MTE's Involvement
MTE was proud to have provided structural engineering services for the development of the Trio on Belmont. MTE’s role encompassed structural engineering design, preparation of design drawings to obtain building permits, inspection of structural work, and review of shop drawings.
All structures were built using pre-cast construction, with the exception of the foundations, which are cast-in-place concrete. Pre-cast concrete was selected for its durability, cost efficiency, quick assembly, and ability to continue construction through the winter months, ensuring the project stayed on schedule. On average, one floor was completed each week. Since the pre-cast floors included the exterior walls and cladding, the building was quickly enclosed, allowing interior finishing to begin almost immediately.
The residential buildings all feature similar structural systems, with hollow-core floor slabs supported by pre-cast concrete bearing and shear walls. These wall panels also served as the exterior cladding. Due to the high water table in the area, basements were not considered feasible, so the pre-cast structures were founded on uniform raft slabs. Without the option for below-grade parking, an above-grade structure was constructed, and pre-cast concrete was determined to be the most cost-effective solution. The parking garage uses pre-cast concrete double-tee floors supported by pre-cast spandrel beams and walls. Both the residential buildings and parking structure were stained in complementary tones to ensure a cohesive visual appearance across the development.
The three residential towers utilized over 3,250 pre-cast concrete pieces, along with nearly 434,500 square feet of pre-cast hollow-core slabs. The parking structure contributed an additional 230 pre-cast elements. The pre-cast floors were typically erected on a weekly cycle, with the 14-story tower’s construction, from groundbreaking to occupancy, completed in just 17 months.