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SPECIAL TECHNICAL EXPERTISE
Over the years, A. W. Lookup has developed special technical expertise in a number of areas that
are often vital to the development of appropriate structural systems and materials for a project, such as:
- Computer-Aided Design and Analysis
The benefits of computer utilization in design and analysis were recognized early by
A. W. Lookup Corporation, starting with the use of outside computer services in 1967.
By 1970, we had developed a fully operational, in-house computer installation
specifically tailored for structural engineering and design activities. Today, extensive
engineering experience is combined with state of the art computer aided design and
drafting to provide a high level of structural engineering and detailing to each of our projects.
During the schematic and preliminary design phases of a project, computer modeling allows
us to greatly increase the number of possible schemes and arrangements which can be
analyzed. This, in turn, better allows us to select the most suitable structural system.
During the detail design phase, most required calculations are also computer-aided,
providing speed and accuracy benefits which are otherwise unattainable.
- Plastic Design in Steel
Plastic design theory is utilized for structural steel buildings whenever structural
continuity and other requirements warrant it. One of our first projects using this method
was GPU/Pennsylvania's Electric Company's Service Center, completed in 1963. This
structure involved continuous plastically-designed girders spanning 56', 60', 88',
and 100'. The result was an economical, efficient and aesthetically pleasing structural
system. The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia project completed in 1974 utilized plastic
theory to reduce the weight of structural steel for large 24' by 48' bays.
- High-Rise Wall Bearing Masonry Construction
The first high-rise concrete masonry building in the Eastern United States was A. W.
Lookup's Providence College Dormitory project in 1969. The uppermost 9 stories were
supported by concrete masonry, typically 8" thick which resulted in significant cost
savings. The project was so successful that it was the subject of an ACI Seminar and
was included as a case study at the National Conference on the Performance of Masonry
Structures.
We have also used this economical system on such projects as the 7-story
Philadelphia International Airport Ramada Inn and the twin 11-story Rumford Towers in
East Providence, Rhode Island. The latter consisted on 296 housing units for the elderly.
Most of these projects were designed to resist seismic loadings, including severe Zone III
for the 4-story, 108 unit Curtis Apartments in Watertown, New York.
- Long Span Construction
A. W. Lookup has designed many long-span structures in both reinforced and pre-
stressed concrete as well as structural steel. Long span projects include roof and balcony
spans of 116' for an auditorium in Founders Hall, Hershey, PA; a steel dome of 120'
diameter, also in Founder's Hall; and a 140' by 260' clear span "cage area" at the
Lafayette College Field House.
The load-balancing method was used to design heavily loaded, post-tensioned concrete
girders spanning 67' for the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia project. Steel trusses
spanning 150' were used in the construction of the Providence College Recreational
Complex in Providence, Rhode Island.
- Frame System
A system of shop-fabricated, multi-story frames has been developed by A. W. Lookup
which provides lateral load stability, economical shop fabrication and exceptionally quick
erection. This system was first used for the 4-story Evergreen Nursing Home project in
Providence, Rhode Island. All of the 4-story high frames and two stories of framing were
erected in one 12-hour day. The project was subsequently the subject of two magazine
articles, was featured in a major steel producer's magazine ads, and won an award from
the James F. Lincoln Arc Welding Foundation. Since then, the system has been used in
a chain of motels in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware.
- Masonry Construction
As a result of specific interest in and inherent involvement with masonry in many of our
projects, we have unusually broad knowledge and experience with brick and concrete
masonry construction. This allows our clients to benefit from proper location of
expansion and control jointing; appropriate anchoring of walls and veneers;
and the utilization of proper materials, mortars and construction
methods. This minimizes the possibility of problems during construction and afterwards.
In addition, we have successfully resolved special masonry problems due to
moisture/thermal changes and brick expansion. This included the development of a
system to anchor brick veneer to existing CMU/steel stud backup walls that were
originally built with improper anchorage (Green Hills Towers, Worcester, Mass. 1984).
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