the Parking Garage Structure
SAP America parking garage, Newtown Square, Pa.
J&R Slaw sets new standards in value for parking garage componentry. We want to let you in on a trade secret: some of our biggest parking garage customers are our precast competitors! We sell more garage components to other Parking Garage Producers than to all other customers combined. Nothing says more about your reputation, than being a favorite vendor to the competition!
Our precast concrete products offer the same great structural strength and durability as the other structural producers' products, along with uncommonly flexible aesthetic capabilities and production resources. A variety of colors are textures are available, enabling the designer to create structures that are not only useful, but quite attractive as well. Perhaps best of all, J&R Slaw is a small enough company to be extremely responsive to your needs -- we are able to make quick changes in product designs and construction scheduling, without your project getting bogged down in bureaucratic red tape.
Other benefits of J&R Slaw's precast structural components include:
Quality Control
Building a durable, corrosion-resistant parking structure begins with high quality concrete. At
our precast plant, concrete is manufactured under strict factory-controlled conditions. We
operate under rigid PCI standards to assure durability, strength and lasting
beauty. All of J&R Slaw's precast concrete is of a high strength design. Precisely controlled entrained air increases the concrete's ability to withstand thermal contraction and expansion, preventing surface scaling and cracking.
J&R Slaw is a member of the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute (PCI) and participates in its Plant Certification Program which ensures consistent quality
from forming, through casting, to finishing.
Aesthetic Flexibility
The aesthetic flexibility of precast concrete gives you a rich palette of colors, shapes and
textures to produce dramatic effects. Precast concrete lets you create unique parking structures that can imitate the design of other structures in a building complex, add visual interest to a downtown area or contribute to the campus setting of a hospital or school. With a new concern for aesthetics in parking structure design, professionals are recognizing the flexibility of precast concrete and its greater ability to meet such needs as compared to any other structural system. The inherent plasticity of precast concrete allows you to economically create components in custom shapes and sizes that would be prohibitively expensive in other materials.
Colors and Effects
A wide array of colors and textures can be achieved through the use of various aggregates and cements. Almost any kind of stone can be incorporated into a precast
parking structure's façade to produce dazzling effects. Adding local stone helps blend the
structure with its natural environment. Exposed aggregates can effectively mimic surrounding granite or marble buildings. For more aesthetic options, pigmented cements can also be used.
Finishes and Textures
To add aesthetic interest, precast surfaces can be finished to produce a wide range of textures including smooth, ribbed, sandblasted and exposed aggregate. When the traditional brick masonry of surrounding buildings needs to be replicated in the façade
of a parking structure, brick veneers can be supplied for precast spandrels. At
J&R Slaw, we can achieve a brick finish by casting full, half or thin bricks directly into spandrels. An alternative is to cast voids in spandrels that can be inset with bricks in the field.
Durability
Quality concrete, produced and cast under tight PCI quality assurances makes precast concrete
the superior choice over other materials.
Fire Resistance
Because it is non-combustible, precast concrete is resistant to fire, and
substantially limits fire damage to a parking structure. Precast concrete helps maintain the structural
integrity of a garage in the unfortunate event of a fire.
Minimized Maintenance
Precast concrete parking structures retain their original appearance for many years, with no significant
discoloration or surface decay. Minimal aesthetic maintenance is required, a considerable savings over time. Also, the durability of precast concrete can greatly
reduce the need for structural repairs.
Speedy Construction
Because precast concrete elements are fabricated under
factory conditions, critical steps in the construction process can overlap to save valuable preparation and on-site construction
time. Precast concrete members can be manufactured simultaneously with site preparations and
foundation work, then delivered just-in-time for erection. With such a fast-track schedule, not
only is the structure erected faster, it's also finished faster. This overall time-savings greatly
impacts your bottom line by reducing financing costs and providing an immediate return on your
investment - as well as meeting crucial parking needs.
Minimal Weather Delays
With precast concrete parking structures, precast members can be erected in a wide array of
environmental conditions, so weather is rarely a factor in meeting your construction schedule.
Regardless of temperature or humidity, the strength of precast concrete is not threatened, and
your project proceeds through virtually all weather conditions.
Fewer On-Site Labor Delays
Using precast concrete minimizes on-site labor, so there is less risk of
manpower shortages or workforce slowdowns delaying and disrupting your construction schedule.
Easy Site Access
When working with a relatively inaccessible site, such as in a congested urban area, squeezing
in a parking structure poses little difficulty for experienced precast concrete erection crews. The
entire concrete superstructure can generally be erected with one or two cranes operating from
fixed positions, often within the building footprint, thereby providing minimal traffic disruption.
The Chosen Way To Build
Over the years, precast concrete from J&R
Slaw has proven to be the most cost-effective way to build parking structures that
are both durable and attractive. Recent statistics have shown that more new above-ground parking
structures are built with precast concrete than any other structural system. Considering the amazing benefits of precast concrete, it's easy
to understand why. With high strength and durability, low maintenance, speed of erection and unlimited design and aesthetic capabilities,
precast concrete is the preferred material for parking systems and J&R Slaw is the preferred producer.
