HydroLite Lightweight Aggregate Plays Key Role in Record-Breaking Structure
Key Insights:
Quick Facts:
- Name: Wilshire Grand Center
- Location: Los Angeles, CA
- Customer: Catalina Pacific Concrete
- Client: Hanjin Group
- Size: 15,000+ cubic yards of structural lightweight concrete on metal deck
Challenge: Reducing the building’s overall weight to achieve the height of the tallest structure in the western U.S., while ensuring that the lightweight concrete could be efficiently pumped to extreme heights during construction.
How Arcosa Helped
- Our Solution: Supplied HydroLite® Lightweight Aggregate to produce over 10,000 cubic yards of lightweight concrete.
- Why Lightweight Works: Lightweight concrete helped reduce the building’s overall weight, met fire rating requirements without additional fireproofing, and allowed for efficient pumping to heights of over 1,100 feet.
Final Results
- The use of structural lightweight concrete enabled the successful construction of the tallest building in the western United States, reducing material weight while meeting key fire safety and engineering requirements.
Key Quote
“The fact that our HydroLite is presoaked made pumping it up to the building’s very high floors more efficient compared to traditional materials.” — Clint Chapman, Western Region Marketing & Technical Manager for Arcosa Lightweight
Context:
- Considerations:Structural and fire safety requirements needed to be balanced with the demand for efficient construction.
- Lesson to Learn:Lightweight concrete not only meets engineering needs but also improves project logistics by facilitating easier material handling and placement at extreme heights.
Explore Further
Learn more about the use of HydroLite® Lightweight Aggregate in high-rise construction at Arcosa Lightweight.
HydroLite Lightweight Aggregate Plays Key Role in Record-Breaking Structure
Wilshire Grand Center, which stands at an impressive 1,100 feet, is recognized as one of the tallest buildings in the western United States. The project’s engineers needed to significantly reduce the building’s overall weight to achieve this height, which is why they opted for structural lightweight concrete.
With over 15,000 cubic yards of lightweight aggregate used in the concrete mix—10,000 cubic yards of which incorporated Arcosa’s HydroLite® vacuum saturated lightweight aggregate—the project achieved not only the necessary height but also critical fire resistance and improved pumpability, allowing for more efficient construction.
The structural design of the building incorporates multiple lightweight concrete slabs, with lightweight concrete poured on metal decking to form the floors and core, spanning over 1.2 million square feet across the entire tower.
Pumping No Issue for Lightweight Concrete
The ability to pump lightweight concrete all the way up to project’s soaring height was key to the successful completion of the building, which now features 900 hotel rooms, a 70th-floor sky lobby, and 445,000 square feet of office and retail space.
According to Clint Chapman, Western Region Marketing & Technical Manager for Arcosa Lightweight, the lightweight concrete used for the project was pumped at heights of 1,300 feet, with 1,100 feet of that being vertical pumping.
HydroLite® is a vacuum saturated lightweight aggregate produced by Arcosa Lightweight. This process allows the aggregate to absorb water, providing improved pumpability, reduced slump loss, and better consistency during placement. The vacuum saturation also enables the aggregate to maintain internal moisture, contributing to better curing and minimized cracking in the concrete.
Chapman also notes that the LWC used for the project also helped achieve the project’s strict fire rating requirements without needing additional fireproofing layers.
Placement Team
Turner Construction, the general contractor, led the build, with Conco Cement Company handling the concrete pumping, and Catalina Pacific Concrete, a division of CalPortland, providing the ready-mix. Arcosa Lightweight supplied the lightweight aggregate for the concrete that was used on the metal decking surrounding the building’s core and elevator towers.
Arcosa’s structural lightweight aggregate was manufactured at its Frazier Park, California plant, with the ready-mix supplier replacing standard weight granite with the lighter HydroLite aggregate.
Exceeding Expectations Through Teamwork
The Wilshire Grand Center project is a prime example of exceptional collaboration among the general contractor, the ready-mix concrete supplier, the concrete placement subcontractor, the pumping subcontractor, and the lightweight aggregate supplier.
“This project showcases the value of a cohesive team,” says Chapman. “Everyone worked together seamlessly to ensure the success of this monumental build.”
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