:: rawblogXport ::

:: Monday, November 10, 2003 ::

Legal nightmare on horizon By WILLIAM H. SOKOLIC
Tropicana tragedy to spawn suits
Some theories on causes have emerged already, including whether the concrete was given enough time to cure, experts say.

Another theory centers on whether the builders used a method known as 'filigree wide-slab,' according to Louis Fiorentino, an ironworker and area resident. In the filigree method, thin pre-cast concrete slabs are poured away from the construction site, trucked in and assembled as a base for a second layer of concrete poured on site.

The filigree method is a hybrid of two general styles for construction of parking garages, Smith said.

One uses pre-cast slabs poured into molds off-site and reinforced with steel. These are then shipped to the garage, erected and tied together. The other method involves pouring all of the concrete into molds on-site. Once set, the molds are stripped away.

The pre-cast version is quicker, but the pour-in-place method costs less, Smith said. The combination is a faster and less expensive alternative. But such a method could be weaker without a proper curing and support system.

posted 7:18 AM :: reference link :: 0 comments ::

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