When: March 17, 2026 from 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM CT
Where: HOK Office, 130 E Randolph St 14th Floor, Chicago, IL 60601 & Virtual
Details:
This roundtable explores best practices for designing and specifying precast concrete building envelopes with representatives from the A/E side and the precast fabrication side. Topics include strategies to reduce embodied carbon through optimized mix designs, material substitutions, and fabrication efficiencies that strengthen overall lifecycle performance. The session emphasizes the value of early collaboration among architects, engineers, and precast fabricators to enhance constructability, manage tolerances, and minimize cracking and field conflicts. It also reviews critical detailing considerations for movement joints, drainage, vapor control, and window integration to ensure durable enclosure performance. In addition, participants will learn how to identify common issues during shop drawing review and quality control processes that affect panel accuracy, structural behavior, and successful installation. Finally, the session assesses erection sequencing and field coordination challenges that influence safety, alignment tolerances, and overall façade performance.
Learning objectives:
- Evaluate strategies to reduce embodied carbon in precast concrete systems, including optimized mix designs, material substitutions, and fabrication efficiencies that enhance structural and lifecycle performance.
- Integrate effective early‑stage collaboration methods among architects, engineers, and precast fabricators to improve constructability, manage tolerances, and reduce cracking and field coordination issues.
- Design appropriate precast detailing solutions for movement joints, drainage, vapor control, and window integration to ensure long-term exterior enclosure performance.
- Identify common issues encountered during shop drawing review and quality control procedures that influence panel fabrication accuracy, structural behavior, and successful installation.
Presenter:
Tony Holub,
Senior Project Architect HOK
Chad van Kampen, P.E., FPCI, M.ASCE, LEED AP
Manager of Pre-Construction at Fabcon
RSVP (light refreshments and snacks will be provided): $0 members & non-members
We will have both an in-person and virtual option available.