Three shifts of construction crews at the W and Element Hotels site recently completed one of the largest concrete pours in Philly’s history, marking a major stage of construction for the 51-story tower at 15th and Chestnut Street.
Cope Linder Architects released a video of the 24-hour pour, shrinking it down into one oddly satisfying, 4-minute time lapse.
Just how much concrete did it take? 5,850 cubic yards, or a half-acre of eight-foot-deep concrete. And before the pour, 600 trucks had to deliver the cement, and 620 tons of rebar had to be installed.
Designed by Cope Linder Architects, W and Element Hotels consists of two "Swiss watch" hotels, which makes for challenging structural work. Principal Cheryl A. Smith says in the video that the complex design means that every floor in the tower is different, requiring the structural grid to change to accommodate the interiors plans.
Construction began on the $359 million project in May 2015. This past spring, the crane went in. When the hotels are complete in 2018, there will be a 295-room W Philadelphia and a 460-room Element Philadelphia Hotel.
- Mapping the 32 high-rises currently under construction in Philly [Curbed Philly]
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