Total Credits: 0.5 PDH
Dallas City Hall and Plaza are recognized by many due to the opening scenes of Dallas, the television show. What is less known is that the structure is a significant early example of bonded post-tensioned concrete which was utilized throughout the superstructure and two-story parking garage constructed beneath the plaza. Opened in 1977, the parking garage is a two-way bonded post-tensioned concrete slab with unreinforced drop panels supported by flared circular concrete columns. The garage covers two city blocks, extends under two adjacent multi-lane streets, and supports mature landscaping, pool, fountain, and up to 11’-0” of soil. In 2017, several square feet of a drop panel fell from the structure and subsequent observations found multiple locations of drop panel and column capital failures. A structural investigation including destructive and non-destructive testing, and analysis of the existing structure was undertaken to determine the cause of the failures. Structural repairs were then developed to address the failures as well as the root cause of the failures. Constructability and value engineering reviews were incorporated into the process to maximize benefit while reducing risk and costs.
Steve is CEO/Partner of JQ Engineering, where he focuses on strategic business development, quality client service, and establishing and maintaining strong ties to the community. His current project work is focused on historic preservation and structural diagnostics related to the forensic evaluation of existing buildings. Steve is a graduate of Texas A&M University and continues to be involved currently serving as a member of the Advisory Council for the College of Engineering and the Department of Architectural Engineering. Steve has been named an honorary member of the Texas Society of Architects and the Dallas Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, and a Distinguished Graduate of the Zachry Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Texas A&M.