FPB Telecommunications Headend Facility

The Franklin Plant Board (FPB) Telecommunications Headend Facility was designed for government communication in Frankfort, Kentucky, the state capital. All communications to the capital building go through this facility. It was over designed to protect it from natural disasters because of the significant documents it houses.

Our work included foundations, walls, slab-on-grade and sitework. The walls required Thermomass insulation, but tilt-up panels were not an option because the building is located in the middle of a subdivision, which has limited space for panel erection. The solution Lithko suggested was cast-in-place walls, which are 23 feet tall and 15 inches thick.

Two inches of insulation had to be offset to accommodate the nine inches of concrete on the inside of the building and the four inches on the outside. This created pressure when pouring, so we had to use external vibrators, which made placement difficult. To add to the complexity, all mechanical and electrical components were embedded in the wall prior to placement.

This kind of nontraditional design provided new challenges for the Lithko team. Not only did we successfully complete the project, but also learned new skills we can bring to future projects.