Engage with engineering
Serving University of Utah students for more than 75 years, the Marriott Library complex has evolved in several phases to keep up with campus needs. However, a study performed by Reaveley in 2001 found lateral force resisting deficiencies in the building.
Constructed in 1960, the Behavioral Sciences Building is a concrete frame structure with glass and concrete panels infilled on the building exterior and supported on a mat foundation. The irregular wall layout and open lower levels created an unsafe structure that was at risk to collapse in a major earthquake.
Ogden High School is a prized historical structure and remains one of the best auditorium spaces in the Ogden Valley. The unique expansion and restoration/renovation of this high school, originally built in 1936, called for constructing additional buildings and creating a central plaza that connects all of the structures.
The Bennett Federal Building stands prominently at the southeast corner of 100 South and State Street in downtown Salt Lake City. This eight-story office building has been a community landmark since its construction in the early 1960s.
Dedicated in 1898, the Provo Tabernacle was an impressive structure of its time, featuring octagonal towers at all four corners, a high-pitched roof, exquisite woodwork, and room to seat 1,500. For the next century, the building hosted U.S. presidents, musical performances, school commencements, interfaith gatherings, and community events.
Originally built by pioneer settlers in 1867, the Tabernacle on Temple Square is considered an architectural masterpiece. It is celebrated for its acoustics and storied construction by early members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Because the Salt Lake valley is situated near seismic faults, the Church wanted to protect the building and its occupants while preserving the historic fabric of the Tabernacle.
Built between 1891 and 1894, this ornate brick building has a sandstone base and has long been a point of concern for the historic building’s ability to withstand large seismic events. Although some improvements were made in the late 1980s, Salt Lake City funded projects in 2014 to repair, preserve, and replace some of the exterior Kyune sandstone.
Built in 1905, this historic Salt Lake City gem served as the city library for decades. The building was later turned into a planetarium, and interior architectural features of the library were removed to build a large star chamber.
This landmark building was originally constructed in the early 1900s using a reinforced concrete frame. Even with that steady base, later analyses and geoseismic evaluations indicated the building was expected to perform poorly in the event of an earthquake.