USF Magnolia Hall Dormitory – Tampa, FL
Precaster: Coreslab Structures (TAMPA) Inc.
This Total Precast Structure is comprised of four seven story towers, one six story tower, connected by a single story lobby, which included a clear span double tee measuring 98' long, providing a portal into the residence community. The project consist of a 360,000 sf multi-level structure, housing suites for 1,050 students, student support spaces, laundry facilities, common student lounges, living/learning centers, study areas, a 300 seat dining facility, as well as cooking, serving preparation, freezers, coolers and loading area.
An innovative idea used to reduce cost and increase energy efficiency on this project was the use of insulated load bearing wall panels. With the walls being load bearing, the need for a perimeter column beam line was eliminated. The R13 insulation value created a reduction of mechanical equipment by $300,000 and with the interior of the wall panels being a hard steel trowel finish, furring of the interior of the exterior walls was eliminated.
By reducing the construction schedule by 2-3 months with precast construction versus conventional construction, not only can the owner reduce interim financing and can begin generating revenues faster but it can also help the General Contractor overcome lost time due to other trades. On this project, 1 month was lost during the foundation work due to sink holes on the site. The precast erection was able to make up that time by reducing its construction schedule by 1 month from 26 weeks to 22 weeks by increasing production capacity and erecting more product each day.
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