Precast Concrete Provides Acoustical Advantages

Photos courtesy of FGM Architects and ©2020 Darris Lee Harris Photography

When it comes to construction of a new building, one design aspect to consider is sound transmission. Acoustics play a vital role in the design of a building, and in the designer’s selection of materials to build with.

When in the design phase, architects and engineers can determine the acoustical needs of the space and then design the building to satisfy those needs. Within each building, there will be several types of spaces, each requiring its own level of acoustical performance. The building partition (floors, walls, and ceilings) of each space offers a measurable level of privacy from outside noise and the noise from physical impacts. While some surfaces must reflect sound so loudness will be adequate in all areas where listeners are located, other surfaces absorb sound to avoid echoes and sound distortion. Sound is isolated from areas it is not wanted with the appropriate building materials.

Hollowcore plank is often a selected material for the floor and ceiling/roof as it has excellent sound transmission characteristics. Footsteps, dropped objects, slammed doors, and plumbing all generate impact noise. Precast concrete offers natural sound attenuation to dampen noise for a quiet environment. This means, if you are an apartment dweller with units above you, below you, and on either side of you, and your building is constructed with precast, you won’t hear your neighbors’ television, vacuuming, footsteps, shower turning on, or weight-lifting routine.

There are two ways of dealing with sound levels: sound insulation and sound absorption. Materials with heavy mass, like precast concrete, work well with sound. For example, when Wheaton College (Illinois) needed a new concert hall, acoustics was at the top of their focus. Completed in September 2020, Mid-States Concrete Precast Wall Panels were used to create a 650-seat acoustically engineered concert hall, a choral rehearsal room, and grand lobby. Precast was the perfect choice, according to Michael Wilder, Dean of the Conservatory of Music.

“Musicians are easily distracted by sound, so as they hear sounds from other spaces, they get off track and they can’t focus the way they need to and want to,” Wilder said.

The 55 precast concrete wall panels on this project provided the sound barrier necessary for the musicians using this space.

When all is said and done, the common goal of architects, builders and building owners is to acquire as much acoustical performance for the money as possible. This gives value.

Sound Transmission Class (STC) is a numerical rating system on how well a building partition reduces the amount of noise at a given frequency that passes through. The higher the STC, the better the performance of sound insulation. An STC rating of 50 will satisfy most building code requirements. While very loud sounds such as musical instruments or stereos can be faintly heard with an STC rating of 50, 99% of the population is not annoyed by these sounds.

According to AltusGroup, of which Mid-States Concrete Industries is a member, an 8” thick CarbonCast wall panel (wythes of 2” each) with 4” of insulation will provide an STC rating of 52. This rating can be increased by adding more mass to the wall.

Learn more >>

This is where Mid-States Concrete Industries comes in. Precast concrete provides high mass and insulation and can be manufactured in a variety of configurations, shapes, patterns, colors, and styles to meet almost any creative and functional vision. Contact our Preconstruction team today to assist you in finding the best precast solution and maximum acoustical performance for your project.

Email Jeremy Olivotti, Vice President of Preconstruction >>

Email Troy Yaun, Preconstruction >>

Email Colin Jones, Preconstruction >>

Precast Concrete Offers Smooth Construction Process for Junior High School

When the El Paso Gridley school district passed a referendum for the construction of a new junior high school, CORE Construction got to work to get the project completed on time for the 2022-23 school year.

Construction of the project in Gridley, Illinois included an 80,000-square-foot new junior high school, storm shelter, and expanded space for arts and choir students. Mid-States Concrete provided 178 wall panels, one column, and 59 pieces of hollowcore plank and solid slabs to meet the precast needs of the project.

Nicole Shelton, Project Manager with CORE Construction, found several benefits to working with Mid-States Concrete Industries for the project’s precast needs.

”From a coordination and shop drawings process, there is a lot to it, but I think Mid-States did a really nice job coordinating that alongside CORE and working with the MEP trades to make sure we had stuff cast in and openings we needed,” she said. “In terms of installing, it’s very convenient for a construction schedule and getting a building closed in quickly. It allowed us to get enclosed and work inside during the late winter months.”

Additionally, the project management team’s onsite visits ahead of construction were crucial to working through logistics.

”Mid-States was really professional and helpful,” Shelton said. “[They were] on site constantly and easy to reach during the project. All of that helped the project run smoothly.”

Even before a project begins, Shelton appreciates the communication of the Mid-States team. She likes that she can pick up the phone and speak to the preconstruction team with general questions about precast, schedule, how it all works and get the details she needs to help her prepare for future projects.

”I’ve always been impressed by Mid-States’ communication and making sure we are trying to get ahead on issues or anything that may come up in the future,” Shelton said.

Check out a video of the project in progress, shared by El Paso Gridley CUSD 11 >>

Mid-States Wall Panels Erected for Industrial Project in Beloit

When it comes to industrial projects, Mid-States Concrete Industries’ precast products offer a positive impact to the construction process.

Our organization was proud to partner with Corporate Contractors Inc. (CCI) on the construction of a 500,000-square-foot speculative industrial warehouse intended for a future tenant, owned by Phoenix Investors, a Milwaukee-based real estate agency.

For this Beloit project, located in the Gateway Business Park, Mid-States Concrete manufactured and installed more than 200 precast wall panels, and four pieces of hollowcore plank.

”We chose precast because it’s kind of the industry standard when it comes to these speculative [buildings],” said Aaron Combs, Project Manager for CCI. “… We chose Mid-States because of our longstanding partnership with Mid-States on these types of projects.”

While CCI considered both steel and tilt-up for the project, precast concrete offered the flexibility and time savings CCI needed for the timeline of the project. The wall panels were erected in roughly 12 days in July 2022.

”We started this project in March and turned it over to the owner in December,” Combs said. “Precast is able to meet our schedule, which provided savings to the client in the overall cost of the project.”

Combs added using precast helped the project run smoothly the whole way through the process. He said Mid-States knocked the shop drawings and the submittal process out of the park and simplified things. Because of that smooth process, CCI and Mid-States were able to spend time coordinating the jobsite up front, making it easier for the team to accept the panels in the field.

When it came to installation, Combs was impressed with the communication from the project management team at Mid-States, in terms of goals set each day and any impacts to those goals. He also commended the installation team for being on time every day, working hard, keeping a clean jobsite, and communicating well with the CCI team.

”At the end of the day, we’ve got a really good product and a happy client and it’s because of partners like you guys,” Combs said.

Mid-States Concrete Industries President Hagen Harker documented two visits to the jobsite in our Precast Chalk Talk series. Watch the videos to learn more about why precast concrete is a great choice for your next industrial project.

Precast Chalk Talk: Episode 36 >>

Precast Chalk Talk: Episode 37 >>

Mid-States Concrete's Mike Wolff Named 2023 PCI Fellow

Mid-States Concrete’s Vice President of Safety and Quality, Mike Wolff, was recently named a 2023 PCI Fellow.

The PCI Fellow award recognizes an individual who has embraced the values of the Institute and has provided continuous outstanding contributions to the precast concrete industry. Service to the industry may be considered in the areas of education, research, design, marketing, management, and operations. This individual will have also demonstrated exceptional service to PCI.

Wolff, who has been with Mid-States Concrete for 16 years, is humbled by being named a PCI Fellow.

“The Fellows that were up on that stage with me are incredible individuals who have contributed immensely to the precast industry,” Wolff said.

Over the years, Wolff has served on a number of PCI committees focused on quality and safety. He currently serves as Chair of the Plant Certification and QA Supplier Committees; as a member of the Erector Certification, Quality Activities Council (also Vice Chair), Quality Enhancement, Quality Personnel Training and Certification, Safeguarding Impartiality, and Tolerances Committees; and consulting member of the Architectural Certification and Plant Safety and Environmental Committees. He also currently serves as President of PCI of Illinois & Wisconsin. At the most recent PCI Convention, Wolff was also given a new appointment: Quality Activities Council Chair for PCI National.

Mid-States Concrete President Hagen Harker commends Wolff’s continuous learning and improvement and the impact he has had on our organization and the precast industry. He added that Wolff brings his best every day, crosses all lines to share information and genuinely wants to help everyone get better and improve.

“The only way it would be possible for me to be involved in PCI is because of everyone at Mid-States Concrete Industries,” Wolff said, crediting Harker for his encouragement to participate, and crediting the rest of the production team for covering him while on PCI business, keeping the ship in the right direction.

Within his work on various committees, Wolff is most proud of creating the Quality Assurance Supplier Committee and the work of that committee in creating documents that are truly life safety documents designed to prevent disasters and accidents.

He is also grateful for the relationships he has built within PCI as it has provided him with a network of experts within the field to work with and learn from.

“You don’t always have to be the smartest guy in the room, but you have to be willing to learn,” Wolff said.

Wolff is also grateful for the opportunity to impact the precast industry through his participation in PCI.

“Being on the committees, being on the councils, Mid-States has a voice and can impact the standards that are set forth for precast,” Wolff said. “That’s a big deal.”