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Tropical J’s, a Hawaii-based awning and canopy manufacturer, had completed an awning for the rear of the Straub’s Medical Center during COVID. That project so impressed the CEO of the center that when it came time for another shade project, he asked his facilities manager to reach out to them again.
Straub Medical Center is a not-for-profit health care system with a 159-bed hospital in Honolulu, Hawaii, and a network of neighborhood clinics. The CEO wanted something similar and grand for the center’s central rotunda area.
The rotunda area was a challenging area because it was in the heart of the hospital and the ground with no direct outside access and was also the ceiling to a lab facility below.
Birds also presented a challenge, so a single tube vice truss was preferred for the rafters. The tube would need to overlap the building about 18 feet. The canopy had a projection of about 35 feet.
The challenge for Tropical J’s was in designing a canopy that had structural elements that were in line with existing building foundation elements while being able to maintain the desired shape of a freestanding canopy. It quickly became apparent that the company might have an issue raising the 34-foot long rafter 18 feet as weights were expecting to be about 1,700 pounds per rafter and they might have to be hoisted up and the overlap a building element, all over the lab roof below.
In the engineering phase, the engineers increased the rafter size from 5 to 6 inches and also approved the use of a mini crane for use on the roof deck. But further challenges were on the way. The engineering company contacted Tropical J’s, with the news that further review found that the mini crane would actually break the floor/roof below and could not be used. That problem was solved by sourcing a hand crank crane. It was also discovered that they needed to introduce interior x-cabling, essentially dividing the 75’ width into 6 bays. That was resolved by suggesting upper elbow plates welded in place that were approved by the engineers.
In the end, the company’s expertise in 3D design and production, and its experience with engineering allowed it to navigate the project successfully The final canopy filled the entire space and provided waterproof transition from the building because of the overlap at 18’ feet. The canopy was crafted from Serge Ferrari Proof 502.
The project won a 2024 Outstanding Achievement Award in the Commercial Awnings & Canopies category of the 2024 Advanced Textiles Association International Achievement Awards.