MEVA’s Formwork Innovation Takes Center Stage at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Building Legends

The iconic Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio, is turning up the volume with a $135+ million lakefront expansion that will amplify its ability to connect fans, artists, and students with the heart of rock and roll. At the center of this monumental build is MEVA, proud to have partnered with Cleveland Cement Contractors to provide the formwork -systems and engineering expertise for this uniquely complex structure.

The new addition to the Rock Hall will include event and performance spaces, education centers, and a new main public entryway with sweeping views of Lake Erie. Known for its eye-catching architecture, the expansion features an elliptical, cast-in-place concrete pavilion, with tilted wall segments sloped inward at 15 degrees to give the 50-ft. structure a dramatic, mountain-like form – an architectural nod to the power of rock and the natural landscape it reflects.

Colored self-consolidating concrete
Adding to the challenge, each wall segment included precise architectural reveals at every vertical and horizontal joint, with a colored self-consolidating concrete (SCC) mix for a striking, finished appearance of each 14-ft.-tall pour. MEVA’s design team created an easy way to attach the work platforms and formwork supports for the upper pours by utilizing existing, pre-approved tie locations in the formwork. The inside shoring towers were engineered to support the vertical loads of the ‘overhanging’ concrete walls, including safe access to the upper work areas and sufficient support of the formwork. The project demanded exacting formwork symmetry, consistent tie patterns, and no additional anchor locations to support external formwork.

MEVA was involved early in the pre-construction phase, working alongside general contractor Albert M. Higley Co. and Cleveland Cement to evaluate the constructability of this unique structure. MEVA‘s design team engineered solutions that minimized costly custom formwork, while maximizing flexibility and safety.

Key Systems Used

• Imperial wall formwork
  The Imperial wall formwork allowed for a consistent tie pattern for all four vertical wall pours by utilizing the premanufactured tie locations in the system while still providing sufficient capacity for the use of the SCC mix. Almost no custom parts were required in the formwork setup. The job-built wooden transitions were prebuilt at Cleveland Cement’s yard and reused four times at each level.

• KLK climbing system
  The KLK climbing system was used for supporting the outside formwork. The system provided a 7.5’ wide work area for the installation and support (bracing) of the outside formwork. The outside formwork was installed first for control of all architectural features in the wall. The KLK offered the capacity to hold the tilted formwork in place. Only a custom bottom strut was introduced to allow the system to climb up the 15 tilted walls.
• MEVA32 shoring towers
  The MEVA32 shoring towers was selected for the support of vertical loads and creation of safe working access on the inside. The towers elevated towards the center as to not collide with each other. This resulted in a continuous work platform at every lift elevation.
• Triplex wall braces
  Each lift of walls was placed in four individual symmetrical pours. Until all pours were placed, the lower walls needed lateral support. The walls would self-support only after closing a complete ring of walls. Triplex wall braces offered the capacity and flexibility of easy length-adjustment per lift for this task.

We appreciate Cleveland Cement’s trust in MEVA on this unique design and we look forward to assisting with many projects in the future

Featured Products:

• Imperial wall formwork
• Triplex wall braces
• MEVA32 shoring tower
• KLK climbing system

Project:
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, pavilion expansion, Cleveland, OH

Contractors:
Albert M. Higley Co. (GeneralContractor)
Cleveland Cement Contractors, Inc.

Engineering and support:
MEVA Formwork Systems, Inc., Springfield, OH