Far Horizons: Engineering Consultants Inc.

Ryan Howard, PE, with Engineering Consultants Inc. was structural engineer for the Bev Lewis Center for Women's Athletics for the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Ark. EWI Inc. of Russellville, Ark., was general contractor for the facility, which was completed in January. Browning Day Mullins Diedorf Inc. of Indianapolis, Ind., and Fennell Purifoy Architects of Little Rock, Ark., were architects for the 40,000-square-foot structure, which had an estimated cost of $6.1 million.

The center is a state-of-the-art gymnastics training facility. The upper level includes a 7,000-square-foot strength and weight training area and the women's athletics administrative offices. The lower level has a 15,000-square-foot gymnastics training area, gymnastics locker rooms, the gymnastics coaches' offices and the women's basketball coaches' offices. A university physical plant chiller facility also is attached to the building. The elevated floor structure is a composite steel and concrete system. Most of the roof structure is metal deck on steel tube purlins supported on steel beams and columns. The lateral bracing system is a combination of braced and moment frames. The exterior faade is a combination of pre-cast concrete, composite metal panels and curtain walls. Some of the structural engineering challenges included 22-foot floor-to-floor heights, 105-foot clear spans over the gymnastics training area, large roof overhangs, sloping curtain walls and exposed structure throughout most of the building.