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POWER LIST: ENGINEERING

The Treasury鈥檚 under-construction 36,000-square-foot headquarters in south Salem will sit on base isolators that let the building sway during an earthquake without crumbling.

KPFF is using base isolators that were custom built by Dynamic Isolation Systems, a manufacturer based in Nevada. The system is situated in a vault with a moat around it, allowing for the parts to move, said Josh Richards, a principal based in KPFF鈥檚 Portland office.

DIS isolators have commonly been employed to safeguard historic structures such as the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and Pioneer Courthouse in downtown Portland. The GBD Architects-designed Treasury building, however, is one of the first new buildings in Oregon to have DIS isolators installed as part of ground-up construction.

Engineers estimate the building will be operable soon after a 9.0 earthquake. The project has been conditionally approved to receive platinum status from the U.S. Resiliency Council, making it the first building to earn the distinction in Oregon.

DIS isolators are also popular among utility companies that value resilient facilities. So far, few private developers have picked up on the technology. That could change, Richards said.

鈥淚 certainly see this evolving to more types of owners and clients that are savvy to building performance, what they鈥檙e paying for and what they鈥檙e doing,鈥� he said.

The Oregon State Treasury will occupy the building on a long-term lease. The structure is being built by a private developer in partnership with the property owner.

鈥�(Treasury officials) were highly interested in having a completely operational facility after a large seismic event,鈥� Richards said. 鈥淏ase isolation is kind of the best way to achieve that with current technology and code.鈥�