Steel

Bethany Senior Terraces offers a compelling example of how structural engineering can drive innovation across disciplines, from modular logistics to high-performance building design.

Steel sub-frames were used in two prominent elevator shafts in New York City: The Fulton Center Transit Hub and the Empire State Building. These projects exemplify how steel can be at the center of a successful elevator shaft design—literally and metaphorically. But before discussing them directly, it is important to detail what these structures may need to be safe and code-compliant.

Urban development often demands creative engineering—especially when new construction interfaces with critical infrastructure. In the case of The Langston, a nine-story mixed-use residential project in Washington, D.C., engineers had to quite literally hang part of the building above WMATA’s active Green Line Metro tunnels. The solution involved suspending the northeast portion of the building using hanging concrete columns supported from the roof, with a temporary cantilevered steel truss system enabling safe construction above the tunnels.

Recently published formulas lead to preliminary dimensions for struts, ties, and chords.

The hospital project integrated a street-level loading dock within the building's footprint and implemented a cantilever over the courtyard.

An exploration of the structural systems of the new Las Vegas icon.