Photos courtesy PTI
Celebrating 13 projects demonstrating outstanding use of post-tensioning, the Post-Tensioning Institute (PTI) announced the winners of its 2017 Project Awards in Atlanta last month. Eligible projects were those completed or rehabilitated no more than seven years ago, which employ post-tensioning as a structural element, and which fulfill the judging requirements of creativity, innovation, ingenuity, cost-effectiveness, functionality, constructability, and aesthetics.
With winners selected from 39 projects, the awards were granted in categories ranging from bridges to parking structures to the organization’s prestigious Project of the Year Award.
Project of the Year
Baldridge & Associates Structural Engineering (BASE) was honored with this award for its work on Phase 1 of the Ritz-Carlton Residences Waikiki Beach in Honolulu. This structure employs 178-mm (7-in.) thick post-tensioned slabs, 17 post-tensioned transfer girders, and a two-story post-tensioned concrete truss to overcome inherent project difficulties including height limits, easements, and limited sellable and truck maneuvering space.
“The PTI 2017 Project of the Year is an excellent example of the advantages of using post-tensioning,” said David Martin, PTI president. “BASE created a beautiful structure that is not only functional, but innovative, and perfectly illustrates the benefits of post-tensioning in tall buildings. Without it, this building would have needed to be much taller, much heavier, and much more expensive.”
Partial floor post-tensioned slabs with steel hanger columns were used to allow for double-story atrium openings, and were supported by a roof slab that also aided with mechanical and landscaped rooftop terrace loads.
Awards of Excellence
In addition to Awards of Merit, Awards of Excellence were granted in six categories.
Buildings
Kellogg School of Management, located in Evanston, Illinois, earned Thornton Tomasetti this award. In this project, post-tensioning supported 169 transfer columns so they could act as foundations, accommodating long spans, cantilevers, and curving floor plates.
Bridges
The use of post-tensioning to allow for building from above resulted in FIGG Bridge Engineers earning an excellence award, specifically for Dresbach Bridge over the Mississippi River.
Parking structures
Timothy Haahs & Associates’ Miami Design District City View Garage was awarded for its use of post-tensioning to allow for column-free parking modules that did not sacrifice slab thickness or beam depth.
Slabs-on-ground
Auckland, New-Zealand-based James Pascoe Group Distribution Centre by BBR VT International succeeded thanks to its strategy of combining post-tensioned floors into a single larger floor, minimizing joints and reducing both required time and materials.
Industrial/special applications
In New York, Manhattan West Platform earned Tensa America an award of excellence. This platform was built over 15 live metro tracks thanks to post-tensioning, with the 10,219-m2 (110,00-sf) segmental post-tensioned platform being comprised of 16 adjacent bridges.
Repair, rehabilitation, and strengthening
Emergency repairs and rehabilitation work by Concrete Protection & Restoration for Sarasota, Florida’s Dolphin Tower were honored for using post-tensioning to evade an impending collapse. Post-tensioned drop panels combined with structural overlay and interior shear walls allowed the repair to be completed on time and with significant savings.
