Precast Solutions Weekly

Precast Solutions Weekly features one construction project or news item each week that is associated with the precast concrete industry. These features range from rural highway work to the legislative changes in our nation's capital that continue to shape the face of the industry. Visit www.precast.org weekly for the latest from Precast Solutions Weekly.

For the week of Dec. 17 - 23, 2006

Off the Beaten Path: Precast at Detroit Auto Show
For GMC, nothing says innovation, power and sophistication like precast concrete.

This winter, car makers roll out new models of cars, trucks and SUVs that we’ve seen, haven’t seen and may never see again at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. One particular line, the GMC Denali, is on display to inspire innovation, power and sophistication inside every truck and SUV buyer – at least that’s what GMC is hoping for.

Innovation, power and sophistication are words GMC wants perspective car buyers to etch into their minds after they walk by the Denali display at the Jan. 13 auto show. To get auto enthusiasts thinking in these terms, GMC forked over big bucks on the Denali display – LED lighting, textured blue steel and precast concrete act as a unified, bold frame behind each Denali vehicle.

“A professional-grade truck deserves a professional-grade display,” says Timothy Peters, General Motors' assistant director of auto shows and operations. With this in mind, GM chose precast concrete, textured blue steel and chrome as a cool reference to the grille design of the Denali three-vehicle lineup.

Because of the secret nature of the auto show not to unveil too much before the paying public gets a look Jan. 13, the particulars on what type of precast are unknown.

Visit the NAIAS Web site during the dates of the show, Jan. 7-21, for more information and photos about the GMC Denali display.

2006 Archive
Precast Dubai (Dec. 10-17)
Locker Rooms Ready Ahead of Bowl Game (Dec. 3-9)
Suspended Paving at World Trade Center (Nov. 26 - Dec. 2)
Precast Skyway is an Ohio Feat (Nov. 19 - 25)
Time-Tested and AIA-Approved (Nov. 12-18)
Like Boston's Big Dig, Only Smaller (Nov. 5 - 11)
Iowa Builder Introduces Glass Mosaic and Precast (Oct. 29 - Nov. 4)
HUD Gives Nod to Precast Panels (Oct. 22-28)
Texas Educators Choose Precast for Expansion (Oct. 15-21)
Concrete Countertops 202 (Oct. 8-14)
Aloha, Precast Walls (Oct. 1-7)
Precast Home Popularity Soars (Sept. 24-30)
No More Patching Patches (Sept. 17-23)
Small but Not Small-Minded (Sept. 10-16)
National Parks Replace Jons with Precast Concrete (Sept. 3 - 9)
Gains Bigger When Building Underground (Aug. 27 - Sept. 2)
Back to Baseball in Florida (Aug. 20-26)
Colorado State Employees Enjoy a New, Larger Precast Concrete Garage (Aug. 13-19)
Big Dig Scrap Turns into Big Digs (Aug. 6-12)
'Idea House' is Testing Ground for Eco-Friendly Living (July 30 - Aug. 5)
Reliance on Wood Fades with New Precast Log Home Design (July 23-29)
Constraints of House Design Prompts Precast (July 16-22)
HGTV Eyes Precast Tiles for Kitchen Rehab (July 9-15)
Precast Concrete Countertop Makers Hit the Books (July 2 - 8)
Precast Concrete Sections Support $4 Billion Seattle Light Rail (June 25 - July 1)
High-end Living Without the Fat Price Tag (June 18-24)
Welcome to Bangor, Maine (June 11-17)
Blending In (June 4-10)
Carving Out a Niche (May 28-June 3)
NYDOT Tests Precast Road Slabs (May 21-27)
Floridians Drawn to Precast Panel Home Construction (May 7-13)
Notice: Overnight Delay Expected. Is That All? (April 30 -May 6)
Precast Rehab at Doyle Field (April 23-29)
Bridge-Building in the Bayou (April 16-22)
A New Paradigm in Botanical Research (April 9-15)
Solutions to an Inmate Influx (April 2-8)
NASA Supercomputer Selects Best Mix (March 26-April 1)
"Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" (March 12-18)
Custom Oil and Grit Separator (March 5-11)
Women in Concrete Forum (Feb. 19-25)
JE Hill's "Fear Factor" (Feb. 5-11)
Jenson Precast Rolls out Concrete Walls (Jan. 29-Feb. 4)
Osteopathic Medicine and Precast Concrete (Jan. 15-21)

2005 Archive
"Practical Precast" Home Building Demo (Dec. 25-31)
Concrete Countertop Training (Dec. 10-17)
Precaster's Donation Funds New School Construction (Dec. 4-10)
Washington Post Addresses New Construction in the Gulf ( Nov. 27-Dec. 3)
Kokomo Route 22 Bridge Replacement (Nov. 20-26)

Submit project proposals to Greg Snapper for future Weekly postings.