Structural Steel "Flat Plate" Construction

The February 2012 issue of Modern Steel Construction features an article profiling the Girder-Slab System and application on a new 12 story residence hall at Rutgers University in Camden, NJ.

"Structural engineers often are judged by the "pounds per square foot" of steel on the project. Averaging 1.5 psf for basic floor framing on this project is extremely low, as is 7.4 psf overall. But even with such good structural efficiency, structural steel would not have even been considered were it not for the low floor-to-floor heights achievable with the Girder-Slab System."

Written by Janis Vacca, P.E. and Clifford Schwinger, P.E. both principals at The Harman Group, King of Prussia, PA.

The article can be read in its entirety by following the link below.

:: Learn more at Read Modern Steel Construction

12 Story Residence Hall Tops Out at Rutgers University Camden, NJ

On September 19, 2011 Rutgers University hosted a topping-off ceremony to celebrate the completion of the structural steel framework for the 12-story, 161,653-square-foot residence hall that will provide on-campus housing for 350 graduate students. The building is scheduled for occupancy in August 2012. The structural steel framework, comprised of the Girder-Slab System erected in approximately two months.

Homewood Suites Hilton Hotel Construction Webcam

Construction is underway on the new 11-story Homewood Suites Hilton hotel in Philadelphia, PA. The 110,000 square foot structure is being built by L.F. Driscoll Company, LLC of Philadelphia, PA and is owned by Campus Apartments, LLC. Follow the construction progress daily via live webcam.

:: Learn more at Homewood Suites Webcam

Courtyard by Marriott Edmonton International Airport Marks Milestone in Girder-Slab History

In what marks a milestone in
the history of Girder-Slab Technologies, we are delighted to announce the award of the Courtyard by Marriott Edmonton International Airport in Canada. The 8-story, 178,000 square-foot hotel will be the first project completed in Canada to utilize the Girder-SlabŪ System. With nearly one hundred buildings completed in the United States, we are excited to share the benefits of our non-proprietary low floor to floor height structural steel system first hand with the Canadian construction industry.

The hotel's owner, Platinum Investments Ltd. is an Edmonton based company that owns and operates high end hotels throughout the region. Platinum Investments, who will also serve as general contractor, ceremoniously kicked off construction this summer on the new 212-room hotel.

Congratulations to Supreme Steel LP of Edmonton, Alberta on their recent award of this project. Supreme Steel is a division of Supreme Group, who presented the idea of the Girder-SlabŪ System to the owner and design team. Supreme Steel's scope of work includes design-assist (integrated design) responsibilities along with the supply and installation of all structural steel, precast hollow-core slabs, erection and grouting.

Facing a winter construction schedule, the Girder-SlabŪ System became the clear choice as the best structural system for the project. It also allowed an additional floor level of hotel suites to be added within the restricted airspace height.

As a cornerstone of the Edmonton International Airport Expansion 2012 initiative, the Courtyard by Marriott Edmonton International Airport will connect directly to the airport terminal. When completed the hotel will also offer such amenities as; 13,000 square-feet of conference space, a full-service restaurant and lounge, an indoor pool, and fitness facilities.

The Courtyard by Marriott Edmonton International Airport was designed by GCD Associates, Inc. of Walkersville, MD, architect of record E.F. Gooch, Inc. and structural engineers Williams Engineering both from Edmonton, Alberta. Construction Management by GCD Associates, Inc.

We will continue to bring you further news on the advancement of this exciting project as it progresses.

12 Story Residence Hall Awarded at Rutgers University Camden, NJ

Construction officially began on the southern 300 block of Cooper Street in Camden, NJ during a groundbreaking ceremony held on April 4, 2011. By August of 2012, the once vacant lot will be replaced by a 12 story, 161,653 square-foot student housing facility owned by Rutgers University. The project will be built by general contractor Joseph Jingoli & Son of Lawrenceville, NJ, and marks the first new student housing development at the Rutgers-Camden campus since 1989. Recent record enrollments in undergraduate and graduate programs from both in and out of state students has solidified the current demand for increased student housing on campus.

Designed by Erdy McHenry Architecture of Philadelphia, PA and structural engineers The Harman Group of King of Prussia, PA, the new facility will provide the university with 102 units in three and four bedroom configurations. All units will include common living areas, kitchens, and bathrooms. Below the residential floors will be approximately 7,000 square feet of retail space.

This is the latest Girder-Slab project designed by The Harman Group. Previous projects include North Beach at Asbury Park in Asbury Park, NJ and the Mt. Airy Casino Resort in Mount Pocono, PA.

Congratulations to The Berlin Steel Construction Company
of Malvern, PA who, as the Authorized Distributor of the Girder-Slab System, will supply and install all structural steel and precast hollowcore slabs. The precast hollowcore slabs will be manufactured by Boccella Precast LLC of Berlin, NJ.

Joseph Jingoli & Son has recognized the value of comprehensive "total system" procurement. This is not the first time that Joseph Jingoli and Son and Berlin Steel have worked together completing a Girder-Slab project. In 2006, they completed a 9-story 246,000 square foot residence hall at the University of Medicine and Dentistry in Newark, NJ. For more information on 180 West Market at the University of Medicine and Dentistry click here.

The new residence hall at Rutgers-Camden will be the
13th Girder-Slab building completed by The Berlin Steel Construction Company.

The Girder-Slab System is a proven low floor to floor structural steel and precast hollowcore plank system with increasing success in the student housing market.

Economy, speed of construction, and non-proprietary competitive bidding through an open network of structural steel contractors continue to be significant factors for choosing the Girder-Slab System.

11-Story $50 Million Homewood Suites by Hilton Awarded in Philadelphia, PA

On December 8, 2010 Campus Apartments, LLC of Philadelphia, PA broke ground on what was the only hotel construction start in Philadelphia for the year. This spring an 11-Story extended stay Homewood Suites will rise above the 4100 block of Walnut Street in the University City section of Philadelphia.

Scheduled for completion in March 2012, the 136 suites will offer full kitchens and one bedroom, averaging approximately 500 square feet of total living space. Campus Apartments, LLC recognized the demand for such a hotel to support visitors to nearby health and educational facilities such as the University of Pennsylvania, Penn Medicine, and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

Designed by Alesker & Dundon Architects of Philadelphia, PA and structural engineers David Chou & Associates of Blue Bell, PA the 110,000 square foot structure will be built by L.F. Driscoll Company, LLC of Philadelphia, PA.

Congratulations to Girder-Slab Distributor Samuel L. Grossi & Sons, Inc. of Bensalem, PA on having recently been awarded the structural steel package. The precast hollowcore slabs are being supplied by OldCastle Precast.

13-Story $38 Million Residence Hall Awarded at Duquesne University

Construction is underway on the new 13-story Des Places Residence Hall at Duquesne University. Designed by WTW Architects of Pittsburgh, PA and Barber & Hoffman Consulting Engineers of Cranberry Township, PA, the recently awarded project will utilize approximately 140,000 square feet of the Girder-Slab System.

Des Places Residence Hall will be built by PJ Dick of Pittsburgh, PA, and when completed by August 2012 will house 400 upperclassmen in suite-style configurations. The demand for additional on campus student housing is the result of continuous record-breaking enrollment at the university according to Duquesne officials. The Girder-Slab System provides a low floor to floor structural solution with a proven record of construction speed.

Congratulations to Kinsley Manufacturing of York, PA on the recent project award. The Des Places Residence Hall will mark the third Girder-Slab project that Kinsley Manufacturing has completed.

Structural Engineer Integrates D-Beams Into Design of 410,000 Square Foot Hospital

The Cherry Hospital, to be built in Goldsboro, NC, is a new facility specializing in mental health treatment for North Carolina. Scheduled for completion in 2012, the new three story building will provide 312 beds for various levels of care. The building is designed by architects The Freelon Group of Durham, NC and structural engineers Stroud Pence & Associates, Ltd. of Raleigh, NC.

This project is a perfect example of how the Girder-Slab System can integrate seamlessly with most conventional structural systems. By implementing the D-Beam throughout the building's corridors, the structural engineer was able to accommodate specific architectural requirements while maximizing the most space for MEP installation between floors.

Congratulations to first time Girder-Slab Distributor Lyndon Steel of Winston-Salem, NC on the award of the project. The precast hollowcore slabs have been awarded to Mid-Atlantic Precast of King George, Virginia.

University at Buffalo Webcam

Construction of Greiner Hall, formerly identified as the South Ellicott Student Housing Complex, at the University at Buffalo is nearly complete. Construction can be viewed live by webcam.

:: Learn more at University of Buffalo Webcam

920 Westchester Avenue Breaks Ground in the Bronx

On September 16, 2010 NYC Housing Development Corporation (HDC) President Marc Jahr, NYC Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) Assistant Commissioner Wendell Walters,
and MJM Construction were joined by Nos Quedamos Founder/CEO Yolando Gonzalez, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr., State Senator Ruben Diaz, Sr., and Council Member Maria Del Carmen Arroyo to celebrate the groundbreaking of the new affordable development at 920 Westchester Avenue.

Located in the Longwood section of the South Bronx, the new 8-story development will be comprised of 110 units of affordable housing with retail and parking below. Each of the seven residential floors feature the Girder-Slab System.

Designed by Meltzer/Mandl Architects of New York, New York and engineered by Solomon Rosenzweig, P.E P.C of Brooklyn, New York, the 128,000 square foot green building to be built by MJM Construction Services of Bellerose, New York is expected to achieve a LEED Silver rating or better.

920 Westchester Avenue is being developed under Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg's New Housing Marketplace Plan (NHMP), an $8.4 billion initiative to finance 165,000 units of affordable housing for half a million New Yorkers by 2014.

Girder-Slab Distributor Barone Steel Fabricators of Brooklyn, New York will begin erection early December.

Progressive Collapse - SteelFab of Virginia Awarded First Girder-Slab Military Housing Project

Congratulations to SteelFab of Virginia on having recently been awarded the Fort Myer Unaccompanied Enlisted Personnel Housing (UEPH) development in Fort Myer, Virginia. Designed by TAT The Architectural Team, Inc. of Chelsea, Massachusetts and engineered by Odeh Engineers, Inc. of North Providence, Rhode Island, this exciting new project is the first military housing development to utilize the Girder-Slab System. In accordance with progressive collapse resistance requirements, the three-story, 80,000 square foot structure is being built by the Suffolk Construction Company of Boston, Massachusetts, and when completed will accommodate 216 soldiers in 108 units. The precast hollowcore slabs have been awarded to Mid-Atlantic Precast of King George, Virginia.

Tall Buildings?

The question has come up more than once. "How high of a building can be built with the Girder-Slab System?" The answer lies in the function of lateral bracing and/or shear walls. The D-Beams and hollow core plank carry the gravity loads.
The Girder-Slab System is being considered for numerous tall buildings ranging from 24 to 65 stories. Some projects are in design development, others have been priced. Contact us for more information. Please refer to PS-9 & PS-10 under our Design Team Resources link for two "tall building" design examples.
Photo Credit: VIA Architecture

Girder-Slab recieves AISC Special Achievement Award

Managing Partner Dan Fisher Sr. and Engineering Partner Peter Naccarato P.E. accepted the prestigious AISC Special Achievement Award. This award provides special recognition to those who demonstrated notable achievements in structural steel design, construction, research, or education. The Girder-Slab System is being recognized for making a positive and substantial impact on the structural steel design and construction industry, specifically for its contribution as a steel based solution to multi-story residential structures.

A Revolutionary Structural System for Mid and High-Rise Residential Construction

The Girder-Slab® Composite Steel and Precast System breaks new ground for residential building superstructures. The Girder-Slab® System consists of precast hollow core slabs, which are set and supported on the bottom flange of a unique steel girder. This is the first system of its kind—ever.

Unlike cast-in-place concrete structures, the Girder-Slab® System, in combination with a structural steel frame, is an entirely Assembled-in-Place superstructure developed exclusively for mid and high-rise residential buildings. In addition to speed of construction, the System offers low floor-to-floor heights in order to maximize overall building heights.