Burr Ridge III Hollow Core Plank Strengthening
Hollow-core plank strengthening required carefully coordinated passages through an existing masonry bearing wall at Brookdale Burr Ridge.
Delta Structural Technology completed hollow-core plank strengthening at Brookdale Burr Ridge. The project’s defining construction issue was the interface between the carbon fiber reinforcement and an existing masonry bearing wall. Reinforcing strips had to continue through that wall while the preparation work preserved support for the narrow precast planks. Delta reviewed the access detail with the project team before mobilization.
- Market
- Residential
- Services
- Hollow-core plank carbon fiber strengthening
- Location
- Burr Ridge, Illinois
Project challenge
The existing precast planks were described as two feet wide. Making a large opening through the bearing wall for each strip could remove too much supporting masonry at closely spaced locations. At the same time, installers needed sufficient clearance to pass the reinforcing plank through the wall. The opening size was therefore a structural and constructability question, not simply a demolition preference.
Project approach
The installation discussion centered on three-inch-wide CarboDur reinforcing planks and the clearances needed at their passage through the CMU wall. Delta reviewed smaller penetrations and the limitations of removing full blocks. The team requested the reinforcement locations on each precast plank and photographs of completed preparation before mobilization. This linked the strengthening layout with selective wall preparation and the retained bearing conditions.
Delivery and coordination
Coordination between the installation team and the contractor responsible for preparation was essential. The contractor needed the chase locations and sizes before demolition; Delta needed assurance that the work would leave an accessible and appropriate installation path. The correspondence made the bearing-wall constraint explicit, allowing the field preparation and reinforcement sequence to be evaluated together rather than as unrelated trade activities.
Project significance
Burr Ridge illustrates how an apparently small interface can determine the practicality of a composite upgrade. Strengthening a precast floor requires attention to where the reinforcement travels, including supports and intervening walls. The project provides a concrete example of the value of early installation review and precise preparation instructions in an existing building.
