Partnered with SmithGroupJJR and DPR Construction to deliver a new state-of-the art crime facility for the County of San Diego.
San Diego Crime Lab
Designed a new building of 158,000 square feet to house a crime lab for the County. The structural system of the building is special steel moment frames above grade and special concrete shear walls below grade. The gravity system is composed of steel beams and columns supporting concrete over metal deck, concrete walls below grade with concrete slab-on-grade at the basement level.
Features:
- Secured underground high bay storage area
- Firing range
- Structural System: Steel Moment Frames with Stiff Diaphragms with special concrete shear walls in tall basement.
- Service: New Design, design-build
Benefits:
- Laboratory areas of the building were design for vibration for up to 1000x microscopes.
- Degenkolb Engineers in coordination with Colin Gordon Associates was able to design the buildings structural steel just over 11 psf before adding miscellaneous steel coming in well under the expected steel tonnage for a lab building.
Photo courtesy of SmithGroupJJR
Project Stats
Client
County of San Diego,
DPR Construction,
Lowe Enterprise,
PMA,
SmithGroup,
Square Footage
158,000
Construction Cost
$60 Million
Completion Date
2018
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Project Team
Alex Motzny
Associate
I visited Harbin, China in 2011 where I went to the Ice and Snow ...
Chad Closs
Office Director Principal
I leaned toward an engineering degree where I could solve real world ...
Jose Brambila
Sr. BIM / CAD Specialist
I come from a family of 11 children and married a woman whose family ...
Mike Braund
Chief Operating Officer Principal
Although my last name sounds German it is actually English.
Sal Hernandez
Sr. BIM / CAD Specialist
If time and money weren't an issue, I would want to travel the world ...
Alex Motzny
Associate
San Diego
- (619) 814-7009
- amotzny@degenkolb.com
Education
B.S., Civil Engineering, California State University, Fullerton
M.S., Structural Engineering, University of California, San Diego
Registration
CA, Civil Engineer, License No. 86502
CA, Structural Engineer, License No. 6941
Why did you go into structural engineering?
The tall structures, stadiums, and bridges in San Francisco always amazed me as a kid. I wanted to know how these structures worked, how they were built, and how to design something like that myself.
Little Known Fact
I visited Harbin, China in 2011 where I went to the Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival and fed a Siberian Tiger.
Question of the Day
What hobby would you go into if time and money weren’t an issue?
Racecar driver
Chad Closs
Office Director, Principal
San Diego
- (619) 814-7012
- ccloss@degenkolb.com
Education
B.S., Structural Engineering, University of California, San Diego, 2007
M.S., Structural Engineering, University of California, San Diego, 2008
Registration
CA, Structural Engineer, License No. 5946
CA, Civil Engineer, License No. 75942
LEED Accredited Professional
Why did you go into structural engineering?
Heading into college, engineering was always something that I was interested in. My father was a small residential contractor and the idea of using math and science to design and build real world structures seemed like a lot of fun. One of my first engineering classes we got to crush concrete and pull apart samples of different materials to understand their properties. I was hooked after building a concrete canoe and applying these material principles I learned in class to compete against other schools in the ASCE conference.
Little Known Fact
I may have gone to culinary school if my preferred college choice, UCSD, didn't pan out. Instead I now watch cooking competitions and live vicariously through the chefs.
What’s your favorite team?
Deep down it will always be the San Diego Chargers football team. A piece of me left when they moved to LA.
Jose Brambila
Sr. BIM / CAD Specialist
San Diego
- (619) 814-7010
- Jbrambila@degenkolb.com
Education
A.A., Engineering Drawing, Autodesk Revit Certified Professional, Structural and Architecture
Why did you go into AEC industry?
Drawing always seems easy for me, after graduating from drafting degree; I got a degree in electronics and was working with lasers and holography. However, I met great friends and architects and returned to the AEC field. Graphics and 3D modeling is something I truly enjoy.
Little Known Fact
I come from a family of 11 children and married a woman whose family had 11 children…and for 15 years, we had just 1 child…now 2.
Question of the Day
Apple or Samsung?
Apple for pads, Android for phones
Was Apple for phones before, but Android has grown up…
ideas
Congratulations to our 2022 Mid-Year Promotions
Mike Braund
Chief Operating Officer, Principal
San Diego
- (619) 814-7008
- mbraund@degenkolb.com
Education
B.S., Architectural Engineering, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, 2004
M.S., Structural Engineering, University of California, San Diego, 2005
Registration
CA, Structural Engineer, License No. 5569
CA, Civil Engineer, License No. 71576
LEED Accredited Professional, 2008
Assoc. DBIA™ Professional, 2014
DBIA™ Professional, 2017
Why did you go into structural engineering?
I enjoy building things, and understanding how they work. I also come from multiple generations of contractors that had me growing up in the construction industry.
Little Known Fact
Although my last name sounds German it is actually English. The name has direct ties back to the 1400’s from a small town in southwest England called Buck Mills.
Question of the Day
What’s your favorite team?
Steelers.
Press Release
Sharp Chula Vista Ocean View Tower Topping Out
Octavio Cortes-Macouzet
Project Engineer
San Diego
- (619) 814-7011
- ocortesm@degenkolb.com
Education
B.S., Civil Engineering, “Universidad Autonoma de Baja California”
M.S., Structural Engineering, University of California, San Diego
Why did you go into structural engineering?
When I was a kid, I grew up playing with Legos, Contrux, K’nex, and other building toys. It was just a matter of time for me once I started college to find structural engineering and pursue a career in this field.
Question of the Day
What’s your favorite band?
Daftpunk.
ideas
Congratulations to our January 2022 Promotions!
Sal Hernandez
Sr. BIM / CAD Specialist
Orange County
- (657) 999-7442
- shernandez@degenkolb.com
Education
A.S. Degree in Computer Aided Drafting and Design
Why did you go into AEC industry?
Because it is a diversified industry.
Little Known Fact
I am a road and MTB cyclist and enjoy deep sea fishing in the summer.
What hobby would you go into if time and money weren’t an issue?
I would go into the hobby of wood working. I enjoy making small furniture pieces and working with various wood joinery.
DEI
Bridging the Gap from Past to Future: Jesus Orozco’s Path to Engineering
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