DLR Brickyard A

Summarize the project's program, features and achievements?

DLR Brickyard Building A presented as both a challenge and a reward for Southland Concrete. True to Digital Realty standards, the project involved multiple tall tilt-up panels, a fast-paced schedule, and tight site logistics. Through communication and collaboration, a plan was developed to ensure a completed building was presented to the client with the highest expectations.

The building footprint was 400,000 SF with 217 tilt-up panels around the perimeter and roughly 400,000 SF of slab on metal deck on steel framing. The panel square footage was measured at 246,320 SF with the tallest panel coming in at 65’ and the heaviest panel weighing 89.68 tons. The contract for our portion of work was $24,913,810 for the cast-in-place concrete on the project with a duration of 13 months for completion.

What could be considered as a fairly generic project on paper yielded a much more sophisticated end product. The jobsite complexities and building design created a unique opportunity for our teams to work closely with the GC to make sure a clear & concise plan was derived. Furthermore, the flexibility to maneuver the crane and cast beds as needed based on the changing design was imperative. Digital Realty was pleased with the buildings’ outcomes, that came in on time while still maintaining the highest level of quality and safety that is expected... yet also our standard.

What obstacles were overcome related to the schedule, budget, program, specification, site, etc. on this project?

The buildings design was conceptualized as 2 separate structures tied together with 2 different design requirements, leaving challenging logistics on exterior laydown and construction. Building A1 had an aggressive schedule that required its panels to be erected in two months but did allow for flexible crane access through the building’s low slab-on-grade. Building A2, on the other hand, created a more challenging approach due to limited crane permission and tight site logistics. The castbeds for the panels were required to be placed within the structure on built-up slabs, which was determined after the initial design of an exterior laydown. This led the crew to pivot to a new sequencing to hit all targeted deadlines. The field team delivered an excellent performance in laying out each panel and reviewing with the other trades to ensure no crossover or interruptions.