2006 Tilt-Up Concrete Association (TCA) Achievement Award in the Office Building category
Cornerstone II remains a landmark example of innovation in Tilt-Up construction—an innovative five-story facility built with load-bearing Tilt-Up concrete panels that balanced structural performance, hurricane resistance, and architectural appeal. The collaboration and guidance on using the NMB Splice Sleeve® were instrumental in the project’s success, showcasing how engineering ingenuity can extend Tilt-Up technology to new heights.
Cornerstone II stands as one of the first five-story Tilt-Up concrete buildings in the United States. The project was completed in 2004 during an unprecedentedly active hurricane season in Florida. Despite four major storms, the building’s panels remained undamaged thanks to the engineering team’s careful bracing design and preparation.
The facility incorporates curtain wall features at the corners, front, and rear, with large glass areas and a specialty splatter coat finish emulating stone. A creamy neutral color palette ties the building to its surroundings.
This project was designed by Steinbicker & Associates, who introduced a novel stacked panel approach—known as the three plus two method. The lower three-story panels were erected first, followed by the addition of two upper stacked stories.
Key structural elements included:
Two interior shear wall panels, each four stories high, lifted into place.
After the exterior three-story panels were erected, the steel contractor installed columns, beams, and the fourth-floor deck before placing the second-tier panels.
Fifteen additional panels, each 18 feet by 26 feet and weighing 60,000 pounds, were lifted into position to complete the upper stories.
The project also pioneered the use of the NMB Splice Sleeve®, which joined the lower and upper panels effectively. This technique proved highly successful, providing both structural strength and efficiency in the construction process.
