A good engineer is like a good mechanic; they'll save you money and solve future headaches. For this 7 story building on 1110 Dekalb Avenue, we did just that.
The CMU walls, which are needed anyway for fire rating, are also used for wind and seismic compliance with NYC Building Code. This eliminates two rows of columns and beams, and also eliminates expensive moment connections.
Composite steel deck with shear studs reduces 20% of steel. Beams are spaced 10' on center, reducing the number of connections. We tried out several layouts to find the most cost effective one. Many little optimizations add up to huge savings.
