High Construction Company--Pfizer (Warner Lambert)

To allow for the consolidation of its U.S. distribution facility, Pfizer built a 177,000-square-foot addition. The mid-Atlantic distribution center is constructed of structural steel with precast concrete architectural wall panels and a ballasted EPDM roof. It was designed with 54-foot x 54-foot bays with a 34-foot clearance height to accommodate a 5-tier rack system and has a complete sprinkler system. Not only did the addition have to be integrated with existing structures, it was to be built on unsuitable land over an area of limestone caverns. To compensate, it was placed on 8-inch steel-reinforced concrete slabs on top of caissons drilled into bedrock. Construction of Pfizer's addition was completed in three phases, without disrupting the facility's operations.