DC USA

Delon Hampton & Associates (DHA) provided civil and structural engineering design and related construction administration services for the redevelopment of a 13-acre site in the Columbia Heights neighborhood of Washington, DC. DC USA is a 900,000 SF, mixed-use retail complex with an underground parking structure. The facility encompasses several big-box retailers and sports club.

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Our structural engineering design incorporated two techniques drawn from other practices: knee braces (carpentry) and pot-bearings (bridges). The use of pot bearings was driven by the need to transfer large vertical loads directly through plate girders on the second floor rather than framing these same girders with high reactions onto the columns. Other structural features include a dramatic, exposed 3-D truss structure at the main entrance; cantilevered stair structure; supported swimming pool; drive-through truck lanes and loading docks to serve all retailers; and complicated cladding detailing, including a preserved brick and concrete facade.

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DHA also provided utility design, site grading for stormwater management, erosion and sediment control plans, and obtained required permits.