Hospitable Framwork
Hospitable FramworkTime Is Money
Ohio's Flexicore Building Systems make short work of hotel construction
When an amusement park operator decided to construct a new hotel to meet increased business, it faced challenges ranging from winter month delivery to a site with limited access. The solution came from Dayton, Ohio-based Flexicore Systems, Inc., a company specializing in precast hollow core products.
"The most challenging aspect of constructing the Breakers Tower entailed location and time constraints," says Cedar Point's Monty Jasper, vice president of maintenance and new construction. "The site is difficult to access and we stipulated that construction would be during the offseason-October through May."
Located on Lake Erie in Sandusky, Ohio, the Cedar Point amusement park/resort boasts 13 roller coasters reportedly more than any other park in the world - and is ranked one of the largest seasonal facilities of its kind in the U.S. For 128 years, this park has attracted visitors from across the country and throughout the world. Each year, Cedar Point hosts 3 million+ guests.
As attendance increases so does the demand for additional hotel rooms. The amusement park is owned and operated by Cedar Fair L.P, the company currently has three hotels on or very near the park property, but there is still a need for more.
In 1997, architects began designing the Breakers Tower, a 10-level structure nesfled between the original Hotel Breakers, constructed in 1905, and Bon Air, a wing of the hotel that was added in 1924. The Breakers Tower was designed to replace an older wing of the hotel encompassing 170,000 sq. ft. of space that includes 230 guest rooms, a IG.I.Friday's Restaurant, pool, and other amenities.
Since work on the new property would disrupt traffic and access to the amusement park, an overriding requirement was that the construction methods and material chosen allow the fastest possible installation without sacrificing quality. Work on the project was limited to the months when the park was closed.
After reviewing a number of alternatives, project designers and engineers from Cedar Point selected the Dyna-Frame Structural Precast Frame System and Flexicore Decks manufactured by Flexicore Systems. Dyna-Frame is a modular, factory-cast concrete column and beam system that offers design flexibility to meet specific project requirements. Fabricated in a strictly controlled plant environment, the columns and beams exhibit greater uniformity and durability than concrete columns and beams cast on site, company officials note. Since the components are made off site, there is minimal disruption and staging on site.
Flexicore decks are cast under controlled conditions and prestressed with high tensile strand. The slabs can be notched, beveled, cast with weld plates and in special widths. After applying a surface leveling material, the deck system can accept any floor finish normally specified by an architect to cover a concrete...
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