Monroe Correctional Complex
(Intensive Management
and Segregation units)

Location: Monroe

Owner/developer: Washington State Department of Corrections

Project team: Absher Construction Co., general contractor; Integrus Architecture, architect and structural engineer; Cadman, ready-mix supplier

The Intensive Management and Segregation units at the Monroe Correctional Complex house difficult-to-manage inmates.

Precast concrete walls were used to build the new high-security wing, along with cast-in-place concrete slabs and steel roof joists, beams and decks. Holding cells were also constructed with precast concrete, as were bunks, tables and stools.

The project earned 36 LEED credits and a silver rating. One of those LEED measures included the use of fly ash in the concrete mix as a major recycled-content material.

Rigid insulation was incased in the external concrete walls to increase energy efficiency. The project was able to reduce energy consumption by 33 percent by using the thermal precast concrete panels along with an optimized HVAC system and automatic lighting controls. Also, to reduce the heat-island effect, light-color concrete was used for paving instead of black asphalt.

Water consumption was reduced more than 30 percent with low-flow plumbing fixtures and a rainwater collection system for toilets.

Indoor air quality was enhanced by using low- or non-VOC paints and adhesives.