Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory

Furnished and Erected Steel for Seismic Upgrade
(292 Tons)

Berkeley, California

The Utah State Capitol Retrofit

Adams & Smith was invited to participate in the seismic retrofit of Utah’s State Capitol building. This project included the addition of steel to shore up the structure. Following retrofit the capital now is rated to be able to withstand a 7.3 magnitude earthquake.

As with the retrofit and renovation of the Tabernacle on Temple Square, Adams & Smith placed special emphasis on adding structural integrity without compromising the historic nature of the building.

Adding New Steel

Adams & Smith proudly participated in the renovation and seismic retrofitting of the LDS Tabernacle in Salt Lake City Utah. This project reinforced the pioneer era structure, giving the building the strength to withstand earthquakes and to stand for another 130 years.

Completed in 1875 the Tabernacle on Temple Square provided a unique challenge of marrying a steel structure with the celebrated latticework of timbers that supports the domed roof. Originally built using the materials and methods available at the time, timbers were bent to the shape needed and joined together using wooden pegs and wrapped in rawhide for additional strength. By reinforcing the timberwork as well as the 44 piers with steel and concrete, the building has been significantly strengthened.