International Market Place
International Market Place
In the heart of Waikiki, the International Market Place was known for 60-years as an outdoor bazaar lined with kiosks selling kitschy jewelry and cheap souvenirs and for having a 150-year-old banyan tree as its centerpiece. The banyan tree still remains but the property has undergone a complete makeover since August 2014, when Taubman Centers Inc began their development of the upscale International Market Place retail center.
CEMCO Engineering jumped into the project well before ground broke. Factory Mutual Global design requirements, which impose design criteria well in excess of the typical forces from the International Building Code were specified by the developer for this project, creating additional challenges to the engineering team. The layout also included three elliptical concourses, further complicating the framing and structural steel layouts. CEMCO Engineering worked with drywall subcontractor Gramercy and their partner DA Builders in a design-assist role throughout the design process to ensure the CFS framing and connections would meet the stringent criteria. CEMCO Engineering’s scope included the exterior framing design, soffit storefronts, and ceiling framing.
With the project on a very aggressive schedule, the contractor utilized CEMCO’s labor-saving products to accelerate the framing schedule. FAS Strap was used throughout the project, allowing the subcontractor to virtually eliminate all mineral wool plugs in the metal deck flutes above the top tracks. CEMCO designed kickers and soffit connections used Simpson Strong Tie’s vast selection of CFS connectors to attach the framing members to the support structure. The contractor also used Simpson’s SUBH U-channel connector to accelerate the installation of wall bridging. The mall opened on August 25, 2016 and expects the bulk of the tenants to occupy their spaces by the fall of 2017. In addition to SAKS, other retailers and restaurants include Michael Kors, Christian Louboutin, Vera Bradley, StripSteak, Eating House 1849 by Roy Yamaguchi, and Yauatcha by Hakkasan.
