Masonry Magazine January 1970 Page. 30
Masonry vs. Metal Building
Project: Eagle Printing and Lithograph Company
Wichita, Kansas
Architect: Earl D. Miskimen
General Contractor: Beottcher Constr. Co.
A printing firm in Wichita, Kansas, needed a low-cost maintenance-free building, one that would provide large, unobstructed work areas without sacrificing esthetics. Proud of its reputation for quality craftsmanship, the company wanted its new quarters to reflect that image. The question was how to get what they wanted at the lowest cost. The owners leaned toward a metal building because of the apparent low cost and short erection time. To avoid being misled by "apples and oranges" comparisons, the general contractor and architect sat down with the owners to discuss an "equivalent" metal building with an all-masonry building.
The result: an owner sold on the merits of the all-masonry structure. Here are the three big reasons: 1. low maintenance of the all-masonry construction (savings every year) 2. a better insurance factor than the metal building (again, savings annually) 3. the quality associated with an all-masonry building.
The cost anticipated in 1967 was competitive with the metal building. And actual construction cost and time proved it: an unusually low $6.47 per square foot for the 15,812-square-foot structure. This cost includes all mechanical and electrical, year-round air conditioning, floor covering and dropped ceiling in general office and approximately 2,200 square feet of asphalt topped parking.
Now a close look at the building itself. Architect Earl Miskimen combined a precast, prestressed double tee roof system with a brick loadbearing double wall system. The double tee roof provides the greatest span (55 feet) at mini-