Safety and strength in one complete package.

With seismic activity being part of daily life in California, Clark Pacific's precast hybrid moment frame offers some peace of mind for building owners and tenants, who live or work in high-rise residential and office towers. With breakthrough technology in the precast hybrid moment frame, new performance standards are being achieved, and Clark Pacific is one of only a select few manufacturers who are bringing it to today's construction marketplace. 

The technolgy is designed to save lives and limit structural damage.  The hybrid frame relies on the connection of its precast columns and beams which use both standard reinforcing steel and high-strength, post-tensioning cables to perform two functions. The combination provides both the inelastic action necessary to absorb energy through movement of the joint and the elastic action required to provide the shear and moment resistance that hold the joint together.  The high-strength, post tensioned steel isolates and separates the strength and energy-absorption components within the joint. In typical construction steel or cast-in-place beams, columns, and floor components form a structural skeleton for the building.  Then, the exterior skin is hung from the frame.

Important Advantages

Long term savings

Following a seismic event, a structure using a precast hybrid moment frame will require only minimal, if any, structural repair.  Comparatively, structures not using the hybrid moment frame are in danger of severely damaged concrete-frames and may be demolished due to prohibitive repair costs. 

EASE AND SPEED OF CONSTRUCTION
In hybrid moment frames, preset beams and columns are made off-site by Clark Pacific, erected and then cinched together with steel cables.  The straightforward construction and manufacturing principles result in cost-savings over existing systems.  The standard time in which the structural frame of the building is completed can be as quick as fourteen days.  The savings resulting from the reduced time needed to install also results in brining the structure on line faster and generating revenues sooner, in addition to cutting time on construction loans and labor costs.    

Safety

The most important advantage is that the buildings' resilience and strength protect those inside the buildings during a seismic event.  The post-tensioned system involved in a hybrid frame was created to reduce the chance of red-tagging after a seismic event and is designed for the best possible structural performance.  This engineering feat has paved a path for the design of buildings that embrace life safety with the added benefit of immediate re-occupancy of a building or structure after an earthquake.