Project Overview
With space to accommodate more than 6000 cars across seven levels and 2.5 million ft², this new parking garage at Kansas City International Airport has a variety of features designed to make transportation at the airport more fluid. These features include four exterior speed ramps, easily accessible elevators that lead to the terminal, valet parking options, and a parking guidance system. The massive structure is encased in precast concrete. In total, 4358 precast product—including 429 columns, 2492 double tees, and numerous beams, walls, slabs, and stairs—were used. On the north and west sides of the structure, a shingled glass facade flanks the precast concrete structure, providing striking visual appeal.
Reduced Cost, Faster Construction, Better Results
Precast concrete was the material of choice on the parking garage project for myriad reasons. During the preconstruction phase, the project team budgeted for both cast-in-place and precast concrete options. Before design kicked off, precast concrete was selected because of the cost savings that would be achieved as well as the material’s ability to better meet the tight construction schedule. Coreslab Structures (MISSOURI) Inc. of Marshall, Mo., which manufactured the precast concrete for the project, achieved a 22% savings on the work for the above-grade structure alone. Further costs savings were also realized because fewer workers were needed for installing the precast concrete products. Precast concrete brought additional sustainability advantages to the parking garage. The team placed solar panels along the south facade and there are charging stations for electric vehicles. Additionally, the choice of a PCI-certified precast concrete producer near the jobsite reduced truck emissions and fuel consumption as work progressed.
The new parking garage at Kansas City International Airport represents the first project in the region to leverage 13-ft, 8-in. double tees in lieu of the standard 12-ft double tees typically used on similar efforts. The use of nonstandard sizes provided several benefits, including reduced erection time, fewer connections, and a smaller quantity of precast concrete products needed overall. However, this decision came with its own set of challenges, including the need for modifications to allow the double tees to fall within transportation guidelines. The team at Coreslab, working in close partnership with contractor JE Dunn Construction and other members of the project team, overcame this hurdle—and others—to deliver a stunning final parking structure that creates a convenient access point for multiple modes of transportation while allowing future flexibility to accommodate additional enhancements and functions at the facility.
Mason Nichols is a Grand Rapids, Mich.-based writer and editor who has covered the precast concrete industry since 2013. |