Masonry Magazine December 1980 Page. 12
Architect
Turner Associates
Regional Office: Atlanta, Ga.
Home Office: Washington,
D.C.
Structural Engineer
Parsons Brinckerhoff/Tudor
Atlanta, Ga.
General Contractor
Bellamy Brothers, Inc.
Ellenwood, Ga.
Mason Contractor
C.L. Cook, Inc.
Decatur, Ga.
Textured Structural Tile Lends Elegance, Durability to Atlanta's MARTA Facility
12 MASONRY/NOVEMBER/DECEMBER, 1980
In today's world of energy conservation, the demands placed upon public transportation facilities-such as the Metropolitan Atlanta Regional Transportation Authority (MARTA) Hightower Station-require building materials designed to withstand the wear and abuses posed daily by commuters, vandals, and the elements. For the bustling MARTA facility at Hightower Road Southwest in Atlanta, these problems were minimized with the use of textured structural tile manufactured by Stark Ceramics, Inc., Canton, Ohio.
The company's popular Aztec Terratone textured face was selected for both the interiors and exteriors of the station, combining visual appeal with long-wearing capabilities in a pleasing shade of earth-tone color. The permanence and ease of surface cleaning lend still other advantages from a maintenance standpoint. At critical areas within the station where noise levels are a factor, acoustical textured tile was installed to minimize sound transmission.
Textured structural tile units are produced from clay and shale by an extrusion process, sprayed with a ceramic face, and then fired to ensure strength and an impervious surface. The units offer zero flame spread, zero toxic fumes, and zero fuel contribution, and are generally recognized as one of the most dimensionally stable building products available.
Textured acoustical tile combines all the benefits of textured tile with improved sound transmission/absorption properties. Random perforations in the unit's face greatly increase frequency absorption. Behind the perforations are factory-inserted, vermin-resistant, chemically inert fiberglass pads. The percent efficiency of sound absorption for acoustical tile is as high as 73% to 79%, well over twice the efficiency found in many commonly accepted building systems.
For the MARTA Hightower Station, more than 30,000 textured tile and 15,000 textured acoustical tile were used in a vertical running bond. The masons mortar was colored dark brown to blend with the 4" x 8" x 16" tile units and provide a unified design effect.