Mickey Leland Federal Building Renovations

Built in the early 1980s, the George Thomas “Mickey” Leland Federal Building is a 22-story office tower in downtown Houston. The GSA purchased the building and in 2009 sought proposals to update and re-skin the structure. Since the original construction, new wind load provisions had been added to the code. Additionally, the new skin design included a larger “wind sail” area which required that the existing lateral load system be checked for compliance with current requirements.

Walter P Moore provided physical security engineering and blast protection for this project in accordance with ISC Security criteria. Design features include a new blast resistant envelope, hardening of dock and receiving areas, and perimeter protection for standoff enforcement. The perimeter barrier system consists of a combination of operable and fixed barriers, including anti-ram bollards, walls and planters designed to provide protection from vehicle ramming.