In this episode, we talk to three people who are involved in seismic upgrades to a Heritage Designated World Recognizable Work of Architecture, the Museum of Anthropology (MOA) in Canada. They are Nick Milkovich, Principal at Nick Milkovich Architects Inc. Who is also the principal architect for the upgrade, Aletha Utimati, Project Manager at The University of British Columbia and for the Great Hall renewal project, and 5013 and Eric Karsh, a structural engineer and principal at Equilibrium Consulting Inc and a leader in timber engineering and construction. They talk about some of the seismic upgrades planned at the Museum of Anthropology.

Engineering Quotes:

Here Are Some of the Questions We Ask Our Guests:

Tell us what your job will entail in the process?

Why is the University of British Columbia undertaking this project?

Tell us about the experience of working with the late Arthur Erickson, what it meant to you, and how it affects your perspective on this project?

Tell us more about using base isolation technology and vertical glass upgrades and its challenges.

What are some of the challenges of doing construction beside a working museum?

How will the differential seismic movement between the Great Hall and the rest of the museum influence the construction process?

How do they plan to protect the massive wooden carvings and poles that reside in the Great Hall during construction?

What does it take to become an expert on a specific design process or material for a structural engineering professional?

Here Are Some of the Key Points Discussed About the Seismic Upgrades To the Museum of Anthropology:

The Great Hall has a tall and slender design and is wrapped in glass, which makes it susceptible to seismic forces. The structure needs to be preserved while bringing it up to code, without changing the architecture.

The seismic upgrades need to be done on the Great Hall as it is one of the high-risk areas on the campus. This was found through a comprehensive evaluation of seismic risk across all buildings, utilities, and assets on the campus. The seismic upgrades are not only being done for human safety but to also preserve the museum's invaluable collection if a seismic event had to happen.

Arthur Erickson’s office was an interesting place and felt like a continuation of school. Anyone could come up with ideas to be discussed, debated, and implemented. The concept behind the museum was based on a photograph that Arthur saw villages on Anthony Island which were all close to the beach. The movement through the museum represents the movement from the forest, across the beach, and ending by the water. Arthur was interested in the proportional experiences that people would have when walking through the museum.

Because of the museum’s heritage properties, traditional seismic upgrades are not an option. The introduction of additional elements or braces could not be hidden anywhere, and the structure is an integral part of the architecture. This means that anything you do to the structure impacts the original work, which is something that was committed to avoid.

Base isolation means to disconnect the building from the ground and put it on a bed of jello which will significantly reduce the seismic loads on the structure. This however was not enough for the great hall to not get structural damage and the glass on the building would also suffer damage in a seismic event. This means that the entire building is needing to be rebuilt to mirror the old building but will structurally meet the code. The original glass was not detailed to accommodate much movement. The rebuild allowed redesigning the interface between the glass panels and the structure to ensure the anticipated seismic movements would not likely cause any damage to the g...

Podden och tillhörande omslagsbild på den här sidan tillhör Anthony Fasano, PE, Mathew Picardal, PE, and Cara Green, EIT. Innehållet i podden är skapat av Anthony Fasano, PE, Mathew Picardal, PE, and Cara Green, EIT och inte av, eller tillsammans med, Poddtoppen.