Stability Engineering – Structural Engineering Services
Stability Engineering – Structural Engineering Services
Located in the heart of downtown Auburn, Alabama, the 6-story, 86,000 sf AC Hotel is within walking distance of Auburn University, Toomer’s Corner, and local attractions. The building’s primary structure utilizes post-tensioned (PT) floor and roof plates supported by reinforced concrete walls and columns, paired with a steel-framed roof over the sixth-floor restaurant. Non-bearing cold-formed steel (CFS) walls provide interior and exterior framing flexibility.
Architectural features drove several unique structural solutions. The cantilevered corner facing the street incorporates slab-supported brick veneer at every level, requiring careful detailing to control movement and maintain alignment. The sixth-floor PT slab was stepped to accommodate an exterior patio with a paver system, integrating seamlessly with the restaurant space and allowing the roof to bear on both the PT roof plates and the slab below.
Additional elements, such as a steel-framed porte-cochere at the main entry, were designed to blend with the overall structure while supporting functional demands. The foundation system combines shallow isolated and mat foundations bearing on aggregate pier–improved soil, optimizing load transfer while accommodating site conditions.
