Precast Solutions - July/August 2008 - (Page 13)

over the past two years alone. “Precast trusses are a versatile way to put up a building,” says Greg Kerkstra, president. “They can be erected in any weather conditions including cold winters like those in Michigan and the rest of the Midwest.” Those advantages create a window for the architects, owners and contractors alike. “The reasons we used the precast truss system were the tight schedule and the winter conditions,” says Bart Bodray, spokesperson for PCL Construction. “By fabricating the structure off site, it gave us more time to design the foundations and get them in prior to having to start on the vertical retention), and made the engineering phase pretty challenging.” The precast pieces were installed by Kerkstra, the only precaster in the Great Lakes region to produce and erect the patented truss design. Each weighed just over 80,000 pounds and included trusses that were up to nearly 60 feet long. Those precast elements eliminated the need for costly steel systems, which have been subject to a 60 percent increase in raw material pricing structure, which the engineers needed. Also, since we would have been pouring concrete vertically in the middle of winter, it adds to the cost of the concrete and precast ended up being more economical.” Each truss weighed more than 80,000 pounds, and some stretched to nearly 60 feet. The truss system helped eliminate several columns originally planned for the interior. HAPPY CUSTOMERS Andrew La Pointe, senior construction manager and the owner’s representative, concurs and says the precast also allows for future changes to the structure, JULY/AUGUST 2008 | PRECAST SOLUTIONS 13

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Precast Solutions - July/August 2008 Contents What You Should Know About UHPC A Winning Hand Fresno Federal Expanding U.S. Wind Power Precast Concrete Pipe

Precast Solutions - July/August 2008

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