GSA IDIQ Structural and Blast Engineering IDIQ Contract

Stone Security Engineering is pleased to announce that we are now the proud holder of a GSA IDIQ contract as the Prime Consultant.

Contract Name: Nationwide Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) Architect-Engineer Structural and Blast Engineering Services for the Public Building Services (PBS), Office of Design and Construction Program, under the Office of the Chief Architect.

Our team is led by Stone Security Engineering, PC and is comprised of firms and engineers with extensive experience in structural, blast, and seismic design and working for the GSA and the US Government.

Stone Security Engineering is a small, woman-owned business focusing on safety and security design to protect people and property from abnormal loadings such as blast, ballistics, and progressive collapse events.  Stone prides itself on implementing creative solutions to the complex challenge of providing protective design in a cost-effective manner.

Stone Specialties: Blast and progressive collapse assessments and design (new and retrofit); open arena blast testing; criteria development; peer review; innovative solutions; advanced non-linear analytic methods; ballistics and forced entry; large building inventory assessments; feasibility studies; research and development; software development; training; and emergency attack and recovery (US&R experience in engineering and logistics, terrorist attack, earthquake, industrial accidents, etc. ATC 20 and ATC 45 training).

KPFF Consulting Engineers is one of the largest structural engineering firms in the US and is recognized by the design and construction industry for its seismic design engineering expertise. With offices across the country, many in high-seismic regions, they have proven experience in conventional construction practices as well as specialized services such as seismic, wind, and protective design; and natural disaster response and recovery (including ATC 20 and ATC 45 training).

KPFF Specialties: Extreme loading conditions (seismic, wind, blast, progressive collapse); advanced analysis (non-linear methods); energy dissipation systems; high rise; historic; large building inventory assessment; corrosion; testing and inspection.

Crosby Group Is an award-winning small, minority-owned business with an established reputation for providing creative and cost-effective design solutions for a wide range of projects. Crosby has experience in a variety of sectors including office, mission-critical, and laboratory.

Crosby Specialties:  New/renovation structural design; seismic evaluation and retrofit; risk assessment and analysis; 2D / 3D modeling and analysis; peer review; new technologies for seismic mitigation; extreme loadings (seismic, hurricane, tidal surge); natural disaster response and recovery (including ATC-20 and ATC-45 training; and incorporating 3-dimensional mixed reality with enhanced electronic documentation.

Langan provides an integrated mix of engineering and environmental consulting services including geotechnical consulting.  Working with clients and design teams Langan has engineered cost-effective geotechnical solutions appropriate for 100s of projects nationwide involving complex, technically challenging sites.

Langan Specialties: Geotechnical engineering; seismic hazards & liquefaction evaluations; historic; high-rises; geologic hazards evaluation; foundation design; forensic engineering; soil sampling; slope stabilization design; vibration monitoring; traffic engineering; flood protection; and emergency response and recovery (hurricanes, sink holes, landslides, mold remediation).

Markon Solutions is a nationally recognized consulting firm with core competencies in project controls, facilities, finance, and acquisition. Markon’s project controls services include cost estimating, scheduling, and risk management, most often for the federal government.  Markon also has experience with GSA leasing and renting practices

Markon Specialties: Cost estimating, project and construction management; owner’s representative; security management; and new construction and major renovations.

TBD Consultants is a small business enterprise with cost estimating and project management experience which covers virtually every building type and extends across a large geographic area.   They are expert in developing cost estimates, even on the most conceptual information.

TBD Consultants Specialties: Cost planning and estimating; change order analysis; value engineering; project management; historic buildings and structures; high seismic regions; and project and construction management.

Please contact Hollice Stone at Holly@StoneSecurityEngineering.com if you have any questions about this contract our how we can support you on your projects.

Blast Testing of Unbonded Post-tensioned Concrete Slabs

Given the large number of existing post-tensioned concrete structures and the number of new post-tensioned structures anticipated in the U.S. and worldwide, there is a critical need to determine how they respond to blast loads and to develop practical guidelines for their design when blast resistance is required.

Currently, there is a lack of data on the blast performance of post-tensioned structures.  As a result, end users and designers are typically conservative in their assumptions and tend to underestimate the blast resistance of structural components with un-bonded post-tensioned reinforcement.  Information on the blast behavior of these structures and structural components would be beneficial for vendors, designers, regulators, and standards development organizations worldwide.

Stone Security Engineering and Stone-OBL, in conjunction with Structural Technologies/ VSL, have lead an investigative effort to conduct open-air blast testing on an un-bonded Post-tensioned slab reinforced with Structural Technologies’ proprietary systems.  The slab was specifically detailed by Structural Technologies to withstand blast loading and was tested at the Stone-OBL blast testing site outside of Bend, Oregon.

The 16-ft by 16-ft by 8- inch thick concrete slab was mounted in the Stone-OBL concrete reaction structure using a stiffened steel frame.  This configuration was subjected to two seperate blast tests using different weights of ammonium nitrate/fuel oil (ANFO) at different standoff distances.   Table 1 summarizes the ANFO weights and standoffs used for the testing program.

Table 1.  Testing Matrix

The slab performed extremely well in both tests with support rotations of less than 2 degrees and minimal cracking.

The results were recorded using sensors and high speed cameras.  The measured responses out-performed initial analytical predictions and exceeded current blast response criteria for un-bonded PT systems.  Table 2 provides an overall summary of the test results and the photos below show post-blast test photos of the un-bonded PT slab specimen.

Table 2.  Test Results Summary

Post-Blast Test Photos of the VSL un-bonded PT Slab Specimen

The remarkable results obtained during these tests warrants further investigation and research to define parameters that affect the performance of these structures and to develop practical design provisions for un-bonded pre-stressed concrete elements.

For more information, please contact us at Info-DC@StoneSecurityEngineering.com or info@Stone-Obl.com.

Presenting: StoneSmart Solutions

New York, USA May 23, 2017-  Stone Security Engineering is pleased to announce the launch of StoneSmart Solutions, a research and development company dedicated to developing new and innovative products and services for the protective design community. StoneSmart’s first efforts toward this goal have been the creation of two joint venture companies: Stone-OBL and Stone Protective Solutions. In addition to these joint ventures, StoneSmart has teamed with ProtectiFlex, which provides a versatile, cost-effective, and practical construction material solution for all of our clients’ ballistic, forced entry, and blast resistant needs.

Stone-OBL specializes in testing building products against extreme loadings such as blast, ballistics, forced entry, and fire. Stone-OBL combines the engineering expertise of Stone Security Engineering and the testing, instrumentation, and research expertise of Oregon Ballistic Laboratories (OBL). The combination of these skills makes this joint venture a one-stop shop for extreme load testing, product research and development, and product certifications. The Stone-OBL blast test range is able to accommodate a wide variety of test specimen configurations, explosive materials and weights, and standoffs in order to meet the varying needs of the security, safety, and industrial sectors.

Stone Protective Solutions is developing a line of modular building products which are engineered to meet security and safety requirements. Our Extreme-Woodlam Panel is a patent pending technology whose blast resistance capabilities exceed those of other materials of the same weight, such as steel and concrete.   Other benefits of this technology, compared to traditional steel modular buildings, are that it is created from renewable materials, uses less energy to manufacture, and is less expensive to ship.  Additionally, structures that have our Extreme-Woodlam Panels inherently provide enhanced insulation, and quieter interior environments.

ProtectiFlex is an innovative single material solution that protects against extreme loading. The proprietary technology, consisting of recycled rubber chips and fibers in a concrete mix, closely resembles typical masonry blocks and precast concrete panels. ProtectiFlex provides advantages over conventional masonry and precast concrete due to its impressive energy absorption characteristics, making it an excellent choice for a ballistic, forced entry, and blast resistant material, which can easily be integrated within a traditional structural steel or concrete structure.

“We are thrilled by the launch of our new ventures,” said Hollice Stone, General Manager of StoneSmart Solutions. “The Stone team has always had the attitude that if we see a hole in the industry, we want to fill it – and that is exactly what we are doing. We look forward to expanding our ability to provide high quality products and services which fit the needs of our industry.”

Throughout the coming weeks, StoneSmart Solutions will be profiling their recent projects and detailing the various offerings across the StoneSmart portfolio. If you would like to receive this information, sign up for their newsletter today.

StoneSmart Solutions, LLC is a small business and New York based company established by the primary engineers of Stone Security Engineering.