Tuesday, May 27 was a bright, sunny morning in Louisville, Ky., when the downtown skyline was suddenly marred by black smoke.

The source of the smoke — the new production facility expansion for The Courier-Journal — drew crowds that included journalists from The Courier-Journal itself as well as reporters from every television station in town.

Sparks from a grinder had ignited roofing insulation that had been staged on top of the high bay in preparation for roofing. Although it looked very bad at the time, the only damage to the building was the loss of the insulation itself and the metal decking that it sat on.

No damage

Metallurgical tests conducted on the structural support beams confirmed that they were not damaged by the heat from the fire. By re-phasing work, the general contractor was able to respond to the fire and not lose any time from the project schedule.

A May 27 fire at The Courier-Journal’s new production plant had a lot of smoke, but caused little damage.
Photo: The Courier-Journal

Our 15 minutes of fame (or infamy) created by the fire notwithstanding, the most significant progress during the month was in exterior finishes and the press table.

The installation of the pre-manufactured external insulation finish system panels was completed, giving the press bay exterior its “limestone” look. The color was a good match with the existing building and the architectural lines set into the panels echo the block-work on the original building.

The south face of the building also began to take shape, with the finish brick going up around the office area. Again, color match was important, as the bricks sat right against the existing building that stands on one of Louisville’s main thoroughfares.

Work also started on the visitor parking lot on the south end of the site. As has been the case during this project, foundations from long-gone buildings were uncovered and one last underground fuel tank was discovered and properly disposed.

In addition to the parking lot, the area will also boast a large landscaped plaza area for the use of employees and visitors.

Press table grows

Inside the building, the press table grew quickly, despite its complexity. Forty-four columns spread from south to north, with forms and rebar for the table-top following quickly behind. The table-top is 18 feet wide, three feet thick and nearly 300 feet long. The amount of steel rebar in the table is staggering; the steel comprises 14 percent of the table’s volume. An inspection in early June by SLP/Co-Projects, the German engineering firm retained by (press vendor) KBA North America, confirmed that the steel was correctly installed and ready for the concrete pour.

Single slab

The press table was poured as a single slab, using four pumps and a steady stream of concrete trucks. By pouring the slab as one piece, also known as a monolith, the concrete shrinkage will be uniform throughout the table, reducing the possibility of cracking.