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Georgia Institute of Technology has renovated its existing 1996 Olympic swimming and diving venue into a new student recreation center. Designed by St. Louis-based Hastings & Chivetta Architects, the project creates a 175-foot continuous floor span, the longest ever known. This was accomplished by the construction of an interstitial floor at the fourth level above the existing pool complex, creating 60,000 sf of gymnasium and multi-purpose space.

To reduce vibration from the recreational court space above, a post-tension column, beam and floor slab system was constructed. Columns were placed outside of the existing building on the north and through the existing structure on the south where the spectator seating is located. Continental Concrete Structures of Atlanta worked with ABS Consulting of St. Louis to design this unique structural system, the longest continuously post-tension system in the country. The project required that the roof remain intact, as solar panels covering the roof are part of a 25-year research project being conducted by Georgia Tech, Georgia Power, and the U.S. Department of Energy.

Phase I involved the enclosure of the Olympic pool and the addition of the new gymnasium space. The second phase, scheduled for completion in Sept. 2004, includes the demolition of the original facility and construction of a new entry, fitness center, racquetball courts, climbing wall, leisure pool, offices, locker rooms, and a 500-car three-level parking deck. The project team for the $40-million facility also includes Atlanta’s URS Corp. as the civil engineer. MEP engineering was completed as a design/build service by Skanska USA of Atlanta.