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The precast panels were painted with an elastomeric paint to achieve the desired coloring,saving cost over providing an architectural finish on the panels.

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Precast Helps Car DealerCreate 3-D ShowroomPrecast parking facility on top of Honda showroom minimizes space needsand is constructed rapidly thanks to precasters early involvement

hen officials at Auto Nation

Inc., selected a new site for theirWest Side Honda dealership in

Knoxville, Tenn., they made two thingsclear to the design team. The site wasgoing to be too small to accommodatesurface parking for their auto inventory,and the new facility had to be designedand occupied within a short time period.Those criteria led designers to not onlyspecify an all-precast concrete structurebut also to bring the precaster onto thedesign team while concepts were being

considered and before the generalcontractor was selected by competitivebid.

The 154,524-square-foot projectfeatures a standard auto showroom andmaintenance department on the first floor,topped by a parts mezzanine and twolevels of parking on the top. The buildingwas constructed from precast columns,beams, spandrels, wall panels and doubletees. Large showroom windows wereprovided across the front of the firstlevel with open window areas along the

top parking level. The buildings precastpanels feature reveals to add dimension,with a form-finish look that was painted.Aluminum eyebrows and a logo in brightblue add further visual interest anddimension to the showroom, especially atthe entry.

Most dealerships can spread them-selves out on one level horizontally andshowcase their inventory in that format,explains Alan B. LaFon, associate at thearchitectural firm of Cope Associates Inc.in Knoxville. We took a more three-

dimensional approach in this case becausethe site was so small. The site is well

located in a high-traffic area, which made

it too attractive for the owners to pass up.The building needed to be built quickly,

because the areas wet winter weather

prevents any construction that isnt out ofthe ground by October from progressingW

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The precast design features panels with a painted, form finish and a few reveals. Aluminumaccents, especially at the entrance, add visual interest.

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until March. That would cost too manylost car sales if it could be avoided.

To meet those needs, the owner anddesigners decided to create a precastconcrete facility that essentially wasconstructed as a 543-car parking structureon top of a part and equipment mezzanineand first-floor auto showroom. Thedesigners queried several precasters in thearea, asking them to submit a performancepackage of what services they could offeralong with their experience and references.

From that, they selected a precaster to helpwith the design, choosing Tindall Corp.,headquartered in Spartanburg, S.C.

Shop Drawings Awaited ContractorWe wanted to start on fabrication

drawings on the precast before weactually bid the project, says LaFon. Weconvinced the owners that this approachwould be more efficient than waiting untilwe hired the contractor. As a result, thespecifications were written such that usingTindalls components were a requirement.

That allowed us to have fabricationdrawings completed two weeks after thecontract was awarded to us, he says.Tindall in turn presented the contractorwith finished shop drawings within severaldays of the contractor being selected.

Weve tried to use this format on otherprojects, but we hadnt been successful ingaining the owners agreement, LaFonnotes. Owners often are reluctant becausethey fear losing cost control. In this case,the owner was willing to trust us that theprecast costs would be competitive and

that the project would gain significantspeed and efficiency advantages. Tindall

has a good reputation and we haveexperience with them, so it wasnt adifficult sell.

Adds Carl Clary, the technical salesrepresentative for Tindall, This formatwas a little unusual, but it benefited theentire construction team, and we enjoythis type of opportunity. It makes theproject move much, much smoother andfaster, too, when we can have our productsand details designed into the drawings. Wewere able to stand right by the architect

and engineers sides and help make thedesign as efficient as possible.Joele Fowler, principal in Carpenter

Wright Engineers in Knoxville, agrees.Bringing the precaster on early helpedconsolidate the design efforts and scheduleand allowed us to coordinate the detailson the front end. As this was a fast-track project, having that input beforesubmitting contract documents reallyhelped avoid any last-minute surprises.

This format proved especially helpfulwhen the projects scope had to change

after drawings had commenced due to acut in the planned budget. Several upperparking stories were deleted from the planas a result. Having Tindall on board whenthat occurred saved considerable time,because we were able to react quickly as ateam and avoid having to totally redesignthe structure to adapt, says LaFon. Wereally were acting as a design-build team atthat point.

Adds Clary, The changes wentsmoothly because we were involvedso early, so our engineers could be

talking to the projects engineers aschanges developed. He estimates that

approximately two months were shavedfrom the schedule, primarily in thepreliminary design stage, by includingTindall early. Without that savings, theproject would have extended into the wetwinter, causing delays that would haveextended the time frame significantly.

Upgraded To Meet CodesThe design for the showroom/park-ing facility follows the general plan fora parking structure, but some modifi-cations were needed to provide the bestenvironment for the showroom and tomeet building codes. A fire separationwas required between the showroom andparking areas, so precast double tees servingas flooring were deepened to 32 inches forthis level instead of the typical 24 inches,Clary says.

The second-floor parts department

also was given more clearance than thestandard parking levels, to provide room

FACT SHEETProject: West Side HondaType: Combination auto dealershipand parking structureLocation: Knoxville, Tenn.

Designer: Cope Associates Inc.,KnoxvilleEngineer: Carpenter WrightEngineers PLLC, KnoxvilleContractor: Rouse ConstructionInc., KnoxvilleOwner: Auto Nation Inc.,KnoxvillePrecaster: Tindall Corp.,Spartanburg, S.C.Size: 152,524 square feetComponents: 334 pieces includingcolumns, beams, spandrels, wallpanels and double teesCost: Total $4 million; precastcontract $1.2 million

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On the parking levels, clearances were made higher than is typical for parking structures toprovide space for hoists and other equipment.

An exterior speed ramp (at right) was provided to create quick vehicular access to the upperparking levels of the dealership.

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for auto hoists and other equipmentneeds. To provide quick access to theseparking levels, a speed ramp was builtoutside of the main building. Moretraditional interior ramps facilitatemovement between the parking levels.

A key concern was protecting theshowroom level from the parkingenvironment, especially from cars exposed

to weather or being washed, notes Fowler.We needed good separation and weatherprotection for the showroom, and thatmeant additional sealing. Factory-toppeddouble tees were used at this level, withthe joints caulked and waterproofed.We essentially provided a sealed rooftopcondition at the second floor to providesufficient protection, Clary says.

Upper floors also were sloped morethan is typical, LaFon notes, to ensuredrainage performed precisely. A traffictopping was applied on these parking

levels, with precast samples tested againstseveral options to ensure a strong bondcould be achieved.

Form Finish SuppliedThe buildings exterior features a form

finish with some reveals included, which isaugmented by blue aluminum eyebrows toadd appeal. The panels were painted withan elastomeric paint to achieve the propercoloring. Designers originally planned touse architectural precast panels, but the

precaster convinced them that structural-grade finishes would meet the need. Analternative being considered was a stuccofinish, which would have provided aless-refined look, Clary explained. Theprecast form finish offers a smooth, high-

quality look that will reduce long-termmaintenance needs.

Adds LaFon, Were very happy thatTindall talked us out of the architecturalfinish. It saved us from paying a premium,and we could still use the reveals andshadowlines we wanted to incorporate toexpress the structure. Essentially, all of theadded details are aluminum pieces pastedonto the precast box.

Erection of the pieces went smoothly,

with the work finished in six weeks. Therapid completion allowed the contractor tobegin interior work faster than expected.He was able to begin coordinating othertrades to bring in equipment and startfinishes while we were still finishing the

upper parking levels, Clary says. Thatgot us out of their critical path areas forthe showroom way ahead of when theyhad anticipated. Adds Fowler, Thebuilding went up quickly, faster than Iexpected, without any headaches. The sitewas accessible for work, it just was small.The total schedule took 25 weeks fromaward of contracts to occupancy.

The result of the teams close co-operation and early involvement of the

precaster is a compact but attractivedealership that meets all of the ownersneeds while making effective use of ahigh-traffic location. Speeding up theprocess ensured the dealership could beginselling its wares and generating revenue asfast as possible, adding further economy tothe efficient project.

Craig A. Shutt

Click For MoreFor additional material on the Honda

parking project, visitwww.pci.org/pdf/knowledgebank/honda.pdf. (AdobeAcrobat version 4 or greater required).

To learn more about parkingstructures, visit the DesignersKnowledge Bank by clicking on theDKB icon atwww.pci.orgor at your

local precasters Web site.

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