LOCATION

Lexington, Kentucky

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CONSTRUCTION MANAGER

Parker Inc.

PROJECT FACTS

76 ft tall Stone Tower

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Spiraling Concrete Stair Case

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15 ft tall Cone Tower Cap

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Stone tower built in the countryside near Lexington, Kentucky.  This 76 ft tall tower replicates the appearance and sizing of stone towers existing throughout Ireland that date to the early medieval time period.  
 
The main entry door occurs on an elevated level of the tower and is accessed via a ladder on the exterior.  In its historical context, occupants of the area could take refuge within such a tower and draw up the ladder to gain protection from attackers.  The tower consists of several levels on the interior connected via a spiraling concrete stair case.  Windows encircle the tower, adjusting in elevation to travel along the stair path for the lower levels.  At the upper most level, 9 vertical slotted windows are equal spaced around the tower.  This is in addition to 12 rectangular sound openings just below the conical cap; the historical towers are also believed to have served as a belfry.
 
The tower cap consists of a 15 ft tall monolithic reinforced concrete cone that was cast on the ground adjacent to the tower.  The concrete cone has a shelf at the base that was used to support stone cladding around the entirety of the cap.  After constructing the cap at grade, and installing the stone cladding, the cap was then lifted into place as a single unit.  Walls of the tower are structurally reinforced C.M.U. with stone cladding on the exterior and a parge coat to smooth out the interior.  The tower bears on a reinforced concrete mat foundation.