Here we see Jim Folds (in the suit) with the afternoon tour group. One tidbit from the tour was that Jim is a dropout from the FSU College of Engineering. He left partway through and is now a project manager. (My opinion, having seen some good and bad projects while working as a surveyor during my college days, is that he is a very good project manager.)
He pointed out lots of details about this construction method and the logistics of it all. The pre-fab concrete pieces are being made in Georgia, near Atlanta, and trucked to Tallahassee. About 20 pieces arrive each day when they are going full speed, ready to be installed the next day after temporary storage off the road to the new North Lot.
One of the ways they are making money and saving TCC money at the same time (we basically are getting a 5 story ramp for the price of 4) is by using thinner pre-fab floor beams and adding the rest of the concrete and reinforcing steel on site. It also helps that construction is in a slump and they got lots of good (low) bids. You can see the construction details very clearly in this view.
And here is the view from the top. The ramp offers a great view of the State Capitol in the distance.
The latest news is that the upper deck will be covered with solar panels that will generate about 750 kW of power while shading the cars on the top level.
I have a lot more pictures from that tour and some earlier ones during the early phases of the project that I will try to organize here next semester.
