Los Angeles Office Tower Launched With Record Concrete Pour
Source: http://www.reuters.com
#concrete #losangeles #record #construction
Construction workers in downtown Los Angeles finished laying the foundation for a planned 73-story skyscraper expected to be the tallest west of the Mississippi River as they completed the world's largest continuous pour of concrete, reported news agency Reuters.
The 21,200 cubic yards of concrete weighing some 38,200 metric tons was hauled to the site by a fleet of over 200 trucks making a total of 2,120 trips in a continuous 19-hour.
The foundation is expected to take two weeks to completely harden, during which cool water will be pumped through a network of tubes embedded in the massive slab to absorb heat as the concrete cures.
The New Wilshire Grand tower, designed to include 900 luxury hotel rooms, 37,200 square meters of offices, plus retail space, is slated to be completed in late 2016 and open in early 2017.
The US$ 1 billion project is being developed by Korean Airlines, which also owned the old Wilshire Grand building that was demolished to make room for the new tower.
The marathon effort to lay its foundation was certified by the Guinness World Records as the largest continuous pour of concrete ever by volume, surpassing by just 200 cubic yards the previous record set at the Venetian hotel and casino in Las Vegas, according to Michael Empric, the Guinness adjudicator. The Venetian was completed in 1999.
Rising 73 stories into the Los Angeles skyline, the New Grand Wilshire tower will measure 335 meters high, including a spire affixed to the top of the building, in a design that developers boast will make it the tallest building west of the Mississippi.
The 21,200 cubic yards of concrete weighing some 38,200 metric tons was hauled to the site by a fleet of over 200 trucks making a total of 2,120 trips in a continuous 19-hour.
The foundation is expected to take two weeks to completely harden, during which cool water will be pumped through a network of tubes embedded in the massive slab to absorb heat as the concrete cures.
The New Wilshire Grand tower, designed to include 900 luxury hotel rooms, 37,200 square meters of offices, plus retail space, is slated to be completed in late 2016 and open in early 2017.
The US$ 1 billion project is being developed by Korean Airlines, which also owned the old Wilshire Grand building that was demolished to make room for the new tower.
The marathon effort to lay its foundation was certified by the Guinness World Records as the largest continuous pour of concrete ever by volume, surpassing by just 200 cubic yards the previous record set at the Venetian hotel and casino in Las Vegas, according to Michael Empric, the Guinness adjudicator. The Venetian was completed in 1999.
Rising 73 stories into the Los Angeles skyline, the New Grand Wilshire tower will measure 335 meters high, including a spire affixed to the top of the building, in a design that developers boast will make it the tallest building west of the Mississippi.
