City: Fort Lauderdale

With increasing caseloads and changing community demographics, the court system in Broward County, Florida is evolving to securely and safely serve the public. Structured to accommodate growth through the year 2030 and beyond, the 18-acre Broward County Judicial Complex in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, is a new civic campus designed to meet the changing needs of the community.

As part of a joint venture, our robust courthouse design and urban planning efforts included determining  the best use of the site based on the program needs, orientation of the building, organization and building layouts, and number of courtrooms per floor.

The new campus includes a county office building, the county jail, three courthouse buildings, an energy center and a parking garage. The new 740,000-square foot court building, which will occupy a 1.55-acre portion of the campus,  will be 20-stories high and feature 74 courtrooms and hearing rooms, as well as office space for several government agencies.

The courthouse will feature state-of-the-art technology, including extensive audio-visual and evidence presentation systems for the courtrooms and office spaces. Security will be enhanced through the use of CCTV, card access, duress devices (push buttons) and entry screening security systems. Designed for LEED Gold certification, the courthouse includes energy reductions up to 22 percent, water-use savings up to 30 percent, recycling up to 75 percent of construction waste, and the use of low VOC materials and finishes.

Efficient and effective use of exterior space—including a series of pedestrian parks, plazas and a riverfront promenade—help promote “pride of place” that will resonate in the community.

Awards

• Merit Award, AIA Academy of Architecture for Justice, Justice Facilities Review, 2011

For the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority (SFRTA), AECOM designed and constructed a new fixed bridge 55 feet above the South Fork of the New River in Fort Lauderdale. The project included approximately 1.7 miles of new twin-track alignment to accommodate SFRTA heavy rail and Amtrak commuter traffic.

The project location presented numerous engineering and construction challenges. The 30-foot-wide bridge had to be constructed within a 40-foot wide corridor. The site is bounded to the east by I-95, the busiest highway in Florida and to the west by the existing, active railroad track. Every day, the track running parallel to the New River Bridge carried 28 local commuter trains, six Amtrak trains, and 10 CSXT freight trains. Several times a day, crews were required to pause construction due to heavy train traffic along the tracks.

AECOM’s constructability reviews resulted in engineering innovations that shortened the schedule and saved an estimated $18 million in project costs. For instance, we proposed and implemented an alternative design for bridge foundations that replaced multiple drilled shafts and pile caps with single 10-foot diameter drilled shafts. This allowed for faster foundation construction.

Once in service, the New River Bridge’s double-track corridor provided a transit solution that quickly became popular. Because the corridor could accommodate a greater number of trains with less headway between them, readership immediately grew by 20 percent.

PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS

• 2008 Florida Institute of Consulting Engineers Engineering Excellence Grand Award
• American Council of Engineering Companies 2008 Engineering Excellence Award
• Associated Builders & Contractors Alabama Mega Project of the Year
• Recorded 650,000 hours without an OSHA injury