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Making the Rounds at University Square

Wackers newest trowel is put to the test on this $100 million project.

J.H. Findorff had the opportunity to demo Wacker's CRT 48-35L diesel-powered, 8-foot ride-on trowel at the University Square project in downtown Madison, Wis. The model was recently introduced at the World of Concrete.

Operators with J.H. Findorff say the CRT 48-35Ls torsion-assist steering system makes the ride-on trowel feel like a hydraulic machine.

The finishing crews with J.H. Findorff started the finishing process with walk-behind units, but they like to get ride-on trowels out on the slab as soon as possible because they offer a better finish and the heavier machines offer control in case the concrete starts to get away from them.

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By Becky Schultz

As part of its master plan to redevelop downtown Madison, Wis., the University of Wisconsin-Madison, along with private businesses, has embarked on the 11-story, 1.1 million-square-foot University Square project. The project will consolidate several existing services and businesses at one location. The result is a private-public partnership between Executive Management Inc. of Madison and the university. The new $100 million complex will include 350 apartments, 250,000 square feet of University Health Service offices (known as University Tower), 140,000 square feet of retail space and 420 parking spaces.

Started in 2006, the retail and housing segments are scheduled to be completed in May of this year, with the University Tower portion set to open in December. In all, the project is expected to consume 58,000 cubic yards of concrete.

Given the tight timeline, J.H. Findorff & Sons Inc., the general building contractor, stepped in as soon as the site had been excavated and the retention system was in place. In business since 1890, J.H. Findorff operates offices in Madison and Milwaukee, employs over 500 workers and completes roughly $275 million of construction annually. It specializes in building construction, including educational facilities, municipal and governmental buildings, convention centers, health care facilities and more.

The company started the construction process by using Peri USA SKYDECK for the first three floors then Aluma flying tables for the remaining eight floors.

The SKYDECK system, which can be used on slabs up to 95 centimeters, has stripping that allows you to strike after only one day, depending on the slab depth and concrete strength. The main beam and formwork panels are available for use on the next cycle after two days. Its a new technique out for building high-rise structures, explains Chad Eschler, assistant yard superintendent, J.H. Findorff. Its used in Chicago and places like that, but its the first time weve ever used it [on a structure like this].

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