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Jul 15
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How to Successfully Cut a PT Slab Opening

By Industry Insights, Project Stories

Chicago General Contractor Discusses How to Successfully Cut a PT Slab Opening

A common misconception leads some to believe that the creation of an opening in an existing post-tension (PT) slab is either extremely complex or nearly impossible. In fact, the penetrations of PT slabs are possible when observing proper methods.

PT Slab Opening for Springhill Suites

SpringHill Suites, in Chicago’s Chinatown neighborhood, is an explicitly unique project that required PT slab openings. The 4-story hotel is being constructed over a 2-story existing garage with the second story garage being a PT slab. Due to the uniqueness of the project, Summit had to construct one elevator shaft and two stairwell shafts without affecting the structural integrity.

The process involved quite a bit of research, value engineering, and expert feedback. With the help of our extremely skilled concrete subcontractors, the slab opening was a success. Below are the steps we took.

Steps Taken to Complete the PT Slab Openings

1. The surveyor marked the location of the stair and elevator shaft’s openings.

2. Concrete Scanning Company, with the help of ground-penetrating radiation (GPR), a geophysical method that uses electromagnetic radiations to image the subsurface, located/approximated the location of PT cables.

3. Catch decks were built at the location of the opening to ensure safety prior to the cutting of the slabs. We demolished a patch of the 2nd-floor concrete to check the existence of the PT cable and fortunately, the scannings were accurate.

4. The slabs were unbounded post-tension (PT) slab which means the post-tension systems are fixed to the structure at the end anchorage but are otherwise free to move independently of concrete being greased and encased in plastic sheathing.

5. We then proceeded towards making the cut, leaving some extra length of PT cable from the edge of the opening. This extra length will be helpful to grab onto later in the procedure and restress the cable. This releases the tension in the existing cable causing it to deflect less than 1 inch (imagine holding a string at both ends and cutting the center).

6. Next, we placed the encapsulated anchor and wedge through the PT cable, drilled holes into the outside edge of the slab, placed reinforcement in the perpendicular direction of the cables, and poured the concrete, leaving us with a cleaned finished edge.

7. Stressing equipment is introduced in the anchor and the PT cable is restressed to the desired tension.

8. The above steps are performed on both ends of the opening where the main PT cables run.

9. The inside of the opening is now completely free of any stress and can be cut like any other slab opening.

10. Normally the grease inside the sheaths slows the release of energy when strands are cut and the wedges do not disengage from the wedge. Nevertheless, the former cannot be guaranteed and necessary precautionary measure needs to be considered so as not to cause any snapping of the PT cables at its ends.

Thanks to Jose and Miguel of Tor Construction, both were the superheroes who executed this job with the highest precision, safety, and most cost-effectively.

Do you have an upcoming construction project that might involve cutting openings in PT Slabs? Let our team of construction experts help!

Jul 09
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1040 West Fulton Featured on WoodWorks.org

By News

1040 W. Fulton Featured on the Wood Products Council Website 

Located in Chicago’s Fulton Market district, a neighborhood packed with historic timber lofts and former meatpacking warehouses, 1040 West Fulton is one of the first multi-story timber office buildings built in Chicago in over 50 years. At the time of the project, the Chicago Building Code allowed a prescriptive path for mass timber construction, but no specific allowances for new technologies such as glulam, CLT, and NLT. The owner, engineers, and design team met with the City of Chicago building officials several times, together with WoodWorks and other wood industry experts. They presented code equivalencies and fire test data and answered questions raised by the City. Now complete, the five-story, 42,000-sf building includes four floors of offices—including two occupied by the owner/contractor, Summit Design + Build—plus ground-level retail and basement parking. The basement and first floor are Type I-A construction, and the floors above are Type III-A heavy timber. Glulam columns, girders, and beams comprise the framing system, and the floor assembly includes a two-inch topping slab. Exterior walls have steel columns and beams that support the brick cladding. The building is fully sprinklered.

See the featured on www.woodworks.org

Jul 08
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Industrial Building Construction Featured in RE Journals

By News

Summit Design + Build Completes Construction of Industrial Building in Schiller Park

General contractor, Summit Design + Build, has recently completed the adaptive reuse of an industrial building for EJ Basler Company in Schiller Park.

The project included the selective demolition and renovation of an existing industrial warehouse to make way for a new state-of-the-art, 33,000 square foot manufacturing facility. Amstadter Architects served as the project architect.

Toying with the idea of expansion for many years, EJ Basler jumped at the opportunity to renovate and expand upon the underutilized industrial building located next door to their campus. Along with managing the selective demolition of the existing facility, Summit Design + Build also oversaw the new construction of the 33,000-square-foot facility with a connecting corridor.

The renovation and new construction also included the installation of a new all-glass façade, structural steel reinforcement, sunlight paneling and Ecosteel insulated metal wall and roof panels, with pre-finished exteriors.

EJ Basler, a manufacturer of precision machined parts and components, has been a mainstay in the Schiller Park community for over 50 years. The company’s clients include leading companies and distribution centers in North America, Europe, and Asia.

See the article on www.rejournals.com

Jul 07
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Summit Completes the Construction of EJ Basler

By News

Summit Design + Build Completes Construction of Industrial Building in Schiller Park

Manufacturer of precision machine parts expands their industrial campus 

Summit Design + Build, has recently completed the adaptive reuse of an industrial building for EJ Basler Company in Schiller Park. The project included the selective demolition and renovation of an existing industrial warehouse to make way for a new state-of-the-art, 33,000 square foot manufacturing facility.

EJ Basler, a manufacturer of precision machined parts and components, has been a mainstay in the Schiller Park community for over 50 years. The company’s clients include leading companies and distribution centers in North America, Europe, and Asia. Toying with the idea of expansion for many years, EJ Basler jumped at the opportunity to renovate and expand upon the underutilized industrial building located next door to their campus. Along with managing the selective demolition of the existing facility, Summit Design + Build also oversaw the new construction of the 33,000 square foot facility with a connecting corridor. The renovation and new construction also included the installation of a new all glass façade, structural steel reinforcement, sunlight paneling and Ecosteel insulated metal wall and roof panels, with pre-finished exteriors.

Amstadter Architects served as the project architect for the EJ Basler project.

EJ Basler Imagery

Jun 22
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Summit Opens New Headquarters Featured in REBusiness

By News

Chicago General Contractor Summit Design + Build Opens New Headquarters

Summit Design + Build LLC has completed the construction of 1040 W. Fulton, a five-story, 42,000-square-foot office building in Chicago’s Fulton Market district. Floors four and five will serve as the new headquarters for Summit. The project also features ground-floor retail space, a green roof and basement parking. Summit used heavy timber construction for the project. The building is the first multi-story mass timber building in the city of Chicago in 50 years, according to Summit. The project team included Hartshorne Plunkard Architecture, Eastlake Studio, Carr Realty Advisors, IMEG Corp., Weaver Consultants Group and WT Engineering. Chad Schroedl, Scott Maesel and Drew Dillon of SVN Chicago Commercial are the building’s leasing agents. First Bank of Highland Park provided construction financing.

See the article on www.rebusinessonline.com

Jun 19
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The Completion of 1040 West Fulton Featured in RE Journals

By News

Summit Design + Build Completes Construction of 1040 W. Fulton

General contractor Summit Design + Build recently completed the new construction of 1040 W. Fulton, a five-story, 42,000-square-foot office building with ground-floor retail, a green roof and basement parking in Chicago’s Fulton Market District. The fourth and fifth floors of the building are home to Summit’s new headquarters.

“1040 W. Fulton is a showplace for our company and an example of what is possible in the modern age of wood construction,” said Adam Miller, president of Summit Design + Build.

Heavy timber construction was used to build 1040 W. Fulton, making it the first multi-story mass timber building in the city of Chicago in 50 years, setting the stage for bringing more and larger timber projects to Chicago. A hybrid construction system accommodates both Type I-A construction of two floors of parking on the basement and first floor, and its required fire separation, and Type III-A heavy-timber construction on the office floors.

Exterior walls have steel columns and beams that support the brick cladding. Glulam columns, girders and beams comprise the framing system, while the floor assembly includes a two-inch topping slab. The building is fully sprinklered. Summit Design + Build, both the owner and general contractor of the building, chose wood construction because it is a material consistent with other buildings in the historic neighborhood.

“The project really echoes the neighborhood’s history when it was a meatpacking district and the majority of the buildings were made of raw milled heavy timber construction,” said Miller, “Given this history, it only felt right to use similar materials.” The building geometry and framing plan were also conducive to timber.

The 1040 W. Fulton project team included project architect for the base building, Hartshorne Plunkard Architecture; interior architect for Summit’s headquarters, Eastlake Studio; owner’s representative, Carr Realty Advisors; structural engineer, IMEG Corporation; civil engineer, Weaver Consultants Group; and MEP engineer, WT Engineering. The building is being leased by Chad Schroedl, Scott Maesel and Drew Dillon of SVN Commercial Chicago. Construction financing was provided by First Bank of Highland Park.

See the article on www.rejournals.com

Jun 18
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Mass Timber Project Featured in Connect Chicago

By News

Summit Completes Chicago’s First Mass Timber Project in 50 Years

Summit Design + Build, LLC recently completed the new construction of 1040 W. Fulton, a five-story, 42,000-square-foot office building in the Fulton Market District. Heavy timber construction was used to build 1040 W Fulton, making it the first multi-story mass timber building in Chicago in 50 years.

Floors 4 and 5 of the building are home to Summit Design + Build’s new headquarters. “1040 W. Fulton is a showplace for our company and an example of what is possible in the modern age of wood construction,” said company president Adam Miller.

As both the owner and general contractor of the building, Summit Design + Build chose wood construction because it’s a material consistent with other buildings in the historic neighborhood. “The project really echoes the neighborhood’s history when it was a meatpacking district and the majority of the buildings were made of raw milled heavy timber construction,” said Miller.

See the article on www.connect.media

Jun 15
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Summit Completes the Construction of 1040 W Fulton

By News

Summit Design + Build Completes the Construction of 1040 W. Fulton

Summit Design + Build, LLC recently completed the new construction of 1040 W. Fulton, a five-story, 42,000 sf office building with ground-floor retail, a green roof and basement parking in Chicago’s Fulton Market District. Floors 4 and 5 of the building are home to general contractor Summit Design + Build’s new headquarters. “1040 W. Fulton is a showplace for our company and an example of what is possible in the modern age of wood construction,” said Adam Miller, President of Summit Design + Build.

Heavy timber construction was used to build 1040 W Fulton, making it the first multi-story mass timber building in the City of Chicago in 50 years, setting the stage for bringing more and larger timber projects to Chicago. A hybrid construction system was utilized in order to accommodate both Type I-A construction of two floors of parking on the basement and first floor, and its required fire separation, and Type III-A heavy-timber construction on the office floors. Exterior walls have steel columns and beams that support the brick cladding. Glulam columns, girders, and beams comprise the framing system, while the floor assembly includes a two-inch topping slab. The building is fully sprinklered.

1040 W Fulton

Summit Design + Build, both the owner and general contractor of the building, chose wood construction because it is a material consistent with other buildings in the historic neighborhood. “The project really echoes the neighborhood’s history when it was a meatpacking district and the majority of the buildings were made of raw milled heavy timber construction,” said Miller, “Given this history, it only felt right to use similar materials.” The building geometry and framing plan were also conducive to timber.

The 1040 West Fulton project team included project architect for the base building, Hartshorne Plunkard Architecture; interior architect for Summit’s headquarters, Eastlake Studio; owner’s representative, Carr Realty Advisors; structural engineer, IMEG Corporation; civil engineer, Weaver Consultants Group; and MEP engineer, WT Engineering. The building is being leased by Chad Schroedl, Scott Maesel and Drew Dillon of SVN Commercial Chicago. Construction financing was provided by First Bank of Highland Park.

1040 W. Fulton Imagery

Jun 11
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The Benefits of Cold-Formed Steel Framing

By Project Stories

Summit discusses the benefits of Cold-Formed Steel Framing

After Summit Design + Build’s successful completion and on-time delivery of Edge on Broadway, a 6-story residential building project in Chicago’s Edgewater neighborhood, it only felt right to pen down our lessons and experiences with a critical component that made an economic and on-time delivery possible – COLD FORM METAL PANELS.

Summit Design + Build, alongside the development team and the project engineers were looking into the most compatible structural system to use for the 6-story residential building project at 6145 N. Broadway. The cold-formed panelized framing system was the perfect solution as it is pre-fabricated, versatile and durable. The weight to strength ratio allowed us to use it for five floors of structural load-bearing and non-load-bearing walls (64,000 square feet) while keeping the supporting structures light. 

Use of this structural system has an indirect cost savings in foundations work as well. The foundations for this building cost less than the contemporary wood or steel structure because it has less weight to hold. Therefore, it is ideal for all kinds of soil conditions.

Cold-Formed Construction Benefits for Key Stakeholders

This system helps to benefit every stakeholder of the project.

Owner Benefits

  • It speeds up construction time, creating an early ROI
  • It cuts down costs in comparison to a typical wood or steel structure. Cold-form wall construction doesn’t require fire stops, sheathing, house wrap, gypsum wallboard or separate steps for insulation and continuous insulation. Since there are fewer steps, cold-form wall construction uses fewer materials and reduces multiple trade requirements.
  • It increases the marketability of a project. A cold-formed panelized framing system eliminates the number of soffits that need to be used. This allows properties to have higher ceilings, creating more spacious and modern rooms which are more marketable to target renters and tenants.

General Contractor Benefits

  • Cold-form steel construction has been around since 1850 but has seen continuous innovation since then. This particular project utilized a TotalJoist system from iSpan Systems. This is a robust system with a simplified installation compared to steel or wood. It allowed the team to keep the speed without sacrificing quality.
  • It doesn’t require the complexity of service-heavy follow-up trades by taking advantage of large pre-cut service and wiring openings.
  • Reduced training time is greatly advantageous for offsetting any unforeseen delays in foundation work. Easy to learn, this framing has a quick transition from learning curve to trained labor. Skills for using wood studs can be transferred to using steel C-section studs. Formed steel single tracks are similar to top and bottom wood plates.
  • The list of tools required to work with cold-form structure is relatively small, including tools such as an adjustable torque screw gun, a hand seamer, clamps and a magnetic level.
  • Construction moves faster since there is little in the way of punching, cutting, or drilling steel onsite. Cold form beams and columns are easy to move and put in place without the need for heavy machinery

Engineer Benefits

  • Cold-formed metal panels are non-combustible with a One-Hour Fire Rating (UL, ULC Rated) and 50 STC Acoustic Rating with a single layer of gypsum.
  • Unmatched clear span vs. I-wood allows for open design and bigger rooms

Why You Should Consider Cold-Formed Steel Framing

Cold-formed steel framing is the perfect framing system to use for a 6-10 story building. Cold-formed steel is a cost-effective, easy to install solution that does not sacrifice on quality. Cold-formed steel is also durable, sustainable and it is one of the most resilient building materials on the market. Do you have an upcoming project that would benefit from Cold-formed steel framing? Contact Summit Design + Build to let us know how we can help.

Cold-Formed Steel Framing Imagery

May 27
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Summit Hosts ACE Mentorship Students

By Florida, News

Summit Design + Build hosts ACE Mentor Program of Greater Tampa Bay

Recently, the Tampa office of Summit Design + Build had the privilege of presenting to an impressive group of high school students from the ACE Mentor Program of Greater Tampa Bay. This free, award-winning afterschool program is offered to students interested in pursuing careers in the Architecture, Construction and Engineering industry. The success of the program is clear with over 70% of ACE seniors either going on to a skilled trades program or to college with an industry-related major. With more than 70 chapters operating across 37 states, the ACE Mentor Program awards approximately $2.5 million in scholarships annually, as well as offering students summer camp and internship opportunities.

Lead by Summit’s Tampa project management team, Courtnei Watts and Tsvetan Sirakov, the presentation on site logistics aimed to provide a real-world perspective on the complexities and challenges of running a successful construction project. The scholars learned about overcoming challenges like site access, materials storage and staging, anticipating human behavior and taking steps in advance to ensure adherence to policies and regulations that have been put in place. The students were shown that no project happens in a vacuum and that there are innumerable external factors that need to be taken into account, some in our control and some not.

This invaluable perspective that our talented project managers were able to provide is what this program is all about. The ACE Mentor Program gives the next generation of construction industry professionals a window into the world outside of the classroom and provides them tools they’ll need to succeed in it. We at Summit Design + Build are honored to be among the many mentors that have volunteered and contributed their time and experience to give back to the young participants of the ACE program.

Images from the Event