Spring 2023 Newsletter
Repurposing the Past: Power Station
It’s Spring, and FTF Engineering is excited to start a new project at the historic Potrero Power Station in Dogpatch. Collaborating with LMS Architects and Associate Capital on Block 7B of the 29-acre development, they will transform the post-industrial site last used in 1965 into a vital mixed-use space. The Block 7B project will provide a new 8-story, 85-foot-tall reinforced concrete building with 98 affordable housing units, retail shops, and a courtyard. In addition to LMS, the architectural firms of Herzog & de Meuron, Foster + Partners, and landscape architects Plural participated in the urban vision. The Power Station will allow Dogpatch residents and all San Franciscans to access the Central Waterfront, providing places to live, work and play.
Rendering: Foster + Partners
In the Field
Earthquake Chasing with FTF Engineering
What do structural engineers do in their free time? They go Earthquake Chasing after a seism to document the structural damage. FTF engineers went on a long day trip to the California North Coast between Christmas and New Year’s to learn from the December 20, 2022, 6.4 magnitude Ferndale earthquake. In Rio Dell, they observed collapsed residential porch covers, fallen chimneys, and mobile homes off supports. Modest retrofits would have prevented the damages, but many residents needed more financial means to make significant investments. The Victorian-era town of Ferndale appeared unscathed except for broken glass from repairs made after the 1992 Cape Mendocino earthquakes.
In the News
415 Natoma Wins!
Our project, 415 Natoma, won the Engineering News-Record Best of the Best award in the Office/Retail/Mixed-Use category! In San Francisco’s (SoMa) District, 415 Natoma is a 25-story office tower on the four-acre Fifth & Mission (5M) development. FTF was the associate structural engineer working with Swinerton, Brookfield Properties, KPFF, House & Robertson Architects, Meyers+ Engineers, and Magnusson Klemencic Associates. We appreciate the recognition, and congratulations to the entire team! Additionally, The Construction Specifier featured 415 Natoma on the cover of their January 2023 Issue about “The Carbon Paradox.”
“Brookfield Properties’ 415 Natoma in San Francisco, logistics centers in Bradenton, Florida, Adidas Fifth in New York, and many other projects have benefited from internal curing with liquid colloidal nano-silica SCMs to increase quality, reduce schedule, and maintain internal water for more complete hydration.” The Construction Specifier
Team Building
FTF: Family, Team, and Fun
FTF team members from San Luis Obispo and Colorado joined us in the San Francisco office for our annual All-Company Meeting, where we discussed the vision and plan for the upcoming year. After the meeting, we went to Lucky Strike for some bowling!
Welcome Drake and Tammy to the Team!
We are excited to have Drake and Tammy join the FTF team in our San Francisco office! Drake is a San Francisco State University graduate with an MS in Structural / Earthquake Engineering and a BS in Civil Engineering. He is a professional engineer (PE) with five years of engineering experience. Tammy grew up in Hong Kong surrounded by various mid-and high-rise buildings, which led to her appreciation of infrastructure and how they affect our lives. She is excited to be a part of building infrastructure that we can call home while providing safety, constructability, and cost-effectiveness.
FTF is hiring. If you want to join our growing team, learn more about our open roles on our Careers page below!