EPA Science and Technology Center

Kansas City, Kansas
2004 Tilt Up Achievement Award Winner for Innovation
LEED 2.0 Gold Certified
Top Ten Heaviest Panels - TCA

Unique project requiring innovative thinking.

Collaboration with the contractor allowed Needham and Associates, Inc. to convert a 16-inch-thick demising wall from a cast in place concrete system to an innovative concrete tilt up panel system. The wall was cast with two 5-inch-thick fascia wythes sandwiching 6-inch insulation voids. This allowed the weight of the panels to be decreased significantly to fit in to the lifting constraints of the crane.

For aesthetic appeal, a 32-inch-thick panel projected past the building and would be the biggest challenge. Even with insulation voids, the panel would weigh 186,000 lbs. earning a spot in the Top Ten Heaviest Panels when constructed.