PROJECT
4 Penn Plaza
(Office building renovation)
LOCATION
Philadelphia, PA
PRODUCT
LEVELROCK Brand FLoor Underlayment 3500
PROJECT
OWNER
Leggatt McCall Properties, Inc.
GENERAL
CONTRACTOR
Intech
LEVELROCK
APPLICATOR
Pyramid Finish Cement, Inc. |
"The LEVELROCK gypsum underlayment bid turned out to be less than
half the cost of the self-leveling concrete bids."
 Steve
DeGaray
President
Pyramid Finish Cement, Inc.
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LEVELROCK Underlayment Delivers
Major Cost Savings for
Philadelphia High-Rise
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Philadelphia's 4 Penn
Plaza was originally built in the 1960s.
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The use of LEVELROCK
Brand Floor Underlayment 3500 cut floor underlayment installation costs in half
compared to using self-leveling cement during the recent $70 million renovation
of the 20-story 4 Penn Plaza office building in downtown Philadelphia.
The project required application of approximately 525,000 sq. ft. of
underlayment over existing concrete floors inside the 40-year-old, building.
Application of the underlayment was handled by Pyramid Finish Cement, Inc., a
subsidiary of New York-based Pyramid Floor Coverings, Inc., one of the leading
flooring subcontractors in the eastern U.S.
"We bid the job two
ways," said Steve DeGaray, president of Pyramid Finish Cement. "One bid was to
cover the floors with a concrete self-leveler. The general contractor received
bids from other contractors, also proposing concrete products.
"But it
was our second bid that enabled us the get the job," DeGaray continued. "We
proposed using LEVELROCK 3500 underlayment and that bid turned out to be less
than half the cost of the self-leveling concrete bids."
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Approximately 525,000 sq.
ft. of LEVELROCK 3500 underlayment were applied throughout the 20-story
building.
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LEVELROCK Brand
Floor Underlayment 3500 offers compressive strengths up to 4,000 psi and is
ideal as a topping application over uneven existing concrete. It can be applied
as thin as 3/8-inch thick and up to 4 inches thick. It stands up exceptionally
well under heavy-traffic use. As evidenced on the 4 Penn Plaza project, the
product also dramatically reduces surface preparation time in comparison to
portland cement products.
The
existing concrete floors at 4 Penn Plaza, prior to underlayment
application.
Same floor, covered with freshly poured LEVELROCK underlayment.
The
LEVELROCK underlayment dries quickly leaving a smooth, high-strength
surface.
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"To apply a cement
self-leveler over this surface involves use of a 'shot-blaster' to peel away
the top layer," said DeGaray. "Then you need to clean and prime the floors.
It's a labor intensive process, but it's the only way to ensure a good bond.
Using LEVELROCK underlayment, on the other hand, requires only light surface
cleaning and priming. And there are no questions about the integrity of the
bond."
The LEVELROCK underlayment was poured 3/8-inch thick over the
concrete floors on all 20 stories. USG supplied pre-blended 60-pound bags of
product for the job. The blend consisted of pre-determined ratios of sand and
LEVELROCK underlayment compound. Pyramid Finish Cement crews simply added water
to the pre-blend (using a computerized flow meter to ensure consistency),
primed the surface and poured the gypsum cement.
"The pre-blended
bags helped reduce our installation time and ensured a very consistent mix
… for a very reliable floor," said DeGaray.
Pyramid Finish
competed the project on-time and on-budget.
The redevelopment of 4
Penn Plaza will bring 525,000 sq. ft. of Class A office space to Philadelphia's
City Center district. |
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