Renovation of Historical Buildings 145, 146, 147, 149, Fort Sam Houston

USACE - Fort Worth District

These four buildings at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas, originally were constructed around 1910 as barracks buildings, using materials common for the period: wood floor and roof framing with load-bearing masonry and stone walls. In 2009, redesign was undertaken to convert the barracks buildings to office space. Given the buildings’ historical significance, the visual appearance of the buildings had to be maintained. Structurally, they were brought up to current building code requirements, and the Department of Defense Antiterrorism Standards for Buildings were met. Additionally, the existing parking layout required that the buildings accommodate blast loads from vehicles inside the conventional construction standoff distance of 25 meters. All exterior windows and doors were replaced with blast-resistant components, and the 100-year-old exterior load-bearing brick walls were analyzed for blast loads and reinforced at strategic locations without altering the appearance of the historic structures. 

Location: San Antonio, TX
Services: Structural