Charlotte VA Health Care Center

The Charlotte Health Care Center is the country’s largest design-build-leaseback project in the United States for Veterans Affairs. This six-story outpatient healthcare facility is located on a 35-acre site in Charlotte, North Carolina, and provides more than 20 different medical services to veteran patients.

Walter P Moore participated in a pull planning meeting at the project kick-off and identified the leanest way to deliver the structural design. The result was an early foundation package, an early steel mill order package, and two early steel detailing packages. Although this was outside the normal VA design/review/procurement process, the team negotiated the early packages to expedite the construction schedule and provide information to the contractor when needed. The foundation and steel mill order packages for this 325,000 SF facility were issued less than four months after receiving notice to proceed.

Walter P Moore’s secure design group provided the design and detailing of the force protection system for this federal facility according to the specified guidelines. Floor reinforcement and roof deck connections were designed to protect against progressive collapse anywhere in the building. Perimeter cladding was supported only from the perimeter beams, and cladding connection points were designed to absorb blast energy without damaging the primary structural frame. The team also worked with the cladding suppliers to provide forces and detailing requirements for all the exterior cladding. The insulated precast panels were extensively modeled to optimize the thickness, connection type, spacing, panel proportions and jointing, and internal reinforcement. Site security was also designed with standoff distances integrated with a pleasing site and landscape plan for this beautiful facility.