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Parking structures these days are being built so quickly that it almost seems as if they had sprung up overnight. The speed at which they go up, however, in no way diminishes its strength, nor its structural integrity. The mystery about what makes constructs like the Fox parking structure in Hollywood, as well as other huge projects so strong and resilient can be easily solved by taking an in depth look at its components: bearing pads and precast concrete forms. Bearing Pads When it comes to erecting enormous projects, like the retaining wall construction , and roadways, bridges and overpasses, they are all designed to be able to handle one common element: a lot of traffic. To ensure that these constructs can absorb all the vibrations from those vehicles passing through without sustaining any damage, a protective device called a bearing pad must be used in the final phase of construction. Bearing pads are designed to help distribute the weight of the concrete forms and absorb some of the structural stresses that regularly affect such large constructs, like vibration. It absorbs stresses from both orientations, vertically and horizontally, and grants the precast forms it is supporting flexibility to absorb even more stress. The overall effect will give the concrete forms a much longer lifespan than it would have had under normal conditions, without the pads. Concrete Forms One reason that these structures can go up so quickly is because the majority of these projects use what is known in the industry as precast concrete forms. They are used to mass produce walls, staircases, ramps and supports. By producing these, one after another, curing them, reinforcing them, and then transporting them en masse to the job site, you can save a considerable amount of labor and job costs. If you tried to do the same thing out on the job site, you would have to pay for labor and materials, as well as lose valuable building time waiting for the concrete to set, and reinforcing the constructs on the fly. You would also have to deal with any delays caused by weather conditions. Concrete forms can be made in two thicknesses: single and double. Single thickness walls are chosen when you want durability and soundproofing, especially handy for stairwells and elevator shafts. Double thickness forms were often chosen for use in plans that call for added insulation, strength and flexibility to withstand environmental shifts and sudden storms. Michelle Clarke is a profound writer. His mainly writes about Fox parking structure and several topics. His writings always contain authenticate information. He regularly contributes to the website Shotcreteinc.com.
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