The use of this system in combination with other redesign inputs reduced the overall height of the structure 1 foot below the city’s high rise code. This yielded additional savings in smoke detection, fire suppression, fireproofing, elevator design, and reduced the requirements for emergency stand-by power.
According to Alex Davis, general contractor with D&S Construction, the site for the Hampton Inn was challenging in that it is located on a busy corner and the building goes from property line to property line. Very little street access was available for staging and or erecting the structure. The structural system selected is the relatively new “Girder Slab” system, fabricated by Towe Ironwork’s Wiley Johnson, which consists of uniquely fabricated steel girders that allow the plank to bear on its bottom flange. The structure, including the 520 pieces of precast concrete plank, was topped out (steel and plank) 6 weeks after foundations were turned over to the erector.
