Chicago Public Schools: Hayt Elementary

Specialty Consulting, Inc. (SPC) was engaged to provide structural engineering services for Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) improvements at Hayt School, a historic building constructed in 1903. Among other things, the ADA was passed into law which required accommodations is public buildings for those with physical disabilities. The project involved designing new elevators to integrate with the existing structure, ensuring ADA access across various levels. SPC was responsible for preliminary design and documentation of the existing structural framing to accommodate the new elevators, rooftop equipment, and other floor modifications.

SPC's scope of work included preparing preliminary structural design documents for the new auditorium floor, elevator framing, and foundations. They were also involved in creating the transfer package and conducting reviews at the 60% and 100% Construction Design phases, as well as the out-to-bid project phase. Site visits were conducted to assess the existing structural conditions at the proposed new auditorium floor and elevator locations. SPC reviewed original drawings and data from CPS archives to inform their work.

The scope of services included evaluating existing building framing and foundation plans, conducting close-up inspections of floor framing, beams, columns, and roof framing. SPC provided design services, including preparation of assessment reports, recommendations, and preliminary design drawings. The challenge was integrating modern ADA-compliant elevators into the historic structure, which SPC addressed through detailed planning and thorough inspections.