Harris County Fresh Water Supply District No. 61 Administration Building

Civic & Government

A 6,700-square-foot, single-story civic administration building in Cypress, Texas, housing a water-utility district's operations alongside a Harris County Sheriff outpost.

CHALLENGE

A 6,700-square-foot civic administration building sharing a water-utility office with a sheriff outpost sat on pre-existing fill over moderately expansive sandy lean clay, risking differential settlement and perched water.

APPROACH

A hybrid frame of structural-steel wide-flange columns and roof beams with cold-formed metal roof trusses bears on drilled-and-underreamed bell piers taken below the fill into sandy lean clay at 3,000 psf sustained and 4,500 psf total, with cold-formed steel shear walls for lateral resistance and a cantilevered entry canopy.

VALUE

Bell piers bypass the problem fill while the steel-and-cold-formed frame keeps a small civic building economical; M served as structural engineer of record under Leo A Daly, including construction administration.

Harris County Fresh Water Supply District No. 61

Cypress, Texas

6,700 GSF total (5,400 GSF HCFWD-61 + 1,300 GSF Sheriff Outpost)

Project Narrative

Details will be added during portfolio curation.

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