CCMC Tower: Structural Steel Detailing Case Study

CCMC Tower: Structural Steel Detailing Case Study

Project Overview

New steel, woven into an existing hospital tower


CCMC Tower in Hartford, Connecticut, is a commercial tower project and a hospital expansion where all the new steel had to be framed into an existing building. Moldtek handled structural steel detailing for 1,742 tons of steel: the main frame plus new steel woven into the existing structure, with the elevator framing interface as the critical coordination point. To get the tie-ins right, the team worked from the existing building drawings and the elevator coordination drawings, and delivered accurate, build-ready detailing on a fast-track 18-week schedule.

Download the case study
Tekla model of the CCMC Tower steel frame, Hartford, Connecticut
0t
New structural steel
L1–2
Existing levels tied into
0
Weeks, fast-track
The Challenge

New steel in an existing building, on a fast-track clock


The complication on CCMC Tower wasn’t the tonnage — 1,742 tons is modest. It was the interface. New steel had to land inside an existing building, tie into the existing structure, and frame a working elevator, all reconciled against existing drawings of varying quality, inside an 18-week programme.

Existing building constraints

Irregular geometry and limited access shaped where the steel could go and where it could tie in.

Elevator framing alignment

The elevator steel framing had to coordinate precisely with the shaft, machine room, and equipment requirements.

Tie-in connection accuracy

Connections between the new steel and the existing structure had to be reliable for both safety and fit-up.

Reference drawing validation

Existing drawings came at varied levels of detail and with inconsistencies, so every condition had to be verified before use.

Fast-track issue resolution

Coordination issues had to be identified and resolved rapidly to hold the 18-week schedule.

CCMC Tower steel model showing new framing integrated into the existing building
Moldtek’s Approach

Capture the existing building first, then integrate


  • Existing drawings requested up front

    Moldtek requested and received the existing building drawings and the elevator coordination drawings before modeling began.

  • Modeled against validated reality

    New steel, tie-ins, and elevator framing were modeled against captured existing conditions rather than assumptions.

  • Fewer clashes, smoother execution

    Access to the existing drawings delivered accurate, build-ready steel detailing with fewer clashes and smoother site execution.

  • Production-ready shop drawings

    Dimensions, notes and BOMs released for fabrication and erection.

Execution Timeline

18 weeks, front-loaded on existing conditions


Starting with an existing-drawing review rather than jumping straight into the model is what kept the tie-ins accurate and the issues resolving on schedule rather than surfacing late.

Week 0Week 18
Wk 0
Kickoff
Project scope and existing-building information gathered.
Wk 1–2
Existing drawing review
Existing building and elevator coordination drawings validated.
Wk 3–7
Modelling and detailing
New steel and elevator interface modeled against existing conditions.
Wk 8–13
Coordination and issue resolution
Tie-in connections and conflicts resolved.
Wk 14–16
QA/QC and review
Accuracy checked against the existing-building interfaces.
Wk 17–18
Release-ready output
Production-ready shop drawings issued.
Tools & Standards

Build-ready output for a complex existing-building tie-in


The tower was detailed on Moldtek’s standard toolchain and delivered against US structural codes, reconciling new steel with existing conditions and a live elevator interface.

Detailing toolchain

Tekla Structures SDS/2 AutoCAD Advance Steel Navisworks

Codes & standards

AISC AWS D1.1 OSHA ISO 9001:2015
The Outcome

Build-ready detailing for a complex existing-building tower


Proactive coordination and disciplined use of the existing drawings translated a coordination-heavy package into build-ready steel.

CCMC Tower model with elevator framing interface and existing-to-new steel tie-in callouts
1,742t

New steel, cleanly integrated

Coordinated the complex existing-building interfaces.

1

Elevator interface, resolved

Supported the elevator framing integration for seamless fit and constructability.

18 wks

Schedule discipline held

Delivered accurate, build-ready steel detailing across the full 18 weeks.

At a Glance

Project specifications


LocationHartford, Connecticut, USA
Building typeCommercial tower — hospital expansion
Steel tonnage1,742 tons (structural steel)
Defining conditionNew steel integrated into an existing building
Key coordinationElevator framing interface; new-to-existing tie-ins
Schedule18 weeks (fast-track), kickoff to release-ready
ScopeMain steel framing, new steel in the existing building, elevator framing coordination, existing-drawing integration, connection detailing
Reference basisExisting building drawings + elevator coordination drawings
Why it worked

“The new steel had to land inside a building that’s already there, tie into existing structure, and frame a live elevator — off drawings of uneven quality, on an 18-week clock. Existing-condition capture was the project.”

Moldtek Detailing Team

Structural Steel Detailing · CCMC Tower

Explore our steel detailing services →
Have a project like this?

Let’s detail your next tie-in to an existing structure

Have a new build tying into an existing structure — elevator framing, tight tie-ins, a fast-track schedule? That’s the work our structural steel detailing services team does every day.