This project involved the structural design and engineering for a new internal access staircase and wall modification at the South End Racket and Health Club. The primary scope featured the creation of a new curved staircase to provide direct access to the ladies’ exercise room, necessitating precise wood framing design and reinforced concrete connections to the existing structure.

A significant technical aspect of the project was the modification of the existing 2,800-square-foot facility’s tilt-up concrete wall system. Structural engineers designed a specific demolition and reinforcement sequence to create a new opening within the heavy concrete panels. This was achieved using a custom steel frame assembly, including HSS structural steel headers and columns, to maintain the building’s lateral and gravity load-bearing integrity.

The engineering solution utilized a mix of materials, including Select Structural Douglas Fir-Larch for floor joists and ledgers, alongside high-strength Simpson Titen HD anchoring systems for concrete-to-wood transitions. All designs were calculated to conform to CBC 2022 and ASCE 7-16 standards, ensuring seismic and wind load compliance for the Torrance, California, region.