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REPORT
for
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Executive Summary
Structech Engineering Inc. performed an evaluation of the existing boat shop structures at the
Cooley Landing site in East Palo Alto. The existing structure is composed of two (2) sections, a
one story, building (North Section) relocated to this site in 1963, and a two story addition to the
south end of the older one-story section constructed at the site in 1965 (South Section).
The purpose of this assessment is to evaluate the feasibility of restoring the existing structures
for safe public access in serving the East Palo Alto Community.
The evaluation task included assessment of the existing structural members, such as roof,
bearing walls, foundations, and interior slab on grade for both gravity loads as well as lateral
loads (wind and seismic).
Structural framing of the roof, floor, and bearing walls, with some strengthening and
enhancement may be able sustain the minimum gravity and lateral loads as prescribed by
the California Building Code (CBC).
The existing foundation may be adequate for the anticipated light commercial service
loads. The North Section (one-story) however, does not appear to be anchored to its
foundation properly.
Interior building slab shows signs of age and cracks have developed in several places.
We do not believe that the slab in underlain by any type of moisture barrier.
The exterior siding has been exposed to the elements for too long without proper
protection. Siding has decayed in several areas, and on the west elevation is in contact
with adjacent grade.
The boat launch structural steel has been exposed to the elements without proper
protection. The rust is more pronounced at the steel posts where it is within the water
level. We believe with proper care and some repairs this structure can be reused for light
service loads.
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Table of Content Page
Description of Structure 4
4. Foundations 8
5. Boat Launch 9
7. Conclusions 10
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Description of Structure (Photos 1-10)
The structure is composed of two sections and was used as a repair facility (See Photo 1):
North Section – This section is the original one story building; relocated to this site. The building has
12’-6” wall plate height and a gable roof with slope of 4:12. The roof is supported on wood trusses
placed at 6’-0” on centers and intermediate 2x6 roof rafters between trusses at 2 feet on centers. It is
stated that the North section was moved to Cooley Landing about 1963 in 3 sections (See Photos 2-5).
This section of the structure was used as boat repair area.
The building foot print dimensions are 32 feet wide by about 69 feet long, connected to the 2-story
South Section addition. This section has little or no seismic or wind load resisting features at the current
state.
South Section – This section is a two story addition to the North Section. The section has two levels,
with balloon framed walls. Each level is approximately 9’-0” high. The roof is gabled with a 4:12 slope.
The roof framing seems to be composed of 2x6 rafters. The second floor is framed with 2x12 at 16" on
centers. This section was constructed about 1965. (See photos 5 - 10). The structure appears to be
unfinished with exposed plywood as siding. The interior walls have no wall sheathing or insulation.
This portion has a second floor deck facing the San Francisco Bay.
The building approximate foot print dimensions are 32 feet wide by 35 feet long and is connected to the
south face of the North Section.
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Structural Assessment and Recommendations
Recommendation 1 : It is recommended that a comprehensive analysis of the building roof system for
gravity and lateral loads to be performed per American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) publication
7-05 and the 2007 California Building Code (CBC). Any repairs to the roof should include the creation
of a diaphragm system such as plywood sheathing and proper nailing to the framing members below.
The framing, which includes roof rafters and roof trusses, should be evaluated for anticipated loads and
reinforced accordingly to meet the minimum code requirements. While major roof repairs are
anticipated, we advise that the roof for both North and South Sections be protected temporarily in order
to minimize further weather damage to the framing members.
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2. Wall Framing System (Photos 1-10 & 17-21)
The general construction of the exterior load bearing walls in the older North Section is 2x6
studs at 24" on centers. At approximate wall height of 12'-6", we believe that the stud size is
adequate for this section. The South Section exterior walls are composed of 2x4 studs, balloon
framed at 16" on centers. Based on the length and slenderness of these studs some modification
may be necessary in these walls in order to account for the excessive stud heights. In all cases, a
thorough examination of all wall framing for exposure and termite damage is in order prior to
any modification or reinforcement.
Crane runway on the North Section of the building is supported by wood corbels attached to 6x6
wood posts. The connections of the wood corbel to the wood post are via a machine bolt and a
partial bearing within a notch on the post (See Photos 17-18). If the future use of the building
would require full usage of the crane, a detailed analysis of the crane support system would be
required per ASCE 7-05 and the 2007 CBC. If the future use of the building would require the
carne to operate in an entirely unloaded mode, the system of railing and supports should be
evaluated by calculations and careful visual examination of its condition to assure ultimate
safety for the building occupants and visitors.
As it can be observed from Photos 1-9 and 18 through 21, the existing exterior walls have
number of window and door openings. The North Section's exterior siding is believed to be of
milled redwood (all three elevations). There are visible damages to the siding in some areas
resulting from exposure, rotting, and breakage. Even with adequate repairs and partial
replacement, the existing wood siding is inadequate to resist any lateral loads induced by wind
or earthquake. If it is desired to keep and refurbish the existing wood siding, the damaged areas
may be replaced with similar dimensional wood siding, milled to existing specifications to
preserve the originality. In such case, the retrofit of the exterior load bearing walls will have to
be accomplished by applying structural sheathing to the inside face of the wall framing to
provide adequate lateral load carrying capacities. Alternatively, the existing siding can be
removed and replaced with similar dimensional and architectural siding after application of
plywood and building paper to the exterior side.
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The South section is entirely sheathed with unprotected plywood panels. This section has large
openings on two sides. The remaining solid walls would need to be retrofitted to act as lateral
load resisting elements with proper plywood sheathing and anchorage. The existing plywood
siding is damaged and is not usable for any purpose.
There is a cantilever wood balcony at the rear (facing the Bay) of the South Section. Because
of the excessive exposure to elements, we believe that this area is currently unsafe for any
type of usage. A telling sign of this condition is the fact that the exterior stairway leading
to the balcony has completely failed for the similar reasons. If the balcony is to be used in
the future, we recommend removal of the existing damaged joists and installation of new
floor joists overlapped with joists inside the building. As an alternative, the balcony can
be supported on the building wall at one end, and support beam and posts at the outer
end. Both of these alternatives require structural calculations to ensure adequate capacity
per ASCE 7-05 and 2007 CBC for commercial use application.
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4. Foundations (Photos 27-29)
Based on our preliminary investigations and exposing a small portion of the exterior footings for
both building sections, we have determined that the existing foundation is generally composed
of an exterior grade beam and monolithically poured in place slab on grade floor. The existing
exterior grade beam appears to be in good condition (no major structural cracks observed), and
in compliance with the requirements for the area, as outlined in the Report File Number
770771/007 by Kleinfelder, dated May 23, 2007. The depth of the exterior grade beams for
both building sections were approximately18 inches. The width of these grade beams were
estimated to be between 12 to 15 inches. These footings seem sufficient in size for light
commercial type use of the building. Our staff did not perform exploration or testing for
concrete reinforcing steel within the footings. This inexpensive and non-destructive testing
should be done within the frame work of a major structural design and analysis as to ensure that
the foundation can sustain the induced gravity and lateral loads to the fullest extent possible. It is
important to mention that the use of fully loaded operational crane or generally using the
buildings for industrial operation would require a more robust foundation system capable of
resistance against crane or equipment induced vibrations.
The interior slab on grade has developed cracks and slight heaves in various locations. This slab
seems to be of poor quality, without a moisture barrier, and unknown reinforcement. The latter,
combined with the fact that the building site was previously used as a disposal area suggests that
some of the cracking may be attributed to swelling of sub grade below, or uneven loading
caused by crane usage and heavy boat loads. There is also a possibility that methane gas
produced by decaying disposed material may exist throughout the site, including below the
building slab. While it is possible to repair the existing slab and seal it with an epoxy coating
capable of preventing methane leakage inside the building, it is much more cost effective in the
long run to remove the existing slab in its entirety and replace it with a new reinforced slab.
Providing a stable and compacted sub grade and proper vapor barrier below the new slab will
better accommodate future uses of this building.
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critical because the uplift and downward forces produced in seismic and wind loading conditions cannot
be fully resisted without reinforcement in the footings.
Based on our observations, we found no anchor bolts connecting the North Section walls to the exterior
grade beams. As a part of Recommendation 2, the required wall anchorage to the foundation can be
calculated based on ASCE 7-05 and the 2007 California Building Code (CBC). We recommend using
Simpson "Titen" or epoxy anchors in the existing concrete.
5. Boat Launch
This is an existing structure composed of two rows of 12" diameter steel posts and series of
pipes, wide flanges, and channel steel members as main support. The system supports a
movable open steel platform previously used to lower the boats into the water. Our visual and
preliminary inspection has revealed that excessive rust has developed on most of the structural
steel because of contact with salt water and lack of maintenance. This is more notable in places
where standing water can occur, and on the steel posts where it meets the Bay's water level. In
our opinion this structure is no longer reliable to carry heavy boat loads in the current state. The
structure can however be modified and possibly retrofitted for a walking or fishing platform.
The latter requires design modification and fortification to mitigate the effects of rust in several
places as well as removal of excess weight not necessary for the lighter usage.
The soil strata under the pavement and surrounding the building perimeter are composed of
fill to depths of about 18 feet. The fill consist of about 5 to 10 feet of soft to very stiff lean
clay underlain by very loose to medium dense clayey sand to about 18 feet below ground
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surface. The above soft to very stiff clay is very susceptible to seasonal moisture
changes; therefore, a positive drainage away from the building would be required to
avoid excessive foundation movement and cracking.
7. Conclusions
The scope of this report has been to concentrate on the structural assessment and integrity of the
existing building. The contents and recommendations provided in this report are based on
multiple site visits, observations, and exploratory excavations adjacent to the exterior
foundations of the North Section and South Section. We are optimistic that a majority of the
framing members can be used as originally intended, but additional modern load resisting
features are required to ensure the structural reliability the building and safety of the future
occupants. Through a comprehensive structural analysis of the existing structure and based on
the current building code requirements, a feasible, value engineered solution for remedial work
can be presented to perform retrofit of the existing buildings to conform to the governing
California building codes for life safety and safe occupancy. The analyses will include an
assessment of each structural components for performing and demonstrating safe behavior under
the imposed and superimposed limit loads and load combinations as required by the governing
codes. Upon completing the required analysis, a final set of plans and construction documents
can be developed and submitted to the Chief Building Official at the City of East Palo Alto for
his review and approval. It has been our experience that all retrofit projects will benefit from
close cooperation of engineers and contractors during the construction. Our firm believes that
such team work will increase efficiency and optimizes the work, thereby reducing engineering
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Appendix I
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Photo 1 - Cooley Landing (North Section & South Section)
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Photo 3 - Cooley Landing North Section West Elevation
Photo 4 - Cooley Landing North Section & South Section East Elevation
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Photo 5 - Cooley Landing North Section East Elevation
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Photo 7- Cooley Landing South Section South Elevation
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Photo 9 - Cooley Landing South Section West Elevation
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Photo 11 - Cooley Landing North Section Roof Framing
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Photo 13 - Cooley Landing North Section Framing Trusses and Rafters
Photo 14 - Cooley Landing North Section Roof Framing Trusses Cross Tension Members
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Photo 15 - Cooley Landing North Section Roof Framing Trusses and Cross Tension Members
Photo 16 - Cooley Landing North Section Roof Framing Trusses Chord and Web Members Connections
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Photo 17 - Inside view, Cooley Landing Exterior Wall and Corbel
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Photo 19 - Cooley Landing Exterior Wall at North Section, Wall Opening
Photo 20- Cooley Landing Exterior Wall at 2-Story South Section Opening
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v
Photo 21- Cooley Landing Exterior Wall at 2-Story South Section South Wall Opening
Photo 22- Cooley landing 2-Story South Section 2nd floor Joists
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Photo 23- Cooley landing 2-Story South Section 2nd floor Joists & Blocking
Photo 24- Cooley landing 2-Story South Section 2nd floor Joists @Bearing Wall Support
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Photo 25- Cooley landing 2-Story South Section 2nd floor Joists @ Bearing Wall
Photo 26- Cooley Landing 2-Story South Section Balcony and Stair Access
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Photo 27 - Cooley Landing North Section Exterior Grade Beam Foundation
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Photo 29 - Cooley Landing South Section Exterior Grade Beam Foundation
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Appendix II
Cooley Landing
Schematic
Plans and Elevations
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