TERRACON IN THE NEWS

Just Testing or Real Teaming

The article discusses how advances in construction materials engineering testing and using advanced collaboration methods, can help achieve better results.

Elevated Engineering

Roof top pools and other similar elevated swimming pool structures present a very unique set of considerations that must be thoroughly incorporated in the design and construction of these features. It is common that these elevated pools are constructed inside a concrete vault or on top of a concrete slab. The two-part article discusses the very unique structural loads exerted on these structures and the need to substantially increase the rebar schedules used in construction. The article also discusses the importance of waterproofing the interior of the concrete vault, and installation of a comprehensive drainage system between the vault and the shotcrete swimming pool structure. Several case histories are be presented as examples.  Full Article

Gridiron Materials Testing: Preparing for Kickoff

The Minnesota Vikings have a new fan. Walter Krahl might not be sitting in one of U.S. Bank Stadium’s 65,400 seats next year when the NFL team hosts its season opener, but this Terracon materials inspector has been thinking about the Minnesota Vikings 2016 kickoff every day for more than two years.

Walter worked closely with the stadium’s owner representative, Hammes Company Sports Development Inc., providing structural steel inspections and testing at Alberici’s steel fabrication facility in St. Louis, Hillsdale Fabricators. This specialty fabrication shop, subcontracted by LeJeune Steel Company, created the heavy shape components (AISC) including the massive ridge truss, supporting columns and the thrust blocks installed as part of the stadium foundation system and entrenched in concrete to support the ridge truss. Full Story

Here’s how to improve environmental health and safety

Don’t blame an employee for an unsafe behavior; instead look at the factors behind the act.

Proactive organizations recognize that adopting a “systems approach” to their environmental, health and safety (EHS) management creates a stronger, more sustainable platform for success. Full Story

Securing the Facility: Historic Data Center Roof Reconfiguration

When you’re responsible for housing the data center operations for the Southeast’s largest concentration of telecommunications companies, the words “leaky roof” are likely to cause you more than just a little anxiety. So when a renovation contractor requested that Terracon provide a roofing evaluation and specification to reroof the 10-story, 103-year-old 56 Marietta Street building in downtown Atlanta, it was clear that this project would require special attention. The historic brick hotel built in 1912 is now home to a 160,000-square-foot data center. The U-shaped building has four different levels of roofing which cover approximately 13,000 square feet. The third floor was Terracon’s particular focus and proved to be an unique opportunity for roof consultation.

EVALUATION

The project’s challenges began to mount early in the discovery phase. Terracon began by conducting destructive testing which identified that the building actually had two roofing systems – one of which was coal-tar pitch that dated back to the original construction. Coring roof samples then revealed that water had been running under the most recent roof system – a 15-year-old modified bitumen system. A subsequent moisture scan showed the third floor roof to be 100 percent wet. Full Story.