Description of job: Wayne State University Residence Hall Phase III Detroit, Michigan
Project Architect: Hamilton Anderson
General Contractor: Walbridge Aldinger Co. / DIG Joint Venture
Precast Erector: Whitmore Steel / Ideal/Barton-Malow
Precast Supplier: Renaissance Precast Industries, LLC
Grout & Supplier: LATICRETE DURAGROUT™, supplied by MTEC
Grouting Contractor: Ideal Contracting/Barton-Malow
Project Manager: Gus Cerku
Superintendent: John Parish
The new residence hall at Wayne State University (Detroit) is a 275,000 square feet, eleven-story precast concrete structure. There were hundreds of precast panels that had to lock together. All the interior channels had to be filled with fluid grout. This was no small project!
When grouting company, Ideal Contracting/Barton-Malow of Detroit, was shown the blueprints and specs for the dormitory, they had to devise a way to make everything work together. Ideal/Barton-Malow's Project Manager Gus Cerku commented, "We had to rely on a consistent, fluid, non-shrink grout that would perform with the same specs with each and every bag. After each pre-cast concrete panel was lifted into place, we had to make sure each grout sleeve was completely full with no air pockets.
"We had to use concrete test cylinders as makeshift funnels for each sleeve and shore any gaps where the grout came into the joints to keep the grout from spilling down," Cerku continued. "There was no way to make a head box or to shore the job. A weather strip was used to minimize the grout leakage on the exterior faces. Luckily, LATICRETE grout could also be trimmed while still plastic and workable."
Cerku added, "DURAGROUT™ worked perfectly. This was one of the most challenging grout placements we've done, but where there's a will, there's a way."