FOR RELEASE: Immediate, Monday, July 29, 2002
Bronx Courthouse Curtain Wall Passes Blast-Resistance Test
The first of two customized glass curtain wall types to be tested for the Bronx Criminal Court Complex today passed a full-scale bomb blast test today at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. The missile range’s Large Blast Thermal Simulator is the only facility in the United States capable of accurately testing a full-size specimen – in this case, 15 feet wide and 30 feet tall.
The design for the $324.7 million Bronx Criminal Court Complex incorporates 310,000 square feet of curtain wall, which is an exterior wall supported by a building’s frame, rather than being self-supporting or load-bearing. The Dormitory Authority is providing construction project management services for the two-block complex, with 640,000 square feet of floor space on 10 stories. The project, which had its groundbreaking in August 2001, is expected to be completed in mid-2005.
Kevin Cole, Enclos’ Manager of Design, said, “The advantage to utilizing the Large Blast thermal Simulator is the ability to test a full scale curtain wall mock-up. By constructing a large portion of the wall, you can test the reaction of the wall as a whole, making it a more accurate measure of the performance. The test was a success. The specimen responded as predicted by analytical methods and clearly met the specified criteria."
Enclos Corp. previously tested curtain wall systems at White Sands for the now-completed Lloyd D. George Courthouse and Federal Building in Las Vegas, Nev.
"Previous blast-resistant exteriors employed heavy pre-cast concrete with small windows that you can't see out of,” Mr. Cole said. “The goal for the Las Vegas Building and the Bronx Courthouse is to provide a higher level of protection in an architecturally pleasing building by employing new curtain wall technology."
The 10-story court complex is part of New York City’s implementation of the state’s 1987 Court Facilities Incentive Act, which directed municipalities to bring their courthouses up to date. Many facilities across the state were badly in need of renovation, overcrowded and not designed for today’s technology. In a Memorandum of Understanding, the Dormitory Authority provides long-term financing and construction project management services for New York City’s courts program. The Authority supervises about half the City’s court work; the rest is managed by the City’s Department of Design and Construction.
Based in Bloomington, Minn., Enclos Corp. is contracted to employ this technology on three other courthouses and federal buildings throughout the United States. The company specializes in the design, fabrication, and installation of custom exterior wall systems used in the construction of a wide range of commercial, mixed-use and governmental buildings.
John V. Andrus is Chief Project Manager for the Dormitory Authority for this project, with Field Representative IV Sam S. Gleason, Field Representative III Paul A. Pinnock and Project Manager I James B. Hall. Bovis Lend Lease Inc. is construction manager, in association with H.J. Russell & Co. Rafael Vinoly Architects and DMJM Architects & Engineers are the project architects. Gordon H. Smith Corp. is the curtain wall consultant, with Weidlenger Associates Inc. as blast consultant. Ysrael A. Seinuk is the structural engineer.
For more information about the courthouse project, contact Dormitory Authority Press Officer Claudia Hutton at (518) 257 3382, or CHutton@dasny.org. For more information about the blast test, contact Jennifer Fink of Enclos Corp. at (952) 851 0226, JFink@enclos.com , or the firm’s Website at www.enclos.com .
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