Project Overview
Located approximately 20 miles southeast of downtown Grand Rapids, Mich., the Caledonia Community Schools Athletic Complex offers a wide variety of amenities to the community. The impressive two-story, 47,000-ft2 facility features a gym, walking track, and aquatics center with multiple pools, including an eight-lane competition pool on the first level with gallery seating for 175 spectators. The main floor also includes a “KidZone” that provides care for young children, a multipurpose room with kitchenette for community use, a concessions area, offices, and swim team rooms. Stantec Architecture, working in concert with precast concrete manufacturer Fabcon, collaborated to bring the effort to fruition.
BIM to the Rescue
Originally conceived with a structural steel frame and insulated metal panels, the Caledonia Community Schools Athletic Complex suffered from several disadvantages: the project was over budget, encumbered with material delivery issues, and saddled with long-term maintenance concerns. Converting the structure required the Fabcon team to demonstrate the many benefits of precast concrete and provide a comparison to the structural steel system. This involved working with school officials to ensure that the initial design intents of the effort were maintained. Seating for the pool, for example, needed to have a clear, unobstructed view. The building envelope also needed to maintain a fully insulated, thermally broken system with vapor mitigation as a consideration.
Building information modeling (BIM) offered the perfect solution to addressing these concerns. The Fabcon team leveraged BIM to show the design team, owner, and operators that the precast concrete system would match or exceed the originally specified structural steel. This effort was unique in that it was used to integrate the precast concrete structure with the already fully designed interior work. Modeling the precast concrete for the client revealed that the new approach could be integrated into the project without requiring movement of already fixed spaces. It also allowed the architectural and structural as well as mechanical, engineering, and plumbing models to assimilate with the precast concrete to confirm minimal impacts on the project, including to cost. Digitally displaying this information, which allowed modifications to be examined live during discussions, provided a system of collaboration far exceeding conventional means of communication.
Thanks to the use of BIM, myriad precast concrete products were installed on the project, including columns, beams, wall panels, double tees, and slabs. In all, 137 pieces of precast concrete were manufactured and installed, leading to a solution that delivered significant advantages for the work. Thanks to a corrosion inhibitor admixture incorporated into the precast concrete panels, Caledonia Community Schools now has a building that will not require a long-term maintenance plan, including repainting. Precast concrete also enabled a more cost-effective coating solution that provided a better finish and brighter color, as well as reduced costs. These savings ultimately drove the project to be within budget.
Despite the major switch in building materials, the Caledonia Community Schools Athletic Complex was delivered on time and with the original scope intact, resulting in a facility that will be enjoyed by the neighborhood for decades to come.
Mason Nichols is a Grand Rapids, Mich.-based writer and editor who has covered the precast concrete industry since 2013. |