Gehry Puts Wind in Concrete Sails

This $62 million, 10-story office building in Manhattan’s Chelsea District will serve as the East Coast headquarters of IAC/InterActiveCorp, a prominent multi-media firm. Architect Frank Gehry designed the building to emulate a sail reminiscent of the boats on the adjacent Hudson River. The billowing exterior curtain wall was sculpted with a glass-façade to produce dramatic angles and spectacular views for the interior office spaces.

The 550,000-square foot structure uses a typical 12-inch flat-plate concrete floor with spans of up to 30 feet. Only two columns are truly vertical. All other columns have some degree of inclination—some as much as 25 degrees from vertical. The reinforced concrete shear walls in the core counteract the twisting effect of the columns to stabilize the structure.

The floor slabs also include numerous openings which offer interior views of the building. This project used 5,000 psi concrete throughout the structure. More.

With increasing popularity of post-tensioning, concrete floor systems are used more frequently now in office buildings throughout the nation to provide secure and sustainable buildings with the lowest floor-to-floor heights. Read more office building case studies.

"Concrete Thinking" Contest Announces Winners

Concrete and Straw: Fusion, created by Daniel Lamp, emerged as the leading concept from nearly 200 entries in PCA's inaugural “Concrete Thinking for a Sustainable World” student design competition. Lamp, a University of Maryland architecture student, combined the superior strength and durability of concrete with the insulation of straw bale construction to create an innovative concrete structure and skin. His design uses the straw not only as an insulator, but also to create formwork that leaves the concrete walls with a straw-like appearance. More.

pcaMats More Versatile for Users

Using a finer mesh is often needed to accommodate thickness variation and irregular loading pattern in finite element foundation models. pcaMats, a finite element analysis and design software for mat foundations and slabs-on-grade, has been upgraded to remove previous mesh size limitations. Improving the accuracy of the model results, this change gives more flexibility for the users in proportioning the mesh and making required changes. More.

More about software products available from pcaStructurePoint.

May PPI: Steel Prices Hit 15-Month High

Steel prices climbed 2.8% in May, rising to their highest level since February of 2005. Asphalt prices continued their steep rise, jumping 6.7% in the month. Lumber rose 2.1% and concrete products rose a modest 0.5%.

Compared to one year ago asphalt prices have soared 30% while concrete has risen 11.3%. Steel has risen 3.9% for the year, but this is from a much higher base relative to the other materials. Lumber is 2.4% higher than a year ago.

The Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, publishes the data.

Optimize Costs Without Compromising Fire Safety

Developers and owners seek to optimize time and minimize costs while providing the most appropriate construction for the needs of a community. Safety, durability, quality, and maintenance all affect the decisions that developers must make for buildings to be constructed. Non-combustible and masonry construction not only provides superior fire protection benefits, but also satisfies durability, quality, and maintenance needs easily and economically through a variety of construction options. The variety of products and systems available makes it easy to find concrete and masonry solutions that fit both budgets and design and construction schedules. More.

Read a report on how the Initial Cost for Concrete Is Not an Impasse for Fire Safety.

Liquid Stone Exhibit Moves to Cyberspace

The Lafarge North America sponsored exhibit, Liquid Stone: New Architecture in Concrete closed after 18 months at the National Building Museum in Washington, DC. The exhibit featured innovative works of architecture from around the world along with cutting edge products such as translucent concrete and Lafarge’s ultra-high performance concrete. A virtual version of the Liquid Stone exhibit will remain on the museum Web site. The exhibit attracted more than 110,000 visitors in addition to substantial media attention.

The Versatility of Shotcrete

Shotcrete is a form of concrete sprayed pneumatically onto a surface at high velocity. Known also as “gunite” and “sprayed concrete,” shotcrete material is mortar or small-aggregate concrete, placed on horizontal and vertical surfaces. As the material is applied, the impact force consolidates the concrete. Shotcrete can be applied using a wet or dry process, and is used for both new construction and repairs. More.