From its humble beginnings in the 4 th century AD, the Armenian Church has continued to flourish internationally. A new milestone was met recently with the completion of the St. Sarkis Armenian Church in Charlotte , North Carolina . The new building is something the church can truly be proud of making a reality.

For years the congregation had met at other churches after hours for services and church events. The church grew large enough and saved enough money to finally build a facility they could call their own. The dedication of the church members is quite impressive. Individuals have driven from as far away as Charleston , South Carolina , to be part of this church, and the completed building fulfilled the dreams of many who have put their blood, sweat and tears into the 15,000-square-foot project. The church includes a sanctuary, a family life center, utilities for an upcoming kitchen, an office area and a classroom area.

Completing the church was no small feat, and many challenges were presented that took the knowledge and skills of many companies to work together to finish the one-of-a-kind project.

Finding the right architect was one of the first steps in the building process. Stephens Architectural Associates located in Laurel , Maryland , designed the church to replicate buildings of the past.

R. Glen Stephens, president of Stephens Architectural Associates, says, "Tilt-up concrete offered the only viable option to create the image that the community desired. True stone construction would have doubled the cost. An EFIS solution would not have been adequate because of the lack of durability."

Stephens picked Seretta Construction, with offices in Orlando and Charlotte, as the tilt-up concrete contractor because of their concrete expertise and experience with insulated tilt-up concrete panels.

The versatility of tilt-up construction has facilitated the endless possibilities for new construction beyond the "big box" stereotype. The length of time to complete projects, the durability of the buildings, and the aesthetic options offer owners the variety and flexibility needed to construct their dream building, as is seen with St. Sarkis Armenian Church. The concrete work included the footings, slab on grade, insulated tilt-up panels, and the tilt-up dumpster enclosure. The completed project used roughly 1,000 cubic yards of concrete.

Kirco Construction, which was selected as the general contractor for its managerial skills and reputation for quality work, met and overcame many dilemmas before construction of the project began.

The construction site had limited space for casting the tilt-up panels. The casting beds took up much of the construction location, limiting staging areas on the site. Crane access to the construction site was carefully planned because of the limited access. Seretta had to precisely coordinate the casting bed placement and the panel erection sequence so as not to trap or box in the crane during erection. The careful planning enabled the smooth process of erecting the panels.

In order to battle the cold weather, Seretta used hot water in the concrete mixes and curing blankets over the concrete to protect it from freezing temperatures. The concrete portion of the job was completed on schedule, even though there were many days the team was unable to work because of the adverse weather conditions.

There were a total of 49 panels erected, with the tallest panel reaching 39 feet and 3 inches tall and the largest panel weighing approximately 81,600 pounds. The total thickness of the panels were 11 ¼ inches, with 3 inches for the outer wythe, 2 inches of insulation, and 6 ¼ inches of structural concrete.

Insulated concrete tilt-up panels were used as a cost-effective building method to meet both current and future energy codes. The 2 inches of insulation placed in the concrete panels for St. Sarkis had an R-11 value, which created thermal efficiency to minimize energy costs. The durability of the insulation was increased when compared to traditional insulation methods because there was reinforced concrete encapsulating the insulation.

Tilt-up concrete panels were also used to create the distinctive architectural features that the St. Sarkis congregation envisioned for their new church. The building was unique in that is had more than 10,000 lineal feet of reveal, which is milled wood that is placed prior to pouring the concrete panels. The reveal left decorative patterns in the concrete that mimic a cut stone building. To keep the church aesthetics as traditional as possible, the stone design color matched the stone found in Armenia . Lining up the reveal from panel to panel was essential in keeping the particular geometrical design.

Adding to the architectural composition of the building is the arched openings that were created using Styrofoam blocks cut to the proper radius. The walls of the building inside the sanctuary and family life center are exposed concrete panels, which have a unique finish that match the exterior of the building.

The congregation has recently moved into the new facility and is currently enjoying all the amenities it has to offer. A conglomerate effort by all individuals involved with St. Sarkis Armenian Church resulted in a completed building that will be enjoyed by generations to come.

Founded in 1987, Seretta Construction, Inc. is a concrete contractor industry leader specializing in tilt-wall construction and specialty slabs. Seretta serves the commercial and industrial building community throughout the Central and Eastern United States and Caribbean with offices in Orlando, Florida and Charlotte, North Carolina .