ONLINE EXCLUSIVE ExpandEd ContEnt For: “prECast ConCrEtE Builds Community” RAVEN PRECISION AGRICULTURE CENTER BROOKINGS, S.DAK. /// By Mason nichols Precast concrete is known worldwide as a versatile material ca-pable of bringing nearly any project to life. From hospitals to air traffic control towers, high-rise buildings, and beyond, it’s resil-ient, durable, and sustainable in every application. But despite all its advantages, the true power in precast concrete lies in its ability to bring people together. Such is the case at South Dakota State University (SDSU) in Brookings, S.Dak., where university officials sought to combine two of the school’s largest agriculture majors into a consolidated program. Previously, students studying agricultural and biosys-tems engineering and agronomy, horticulture, and plant science were separated by several blocks on campus. University officials launched SDSU’s Precision Agriculture pro-gram—the first in the United States—to bring these students together not only in their studies, but in their physical location as well. The resulting structure, the 130,000-ft2 Raven Precision Agriculture Center, is a hub for research and hands-on learning that better connects the campus thanks in large part to precast concrete. Planting the Seeds Early conversations surrounding the cutting-edge facility kicked off in 2015. Precast concrete was incorporated into the design due to the need for high head clearance on the building’s south side, According to Colin Gaalswyk, senior mechanical engineer at SDSU, the plan was for high-and mid-bay spaces to house large agricultural equipment such as combines and tractors. These spaces also needed to be tall enough to support bridge cranes. Shawn Crowley, director of higher education for EAPC Archi-tects Engineers, agrees with Gaalswyk, adding that the project team sought to make the walls on the south end of the Raven Precision Agriculture Center double as both a structure and du-rable surface. “Precast concrete offered a solid base for the south end of the building,” he says. “We could use load-bearing precast concrete and have long-span roof structures without the need for extra steel or building a separate wall.” EAPC and contractor McCownGordon partnered with Gage Brothers of Sioux Falls, S.Dak., to manufacture the precast con-
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