Project Profile
USG® Shaft Wall System
Application/Building Type:
Hospitality Environments
Project Name:
Kiel Center
Location:
St. Louis, Missouri
Subcontractor:
Wies Drywall
Featured Products:
USG® Shaft Wall System
USG Steel C-H Stud
Sheetrock® Brand Gypsum Panels
Firecode® C Core
usg.com
Let the Games Begin
The Kiel Center is the center of attention in downtown St. Louis. The $135 million arena can seat up to 20,000 spectators
and is the home of the St. Louis Blues hockey team. The multifunctional facility can also accommodate basketball, soccer,
concerts, ice shows and other events.
While the facility was completed ahead of schedule, its size and variety of functions created several design problems.
The construction of the grease duct ventilation system in the Kiel Center, for example, presented a unique challenge to Joseph
Diesko, vice president/ project manager for Ellerbe Becket of Kansas City, Mo. Diesko’s firm had overseen major renovations
to Madison Square Garden in New York City. The task at the Kiel Center was to shield a horizontal steel-welded duct system
used to ventilate cooking smoke and grease from the concessions space located under the seating area. As a convenience
to spectators, the concession stands and food preparation areas are located in the main concourse area. A two-hour fire
rating was provided for the grease duct assembly. “The ducts contain grease and are prone to fire, so we placed a fire-rated
enclosure around them,” commented Diesko. “To ventilate the food preparation areas, two horizontal grease ducts at least 300
feet long were connected to a vertical concrete block shaft where the cooking smoke and grease were vented to the outside air
by a ventilation fan system.”
The lightweight, high-performance, USG ® shaft wall system was selected to provide a fire-protective assembly around the
grease ducts. “We really liked the appearance of the completed USG shaft wall system,” added Diesko.
“The ducts contain
grease and are
prone to fire, so
we placed a firerated enclosure
around them.”
For at least 25 years, USG shaft wall system has been an ideal solution to the need for fire-rated vertical applications,
such as stairwells and elevator shafts (pictured left), but it can also accommodate horizontal applications. Typical horizontal
applications include corridor ceilings, stair soffit protection and metal duct enclosures. The system consists of non-loadbearing gypsum board and a USG® steel C-H stud assembly (pictured right). The advantage of the USG shaft wall system is
that it replaces concrete block and other more complicated gypsum installations, and it is relatively easy to install. Its weight is
only 12 lbs./sq. ft. for a 2-hr fire-rated application, versus 20 to 45 lbs./sq. ft. for a concrete block installation without facing.
These assemblies are well suited for use around air ducts since they are very thin and can be installed from one side.
The heart of this fire protection system is the USG steel C-H stud, made from hot-dipped galvanized steel. The unique
design of the C-H stud allows easy attachment of the Sheetrock® brand shaft wall liner panels and Sheetrock® gypsum panels,
Firecode® C Core. With the C-H stud design, 1-inch Sheetrock shaft wall liner panels fit within the studs without the need for
fasteners, which allows for faster installation than other multilayer gypsum panel systems.
According to Terry Wies of Wies Drywall, the drywall subcontractor, the Kiel Center shaft wall system was installed using
two layers of 1/2-inch Sheetrock gypsum panels, Firecode C Core, around the sides of the grease ducts. “The installation also
required three layers of 1/2-in. gypsum panels on the top and bottom,” added Wies. The gypsum liner panels used between the
C-H studs have a special fire-resistant core and multilayered paper facing treated to resist moisture penetration. The shaft wall
was installed around the grease ducts to allow a 6-inch space between the grease duct and the gypsum liner panels.
Horizontal shaft wall installation begins with the C-H stud installed first, and then the gypsum liner panels are installed in
the “H” section between the studs. This high-performance, fire-protective assembly provides up to a four-hour fire rating and
sound ratings to 51 STC (Sound Transmission Class) depending on the number and thickness of the gypsum panels installed.
While the horizontal shaft wall provides fire protection and acoustical control, it is not designed to carry a live load.
A number of projects have successfully installed horizontal applications of the USG cavity shaft wall system. Well-known
projects include American Heritage Life, Jacksonville, Fla.; Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Jacksonville, Fla.; West Terminal
Expansion, New Orleans International Airport, New Orleans, La. and Eaton Centre, Toronto, Ontario (Canada).
The 12-story Kiel Center occupies a 5.5-acre site and contains a total of 664,240 square feet of space, which includes
a 2,800-square-foot retail store located on the main level. The complex adjoins the Kiel Opera House and occupies the site
of the old Kiel Auditorium. Construction of the Kiel Center and razing of the old Kiel Auditorium was completed in just 21
months, compared to 27 months to complete the United Center in Chicago.
Manufactured by
United States Gypsum Company
550 West Adams Street
Chicago, IL 60661
WB2537/12-09
©2009, United States Gypsum Company
Printed in U.S.A.
Printed on recycled paper.