Project Overview

Officials at Milwaukee Tool wanted to expand their headquarters with a four-story, 204,000-square-foot addition. But they wanted to keep the project confidential until approvals were gained from the company’s Hong Kong base.

Precast Solution

Designers specified architectural precast concrete wall panels that could be cast simultaneously as site work was underway, speeding the construction once approval was received to proceed.

Designers took advantage of precast’s versatility by specifying two finishes, acid etching and exposed aggregates, with the exposed-aggregate finish providing a darker appearance that offers a contrast.

Eight-inch-thick vertical reveals were cast into the spandrels with a 1-inch recess to connect exposed-aggregate vertical bands that segment the panels. Exposed-aggregate bands also were cast at the base of the spandrels to create a horizontal grid.

Erection of all 181 precast components took approximately three weeks, wrapping up at the end of 2016.

Owner

Architect

Engineers

General Contractor

Owner's Representative

Precaster

Precast Specialty Engineer

Key Project Attributes

• Expansion of existing headquarters, consisting of a four-story, 204,000-square-foot addition.
• Will house 500 new jobs added to the company in three to five years through 2022.
• Plans exist to acquire a 3.5-acre site across the street and develop with Wangard Partners.
• Wangard secured $6-mllion in TIF and provided documents to ensure additional state WEDC and M7 funding.

Project/Precast Scope

• 181 pieces of precast concrete cladding spandrels and wall panels with acid-etched and exposed-aggregate finishes.
• 8-inch-thick solid panels feature 1-inch recessed reveals for exposed-aggregate portions of panels.
• Acid-etched portions feature thickened ends to simulate column covers.
• Concrete mix features white cement, mixture of sands, and 3/8-inch local limestone.
• Erection took three weeks late in 2016; project was completed in August 2017.
• This development’s intricate structure, global reach and economic impact to the area was so powerful and complex that it won the 2016 CARW Development of the Year Award.