Trends in Concrete
Concrete may very well be the single-most important construction material in today’s A/E/C world – at the very least, it’s viewed by industry professionals as a substance that can be utilized in a myriad of unique ways on just about any kind of project – whether it’s in the general building, heavy/highway, or utility/infrastructure markets.
To a casual observer, concrete (not to be confused with cement) can appear dingy, drab and colorless – nothing more than a cold, hard, unforgiving surface. To an architect or contractor, the substance offers an unlimited array of design and construction options. And to those who help produce and supply the materials that make up concrete, sustainability is a topic of great interest and appeal.
In this section, Intermountain Contractor looks at a couple of aspects of this unique substance, including precast, architectural, and sustainable concrete issues. We also look at the impact of fly ash, and how perceptions and opinions have changed the past three decades. Finally, we look at this year’s 16 ACI Intermountain Chapter award-winning projects.
Concrete Evidence
Versatile substance adored for its durability, aesthetical diversity
A/E/C industry professionals utilize concrete in a myriad of unique ways and on a number of different kinds of projects
By Brad Fullmer
As Jim McGuire strolls through the yard at Hanson Eagle Precast’s Salt Lake City location, looking at the myriad of projects underway, he wonders aloud how his firm is able to keep up with the demand.
“It’s hard for me to keep track of everything we have going on right now,” says McGuire as he walks by a crew pouring large, Type 6 AASHTO precast highway girders. “We’re as busy as we’ve ever been and we don’t plan on it slowing down anytime soon.”
Hanson Eagle Precast (Hanson acquired Eagle Precast in April 2007) is one of many Intermountain region firms whose business revolves around concrete and its many applications.
McGuire, a sales manager for Hanson Eagle with 15 years experience in the industry, says the key to his firm’s success is its diversity. McGuire says Hanson Eagle Precast is certified by the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute (PCI) in structural, architectural, and glass-fiber reinforced concrete (GFRC) categories – the only plant in North America to be certified in all three.
“It’s nice not being limited with what we can do,” says McGuire. “That diversification is something that’s been strong here in Utah. Diversification was necessary for survival.”
As an example of the diverse projects Hanson Eagle provides precast elements for, McGuire rattles off projects like the LDS Rexburg Idaho Temple, the Allegheny Technologies plant in Tooele County, Utah, and Lindquist Field in Ogden, home of a minor league baseball team.
“We work in virtually every kind of market – retail, institutional, food processing, prisons, justice centers, highways,” McGuire says. “Most (precast) plants just do girders, or just do hollow core, or just do architectural or GFRC. We do all that.”
One unique project in particular for Hanson Eagle is producing concrete wall panels (up to 42 ft. tall and weighing 35,000 lbs. each) for a new Nordstrom’s store at Fashion Place Mall in Murray, Utah.
The construction concept consists of utilizing high strength precast-prestessed concrete wall panels for the structural function of the walls, while at the same time incorporating thin brick cast into the exterior of face of the walls, providing a distinctive high-end look. The concrete is made with white cement and a buff, colored sand and aggregate when processed gives the sections of wall without brick the look of limestone or sandstone. In addition to the structure and finish, insulation is cast inside. The panels also have a 2” layer of polyisocyanurate insulating foam board with fiber composite connectors, making them highly energy efficient.
According to McGuire, these specialized panels are made by first laying the thin bricks into the form with a special plastic spacer called a brick snap. After the bricks are down, the form is prestressed and the first layer of white concrete is poured. The polyisocyanurate is then placed on top of the fresh concrete and specialized pins are vibrated thru the foam and into the fresh concrete. Finally, the back-up layer is poured, completing the “sandwich” panel. The forms are covered and heat-cured overnight, where they achieve approximately 4,000 psi by the next morning. The prestressed form is “cut-down” the next day and panels are stripped out and processed. In the processing the plastic brick snaps are pulled from the surface and the bricks which have been covered with a special wax to prevent concrete splatters from sticking are washed down with hot water to remove the wax and any latent soiling. Finally, a combination of acid etching and sandblasting is used to finish the portion of the panels without brick, giving the panels an architectural precast texture and finish. Panels are numbered and ordered in sequence so that they can be shipped in construction order to the jobsite and erected directly to the footings.
“Although the process seems complex, the system itself is extremely simple when it comes to constructability,” says McGuire. “The contractor is able to pour the footings and then have the multi-tasking system erected in a matter of days, which saves time and jobsite encumbrance.”
Durable, Sustainable, and Aesthetically Pleasing
Concrete has been utilized for years by architects for aesthetical purposes. Projects like the Salt Lake City Library (both new and old), the University of Utah School of Architecture in Salt Lake, and the Uintah Recreation Center in Vernal, Utah, are examples of projects that make judicious use of concrete.
According to Holli Adams, a senior associate with EDA Architects of Salt Lake City, concrete works well in a variety of applications, particularly recreation centers with pools where high levels of moisture and humidity are prevalent.
“We’ve done cast-in-place concrete structure for many years,” says Adams. “We’ve always loved concrete. It’s a permeable substance, so it’s moldable, but at the end of the day it’s hard to hurt.”
EDA designed the Uintah Recreation Center, a 72,000 sq. ft. facility highlighted by a 25-yard lap swimming pool with a 13 ft. deep end for diving, a leisure pool with two water slides and multiple play features, and a customized 36 ft. tall rock climbing wall.
A complex exposed concrete moment frame structural system exposes the skeleton of the structure throughout the building. A primary design feature is the visual accessibility of all activity spaces from the tapered central activity lounge. The centerpiece of the activity lounge is a 36 ft. high by 40 ft. wide sculpted concrete climbing wall modeled after local rock formations. A three-lane track runs around the perimeter of the dry activity spaces, looking into the Natatorium and interacting with the fitness room, multi-use room, double gymnasium, and climbing wall areas.
The cast-in-place colored and textured concrete floors throughout the building resemble the natural surfaces of rock around the Eastern Utah city, while providing a suitable surface for many of the activities. The cast colored and textured concrete slabs extend outside the building to the parking drop off area. This feature, combined with the extensive amount of glass walls surrounding the building allows the interior of the building to be effectively integrated with the surrounding park environment.
The masonry used in the building, also complements the local geological colors and striation. Pre-cast concrete benches are located throughout the Natatorium and the gymnasium. The building exterior is complemented by rock veneer, rough wood accents, soft gray metal roofing and colorful metal wall panels.
“In selecting the building material palette, careful consideration was given to the durability of each material selected, as well as ease of maintenance,” says Adams. “Concrete was a natural selection due to its long life, natural appearance and availability. I think as it gets older, it ages gracefully.”
Adams says that a prevalent problem associated with Natatorium construction is the protection of steel surfaces to prevent rust (oxidation) of the surfaces in a high humidity, potentially corrosive environment.
“It is difficult to ensure adequate corrosion protection with epoxy coating systems in difficult applications,” she says. To minimize future structural problems, the design team incorporated a structural system that minimizes the amount of exposed structural steel by incorporating a long span deck and special tube joists at 20 ft. on center. A concrete moment frame structural system was selected for this task due to its appearance, appropriate finish and cost effectiveness.
Sustainability is another factor A/E/C professionals consider when utilizing concrete. Cement and ready-mix suppliers have also been focusing in recent years on making their products ‘greener’ and more environmentally friendly.
According to Todd Laker, technical services manager for Holcim US, Inc.’s mountain region, his company has a group of sustainable products called Envirocore, which are blended cements designed to meet all general construction uses and may offer additional benefits such as moderate to high sulfate attack resistance, reduced heat evolution, alkali-silica reaction (ASR) resistance, and high early strength, among others.
“Sustainable construction is something we’ve always been interested in,” says Laker, who works at Holcim’s Devil’s Slide Plant in Croyden, Utah, which produces XX tons of Portland cement annually. “We’ve been involved in sustainability for a number of years. It’s important to let people know we’re providing sustainable solutions.”
Laker says Envirocore products are manufactured in an eco-efficient manner in an effort to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, one of the main greenhouse gases responsible for global climate change. Holcim, Laker adds, is committed to reducing its global average specific net carbon dioxide emissions by 20% by 2010, with 1990 as the reference year.
Pumping Mud
After more than 30 years, Burbidge still enjoys concrete industry
Even after more than three decades of pumping concrete, Dennis Burbidge is still having fun, in addition to being in awe at the advances being made with concrete pumping machines.
“Every year, they get bigger and bigger,” says Burbidge of the booms on concrete pumping trucks. “Putzmeister (one of the world’s largest manufacturers of concrete pumping trucks) is coming out with a 70-meter boom that has eight axles on it! In the last 15 years, it seems every year they get bigger.”
Burbidge’s father, XXX, started Salt Lake City-based Burbidge Concrete Pumping in 1972. He said back in those days, concrete pumping trucks were very limited and had difficulty pumping certain concrete mixes.
“When I think of those days, the type of equipment we had versus what we have today, it’s night and day,” says Burbidge, who serves as the firm’s commercial sales manager. “Some of the ready-mix people back then didn’t want to supply concrete because the concrete pumps were so inefficient. There were specific design mixes that just wouldn’t pump.” These days, Burbidge says it’s “almost impossible” to get a mix that won’t pump.
Burbidge says his company has been involved recently with some interesting downtown Salt Lake projects – City Creek Center and the 222 Main office tower – that have been challenging to work on due to extremely limited site access. Burbidge Concrete Pumping had six pumping trucks working at once on the mammoth 7,600 cu. yd. pour at City Creek March 14-15 , including its largest boom (63 meters). Burbidge says his firm is resorting to erecting placing booms – a stationary boom that operates similar to a tower crane – at these downtown project sites where regular pumping trucks won’t fit.
“The problem we run against downtown is limited access to the construction sites,” says Burbidge. On City Creek Center, he adds “they are going to fill that whole block with four levels of underground parking. At one point we’re going to have to get out of that hole and pump from the street. We’re going to put down into that hole a number of placing booms – up to seven.” |
ACI Intermountain Chapter 2008 Excellence in Concrete Awards
The Intermountain Chapter of the American Concrete Institute recognized 16 outstanding projects in this region during its annual awards banquet April 11 that make judicious use of concrete in a variety of unique and innovative ways. This includes a mix of state-of-the-art commercial, institutional, religious, industrial and infrastructure projects, all of which rely on concrete’s diverse structural and architectural characteristics.
ACI 2008 Excellence in Concrete Winners
Project Location
4 Gateway Office Tower SLC
ASET SLC
BSU Parking Structure #2 Boise
Clyde Cos. Corporate Office Orem, UT
Jordan Landing Phase VI West Jordan, UT
Kings Corner Overpass Nampa, ID
Little Cottonwood WTP Imp. Sandy, UT
MacCool’s Public House SLC
Megaplex 13 at the Junction Ogden
North Pointe Bus. Park, Bldg. C American Fork, UT
Rexburg Idaho LDS Temple Rexburg, ID
Roosevelt Jr. High School Roosevelt, UT
SL Tabernacle RenovationSLC
U of U Parking Structure Helipad SLC
Viracon Manufacturing Facility St. George, UT
Wheeler Machinery Facility Hurricane, UT
4 Gateway Office Tower
Category: Commercial
Owner: The Boyer Company
GC: Jacobsen Construction
Concrete: Jacobsen Construction
Architect: HKS Architects
Engineer: Brockette-David-Drake, Inc.
Supplier: Jack B. Parson
Testing: PSI
Two hundred and thirty-four augercast piles and driven piles make up the seven-story, 234,000 sq. ft. Gateway Office building’s foundation. These piles were driven into the earth about 70 to 100 ft., and at the ends are large concrete caps formed to connect the pile foundation to the building’s structure and give seismic support. The building’s streaking appearance was made by precast panels that were designed with just the right shapes and reveals and then sandblasted. The Boyer Company wanted the office tower to have a light structure, obtained by reducing the weight of the steel and concrete. Concerned about overloading the floor decks since the structural steel was so light, Jacobsen used dimensional lumber with nails that extended out the actual depth of the desired floor slab thickness, and then used the nails as a guide to maintain the same thickness throughout every slab. A portion of the foundation had to be installed under the building’s neighbor, Barnes & Noble, which was on very poor collapsible soil that was tricky to work with. Overall, lightweight concrete allowed the owner his ultimate desire; a “light” building.
Automotive Spraying Equipment Technology
Category: Commercial
Owner: ASET
As vendors of airbrushes, West Valley City-based ASET decided that their original concrete floor, which was covered in a plastic “snap together” grid system, needed to be refinished. ASET holds training seminars each year that are taught by many of the leading airbrush artists in the country and the company wanted a floor to reflect this artistic collaboration. The floor was first diamond ground to clean the surface and open up the pores to accept a stain. ASET airbrushed flames over the entire floor using automotive paints, enabling the paint to dry quickly to ensure that the room would be ready for an upcoming seminar. Pictures of artist’s work from previous training seminars were embedded into the floor with an epoxy, and then sealed with a topcoat of clear urethane and finished with three more coats of epoxy. Now cars can be pulled straight onto the floor and artists can work on the cars. Paint spills, grease and other contaminants can be cleaned up easily especially compared to the plastic grid floor. ASET is very happy with the final outcome – their improved concrete floor is both beautiful and functional.
Boise State University Parking Structure #2
Category: Structures
Owner: BSU
GC: Layton Construction Company
Concrete: ConCorp Concrete Construction
Architect: Insight Architects
Engineer: DC Engineering
Supplier: G & B Redi-Mix
Testing: Materials Testing & Inspections
The new parking structure at Boise State University is an above ground, five level, 757- stall facility. Totaling 238,000 sq. ft., the structure includes a 9,000 sq. ft. office space, housing the university’s commuter services department. With safety in mind, windows were built into the shear walls that also make the parking structure feel open and bright. The elevators also follow the “openness” theme with windows in the cab and in the concrete shaft walls. The structure is mainly post-tensioned concrete, using a traditional Boise State University red brick masonry façade. EFCO metal form systems were used for all vertical work and standard wood decking was placed for all horizontal decks. The concrete installments in the summer were scheduled at 2:00am to get out of the heat of the day. Glazing systems and architectural canopies were used to enhance the style and feel of the parking structure. Boise State University now has a durable parking structure that is low maintenance and long lasting.
Clyde Companies Corporate Office Building
Category: Commercial
Owner: Clyde Companies
GC: Robinson Brothers Construction
Concrete: Robinson Brothers Construction
Architect: AE Urbia
Engineer: JM Williams & Assoc. Inc.
Supplier: Geneva Rock
Testing: Earthtech
The Clyde Companies Corporate Office building was originally intended for the developer himself, but shortly after the walls were lifted up Clyde made an offer and bought the building. This was the first three-story tilt-up concrete building ever constructed in Utah. From the exterior, large portions of the wall panels are omitted so the building has plenty of natural light, spacious views and a reduced seismic mass. Some concrete panels are offset, allowing continuous glass at each edge for a floating panel appearance. Several walls were constructed of unconventional shapes; a 26 ft. canopy is supported along the exterior edge while the interior edge is curved and free-floating. Portions of the interior walls and floors are left exposed, and integral color concrete was used to stain the floors. In the entry and lobby area, parts of the exposed concrete were lightly sandblasted to expose aggregate. The building has a concrete reflection pool built with a higher reinforcing steel ratio so that any hairline cracks that develop are “self-healing”. The main stairway is constructed with glass treads and an exterior wall that is constructed using Kalwall, which was also used for the 18 x 40 ft. arched skylight. The use of water, light and color infuse a Zen-like quality which is balanced by geometric shapes of the concrete elements.
Jordan Landing Retail Center Phase VI
Category: Commercial
Owner: Campus View, LLC
GC: Layton Construction Company
Concrete: Layton Construction Company
Architect: AJC Architects
Engineer: Dunn Associates
Supplier: Harper Ready Mix
Testing: Consolidated Engineering Laboratories
Jordan Landing is a large, mixed-use development in West Jordan, Utah. Phase VI of the portion of the development is a 150,000 sq. ft. retail center that includes the large sporting goods anchor, Sport Chalet, Michaels, Kinkos and Petsmart. The entire building features CMU and structural steel with steel stud-framed EIFS facades. The Sports Chalet store features an indoor pool and a 16,000 sq. ft. roof-hung display shelf. The swimming pool deck had Zypex added to it which is a crystallizing product that reacts to water and expands, eliminating the open pores that are naturally found in concrete. Over 90,000 sq. ft. of slab-on-grade concrete was placed in four pours and nearly 400 cubic yards of concrete was poured for the entire project.
Kings Corner Overpas
Category: Public Works, Streets
Owner: City of Nampa, Idaho
GC: Layton Construction Company
Concrete: Layton Construction Company
The Kings corner Overpass project in Nampa, Idaho consists of two railroad overpasses. The first overpass took Kings Road over the Union Pacific Railroad tracks and connected it with Amity Road. The intersections had a history of accidents and delays while train traffic passed. The project was significantly concrete; one span consisted of 608 feet of a concrete deck over structural steel beams and the second overpass was of similar construction measuring 360 feet in length. The two bridges included approach embankments, which were placed and compacted coincidental to the construction of the bridges. Sleeper beams were installed beneath the connection point of the asphalt roadway and the bridge deck to eliminate the transition noises and bumps. The bridges were designed to be self-draining with no added requirements to remove water. EFCO forms were used, and bridges were wood-framed then later stripped. All the rebar in the bridges were epoxy coated to minimize corrosion. The bridges were built over the top of the active Union Pacific Railroad tracks, and at some points during construction, cranes were set up between the pair of live railroad tracks. This process required extra safety, communication and coordination with Union Pacific. Concrete ensures minimum maintenance and guarantees a longer life span for this transportation project.
Little Cottonwood Water Treatment Plant Improvements
Category: Public Works
Owner: Metropolitan Water District of Salt Lake and Sandy
GC: Alder Construction
Concrete: Build Inc.
Engineer: Black & Veatch Corporation
Supplier: Altaview Concrete
The concrete construction of a 9.4 MG round water storage tank inside Little Cottonwood Water Treatment Plant is 270 feet in diameter, and 24 feet tall. With an innovative design, the storage tank has a full height zigzagging concrete baffle wall through the middle of the tank and four other independent strategically placed baffle walls. These walls are utilized in water treatment plants to mix freshly treated water with other water in the tank before distribution, for chlorine contact time and to help keep the water fresh and safe for consumers. With mass quantities of water flowing out of the tank through an 84 inch diameter steel outlet, a whirlpool effect is created. An anti-vortex structure was specially designed to stop this, making the water system efficient. Tie-hole penetrations were plugged and patched with Xypex crystalline water-proofing grout to create a water tight system. Extra care was taken on the exterior radius walls of this tank to make an aesthetically pleasing look to the outside face for the surrounding residents. An appealing pattern of multi-colored gravel and stained concrete was created on the roof of the tank to blend with the structures and landscaping.
MacCool’s Public House
Category: Commercial
Owner: MacCool’s Public House
GC: Two Chew
Architect: vanZeben
When you walk into this restaurant, you have the feeling that you’ve walked into an old Irish tavern. With four different sections making up the dinning room, each has its own unique design. In the Gallic dining section, free standing stone tablets called Augum stones border the area. Made from polymer concrete and textured to resemble old rock, these stones were engraved with Celtic symbols and Irish toasts. In the Victorian section, the floor was made to look like rustic wood planking, with a “stone” pathway running through the floor, again made of polymer concrete. Tabletops were made from light weight concrete, with broken edges and a semi-smoothed stone texture. In the country cottage section the concrete floor was cut by hand into a random tile pattern, then chipped and chiseled to give an old rustic feel, and finally stained with acetone dyes. Finally, the Pub Shoppe floor is a wood grid pattern, again made of polymer modified cement and stained green, white and gold. To get the grain and color of real wood, Miracoat was applied to the floors. The entire project took six weeks and the finished product was what MacCool’s wanted; an atmosphere to match the theme of an Irish Pub.
Megaplex 13 at the Junction
Category: Commercial, Masonry
Owner: Larry H. Miller Group
GC: Sahara, Inc.
Concrete: IMS Masonry
Architect: FFKR Architects
Engineer: Dunn Associates, Inc.
Supplier: Geneva Rock
Testing: Consolidated Engineering Laboratories
The MegaPlex 13 Theater is a two-story 95,300 sq. ft. building with theater walls constructed of concrete, utilizing insulated concrete forms (ICF). ICF walls were desirable; they provide maximum sound insulation and achieved a high sound transmission rating, allowing 13 theaters to be very close together without sound transmitting from one theater to the next. The second floor was constructed of lightweight concrete over a metal deck, giving the required fire rating as well as dampening the vibrations from the projection rooms. Since IFC walls function as support for interior and exteriors and are the primary structures, a high level of care was employed to pour a straight and plumb wall without honeycombing or form blowouts. The finished walls were high quality and required little or no shimming for the finished surfaces. The second floor was poured in such a way to provide a very flat floor with minimal cracking to support projection rooms. The main entry staircase and elevator shaft were poured from cast-in-place concrete and are a prominent feature in the entry lobby. Larry H. Miller had the comfort and isolation of the theaters as his utmost importance and the IFC walls provide an excellent sound insulation and support. The MegaPlex 13 Theater proves to be an important element of Ogden City, Utah’s Downtown revitalization project.
North Pointe Business Park, Building C
Category: Commercial, Tilt-up
Owner: C & R Building, LLC.
GC: Robinson Brothers Construction
Concrete: Robinson Brothers Construction
Architect: PGA&W
Engineer: Dunn Associates, Inc.
Supplier: Jack B. Parson Companies
Testing: Earth Tech.
The North Pointe Business Park Building is a three story concrete tilt-up class A office space, located in American Fork, Utah. Two story tilt-up office buildings are becoming more common, but in this area three story tilt-ups are rare. This 83,000 sq. ft. building utilizes both interior and exterior tilt-up wall panels as bearing walls and act in conjunction with braced frames to form a dual system of lateral support. The exterior tilt-up wall panels were formed to allow as much light as possible to the inside. Outside, architectural finishes and configurations were specially crafted to be pleasing to the eye. Because this building is close to I-15, the tilt-up concrete walls help diffuse the noise of nearby freeway traffic. Because of the limited size of the “jambs” in the wall panels, the placement of the reinforcing and concrete jambs required close monitoring and the concrete had to be fully consolidated around the reinforcing bars. Random cracking was not a problem since the strength, quality and consistency of the concrete were ensured with a thorough review of the concrete, as it was delivered to the site. The owner is an expert in tilt-up panel construction and this project allowed him to show his expertise in this type of construction.
Rexburg Idaho LDS Temple
Category: Commercial
Owner: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
GC: Jacobsen Construction
Concrete: Hanson Eagle Precast
Architect: Architectural Nexus
Engineer: KPFF Engineering
When The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints chose architectural precast concrete as the exterior cladding for the Rexburg Temple, it was recognized that the features incorporated in this project would be unique and unusual. Each of the dramatic elements from the massive columns on the north and south sides to the delicate detail of the entrance canopy were conceived, drawn, manufactured and installed specifically for this structure. Using white cement, white sand and translucent white course aggregate, the owners wanted an exposed course aggregate which required a sandblasting process that would maintain the crisp edge details, important for the overall appearance of the project. The design of the steeple presented some uncommon challenges because of the inherent forces and its slenderness, which were overcome by using a light weight Glass Fiber Reinforced Concrete. One innovation on the project was the internal construction of molds, needed to create the highly articulated panels. Unique steel cutting blades were designed and forged to cut the combined angles of the millwork in the casting forms. To put the owner at ease a mock up was provided, demonstrating the patching method and results. Upon inspection, the damaged areas were finish so well, they had to be pointed out. In the end, nearly 700 massive precast stones came together like a puzzle.
Roosevelt Jr. High School
Category: Educational, Masonry, Tilt-up
Owner: Duchesne County School District
GC: Hughes General Contractors, Inc.
Concrete: Hughes General Contractors, Inc.
Architect: Naylor Wentworth Lund Architects
Engineer: BHB Engineers
Supplier: Tri-County Concrete
One of the most prominent concrete features of the new Roosevelt Jr. High School in Roosevelt, Utah is the use of site cast, integrally colored, tilt-up concrete walls, especially the record setting 58 foot tall fly loft panels. Exterior panels with three different colors and two different sandblasted textures combine with the colored masonry to give the building an exciting and fun exterior façade. In order to achieve consistent color from batch to batch, a portable liquid color system from Solomon Colors was used, since color was of particular concern. The selected colors were premixed at the factory and dispensed based on the size of each truck load of concrete. Normally the floors of a building exceed the wall area, allowing plenty of space to cast tilt-up walls on the floors, but for the fly loft the opposite was true. The stage floor was used multiple times as a casting slab and extreme brace loads generated by the tall panels required extra weight shipped in to hold the stage floor down. A 73,000 pound spandrel panel spans across the proscenium opening that is almost 53 feet long and had to be welded in place, 40 feet in the air. All of these panels were carefully engineered and constructed to maintain the integrity of the connections, and the weight was closely monitored to ensure they wouldn’t exceed maximum crane load capacity. The creative use of site cast, tilt-up concrete and colored concrete provides an intriguing architectural statement when viewing the building.
Salt Lake Tabernacle Seismic Upgrade & Renovation
Category: Commercial
Owner: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
GC: Jacobsen Construction
Concrete: Jacobsen Construction
Architect: FFKR Architects
Engineer: Reaveley Engineering
Supplier: Jack B. Parson Companies
Testing: PSI Utah
One of the main purposes of this project was to seismically upgrade the historic Salt Lake Tabernacle building, originally constructed in 1875. The final system chosen created a way for the roof to be tied through a combination of structural steel, rebar and concrete to new footings and micro piles at the base of the building without altering the look of the building. The new concrete “saddlebag” footings were designed to act as a glove over the existing stone footings at the base of each sandstone pier. Each pier was fully excavated to expose old footings below grade, and then cut down to create a lip for new footings to fit over and clamp down on. Multiple micro piles were drilled around each footing with a long extension left exposed. Then, rebar was formed around each stone footing and high strength rods were placed horizontally through the footings and tied to the new forms. The new footings were poured and bolted down on the exposed section of micro piles. Special concrete mixes and treatments were utilized throughout the project to add strength, waterproofing and flexibility. The Tabernacle is a highly visited, very visible building in Salt Lake City and a monument to pioneer construction. The seismic upgrade has given this sensitive building the structure and support it needs to continue as a historical landmark for years to come.
U of U 525 Parking Structure Helipad
Category: Commercial, residential, industrial, educational, tilt-up, masonry, streets, airports/highways
Owner: Division of Facilities Construction & Management
GC: Layton Construction Company
Concrete: Layton Construction Company
Architect: Architectural Nexus
Engineer: Spectrum Engineering
With the growing needs of the University of Utah’s Medical Center, a three-story concrete parking/helipad structure that was built several years ago was recently upgraded to a six story parking/helipad structure. This required enhancing and adding more footing and columns, and soil stabilization with micro piles to keep the structure stable. On top, the helipad was improved and designed to accommodate three large helicopters and one Blackhawk helicopter that is part of the support fleet of the President of the United States, as the U of U Medical Center is the designated hospital for the president in case of an emergency. Large snow removal equipment access would be impossible, so automated snows melt and drainage systems were built into the top level. To remain as maintenance free and long lasting as possible, all of the concrete that would potentially be exposed to de-icing chemicals had calcium nitrate added to the concrete mix to provide various levels of chloride ion protection. A polyaspartic coating was also used on this deck, designed to take the tremendous force and weight that landing a helicopter causes. And an application of a Fast Clad polyurethane coating was applied with an aluminum oxide aggregate to create a non slick surface. In addition the large amount of rebar needed required a high strength pea gravel concrete mix combined with a high range water reducing additive that is used to ensure consolidation around the tightly spaced rebar. Because of the excellent maintenance history of reinforced concrete structures, the U of U can expect a 30-year life span of this structure.
Viracon Manufacturing Facility
Category: Commercial
Owner: Viracon
GC: Watts Construction, Inc.
Architect: MRW Design Associates
Engineer: Needham Consulting Engineers
Viracon is a global manufacturer of architectural glass and glazing products and is now the largest production facility in Washington County, Utah totaling over 245,000 sq. ft. Touring of existing nationwide facilities helped to completely understand the production process, design features, quality control and safety to build a Viracon facility. An area that Viracon wanted to improve was the functionality of the glass tempering furnace area. In these areas, the glass will reach temperatures of 1,200 degrees F, then must be cooled to 120 degrees F by the time it exits the furnace. Viracon worked with their mechanical engineering and contracting team and was able to significantly reduce the amount of glass loss due to uncontrolled temperature fluctuations. Overall, the project was designed and constructed using the best technologies available for this type of facility which proved to be a success for Viracon.
Wheeler Machinery Southern Utah Facility
Category: Commercial, Industrial
Owner: Wheeler Machinery
GC: Hughes General Contractors, Inc.
Concrete: Kim Burrows Construction
Architect: Richardson Design Partnership
Engineer: BHB Engineers
Supplier: Sunroc & Western Rock Products
The new Wheeler Machinery Facility in Hurricane, Utah consists of a 20-acre site development, two architectural tilt-up concrete buildings that total 83,000 sq. ft.; 75,000 sq. ft. of concrete paving and 30 ft. tall, conical-shaped tilt up panels. Using exposed architectural tilt-ups suited the needs of both a Class A office design and a durable shop building. The two buildings include 11,500 sq. ft. of Class A office space, a 32,500 sq. ft. warehouse, a 17,000 sq. ft. heavy equipment shop, 10,000 sq. ft. truck repair shop and dynamometer, and a 12,000 sq. ft. specialized shop space and paint room. The walls are colored concrete which blend well with the desert surroundings, without the maintenance of painted concrete. Difficult to construct, the conical shaped concrete panels are the main architectural feature in this project. The pair of conical panels leans out away from the building, creating the illusion that there isn’t enough structure to keep the massive panels in place, giving a dramatic look to the entry. The combination of using tilt-up construction and concrete proved to be paramount for this building’s stability and strength. |
Click here for next Feature Story >>
|
print this page
e-mail this page
