Littleton, CO -- (SBWIRE) -- 11/03/2011 -- The State University of New York (SUNY) - Albany is constructing a new $60 million, all precast concrete, 500 bed apartment-style dormitory on the southeast portion of the Uptown campus, named "Liberty Terrace". The Liberty Terrace complex will be located east of the pond behind Indian Quad adjacent to the Boor Sculpture Studio.

Oldcastle Precast, Inc – Building Systems Division was awarded the precast concrete elements for the new 180,000 square-foot dormitory complex, one of SUNY's first total precast concrete dormitories ever constructed. The project involves the construction of two buildings, each 5 stories tall, with 250 bedrooms in each building. All apartments are 4 bedroom apartments with 2 bathrooms, a full kitchen and living/dining room area. There will be a community center with a fitness center, lounges, and meeting rooms

“Oldcastle Precast is responsible for the precast concrete design and engineering of the precast dormitory structure and manufacturing and installation of the precast concrete elements. Precast concrete was chosen for its versatility, durability, and speed of installation which allows for a short term construction period”, stated Aaron Fink, Regional Sales Engineer for Oldcastle Precast Building Systems.

The contract requires Oldcastle Precast to supply 185,000 square feet of 8" & 10" Hollowcore precast concrete plank for the floor units, 95,000 square feet of exterior finished, insulated, load bearing precast wall panels, 52,000 SF of interior load bearing solid precast wall, as well as various precast stairs, landings, beams and lintels used in the construction of the dormitory buildings. Installation of the precast elements began in June and is slated to be complete by September of 2011.

This dormitory project is designed to achieve the LEED Gold Level. LEED stands for “Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design,” meaning that this construction project will be environmentally friendly in a number of ways, incorporating features such as countless natural and sustainable elements, including permeable pavement, a green roof, rain gardens, daylight maximization, and the use of recycled and locally-sourced materials. The buildings will be heated and cooled through a geothermal (ground source heat pump) system using the constant temperature of the soils to moderate cooling and heating energy needs. The University is working with a grant from the United States Department of Energy for the design and installation of this eco-friendly mechanical system.

LeChase Construction Services is the general contractor for this project and teamed with PS & S Engineering, P.C., to design and construct the dormitory. The new apartments are slated to open in Fall 2012.

About Oldcastle Precast, Inc.
Oldcastle Precast, Inc. is the leading manufacturer of precast and polymer concrete products in the U.S. Providing engineered product solutions nationwide to a number of market sectors including:

Water - Transportation - Power & Energy -Communications

Engineering Services - Construction Services - Government/Military

Oldcastle Precast is part of Oldcastle Building Products.