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NiCore™ Plank – Camber & Topping Thickness

It is common for precast, prestressed hollow-core slabs to exhibit camber (i.e.: upward deflection), and NiCore™ Planks from Nitterhouse Concrete Products, Inc. (NCP) are no different. Periodically we encounter construction specifications stipulating that the hollow-core slabs are to be cambered to overcome dead load deflection due to self-weight, but such specifications couldn’t be further from […]

Extended Double Tee Stem Daps

It is no surprise that the double tee is the workhorse of precast, prestressed concrete parking structures, and one of the most commonly found features is the use of dapped stems. Stem daps are typically found at exterior spandrels and interior inverted tee beams as shown in Details 1 & 2 below. On occasion engineers […]

Nicore™ & Double Tee Fire Resistance

DOUBLE TEE FLANGE – FIRE RESISTANCE High-performance, precast, prestressed double tees have been the go-to structural floor framing in parking structures for many decades, and there is no reason to think they will not continue to do so into the future. They are easily capable of supporting vehicular automotive live loads while free-spanning common 60’-0” […]

Column Encroachment in Parking Spaces

A commonly encountered occurrence in parking structures is column encroachment in parking spaces. While this is perceived as problematic, or at the very least resulting in a reduced Level-of-Service (LOS), the goal of this narrative is to demonstrate that rarely should this be a concern. Nor is this a topic exclusive to precast, prestressed parking […]

Collateral Dead Loads for Hotels, Apartments, and Dormitories

When designing NiCore™ Planks by Nitterhouse Concrete Products, Inc. (NCP) for a multitude of structures such as hotels, apartments, and dormitories in Residential Group R-2 it is important not to overlook commonly encountered collateral dead loads.   Such loads are not included in the IBC-prescribed minimum live loads for these types of occupancy.   A typical 40 psf live load essentially includes […]