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Building Statistics

General Building Data

Building Name: Chace Hall

Location and Site: The Pennsylvania State University, University Park

Occupancy: Residence Hall

Size 45,000 sq. ft

Stories Above Grade: 4 with basement mostly above grade from terrain

Total Levels: 5

Dates of Construction: 5/7/12-6/18/13

Cost: Originally $18 Million

Delivery Method: Design Build

 

Project Team

Owner: Penn State University

Design-Builder: Barton Malow

  • Senior PM: Dan Buchta

  • PM: Ken Pagett

  • Sr. Superintendent: Dan Bickles

  • Assist. Sup.: Tom Horensky & Tony Land

  • Proj. Engineers: Nick Umosella & Lindsay Wirtz

Architect/Engineer: Clark Nexsen

Associate Architect: APArchitects

Civil Engineer: Sweetland

Subcontractors

Masonry: Harris Masonry

Glazing/Curtainwall/VCT, Rubber & Carpet Floor: Nittany Bldg

Ceramic & Porcelain Tile: Allstate Flooring

Ext/Int Studs & Drywall & General Trades: Penn Installations

Mechanical & Plumbing: McClure Company

Fire Protection: S.A. Comunale Company

Electrical: Farfield Company

Structural Steel: Steel Fab Enterprises

Demolition: Interior Specialists

Abatement: LVI Enviromental Services

Site Work & Utilities: Glenn O. Hawbaker

Concrete: JC Orr

Roof: David Maines Associates

Fall Arrest System: ISI Systems

New Building Elevator/Wheel Chair Lifts: Port Elevator

 

Architecture

Chace Hall is a 4 story residence hall built on a partially above ground basement making 5 floors above grade for the majority of the building. Falling on the edge of South Halls along Shortlidge Road, this building portrays the classic Penn State red brick façade along with limestone detailing. On the western side of the building there are large vertical windows expressing the size of the building as well as representing the floor to floor larger than that of the surrounding older buildings.

Most of the underlying structure supporting the façade and building is steel construction as well as concrete on metal decking for the floors. Each of the first three floors are different then continuing the same plan from the 2nd to the 4th. Starting on the Ground Floor there are multiple amenities from home. These include a kitchen lounge and laundry; there is also bike storage and a large lobby lounge. From there, the first floor simply has a lounge and a lobby as well as two separate double loaded corridors of dorms. Finally, the remaining floors simply have a lounge for the floor and two double loaded corridors as before.

 

No historical requirements other than the history of Penn State and the classic look that follows.

 

The major national model codes used included the International Building Code 2009, ASCE 7-05, ACI 318, and ACI 301. The building falls in a university zoned area designated for residential housing.

 

Building Enclosure

Building Facades

As mentioned in the architectural portion, the façade of the building is the classic Penn State red brick look as well as large limestone detailing. This is shown even more on the buildings west end where the limestone frames large windows that express the height of the building.

 

Roofing

Consisting of sloped roofs for architectural presence of height, the roof is made up of a synthetic slate on plywood sheathing.

 

Sustainability Features

Located on the bottom floor; there is an indoor bike storage area. This building is also directly across from multiple bus stops helping to rely on public transportation as an alternate transportation method. Another creative sustainable approach was to use recycled slate roofing described as Eco-Star synthetic slate shingles, resulting in 80% recycled rubber and plastic content. Storm water management issues were also addressed through use of bioswales, which are depressions in the ground filled with plants that allow the excess water to run down, and collect to drain from the site.

Site from Northwest and Southeast Views
Sections through building enclosure
Structural

Chace Hall mainly consists of a composite steel sytem, involving composite deck as well as composite beams acting together. The decking is comprised of a 2" deck with a 3.5" topping of lightweight concrete. This deck is then attached to the beams which mainly consist of W14x26 shapes on each level of the structure. From there, the beams are framed into W shaped girders, generally W18 of various sizes. The whole floor acts as the diaphram transfering the lateral forces of the building into the lateral elements and the columns. The lateral elements are braced frames set throughout the building, and the columns are all varying HSS sizes to support the gravity loads. The columns then bring the loads down to the foundations as well as the partial single story shear walls. The foundations are spread footings sitting on bedrock and engineered fill, which take the building loads into the earth. The single story shear walls only really play a part due to the change in grade from one side of the building to the next, giving the building something stronger to resist the soils bearing on the wall. Topping off the building are steel trusses made from cold form steel which span from one side of the building to the other, giving the structure its sloped roofs. 

Construction

The building was constructed under a design build method with Barton Malow as the Design-Builder. Beginning in May 2012 and finishing in June of the following year, Chace Hall was the start of the entire South Halls improvement package. Chace Hall being the only new residence hall of the package, the other south residence halls were renovated to bring them to the same level as Chace.

Electrical

Chace Hall is tied into the existing underground power supply on campus being fed from the main switchboard in Redifer Hall. The power coming into the building goes into a 480/277V main distribution panel of the building. It is then stepped down to 208/120V using a transformer on the ground floor and then spread throughout the building. The buildings emergency power comes from the emergency distribution panel also located in Redifer Hall and is attached to an automatic trans

Lighting

The lighting throughout the buidling is a mix of LED and Florecent. These being incorporated in wall mounted, recessed, and pendent fixtures; all coordinated to a 4k Kelvin color tempurature.

Mechanical

Tied into the chilled water system and campus steam system, Chace Hall implements a chilled water heat exchange system as well as a steam to heat water converter. These work with various other systems throughout the building for heating and cooling.

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