SEATTLE, WA During a planned power outage for the Pacific Hall renovation to replace the rooftop electrical transformer this weekend, the Pacific team encountered a serious problem. When power was transferred and the old transformer removed, it was discovered that the steel structure under the platform supporting the existing transformer was nothing like the as-builts the design team had been working from. The original plan to modify the existing structure to accommodate the new, 40 percent heavier transformer no longer made sense.

Throughout that night, Austin Bailey, John Rowell, and Matt Travis of Rowell Brokaw and Ed Quesenberry of Equilibrium Engineers worked with Mike Wold, Dan Porovich, and Wendell Dietrich of Andersen Construction to modify the design on the fly. The solution ultimately required structural reinforcing/modification of some of the existing steel members and coordinating with Andersen Construction what could actually be built in and around the existing conditions. What should have taken roughly six hours of steel modification ended up requiring a full day of continuous cutting, grinding, and welding. The Andersen crew put in a tremendous amount of effort and work with carpenters Brad Hellesto and Rob Hansen working through the night to complete the additional modifications.

Dozens of electricians from OEG were on-site throughout the weekend. Working on shifts twenty-four-seven to complete multiple new equipment installations and to restore power by the following morning. Because of the platform modifications, the new transformer reached the roof about 10 hours later than had been intended. However, because of the combined effort of Andersen Construction and OEG, they were able to gain back that time.