HydroLite Lightweight Aggregate Plays Key Role in Record-Breaking Structure
As if constructing the tallest building in the western U.S. weren’t enough of an accolade, Hanjin Group set a record when a new addition to its property portfolio set an official Guinness World Record for the highest volume of concrete placed within an 18-hour period.
To make the foundation for the Wilshire Grand Center required more than 2,100 truckloads of concrete – a feat that entered the building in the Guinness Book of World Records for the largest continuous concrete placement in history. The structure not only boasts 900 hotel rooms, a 70th-floor sky lobby, and 445,000 square feet of office and retail space, but it is also the tallest structure in the western U.S.
Pumping No Issue
The project encompassed over 1.2 million square feet of lightweight concrete slab on metal deck. Its structure includes 15,000+ cubic yards of concrete that on metal deck – of which 10,000+ cubic yards that includes HydroLite® Lightweight Aggregate from Arcosa Lightweight. According to Charles Kerzic, Arcosa Lightweight Sales Representative, the lightweight concrete helped meet the fire rating without the need for an additional fire proofing cover. And because the lightweight aggregate is presoaked, pumping it up to the building’s very high floors is easier than if traditional materials had been used.
Kerzic monitored the record-setting build with laser focus. He says that the lightweight concrete needed to finish the deck was pumped at 1,300 feet, 1,100 feet vertically.
Headed up by general contractor Turner Construction, the project also involved Conco Cement Company (the concrete pumper) and Catalina Pacific Concrete (a division of the CalPortland Company).
For the project, Arcosa Lightweight provided the lightweight aggregate for the concrete installed on the metal decking that surrounds the building’s core/elevator towers. “That concrete needed to be lighter than normal concrete for engineering purposes,” says Kerzic. Arcosa Lightweight manufactured the structural lightweight aggregate used for the project at its plant in Frazier Park, California. The ready-mix supplier replaced the “regular” weight granite with the lighter material. “The HydroLite lowers the concrete’s unit weight from 147 pounds per cubic foot to just 115 pcf,” Kerzic says.
Exceeding Expectations
The project is a great example of excellent teamwork among a general contractor, ready-mix concrete supplier, concrete placement subcontractor, pumping subcontractor, and lightweight aggregate supplier. “Everyone worked together to make sure the overall project was successfully pulled off,” says Jeff Speck, Director of Technical Sales for Arcosa Lightweight. “This truly is a testament to the value of having a great team that works together well.”
Quick Facts
- Location of Project: Los Angeles, CA
- Project Owner: Hanjin Group
- Total Project Cost: $1.1 billion
- Total Size: 73 stories, 1,100 feet high
- Completion Date: 2017
View the Arcosa Lightweight Case Study Here: https://www.arcosalightweight.com/case-studies/structural-lightweight-concrete/wilshire-grand