Progress for the Grand Belmont project has been full throttle since the erection of the tower crane. The ability to fly and store materials anywhere onsite has increased productivity levels. This is extremely beneficial from a laydown and staging perspective due to the available confined site space.
The Lewis self-perform team has turned its attention to forming both the north and south elevator pit shear walls, starting with the south core shear wall that encapsulates the tower crane base. Footings at the north of the site are quickly being chased south along the perimeter of Grand Avenue. Ironworkers are hard at work installing prefabricated column cages that extend 21 feet up to the first deck. Approximately 41 columns will be formed and poured on the first level and will later tie into the second-floor post-tensioned deck.
Lewis has decided to invest in gate system forms for the columns, which can be re-used for both the first and second floors. With this new system, Lewis has been able to form and pour six columns per day, and then turn around to strip the cured columns the next day. This investment, in specialty forms, will pay off as the learning curve for setting and placing concrete columns shortens. The gate forms can also be cut down and used for the shorter columns standing on the second-floor deck. Once all ground-floor footings and columns have been completed, the Lewis crew will begin prepping for the first section of slab on grade. This first section of slab on grade surrounding the car stacker pit is set to be poured the beginning of July!