All Projects

THE PROPERTY

This new residential development, located near and on the university’s Palo Alto campus, includes a multi-story building with 108 units, 45 single-family homes and 4 town homes, providing housing for Stanford faculty members and staff.

THE CHALLENGE

Sares Regis, the contractor, retained Criterium Engineers to provide quality assurance services for this complex construction project.  A six-sided envelope, multiple balconies and decks and a number of individual structural assemblies were just some of the challenges.  We conducted quality assurance inspections throughout the construction process focusing on every aspect of the buildings, from the foundations to the roofs.  We also prepared mock-ups of the window assemblies to test their watertightness (pre-installation) and to train construction workers on the correct installation techniques.

THE TAKEAWAYS

Criterium Engineers views education as an essential component of our Quality Assurance services.  Pre-construction training to demonstrate proper installation techniques, included when needed in our Quality Assurance reviews, reduces the risk of post-construction structural problems.

THE PROPERTY

One of the airport’s three terminals.

THE CHALLENGE

The design for this extensive renovation included glazed curtain walls, sun shades, sloped glazed skylights and composite wall panels, among other architecturally interesting and structurally challenging features. Criterium Engineers worked closely with the airport, the City of Phoenix, the contractor and the architect, conducting multiple site visits throughout the multi-phased project to check that design specifications were followed and installations were done correctly.

THE TAKEAWAYS

In any commissioning project, buildings are only part of the challenge. The ability to work collaboratively and effectively with building owners, architects, contractors and (as in this project) local officials is critical. It is the combination of engineering expertise, building knowledge and people skills that sets Criterium Engineers apart from its competitors.

Photo Credit: City of Phoenix Aviation Department

THE PROPERTY

 A 750,000 sq. foot, eight-story hospital constructed on this Georgia army base.

THE CHALLENGE

The building was designed to incorporate the energy-efficiencies and sustainable construction methods required to be rated highly under the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) program.  The areas of vegetation on the green roof made the roofing assembly both unique and uniquely complicated, requiring, among other measures, infrared and vector mapping to identify moisture intrusion.  We worked closely with the architect and the contractor (Turner Construction) to modify the design to make sure that all the exterior transitions from one material to another were waterproofed, watertested, and watertight.

THE TAKEAWAYS

This project drew on Criterium Engineers’ extensive knowledge of building materials and construction techniques, as well as our ability to solve complex structural problems.  Criterium is one of the few consulting engineering companies in the country with engineers qualified to work on buildings seeking LEED certification.