Baltimore, MD
Congregation Darchei Tzedek
Scope/Solutions
The new Darchei Tzadek’s synagogue features a large sanctuary with congregational seating for 380 people and includes vaulted ceilings and a tiered, second-floor balcony. The complex also includes a large social hall that can accommodate more than 400 occupants, kitchens, and four multi-purpose classrooms. Working for RBA Architecture, SGH designed the structure for the new synagogue.
The 20,000 sq ft synagogue is steel-framed with composite concrete floors and a roof supported by custom steel trusses and standard open-web steel joists. SGH designed a structure to accomplish large, open gathering spaces and unique architectural features. For this project, SGH designed the following:
- Transfer girders to support offset columns that frame the desired open spaces
- Custom steel girders to match the rise between each level of the tiered balcony
- Hangers to support the front edge of the overhanging balcony
- Four steel-framed girder trusses with vaulted bottom chords spanning nearly 60 feet over the sanctuary
- An intermediate roof structure consisting of wide-flange steel beams between the four girder trusses and tube steel bracing for lateral stability
- Lateral bracing for the sanctuary’s exterior walls to accommodate full-height two-story windows
1 of 4
Project Summary
2011
Completion Date
Solutions
New Construction
Services
Structures
Markets
Culture & Entertainment
Client(s)
Congregation Darchei Tzedek
Specialized Capabilities
Building Design
Key team members
Gary Strand
Structural Engineering Division Head, Washington, DC
Additional Projects
Mid-Atlantic
Leigh Street Armory
The armory received a grant under the U.S. Department of the Interior Save America’s Treasures Program and the City of Richmond wanted to stabilize the building and prevent further deterioration of the surviving elements while they evaluated various options for building.
Mid-Atlantic
Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks
With the historical Bethlehem Steel plant as a backdrop, the Levitt Pavilion is a tribute to the industry’s past and a symbol of revitalization. Envisioned by architect Wallace Roberts & Todd as a complex faceted architectural form, the pavilion required innovative structural engineering expertise.