Best institutional building/government

Masonry Construction, July-August, 2004

Dubuque, Iowa

Mississippi River National

Education & Conference Center

Over 400 tons of native limestone was used in the structure, which was designed to match the surrounding Mississippi River bluffs.

The building features 44 individual stone columns ranging in height from 16-32 feet. All the piers consist of 3000 handcrafted corners and follow the spine of the building's interior and exterior. Each stone was cut to length and faced in the field.

Ground face block in two colors matches the design scheme of the stone columns in the Exhibit Hall. Pre-cast is used for a 200-foot serpentine wall that borders the river.

Project Participants

Masonry Contractor: J.P. Cullen & Sons Inc. Janesville, Wis. Architect: HOK Venue, Kansas City, Mo.

Masonry Suppliers: Becker & Becker Stone. Dubuque, Iowa; Edwards Cast Stone Dubuque, Iowa; Trenwythe Industries Inc., South Beloit, Ill.: Top Block, East Dubuque. Iowa; Stetson Building Products, Rockford Ill.

Bozeman, Mont.

Gallatin Readiness

Center

Building a structure including military headquarters space, drill and training facilities, supply and weapons storage, and a firing range was a unique challenge for Smith Precision Masonry. In addition, the building had to meet the Montana National Guard's "no frills" approach to construction.

The structure consists of masonry shear and bearing walls with a bar joist system. It includes 6-, 8-, 10-, and 12-inch CMU for walls varying in height from 8-32 feet. The Center showcases three colors of burnished CMU accented with another color for the split-faced wainscot and bands of half-high burnished CMU coursing.

Hydraulic mast-climbing work platforms and a weather protection system for working in the cold and windy Montana winter were required during construction. The structure was built from the inside out to permit access for stocking CMU and moving the scaffolding by crane.

Project Participants

Masonry Contractor: Smith Precision Masonry, Bozeman, Mont.

Architect: Taylor, Hanson, Kane Architects, Bozeman, Mont.

Masonry Suppliers: Kanta Products, Three Forks, Mont.: Billings Brick and Masonry Supply Billings, Mont.