Steel framing above a performance hall and full gymnasium
The school’s major assembly spaces included an 800-seat auditorium with a fly lift and orchestra pit, together with a 2,500-seat gymnasium.
LocationYakima, Washington
Client and fabricatorAllied Steel
Structural steelApproximately 2,100 tons
Building sizeApproximately 333,000 square feet
CompletionSchool opened in 2013; overall project completion reported in 2014
Project overview
Structural steel detailing for one of Washington’s largest high schools.
Eisenhower High School is a new approximately 333,000-square-foot educational facility constructed for Yakima School District.
At the time of construction, it was the largest single-building high school in Washington by area. The facility includes an 800-seat theater, a 2,500-seat gymnasium, laboratories, technical classrooms, dining facilities and two large academic wings.
Working for Allied Steel, our team provided structural steel detailing for approximately 2,100 tons of steel.
Project team and technical details
- Owner
- Yakima School District No. 7
- Building height
- Two stories, with multilevel areas
- Primary project divisions
- Nine areas
- Key structural elements
- Two pedestrian bridges, theater catwalk, seismic framing and curved/inclined wall
- Structural engineer
- Kramer Gehlen & Associates
- Architect
- NAC Architecture with KDF Architecture
- General contractor
- Graham Construction
- Primary scope
- Structural steel detailing
- Detailing platform
- Tekla Structures
- Collaboration technology
- Model Sharing and live GoToMeeting model reviews
- Information tracking
- Tekla User-Defined Attributes
Detailing scope
A theater, gymnasium, classroom wings and connecting bridges.
RFIs, held steel and submittal status linked directly to the affected members
Tekla User-Defined Attributes were used extensively to track project information inside the structural model.
Nine areas brought together within one coordinated steel package
The project was divided into nine principal areas and included: an 800-seat performing arts theater, a catwalk above the theater, a 2,500-seat gymnasium, two large classroom wings, a Level 2 north pedestrian bridge, a multilevel south pedestrian bridge.
Two elevated connections between the classroom wings
The north pedestrian bridge spans between the classroom wings at Level 2. At the southern end, a second multilevel pedestrian bridge connects the wings at multiple elevations.
A theater, gymnasium, classroom wings and connecting bridges
The structural steel package was divided into nine primary areas.
Multiple connections between two major classroom wings
The project included two significant bridge structures. North pedestrian bridge A Level 2 bridge spanning between the east and west classroom wings.
Model to field
From coordinated geometry to the project on site.
01 / Coordinated model
02 / Fabrication & fieldTechnical complexity
An evolving design generating hundreds of RFIs.
A wall that curves and leans at the same time
One of the most difficult geometric conditions occurred along Gridline RA at the west wall of the east classroom wing.
Complex steel developed from incomplete and continuously changing design information
The project entered detailing with a significant amount of unresolved or incomplete design information.
A wall that curves and leans at a continuously changing angle
One of the project’s most difficult geometric conditions occurred along Gridline RA at the west wall of the east classroom wing.
An evolving design generating hundreds of RFIs
The structural design was not fully resolved when detailing began. As the model developed, the team identified numerous conflicts, missing dimensions and incomplete design conditions.
Our approach
One model connecting geometry, revisions and project decisions.
The project workflow combined steel modeling with structured information management.
As RFIs were answered and revision bulletins were issued, the team updated both the affected steel and its associated status information. This helped maintain visibility across nine project areas despite the volume of changes.
The approach centered on:
- model-based coordination with other trades,
- weekly live model reviews,
- UDA-based status tracking,
- controlled use of macros and custom components,
- continuous review of revisions and open RFIs.
RFIs, held steel and submittal status linked directly to the affected members.
Tekla User-Defined Attributes were used extensively to track project information inside the structural model.
The team linked individual members and assemblies with information such as:
- RFI numbers and status,
- extra-work claims,
- held steel,
- drawing submittal status,
- affected revision bulletins,
- items awaiting design information.
This allowed the team to connect the project’s document trail with the actual steel affected by each issue.
Instead of managing RFIs and revisions only through separate spreadsheets or correspondence, detailers could identify the status of an element directly within the model.
Repetitive work controlled through macros and custom components.
The project made extensive use of:
- Tekla Model Sharing,
- Tekla User-Defined Attributes,
- Tekla connection macros,
- custom components,
- model-based review sessions.
Connection macros and custom components reduced the manual work associated with recurring conditions. They also allowed repeated connections to be managed more consistently as the project design changed.
Design problems explained directly in 3D.
Weekly online RFI and model-review meetings were hosted by Anatomic Iron using GoToMeeting.
During these sessions, the general contractor, design team, fabricator and detailing team reviewed the live Tekla model together.
The model allowed the team to:
- show design conflicts in three dimensions,
- isolate affected members,
- review incomplete connection conditions,
- explain curved and inclined geometry,
- evaluate proposed solutions,
- obtain direction from the appropriate project participants.
This was particularly valuable for conditions that were difficult to communicate through written RFIs or isolated 2D views.
A wall that curves and leans at a continuously changing angle.
One of the project’s most difficult geometric conditions occurred along Gridline RA at the west wall of the east classroom wing.
The wall follows a continuous curve while also leaning inward. The inclination is not constant—it increases as the wall extends south.
This combination created three-dimensional geometry in which:
- the plan position changed continuously,
- the wall inclination varied along its length,
- connection points occurred at changing elevations and offsets,
- surrounding framing had to follow the developing surface.
The condition required complete 3D representation to define the member geometry and connection locations accurately.
Project animation
Explore the project in motion.
Project result
Complex steel delivered through disciplined model-based coordination.
The combination of Tekla modeling, live interdisciplinary review and model-linked information tracking helped the team manage a highly complex 2,100-ton steel package.
The workflow was especially important for the curved and leaning east-wing wall, pedestrian bridges, seismic framing and other conditions affected by continuing design revisions.
The result was a coordinated detailing package covering the school’s nine primary structural areas.