Portfolio: Project Details
Benicia Clock Tower
Historic Restoration
Benicia, CA
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Interactive Resources provided an engineering analysis of the condition of the
historic Benicia Clocktower, an unreinforced stone masonry structure originally
constructed as a U.S. Army arsenal in 1857. Following the completion of the
engineering analysis, the firm designed comprehensive plans and specifications
for a complete seismic upgrade of the two-story, 20,000 square foot building.
Seismic modernization of the structure, which currently serves as a community
assembly hall, involved sensitivity to the historic nature of the structure and
extensive technical analysis of stone restoration techniques for the sandstone.
The size and construction of this building were outside of those common for
conventional unreinforced brick masonry structures. This required that the
building be analyzed using data obtained from scientific research adopted for
these specific conditions.
As part of this restoration project, Interactive Resources also provided
architectural services for the restoration of the clocktower's historic wood
windows. The twenty-eight windows in the structure are the size of French doors
and were installed in 1912. They were severely deteriorated due to decayed
wood, missing panes, broken mutins, and insect infestation. The window
restoration project and the structural work followed The Secretary of the
Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation and Guidelines for Rehabilitating
Historic Buildings. Interactive Resources provided these services to assist the
city in receiving the proper approvals from the California State Office of
Historic Preservation (SOHP) for work on the structure.
