Creative Concrete Systems Take Shape At New Miami Science Museum

摘要

From its elevated Gulf Stream shark tank to the full dome planetarium, the $275-million Miami Science Museum in downtown Miami is expected to be an educational and architectural masterpiece that requires a range of complex concrete mixes and custom forming systems. The signature architectural cast-in-place planetarium bowl-like structure is cast using dark gray self-consolidating concrete combined with an eclipse shrinkage reducer and Hycrete hydrophobic admix. All water-retaining structures such as aquariums, the shark tank and water-holding tanks additionally use microsilica concrete. Hycrete hydrophobic integral waterproofing admix is also used in lower structures. The elevated post-tensioned shark tank requires over 1,200 cu yd and will be suspended on six leaning architectural concrete columns, requiring sloped column soffits constructed with custom forms.