ADTEK Engineers Wins SFIA Steel Framing Award for Atlantic Crossing Building III in Delray Beach, Florida

Featured image: Atlantic Crossing Building III in Delray Beach, Florida, features cold-formed steel (CFS) framing. All photos and shop drawings courtesy of ADTEK Engineers, Inc.

Atlantic Crossing Building III in Delray Beach, Florida, features cold-formed steel (CFS) framing as a critical solution to several challenges faced during design and construction. 

Atlantic Crossing brings added dimensions to Delray Beach’s acclaimed Atlantic Avenue, providing new choices for living, working, shopping and enjoying city life, the Atlantic Crossing website says. The community is a “green and walkable destination” with a “lively” and “distinctive design” occupying two city blocks, the site says.

The winner of the 2023 SFIA Awards, Efficient Use of CFS Framing: ADTEK Engineers for Atlantic Crossing Building III in Delray Beach, Florida.

ADTEK Engineers, Inc., a member of the Steel Framing Industry Association (SFIA), is the SFIA 2023 Industry Project Awards winner, in the “Efficient Use of CFS Framing” category, for Atlantic Crossing Building III. The project involved ADTEK Engineers and SFIA member manufacturer Ram Steel Framing.

ADTEK Engineers was announced the winner at the 2023 SFIA Awards ceremony held recently. The SFIA 2023 Industry Project Awards focus on CFS manufacturing and construction. Architects, engineers, manufacturers, distributors and contractors entered their projects in the 2023 competition. The SFIA Awards entry was submitted by Andrew Newland of ADTEK Engineers. 

Design Quality 

Was there a value engineering solution? 

Steel framing was critical in meeting the aesthetic and structural challenges of this project. Challenges were presented to ADTEK Engineers during the design and construction phases. 

The first level boasts curved openings, wing walls, unique exterior soffit features and difficult attachments to post-tensioned concrete. 

Typical interior corridor framing with strapped brace force resolution seen periodically.

Levels 2-5 are supported by interior and exterior load bearing cold-formed steel walls, which support timber trusses. 

At shorter openings and openings with minimal space between adjacent openings, proprietary clips were used to eliminate the need for jack studs beneath headers reducing the amount of framing required. 

The load bearing levels also are required to support curved wing walls and a green wall attached to the CFS framing. 

Details by ADTEK Engineers for extended soffit framing with connections and detailing to post-tensioned slab.

Installation Complexity

What difficulties existed on the project?

The post-tensioned podium slab presented challenges to the installation of soffit framing, specifically locations with significant cantilevers. Special detailing and coordination was required in this area where supplemental structural steel support was not provided. 

Several areas have curved openings. Segmented steel framing was used to create the curved architectural opening features. 

At sloped wing-walls, beams were designed to connect rigidly to typical wall framing to ensure adequate support, and create the curved architectural features.

Curved openings, and curved wing walls can be seen in this elevation.

Manufacturing Complexity

Were special materials involved?

The typical framing was performed using standard materials. As noted, special proprietary clips were utilized to support openings to help minimize the need for jack studs. Also, standard track members were modified and curved to create curved architectural features. 

Proprietary clips can be seen supporting the load bearing openings, which had limited space for jack studs.

Conversion From Wood Framing 

How was conversion from wood to metal framing achieved?

The interaction of wood and CFS added complexity to this project. At times, CFS framing was used to solve problems that arose during construction in lieu of using a wood solution due to the simplicity of the CFS solution. These solutions typically were required in areas where insufficient support was noted in the contract drawings. In the end, CFS proved to be the superior solution to wood framing. 

A typical interior opening with proprietary clips eliminated the need for jack studs.

Overall Job Quality

How did the alignments, finish and design intent tun out?

The completed system turned out well for this project and the architectural aesthetics were achieved. This did not come without several challenges during construction. Coordination with other trades including the green wall contractor and the timber truss supplier presented numerous challenges. 

The green wall installation and connections to the load bearing wall were presented after substantial engineering and construction had been completed. This required additional engineering and installation of supplementary framing to support the loads of the architectural features without affecting the function of the load bearing framing. 

Learn more about SFIA member ADTEK Engineers.

Completed construction showing the green wall feature in the southwest corner.

Typical wing wall beam detailing.

Additional Resources

• SFIA Reveals 7 Winners of the 2023 Industry Project Awards in Online Ceremony
• Sorting Apples from Oranges — Comparing Evaluation Services with Third-Party Certification
• SFIA Releases Guide to the Performance-Based Nonstructural Partition Selection of Metal Framing