The project: The new 237,000-sf, three-story Nancy and Rich Kinder Building at the Museum of Fine Arts features 102,366-sf of exhibition space for modern and contemporary art, a 215-seat theater, restaurant and café, underground parking, and pedestrian tunnels connecting it to the museum’s existing gallery buildings and new Glassell School of Art. IMEG worked in cooperation with structural engineering firm Guy Nordenson and Associates.
The goal: Accommodate the architect’s vision of a roof structure that mimicked the shifting shapes of clouds, with six gallery spaces surrounding a central atrium.
Challenge: The unique structural framing configuration of the roof had little repetition and no “typical” bays, creating geometric challenges for the design team as the shapes were not defined by geometric curves. Solution: IMEG coordinated extensively with the general contractor, trade subcontractors, and installers to configure and design the connections. Wide flange members were used to create the in-plane diaphragms required for stability and a bolted flange connection was developed to provide a means for leveraging and aligning the truss framing during erection fit-up.
Challenge: Because no two moment connections in the original design were precisely the same and would have required uniquely fabricated top flange strap plates to develop the moment connection, there was a risk of widespread fit-up problems. Solution: IMEG suggested the structure be reanalyzed to account for these wide flange beams to be twisted into different alignments at each end as allowed by their torsional flexibility. As the web bolts at each end of the beam were cinched tight, the beam twisted along its length between connections. The beams were analyzed for the resulting torsion. This allowed the flange at the two ends of the beam to be in slightly separate planes, which allowed moment connection jumper plates to be fillet welded to the adjacent beam span without tapered shims. This also allowed the strap plates to be fillet welded instead of bolted.
The outcome: The complex structural system – consisting of composite steel floor framing and a pipe-truss roof – fluctuates to accommodate the varying spaces while upholding the architect’s visual style. The museum provides the Houston community with easier access to culture and modern art in a way unlike other cities. The welcoming atmosphere and structure of the Kinder Building are inviting and also support the themes and established visual tones of the surrounding, growing museum campus.