The National Council of Structural Engineers Associations (NCSEA) recently announced that Cary Kopczynski & Company (CKC) won a prestigious National Finalist Award for its work on Escala in the 2010 Excellence in Structural Engineering Awards Competition at the annual NCSEA Conference in Jersey City, New Jersey. Escala was entered in the category of New Buildings Over $100 Million.
CKC developed a seismic system for Escala that incorporated a unique combination of frames, shear walls, and cantilever elements. Seismic columns utilized an exceptionally high concrete strength of 14,000 psi, requiring heavy reinforcing. Working with City officials, CKC gained approval to use reinforcing bar with an ultra-high strength of 100 ksi, alleviating most rebar congestion. Escala became the first building in North America to use 100-ksi steel for seismic confinement, paving the way for future projects to benefit from this groundbreaking advancement.