AUSTIN | Projects & Construction II - Page 154

hismasterplan · #**3061** Posted **May 11, 2008, 6:13 PM**

What is that "200 Congress" building then?

Raining Inside · #**3062** Posted **May 11, 2008, 7:00 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by hismasterplan

What is that "200 Congress" building then?

That's a good question. The Austonian's architects are Ziegler-Cooper. Under the headline next to the rendering it mentions that it is a design competition. So maybe this was one of the "losing" designs?

hismasterplan · #**3063** Posted **May 11, 2008, 8:12 PM**

Ah I see. That design looks really good for Austin though. I hope to see one like that someday.

priller · #**3064** Posted **May 11, 2008, 10:01 PM**

Beautiful morning today. I walked around town for almost 3 hours while the wife was doing girly things with her daughters for Mother's Day. Very nice outside.

First off, the W. I think I remember the plans showing 3 floors of parking underground, almost the entire block, so they'll be digging for quite some time.

I think these beams will be used to shore up the walls as they dig down:

This will be a pretty good angle once the building starts rising. Note you can also see Altavida and Legacy and Austonian crane.

More later...

austin242 · #**3065** Posted **May 11, 2008, 11:45 PM**

well it may be built after all their is a lot of property left on that block. if our city picked the austonian over that there crazy.

KevinFromTexas · #**3066** Posted **May 12, 2008, 12:10 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Raining Inside

That location is where the 56 story, 683' Austonian is being built. The height in the pictiure looks correct, but the Austonian tower is oval shaped.

Quote:

Originally Posted by hismasterplan

What is that "200 Congress" building then?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Raining Inside

That's a good question. The Austonian's architects are Ziegler-Cooper. Under the headline next to the rendering it mentions that it is a design competition. So maybe this was one of the "losing" designs?

Yes, they had a design competition for the building.

Here is another design for "200 Congress" that was put out by RTKL Architects. They've since removed it from their website though.

MichaelB · #**3067** Posted **May 12, 2008, 1:51 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by austin242

well it may be built after all their is a lot of property left on that block. if our city picked the austonian over that there crazy.

Point of clarification. The choice would not have been a city choice. It is a private development. The choice was that of the developer. While I agree I like both the designs we are looking at better than the one picked, the city would not (and should not) have been involved in what would be a private corp. choice. I would love to be offical design police.... alas, they did not ask me! (by the way... that should not stop us from hounding private companies to give us better design.... I have, and I still will!.... but ultimately I understand it is not my money or my risk!)

KevinFromTexas · #**3068** Posted **May 12, 2008, 3:02 AM**

Here's a few screen shots of the "200 Congress" design

priller · #**3069** Posted **May 12, 2008, 5:08 AM**

More photos from today.

Four Seasons. Not a lot different from last time I posted photos. Mostly seem to be working on the basement. Also, the piling machines are gone, so that phase must be finished, even for the garage area.

Every time I look at this site it reminds me of the Toltec statues in Mexico:

hismasterplan · #**3070** Posted **May 12, 2008, 5:55 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

Here's a few screen shots of the "200 Congress" design

Okay, I really like this one better. Damn. They exaggerated downtown Austin a bit in the background but it won't be far from truth eventually.

priller · #**3071** Posted **May 12, 2008, 1:37 PM**

Monarch, looks very close to being finished. Still not liking all the little orange rectangles:

I do like the curves:

Nice fountains between the tower and parking garage/retail:

360 is looking really good now.

Don't know if they're going to make it by this spring:

Mellow Johnny's is now open, just north of 360:

priller · #**3072** Posted **May 12, 2008, 1:59 PM**

Austonian.

Looks like the north half of the 4th floor has been poured.

I've been trying to learn a little more about how these buildings are put together. In any technical field, learning terminology is half the battle, so I've been looking up unfamiliar words as I run across them. I believe these blue cables are called "post-tensioning cables". After the concrete is poured and set, the cables and tightened to apply stress to the level before adding more weight to it. So, post-tensioning cables are used to pre-stress the concrete. Still not really clear on *why* this is done.

These are the ends of the post-tensioning cables. After being put under tension, the ends are tied down and trimmed, and the holes are filled in.

You can see the "flying forms" mentioned last week in use here:

brianpm14 · #**3073** Posted **May 12, 2008, 2:26 PM**

Concrete strength can be increased using compression. Post tensioning creates stronger slabs, which can be thinner, which allows the builder to put more floors in the same vertical space. The post tension system installs faster too. Residential floors don't have to be as strong as parking garage floors, see the "honeycomb" of beams and tensioning on those automobile floors.

The workers call the movable aluminum forms "tables", they have that system down. They use a laser level and work underneath them (banging on the screw jacks) to level them up each time they are re-set.

Looks like they are trying to get the garage under Alta Vida open for use by the neighboring buildings tenants. Had read the underground was going to be for that purpose. Thats a good idea, but sure it was difficult to get that part of an active construction project open to public use. The stone and brick veneer are looking nice.

Construction fences are going up on the Concordia University campus already, they are getting going over there.

All the Block 21 trees disappeared over the weekend, sure they like to do that task quickly and quietly to avoid the green-ies. Welding up the steel shoring columns this morning, should have a drilling rig here soon.

JGFrisco · #**3074** Posted **May 12, 2008, 4:21 PM**

I'm a structural engineer. The Cliff Notes version of why you use prestressing is this...

Reinforced concrete works as a composite material. The concrete/aggregate mixture is very strong in compression, but it is very brittle, and weak in tension. You put the steel bars in to carry tensile (pulling) loads. So if you have a beam, for example, when it bends, the bars in the tension half and the concrete in the compression half work together.

The problem with this arrangement is that you don't develop the full strength of the steel bars until the concrete section cracks.

Someone came up with the bright idea of pre-stressing the bars BEFORE the concrete is fully set. When you do this, you enable the slab or beam to be thinner and stronger, which gives you less weight, as well as less unusable story height.

There are other factors at play in designing prestressed beams and slabs, and it's not always economically advantageous. In this case, it appears to be.

A quick comment on the Altavida...I counted and they are up to Floor 24. What floor do we think will poke above the peak of 100 Congress?

priller · #**3075** Posted **May 12, 2008, 4:58 PM**

Thanks for the info, guys! Very interesting.

Jdawgboy · #**3076** Posted **May 12, 2008, 7:12 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by hismasterplan

Okay, I really like this one better. Damn. They exaggerated downtown Austin a bit in the background but it won't be far from truth eventually.

Im still glad we got the Austonian honestly. I mean this building looks neat and all but we really don't know the height or the floor count of this building was. It looks like it could be 50 floors but would it have really been any taller than the Austonian? Sure they have a spire but its a spire not actual floors. Plus we already have the 360 tower spire.

KevinFromTexas · #**3077** Posted **May 12, 2008, 9:16 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by priller

Don't know if they're going to make it by this spring:

Great pics. The more I look at The Monarch, the more I like it.

Also, 360 Condominiums is having a grand opening party/ball at the Austin Music Hall on May 22nd. They'll have Ruthie Foster and Alejandro Escovedo play there.

Also, be sure to hit up the engineering section of the forum sometime. There are several other engineers and architects that post regularly. I always head there when I have a technical question.

hismasterplan · #**3078** Posted **May 12, 2008, 10:33 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jdawgboy

Im still glad we got the Austonian honestly. I mean this building looks neat and all but we really don't know the height or the floor count of this building was. It looks like it could be 50 floors but would it have really been any taller than the Austonian? Sure they have a spire but its a spire not actual floors. Plus we already have the 360 tower spire.

Right, I think the Austonian is cool too. It's not a bad thing she was chosen. The difference is the Austonian seems a little more conservative. Not like in a Republican since, I mean the "200" design looks more creative and a better fit for Austin. Is that a big tree in the top window? How would they manage that? But by roof it does look a little shorter, but I wouldn't mind it too much as I'm sure another high rise will come take the crown.

I'm not a fan of the orange squares on the Monarch either. When I first saw that picture, I thought that was part of the construction.

JGFrisco · #**3079** Posted **May 12, 2008, 11:55 PM**

The architect's "vision" always looks better than reality. They come up with some sweepingly beautiful design, and then the structural engineers and accountants tell the client how much said design will cost. As a result, RARELY do buildings end up anything but variations on a box.

Mopacs · #**3080** Posted **May 13, 2008, 12:26 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mopacs

It will be a "FAMSA"

http://www.famsa-usa.com/

The chain is based in Mexico. They cater to Hispanic/Immigrant clientelle, selling furniture, electronics and more. This will be their first Austin store.

More info, from today's Austin Business Journal online edition:

http://austin.bizjournals.com/austin/stories/2008/05/12/daily3.html?jst=b_ln_hl

Monday, May 12, 2008 - 4:52 PM CDT

Retailer FAMSA opening in N. Austin

Austin Business Journal

Mexico furniture and appliances retailer is opening its first store in Austin at one of the former Albertson's grocery sites.

Monterrey, Mexico-based FAMSA plans to open a store at 8716 Research Boulevard in North Austin near Ohlen Road this fall. The store will be approximately 37,000 square feet and the remaining 17,000 square feet of the former Albertson's will be leased. The site is adjacent to the Grand Central Station shopping center. That 115,000-square-foot center includes Family Dollar, Office Depot and Big Lots among others. Michele Gary and David Simmonds with The Weitzman Group are leasing the remaining space next to FAMSA.

Gary says talks are underway with several Hispanic grocery stores to take some of the remaining space. FAMSA has approximately 400 locations, mostly in Mexico and Central America. The company, which sells everything from mattresses and dining sets to camcorders and televisions, targets Latino consumers.
www.nationalfurniture.com