Chatham Park

Challenge

The Chatham Park project is a 7,100-acre planned mixed-use development located in Pittsboro, North Carolina. It will feature new space for about 60,000 residents and will house almost 22 million square feet of office, research, retail and community space. As part of this blossoming development, a 58,000 square foot building intended to be a flex warehouse featuring clear heights of approximately 20’-0” and parapet heights of 30’-0” was designed by architects HagerSmith Design PA. To ensure the structural integrity of the design the developer, Mackenan and architects HagerSmith Design turned to the experts at TRC.

Solution

TRC worked alongside the architectural staff to provide the site-specific structural design, drawings and details for the critical foundations of the warehouse space. To provide lateral stability for the building, tilt-up wall panels and moment-connected columns at the building expansion joints were incorporated into the design. Tilt-up concrete wall panels are a construction approach used to establish substantial, load-bearing walls. This technique requires the horizontal casting of concrete wall panels on the ground or a casting bed, followed by their elevation into a vertical orientation with cranes and related machinery. Once in the vertical position, the panels are connected to the building’s foundation and each other to form the structural walls of the building.

Result

The Chatham Park Commerce Center is the only flex/industrial opportunity in Chatham Park, and the completion of this warehouse space is a major step forward for the further development of the project which aims to enhance the community by providing thoughtfully designed and affordable living and work spaces. The unique design and construction techniques ensure the space is safe and visually interesting, helping to make this area a centerpiece of a thriving community.