Summit Engineering was named as an award winner for the 2019 Excellence in Structural Engineering Awards given by the National Council of Structural Engineers Associations (NCSEA) for its work on the Northeastern University – Interdisciplinary Science & Engineering Complex – Spiral Stair.

The award, in the “Special Structures” category was presented at the NCSEA Summit in Anaheim, California to Robert Champagne, P.E. of Summit Engineering on November 14, 2019.  The stair and award were recently featured in the local newspaper Seacoast Sunday and online at Seacoastonline on Sunday January 5, 2020.  For full article, follow link below.

https://www.seacoastonline.com/news/20200105/portsmouth-engineering-firm-honored-for-northeastern-staircase-work

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BACKGROUND
In May of 2016 a portion of a ship’s hull was discovered under about 20 feet of fill during the excavation for a new Skanska USA (Skanska) building at 121 Seaport Boulevard in Boston, MA. The 47-foot portion of the two-masted schooner that remained was preserved in the clay of the tidal mudflats that was filled in the late 19th century to create the land that makes up much of the Seaport District of South Boston. There is more historical perspective regarding the find, with maps and images, on the City of Boston’s Archaeology Program website.1
 
A sculpture of the ship was selected to be a central feature in a new public promenade within the Skanska USA Seaport complex of buildings. The open-air exhibit includes details, such that the ship that departed from Rockport, Maine, was transporting barrels of lime on “its final voyage to Boston”. 2

 
DESIGN
Summit Engineering, PLLC (Summit) of Portsmouth, NH, was contracted for the delegated structural steel design for the sculpture to be performed by the steel fabricator DeAngelis Iron Works of Easton, MA (DeAngelis). The prime contractor, Skanska, sub- contracted with DeAngelis for the custom metal work.
 
DeAngelis performed the fabrication on the basis of the drawings prepared by Atlantic Steel Detailing Services LLC of Salem, NH, and the structural engineering of Summit and in accordance with the contract documents and miscellaneous metal specification prepared by the project architect, CBT Architects (CBT) of Boston, MA. The sizes and locations of the various components in the sculpture and support framing, as presented in the CBT detail and layout plans, were developed from 3-D imaging information gathered by the archeologists and surveyors. The design team involved in the overall promenade and sculpture design included the landscape architect from Copley Wolff Design Group (CWDG) and the structural engineer of record from McNamara -Salvia. Summit provided the structural design, modeling and calculations submittal packages for approval by the design team and the prime contractor, with the final submittal package sealed by Robert R. Champagne, PE on November 21, 2017.
 
Summit’s engineering effort for the ship sculpture began with a breakdown of framing elements to determine how each would interact with the other for gravity and lateral loading analysis. The purpose of this review stage was to determine a method and order of analysis. A comprehensive 3D model was not created for this project; however, RISA 3D was used to analyze each element individually. Design loads considered Dead, Live, Snow, Ice, Wind on Ice, and Wind. Seismic forces were considered in the preliminary design stage; however, these were found not to govern and were excluded from final design. Wind forces were considered in multiple directions due to the asymmetrical structure. There were as many as 23 load combinations considered.
 
Components of the structure included horizontal and curved ribs, gunwale, rudder plate, keel plate, and the horizontal beam support structure framing to the cross beams and the three vertical steel posts. The various components of the sculpture were comprised of flat and built-up ASTM 588 “weathering steel” plate. Framing members were analyzed, considering the gravity and multi-directional lateral loads as noted above. Member curvature was considered where present, specifically for the horizontal and curved rib elements. Curvature was considered by breaking continuous elements apart and designing for splice connections. Connection design was performed between all framing elements, including splice connections and connections to the supporting steel posts structure. Summit analyzed and recommend changes to the sizes of the posts and how the sculpture was to be connected to the posts in order to reduce the eccentricity of the forces acting on the support points.
 
One particular connection that proved especially difficult was for the rudder hinge plate. This was comprised of steel cut-out plates to sandwich the rudder plate to the supporting steel seat angle that was welded to the keel plate. As the rudder plate was to remain static, the gravity and wind forces applied shear and moment in multiple directions that were developed through bearing and welds across the supporting connection. These reaction forces were then analyzed about the keel plate at their respective locations. This introduced torsion into the keel plate for which forces had to be resolved into the supporting beams and steel posts. The objective in the design process was to maintain a small efficient connection between rudder and keel plate for a slender appearance, while providing sufficient strength and minimizing cantilevered rudder plate deflection.
 
The steel ship sculpture was completely fabricated in shop and lifted into place as one assembly onto the vertical supports already in place on the promenade of the Skanska development in South Boston.

References/Citation:

1, “Seaport Shipwreck.” Boston.gov, 19 June 2018. Visit Boston.gov for more info on the shipwreck.

2. "The Shipwreck Unearthed in the Seaport Will Live On As an Exhibit”, Buell, Spencer, 2017 June 16. Visit Boston Magazine for more on the shipwreck sculpture.

Visit SENH.org for more information about their Excellence Awards program.

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Summit Engineering was part of a multi-disciplinary design build team for the construction of the new FW Webb Central Distribution Facility in Londonderry, NH. The team consisted of Greenleaf Construction as the design builder, ci design inc as the Architect, Summit Engineering as the structural engineer of record, Avid Engineering as the MEP engineer, Hayner/Swanson as the civil engineer, Geotechnical Services Inc as the geotechnical engineer, Canam as the steel supplier, and Fabcon as the precast wall panel supplier. The team had to work closely together to design a complete building to meet the client’s needs, budget, and schedule.

The building contains 724,000 square feet of warehouse and 48,000 square feet of adjacent office space. Interior finished spacing inside the warehouse provide office space for shipping and receiving, a fitness center and locker rooms, truck detailing, forklift and Zamboni maintenance, and storage mezzanine. Additional exterior structures included canopies for the fuel island and truck cab parking, and a snow scraper. A tall stair was provided with access to the roof of the 40 foot warehouse building.

The structure of the building consists of a steel joist and joist girder roof system supported on steel columns at the interior and precast concrete panels at the exterior. The lateral system is comprised steel braced frames and precast concrete shear walls. As the building is approximately 1800 feet long and 400 feet wide it was seismically isolated into several distinct structures of approximately 400 feet each. This limited the diaphragm spans and allowed independent movement of the structure.

The construction schedule from ground breaking to final turnover took 18 months and encompassed site preparation, structural erection, and final finishes. An additional 3 months was spent on design, a very short span of time for a project on this magnitude. The tight schedule required close coordination between the design team and the builder to ensure all aspects of design were considered ahead of issuing drawings. Continued involvement during the construction process was necessary to ensure on-schedule delivery of the completed building.

As the structure had a very tight construction schedule shop drawing review and coordination involved the entire team. Reviewing the submittals for the precast panels particularly required coordination between the structural engineering, the steel supplier, the architect, and the construction team. Reviewing took place as a team, and the coordination occurred before the panels arrived on site to ensure proper placement and connection of steel to precast, and connection of precast panel to cast in place foundation.

The large warehouse space required a large flat slab and limited joints. A type K expansive concrete mix was selected to eliminate interior contraction joints and limit the number of construction joints. The slab was placed in panels of 20,000 to 40,000 square feet, with 400 to 750 cubic yards of concrete for each placement without control joints. Each placement had to meet stringent flatness and levelness criteria to achieve the overall requirements of forklift traffic and tall shelving.

Earthwork and blasting to prepare site (courtesy of Greenleaf Construction)

Overall building under construction (courtesy of Greenleaf Construction)

View of Interior of warehouse during construction

Fuel Island (courtesy of Greenleaf Construction)

Exterior (courtesy of Greenleaf Construction)

Interior (courtesy of Greenleaf Construction)

Overall completed building (courtesy of Greenleaf Construction)

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Summit Engineering was contracted by the steel fabricator DeAngelis Iron Works of Easton, MA on the design of this multi-level spiral stair. Payette, the architect of record and Lemessurier Consultants, the engineer of record were involved the overall building design. The stair design was provided as a deferred design submittal. Limited graphical information was shown on the original design drawings and was the basis of design for the completed structure. Summit Engineering provided all of the design, modeling and calculations submittal packages for approval by the design team.

Design of the spiral stair initially began with an examination of the geometry. Each flight, from floor-to-floor, comprised an interior and exterior radial steel plate stringer with steel bent plate treads and multiple intermediate landings, trapezoidal in plan, and supported at each level by an A-frame cantilever frame element. The initial intent was for a continuous bent plate tread system in which adjacent treads would be welded to one another to sufficiently transfer moment longitudinal to the stair providing for multi-axis plate bending. The preliminary design found this layout had insufficient strength and stiffness, requiring a substantial increase in tread thickness and tread-to-stringer weld. At this stage, steel tubes were introduced beneath the bent plate treads to provide increased rigidity and to serve as primary frame elements to transfer forces between the two stringers. The addition of these elements increased the rigidity and allowed the system to respond increasingly as a single unit. The steel tubes provided the additional benefit of increased stiffness, and allowed the adjacent treads to act independently, thereby reducing cost associated with fabrication and erection.

The interior and exterior plate stringers, constructed of similar material, have different stiffness due to the geometry of the stair. Stiffness is indirectly proportional to the coil diameter, which relates to the diameter of the stringers in plan. Considering each plate stringer to act as a spring with regard to vertical loads, and considering a vertical slice through each respective plate stringer, the interior stringer has greater stiffness than the exterior stringer. To provide for an efficient design, the steel tubes at the treads were employed to increase rigidity and thereby transfer load from the exterior stringer to the interior stringer. Stiffness is also important for the dynamic response of the stair. Per “Slender Monumental Stair Vibration Serviceability”, Davis and Murray, 2009, the recommended minimum natural frequency is 5 Hz. Increasing stiffness allowed for this minimum to be achieved. Verification of this criteria required modeling for the dynamics of the structure.

Additional design elements include finite element analysis (FEA) of radial glass guards and the design of steel railings, the A-frame support structure at each floor level, connections for all elements of the stair, and rigging support structures for the stair lowest flight. The glass guards are trapezoidal in elevation and radial in plan; both dimensional characteristics were considered in the FEA model. The stair lowest flight is comprised of radial stringers, dissimilar from the radial stringers at the upper floor. The reactions for the stringers at the lowest flight were resolved into a steel floor plate with anchors to the concrete slab-on-grade.

  
Rendered model form modeling software

  
Rendered model form modeling software

  
Rendered model form modeling software (RISA 3d)

  
Construction Photo (courtesy DeAngelis Iron Works)

  
Construction Photo (courtesy DeAngelis Iron Works)

  
Construction Photo (courtesy DeAngelis Iron Works)

  
Completed Construction

 
Visit SENH.org for more information about their Excellence in Structural Engineering Awards program.

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The Team had a blast on this year's staff fishing outing!

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Robert Champagne, principal of Summit Engineering, says that the best way to prevent a roof collapse from snow is to be proactive. A good rule of thumb is that if your roof has more than 2-ft* of snow then it is definitely time to consider finding ways of removing it.

*this is a rough estimate when no information is available to analyze a roof properly.

Common signs of potential roof collapse from snow include:

Commercial Buildings: If sprinkler heads are protruding through ceiling then you may be at risk of a roof collapse. Sprinkler heads are hung from the roof of most commercial buildings, and as a result, would be sagging if the snow load is beginning to put pressure on the roof.

Residential Buildings: It is difficult to tell when it is really cold. In warmer weather, a roof collapse can be preceded by a leak of some sort—look for signs of water damage coming through the ceiling or cracks in the drywall. If you’re able to get into your attic, look for cracked roof joists. Many occupants of collapsed buildings report of hearing cracking sounds prior to the collapse.

What’s the breaking point?

Snow varies in density, so knowing just how much weight 2-ft of snow is putting on your roof isn’t an exact science. However, we suggest property owners assume that every 1-ft of snow is putting about 15lbs per square foot of pressure on their roofs. The amount of pressure can vary significantly, anywhere from as low as 5lbs to 50lbs of weight. It all depends on the density of the snow.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) presently puts the current weight of snow on the ground at 33lbs per square foot. As a reference, most new buildings in Portsmouth have a design roof snow load of around 40-psf (not including drifting).

How to tell yourself

A simple way to determine the weight of the snow involves taking a piece of PVC pipe and doing the following:

• Push down PVC pipe to the base of the snow for a sample of the snow.
• Then cap it, upright it and let it melt inside the tube.
• When the snow melts, measure the depth of the water. (If you have 8 inches of water in the PVC pipe it equals 41 pounds per square foot and would go up or down with each inch of water by 5.2 pounds. This is a rough estimate figure and should be used with caution)

There is also a special website run by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that can help you determine the water equivalent of snow pack.

Common causes of roof collapse from snow loads

There is no SINGLE reason for a roof collapse from snow.

While snow is the predominant factor, most roof collapses come as a result of:

• Poor design
• Poor construction
• Lack of maintenance
• Structures built at a time of lacking code requirements
• Insulated roofs of older structures that prevent heat from melting snow and thereby contribute to snow load.
• A combination of those factors.

We have heard of instances where property owners were attempting to remove snow from a roof and ended up piling up the snow on one part of a roof—which ultimately ended up causing it to collapse.

The unprecedented series of storms the region has experienced as of late also increases the chances for snowdrifts building up on roofs. Ice dams are also wreaking havoc.

The anatomy of an ice dam

Ice dams occur because most roofs in New England feature eaves that overhang the structure. When the heat escapes the roof it melts the snow and send the liquid trickling down the roof toward the eaves. Because snow becomes an insulator, the liquid is allowed to remain until it reaches the eaves where heat is no longer keeping it in liquid form. Once the liquid reaches the eaves it begins to freeze and pooling water forms behind it—thereby creating an ice dam.

The pooled liquid can then get underneath roof shingles and begin to wreak havoc in the interior, causing leaks and further water damage.

How to remove snow from a roof

Do not attempt to climb on your roof and remove the snow yourself. There are far too many instances of injuries due to homeowners attempting to clear their roofs themselves, it is just plain dangerous.

If your roof is packed with snow, we recommend reaching out to the following:

• Tree pruning services
• Roofing contractors
• General contractors

All three service types possess the proper equipment needed to safely access a roof. Homeowners who attempt to clear the snow themselves also run the risk of damaging their roof with shovels.

What happens after a roof collapse?

After a roof collapse occurs there is usually a forensic engineer involved in determining what happened. This is usually to determine insurance payouts, adding that an insurance carrier typically will not pay if the roof collapsed due to lack of maintenance.

There is much knowledge to be gained from analyzing collapse, such as: Are building codes properly specifying snow loads in the design of new structures? Is there something for engineers to learn from the collapse?

More often than not, the cause of a collapse has nothing to do with modern building codes.

They are usually a result of poor design, poor construction, lack of maintenance, structures built at a time of lacking code requirements, or a combination of these factors.

After all analysis is said and done, we believe that we will not see modern structures built to code having problems with these snow loads.

Contact us today if you're worried the snow on your roof could lead to a roof collapse. We're always happy to help.

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Structural Engineers Explain Roof Load Dangers

Structural Engineers at Summit Engineering, are cautioning homeowners throughout New England to be aware of the dangers any time there is a winter mix of snow and rain on the horizon.

Snow, followed by rain, is one of the worst combinations for roofs. The problem with rain or wet snow following a deep snowstorm is that the rainwater doesn’t pour off of the roof. It gets trapped in the snow. The increase in weight can get dramatic. Plus, the weight of snow varies depending upon the temperature and moisture content.

A 12-inch snow depth can weight from 10-lbs to 20-lbs a square foot. It’s the rain on top of this that is the real problem. This last storm probably added close to 30-lbs of snow over each square foot of roof. That’s a very large amount of weight.

Rainwater weighs approximately 5-lbs for every inch. A significant storm can cause a dramatic increase in weight on roofs that are already stressed by heavy snow and may have not been designed to handle it.

It is more of a concern for older structures. The building codes over the last three decades have done a far better job of mandating roofs to handle these types of loads. However, older cities in the Northeast have a large portion of their building stock built much earlier than that.”

We recommend that homeowners clear the snow off their roofs as soon as possible. However, he cautions that they should not go onto the roofs themselves.

Getting on a sloped roof with slippery ice and snow is extremely dangerous. Only remove snow from the ground with a roof rake or hire a professional with the proper insurance and safety equipment.

Summit Engineering is no stranger to investigating building collapses. The firm was heavily involved in the investigation of structures after Superstorm Sandy in New York and New Jersey for FEMA and have worked on a number of insurance claims involving damage from snow.

So keep those roofs clean this winter, and avoid any unwarranted surprises!

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NH Engineering Firm Finds Redevelopment Potential All Over Portsmouth

As one of the local engineering companies in this small city, we at Summit Engineering are finely attuned to the ever-changing commercial and residential development landscape. Our engineering firm always its eye out for new and exciting redevelopment opportunities.

With an office located in the growing North End of downtown Portsmouth, N.H., all we have to do is look out our window to see the ripe development potential all around us. We’ve seen the city’s tax base expand over the years, both commercial and residential, and from downtown to the Pease International Tradeport. Lately, it seems development has grown even stronger, with major projects beginning to take shape along the Route 1 corridor, as well as in the city’s center.

Another virtue we have as being among the top structural engineering companies in Portsmouth is that we are intimately familiar with potential redevelopment properties. With this in mind, we’ve compiled a list of the top 11 redevelopment opportunities in Portsmouth:

11. Former Regal Cinemas Portsmouth 5 property — 581 Lafayette Road

[caption id="attachment_1476" align="aligncenter" width="601"] (City of Portsmouth photo)[/caption]

Currently, this 2.27-acre parcel exists as a laydown area for the state Department of Transportation, as the DOT continues to completely recreate the Route 1/Route 1 Bypass intersection. The property, which includes a 14,000-sqaure foot building, exists as essentially the last buffer between a heavily residential area of the city and the Route 1 corridor. The old cinema building has been vacant since Regal 5 closed its doors in 2007. The property saw little activity until it was purchased in 2013 by 581 Lafayette Realty, LLC for $1.5 million.

City assessment records value the land and building at more than $1.1 million. We believe this land has incredible potential for commercial redevelopment. The building, which according to past sales agreements can never be used as a movie theater, was built in 1972 and is likely in line for demolition.

10. 1 International Drive 

[caption id="attachment_1474" align="aligncenter" width="727"] (Rendering by Bean Group)[/caption]

Located on the very first corner in the Pease International Tradeport, this “premier address” stands ready for a proposed four-story office building estimated to be around 72,000 square feet.

With the Marriott Residence Inn directly next door, and the Red Hook Brewery within walking distance, this property stands as yet another opportunity to redevelop land in the former Pease Air Force base.

9. 80 Rochester Avenue 

[caption id="attachment_1477" align="aligncenter" width="619"] (Photo by Seacoastonline.com)[/caption]

This 11-acre empty patch of land located in the Pease International Tradeport was once home to one of the most significant buildings ever built at the former Air Force base. The 153,000-square foot building that formerly stood on this parcel was also home to Port City Warehousing Services.

Within the past year, the building was leveled and the land was cleared in order to attract potential redevelopment interest. The property is considered to be the last and largest parcel of land left in Pease, capable of handling either an office or manufacturing use.

8. Port of New Hampshire — 555 Market Street

[caption id="attachment_1475" align="aligncenter" width="672"] (Photo by Seacoastonline.com)[/caption]

Currently the home to several large piles of scrap metal, this 12-acre piece of waterfront property is owned by the State of New Hampshire and is used as the home base for the state’s Division of Ports and Harbors. The Pease Development Authority oversees the property. Top engineering companies around the area are certainly eyeing this prime location.

Recently, the PDA board of directors voted not to renew a contract with the scrap metal recycling company Grimmel Industries, meaning the prime piece of waterfront property may be in line for some sort of maritime-related redevelopment opportunity. While there is no tenant in place to replace the scrap company, some have called for the land to be used as additional parking or for the future home of a cruise ship company. The property is also expected to get a slight makeover as a result of an upcoming bridge replacement project involving the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge.

7. Cindy Ann Cleaners property — 203 Maplewood Avenue

[caption id="attachment_1469" align="aligncenter" width="582"] (Google Maps image)[/caption]

This 0.15-acre property is located along a gateway into downtown Portsmouth. According to a recent article published in the local newspaper, the property is on the market for $600,000. It’s listing suggests it comes with a “myriad of potential commercial and residential uses for redevelopment.”

This potential redevelopment opportunity exists within the city’s North End, which over the last few years has seen perhaps the most development in the city.

6. Gary’s Beverage property — 165 Deer St.

[caption id="attachment_1473" align="aligncenter" width="532"] (City of Portsmouth photo)[/caption]

The owner of the Deer Street property where Gary's Beverages is located reportedly told city officials earlier this year that he would be willing to talk about the property being redeveloped as part of a public-private partnership. The land would ideally become the location for a second city parking garage, among other uses.

According to city assessment, the entire property covers roughly 2 acres of land and includes several surrounding buildings that could be prime for redevelopment.

5. Frank Jones Center property — 428 U.S. Route 1 Bypass

[caption id="attachment_1472" align="aligncenter" width="649"] (Google Maps image)[/caption]

A “prime redevelopment opportunity”, this 12+ acre property features seven buildings, one of which is the 29,000-square-foot Frank Jones Center function hall. The property is listed for $8.7 million. Located off Interstate 95 and not far from the Portsmouth Traffic Circle, this property represents the largest assemblage of commercial land and buildings available in Portsmouth, and certainly has the attention of top engineering companies.

According to a recent article in the local newspaper, the owner is willing to subdivide the land. The property, according to the same story, would be prime for a mixed-use development that includes residential housing and/or a connector road through the property to Islington Street.

4. The Worth Lot — Downtown Portsmouth

[caption id="attachment_1503" align="aligncenter" width="540"] (Photo by Portsmouth Patch)[/caption]

Owned by the City of Portsmouth, this 0.94-acre parcel of land represents a major redevelopment opportunity. Although currently a surface parking lot, this piece of land in the past has been eyed as a possible site for a parking garage, among other things.

In 2012, the city considered this property as part of a major redevelopment project, involving several abutting properties to include the Cabot House Furniture Building and the Coldwell Banker. While the city has plans for future upgrades to the parking lot, it’s only a matter of time until this surface lot is redeveloped.

3. Borthwick Forest

[caption id="attachment_1468" align="aligncenter" width="658"] (Google Maps image)[/caption]

This large piece of land has been eyed for redevelopment on several occasions over the years — everything from office buildings to a proposed continuing care retirement community. Top engineering companies know this property well.

The 40-acre swath owned by The Kane Company lies between Borthwick Avenue and Islington Street. It is considered to be one of the last remaining large pieces of developable land in the city. 

2. Frank Jones Brewery buildings — Brewery Lane 

[caption id="attachment_1470" align="aligncenter" width="526"] (Photo courtesy of Smuttynose Brewery)[/caption]

What was once the home of Frank Jones’ historic Islington Street brew yard is now a cluster of buildings just waiting to be redeveloped. The property was once the epicenter of the Frank Jones Brew Yard, as well as the Schultz hot dog company.

Owned by King Weinstein of King Real Estate, the property features two iconic buildings that tower over the city’s West End. The land has been eyed for several redevelopment opportunities over the years, but nothing has yet come to fruition.

1. Thomas J. McIntyre Federal Building — 62 Daniel St.

[caption id="attachment_1478" align="aligncenter" width="600"] (Photo by Portsmouth Patch)[/caption]

The U.S. General Services Administration currently owns this property, but recently the city of Portsmouth received word that the 2.16-acre property would be taken out of federal control and handed over.

The property, which includes a building housing various government agencies as well as an underground parking garage and surface parking, is considered by some to be the single biggest redevelopment project in the city’s history due to its location smack dab in the middle of downtown Portsmouth.

As a top engineering company in Portsmouth, we at Summit Engineering feel these 11 properties represent the future of redevelopment in Portsmouth, N.H. Feel free to contact us to learn more about our expertise in structural engineering and building design.

Be sure to also read our article on the Top 5 Development Projects on the Rise in New Hampshire.

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Developers all throughout New Hampshire are bringing forth various dynamic development opportunities complete with quality architectural design and innovative structural engineering.

With the help of top notch design and engineering professionals, these developers are slowly engineering NH into a state filled with new and exciting projects — creating everything from new retail outlets that span hundreds of acres as well as state-of-the-art mixed use buildings complete with restaurant and retail space, residential units and other innovative amenities like underground parking, green roofs and rain gardens.

While some of these projects may still only be conceptual in nature, they each represent the future of architectural design and structural engineering in NH. Here’s a look at what we consider to be among the TOP 5 development projects either under construction or on the drawing board in New Hampshire:

5. Seabrook Crossing

(Photo Credit: Waterstone Retail)

This project, which is expected to open in Seabrook sometime during summer 2014, features roughly 1,000,000 square feet of new retail space. Located not far from Interstate 95, this exciting new development will include a Wal-Mart Supercenter, Market Basket, Kohls, TJ Maxx, Lowe's, Home Depot, Home Goods, Dick's, PetSmart, Michaels, Ulta and Staples.

The project comes from Waterstone Retail, a national real estate development, acquisition and management company specializing in the creation and repositioning of shopping centers throughout the United States. Summit Engineering is the structural engineer of record for this major project.

4. Portwalk Place

(Photo Credit: Tangram 3DS)

The final phase of this major development project in downtown Portsmouth is expected to be complete sometime during summer 2014. The mixed-use development, which includes office and retail space, 113 apartments, a restaurant, a parking garage and a 120-room Hampton Inn and Suites, is the final phase of a three-part project known as Portwalk Place.

This project comes from Cathartes Private Investments, a private real estate and energy development company based in Boston, MA. The architect and construction manager for the project is Pro Con Inc. of Manchester.

3. The North End Project

(Photo Credit: HarborCorp LLC)

Proposed for an area in Portsmouth known as the “northern tier” or “north end,” this dynamic project is still very much in the early planning stages. With a proposal to create a 40,000-square foot Whole Foods Market grocery story, a conference center, a 660-space parking garage, a 98-room boutique hotel and 14 residential units, this project may be one of the most dynamic development opportunities being considered in NH.

The development team behind the North End Project is HarborCorp LLC.

2. Woodmont Commons

(Photo Credit: LondonderryNH.net)

This $1 billion, 603-acre project based in Londonderry is considered to be the largest economic development project in New Hampshire. Although construction crews have yet to break ground, this project is expected to add more than 1,000 new homes as well create 700,000-square feet of commercial office space, 880,000-square feet of retail and restaurant use, 550 hotel rooms, and a 300-room hospital.

The developer for the project is Pillsbury Realty Development LLC.

1. Balsams Resort

(Photo Credit: WMUR)

Closed several years ago, this iconic resort, with its ski area and golf course, is primed and ready for a spectacular $30 million rebirth. The renovation project will come in phases, with phase one dealing with renovation of the existing golf course; adding five new lifts at the ski area; building a 400-key hotel; and other renovations. Planned additions total nearly 80,000-square feet and include a new conference center, pool house, spa, entry/check in and new suites off the Hampshire House.

These five projects indeed represent the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the most exciting development projects currently being constructed or designed in NH.

At Summit Engineering PLLC, we understand the amount of planning and execution it takes to complete projects of these types of magnitude. Not only are we skilled in the design of structures, but we are also fluent in construction services — having spent years working with contractors to provide guidance throughout the construction phase of projects of all shapes and sizes.

Take a look for yourself at the many projects we’ve been apart of over the years.

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On May 12th, the Portsmouth School Board honored the Pi Day contest winners in the third, fourth, and fifth grades at each of the elementary schools. The contest, which, began at New Franklin Elementary School two years ago, has now expanded to include both Dondero and Little Harbour Schools. This past March, each of the schools held a competition to see how many digits of Pi could be recited by memory. Pi is an irrational number and has an unlimited number of digits beginning with 3.14159…Students set a new record this year with third grader Sydney Pettis reciting 155 numbers by memory. The New Franklin third grader showed off her skills by reciting 104 numbers for the School Board ceremony.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqdZumZdA1I

The New Franklin Pi Day competition grew from an individual school lunch time celebration of math to a city-wide competition this year. A local group of engineers, architects, and business owners have banded together to support the mathematical equivalent of the Scripts Spelling Bee competition.

Said a New Franklin school parent who helped to organize the event for the last two years, “I saw how this event sparked excitement amongst our youngest learners around what can be a difficult concept to understand, an irrational number. Of equal importance, I saw how students encouraged and challenged one another to succeed. This was truly a community-building event and I thought it would be great to invite the business community and the other schools to be a part of it.””

Thanks to local businesses, $500 was raised for each of the elementary school’s parent-teacher organizations. This year’s supporting businesses were; Summit Engineering, Altus Engineering, TMS Architects, The Portsmouth Brewery, as well as individual donors.

In addition to the donations to the three schools, each grade winner received a $31.41 gift certificate to Diversions, a strategy game store in downtown Portsmouth. The grade school winners were:

Dondero
Katie Yeaton (73)
Jason Yeaton (68)
Sinead Dolan (33)

Little Harbour
Maxwell Barker (70)
Molly Grocki (70)
Luisa Morgan (78)

New Franklin
Sydney Pettis (155)
Morgan Ruhnke (71)
Maddie Pettis (48)

The March Pi Day celebration had special significance this year as the year cooperated with the digits producing the Month, Day, and Year on March 14, 2015 or 3/14/15.

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