Physical Sciences Building
Building Enclosure Commissioning Services
University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA
The Project
- The building site was chosen for its proximity to the adjacent Chemistry and Physical Departments; the new building was integrated into the adjacent buildings and shared delivery access and loading docks; extensive site work and plaza waterproofing was incorporated to accommodate separate vehicle and pedestrian access.
- The construction required relocation of the 1890s West Experimental Station; however, the building was found to be in poor structural condition and deemed unsound to be moved, as such, the project included demolition and re-creation of the West Experimental Station.
- Renovation and accessibility improvements to the West Experimental Station
- DCAMM set a goal of LEED Silver certification.
Gale’s Services
- Peer reviews of the exterior building enclosure design documents. Attend design review meetings to discuss building enclosure assembly performance goals and detailing
- DCAMM requested Gale to review the West Experimental Station and provide opinion on moving the building intact to a new location on site; during the evaluation, Gale found that the existing building was in poor condition and that moving the building was not recommended without significant rebuilding to accommodate the lifting processes
- The evaluation identified the following deficiencies:
- The building was built in two sections that did not appear to be structurally attached and would create bracing issues in a move
- The courtyard addition did not appear to have diaphragm, lateral support system or bracing around the large skylight courtyard
- The upper masonry wall areas were found to be debonded with loose masonry units, segregating wythes, and a lack of connection to the roof framing members
- Gale recommended that salvaging and rebuilding the station may be the most economical choice based on the stabilization required prior to a move of the existing facility
- Led the commissioning process through construction including submittal peer review, construction coordination meetings, mock-up reviews, mock-up testing, on-site construction monitoring
- Enclosure testing included air and water infiltration testing of the fenestration, air testing of the air barrier system, and infra-red scanning