Innovative Engineering For Utah’s Resilient Future

Overview

Relationship-building is central to everything we do. On every project – large or small – we prioritize long-term, consistent connections. This dedication to quality and client satisfaction has solidified our reputation as a reliable and forward-thinking partner.

With 25+ years of delivering projects ranging from mixed-use developments and resort destinations to cultural facilities and commercial spaces, our track record of successful outcomes is well established. Our extensive experience with regional design practices and preferred construction methods has equipped us to provide innovative, cost-effective solutions that meet and often exceed client expectations.

Seismic Design

Performance-based seismic design (PBSD) in Salt Lake City and Utah focuses on addressing the region's significant earthquake risk posed by the nearby Wasatch Fault. Local factors, including soil conditions and alluvial deposits in the Salt Lake Valley, can amplify seismic shaking, influencing how structures respond to seismic events. By implementing PBSD, engineers can optimize safety and functionality for new and existing buildings, ensuring that essential facilities like hospitals and emergency centers remain operational after a quake, which is crucial for disaster resilience in the region.

Our seismic experts use a wide array of strategies – from the tried-and-true to cutting-edge methods – to mitigate earthquake hazards. Nonlinear analysis. Performance-based design. Base isolation. Powerful analytical and AI/ML tools (including applications developed in-house). Buckling-restrained braced frames. Damped shear wall systems. We engage all of these resources to determine the seismic responses of structures and their components and to control structural response. And our extensive catalog of data gathered from decades of post-earthquake investigations of damaged structures informs and supplements our advanced analysis tools.

Our engineers have worked in high seismic zones around the globe, including California, Turkey, China, Taiwan, Mexico City, Indonesia, New Zealand, Japan, Chile, Haiti and Puerto Rico. Through our work investigating building performance after earthquakes and other natural and man-made disasters, we've developed a comprehensive understanding of how structures behave in real events.

High-Rise Building Design

Designing high-rise buildings in Utah requires special considerations due to the region's seismic activity. Tall building design must prioritize lateral force resistance, using systems like reinforced concrete cores, steel moment frames or base isolation to enhance stability and flexibility during earthquakes. Additionally, local building codes and performance-based design criteria guide the design process to ensure buildings can endure specified seismic intensities to protect occupants and maintain structural integrity.

With 70 years of experience, offices around the globe and a history of designing some of the world’s most recognizable structures, we have the qualifications that can enhance your team – and transform your project. And with experience beyond traditional structural engineering – in everything from façade engineering and protective design to sustainability and kinetics – we have the resources and talent to take on your toughest challenges and deliver an integrated solution, whatever your project needs.

Structural Renovations & Conversions

Building renovations and conversions rely on a blend of building-code knowledge and expertise in local conditions. Older buildings in Salt Lake City and Utah may not meet current seismic design standards, requiring structural retrofits to improve resilience and safety. Renovation projects must incorporate assessment of existing structural conditions, local soil characteristics – and other potential hazards to implement appropriate reinforcement strategies, such as adding shear walls and bracing – or base isolators. Consideration for historic buildings must also balance seismic upgrades with preservation requirements. Careful design can successfully enhance safety and function without compromising architectural integrity.

Our multidisciplinary teams have spent decades helping owners with a wide range of renewal needs – which means we know how to solve your specific problem. Whether we’re restoring landmark buildings or repositioning a property for a new purpose, developing façade upgrades or building-system improvements, investigating the root cause of a structural failure or providing an energy analysis, all of our people – from our structural engineers to our architects to our MEP engineers – have the experience, expertise and tools needed to tackle your challenge, whatever it may be.

Mass Timber Expertise

Our engineers designed the world’s tallest mass timber tower – and the one that will take over that title in 2027. With more than 80 mass timber structures under our collective belt, we understand the complexities of working with this material and the challenges involved in getting approvals, especially in tall buildings.

 We’ve analyzed the pros and cons of the various types of mass-timber systems and are applying advanced technology to rapidly analyze multiple options for strength, serviceability and embodied carbon. Our pioneering work on work in performance-based fire engineering is proving to building code authorities that mass-timber structures are safe and durable. And we’re familiar with all the major suppliers. In an industry that hasn’t yet standardized, this experience enables us to develop designs that work seamlessly with supplier standards and proprietary connections, and to take on the full scope of mass timber design and detailing to deliver successful projects to our clients. 

About Us

We understand the importance of building strong relationships within the local AEC community and with public agencies. We have successfully navigated and completed the PBSD and broader permitting process through the City of Salt Lake. Over the years, we have established a consistent local presence, forging connections with developers, architects and officials. Through these relationships, we've gained deeper insight into the city’s customs, culture and unique architectural preferences. Working with third-party review services has taught us the local practices and code requirements needed to be a knowledgeable and reliable partner. Through these efforts, we’ve also cultivated trusted partnerships within the design community, enabling us to bridge our expertise with the local context.