Centro de Distribucion Elektra GuadalajaraMexico |
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he 400,000-square-foot Centro de Distribucion Elektra Guadalajara in Mexico required a building material that would expedite a tight schedule and provide economical construction. Officials at Elektra, retailers of household products, also requested an aesthetically pleasing appearance for its highprofile facility. |
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The architects considered a steel structure but decided precast concrete was by far the best solution. “Precast concrete offered the least expensive structure, the fastest production and erection, and the pleasing concrete appearance the client wanted,” says Guillermo Springall, partner of Springall + Lira in Mexico City. The architects faced challenging conditions in designing the large facility. The site had a 75-foot differential in grade from one side to the other, and the planned traffic pattern called for trucks to enter one side of the building and leave on the opposite side. Excavation to a depth of approximately 40 feet was needed to build one end of the structure into the slope. To level the main distribution area’s floor, it proved less expensive to construct a lower secondary building, used for workshops and storage, than to use dirt fill. The roof of the lower-level building is used as a maneuvering platform for vehicles, with a ramp leading up to one end of the building. The facility’s precast concrete walls along the side built into the slope serve as retaining walls, supported by 60-foot-long precast double tees placed vertically. A precast foundation also was constructed, with footings descending 30 feet to bedrock in some cases. Full Article Download
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