One of the many sports facilities projects designed by Nielsen-Baumert Engineering, Inc., is the YMCA recently constructed in Blair, Nebraska. The YMCA has 45,000 square feet of floor space. Included is a lap pool and a zero-depth wading area, a gymnasium with two basketball courts, fitness/aerobics areas, and community meeting areas.
Three different structural systems were used in the facility. The pool area is constructed with load bearing masonry supporting a precast concrete roof structure. The gymnasium is load bearing masonry with a long span open-web steel bar joist roof structure. The fitness and meeting areas are constructed with steel braced frames supporting an open-web bar joist roof system. The exterior walls are a combination of brick veneer and split-face concrete block. The YMCA was occupied in the summer of 2002. The estimated cost of the project is $5.2 million.
St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Fremont, NE was constructed on open property outside of town with room for future growth. The church has 44,000 square feet of finished floor space. The 18,000 square-foot sanctuary extends upward 60 feet. A large fellowship hall with kitchen and additional ancillary spaces were also part of this project. The exterior spaces include a large drive through canopy, bell tower and multiple roof structures. The project was successfully completed at the end of 2001 at a cost of $8.5 million.
The lower photo shows steel roof trusses over the sanctuary wrapped in wood.
Other worship facilities designed by Nielsen-Baumert Engineering, Inc. include St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Gretna, NE; St. James Catholic Church in Omaha, NE; St. Gerald's Catholic Church in Omaha, NE; Saint Stephen's Catholic Church in Omaha, NE; Salem Baptist Church in Omaha, NE; Saint Elizabeth Ann Catholic Church in Omaha, NE; St. Mark's Lutheran Church in Valley, NE and Holy Rosary Church in Dennison, IA.
