Constructing Concrete as an Art Form

Author: Steven J. Morby, The Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts, 3716 #ouis, Missouri 631$%, s&orby'(ulitzerarts.or! ashin!ton "lvd., St.

INTRODUCTION
The first ti&e ) e*(erien+ed ,Ando -on+rete. /as at the 0y+haner 1esiden+e in -hi+a!o. 2ur tea& /as brou!ht in to +o&(lete a (ro3e+t that had been under +onstru+tion for a((ro*i&ately 1% &onths. ) had (reviously /or4ed in all (hases of +on+rete +onstru+tion fro& residential to +o&&er+ial, s(annin! so&e 56 years, but had never seen su+h e*a+tin! details, and the e*(e+tation of su+h hi!h levels of /all 7uality /as a&azin!. )n the fall of 1887, /ith the +on+rete /or4 on the 0y+haner 1esiden+e +o&(lete, ) +a&e to St. #ouis to 3oin a !rou( of e*tre&ely talented +rafts&en to +onstru+t a (rivate buildin! to house The Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts. This buildin! /as also desi!ned by Tadao Ando, /ith the initial !oal to +onstru+t a (oured9in9(la+e +on+rete stru+ture of su+h 7uality to sur(ass anythin! that had been done to date. Fro& the be!innin! there /ere &any de+isions to be &ade +on+ernin! both desi!n and lo!isti+s. 2ne of these /as the sele+tion of the +onstru+tion tea& and the individuals /ho /ould do the +on+rete /or4. A lo+al +onstru+tion +o&(any, "S) -onstru+tors, /as +hosen to be the !eneral +ontra+tor for the (ro3e+t, and they /ere to su((ly the +ar(enters, laborers, and iron/or4ers re7uired to +onstru+t the ar+hite+tural +on+rete /alls. This de+ision (roved to be one of the &ost i&(ortant, be+ause /ith "S), /e re+eived the (ersonal +o&&it&ent and dedi+ation that /ould be re7uired to su++essfully +o&(lete su+h an e*tre&ely +hallen!in! (ro3e+t.

EXACTING CONCRETE
hen +onstru+tin! ,Ando -on+rete,. there are three &ain ele&ents that have to be addressed, +onstantly i&(roved, and +arried out in a &anner si&ilar to an artist /or4in! on a &aster(ie+e: The for&/or4 +onstru+tion, the desi!n of the +on+rete &i*, and the (ro+edures for (la+in! and +o&(a+tin! the +on+rete in the for&/or4. )n addition, there are t/o +onditions or (roble&s that are +losely related to these three ele&ents: -ontrollin! the bleed /ater durin! and after the Portland hydration (eriod, and atte&(tin! to eli&inate the entra((ed air bubbles that !et stu+4 on the surfa+e of the /all (anel. These entra((ed air bubbles are &ore +o&&only referred to as ,bu! holes.. The &ain fo+us durin! the develo(&ent of the +onstru+tion (ro+ess /as solvin! the (roble&s related to the bleed /ater and bu! holes.

FORMWORK CON

TRUCTION

To +onfor& to the zero9toleran+e /all defle+tion re7uire&ent, /e +hose to use the ,;ario. !an! for&in! syste& fro& the Peri For&/or4 -o&(any as the base or (ri&ary su((ort (anel for the ar+hite+tural /alls on the buildin!. Peri<s en!ineerin! de(art&ent /as very hel(ful in this area, and by desi!nin! additional verti+al truss &e&bers in the for& (anel, they /ere able to !ive us a very stable surfa+e that &et the defle+tion re7uire&ents, and that allo/ed us to (our a full li7uid head of +on+rete in a 15 foot tall (anel. ith the /all defle+tion = (our rate (roble& addressed, /e turned our attention to the +reation of the finished /all surfa+e. e be!an testin! different ty(es of (ly/ood surfa+es that /ere a((lied over the > in+h (ly/ood on the !an! for& syste&. Most of the lo/er level /alls /ere used for these test (anels, and after /e had +onstru+ted a nu&ber of different surfa+es, Tadao Ando &ade a tri( to St. #ouis to vie/ the resultin! /all finishes. 2f the four surfa+es tested, ,Finn9For&. (anels /ere sele+ted as the &aterial to be used to line the for&/or4 on all ar+hite+tural +on+rete /alls. or4 (ro!ressed and &ost of the (ro+edures used on the -hi+a!o house /ere tested, refined, i&(roved and tested a!ain. All areas that +ould (ossibly lea4 /ere !as4eted. "ul4heads /here /all (ours sto((ed /ere dadoed into the for& (anels? and any lo+ations /here razor shar( +orners = ed!es /ere re7uired /ere dadoed and !as4eted. For&/or4 for e*terior li!ht details /as desi!ned, tested, and redesi!ned. For&s and blo+49outs for ele+tri+al s/it+h (lates, se+urity devi+es, s&o4e dete+tors, and e*terior /ater hose +onne+tions /ere desi!ned, tested and installed. Su+h i&(ortan+e /as (la+ed on the detail and for&/or4 7uality that a totally en+losed for& sho( /as ere+ted on the +onstru+tion site, so that all for& (anels +ould be built and or re9(aneled indoors, (rote+ted fro& the ele&ents.

A syste& /as initiated to +reate individual for& dra/in!s for ea+h 5@ foot /ide * 15 foot tall se+tion of the buildin!. These for& dra/in!s (roved very useful as a &eans to ensure that the (anels /ere asse&bled +orre+tly and that they /ere &ovin! throu!h the

sho( in the +orre+t order. The for& sho( fore&an used this individual dra/in! syste& to 4ee( his (eo(le fo+used on s(e+ifi+ details (ertainin! to a (arti+ular /all se+tion, and 4ee( the& fro& !ettin! +onfused or over/hel&ed by the &any different details of the entire (ro3e+t. These dra/in!s (roved invaluable for the asso+iated trades /ho /ere installin! ele+tri+al, (lu&bin!, se+urity, et+. devi+es on the (anels, and at ti&es /or4in! shoulder to shoulder /ith the +ar(enters and laborers durin! (anel asse&bly.

A(on +o&(letion of the (anels in the sho(, a for& release a!ent /as a((lied to the finished side of the (anel. Then the for& /ould be +arried out to the buildin! site and installed on the buildin!. The e*terior or outside /all (anel /as usually installed first so that the horizontal (our 3oint at the botto& of the for& +ould be sealed +orre+tly. The reinfor+in! steel /as then installed, ta4in! !reat +are not to s+rat+h or in any /ay da&a!e the finished for&<s fa+e. Alon! /ith the reinfor+in! steel, ele+tri+al +onduits for li!hts, s/it+hes, outlets, and se+urity devi+es /ere installed and +onne+ted. ith the reinfor+in! steel in (la+e and ins(e+ted, the thru bolt for& ties /ere installed throu!h the outside for&, and the /all s(readers /ith +ones /ere installed? they /ere then threaded onto the thru bolts. Be*t the inside for& (anel /as &oved into (la+e, all ele+tri+al devi+es and +onduits /ere ali!ned and +he+4ed, and for& ties /ere inserted throu!h the inside for&. ith everythin! ali!ned, the inside for& /as &oved to its final (osition and thru bolts /ere ti!htened a!ainst stiffba+4s and /halers. or4 s+affolds /ere installed at the to(s of the (anels, and the entire asse&bly /as +he+4ed for elevation and buildin! ali!n&ent. At this (oint the /all for& /as ready for the +on+rete (our.

CONCRETE MIX DE

IGN

The +on+rete &i* desi!n, li4e all the other ele&ents of ,Ando -on+rete,. /as an ever9 develo(in! (ro+ess. Five Star -on+rete -o&(any, the su((lier of the ready &i* +on+rete for the (ro3e+t, (layed a &a3or role in the develo(&ent of the &i* desi!n. Fro& the first (ours /here /e /ere testin! for& liner surfa+es, throu!h the (roble&s /e e*(erien+ed /ith additives su+h as su(er (lasti+izers and retarders, throu!h the ti&es /e /ere e*(erien+in! flash settin! due to e*tre&ely hot su&&er te&(eratures and even /hen the finished +on+rete surfa+e /as dela&inatin! off the /alls due to e*tended (ourin! ti&es, Five Star -on+rete stayed fo+used on the (roble&s and hel(ed us a+hieve real solutions that /or4ed. )n the be!innin!, /e /ere testin! as &any as four variations of the &i* desi!n used on the 0y+haner Couse in -hi+a!o. e /ere ad3ustin! thin!s su+h as +e&ent +ontent, sizes, ty(es, and a&ounts of the lar!e and s&all a!!re!ates? air entrain&ent? /ater redu+ers? su(er (lasti+izers? and Fly ash +ontent. "oth the &i* desi!n and for& liner testin! /ere bein! done si&ultaneously in the lo/er levels of the buildin!. e found that in order to a+hieve the razor shar( details at all of the outside +orners, li!ht re+esses, and any area /here the /all surfa+e turned any de!ree of a +orner, /e needed to 4ee( both the initial &i* /ater and the resultin! bleed /ater to a &ini&u&. To redu+e the a&ount of bleed /ater +o&in! out of the &i* at the end of the hydration (eriod, /e needed to li&it the a&ount of /ater added at the front end of the (our Dboth as &i* /ater and /ater retained in the sand and !ravel durin! stora!eE (rior to &i*in!. )n an effort to &ini&ize the a&ount of bleed /ater, the li&estone !ravel and tor(edo sand, both very (orous &aterials, /ere re(la+ed /ith Mera&e+ sand and !ravel. 2ne of the (ro(erties of Mera&e+ ro+4 is its hardness, /hi+h !reatly affe+ts its ability to absorb /ater. "y usin! Mera&e+ sand and !ravel, /e /ere able to redu+e one of the sour+es of /ater added at the front end of the &i*in! (ro+ess. Another &eans to redu+e bleed /ater /as to li&it the initial &i* /ater added at the ready &i* (lant or on9site. To a+hieve this, only lo/ slu&( &i*es /ere used on the ar+hite+tural +on+rete /alls. All ready &i* deliveries had to &eet slu&( re7uire&ents before they +ould be used. Another to(i+ that dire+tly affe+ted the &i* desi!n /as a +ondition /e e*(erien+ed &ore so at the -hi+a!o house than in St. #ouis, but /as still so&ethin! that needed to be +onsidered. This is the situation of a!!re!ate settlin! or layerin!, due to e*tre&e a&ounts of internal +on+rete vibration. All +on+rete &i*es +ontain &aterials of different /ei!hts, and the stren!th and durability of the +on+rete is de(endent u(on these &aterials stayin! &i*ed in the +orre+t (ro(ortion. As lon! as the &atri* of the +on+rete does not be+o&e too loose, these (ie+es re&ain sus(ended +orre+tly. Co/ever, /ith the introdu+tion of a devi+e to vibrate or li7uefy the +on+rete, these (ie+es be!in to float or sin4 in (ro(ortion to their individual /ei!hts. )f this situation is allo/ed to +ontinue for any len!th of ti&e, a layerin! effe+t /ill o++ur, resultin! in a /all se+tion /here the +oarse and fine a!!re!ates have se(arated and layered the&selves a++ordin! to their /ei!hts. This layerin! effe+t /ould +o&(ro&ise the stru+tural inte!rity and leave visible lift lines on the e*(osed +on+rete surfa+es. e 4ne/ +on+rete vibration /ould (lay a bi! role in a+hievin! the very dense, s&ooth9as9!lass finish re7uired on the +on+rete /alls. Thus, to lessen this settle&ent

(roble&, s(e+ifi+ (ro+edures /ere develo(ed and (ersonnel /ere trained to vibrate the +on+rete. e also had our &i* desi!ns analyzed for an evenly !raded a!!re!ate +ontent, and a&ounts /ere ad3usted to (rovide a &ore evenly !raded &i* desi!n.

!OURING !ROCEDURE
Just as /ith the other t/o ele&ents of e*a+tin! Ando +on+rete, the (ourin! (ro+edures never sto((ed develo(in!. e started /ith the lessons learned in -hi+a!o, and soon found there /ere thin!s /e +ould do to i&(rove the (ro+edures. So&e of these i&(rove&ents +a&e fro& very basi+ thin!s /e had learned &any years a!o, and so&e develo(ed as /e /ere (ourin! the /all se+tions.

2ne basi+ thin! in (ourin! +on+rete is that you are /or4in! /ith a (rodu+t that has a definite /or4able ti&e li&it. After you be!in the (our, there is no ti&e for &eetin!s or dis+ussions on ho/ or /hen (ersonnel are to do a s(e+ifi+ tas4. For this reason, (our (ro+edure &eetin!s /ere held the day before all /all (ours. )n attendan+e at these &eetin!s /ere the Pro3e+t Su(erintendent? the -ar(enter, #aborer, and )ron/or4er fore&en? the -ar(enters and #aborers /ho /ould /or4 the (our? the 0le+tri+ian fore&an? and any of the asso+iated trade fore&en, de(endin! on the details in the /all (our. So&e of the to(i+s dis+ussed at these &eetin!s /ere the nu&ber of vibrators needed for the (our, the nu&ber of lifts in the /all, the hei!ht of ea+h lift, any s(e+ial details involvin! the (our, delivery ti&es, tru+4 s(a+in!, and the +orre+t yarda!e for ea+h tru+4. "e+ause al&ost all of our /all (ours /ere s+heduled for early in the day D7:$$ or 7:3$ a.&. startsE, it /as +riti+al that all (re(aratory /or4 be +o&(leted the day before so that everyone /as ready to !o /hen the first tru+4 arrived.

2n (our day, -ar(enters, #aborers, )ron/or4ers, and 0le+tri+ians /ere on or around the /all for& durin! the entire (ourin! (ro+ess. 2ur #abor fore&an be+a&e the ,Pour "oss. and dire+ted not only his laborers in the (la+in! and vibratin! of the +on+rete, but also dire+ted the other trades. e all 4ne/ the i&(ortan+e of this last (ie+e of the (uzzle, and ho/ i&(ortant it /as to +o&(lete this 3ob +orre+tly. All +on+rete /as tested for the +orre+t te&(erature, air entrain&ent levels, and (ro(er +on+rete slu&(. Test +ylinders /ere also +ast and labeled for ea+h tru+4. Furin! the (our the (re+ise (la+e&ent of +on+rete in ea+h lift /as +losely tra+4ed, and +lose tabs /ere 4e(t on the ti&e and a&ount of vibration in ea+h lift. After t/o days the /all for& (anels /ere re&oved. A +urin! +o&(ound /as a((lied to (revent stainin! and to redu+e shrin4a!e +ra+4in! on the surfa+e of the /all. After 1@ days /e a((lied the first +oats of the sylene sealers, /ith one &ore +oat bein! a((lied after full +ure in 5% days.

CONC"U

ION

My dire+t involve&ent /ith Ando -on+rete be!an over 1$ years a!o, and durin! this ti&e &y +re/s have +reated so&e of the &ost outstandin! /or4 of their +areers. The /or4 that /as done at the Pulitzer "uildin! /ill stand as a ben+h&ar4 in ar+hite+tural +on+rete for &any years to +o&e. ) re!ard it as &y (ersonal best, and ho(e that it /ill stand as an e*a&(le of /hat +an be a++o&(lished /hen a +onstru+tion tea& of both labor and &ana!e&ent (ut dedi+ation and +o&&it&ent first and si&(ly refuse to fail.

ACKNOW"EDGEMENT 0&ily 1auh Pulitzer and The Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts, St. #ouis, Missouri Tadao Ando and Tadao Ando Ar+hite+t G Asso+iates, 2sa4a, Ja(an Peter -lar4son, -lar4son -onsultin! )n+., St. #ouis, Missouri Fan Jay, "ill is+h&eyer, Ji& -art/ri!ht, -hristner, )n+., St. #ouis, Missouri Mar4 Mainrid!e, Ted Pruess and 0H0 Thiess 0n!ineerin!, St. #ouis, Missouri Joe Shau!hnessy, Paul Shau!hnessy, Mar4 ellen, John Plei&ann, -lay Cenry, -harlie Io+h, Jlen Coff&ann, and all the -ar(enters, #aborers and )ron/or4ers /ho /or4ed /ith &e on the Pulitzer "uildin! Pro3e+t. "S) -onstru+tors )n+., St. #ouis, Missouri Fan S+haeffer, To& Iahle, -harlie S+haeffer, Ti& -hettle, Mi4e Jensen, and all the 0le+tri+ians /ho /or4ed /ith us on the Pulitzer "uildin! Pro3e+t. S+haeffer 0le+tri+ -o&(any )n+., St. #ouis Missouri -rai! Tread/ay, Ted "auer, and all the drivers /ho delivered our 1eady Mi* -on+rete Five Star -on+rete -or(., St. #ouis, Missouri Ji& Shilstone, The Shilstone -o&(anies, )n+., Fallas, Te*as Matt Slau!hter, The Peri For&/or4 -o&(any, )ndiana(olis, )ndiana Mr. 1ay&ond John Morby Sr., My Father G Personal Mentor