PHOENIX, AZ - The Post-Tensioning Institute (PTI) - a non-profit organization for the advancement of post-tensioned, pre-stressed concrete design and construction - announces the recipients of its 2008 awards competition.

PTI's annual awards program, announced May 5 at their Conference and Exhibition in St. Louis, Mo., honors superior post-tensioning projects in the construction industry. The judges evaluate the submittals based on creativity, innovation, ingenuity, cost effectiveness, functionality, constructability and aesthetics.

"This year's award competition was a tremendous success. The number and variety of high quality entries made the jury's task of selecting the winners very difficult, and exemplifies the versatility and efficiency of post-tensioning," said Ted Neff, Executive Director of PTI.

The Project of the Year, Award of Excellence for 2008 is the New Guthrie Theater Center in Minneapolis, Minn. Submitted by post-tensioning supplier AMSYSCO, Inc., the project was entered in the mixed-use building category and includes three theaters and a 1,000-space parking garage. The post-tensioned concrete framing system provided the most effective solution for the main theater and parking structure. The main theater's framing system consists of an 8-inch-thick sloping slab supported by a radial/circular network of beams and cantilevered girders on five tiers. This unusual design required a high degree of technical expertise in post-tensioning to accommodate the heavy live loads and large, column-free areas. For the traditional six-level parking structure, an encapsulated post-tensioning system provides maximum corrosion protection and longevity. Other project team members include Jean Nouvel and Architectural Alliance (architects), Erickson Roed & Associates (engineer) and McGough Construction Company (contractor).

In the Buildings category, two awards were presented. In the Commercial Building category, Suncoast Post Tension Ltd. was selected for 1101 New York Avenue in Washington, D.C. The 12-story, 393,000-square-foot structure boasts a unique feature: There are no perimeter columns on three of its sides. Instead, the building was designed with 12-inch-deep, 6,000-psi post-tensioned concrete slabs with 12-inch-deep drops. By eliminating the columns, the building's designers were able to create a 20-foot cantilevered perimeter floor without any deflection or vibration problems. This, in turn, enabled the exterior walls to have a sleek glass façade. Other project team members include Tadjer-Cohen-Edelson Associates, Inc. (engineer), Centex Construction Company, Inc. (general contractor) and Miller & Long Concrete Construction Company (concrete contractor).