Project Overview
With nearly 300 beds for the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets, the new Upper Quad Hall North at Virginia Tech is a total precast concrete solution featuring architectural precast concrete panels, floor slabs, shear and bearing walls, stairs, and more. The facility replaces Femoyer Hall, originally constructed in 1949, with a modern residence hall designed in the Collegiate Gothic style found throughout Virginia Tech. During the work, Tindall Building Systems of Spartanburg, S.C., took advantage of the flexibility, resilience, and sustainability of precast concrete technology to deliver a solution that the university can rely on for the long haul.
Transformative, Sustainable, Cadet-Ready
On the building’s exterior, architectural precast concrete panels maintain the historical significance of the campus grounds while providing an attractive residence hall for students and visitors. The project team selected a combination of precast concrete and veneer for the exterior, which was more budget-friendly than the all-native limestone alternative.
Leveraging precast concrete components also contribute to the building’s sustainability and energy efficiency. The exterior walls are noncomposite with continuous insulation and nonmetallic wythe connectors to reduce thermal bridging. This design choice allowed for the attachment of the stone and precast concrete trim pieces without a break in the thermal envelope. The R-value requirements of the project were exceeded with just a 2-in.-thick layer of insulation, enhancing energy efficiency and reducing operational carbon. Additionally, the precast concrete floor slabs are wider than typical hollow-core slabs, and they were designed as continuous spans, which reduced the overall piece count for the project, enabling more efficient transportation with fewer truck loads and crane picks needed. The use of precast concrete panels also reduced waste both at the plant and on the jobsite. Due to these efforts, and others, the Upper Quad Hall North earned LEED v4 Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.
A few challenges were encountered during the project, including the handling of the architectural water table. While the building was designed to drain at the first level, this was not always possible at the base due to a sloping exterior grade. To solve this issue, the Tindall team had to “break” the panels so that there was always a joint at the first level. As a result, short panels were used at the foundation to support four levels of large precast concrete panels above; this arrangement allowed the contractor to leverage a continuous drainage joint at the water table, which would not have been possible with alternative materials.
Overall, the combination of a precast concrete bearing-wall system and slab floors as the primary structural system for the residence hall facilitated rapid erection. Also, the need for field inspections was minimized because shop fabrication was maximized. Thanks to these features and others, the Upper Quad North Residence Hall shines, providing optimal living quarters for the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets.
Mason Nichols is a Grand Rapids, Mich.-based writer and editor who has covered the precast concrete industry since 2013. |