Expertise &
Local Initiatives
In addition to all services listed on kpff.com, the Los Angeles Structural Office also specializes in the following initiatives which affect our local communities.
Structural Engineering
KPFF has been providing structural engineering solutions in Los Angeles since 1968. We have partnered with clients on projects of all types and sizes. From historic renovations to stadiums, from custom residences to high-rise towers, and design-build to prime consulting, we are inspired to apply our experience and creativity on every project.
Heavy Civil & Transportation
The Bridge, Transportation, and Infrastructure Group at our Los Angeles office focuses on structural design for horizontal construction. Our expertise includes vehicular and pedestrian bridges, marine structures (wharves, piers, fendering systems), structural condition assessment, roadway retaining walls, roadway signage, parks and recreation structures, Prime project management, and large-scale non-building structures. We also provide material testing services in collaboration with our Portland office.
Protective Design
KPFF is focused on reducing risks and vulnerabilities to both natural and man-made hazards in order to protect life, property, and operations. KPFF’s Protective Design Group collaborates with private and public sector clients in various industries such as healthcare, aviation, military, federal government, transportation & infrastructure, local government, and higher education. We offer design and consulting services for secure facilities, specializing in blast engineering, progressive collapse resistance analysis, and perimeter security design. Additionally, we work alongside operational and electronic security consultants to assess threats and vulnerabilities and develop appropriate hardening criteria.
LA City Retrofits
Southern California cities and municipalities are adopting seismic ordinances to keep their residents safe in case of an earthquake. Some buildings are more likely to collapse in an earthquake than others, and these new regulations address those vulnerable buildings. These regulations outline the minimum requirements a building must meet to prevent collapse but are not intended to bring buildings up to today’s code. To learn more about these new regulations and how they may affect your building, please contact us. We’re happy to help you navigate the new ordinances.
SPC & NPC Compliance
Since the California Senate Bill 1953, also known as the Hospital Seismic Safety Act, was introduced in 1994 requiring hospitals in California to meet certain seismic protection requirements, KPFF has collaborated with numerous healthcare systems to implement cost effective seismic compliance solutions for existing buildings.
We have completed both SPC and NPC projects where SPC and NPC are the seismic performance categories that are used to indicate the levels of seismic safety required for different buildings. SPC stands for “Structural Performance Category”, and NPC stands for “Nonstructural Performance Category” which refers to partitions, suspended ceilings, equipment and so on.
The next major milestone for seismic compliance is January 1, 2030. KPFF is currently working on SPC-4D and NPC-4D upgrades to buildings and facilities statewide. SPC-4D and NPC-4D upgrades are retrofits of the primary structural systems and non-structural systems to provide a level of seismic performance that will allow the buildings to remain under HCAi jurisdiction beyond 2030.
Sustainability
As an early signatory of the Carbon Leadership Forum SE2050 commitment, KPFF has worked with local concrete suppliers to help implement lower carbon mixes, led whole building Life Cycle Assessments for multiple projects, implemented an internal cataloguing of our carbon-footprint to date, and engaged in both internal education and industry advocacy for the advancement of embodied carbon initiatives. We take advantage of low-carbon concrete mixes, utilizing innovative Type 1L cement and fly ash, both of which have huge environmental savings. We leverage cutting-edge technology like Cross-Laminated-Timber CLT, bubble-deck, sustainable steel, and hybrid material designs.
Civil Engineering
Resourceful, responsible and pro-active, our Civil Engineering team works hard to make our clients’ projects a success. We understand the complexity and schedule requirements associated with entitlements, permits, and project closeout processes; and we fully appreciate the design challenges associated with the implementation of storm water management systems. We are leaders in the use of 3D modeling as a tool for design, communication, construction coordination, and facilities management.
Land Surveying
No single method works for every situation. KPFF land surveyors regard surveying as a piece of the puzzle within the scope of a larger project. We take a personal, tailored approach to our work, meeting individually with clients to pinpoint the type of information they need at each stage of a project. KPFF’s comprehensive surveying services include consulting, research, field reconnaissance, field measurements and calculations, error analysis and mapping. Our survey team provides responsive service throughout the US and around the globe for virtually every project type.
