[KevinFromTexas]

Question for those in the know...

I have asked this in other threads... From today's 360 webcam, there appears to be a significant, triangular object at the edge of the 17th floor terrace. Does anyone know what this is?

http://images20.fotki.com/v373/photos/5/54967/300796/360_050107_zoom-vi.jpg

Wide view, 18th floor underway... the object in question is at the right.

http://images114.fotki.com/v637/photos/5/54967/300796/360_050107-vi.jpg

So, what is it? The guys and I were trying to figure out what it is. Someone said it's probably a concrete shaper.

[Kelvin]

My guess is that the panels (arranged in a vertical position or "A" shape) are the forms previously used for floor construction. For what ever reason, they are being stored on the roof and/or current top floor. They may be waiting to use them again, may not have room to store them on the ground, may not have the crane time to cycle them down, etc.

There is also some formwork erected around the perimeter of that lower deck (approx. 6' high). That is a mystery too.

[kayosthery]

Kevin and Kelvin, those panels look like they are the exterior wall formwork for the elevator core. You can see the core in the second picture, over to the left.

The "stick-framed" formwork on the lower level is probably a parapit wall or up-turned beam. It seems odd that it doesn't go around the whole floor, unless there is some sort of setback there. Is this building topped out?

[KevinFromTexas]

Is this building topped out?

Thanks for the help guys.

No, they're working on the 18th/19th floor now and it'll be 44 floors. This is actually Austin's new tallest, 360 Condominiums. The building will be 563 feet to the spire, 462 to the mainroof and 472 feet to the highest part of the roof, (below the spire). Starting with the 18th floor is where the shaft of the tower begins to rise.

Here's the rendering for the tower, click to enlarge. They're just getting past that high setback/terrace level to the right.
http://img252.imageshack.us/img252/2892/austin360pic3ms1.th.jpg (http://img252.imageshack.us/my.php?image=austin360pic3ms1.jpg)

[Kelvin]

Yes, I had considered that it may be a parapet wall, but usually these are more economically built from timber, masonry block or steel. Also, parapet's are between 1' and 4' and tend toward the smaller heights. Spandrel beams are are also usually not that deep (16" to 20" is usually sufficient) and almost always are downward rather than upward.

The elevator core suggestion seems to make the most sense right now. These days, many cores are done with slip forms, but there is no reason why panel forms couldn't also be used to do the job.

[kayosthery]

The company may have bought crane lifted forms instead of self-rising for the core.

Based on what Kevin said about the set-back at 17, you're probably right Kelvin. They are storing the panels there instead of sending them all the way to the ground.

[SkyWatcher]

Speaking of self lifting cranes, is there a website anyone knows about that covers how they operate? I'd like to see a demo of how they rise...a time lapse would be really cool.

Kevin, that lego city....yours? Very interesting!

[1ajs]

sure its not just a place to pile garbadge....

[harryc]

No slide-show animation - that would be cool.

I will try to get a set of pictures the next time one of the ones outside my office lifts - well one is only going down.

What I was fooled by was the ability to put the lifting section on after the tower was up and in use.

A neat trick to extend the reach of the crane by 10ft.
http://picasaweb.google.com/harry.r.carmichael/300_N_LasalleTraffCtBalanceBeam/photo#5075623849721003058

http://picasaweb.google.com/harry.r.carmichael/300_N_LasalleTraffCtBalanceBeam