CSX Palmetto Spur

[Mr Fixit]

Hi,

Yeah, this is a great site,loads of info and inspiration for modern railroading.

Here's another pic from Palmetto

[ATTACHMENT NOT FOUND]

The building it is modelled upon is an early form of precast concrete tilt panel construction, probably from around the late sixties to early seventies when engineers were still working on the designs and mobile cranes were not as powerful.
Precast panels need to be strong enough to deal with the stresses imposed during the handling when moving from the horizontal plane to the vertical, hence the name tilt panels.

Some panels are still site precast, usually factory/ warehouses, whereby the slab is poured and then formwork boxing is errected in several locations on the slab and in a series of pours the various panels are poured on top of each other. Where this system can fail is if insufficient release agent is applied between the various slabs and they get stuck together either partially or fully. Partial bonding can result in broken panels and full bonding can result in broken lifting equipment. Both situations present hazards to site staff and possibly the public.

A far safer alternative is to use professional precast yards to design, manufacture, deliver and install the precast panels as they are more experienced in all the aspects of the operation. This is also important for quality finishes when the panels are a visible element of the design. Professional yards pour the panels on shaker tables to ensure correct concrete placement and have racks to store the panels during curing and while awaiting transport to site. Concrete achieves its initial strength within seven days, and is up to 95% total strength within 28 days, so it is a time and space issue.

Mark