The first tilt-up concrete building on the historic campus of the University of Virginia is now underway. Needham DBS worked with Nielsen Builders to design an insulated, composite tilt-up panel system for the Ivy Stacks Expansion project, an addition to an existing precast building. The panels are over 45’ tall, and feature the innovative IconX Model 23 composite connector (www.iconxusa.com), with edge-to-edge XPS insulation, in a 4 5/8-2-4 5/8 configuration (11 ¼” overall thickness). This design uses 30% less concrete than the comparable non-composite panel design. The site is extremely tight, with very limited panel casting area and narrow crane path. Panels are scheduled to be tilted in mid-December.

Shulthis Stadium in Independence, Kansas is lays claim to be the location of the first night game in organized baseball under permanent lights. The game was played on April 28, 1930 between Independence KS and Muskogee OK teams in the Western Association League.

Originally constructed in 1918, the grandstand at the park was in dire need of rehabilitation for years. Citing the amount of deterioration and the cost of restoration, the Unified School District moved forward with a plan to replace the grandstand with a new structure that would be a close replica of the original building. It would once again become a functional structure for athletic events held at the school while honoring the grandstand’s historical significance.

High-strength welded wire reinforcement (WWR) mats offer a viable alternative to traditional tied rebar mats in tilt-up concrete panels.  Using WWR can result in overall decrease in reinforcing steel tonnage for the project, and allows much faster placement.  Both of these factors can improve the project schedule and budget.  However, there are critical differences in the panel design that must be considered.

When properly designed, the use of WWR can improve the economy and performance of a tilt-up project.  For engineers, specifying WWR can result in a more precise reinforcement design with better confinement and control of shrinkage cracking.  For contractors, the use of WWR can simplify installation and result in significant labor and schedule savings.  Material savings for single mat panels are typically minor, but are more significant for double mat panels.  Involvement of the tilt-up engineer is always critical to ensure the WWR utilized is appropriate for slender wall design.

The Warren Theatre is a beautiful art deco inspired Hollywood Glam theatre, featuring 18 cinema screens and extraordinarily lavish architectural features and vibrant colors.  At $20.9 million, the project is both the largest and most elaborate movie theatre in the country. The project was completed in December 2014.

Exterior walls for the auditorium “wings” and the taller central core structure utilized load-bearing tilt-up panels.  The tilt-up concrete was self-performed by Crossland Construction. The structural design was based on a redundant cellular diaphragm concept, similar to its sister project in Moore, Oklahoma, which withstood an EF-5 tornado in May 2013.