The Art of Concrete by Rebecca Wasieleski

Florida contractor Reinforced Structures, Inc. relied on planning and scheduling to successfully build an architectural cast-in-place structure with self-consolidating concrete to house the works of artist Salvador Dali.
When Reinforced Structures, Inc. of Clearwater, Fla., took on the concrete construction work of the new Dali Museum, the company had a number of challenges to overcome. First, this was RSI’s first project using self-consolidating concrete (SCC). Second, the building needed to stand up to Florida’s unique weather and ocean side environment. And third, the cast-in-place structure was designed to look like architectural precast panels and serve as the cornerstone for St. Petersburg, Fla.‘s downtown arts district. RSI found success on this project in planning, organization and open lines of communication with every member of the construction team.

“A lot of teamwork went into this building,” says RSI president Steve Whitely. “When we got this job we picked an A-Team, from the concrete supplier to the formwork supplier to the reinforcing supplier. Along with the structural engineer, general contractor and architect, we were all involved in planning. It was an interesting job and everyone was involved in making the project a success.”

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