By Nicholas F. Corning
People who were unfortunate enough to be in the King County Courthouse during the 6.8 magnitude Nisqually earthquake in February, 2001 might have recalled the lyrics to Carole King’s love song: “I feel the earth move under my feet.” At that time, the Courthouse was considered one of the least earthquake-safe buildings in downtown Seattle. King County had plans to renovate the structure, but the 2001 earthquake prompted action that led to the $83 million seismic retrofit that is underway.
History
The Courthouse was built in 1914 with little consideration for design characteristics needed to withstand the twisting motions caused by large earthquakes. It was constructed mainly with concrete beams and columns. The floors consisted of thin concrete slabs supported by corrugated steel pans on the upper floors and hollow clay tile on the lower floors and in the stairwells. The original interior non-weightbearing walls consisted mainly of brick masonry and hollow clay tile, neither of which hold up well in earthquakes. Many of the interior walls added over the years were not even connected to the underside of the floors above.
In addition to the King County Superior Court and District Courts, the building housed the offices of the King County Executive and County Council, the County Prosecutor, the Sheriff, the Court Clerk, the King County Law Library and the 911 Center, among others.
None of these occupants can close for construction and few can be moved to temporary quarters in other buildings. For example, the Courthouse is attached to the King County Jail, so moving courtrooms to other buildings would require extra guards and other facilities to transport prisoners, creating unimaginable security problems, public safety concerns, and expense. Consequently, when politics and budget restraints prevented the County from replacing the Court-house, there was no alternative than to perform the renovation while the building remained open, occupied and in full operation. Construction officials compare it to working on a car engine while the car is being driven on the freeway.
Challenges
Some tenants of the building have been temporarily relocated in nearby buildings, including the King County Prosecutor, the County Executive Offices and the County Law Library.
Nevertheless, approximately 7,000 people visit the building daily. Litigants, attorneys, victims, witnesses, jurors and others have no choice about being there, so the building’s safety has been a key concern. Although many would have preferred to replace the aging structure, the renovations, now in their final stages, will meet the equivalent seismic standards of a new building, so all occupants and visitors are much safer.
Renovation
A bird’s eye view of the King County Courthouse discloses its “H” shape, consisting of two 12-story towers housing offices and courtrooms joined together by a central tower that houses the elevator banks and surrounding offices. Much of the seismic retrofitting is being installed in the far corners of the building, in the area of the elevator shafts and along the main interior corridor lines.
The renovation will not alter the exterior of the historical building and the interior floor plan will mostly be unchanged. However, the open walls allowed the County to replace or upgrade the building’s fire and smoke alarms, sprinklers, heating and cooling, and telecommunication systems, to meet code requirements.
Cosmetic improvements such as painting and replacement of carpet and ceiling tiles will occur in many areas. The most apparent changes will occur at the entry level where a large mural will be installed on the floor of the main rotunda. The large juror waiting room will be relocated to street level to accommodate jurors’ convenience and greatly reduce the demands on the crowded elevator system.
Coordination
Construction requires three to six floors at a time to be vacated and stripped to the bone. While exposed, structural elements of the building were reinforced with steel braces, shock absorbers, and additional concrete to stabilize the structure and absorb the energy of motion in an earthquake. Glass fiber composite material was wrapped around existing concrete columns to improve their strength. Additional beams were installed and concrete shear walls were constructed inside existing walls on the lower floors and behind the elevators out of sight.
To make room for construction crews, all occupants who were not moved out of the building have been temporarily relocated within the courthouse, some more than once. All but one of the Superior Court’s 40 courtrooms will have moved at least once, involving the relocation of about 160 judges and staff. Each move required removal of everything that is not bolted down, which caused major disruptions, despite extraordinary coordination on the part of County staff and the construction team.
To minimize the disruption, the contractors are working around the clock, with noisy work scheduled at night. All material deliveries are made at night and the tower crane operates only during the 6:00 p.m. to 4:30 a.m. shift. Steel and concrete materials have been brought into the building through existing hallways and unused office spaces or carefully lifted in through windows with the tower crane.
The construction work began in the basement on the west side of the Courthouse in October, 2002, and progressed up the west side to the 12th Floor. Construction on the east side of the building began in July, 2003 and is expected to be completed in August, 2004.
Nicholas F. Corning is a trial lawyer at The Corning Law Firm in Seattle. He is a former Chair of the Judiciary & Courts Committee and can be reached at (206) 789-6503; through the firm’s website at corninglawfirm.com; or by email at corninglawfirm@seanet.com.
