LOS ANGELES (AP) — Crews were pouring concrete around the
clock to lay the foundation for the tallest building to be constructed
west of the Mississippi — and they’re hoping it’s one for the history
books.
The marathon concrete pour began Saturday evening and was
expected to last 20 hours without interruption. The attempt will be
verified by an official from Guinness World Records.
About 2,000
truckloads of concrete will be driven throughout the weekend to the
construction site in downtown LA where a skyscraper called the New
Wilshire Grand will be built.
"In LA I think people are enthused
about downtown, they’re excited about this building. … It means jobs,
jobs, jobs," Mayor Eric Garcetti told KABC-TV at a festive ceremony
featuring the University of Southern California marching band. He mused
on Twitter whether the construction project should be dubbed
"#pourzilla" or "#thegrandpour."
Once finished, the skyscraper
will soar 1,100 feet, making it the tallest structure west of the
Mississippi. It will boast a 900-room hotel, convention space and
offices.
There also will be an outdoor terrace and a swimming pool on
the 73rd floor.
The project, estimated to cost more than $1 billion, has been a huge undertaking.
For
the past several months, crews have prepared the site by digging an
18-foot-deep pit and lining it with 7 million pounds of reinforcing
steel. They will then add 84 million pounds of concrete.
Because
the concrete must be poured within 90 minutes of being mixed, trucks
must arrive on time. In case of freeway jams, alternate routes have been
mapped.
After the last truck leaves, it’ll take about two weeks
for the concrete to fully harden. Because concrete heats as it cures,
crews will pump water to keep it cool. Backup equipment is on site in
case anything fails.
Gerard Nieblas, president of Brandow and
Johnston, the engineering firm that designed the building, said there
are many variables at play.
"You try to minimize them as much as
possible. We’re lucky if we get 99 percent of them. But with the
foundation, we want to hit 100 percent," Nieblas told the Los Angeles
Times (http://lat.ms/1hmfSIE ).
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