Molded Fiber Glass Construction Products
The new $59 million Library and Learning Center at the United States Military Academy in West Point, N.Y., will be state of the art, so naturally, its construction involves decorative concrete. The library expansion will utilize intricate fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP) formwork to create unique exterior features such as archways and columns.
The Army Corps of Engineers awarded the design contract to STV Inc., an engineering, architectural, planning and construction management firm based in New York, N.Y. STV's design included a unique arch-and-column facade as a centerpiece to adorn the facilities' main entranceway. The design is comprised of two vertical column arch forms spanning 25 feet from column to column and adorned with intricate cloverleaf-shaped cast impressions. In the final design configuration, the columns had to structurally support some building loads, with the arches supporting their own weight.
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Roger & Sons Concrete Inc., of Lagrangeville, N.Y., was awarded a concrete contract that included fabricating, assembling the formwork, installing the reinforcing, and placing and finishing all concrete. Roger & Sons then enlisted their formwork subcontractor, Ceco Concrete Construction of Gladstone, Mo., to find custom suppliers for the entranceway formwork system, and that company secured the help of Molded Fiber Glass Construction Products (MFG), an Independence, Kan., company that manufactures standard and custom one-piece FRP forms.
As the arch forms were at a compound radius, or curved at two angles, computer numerical control cutting was used to achieve the correct dimensions and tolerances from column to column. To satisfy a design aesthetic that mandated a smooth, shiny surface, MFG Construction's custom 220-grit sand and buff composite forms gave a smooth, clean finish to the columns, leaving no rebar seams or bug holes.
MFG custom-fabricated two columns and three arches, spanning 16 total pieces, and the forms were shipped to West Point for assembly, rebar and concrete pour completion. Roger & Sons then began rebar reinforcing assembly for a concrete pour of approximately 2,239 cubic yards for the exposed areas of six completed floors. Additional rebar was required because of the design's bends and lapping and to allow for shock absorbance protection in the event of an explosion.
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