifications of a traditional Steel Joist Institute (SJI) supplier. To achieve this goal, several design and fabrication procedures were documented and reviewed among the design team. A quality manual was developed by the specialty engineer and steel fabricator to document the shop standards instituted to ensure the SJI requirements were maintained. The clarity and thoroughness of the documentation provided design team and the Owner peace of mind while allowing the project to continue. The tailored design solution ensured the joists and large trusses, adhered to standards of The SJI, The American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC), The American Welding Society (AWS), and the Society for Protective Coatings.

Preserving the historic street-level main entry structure on the north side of the building was identified early on as a critical aspect of the project. The existing street level was 10 feet higher in elevation than the exhibition floor and connecting these two elevations while preserving the entry proved to be a significant challenge. Three options were discussed among the design team and construction manager.

Building a concrete retaining wall—One option was to construct a concrete retaining wall to separate the entry from the exhibition floor. While efficient in design and concept, construction of the retaining wall would have required significant excavation, which could have led to set-back issues due to the proximity of the existing building.

Temporary H-piles and wood lagging—Another concept that was originally favored by the construction manager and design team, was to install H-pile shoring, pour a concrete wall against shoring as the finish surface, and eventually abandon the shoring once the slab on-grade was installed.

Steel sheet piling—During construction, the shoring contractor proposed installing steel sheet piling, a similar sequence as the H-piles and wood lagging but would allow for a faster schedule since the sheet piles provided the retainage as a single unit while the H-piles and wood lagging was a two-part system The downside to this option was that the fluted shoring profile would need to be filled with concrete to create a finished concrete surface. Filling the flutes required a substantial volume of concrete to fill the void. The extra material cost was offset by the gains of construction schedule and this option was chosen by the construction and design teams.

The sheet pile shoring option allowed construction of the new exhibit and administration areas without compromising integrity. This approach, which used an entire bay to protect the façade, blended new developments with historic preservation. As such, the historic north entry elements, including the entry portals, two restroom towers in the northeast and northwest corners, and office space, were preserved. The original brick masonry veneer on the north entry was restored by repointing joints and replacing damaged brick with colorful porcelain tile cornice, utilizing masonry maintenance guidelines from the National Park Service. The decision to restore the north entry required that the entire Pavilion be constructed with a closely matched brick. The design team was able to find a suitable brick, seamlessly connecting the new construction to the original look. The design team also integrated restored and reclaimed wood from the original structure’s roof deck into the arched ceilings from the original Swine Barn’s three north entry portals.

The 212-foot clear-span was realized using 126-inch deep, three piece, double-field-spliced, open-web steel joists. Uniform in their configuration, these structural members extend across the ceiling, combining functionality with aesthetics. This integration of form and function reflects an interpretation of traditional craftsmanship and a tailored design solution.

The structure presents a simple façade from below, concealing the robust engineering behind its construction. Early in the design process, it was decided to use the joists and girders on the primary grids as key elements in the Main Wind Force Resisting System (MWFRS).

Incorporating the joists into the lateral system eliminated the need for diagonal bracing, thereby maximizing usable floor space. Continuity was achieved by field welding the top chords of the joists and girders at the supports, along with the bottom chords at the stabilizer plates. The connections at the top and bottom chords restrict rotation, creating a force couple at the ends of the joists and girders. Close coordination between the designer of record and the specialty engineering team ensured that all structural members—the girders, joists, columns, and their respective connections—worked together to provide adequate resistance and a clear load path for all gravity and lateral loads. At several locations, the joists and girders meet at different elevations at the columns, causing a combined effect of biaxial bending in the columns.

Additionally, the joists were designed for various gravity load cases to cater to specific event requirements. This included incidental 5-kip bottom chord bend-loads to accommodate rigging and signage, as well as the capacity to support multiple 40-kip RTU loads without extra web members that would disrupt the consistent web layout.

The consistent truss geometry also helped to streamline the construction process for the steel erector. This standardized design allowed for the development of repeatable methods in the splicing and erection of trusses, contributing to efficient and expedited completion. The long-span joists were delivered to the site in three separate pieces, then assembled in pairs on the ground before being lifted into their final position and bolted to supporting members. To ensure precise and consistent geometry, the erector built a large jig for assembling each three-piece joist on the ground.

Erecting the initial pair of trusses posed a challenge, requiring exact coordination to keep the first truss stable while positioning and bolting the second truss with bolted X-bracing to form a stable pair. The initial lift required four large cranes, one crane to stabilize each half of the truss pair. Once the stable pair was erected and bolted, each subsequent truss could be individually erected and braced to the others with the bolted X-bridging. One the roof deck was welded to the joists, and provided lateral restraint for the top-chords, the trusses were fully installed and ready for their full design loads.

The 200’ joists were designed with a 2-inch chord gap to increase rigidity in the weak axis. This design provided more stability during erection and minimized the necessary bolted bridging. This design feature also allowed for larger single-member webs, resulting in fewer web members. The fabricator, using techniques common for SJI joist suppliers, crimped up to a 3-inch single-angle rather than using double angle sections. 2” HSS were also used as web members at critical locations and vertical web members. This approach provided more room at each panel point for aligning concentric members as the single members are in the chord gap, and the double angle webs are on outside of the chords, resulting in less secondary bending, fewer double angle sections, and further enhancing the openness of the expansive area.

Like any large project with multiple teams, the INFB Fall Creek Pavilion project faced challenges, notably the need to adapt to various uses. This required coordination and upfront research from stakeholders. The original joist span, planned at 116 feet, was extended to 212 feet during design development to accommodate program requirements to enable the Pavilion to host USA Track and Field events.

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic also halted the project, with a rebid in 2021. While challenging, this delay provided the teams time to reassess and refine the project’s design and logistical plans that led to a more efficient outcome.

The project team also learned valuable lessons in flexibility and adaptation. An example was the work with the Indiana Bridge fabrication shop, which brought the project to life. This hands-on experience and the Owner’s involvement led to a smooth and transparent process, highlighting the importance of open communication. Permanent shoring on the north side of the building proved beneficial. The team initially proposed a temporary steel H-pile and wood lagging system, but the contractor proposed sheet metal piling for efficiency. As a result, even though more concrete was required due to the depth of the sheet piles that also served as formwork for the lower wall, the installation proceeded faster, helping to keep the project on schedule.

The INFB Fall Creek Pavilion partnership between Schmidt Associate’s architects, Lynch, Harrison, and Brumleve, Inc., Complete Structural Consulting, Inc. engineers, and Indiana Bridge Fabricators was a multidisciplinary approach to collaboration and problem-solving. The project not only met functional goals but also did so on budget, ahead of schedule, and with a level of quality that may be seen by the public eye.

According to the Owners, air handling and movement of odors, the loading and unloading of swine, the broom finish on the showroom floor to provide the right balance of traction for the livestock footing, cleanability to control surface odors, and the separation of the public from the exhibitors had to be planned and coordinated before the 2023 Indiana State Fair.

Transforming the previous Swine Barn, which was just a roof and floor and only occupied for two weeks out of the year, into a year-round, multi-purpose space, Schmidt Associates architects designed a facility with a lower grade elevation.

“When the Indiana State Fairgrounds were constructed in the late 1890s, they were built for fairgoers to bring their animals by train, and they didn’t have to worry about 55-foot trailers,” Indiana State Fair Commission Executive Director Cindy Hoye said. “This is something a lot of people don’t consider, but to solve this challenge, Schmidt Associates considered livestock and people.”

Despite the project’s scope, the team kept costs within the $50 million budget. This discipline was achieved through strategic decisions, resulting in over $1 million in savings.

The INFB Fall Creek Pavilion is a win for Indianapolis and the State of Indiana due to its ongoing annual economic impact of over $200 million and the vitality to various sectors, from hospitality and transportation to local businesses and job creation. In its short life, the Pavilion has not only enhanced the capacity of the campus, but it also shows how challenges can become opportunities.

“Undoubtedly, the highlight of the 2023 Indiana State Fair was the Indiana Farm Bureau Fall Creek Pavilion. The building exceeded all expectations,” said Indiana State Fair Commission Chief Development and Strategy Officer Ray Allison. “Through countless conversations during the Fair, I heard praise for the work we did. People were speechless when they walked in, and long-time swine exhibitors were emotional.” ■

Kevin Shelley, AIA, LEED AP, is chief operations officer | principal for Schmidt
Associates. He loves helping Owners realize their visions, and working with them
to achieve more than what they thought was possible. He serves clients in the firm’s
K-12, higher education, community, and healthcare studios.
Scott Clore, PE, became a member of the Lynch, Harrison & Brumleve, Inc. (LHB)
team in 2003 and a principal in 2015. Throughout his time at LHB, he has worked
on large industrial facilities, churches, office buildings, multi-use structures, and
educational facilities.
Michael Roach, PE, is President of Complete Structural Consulting, Inc. (CSC). CSC
specializes in delegated design for connections and misc. metals, industrial design,
and protective structures design. Michael began his career in the steel joists industry
where he authored technical digests, the Special Profile Joists Catalog. His expertise
includes connections, cold-formed, dynamic analysis for protective structures, and
steel joists and deck design.