SSi Incorporated's logo




 



Graphic Packaging International
 
 

Graphic Packaging International is a manufacturing company that has been located in Fort Smith, Arkansas since 1969. The company decided to invest in this new facility when their old structure became obsolete.

The building is constructed of pre-engineered long bay steel framing and tilt-up concrete panels. The bay sections of the building's frame were assembled on the ground to save labor and increase safety. The tilt-wall panels were cast in numerous casting beds. These beds utilized a special design of reusable steel tilt-wall panel forms. The walls were cast in stacks of six to eight panels with a smooth trowel finish.

The interior is a massive 330,000 square feet. Due to the machinery used in the manufacturing process, foundations for printing equipment were built to precise measurements. Though similar in appearance, each is different, with exact dimensions and critical configurations within only 1/16th of an inch tolerance. The machinery placed on these foundations is extremely heavy, so 3 foot thick concrete was constructed beneath each of the foundations.

SSi won first place in the Construction over $8 Million category of the 2006 Excellence in Construction competition held by Associated Builders and Contractors of Arkansas.