CEAC-2018-12-December

NEWS
Bokhari agrees that the benefits of the concrete panels for
the project make them a winner for the senior living facility.
“We had the shell up on the structure in less than four
months, which is impossible to achieve with poured concrete,
concrete blocks or traditional wood frame construction,” says
Bokhari.
The “shell” of this structure includes a broom finish to the
concrete exterior, providing a scratch coat for acrylic stucco
and cultured stone accents. The finish can also be painted.
“This is a new way of building,” says Bokhari. “It’s faster
and more reliable than past building methods. I can see us
working on many projects in the future with Superior Walls
foundations and above grade applications.”
Interior Elevator Shaft
One of the most beneficial aspects of using precast concrete
panels on the 51 Kaatz Drive project came in the construction
of the elevator shaft.
While concrete block construction has been the industry
standard for elevator shafts in years past, the fast installation
of Superior Walls speeds up the construction schedule. As
well, these walls remain non-combustible and heat transfer is
minimized as they are insulated panels.
“A concrete stairwell or elevator shaft can give building
occupants additional time to escape from a burning structure
because the material resists the movement of the fire,” says
Wentz. “A zone delineated by concrete within a building can
provide escape routes during a fire by maintaining structural
integrity and allowing people to get away from the building.
At the same time, this allows firefighters to more safely enter
the structure and fight the fire from multiple locations and
levels.”
During the construction of 51 Kaatz Drive, the Superior Walls
precast concrete panels were placed in the elevator shaft
with the concrete side faced inward and with a fireguard
facing outside. The exterior facing wall was covered with
5/8” drywall providing the structure with its appropriate fire
rating.
“The new technology in precast concrete panel construction
is now better suited to Canadian conditions,” says Wentz.
“We are able to apply an integrated Styrofoam and insulating
component to the panels that brings it up to a R24
rating. Combined with the speed of installation on the job
site, this is a real win for the construction industry.”
For more information visit www.superiorwalls.ca.
Chris Beebe, longtime owner and founder of the now-closed Foreign Car Specialists on Regent Street, shows off the inside of a 1958 Noble 200 microcar
he’s restoring after the Midwest Microcar Museum in Mazomanie was flooded following August’s torrential rains in Springfield, Wis., Monday, Oct. 15,
2018. (Amber Arnold/Wisconsin State Journal via AP)
Wisconsin Man Repairs Museum’s
Flood-Damaged Vehicles
By Barry Adams | Wisconsin State Journal
SPRINGFIELD, Wis. (AP) — Chris Beebe’s automotive resume is
storied.
For more than 45 years he founded, owned and operated
Foreign Car Specialists in Madison, has raced a wide range
of vehicles, worked as a racing instructor, written for automotive
publications and developed hybrid vehicles, including
the prototype for the Chevy Volt. From 2008 to 2011, he and
a team even competed for the Automotive X-Prize.
Water reached the bottom of the windows of the museum’s
historic buildings and filled not only the passenger compartments
of the cars but also the engines, lights and any other
cavity below the waterline. And the water was far from
clean. It contained not only mud, debris and likely sewage,
but also oil from the vehicles. So when the water receded,
every German Messerschmitt and Heinkel Bubblecar, East
German Trabant and English Bond were not only soaked but
left covered in a film of oil.
Beebe’s latest effort is testing all of his skills, patience and his
73-year-old knees and back.
Since late August, Beebe has been self-sequestered in a
storage shed on a farm north of Middleton and just west of
Ashton where he is working to dry out, repair and restart 15
cars and 13 motorcycles from the Midwest Microcar Museum
in Mazomanie that were damaged in late August when
torrential rains flooded the village.
Even the Amphicar, a car that doubles as a boat, was damaged.
It failed to float and the seals on its doors were compromised,
which flooded the interior.
“I’ve seen everything here but I haven’t seen the internals of
many of these so it’s been a real eye-opening experience,”
Beebe told the Wisconsin State Journal as he took a break
(Continued on page 18)
16 | Chief Engineer
Volume 83 · Number 12 | 17