The ground floor of the Forensic Medical Center is a 6" normal weight concrete slab-on-grade with minimum 30" deep concrete grade beams along the exterior edges. The building column foundations are concrete drilled piers, typically 48" in diameter, with a minimum strength of 3500 psi. The shearwalls are supported on 54" by 60" grade beams, which rest on 54" diameter drilled piers.

The floor system of the builidng is typically a two-way, flat plate, normal weight concrete slab with 36" deep concrete perimeter beams. The typical column is 24" by 24" normal weight concrete with a minimum strength of 5000 psi. The bays of the building range in size from 25' by 22'-6" to 30' by 27'. Some areas of the floors, such as cooler and freezer rooms and high density file storage rooms, use 11" thick one-way slabs with 26" to 30" deep concrete beams surrounding these areas. The roof is typically an 8" thick flat plate two-way slab, except under the mechanical equipment, where the slab thickness increases to 15".

The building's lateral load resisting system consists of a combination of concrete moment frames formed by the columns and slabs, and concrete shearwalls surrounding the main stairwells on the east and west sides of the building. Shearwalls 1 and 4 run in an E-W direction on the north side of each stairwell, while shearwalls 2 and 3 are perpendicular to shearwalls 1 and 4 and run on the inside of each stairwell, forming a "T" shape.

The site where the building is to be constructed is currently a vacant city block. The highest point of the site is at the northeast corner, sloping down between five and six feet to the southwest corner.

Unsuitable fill material must be removed within a two foot depth of the bottom of the slab and replaced with suitable fill material.

The mechanical systems in the Forensic Medical Center must meet the differing requirements of its spaces. In general, the building is divided into two areas. The first, second, and third levels are mainly used for autopsy rooms, laboratory spaces (including the Biosafety Level 3 suite), and their required support spaces. These spaces have very specific needs, and must be under strict control at all times. The fourth and fifth levels consist of offices and administrative space, therefore, they use a more conventional mechanical system.

The air handling units for the first, second, and third levels are designed as three units, each at 50% capacity. This allows one unit to still be at full reserve if one of the other two should fail. Each is a 28,000 CFM unit supplying 100% once-through outdoor air. These units will each have 30% pre-filters and 95% cartridge filters, with 60 HP variable frequency drive supply fans. Air distribution on these three levels is two position constant volume, with a total distribution of 56,000 CFM.

The offices and administration spaces on the fourth and fifth levels require two 17,500 CFM air handling units, each with variable frequency drive fans, 20 HP for supply air and 15 HP for return air. These AHUs have 100% return air/100% outdoor air economizer capability, with a 30% pre-filter and a 80% cartridge filter. These levels use a conventional variable air volume distribution system, supplying 17,500 CFM at each level.

The building mechanical system is designed to be positively pressurized to help control airborne contaminants in the laboratory areas. The first, second, and third levels (with the exception of the Biosafety Level 3 suite) are 100% exhausted by three 30,000 CFM exhaust fans. Due to its hazardous contents, the BSL-3 suite has a separate exhaust system, with two 8,000 CFM fans, each containing a 99.99% HEPA DOP filter.

Cooling for most of the building is provided by two closed-loop, 30% ethylene glycol-air cooled water chillers, each supplying a 365 ton output. Two low-temperature 30% ethylene glycol chillers, each with 20 tons of capacity, are used to cool the body storage coolers and freezers on the second level. A low roof on level two houses two blower coil indoor modules with remote air-cooled condensing units.

The building is heated by two closed-loop, 250 BHP fire-tube water boilers capable of supplying 8,300 MBH at 80% efficiency. These boilers are dual-fuel compatible, with natural gas as the primary fuel and #2 fuel oil stored on site for emergency backup. The water leaves the boilers at 180°F and is circulated to the heating coils in the AHUs. A separate set of pumps circulates the water from the boilers to re-heat coils on each floor.

The electrical service for the building is 3000 A, three-phase, four-wire, 480/277 volts, coming into the building at a service rated switchboard. This switchboard has a fixed mounted 3000 A main circuit breaker with integral solid-state tripping and ground-fault sensors. Power is distributed throughout the building using standard conduit and wire distribution risers. Each floor has an electrical closet, which contains most of the major distribution panelboards and equipment for that floor. In addition, the laboratory and autopsy areas on levels two and three have their own local area panels. Each level also has a step-down dry-type transformer to serve lab, electronic, and office type equipment requiring 208/120 volt service.

Because of the nature of the building, standby power is necessary, and there are three power distribution systems: normal, life safety, and critical. The normal system supplies power to all of the lighting and non-essential building services. The life safety system supplies power to emergency lighting for egress, alarms, and essential mechanical systems. The critical system contains all of the loads considered essential to continued operation of the Medical Examiner's functions. Backup power is supplied by a 1500 KW, 480/277 V diesel-powered generator located in the penthouse.

Fire protection utilities for the Forensic Medical Center include a 6" incoming fire main which enters the building on the east side in the fire pump room. A 50 HP fire and jockey pump serves the wet-pipe sprinkler areas of the entire building. The coolers and freezers on the third level contain a dry-pipe sprinkler system to prevent freezing of the lines. The air compressor that keeps the dry-pipe pressurized is located in the fire pump room. A 4" standpipe is required in the stairwell on the east side of the building.

The fire detection system is made up of smoke and heat detectors, duct detectors, and manual-pull stations. The alarm system consists of audio-visual devices as required by code, magnetic door holders and releases, water flow switches, and tamper switches. The fire system will have a back-up battery and also be connected to the emergency generator.

Vertical transportation is provided by two passenger elevators, a service elevator, and two body elevators serving the first and second levels, with room for a third body elevator in the future. The passenger elevators are Otis Gen2 Machine Room-less, 3500 lb. capacity elevators. The service elevator is also an Otis Gen2 elevator, with 4500 lb. of capacity. The body elevators are Otis Holeless Hydraulic elevators with a capacity of 5000 lb.

The Forensic Medical Center needs to be very secure. Access is controlled by a series of card readers. There are over 100 closed-circuit security cameras throughout the building. The main panel for the security system is located in the security office on the first level.