McClure provided structural engineering services for the Navy Pier Hotel, a distinctive hospitality development located along Chicago’s iconic waterfront. The project features three multi-story hotel buildings, each rising five stories and constructed primarily with load-bearing cold-formed steel framing. To accommodate the project’s unique layout, each building includes a steel podium at the third level, designed by the Structural Engineer of Record, Thornton Tomasetti, while McClure delivered design solutions for the superstructure above.

The hotel’s structural system includes cold-formed steel strap-braced walls for lateral resistance and Eisen joists supporting Structocrete and gypcrete-topped floors. Multiple layers of gypsum sheathing provide enhanced fire protection, and flat roof assemblies are framed with Eisen joists to ensure durability and performance in the lakefront environment. McClure coordinated closely with the design team to address the project’s long corridor configurations and complex architectural requirements, delivering a robust, efficient framing system tailored to the demands of this premier hospitality destination.