Vernon Elementary School

Project Details

Project Story

The Challenge

Many school buildings from the early to mid-1900s have hollow clay tile walls, chosen as fireproof and economical but likely to collapse in an earthquake. Strengthening them the standard way is expensive and slow, and Portland Public Schools had a limited budget and asked for a better option.

Our Response

We developed a new method, the Masonry Composite Earthquake Rehabilitation System, combining the firm's experience with urethane in commercial refrigeration panels with its seismic expertise to strengthen cavity walls, and took it through design and construction at Vernon Elementary.

The Outcome

The MCE Rehabilitation System upgraded the entire structure to current seismic standards while preserving existing building systems and finishes. For Portland Public Schools, the approach reduced seismic upgrade costs by 75% compared with traditional strengthening methods. The innovative system earned an ACEC Oregon Engineering Excellence Grand Award and an ACEC National Honors Award.