Concrete Contractor December 2017

Page 1

Building Swimming Pools with ICF’s

20 December 2017

The Gestation of a Polished Concrete Project

60

A Museum and Theater for the

Motion Picture Industry 30

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December 2017 | Issue 7, Volume 17

WHAT’S INSIDE

“This is how the new spherical structure being built by the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles will look when it’s finished The structural concrete sphere has an open glass cover on top that is held entirely by steel supports protruding two feet away from the precast concrete sides of the sphere. The project will be completed in 2019. Cover Photo Credit: ©Renzo Piano Building Workshop/©A.M.P.A.S./ Images from L’Autre Image

Departments 3 Editor’s Letter 6 Legal Matters 8 Challenging the System 12 World of Concrete Product Preview 54 Foundations Q&A 90 The Last Placement

What’s Online

Cover Story 30 A Museum and Theater for the Motion Picture Industry Building a theater in the air.

Tips on Attaching Sill Plates to Concrete Foundations

Features

To ensure proper construction and safety, it is important to determine which fastening system will be the best choice for attaching the sill plates.

14 Engineering Firm Designs Foundation Solution for Denver High-Rise onstruction of Denver’s fourth C tallest building calls for innovative solution to compensate for soft sedimentary bedrock.

20 Building Swimming Pools with ICF’s Homeowner demand for swimming pools constructed using ICF products, leads one manufacturer to create a system that made it economical to build them.

38 Equipment Specification Guides: Dust Extraction A compilation of technical information when choosing your next Dust Extraction equipment.

44 Planning for the Future Workforce

Understanding how to recruit, train and motivate a younger generation is helping create successful industry leaders — and social media is helping.

Read these online exclusive articles at www.ForConstructionPros.com/ concrete.

Search: 20982843

60 The Gestation of a Polished Concrete Project The Moscone Center improvements, specifically to the polished concrete scope, is a lesson to specifications that don’t always meet expectations but how communication between parties can drive the project in a successful direction for all parties.

68 Understanding the New Polished Concrete Appearance Chart A revised measurement tool for polishing contractors to measure DOI in combination with haze as an indicator of surface profile, quality of the mechanical interaction between abrasives and the surface and sustainability.

Flooring Worthy of a Waikiki Renaissance In Honolulu, the famous beachfront neighborhood of Waikiki is undergoing a redevelopment renaissance that promises to cut the area’s high percentage of vacant office space and add much-needed lodging and higherend shopping and customer service. Search: 20982840

74 Polished Concrete Maintenance Part one in a two part series of articles, we will discuss the areas of concern for maintaining polished concrete and the importance of proactively matching the maintenance plan to the floor owner’s maintenance capabilities.

www.forconstructionpros.com/concrete | December 2017 | Concrete Contractor 3

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EDITOR’S LETTER Published by AC Business Media Inc.

Build with Concrete!

2

017 was a great year for concrete contractors. By most accounts, I’m hearing contractors are busier than ever. Contractors are booking business well into 2018 and by the close of 2017, the year will have been record breaking for some firms. While it’s great to hear of the success contractors are having in 2017, the market itself continues to be challenged by the wood industry. The news media continues to cover stories of buildings built with wood catching fire and displacing residents and businesses alike. In most of these cases, these structures could have just as easily been built using concrete. A recent study by Dr. Pieter VanderWerf and Nicholas Haidari of Boston College entitled “Survey of Insurance Costs for Multifamily Buildings Constructed with Woodframe and Concrete” found building insurance rates will be lower for midrise apartment buildings constructed with concrete instead of wood-frame. The objective of the study, underwritten by the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA), was to collect insurance premium quotes for builder’s risk insurance (during construction) and commercial property insurance (during occupancy) for a reference building built using combustible construction (wood frame) and non-combustible construction (concrete). The five reference cities include Edgewater, N.J.; Towson, Md; Facebook.com/ ConcreteContractor

Advisory Board

Ryan Olson, Publisher/ Editorial Director ROlson@ ACBusinessMedia.com (800) 538-5544

Orlando, Fla.; Dallas, Texas; and Los Angeles, Calif.. In Edgewater, New Jersey, the results found, on average, builder’s risk insurance savings of 66.5 percent and commercial property insurance savings of 57.7 percent. When bidding on jobs, contractors can help by submitting a bid on projects where wood frame built is specified, but offer concrete as an alternative. Attempts for the concrete industry to promote and market concrete as an alternative building product needs to continue and needs to be at the forefront of every contractor who is involved in building midrise buildings.

CONGRATULATIONS Concrete Contractor recently conducted an Ad and Brand Survey. Those subscribers completing the survey, were given the opportunity to put their name into a drawing for a $100 prize. Jessica Chamberland of Cortes Construction (Morgantown, N.C.) and Tom Ferrell of CTI Solutions (Morton, Ill.) were the winners of the two prizes available. Congratulations and thank you for participating in our survey study.

Follow us @ Concreteinsider

Kim Basham KB Engineering Cheyenne, Wyo.

Jim Cuviello Cuviello Concrete Polished|Stained|Crafted Stevensville, Md.

Jim Baty Concrete Foundations Association Mt. Vernon, Iowa

Chris Klemaske T.B. Penick & Sons, Inc. San Diego, Calif.

Search: Concrete Polishing

Dennis Purinton Purinton Builders, Inc. East Granby, Conn. Joe Reardon Diamatic Orlando, Fla.

4 Concrete Contractor | December 2017 | www.forconstructionpros.com/concrete

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Published and copyrighted 2017 by AC Business Media, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage or retrieval system, without written permission from the publisher. CONCRETE CONTRACTOR (USPS 021-799, ISSN 1935-1887 (print); ISSN 2471-2302 (online) is published 7 times a year: January, February/March, April/May, June/July, August/September, October/November and December by AC Business Media Inc., 201 N. Main Street, Fort Atkinson, WI 53538. Printed in the U.S.A. Periodicals postage paid at Fort Atkinson, WI, and additional entry offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Concrete Contractor, PO Box 3605 Northbrook, IL 60065-3605 December 2017, Issue 7, Volume 17 One year subscription to nonqualified individuals: U.S. 1 year: $35, 2 years: $70. Canada & Mexico 1 year: $60, 2 years: $105. All other countries 1 year: $85, 2 years: $160 (payable in U.S. funds drawn on U.S. banks). Single copies available (prepaid only) $10.00 each (U.S., Canada & Mexico), $15.00 each (International). Canada Post PM40612608. Return Undeliverable Canadian Addresses to: Concrete Contractor, PO Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B2. Printed in the U.S.A.

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LEGAL MATTERS

David C. Whitlock has over 25 year’s experience in business immigration, compliance, employment counseling and training. He is the founding attorney of Whitlock Law LLC and can be reached at (404) 626-7011 or at davidcwhitlock@gmail.com.

By David Whitlock

Recent Federal Labor, Employment Matters Concrete contractors should consider the following.

O

SHA’s new Silica rule became enforceable on September 23 but OSHA announced a 30 day grace period for construction employers making a good-faith effort to comply. With the publication of Interim Enforcement Guidance on October 19, construction employers can get some idea of how OSHA intends to enforce the rule. The first question will be whether the employer is following Table 1 in the Silica in Construction Standard. The Interim Enforcement Guidance includes a detailed flowchart to evaluate compliance with Table 1. Enforcement picks up dramatically if the employer is not complying with Table 1 and will likely include document requests for exposure assessment records. OSHA’s compliance officers are directed to presume that dry sweeping and dry brushing are unacceptable unless the employer can show that alternative methods are not possible. Because all construction employers with the silica exposure must have a written exposure control plan, you can expect compliance officer to request a copy and interview the competent person named in your control plan. You should also expect the compliance officer to request medical surveillance records and your hazard communication program and training records. In other OSHA developments, contractors should note that the Electronic Record-keeping Rule is in

effect. This rule requires employers to submit injury and illness reports through a publicly accessible website. Employers must adopt a reasonable process for reporting injuries that is non-retaliatory. The rule specifically states that the employer should not include mandatory post-accident drug testing as part of its reporting procedure. In addition to recent penalty increases, OSHA is strongly promoting its Temporary Worker Initiative which urges employers to provide more training to temporary staff. Additionally, OSHA has a new workplace violence directive which, under certain circumstances, deems a workplace violence incident to be a violation of the General Duty Clause.

LABOR RELATIONS BOARD The Senate has confirmed two Republican nominees to serve on the National Labor Relations Board. This will create a 3-2 Republican majority on the Board. It is expected that the Trump Board will reverse many of the Obama Board’s pro-employee decisions, including decisions on class action waivers, joint employer status, temporary workers, so-called quickie elections, the definition of appropriate bargaining units, and perhaps others. We are already seeing a roll back of protected concerted activity.

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR The Department of Labor recently filed a notice that it intends to appeal the summary judgment ruling against the “white-collar” overtime exemptions. It is likely that DOL will abandon the $913 a week figure set in the published regulations, and simply argue that it has the power to impose a reasonable salary test.

THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT In light of Congress’s failure to “repeal and replace” the Affordable Care Act, President Trump is trying to accomplish what he can by Executive Order. For example, Health And Human Services recently issued new regulations permitting employers to invoke religious or moral beliefs to avoid providing birth control or contraceptives as part of their insurance plan.

GENDER IDENTITY In other developments, Attorney General Jeff Sessions formally reversed the government’s position on transgender workers. Sessions instructed US attorneys and the heads of all federal agencies that Title VII does not apply to discrimination claims based upon gender identity or transgender status.

IMMIGRATION President Trump’s third travel ban has been blocked again by the District Court of Hawaii, which will result in another hearing before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and possibly the US Supreme Court. President Trump has rescinded the Deferred Action against Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program established by former President Obama’s executive orders. This means that roughly 800,000 affected individuals will lose their employment authorizations unless Congress acts before March 5. Construction contractors will need to wait and see. There are other federal changes as well as many state law changes that we simply do not have room to cover. Contractors are urged to stay in touch with competent counsel to monitor these changes.

6 Concrete Contractor | December 2017 | www.forconstructionpros.com/concrete

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CHALLENGING THE SYSTEM

By Ward Malisch and Bruce Suprenant

The Contractor’s

Welded Wire Reinforcement (WWR) Dilemma There needs to be an alternative to removal and replacement for WWR.

C

THE DILEMMA oncrete contractors are still being penalized when welded wire reinforcement (WWR) is found to be incorrectly positioned in concrete slabs. We just heard of an interior topping slab for which structural drawings required

reinforcement with 6 x 6 – W2.9 x W2.9 WWR but the drawings did not call out a specific positioning in the cross-section of the 5-in.-thick topping. Instead the drawings only called out a 2-in. concrete cover for all reinforcement. The general contractor measured the WWR location after concrete placement, said it did not provide 2 in. of cover, then removed it. It is unclear who will replace the topping and where the WWR will be positioned in the replaced topping, but it is clear that the general contractor will backcharge the concrete contractor.

The dilemma: Engineers specify positioning of a reinforcement product that will almost always move out of position during construction, and suppliers profit from selling a product they promoted. But contractors pay for removal and replacement when it’s discovered that the product is in the wrong position. This cycle needs to stop. We present the following information from several industry documents in hopes that the cycle can be broken.

TABLE 1 Suggested Support Spacing for WWR from Wire Reinforcement Institute WELDED WIRE REINFORCEMENT

WIRE SPACING, IN.

SUGGESTED SUPPORT SPACING, FT.

W9.0 or D9.0 or larger*

12 in. and greater

4 – 6 ft.

W9.0 or D9.0 or larger

Less than 12 in.

3 – 4 ft.

W5.0 or D5.0 to W8.0 or D8.0

12 in. and greater

3 – 4 ft.

W4.0 or D4.0 to W8.0 or D8.0

Less than 12 in.

2 – 3 ft.

Less than W4.0 or D4.0**

Less than 12 in.

2 – 3 ft. or less

*Spacing of supports for WWR with wires larger than W or D9 could possibly be increased over the spacings shown depending on the construction loads applied. **Consider using additional rows of supports when large deflections or deformations occur – also spacing of supports may be increased provided supports are placed and properly positioned as concrete is screeded.

8 Concrete Contractor | December 2017 | www.forconstructionpros.com/concrete

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TABLE 2 WWR Positioning Requirements in ACI 301-16 “Specifications for Structural Concrete” WIRE SIZE

GROUP

WWR W4.0 OR D4.0 AND GREATER

WWR LESS THAN W4.0 OR D4.0

(A) WWR in slabs on composite deck and slabs-on-ground

Place reinforcement as indicated in contract documents.

Continuous support spacing shall not exceed 12 inches.

(B) WWR in elevated formed slabs, slabs on noncomposite steel deck, and members not covered in (A)

ACI 117 tolerances for nonprestressed reinforcement.

Continuous support spacing shall not exceed 12 inches.

INDUSTRY DOCUMENTS ACI 117 Specifications for Tolerances for Concrete Construction and Materials:1 Starting with the 1990 edition, ACI 117 indicated that it was a Mandatory Specification Checklist requirement for the Architect/ Engineer to specify tolerances for WWR as ACI 117 did not include these tolerances. This is still true in the most recent revision of ACI 117 re-approved in 2015. As a member of the committee, I felt we did not have enough information to make a tolerance statement on WWR. ASCC Position Statement #2 Location of Rolled Welded-Wire Fabric in Concrete:2 Published in ACI’s Concrete International in February 2003, this statement reminded specifiers that ACI 117 did not have tolerances on WWR, and that concrete contractors can’t place WWR so it will stay in position. The document also indicated that supporting WWR properly would significantly increase the cost. At that time, ASCC recommended using sheets of WWR with wire spacings of 12 inch to allow for construction foot traffic. WRI Recommended Support Spacing for WWR:3 In the 2008 document, WRI suggested the support spacing for WWR shown in Table 1. However, they also provided a caveat stating “the applicability of the suggested support spacings in Table 1 may best be confirmed by conducting on-site testing of the proposed arrangement of supports”. WRI repeated these suggested Table 1: Suggested Support Spacing for WWR from the Wire Reinforcement Institute

support spacings in a 2016 document4 and added “The various codes and standards do not give advice on spacing of supports for WWR. The WRI Tech Fact, TF 702 R2 does have guidelines for support spacings (shown in Table 1) based on many years of experience.” WRI does not cite any references to support the spacing guidelines. ACI 301 Specifications for Structural Concrete:5 Section 3.2.5 of ACI 301-16, “Specifications for Structural Concrete,” addressed WWR positioning, and the requirements are likely to be cited in many specifications. Table 2 summarizes the requirements, which are divided into two groups: • Group A applies to WWR in slabs on composite deck and slabs-on-ground.

Table 2: WWR Positioning Requirements in ACI 306-16 “Specifications for Structural Concrete” • Group B applies to WWR in elevated formed slabs, slabs on non-composite steel deck, and members not covered in Group A. As can be seen in Table 2, ACI 301-16 doesn’t specify a tolerance for Group A wire sizes 4.0 or greater. Section 3.3.2.5 simply says: “Place reinforcement as indicated in contract documents.” For wire sizes less than 4.0, a maximum support spacing of 12 in. is required. For Group B, when using wire sizes W4.0 or D4.0 or larger, the WWR must be placed and supported “…before concrete placement to maintain location

ASCC Position Statement #2 Location of Rolled Welded-Wire Fabric in Concrete:2 Published in ACI’s Concrete International in February 2003, this statement reminded specifiers that ACI 117 did not have tolerances on WWR, and that concrete contractors can’t place WWR so it will stay in position. The document also indicated that supporting WWR properly would significantly increase the cost.

www.forconstructionpros.com/concrete | December 2017 | Concrete Contractor 9

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CHALLENGING THE SYSTEM

TABLE 3 Measured Location of WWR on Three Projects PROJECT

WIRE SPACING AND SIZE

SPECIFIED CONCRETE COVER

ACCEPTABLE PLACING TOLERANCE

SAMPLES

MEASURED AVERAGE COVER, IN

STANDARD DEVIATION, IN.

Highway Pavement

WWR 6 x 12 – W8.6 x W8.6

2 ½ in.

2.5 in. ± 1 in.

40

3.00

0.07

Manufacturing Slab

WWR 14 x 14 – D6.0 x D6.0

2 in.

Upper 1/3 to ½ of the depth of the 6 inch slab – 2 to 3 in.

30

2.36

0.11

Industrial Slab

WWR 12 x 12 -D8.0 x D8.0

2 in.

Upper 1/3 to ½ of the depth of the 6 inch slab – 2 to 3 in.

52

2.64

0.25

Table 3: Measured Location of WWR on Three Projects

within tolerances indicated for non-prestressed reinforcement in ACI 117.” ACI 117-10(15) specifies a ± 3/8 in. tolerance for slabs with thicknesses of 4 in. or less, and a ± 3/8 in. placement tolerance for slab thicknesses between 4 and 12 in. Thus the placement tolerance of WWR for Group B for large wire sizes is the same as that for reinforcing

bars. For wire sizes W4.0 or D4.0 or smaller, the 12-in. maximum support spacing is again required. Section 3.3.2.5 of ACI 30116 also require the contractor to “Support welded wire reinforcement in accordance with CRSI RB4.16 to maintain positioning during concrete placement.” However, RB4.1 is a product standard for reinforcing bar supports and does not cover WWR positioning.

INDUSTRY MEASUREMENTS OF WWR LOCATION In a project funded by the Wire Reinforcement Institute (WRI), a total of 122 measurements of WWR locations were taken using a concrete cover meter on three different projects.7 Note that the wire sizes are large, ranging from 6.0 to 8.6. The measured average cover and the calculated standard deviation of the data, along with the tolerances, are shown in Table 3. WRI reported the conclusion for each of these projects as: “This testing indicated that 95% or more of the WWR cover measurements were within compliance and the cover for the WWR was acceptable.” It is important to note that this conclusion is only valid for all three projects if the tolerances are 2 to 3 inches, ± 1 to ± 1 ½; in. This is in stark contrast to the ACI 301

10 Concrete Contractor | December 2017 | www.forconstructionpros.com/concrete

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CHALLENGING THE SYSTEM

requirement for these wire sizes that would limit placement to ± ¼; or ± 3/8 inch. In another study,8 sheets of welded-wire reinforcement were supported by 3 in. high slab bolster upper bar supports at varying spacings and held in place by 50 lb. bags of dry grout mixture. At each spacing, a man weighing 180 lb. stood in the center of the bar supports to simulate a construction worker walking across the area before concrete placement. With the man standing on both feet on the sheet, the distance from the base to the section of wire beneath his feet was measured. Table 4 shows the calculated deflection based on the starting position of 3 inches and the measured distance from the base to the WWR with the man standing on it. For wire sizes of 4.0 and greater, the WRI-suggested support spacing in Table 1 would not allow placement compliance with ACI 301-16. In addition, the ACI 301 maximum support spacing of 1 ft. would result in deflections of 6 x 6 – W1.4 x W1.4 and 6 x 6 Table 4: Calculated Deflection Under a 180-lb. Weight for WWR Initially Positioned at 3-inch Cover

Ward R. Malisch, PE, PhD, FACI is concrete construction specialist for the American Society of Concrete Contractors. Reach him at wmalisch@ascconline.org.

– W2.0 x W2.0 welded wire reinforcement that exceed ACI 117 tolerances. This study did what WRI recommended, that the applicability of the suggested support spacings may best be confirmed by conducting on-site testing of the proposed arrangement of supports. This study shows that the suggested WRI support spacings do not work.

INTEGRATING INDUSTRY DOCUMENTS AND INDUSTRY MEASUREMENTS Based on a review of the industry documents and measurements, we need to start over to find a solution other than remove-andreplace for positioning of WWR that doesn’t meet the current requirements in ACI 301-16. This is an industry issue that has plagued concrete contractors for decades. WRI indicated that the three projects in which WWR locations were measured were performing adequately with a tolerance of ± 1 in. or more. What we need is an understanding of which tolerance values will result in acceptable performance. Setting tolerance values for WWR at ± 1/4 in. will continue the removal and replacement cycle.

Bruce A. Suprenant, PE, PhD, FACI, is technical director for the American Society of Concrete Contractors. Reach him at bsuprenant@ bsuprenant.com.

References

1. ACI 117-10 (05) “Specification for Tolerances for Concrete Construction and Materials and Commentary,” American Concrete Institute, 2005. 2. ASCC Position Statement 2, “Location of Rolled Welded-Wire Fabric in Concrete”, Concrete International, February 2003. 3. “Supports Are Needed for LongTerm Performance of Welded Wire Reinforcement in Slabs-on-Grade,” Tech Facts TF 702-R-08, Wire Reinforcement Institute, 2008. 4. “Structural Welded Wire Reinforcement”, Manual of Standard Practice, 2016. 5. ACI 301-16, “Specifications for Structural Concrete,” American Concrete Institute, 2016. 6. “Supports for Reinforcement Used in Concrete”, RB4.1-14, Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute, 2016. 7. Snell, Luke M., “Cover of Welded Wire Fabric in Slabs and Pavement”, Concrete Construction, 1997. Also published as “Studies Show Properly Covered WWR Produces High Performance Concrete” by Wire Reinforcement Institute, CS 299-R-03, 2003. 8. Neuber, Joseph, “Support Requirements for Welded-Wire Reinforcement in Slabs”, Concrete International, American Concrete Institute, September 2006.

TABLE 4 Calculated Deflection Under a 180-lb Weight for WWR Initially Positioned at 3-inch Cover WIRE SPACING AND SIZE

SUPPORT SPACING, FT. 3.0

2.0

1.5

1.0

6 x 6 – W1.4 x W1.4

3 in.

3 in.

2 ¼ in.

1 ¾ in.

6 x 6 – W2.0 x W2.0

3 in.

3 in.

1 ¾ in.

½ in.

6 x 6 – W2.9 x W2.9

3 in.

2 in.

1 in.

¼ in.

4 x 4 – W2.9 x W2.9

2 ½ in.

1 ¼ in.

5/8in.

0

6 x 6 – W4.0 x W4.0

3 in.

1 ½ in.

1 in.

1/8 in.

4 x 4 – W4.0 x W4.0

2 3/8 in.

½ in.

1/8 in.

0

12 Concrete Contractor | December 2017 | www.forconstructionpros.com/concrete

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FOUNDATION & WALLS

By Greg Udelhofen

Engineering Firms Design Foundation Solution for

DENVER HIGH-RISE Construction of Denver’s fourth tallest building calls for innovative solution to compensate for soft sedimentary bedrock.

W

hen Hines, a privately-owned global real estate investment, development and management firm, decided to construct the fourth tallest office building in Denver, engineering firms CTL/Thompson, Inc. and Martin/Martin, Inc. were called in to develop a foundation solution that would support this massive structure on the soft sedimentary bedrock. Denverbased CTL/Thompson, Inc. knows a thing or two about foundations. The engineering firm recently celebrated its 45th anniversary. Hines proposed a 40-floor, 600-foot-high LEED Gold-certified office tower called 1144 Fifteenth, and CTL engineers Marc Cleveland, David Glater and Benny Lujan were charged with the task of helping to find a way to support the building foundation loads on the area’s sedimentary bedrock. The 1144 Fifteenth Construction workers topped out and completed exterior glazing this fall, making 1144 Fifteenth a prominent addition to the Denver skyline. Photo Credit: CTL/Thompson, Inc.

14 Concrete Contractor | December 2017 | www.forconstructionpros.com/concrete

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FOUNDATION / WALLS 120 feet by 60 feet, totaling about 1,900 cubic yards of concrete. The team designed a system using eight drilled piers, each 10 feet in diameter and bottomed more than 105 feet into bedrock – more than 140 feet below street level. A creative design approach was implemented, allowing the concrete for the core to be in direct contact with the bedrock to provide increased lateral support. There is no technical term for this method. Essentially, the bedrock face being relied upon for additional lateral support was preserved by installing soldier piles and excavating with care before installing reinforced shotcrete. The core reinforcement was then installed, and the rest fell into place. CTL engineers and local contractors had used a similar technique called “pre-splitting” once before – for the $300 million Hyatt Regency Denver at Colorado Convention Center hotel a few blocks away. The large concrete pours associated with the piers and core also required a special concrete mix to reduce the heat of hydration during the initial curing of the concrete.

BETTER OPTION Workers connect sections of the reinforcement cages to be set in the 100foot deep pier footings. Photo Credit: CTL/Thompson, Inc.

project would be the first Class A office tower building built in downtown Denver in more than 30 years. Upon completion, it will be Denver’s fifth-highest building (fourth-tallest if you neglect the spire on top of the adjacent Four Seasons Hotel). It needed to rise above the rest – literally and figuratively – but there is a reason the buildings of Denver’s skyline are primarily low compared with other high-rises in the nation. The comparatively soft bedrock prevalent throughout Colorado’s Front Range cannot withstand the loads induced by very tall buildings,

particularly with a dense office use, and soil and bedrock conditions can vary significantly within the foundation area.

THE CTL SOLUTION CTL recommended a drilledpier foundation to safely support the building and the maximum load of 8 million pounds at each pier supporting the building core. The core also imposed extremely high lateral loads associated with a skyscraper, so CTL worked with fellow engineers at Martin/Martin Inc. and contractors to develop methods to preserve the condition of the bedrock for lateral support. The mat foundation or base of the core was heavily reinforced concrete, with a thickness of 7 feet, with proposed dimensions of about

“The team originally considered using 28 six-foot diameter piers drilled at a shallower depth,” notes Marc Cleveland CTL vice president, “but the contractor thought it would be a very tedious process. So, we opted to go with eight 10-foot diameter piers drilled 105 feet into the bedrock and below the tie beams we needed to construct for the core foundation.” Cleveland and his associate, Benny Lujan, project manager, also developed another design solution to save time and material in constructing the foundation base. Normally on this project a 150-foot long by 60-foot wide by 7-foot thick mat would have been poured over the eight piers. Instead, Martin/ Martin designed two 120-foot long by 7-foot wide by 7-foot thick beams

16 Concrete Contractor | December 2017 | www.forconstructionpros.com/concrete

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FOUNDATION / WALLS Reinforcement cages are ready to be lowered into the drilled pier holes. Photo Credit: CTL/ Thompson, Inc.

over the two rows of foundation piers, connected with perpendicular tie beams. “Around the perimeter of the foundation structure we installed soldier piles into the bedrock to provide lateral shear strength for the foundation slab that would be poured directly on top of the bedrock,” Cleveland states. “Immediately after installing the soldier piles we sprayed the entire bedrock surface with shotcrete to prevent any moisture from evaporating.” “The bedrock has a fair amount of moisture content, upper teens to mid 20s as a percentage, and if it’s exposed to the air and the content evaporates, the soft rock starts to disintegrate and begins to flake off,” Lujan notes. “So, using a shotcrete coating is the best way to retain the moisture content and preserve the overall structural integrity of the bedrock surface. In general, the foundation solution CTL helped design was unique with the limited number of support piers constructed and the added lateral shear approach implemented. According to Cleveland, it’s the largest Denver building structure to date with most of the load being supported by only eight piers.

THE CONCRETE PLACEMENT Another extremely important construction challenge that had to

be addressed had to do with the concrete mixture required for the amount placed for each support pier and the massive foundation beams. Each of the eight piers required 300 cubic yards of concrete, or 30 concrete mixer trucks lined up for the continuous placement that would take six hours apiece. With the amount of heat produced during the hydration process, it was important to keep the concrete as cool as possible to prevent cracking during the curing process. “We came up with a mix design using 40 percent fly ash to reduce heat during hydration,” Cleveland explains. “The concrete producer, Martin Marietta, also used chilled water (35-40 degrees) at the batch plant to help minimize excess heating during hydration. By the time the concrete reached the project, it was in the 50 to 60-degree range and that really helped to slow the

set time. The goal was to keep the concrete temperature in the 147to 150-degree F range during the curing process. If it gets above 160 degrees, the concrete can overheat and crack.” There were a few other site issues that had to be investigated, and in some cases addressed, like previous usages of the site. A number of past uses created geotechnical and environmental issues that needed mitigation. In the early 1900s, a ninestory bank occupied one corner of the site. When it was demolished, debris was left in the foundation area. The site also housed an old streetcar loop in the mid-1900s. Old maps show the layout of the past development coinciding with the debris fill found on the site. As with other site and construction challenges, CTL Thompson addressed each issue to keep the project moving forward. But with the structure topped off and all exterior glazing complete, interior work is expected to be completed by mid-2018. When tenants enter the shimmering new building for the first time they will marvel at its beautiful design and never know the details of the engineering solutions required to make it a reality. Shotcrete was used to protect exposed bedrock while the core foundation structure was assembled. Photo Credit: CTL/Thompson, Inc.

18 Concrete Contractor | December 2017 | www.forconstructionpros.com/concrete

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A SOLUTION FOR ALL YOUR APPLICATIONS Makita® has an expanding dust extraction system with vacuums, accessories and attachments for use in concrete drilling, breaking, surfacing and cutting applications. Makita® provides the options you need to build an OSHA compliant system for your job site, even if the job takes you away from a power source.

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FOUNDATION & WALLS

By Joe Nasvik

Building Swimming Pools with

ICF’s

Homeowner demand for swimming pools constructed using ICF products, leads one manufacturer to create a system that made it economical to build them.

I

nsulating Concrete Forms (ICF) has been in the marketplace for several years. Before the collapse of the housing industry in 2008 many homes were built with ICF’s made by several different manufacturers. But

the ICF movement stalled with the economic downturn and several manufacturers closed their doors. This happened to other concrete home building technologies too and the situation remained this way until the housing market started to pick up. Methods for building concrete homes are slowly coming back now. Mike Garrett worked for other ICF manufacturers before the housing slow-down but was dissatisfied with the problems and issues related to these products. So in 2004 he decided to start BuildBlock Insulating Concrete Forms in Oklahoma City, Okla. His goal was to create a better product, in part by correcting flaws that he saw in other products. Over

This graphic shows you how ICF swimming pools are put together. The footings are formed and placed first, then the ICF walls. When workers place the concrete in the walls they also cast the floor at the same time.

time his company has grown Photo Credit: BuildBlock Insulating Concrete and they have Forms added to their product line to accommodate a wider range of design challenges. Garrett discovered that in the process of building a house with ICF walls (and sometimes floors) some homeowners also wanted swimming pools so he decided to work out a system that made it economical to build them with his ICF product. He also developed a guide for typical installations that included engineering too. Any pool design can be built with his system and these one-of-a-kind pools require separate engineering details.

20 Concrete Contractor | December 2017 | www.forconstructionpros.com/concrete

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FOUNDATION & WALLS WHY BUILD A POOL WITH ICF’S? Unlike some swimming pool wall systems ICF walls aren’t dependent on precise excavations. If an excavation is over-dug it doesn’t affect the cost of an ICF pool beyond the backfilling cost after the walls are in place. Saving pool heating costs is another advantage that ICF pools have. Brian Corder, BuildBlock’s President of Sales and Marketing, says most heat in a swimming pool is lost through the walls and bottom of a pool, the air above is a much poorer conductor of energy. But because both sides of an ICF wall are insulated and insulation boards are usually placed between the concrete and subgrade on the bottom of a pool, less energy is required to heat the water in a pool.

HOW AN ICF POOL IS BUILT Any shape or design can be economically built with ICF’s. BuildBlock specifically offers a line of curved radius forms, making even the most inventive design simple to execute. All pools must be engineered to provide for proper steel reinforcement, but BuildBlock also provides pre-engineered tables for a wide range of depths and configurations. There are many standard plans for pool sizes and shapes available and if you use one of these you are ready for construction. Excavation is the first step, including footings for under the walls. Corder recommends that in-ground pools should have footings at least 16-inches deep and 20-inches wide, though they may be as much as

and electrical is installed too, locating fixtures in the foam blocks is easy. High walls require bracing to assure that they remain plumb after concrete is placed but short walls typically don’t need support. The subgrade for the floors of pools is shaped to the same profile as the bottom of the pool and compacted well. In order to minimize energy loss through the bottom of the pool, installers usually place 1-inch thick (or greater) insulation boards over gravel laid on top of the subgrade with rebar chaired on top of the insulation. Corder says concrete for walls and floors is typically placed at the same time, placed with a pump or conveyor. BuildBlock recommends 3,000 psi rated mixes that include 3/8-inch top-sized aggregates. A typical detail also calls for a cove transition between walls and pool bottom, achieved at the time concrete is being placed. If pool copings are specified to be concrete, they are formed and placed after concrete in the walls is hard. In order to prevent ground water from damaging the pool structure, BuildBlock strongly recommends that moisture barriers be installed against the ICF blocks on the outside of the walls before they are backfilled. It should shed any water to the gravel below or a perimeter drain.

INSIDE FINISHES

After concrete is placed the ICF blocks are exposed on each side. Pool plaster goes directly on the inside surface while the outside is covered with a moisture barrier applied to the foam. Photo Credit: BuildBlock Insulating Concrete Forms

Another advantage is reduced construction time. ICF pools can be built in less time and with less labor than other methods. The system is simple and those with do-it-yourself skills can build the walls of their pools. Placing and finishing concrete on the bottom of the pool still requires skilled finishers though.

58-inches wide to accommodate some soil conditions. Footing requirements will always be dictated by soil compressive strength and local codes. The next step involves forming for the footings and then rebar is added. Rebar reinforcement for the pool bottom is usually tied to the footing too using stirrups. ICF blocks are assembled to build the pool walls on top of the footings with both horizontal and vertical rebar added as the blocks are assembled—vertical bars penetrating into the footings. Rough plumbing

Either pool liners or plaster finishes can be used to complete the inside of an ICF pool. The life of pool liner products is typically up to 10 years and they should be installed over pool plaster. If an owner selects a plaster finish there are a variety of products that will work. Polymercement products don’t require that the pool be filled with water as soon as the plastering process is complete so they are the most used now. These products are installed directly onto the ICF foam inside the pool and are approximately 1/2-in. in thickness. Depending on the product used, they are installed in one or

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two coat applications. BuildCrete makes a plaster that is applied in one coat. Some products require an embedded fiberglass mesh as a part of their system. Pool plaster finishes should be installed to be very smooth and 100 percent waterproof.

THE ICF ADVANTAGE Why is this construction technique worth considering? It can reduce the number of trades and materials needed, money is saved on energy to heat pools, construction is simpler than other methods, concrete is protected from the elements, refinishing when required is less expensive than other systems, and the cost of construction is often less than other competitive systems.

Pool floors can be shaped by the subgrade any way that an owner wants. The usual practice is to include a moisture barrier on the ground with insulation on top of that to minimize heat loss to the ground. Reinforcement is tied to the footings. Photo Credit: BuildBlock Insulating Concrete Forms

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ForConstructionPros.com/20972684

www.forconstructionpros.com/concrete | December 2017 | Concrete Contractor 23

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PRODUCTS

World of Concrete

PREVIEW

A compilation of products from scheduled exhibiting companies. LAVINA-X Series of Concrete Dust Extractors

The new LAVINA-X series of concrete dust extractors, all manufactured by Superabrasive, are loaded with new features to provide contractors with a more efficient dust extraction solution for a safer work environment. The new range includes a propane and 4 electric models to suit different size grinders and applications. All models are equipped with Hepa filters (H13) with efficiency 99.99% at 0.3 microns, and fully automatic jet pulse filter cleaning system (except V20-X). New features on the larger models include adjustable filter cleaning interval for grinding and polishing, and an option for forced cleaning. There are no compressors to mess with which saves you downtime time for maintenance. The new vacs are all equipped with the Longopac continuous bagging system for safer and easier dust disposal, and come with antistatic hoses with a stainless steel Camlock hose connector, and a floor tool kit. They fit standard vans and trailers for easy transportation. Different voltage options, including 115V, 230V, 400V and 480V are available to suit US, European, and other international power standards. ForConstructionPros.com/20984274 World of Concrete 2018 Booth #S10539/#O31353

iQ Power Tools iQ360XR

iQ Power Tools, manufacturer of power tools with integrated dust collection technology, presents the iQ360XR, the newest in the iQ360 line of masonry saws. The iQ360 line – the World’s First 14" Masonry Saw with integrated vacuum system, filter system, and dust containment. This newest version includes all the same great features from the iQ360 line. • The iQ360XR includes the iQ Power Management System with a sealed rocker power switch and soft start technology. • A new 1.75 hp high-efficiency precision motor, results in smoother cutting and reduced AMP draw on start up. • 92 CFM high-output vacuum • iQ QUICK-SPIN filtration system • Designed to capture over 99.5% of the dust • Tested to meet the new OSHA Silica PEL - 50µg Si02 / m3 • This OSHA-Compliant saw cuts brick, stone, and pavers up to 4.5” high and 12” long. It is compact and lightweight for easy transport using the iQSmartCart. ForConstructionPros.com/20975972 World of Concrete 2018 Booth # N1918

APF Adds VaporSolve 100 LP System to Signature VaporSolve Moisture Remediation Systems

Brokk 500 Demolition Robot

The 11,464-lb. Brokk 500 delivers 1,086 ft.-lbs. with each blow of the 1,510-lb. Atlas Copco SB 702 hydraulic breaker. Its three-part arm system now reaches 24.3-ft. vertically and 23-ft. horizontally. The SmartPower intelligent electrical system maximizes power output based on environmental and operating factors; it also helps start the machine on a poor power supply while protecting it against any harmful faulty power. The unit includes a strengthened machine design, reinforced casted details and new headlight protections. In addition, all daily and weekly maintenance can be completed without lifting the covers of the machine. ForConstructionPros.com/12317464 World of Concrete 2018 Booth #C4319

Arizona Polymer Flooring’s VaporSolve 100 LP is a specially formulated 100% solids epoxy coating designed to comply with ASTM F-3010 for use over concrete with high moisture levels for the purpose of isolating the concrete from moisture-sensitive flooring. VaporSolve 100 LP System is typically used on concrete that has never been treated with reactive silicate curing compounds or densifiers. • Formulated with low viscosity and excellent substrate wetting capabilities to promote penetration and adhesion, while a special hydrophobic curing agent. • Created for a wide range of uses, VaporSolve 100 LP’s versatility provides that it will cure fully even when applied underwater. ForConstructionPros.com/12273652 World of Concrete 2018 Booth #S11351/#O40841

Proline’s Exotic Metals

Proline’s Exotic Metals is a three-dimensional metallic epoxy system designed to create elegant, beautiful and unique seamless floors. Exotic Metals is a 100% solids, two component, epoxy formulation with high strength and excellent impact resistance. Metallic epoxies are taking over the flooring industry. This system easier to install than most other coatings. Exotic Metals are ideal for residential and commercial use including, living rooms, kitchens, bathrooms, retail stores, office spaces, lobby areas, tattoo parlors, barber shops, hair salons, restaurants, clothing stores, casinos and showroom floors. ForConstructionPros.com/20977411 World of Concrete 2018 Booth # S12517/#O40847

24 Concrete Contractor | December 2017 | www.forconstructionpros.com/concrete

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THE ENHANCED DM 340 DRILL MOTOR WE’VE UPDATED OUR DM 340 TO GIVE YOU MORE. We never stop working to deliver better tools to you. Better tools, like our improved DM 340 drill motor, with upgrades to increase efficiency and production while decreasing down time. Key components such as new pop-up brushes and new brush holders were added to the DM 340. This reduces potential damage to the armature and helps increase service intervals to keep you drilling longer. We have also added a heavyduty water hose and valve to increase durability and reduce maintenance. These updates mean you have a machine that is made to increase your up time while working in the toughest conditions. Demonstrations available nationwide. 800-288-5040

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Copyright Š 2017 Husqvarna AB (publ.). All rights reserved. Husqvarna is a registered trademark of Husqvarna AB (publ.).

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PRODUCTS Butterfield Color Clear Guard First Seal

THE NEWEST

LOOK

IN THE ARDEX FAMILY

Clear Guard First Seal is a waterbased reactive water repellent sealer for use on unsealed concrete and unsealed concrete overlays as early as 48 hours after the concrete is poured. Scientifically formulated to allow for the high PH of new concrete, Clear Guard First Seal will react with the concrete and create a water resistant surface and a hydrophobic interior, thus reducing water and chemical absorption and the damaging effects caused by freeze-thaw and de-icing salts. • In addition to being a water repellent, Clear Guard First Seal provides excellent adhesion benefits when it is applied and allowed to dry prior to the application of Butterfield Color Clear Guard Cure and Seal or Clear Guard PRO 350 Cure and Seal. • Applying the Clear Guard First Seal at 48 hours prior to the application of the solvent-based acrylic sealer greatly reduced the damage caused by de-icing salts and after extensive freeze-thaw cycles. ForConstructionPros.com/20982944 World of Concrete 2018 Booth #O41020

HTC D60 Dust Extractor

The new HTC D60 dust extractor has been especially designed for floor grinding and in particular with HTC DURATIQ grinders. Unique and innovative functions such as DURATIQ remote connection, automatic filter cleaning and integrated preseparation produce unbeatable synergic effects in the form of increased productivity and grinding capacity. • Automatic filter cleaning along with integrated pre-separation ensures continuous operation and consistent and safe dust extraction. • Compact dimensions, smart features for ergonomic handling and high safety standard with HEPA H13 filters. • The HTC D60 is equipped with a digital control panel (HMI) for monitoring essential functions. • A 3.5-inch LCD displays critical factors for optimal dust extraction, such as airflow and filter status. • Recommended for floor grinders with a grinding width of 600–700 mm. ForConstructionPros.com/20977263 World of Concrete 2018 Booth #O31130

Somero S-22EZ Laser Screed Machine Now Available

K 521 TM

Self-Leveling

Concrete Topping

with Aggregate Surface

Somero Enterprises, Inc., a manufacturer of technologically advanced concrete placing equipment and associated machinery, has launched its new S-22EZ Laser Screed machine. The S-22EZ major advancement includes the EZ Clean Head, which features a rolled profile on the auger support beam and pivots 90 degrees to make cleaning faster and easier. Additional enhancements on the S-22EZ include: • Uniform body profile, increased storage with lighting, LED work lights, illuminating fuse panel and oil sprayer mount. • The S-22EZ also comes equipped with a hose reel when you purchase the optional pressure washer, and head transport stands are now standard. • The S-22EZ features 360° machine rotation, a 20 ft. (6 m) telescopic boom, customized OASIS laser control system and Quick Grade Set. Integrated diagnostics and full-time, automatic valve calibration make operating the S-22EZ simple. ForConstructionPros.com/20980954 World of Concrete 2018 Booth #C5403

Diamatic USA LYNX Pad

400 Ardex Park Drive Aliquippa, PA 15001 888-512-7339

www.ardexamericas.com

Diamatic USA is proud to announce the launch of the company's revolutionary concrete polishing, maintenance and overlayment tool, The LYNX Pad. Lynx pads are made to increase production on concrete and overlayment surfaces when an applicator is looking to polish or rejuvenate the floor with one system. • The Lynx Pads are available in grits 50 through 3000. • Lynx pads are a high density long life pad made to hold up under the weight and RPMS of today’s machines and will produce a polished floor with high DOI and can bring the shine and reflectivity back to an existing floor. • They are designed to fit under BMG series of grinders as well as other equipment brands in the field. ForConstructionPros.com/20982826 World of Concrete 2018 Booth #S10515

ForConstructionPros.com/10071997

26 Concrete Contractor | December 2017 | www.forconstructionpros.com/concrete

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Ameripolish ColorJuice Extreme

Pearl Hexpin Floor Preparation System

The Pearl Hexpin System has been revolutionizing the flooring industry for over 20 years. Engineered for use on standard floor buffers and dual-headed diamond grinders, the Pearl Hexpin System is a convenient tool that gives you choices. Use the standard Hexpin Plates or Hexpin Blocks with our patented system of interchangeable Hexpins for grinding, sanding, polishing and coating removal. Pearl’s unique spring-based technology allows the Hexpin attachments to float easily over rough surfaces while the fluted plate design helps maintain dust control. When looking to increase productivity, professionalism and profitability, Pearl has the solutions for all your floor preparation needs... The Pearl Hexpin System. ForConstructionPros.com/20983118 World of Concrete 2018 Booth #S12239

Ameripolish ColorJuice - Extreme is our ColorJuice 3D reformulated to give you a stronger, more vibrant, and longer lasting color with the same easy application you already know how to use. Turn plain, old, and boring broom finished concrete into illustrious pieces of art. ColorJuice Extreme can be used in horizontal and vertical applications. ColorJuice is ideal for patios, driveways, sidewalks, and pool decks, but can also be used in interior projects like garages. In addition to ColorJuice Extreme the company is releasing a brand new sealer that will have a higher sheen than any other Ameripolish exterior sealer, as well as reformulating the company's old X-Link WL. ColorJuice Extreme will be released at the 2018 World of Concrete, stop by at booth 040745 to learn more about ColorJuice. ForConstructionPros.com/20982977 World of Concrete 2018 Booth #O40745

LevMix Mobile Mixer

PROSOCO Introduces Improved Repellent

A new solvent-based alternative to PROSOCO’s popular Concrete Protector offers more powerful and robust initial water-beading and repellency on all kinds of finished concrete floors. • Surfaces treated with Concrete Protector SB retain their natural appearance, texture and breathability, and are easier to maintain. • The product is ideal for areas of high traffic or wheeled traffic where surface film-forming sealers may prematurely wear off. • The low-odor, VOC-compliant product is easily applied with pump-up sprayers and can go onto surfaces previously treated with LSGuard and PolishGuard. ForConstructionPros.com/20982776 World of Concrete 2018 Booth #S11207

MAX USA AKHL1260E and AKHL1260EX PowerLite Compressors

At just 35.4 lbs and 51.1 lbs., the AKHL1260E and AKHL1260EX PowerLite feature the ability to hold compressed air at 500 psi. The AKHL1260E has two tanks (adaptable to five with optional accessory) and the AKHL1260EX comes with five tanks. Two air outlets are included for high-pressure tools and two additional outlets are for regular 100-psi pressure tools. Both compressors are powered by a DC-Brushless motor. An inverter circuit adjusts the rpm to extract maximum performance at different voltage levels, plus allow startup in cold weather and operation under poor electric supply conditions (down to 70 volts without popping the breaker). A built-in LED light indicator system identifies performance issues, and an easy drain lever quickly releases air and water from tanks. ForConstructionPros.com/20981623 World of Concrete 2018 Booth #N2005/#O32039

The new LevMix unites three steps in one operation: • • •

mixing transporting pouring

The new LevMix mobile mixer combines the attributes "FAST and EASY". Mix several bags in the shortest time.

www.collomixna.com ForConstructionPros.com/10840732

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PRODUCTS Pettibone to Debut Next Gen Traverse Telehandler

Pettibone will debut the T944X, its next generation Traverse telehandler, at booth #C5685 during WOC. According to the manufacturer, the Traverse is the only telescopic handler currently on the market with an extendable, traversing boom that moves loads by traveling horizontally. This capability allows users to precisely and safely place loads forward through windows or other tight openings without having to reposition the machine. With the Traverse, the specified lift height is the landing height. This stands in contrast to a traditional fixed boom pivot, where the true landing height is generally several feet less, as operators must account for withdrawing the forks out of the load with enough rearward travel for the fork tips to clear the landing zone. ForConstructionPros.com/20980959 World of Concrete 2018 Booth #C5685

Jiffy Mixer Co. Inc Industrial/Commercial Mixer

Jiffy Mixer Co. Inc is an all purpose, heavy duty, extremely efficient Industrial/ Commercial mixer. It’s designed to quickly and thoroughly mix dense and viscous substances in an open container. It eliminates waste and unwanted aeration of materials in addition to cutting mixing time up to 90% • Made of Stainless Steel 304, Jiffy Mixer’s patented construction and design is for mixing not just stirring. • It has two sets of specially welded blades, one horizontal the other vertical. The vertical ones keep the mixing action between them, the horizontal ones employ an exclusive hydraulic-flow principle that prevents sucking air. ForConstructionPros.com/20982756 World of Concrete 2018 Booth #S13207

New CoolCure Concrete Admixture

CoolCure is a revolutionary new technology that significantly reduces/eliminates the heat of hydration. At the same time while reducing heat, major increases in compressive strength and working/ placement time are enabled with CoolCure. Through the utilization of advanced technology, a more balanced stoichiometry and nanotechnology, this new technology will change the face of concrete technology today.CoolCure works by balancing the chemistry. This minimizes by-products and results in a more efficient reaction. While creating a more efficient reaction, more bonds are created that generate more strength. Increases in strength have been realized from 40% to 100%. The heat is reduced by minimizing the calcium hydroxide byproduct generation. Its exotherm is well known in chemistry. The calcium hydroxide is better utilized by creating more CSH (reinforcing bonds) instead of creating troublesome heat. ForConstructionPros.com/20980988 World of Concrete 2018 Booth #N569

Runyon Surface Prep’s New Tooling Line

Runyon Surface Prep designed its new Tooling Line with the contractor in mind. In building this line, we went to end-users and asked what they’d like to see if we developed our own tools. Overwhelming Feedback: the ability to identify tools easily, in regards to grit and bond. We've accomplished both of these with our new line, along with being high quality, high performance tools. The Runyon Line includes metal-bond tools, copper transitionals, resin pucks, diamond impregnated pads and wet or dry hand polishing pads. The Q8 Series of metal-bond tools are interchangeable on a variety of floor grinders due to the unique figure-8 attachment style. In addition, each tool within the Runyon Line also features unique face designs, higher diamond content and greater mil thicknesses than comparable tools. The Goal: to help you be more productive and efficient. ForConstructionPros.com/20982951 World of Concrete 2018 Booth #S13039 ForConstructionPros.com/10076764

28 Concrete Contractor | December 2017 | www.forconstructionpros.com/concrete

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See all at www.bontool.com

Large Selection of Contractor-Grade Tools for Concrete Finishing and Decorative Concrete

With a firm committment to provide the best value and to maintain the highest standards of workmanship and customer care, Bon remains a trusted source in the industry. Our product line is carefully reviewed and updated guaranteeing we deliver the highest quality products, and the largest selection of tools. ForConstructionPros.com/10072223

To learn more, visit www.bontool.com or call our customer service department at 800-444-7060

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COVER STORY

By Joe Nasvik

A Museum and Theater for the

Motion Picture Industry Building a theater in the air.

I

magine building a structural concrete sphere one hundred fifty feet in diameter weighing 25 million pounds (25,000 kips) held in position twelve feet off the ground by four concrete columns with seismic isolators between the columns and the sphere. A building with no structural connection to the columns or the ground, the sphere can move freely approximately 30 inches horizontally during an earthquake. Then imagine the structure is being built on tar-sand, with bedrock being nowhere to

be found—not an ideal ground condition. The sphere is part of a new theater and museum complex being built for the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles (LA) and it is the result of a close collaborative effort between contractors, engineers, architects, consultants and material suppliers. The sphere will house a 1,000 seat theater and rooftop terrace. It will be connected to an adjacent building housing the museum’s exhibition spaces, an education studio, a conservation studio, a 288-seat theater, a retail space, and a restaurant and

café. Academy Museum is located next to the LA County Museum of Art (LACMA), The La Brea Tar Pits & Museum, and several other museums in the LA Miracle Mile neighborhood along Wilshire Blvd. Kerry Brougher, Director of the Academy’s museum Shown here at the base of the sphere are the two large transit girders which will eventually carry the entire weight of the sphere, supporting it 12-feet above ground. Concrete for the south flat “belly slab” is placed in this photo while the north facing belly slab is being formed and reinforced. Notice the left and right 39 degree angled ends. When concrete was placed these angled areas were shotcreted. Photo Credit: Morley Construction Co.

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The Geffen Theater is a structural concrete sphere that will weigh 25 million pounds. The outside surface is made from precast concrete panels molded for a specific location. Two feet of highly reinforced shotcrete is placed against the precast on the inside. The penetration holes in the precast will be used to support the glass canopy mounted two feet away from the precast. The projection booth will extend out from the sphere through the large square opening. Notice the color of the shoring towers, it indicates the amount of load they can carry. Photo Credit: Melvin Kay

says the dream of having a museum for the film industry started in 1929, early in the industry’s life. But nothing happened and the idea was discussed again in 2008, just before the country’s recession/depression. Talk started again in 2012 when an iconic Streamline Moderne historic May Company department store building became available and a fundraising efforts began to fund the project. The project includes a complete rehabilitation of the former May Co. building, now called the Saban Building, plus the construction of the spherical structure. Both the rehab and the new theater construction are challenging but it’s the sphere that is pushing the edges of technology.

DESIGN AND ENGINEERING Enzo Piano Building Workshop, Genoa, Italy, an architect known for designing world-class museums, is the designer of the museum’s

PROJECT PARTICIPANTS: Owner: Museum of Motion Pictures, Los Angeles Architect: Renzo Piano Building Workshop, Genoa, Italy, with Gensler, Los Angeles Engineer: BuroHappold Engineering, Los Angeles, Calif. Project Manager: Paratus Group General Contractor: Morley+Taslimi, Santa Monica, Calif.. and Matt Construction, Santa Fe Springs, Calif. Concrete Contractor: Morley Construction, Santa Monica, Calif. Ready-mix Concrete: Catalina Pacific Concrete, Torrance, Calif. Forms and Shoring: PERI Formwork Systems, Irvine, Calif. Precast Concrete: Willis Construction Co., San Juan Bautista, Calif. Shotcrete: Superior Gunite, Lakeview Terrace, Calif.

One of the four plinths (columns) is shown here with a seismic isolator on top. During construction over 130 shoring towers support the weight of the sphere until after the ring beam is completed at the top of the sphere. Photo Credit: Joe Nasvik

campus and Gensler, Los Angeles, is the executive architect on the project. BuroHappold Engineering, Los Angeles, Calif., is the structural engineer of record. Derrick Roorda, a principal of the company and leader of their structural group in LA, says he got involved with the project in 2013 as the structural and design control engineer. He defines the engineering challenges:

• Only four points of the structure touch the ground • The structure must insulate noise from the outside • Any single element of the structure influences the whole, everything must work together • Preventing the sphere from being destroyed in an earthquake, it must to be able to move horizontally as much as 30-inches • The three bridges between the theater and the museum building must allow for movement • The architect wanted precast concrete on the outside of the sphere—a more controlled concrete appearance • Complete support of the sphere during construction so there wouldn’t be any movement. Roorda worked in close collaboration with Morley Construction Co., Santa Monica, Calif., the engineers from the Peri Formwork Systems Inc., Irvine, Calif., and with a consultant engineer, KCJ Engineering, Laguna Hills, Calif., hired by Morley. Academy Museum COO Rich Cherry says the first phase of the

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COVER STORY This is one of the seismic isolators. The red-metal plate prevents any movement during construction and will be removed when the shoring towers are removed. Photo Credit: Joe Nasvik

construction was awarded to the joint venture of Morley+Taslimi and the second phase construction was awarded to Matt Construction based in Santa Fe Springs, Calif. But for both phases of the project Morley was retained to perform the structural and architectural concrete work.

PREPARING FOR THE CONSTRUCTION Bob Stephens, Morley’s Project Executive, says it was clear from the start that the sphere must be fully supported during construction. Stephens explains the problem this way. “It’s like holding a ping pong ball,” he says. “If you squeeze it in your hand it’s crush resistant but if you cut a round hole in the ball it crushes easily and loses its shape. A sphere isn’t structurally sound unless it is complete” So Morley met with Mark Harrison, a PERI Sales Engineer, and Tim Cruz, the sales manager for the U.S. South West Region of PERI and their engineering team to discuss the problem. PERI’s engineering group from their headquarters in Germany

also got involved. Cruz said they recognized the project as very special, one they probably wouldn’t encounter again and they liked the challenge. Here were some of their thoughts: • Support would be needed during the whole construction period. Typically support is removed after concrete reaches its design strength • Morley’s engineer located 133 load points on the structure that required special shoring. Monitoring would be required and adjusted when necessary • A range of shoring towers would be needed to keep costs down and the different systems would

have to work together • Close collaboration between themselves, the structural engineers, and Morley would be needed throughout the entire construction period PERI recommended four of their shoring systems for the project: • VST Shoring Towers, a four or six-leg system with each leg able to support 180,000 pounds of load (they are colored orange and green in the photos) • HD 200 shores, a system clustered in groups of four legged tower system capable of supporting 45,000 pounds per leg (white triangular colored legs in photos) • MULTIPROP shoring system, a system clustered in groups of four tower system able to support 18,000 pounds per leg (yellow and silver legs in photos) • PERI UP Flex Shoring able to support 8,400 pounds per leg (silver legs in photos)

FROM THE BOTTOM UP The wall of the Saban building facing the sphere was removed along with its basement floor. Stephens

There are so many shoring towers supporting the structure that it is difficult to walk under the sphere. When they are removed precast panels will be installed to carry the shape of the sphere under the structure. Photo Credit: Joe Nasvik

32 Concrete Contractor | December 2017 | www.forconstructionpros.com/concrete

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COVER STORY

says piles (caissons) were installed under the building to add support. The area between the Saban building and the sphere was excavated to build an underground 34-foot tall theater seating 288 people, an electrical vault, and an underground tunnel to bring mechanicals to the spherical Geffen Theater above, along with other back-of-house spaces. Stephens says the excavated soil was tar sand so they used sensor equipment, commonly referred to as “sniffers” to warn workers of noxious gases in excavated areas. They also installed a methane barrier beneath all underground rooms, tunnels, and plinths (columns). The membranes were sandwiched between concrete slabs for protection and the barriers are installed so that gas can move around the membrane and exit away from the buildings. Piles and plinths. There are four plinths under the sphere with 43 augercast 24-inch diameter friction piles installed under each double set of plinths, The auger drilled 90 foot deep holes and it was pulled up without rotating the drill. As it was lifted concrete was pumped through the center of the bit to fill the hole. This method provides maximum friction between the concrete and the side of the hole. Two 500 cubic yard pile caps on top of the piles distributed the load evenly. These elements

all required mass concrete mixes. Eric DeCrescenzo, sales representative for Catalina Pacific Concrete (a Division of CALPORTLAND Co, Glendora, Calif.), Azusa, California says they supplied all the mass concrete for the job. “The strength requirement was 7,000 psi in 56 days. We used a glacial-formed hard aggregate referred to as “Orcha Aggregate” to increase strength and reduce the amount of cement to reduce the heat of hydration.” The hydrating concrete couldn’t exceed 160ºF and there couldn’t be more than a 35ºF difference between the center and the edge of placements. Transfer girders. There are two highly reinforced transfer beams placed on top of the plinths. They carry the entire weight of the theater and transfer it to the plinths. Each beam is 12 to 14 feet wide, 10-feet tall and 132 feet long. The beams form part of the belly of the sphere so their ends are spherically curved to match the curve of the sphere at each end. Stephens says the 1330 cubic yards

The sail-shaped steel frame has many functions. It provides the exact shape of the sphere that the precast panels are mounted to, its used to support scaffolding for workers, and after the shotcrete is installed the part of the frame buried in concrete becomes a permanent structural member while the temporary members outside the shotcrete are removed. Photo Credit: Joe Nasvik

of mass concrete for the girders had the same requirements as the plinths. DeCrescenzo says Catalina added as much as 1,100 lbs. of ice per load during batching to deliver concrete at approximately 60ºF. Upon further analysis the allowable maximum temperature of hydration was raised to 170ºF by the CTL Group, Morley’s consulting engineer on mass concrete

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The shoring systems described above were installed under the transfer girders and belly slabs for the sphere to reduce up and down movement during construction. The engineering team located points where shoring towers were needed to carry the majority of the load—the plinths don’t carry their full design load during construction. Morley placed engineered concrete six-inch thick slabs on grade with thickened areas up to two feet, to support the up to 20,000 pound shoring towers, moved into place with tower cranes. The shore towers fully support the weight of the sphere, starting with the construction of the girders and belly slabs and continuing after the ring beam is completed at the top of the structure. Morley surveys points on the structure at regular intervals to check for any signs of movement.

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issues and heat of hydration. They started the placement at 11:30 pm on a Friday night when aggregate piles at the ready-mix plant were coolest and continued until 11:00 am the next day. Afterwards the beams were enclosed in insulation to keep the temperature spread within the beams to less than 35ºF. Belly Slabs. There are approximately 14,000 square feet of belly slabs and transfer girder surface at the bottom of the sphere. The belly slab between the transfer girder and the Sabon building is 12-inches thick and flat. But the 18-inch thick slab on the other side of the transit girders sloped at a 15 degree angle with the “wing slabs” on either side of being 39 degrees—too much angle to keep ready-mix concrete in place. So Morley placed ready-mix concrete where they could and at the same time had Superior Gunite, Lakeview Terrace, Calif. shoot threeinch slump shotcrete in the highslope areas. Seismic isolators. They are one of the great technical advancements for concrete structures in seismic areas. Victor Zayas, president of Earthquake Protection Systems Inc., Vallejo, Calif., says “seismic codes reduce the risk of structure collapse but allow substantial damage, but seismic isolators can minimize damage sufficiently to retain facility functionality, a world of difference in performance objective.” By allowing the earth to move in an earthquake while a structure remains relatively still, money is saved on the structure and foundation costs and the structures receive little damage in an earthquake. Eight isolators are installed on this project; two on top of each plinth. To describe how they work Zayes says “with these isolators the structure responds to earthquakes

CONSTRUCTING THE SPHERE

T

Photo Credit: Joe Nasvik

with a gentle pendulum motion, instead of violent horizontal shaking. Concrete structures can now function after the most severe earthquake.” Zayas adds “the 1971 San Fernando earthquake caused the collapse of concrete structures, resulting in a UC Berkeley study that included my PhD work to develop steel structures that could suffer severe damage during earthquakes but not collapse. However concrete structures with seismic isolators cost less to build and suffer far less damage than the typical code compliant steel structure. Using seismic isolators that deliver postearthquake functionality, as required by ASCE 7-16 for essential facilities, California can return to building most buildings in concrete.” Stephens says each isolator for this project is approximately 7 feet in diameter and weighs 28,000 pounds.

PLIAN OM

This view from inside the sphere shows how the angled seating area, the opening for the projection booth, and the steel frame supporting the precast panels. Behind the worker to the right a fivestory concrete will be built to support the projection screen.

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COVER STORY Mark Hildebrand, president of Willis Construction, San Juan Bautista, Calif., says this project is a very unusual one for them. “Usually we get involved after the structure is in place but on this project our precast panels serve as permanent architectural formwork for the structural concrete.” The architect wanted the sphere to look like concrete but he wanted it to have the fine finish that precast concrete can provide. Hildebrand said they created a digital model of the outside shape and used a Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) router to cut the positive shapes in foam. Using this they cast forms for the panels with Glass Fiber Reinforced Concrete (GFRC). All the precast panels for the job are cast on these forms with special attention paid to the panel edges in order to provide crisp lines on the outside of the sphere. The panels are four inches thick with 4x4-4x4 welded wire fabric reinforcement cast with 7,000 psi concrete. Willis digital model included all the penetrations in panels for attaching the glass canopy to the top of the structure to ensure their proper location on the face of the sphere. Installing the panels on the jobsite is also part of their contract. Greg Wade, the vice president of Matt Construction, Santa Fe Springs, Calif., the general contractor for phase 2 of this project, says that elaborate interior steel frame supports were built into the sphere to provide a perfect spherical shape to attach the precast panels to. “These frames also support the structure. After shotcrete is installed the parts of the frame protruding from the shotcrete is removed.” The structural concrete for the sphere walls is shotcrete. With the precast panels(with a bond-breaker on the back side of the panels) serving as a form, a two foot thickness of shotcrete is sprayed against the panels through heavy steel reinforcement and finished on the inside to mirror the spherical shape of the outside. This concrete is also specified to be 7,000 psi. Stephens says the

nozzle-man must be certified by the City of Los Angeles for the project and then is the only one permitted to spray concrete on the job. As he works he is followed by a worker with a blow pipe to keep rebar clean and to help remove excess material.

INSTALLING THE RING BEAM Near the top of the precast panels a ring beam going all around the sphere will be installed and covered with concrete, it will tie the structure together and finally give the sphere rigidity. This makes it possible to finally remove all the shoring towers— the plinths supporting the sphere for the first time. A concrete deck will also be installed above the ring beam. The approximate 10,000 square foot floor will be used for special events. It will be covered by a glass canopy positioned 2 feet away from the precast and supported entirely by steel imbeds going through the precast walls. Aside from rain cover this space will be open to ambient conditions.

to the model. Checking for conflicts (clash detection) by the general contractor makes it possible to locate most areas of conflict before fabrication starts. But the development of BIM models continues throughout a project, finally being used to create as-built drawings. Matt Construction manages the BIM coordination for the job and provides clash detection. Their sub-contractors work with these models to develop their own BIM drawings to help coordinate the work. Ed So, the senior virtual construction manager for Morley (an architect by education), works full time managing and creating BIM on this job. He says he generates layout points for their work, material quantities, takeoffs, schedules, sequence diagrams, coordination drawings for constructability, and uses it to help monitor their point load towers for movement. He also uses 3D printed plastic models showing job details to help discussion in team meetings and for workers to visualize what they are being asked to build. “Sometimes even a 3D drawing is too hard to visualize,” he says.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

With a BIM model in the background, the 3D printed plastic piece shown here is made from the BIM model for discussion purposes in staff meetings and to help workers in the field understand better what they are being asked to build. Photo Credit: Joe Nasvik

BIM Projects like this would be very difficult to build, if not impossible, without Building Information Modeling (BIM), a 3D Digital model with a data base providing useful information for all contractors. Typically started by the architect on software such as Revit by Autodesk, contractors and engineers add their own information

The line between decorative concrete and architectural concrete is becoming more blurred as buildings like this one come into being. The design features the natural color of concrete and the high-quality forming and concrete placements draw people into the project, causing a natural curiosity about what the inside looks like. Just about everything in this project poses challenges requiring cutting edge technology to solve. Both the Matt and Morley companies thrive on this kind of work. But the challenges are personal too. Stephens says jobs like this make it exciting to go to work in the morning—one knows they are doing something special. He thrives on the teamwork and the technical demands of a project like this and he looks forward to the day when he can proudly show the theater to his grandchildren, telling them “We did this— we were here.”

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SPECIFICATION GUIDE: DUST EXTRACTION

Dust Extraction

A compilation of technical information when choosing your next dust extractor.

1 Pulse-Bac HPLM 3690

What is HPLM? Put simply, it’s the highest power to weight ratio you’ll find in a vacuum today. With 690CFM, they weigh in at just 208 lbs. HPLM vacuums supply all the power you need in a portable package that saves time and trouble. HPLM vacuums are ideal for work involving dust from concrete and many other materials and is compliant with OSHA’s Silica Dust Rule. ForConstructionPros.com/12109625 World of Concrete 2018 Booth #S12150 Model

Dimensions (LxWxH)

Weight (lbs)

Power Output (hp)

Voltage

Phases

Air Flow (cfm)

Max vacuum (psi)

Pulse-Bac HPLM 3690

35” x 35” x 71.5”

208 lbs.

N/A

220V

Single

690 cfm

110” Water Lift

Model

Dimensions “(LxWxH)

Weight (lbs)

Power Output (hp)

Voltage

Phases

Air Flow (cfm)

Max vacuum (psi)

Pulse-Bac 1250

25” x 25” x 37”

30 lbs.

N/A

110V / 220V

Single

311 cfm

70” lift

Model

Dimensions “(LxWxH)

Weight (lbs)

Power Output (hp)

Voltage

Phases

Air Flow (cfm)

Max vacuum (psi)

Pulse-Bac 550

17” x 17” x 26”

30 lbs.

N/A

110V / 220V

Single

150 cfm

87” lift

2 CPS CAT-5 Extractor Vacuum

Go cordless with Concrete Polishing Solutions CAT5Pro Extractor Vacuum. If you’ve ever imagined being able to grind or polish without generators, electric hookups, or coordination problems, look no further than our propane powered vacuum. The system features a pleated primary filter, with non-stick coatings to allow excellent dust release and a HEPA filter with three times the surface area of comparable models. Easy clean up allows you to save time and earn more. ForConstructionPros.com/12140173 World of Concrete Booth #O40833/#S11151 Model

Dimensions (LxWxH)

Weight (lbs)

Power Output (hp)

Voltage

Phases

Air Flow (cfm)

Max vacuum (psi)

CPS CAT-5 Extractor Vacuum

49.5” x 22” x 65”

600 lbs.

17 hp

N/A - Propane powered

N/A

425 cfm

N/A

3 HTC D60 Dust Extractor

The new HTC D60 dust extractor has been especially designed for floor grinding and in particular with HTC DURATIQ grinders. Unique and innovative functions such as DURATIQ remote connection, automatic filter cleaning and integrated pre-separation produce unbeatable synergistic effects in the form of increased productivity and grinding capacity. •  Other benefits are the extremely compact dimensions, smart features for ergonomic handling and high safety standard with HEPA H13 filters. •  The HTC D60 is equipped with a digital control panel (HMI) for monitoring the essential functions of the extractor. •  The HTC D60 is a very compact dust extractor that is just 68 cm wide and 140 cm high in the transport position. •  The HTC D60 is recommended for floor grinders with a grinding width of 600–700 mm. ForConstructionPros.com/20977263 World of Concrete Booth #O31130 Model

Dimensions (LxWxH)

Weight (lbs)

Power Output (hp)

Voltage

Phases

Air Flow (cfm)

Max vacuum (psi)

HTC D60

1235 x 680 x 1400 mm

395 lbs.

7.4 hp

3x200 / 3 /480460 V

3

365 cfm

N/A

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SPECIFICATION GUIDE: DUST EXTRACTION

4 Diamatic BDC-122

The Diamatic BDC-122 is ideally suited for use with smaller grinding, polishing, scarifying and shotblast machines. It is equipped with Hepa filtration and Longopac bagging system for the ultimate in dust control and helping contractors meet the new OSHA silica exposure standards. It also features built in tool storage bin and power cord hanger. It’s large rear wheels and front swivel casters with brakes makes moving on and around the jobsite a breeze. ForConstructionPros.com/20983550 World of Concrete Booth #S10515/#O40832 Model

Dimensions (LxWxH)

Weight (lbs)

Power Output (hp)

Voltage

Phases

Air Flow (cfm)

Max vacuum (psi)

BDC-122

24” x 24” x 54”

110 lbs.

2.68 hp

120 V

Single

198 cfm

83.1” WC

Model

Dimensions (LxWxH)

Weight (lbs)

Power Output (hp)

Voltage

Phases

Air Flow (cfm)

Max vacuum (psi)

BDC-1330

24” x 31” x 51”

147 lbs.

4 hp

120 V

Single

264 cfm

82” WC

Model

Dimensions (LxWxH)

Weight (lbs)

Power Output (hp)

Voltage

Phases

Air Flow (cfm)

Max vacuum (psi)

BDC-3140LPP

53” x 27.5” x 67”

507 lbs.

5.4 hp

230 V or 460 V

Three

350 cfm

90” WC

5 Oztec CG-12 Ceiling Grinder Available with Dust Collection System

The Oztec ceiling grinder features a robust welded steel frame that is fully configurable to any ceiling grinding requirement from seven to 12 feet high and a self-aligning, grinding head which allows full surface contact requiring no adjusting. The Oztec Ceiling Grinder is available with a Dust Collection System for job-site compliance and the power options of the CG-12E Electric Model with a two hp, thermal overload protected Baldor motor or the CG-12G Gas Model with a three hp Honda engine. ForConstructionPros.com/10082994 World of Concrete Booth #N2226 Model

Dimensions (LxWxH)

Weight (lbs)

Power Output (hp)

Voltage

Phases

Air Flow (cfm)

Max vacuum (psi)

Oztec-CG12E-DC7

15-3/4” x 15-3/4” x 22”

28 lbs.

1.8 hp

110 VAC

1

130 cfm

3.59694 psi (248 milibars)

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6 Dustcontrol Inc. DC 2900

According to the company, the DC 2900 is their most popular dust extractor. It is suitable for vacuum cleaning and source extraction from handheld power tools (with up to 5” inch suction casing) and small table saws. It is light weight and portable with large wheels and a sturdy steel chassis. ForConstructionPros.com/12281036 World of Concrete Booth #S10555 Model

Dimensions (LxWxH)

Weight (lbs)

Power Output (hp)

Voltage

Phases

Air Flow (cfm)

Max vacuum (psi)

DC Storm 600 -L

45’ x 30” x 69”

375 lbs.

10 hp

7.5kw

Three

371 cfm at the inlet

N/A

Model

Dimensions (LxWxH)

Weight (lbs)

Power Output (hp)

Voltage

Phases

Air Flow (cfm)

Max vacuum (psi)

DC 2900 C

21” x 17” x 43”

30.8 lbs.

1300 Watts

115 V

Single

114 cfm at the inlet

N/A

7 Hilti VC-300-17

The Hilti universal vacuum cleaner VC 300-17 X is built with an impressive 300 cfm of power delivered by two turbines. It’s protected by a tough, field-tested casing that can pack in 17 gallons of debris. It can be used as a wet or dry vacuum and is equipped with an automatic filter cleaning system. It tackles the most demanding jobs with 99 percent filter efficiency enabling OSHA 1926.1153 table 1 compliance and is HEPA ready. ForConstructionPros.com/20983601 World of Concrete Booth #O30699/#C4840 Model

Dimensions (LxWxH)

Weight (lbs)

Power Output (hp)

Voltage

Phases

Air Flow (cfm)

Max vacuum (psi)

VC 300-17 X

19.3” x 19.3” x 34.6”

54 lbs.

N/A

120 V

Single

313.6 cfm

3.68 psi

Model

Dimensions (LxWxH)

Weight (lbs)

Power Output (hp)

Voltage

Phases

Air Flow (cfm)

Max vacuum (psi)

VC 150-6 XE

15” x 15” x 19.7”

28.7 lbs.

N/A

120 V

Single

152.6 cfm

3.51 psi

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SPECIFICATION GUIDE: DUST EXTRACTION

8 Husqvarna S 13

The S 13 is a quiet-operating, single-phase HEPA dust collector perfect for use with hand held grinders and small grinders 5-7”. It is equipped with a tested and certified HEPA H13 filter and features Jet Pulse pre-filter cleaning and vacuum meter for filter control. The non-marking wheels are puncture free and lock at the front. Kit for adding Longopac collecting bag available as option. ForConstructionPros.com/20983545 World of Concrete Booth #O30166 Model

Dimensions (LxWxH)

Weight (lbs)

Power Output (hp)

Voltage

Phases

Air Flow (cfm)

Max vacuum (psi)

Husqvarna S 13

26” x 15.8” x 43.3”

66 lbs.

1.6 hp

120 V

1

129 cfm

24 kPa

Model

Dimensions (LxWxH)

Weight (lbs)

Power Output (hp)

Voltage

Phases

Air Flow (cfm)

Max vacuum (psi)

Husqvarna S 26

26” x 21.5” x 50.2”

105 lbs.

3.2 hp

120 V

1

258 cfm

24 kPa

Model

Dimensions (LxWxH)

Weight (lbs)

Power Output (hp)

Voltage

Phases

Air Flow (cfm)

Max vacuum (psi)

Husqvarna T 8600 P

49” x 27” x 69”

628 lbs.

18 hp

N/A

N/A - Propane

410 cfm

29 kPa

9 SASE BULL 1250EBS Dust Collection System

SASE Company Inc. introduces the BULL 1250EBS Dust Collection System now with the Elongated Bag System. The BULL 1250EBS can be used with the SASE PDG 8000, PDG 6000, and all other industry 32 inch diamond grinders. •  Elongated bags feature over 42 sq./ft. of filter area •  Quiet -- only 78 dB •  Secondary HEPA Filtration •  Weight: 500 lbs. •  Air flow: 388 CFM ForConstructionPros.com/12056920 World of Concrete Booth #O41045 Model

Dimensions (LxWxH)

Weight (lbs)

Power Output (hp)

Voltage

Phases

Air Flow (cfm)

Max vacuum (psi)

SASE Bull 1250EBS

48.5”x 27.375” x 69.75”

500 lbs.

N/A

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388 cfm

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Weight (lbs)

Power Output (hp)

Voltage

Phases

Air Flow (cfm)

Max vacuum (psi)

SASE Bull 300EBS

38” x 25” x 67”

334 lbs.

N/A

120 V

N/A

320 cfm

N/A

Model

Dimensions (LxWxH)

Weight (lbs)

Power Output (hp)

Voltage

Phases

Air Flow (cfm)

Max vacuum (psi)

Bull 1250 Propane

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696 lbs.

N/A

N/A, Propane

N/A

388 cfm

N/A

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Weight (lbs)

Power Output (hp)

Voltage

Phases

Air Flow (cfm)

Max vacuum (psi)

BDC-1330TLP

28” x 39” x 54”

165 lbs.

4 hp

110V & 230V

1

264 cfm

N/A

42 Concrete Contractor | December 2017 | www.forconstructionpros.com/concrete

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Dimensions (LxWxH)

Weight (lbs)

Power Output (hp)

Voltage

Phases

Air Flow (cfm)

Max vacuum (psi)

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115 lbs.

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N/A

Model

Dimensions (LxWxH)

Weight (lbs)

Power Output (hp)

Voltage

Phases

Air Flow (cfm)

Max vacuum (psi)

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375 lbs.

5 hp (elec. or gas)

220V

1

710 cfm

N/A

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119 lbs.

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420 cfm

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Dimensions (LxWxH)

Weight (lbs)

Power Output (hp)

Voltage

Phases

Air Flow (cfm)

Max vacuum (psi)

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198 lbs.

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Dimensions (LxWxH)

Weight (lbs)

Power Output (hp)

Voltage

Phases

Air Flow (cfm)

Max vacuum (psi)

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BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

By Tina Grady Barbaccia

Planning for the Future

WORKFORCE Understanding how to recruit, train and motivate a younger generation is helping create successful industry leaders – and social media is helping.

O

ne of the common stories in concrete construction that remains today is that of the son or daughter who began working with his/her dad on construction jobs during the summers. During those teenage years, many will often claim they never anticipated it would become a lucrative career, one that would see them become leaders of their own crews, sometimes not long after becoming full-time employees. This type of success story remains common for someone in the construction industry in the postMillennial generation, fondly referred to as the “21 & Under Crews,” and is part of the latest excitement at Lee’s Summit, Mo.-based ABI Corporation. It is significant, especially as the industry faces an aging workforce, a shortage of qualified workers and image issues. However, by providing good on-the-job training, appealing to what motivates the younger generation, and educating prospective workers about the many opportunities available in the construction industry, finding qualified workers

Superintendent Matt McKay and crew leader Mike Doherty discuss strategy during forming. Photo Credit: ABI Corp, Lee’s Summit, Mo.

44 Concrete Contractor | December 2017 | www.forconstructionpros.com/concrete

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BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

may not be so difficult in the future. “When I started at ABI, my friends saw me working hard and doing well and they all wanted jobs,” Engel Jr. says. A handful of Engel Jr.’s friends applied at the company and now work as part of his crew with plans to make their job a career. One of Engel Jr.’s friends – now on his crew and part of the 21 & Under age group – had been working at a fast food restaurant when he realized that he was able to make

the same amount of money working 40 hours a week in construction as working 80 hours a week in fast food. It was then that he decided to pursue a job in the construction industry and make it a career. Mike Doherty, a crew leader/ foreman for ABI Corporation, started his career in the construction industry at a young age when he realized it would pave the way for a profession with great opportunities. Doherty, now 22 years old, realized after one semester of college that it wasn’t a good fit for him. “College isn’t for everyone,” he says. “There are a lot of people who have a good head on their shoulders and can succeed without a four-year degree. Find something that you are good at or like to do and work really hard. If you do that, have common sense and intelligence, you will get noticed pretty quickly.” Doherty recognized that he needed a job that allowed him to be physical. He says he also realized that the construction industry would provide a steady income and that skills and talents can sometimes pay Mike Doherty of ABI Corp waits for confirmation of the next panel size needed. Photo Credit: ABI Corp, Lee’s Summit, Mo.

Communication is a skill to take advantage of with millennial crews. Pictured Mike Doherty (phone). Photo Credit: ABI Corp, Lee’s Summit, Mo.

almost as much – sometimes even more – than a job that requires a four-year degree. Good, on-the-job training such as Doherty received from experienced industry veteran Brandon Mitchell, who has now moved up to a superintendent position, and other seasoned crew members, sealed the deal on his career choice. “You need to figure out what works for you,” Doherty says. “Whatever is going to make you go to work every day and make you enjoy your job is more valuable to me than what is going to make someone else happy. Give everything a chance until you find something you are passionate about and makes you want to go to work every day.” Now, Doherty says his best recruiting tool for showing others what the industry has to offer is himself. His success and love for his job help dispel the mindset sometimes associated with the construction industry – that it is a "last resort option" and just a paycheck.

48 Concrete Contractor | December 2017 | www.forconstructionpros.com/concrete

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“I came in at the very bottom of the totem pole as a beginning laborer,” he says. “I worked as hard and learned as much as I could, and within a year and a half, they saw my potential and that I’d be around for a while. You can really make a job in this industry into a lifelong career. Don’t worry about the money. The money will come.”

BALANCING MULTIGENERATIONAL CREWS Being a young foreman has its advantages but it doesn’t come without its obstacles, especially when leading a multi-generational crew. Doherty says the generation above him taught him “everything he knows,” and that “about half of his

crew is 10 to 15 years older,” than him. “They want younger guys in this industry – someone who can be around for a while so they can teach their trade to them,” Doherty says. “They want to train a new generation to come in and take over.” However, this leadership position at a younger age also comes with

RECRUITING AND RETAINING A YOUNGER WORKFORCE The Concrete Foundations Association (www.cfawalls.org) is the voice and recognized authority for the residential cast-in-place concrete industry bringing together company leaders from across North America in membership and conversation. A focus in recent months has been fostering an ongoing conversation of reaching into the younger generations and finding ways to inspire their interests in good, hard but rewarding careers in concrete. Jason Ells, a senior vice president for Custom Concrete Co. in Westfield, Ind., offered the summarized list of thoughts during a presentation given at the 2015 Concrete Foundations Convention held in Williamsburg, Va. How to attract them: • Technology • Existing Millennials • Clear Mission • Showing how much you care How to retain them: • Collaboration • Training/learning opportunities • Clearly defined career paths • Mentoring program • Work-life balance • Flexibility How to engage them: • Buy-in to your mission • Coach, coach, and coach • Teach and training using technology How to empower them: • Focus on soft skills, or Emotional Quotient (EQ) • Become a mentor • Learn from them

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BUSINESS MANAGEMENT “Find something that you are good at or like to do and work really hard. If you do that, have common sense and intelligence, you will get noticed pretty quickly,” says Mike Doherty. Photo Credit: ABI Corp, Lee’s Summit, Mo.

paying your dues by starting out as a new laborer and putting your all into the job to really learn how the job is done – that is, done well and correctly. “The older generation and more experienced members of my crew helped me figure out everything I didn’t master yet and how to get through tougher challenges,” Doherty says. “These people have been around the business for years and years and are valuable. There are times when I am teaching 20-year-olds and times I'm teaching people who have been here for a while. We all learn from each other." Although there may be some animosity when a younger crew leader takes over, this is remedied by going on the job and proving to the more experienced crew members that you really paid attention while being trained and that you respect them and what they have taught. “When you go out and prove to them that you know what you are doing, respect can be earned,” Doherty says. “That respect isn’t just given though. You have to earn it from people who have been doing this job since you were five years old and show that you can work just as long and hard as them and do the job right.”

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With their young leadership, Doherty and others at ABI have dispelled the often pre-conceived notion that the current generation new to the job force and those soon entering it don’t want to work hard – and they and their young crew members are doing so via social media with the “Under 21” Facebook group. Ironically, they use the social media group as a way – almost a competition – to show just how hard they do work. Many of the “21 & Under” crew members are active on the “Foundation Contractors…the Wall Dogs,” a closed Facebook group with nearly 2,900 members, and use the group as a way to share successes and accomplishments. Using a social media platform – something this age group identifies with and understands – has been effective in motivating the young crew members and leaders. It is providing a way to show accomplishments and share ideas to learn from each other. “The crews all work hard then they post it to the Facebook page,” says Jeremy Engel Jr., a 21 & Under lead crew member. "They want to show what they have gotten done. It motivates them to show their work and use it as fuel. It’s kind of like a competition on who can work the hardest or set the biggest wall.” It makes sense to combine Facebook and work, Engel Jr. points out, because all of the crew is familiar with Facebook and they all need to be at work every day. “Why not combine the two – work and Facebook – and make the best of it?” he says. “It’s a great way to show the accomplishments of everyone going to work and giving it their all.”

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50 Concrete Contractor | December 2017 | www.forconstructionpros.com/concrete

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BUSINESS MANAGEMENT Doherty adds that it also provides a good opportunity to see what other companies in the industry in different states and throughout the country are doing on their jobsites. “There are so many ideas that get thrown out there,” he says. "We can see what other people are doing." Plus, a little healthy competition never hurts. “One of my biggest training tools is competition,” Doherty says. “Whenever we get to show something off and say we were able to get it done in this amount of time, I think it makes the guys feel good.”

FINDING AND TRAINING YOUNG TALENT Hiring and retaining talent continues to be part of an ongoing discussion between CFA members and within the CFA Hotline, a member-based Q&A email service. In

addition, CFA maintains a company certification program with more than a decade of experience to certify foundation contractor firms in the residential cast-in-place industry. The program provides the industry with a common measurement of competency for concrete foundations and the companies that construct them. ABI Corp. is certified through CFA’s program and has been using it to leverage its expertise and establish itself as part of a recognized network of residential foundation professionals. This is important when looking to hire and retain all levels of talent, especially a younger workforce that is looking to establish a career. Recruiting and retaining young talent in the construction industry has become increasingly important with an aging workforce. This means finding future employees and foreman and ensuring they

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are taught how to do a job correctly. It also means showing the younger generation that there are many opportunities in the business and identifying future leaders. How do you recognize potential young talent? “You look for someone with a light in their eyes and the drive to work,” says Dan Bromley, president/part owner of ABI Corporation and past president of the Concrete Foundations Association (CFA). He takes note when he finds someone who is smart, has a good personality, gets along well with others, is hardworking and has a willingness to do all different types of training. Bromley says it is important to communicate with promising members of this younger generation, to let them know if they have been pinpointed as future foremen or equipment operators and tell them the steps necessary to get there. If these future leaders are able to pass a drug screen and do not have any DUI/ DWI history on their driver’s licenses, Bromley finds out what their goals are and how they view their future. “As soon as we see someone younger with talent and the drive and intelligence to succeed, we work on getting them their commercial driver’s license (CDL),” he says. “When we need to replace someone, we want to be able to fill the position with someone we have already trained.” Bromley points out that almost every person who has moved up in the company or has a supervisor role (with the exception of accounting) has started as a laborer. This is important to help them understand the business from the ground up. “If your driving record is clean and you work hard, you will move up,” he says. “Even if a position is not open, the company is big enough where there are always opportunities.” Bromley shares the example of one young employee who had passed the written exam for his CDL but just wasn’t able to get down shifting the truck.

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“We spent a week with him driving in a quarry to teach him how to do it properly,” he says. “You earn loyal workers when you spend time working with and training them, making sure they know how to do a job properly. It might not always work out, but it’s an investment. You have to try.” ABI takes the same approach with training new employees and potential foremen time and time again, with management remembering what it was like just starting out and the importance of someone taking the time to teach them. Many foremen don’t have the patience and don’t put the time in to teach the crews to complete their tasks the right way. At ABI, the focus is on teaching crews to do it right; we preach the importance of doing it correctly, not fast. Speed is a product that comes with experience and time. No expectations are made for new hires to be able to just come out, set

forms and pour concrete on day one. And though the younger generation has to earn the respect of the experienced workers, the team at ABI believes that respecting those learning goes a long way. Accessibility to and visibility of mentors and even, at times, father figures by those being trained is critical. “Give them respect, receive respect back” is a slogan that one perceives when listening to the stories told by these mentors. From respect grows confidence, loyalty and the performance that keeps the younger generation crews around. It can be difficult to be patient when trying to teach or get a point across that may be second nature to an industry veteran, but it’s a key to success. Some of the main points the ABI crew leaders make are: 1.) Don’t yell at them and call them idiots. 2.) Give them the respect they deserve. 3.) You’ll get more guys to work for

you if you treat them nicely than if you are a grumpy “S.O.G” (son of a gun). Ultimately, the future depends on training the current young workforce and finding prospective industry leaders, and ABI’s training and management approach sets this standard. In fact, supervisors and their teams are often glad to be teaching the trade to a younger generation that they see as motivated and hardworking. Instead of voicing frustration with this new generation of possible labor force, they realize that if this generation doesn’t do it, we won’t have anywhere to live. What final word of advice do they give? “These kids really are interested in what we are trying to teach them. When people say underage kids don’t want to work, they don’t know our group.”

ForConstructionPros.com/10303328

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FOUNDATION Q&A

By James R. Baty II

“NOMINAL”

Is A Four-Letter Word

This column pertains to the use of the word “nominal” in relation to wall thickness and forming systems within the industry and the acceptance or reference to this term in the building codes.

Q

We are placing a foundation wall for a residential project using our standard forming system set for 7 5/8 in. wall thickness. The Wisconsin state code (Uniform Dwelling Code) states that a nominal wall thickness can be used for the application, however a building inspector is challenging this saying nowhere in the code does it actually define what nominal thickness is or say that a nominal concrete wall is 7-5/8 in. The inspector is also saying that engineering behind a 7 5/8 in. wall does not hold up to the same soil pressure as for an unreinforced wall. We've been placing these walls for a long time despite the inspector reacting as if this is new. How can we provide evidence of this industry standard or the correct interpretation of the terminology?

A

NSWER: Surprisingly, this conversation is not as uncommon as it may seem. Codes are not often transparent, consistent and complete in the tabulated or prescriptive references that contractors, builders and engineers are presented with for

Figure 1: Concrete wall forms set for residential foundation showing a nominal 8-in. wall thickness with an actual thickness set at 7 5/8-in. Photo Credit; Concrete Foundations Association

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construction. Historically this is in part due to the consolidation of three separate model codes into the current International Residential Code that resulted in a foundational loss for the base equations and data supporting the code, which is then adopted by state jurisdictions. However, the issue itself is one that is relatively easy to support based on the current general codes and the more detailed reference codes. In order to clarify the concern moving forward in the acceptance of the proposed solution, a look at the current building codes is important. The Wisconsin Uniform Dwelling Code (UDC)1 is a typical state adoption of the International Residential Code (IRC)2, which as this column has discussed in the past, is the reference most utilized by designers, contractors and code authorities throughout the U.S. While variances in the effective IRC edition and possible modifications

applied to that base code exist from state to state, it is rare that the specifics related to prescriptive foundation wall criteria are ever affected. Specific to the UDC in Wisconsin, section SPS 32.01 Loads and Materials, item 3(d) references ACI 3323, the residential concrete code providing a greater level of detail for concrete foundations than general building codes take the space to deliver. This code is also a frequent reference this column uses as substantiation in many of these discussions. ACI 332-16 states: 8.2.1.2 Foundation walls designed by 8.2.1.1 shall satisfy the following conditions: (a) The minimum uniform wall thickness is 7.5 in., except a minimum thickness of 5.5 in. shall be permitted where the wall height does not exceed 4 ft and the unbalanced backfill does not exceed 24 in. Further in the code the prescriptive tables are defined with the

reference to minimum thickness as: 8.2.1.3.3 Tables 8.2.1.3a through 8.2.1.3j are based on the following construction requirements: (a) Specified minimum actual wall thickness: 7.5, 9.5, and 11.5 in. Since its first date of publication, the prescriptive minimum wall thickness has been prescribed in terms of an actual minimum thickness as compared to the general building code (IRC) providing for a nominal thickness due to the confusion in the market. The tables present the prescriptive requirements based on applied equivalent soil pressure, wall height and height of backfill for both “plain� structural concrete walls as well as the minimum required horizontal spacing of structural reinforcement when it is required. The relationship of the actual minimum wall thickness presented in ACI 332 sets the acceptance criteria for applications ranging from 7.5 in. to a full 8 in. wall thickness based on the

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FOUNDATION Q&A TABLE 321.18–B

CONCRETE WALL THICKNESSES

Type of Concrete 3000 psi Unreinforced concrete

Maximum Height of Unbalanced Fill1 for Material of Wall Being Supported (Wood frame — feet)

Nominal Thickness (inches) 8

8

10

9

122

10

14

11.5

Unbalanced fill is the difference in elevation between the outside grade and the basement floor. 1

The Maximum height of unbalanced fill for a 12-inch thick plain concrete wall may be increased to 12 feet provided the wall is constructed of concrete with a minimum compressive value of 6,000 psi at 28 days. 2

Table 321.18-B as provided by the Wisconsin Administrative Code, p. 36 as of register date March 2017 No. 735

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forming system being used without modifying the performance values. This is in step with both the IRC and in this case, the UDC for Wisconsin. The IRC states: R404.1.3.1 Concrete crosssection. Concrete walls constructed in accordance with this code shall comply with the shapes and minimum concrete cross-sectional dimensions required by Table R608.3. Other types of forming systems resulting in concrete walls not in compliance with this section and Table R608.3 shall be designed in accordance with ACI 318. Turning to the referenced table for R608.3, sub note (d) provides the reference to the terminology of “nominal” as: Nominal wall thickness. The actual as-built thickness of a flat wall shall not be more than 1/2 inch less or more than 1/4 inch more than the nominal dimension indicated.

While it is curious to note a maximum tolerance for the actual versus nominal wall thickness, in terms of the structural integrity of a foundation wall and the reference by section R404, only the relationship to minimum is required. In the Wisconsin UDC, section SPS 321.18 Foundations states: (2)  Concrete foundation walls. (a) General structural requirements. Except as provided in par. (b), unless designed through structural analysis, the minimum thickness of concrete foundation walls shall be determined from Table 321.18B, but in no case shall the thickness of the foundation wall be less than the thickness of the wall it supports. Paragraph (b) in this code gives reference to a 6-in. nominal wall thickness being permissible at any location where the unbalanced backfill does not exceed 12 inches. Table 321.18-B below shows the simplification of wall

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design offered by this UDC. This table is overly-simplified to the consolidated soil conditions in Wisconsin and also designates that no reinforcement is necessary or considered. No minimum reinforcement, horizontal or vertical is established in the UDC. Looking to the 2015 IRC, the user can find an increased amount of prescriptive information based on the use of tables R404.1.2(1) thru (8) for a variety of conditions. An excerpt of Table R404.1.2(8) combines several of these tables (2) thru (4) and as shown here. Easy reference to where no vertical steel is necessary and where it is required can be seen on this summary table. The minimum concrete strength for this prescriptive table is 2,500 psi as compared to 3,000 psi for the Wisconsin UDC. A good recommendation is to also reference back to the prescriptive wall tables

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FOUNDATION Q&A TABLE R404.1.2(8)

MINIMUM VERTICAL REINFORCEMENT FOR 6-, 8-, 10- AND 12-INCH NOMIMAL FLAT BASEMENT WALLS b, c, d, e, f, h, i, k, n, o MINIMUM VERTICAL REINFORCEMENT-BAR SIZE AND SPACING (inches) MAXIMUM WALL HEIGHT (feet)

MAXIMUM UNBALANCED BACKFILL HEIGHTg (feet)

5

6

7

8

Soil classesa and design lateral soil (psf per foot of depth) GW, GP, SW, SP 30

GM, GC, SM, SM-SC AND ML 45

SC, ML-CL inorganic CL 60

Minimum nominal wall thickness (inches) 6

8

10

12

6

8

10

12

6

8

10

12

4

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

5

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

4

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

5

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

1

NR

NR

NR

4 @ 35

1

NR

NR

NR

6

NR

NR

NR

NR

5 @ 48

NR

NR

NR

5 @ 36

NR

NR

NR

4

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

5

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

5 @ 47

NR

NR

NR

6

NR

NR

NR

NR

5 @ 42

NR

NR

NR

6 @ 43

5 @ 48

1

NR

NR

7

5 @ 46

NR

NR

NR

6 @ 42

5 @ 46

NR1

NR

6 @ 34

6 @ 48

NR

NR

4

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

5

NR

NR

NR

NR

4 @ 38

1

NR

NR

NR

5 @ 43

NR

NR

NR

6

4 @ 37

NR1

NR

NR

5 @ 37

NR

NR

NR

6 @ 37

5 @ 43

NR1

NR

7

5 @ 40

NR

NR

NR

6 @ 37

5 @ 41

NR1

NR

6 @ 34

6 @ 43

NR

NR

8

6 @ 43

5 @ 47

NR

NR

6 @ 34

6 @ 43

NR

NR

6 @ 32

6 @ 44

6 @ 44

NR

1

A portion of Table R404.1.2(8) from the 2015 International Residential Code, p. 113.

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of ACI 332 where a total of ten tables with concrete strengths ranging from 2,500 to 4,500 psi are presented for steel reinforcement tensile strengths of both 40 and 60 ksi. An understanding of these documents and respective sections can establish a more credible relationship between inspector and contractor/builder moving forward as well as removing this from being an impinging argument for future schedules. When a construction code has been simplified to the extent that the Wisconsin UDC has, it is important to know as much as possible of the greater industry references so that a broader base can supplement interpretations. Ed. Note: CFA Executive Director, James Baty, FACI, participates in many

discussions of construction and code application for Association members, designers and code authorities. Contact him at 866-232-9255 or by email at jbaty@cfawalls.org ACI documents can be obtained by contacting the CFA or by visiting the American Concrete Institute www. concrete.org) and ordering from their bookstore.

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References:

1. Wisconsin Uniform Dwelling Code (SPS 321.18) available online by the Wisconsin State Legislature, http://www.concrete. org docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/code/index/ index/t/uniform_dwelling_code 2. 2015 International Residential CodeÂŽ For One- and Two-Family Dwellings published by the International Code Council, Inc., 4051 West Flossmoor Road, Country Club Hills, IL 60478-5795 | Phone 1-888-422-7233 | www.iccsafe.org 3. Residential Code Requirements for Structural Concrete (ACI 332-14) and Commentary published by the American Concrete Institute, 38800 Country Club Drive, Farmington Hills, MI 48331 | Phone: 248-848-3700 | www.concrete.org

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The Gestation of a Polished Concrete Project The Moscone Center improvements, specifically to the polished concrete scope, is a lesson to specifications that don’t always meet expectations but how communication between parties can drive the project in a successful direction for all parties. by Ryan Olson

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he world of polished concrete has grown exponentially over the past 15 years. Polished Concrete Specifications and manufacturer’s complete systems have become much more reliable over the years. However, between the chemical producers, machine manufacturers, diamond manufacturers, architects, general contractors, concrete contractors, polishing contractors, and the various manufacturers’ representatives

The Moscone Center improvements, specifically with regard to the polished concrete scope, in San Francisco, California is a lesson to specifications that don’t always meet owner expectations and how a great general contractor, great architect, and an experienced concrete subcontractor can communicate and come together to drive the project in a successful direction for all parties. Photo Credit: Bay Area Concrete

60 Concrete Contractor | December 2017 | www.forconstructionpros.com/concrete

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Aggretex has fine and medium sands within its natural matrix and can actually provide a very controlled colored concrete finish – similar to the original intent of color hardener, but with much more thickness of product. Photo Credit: Bay Area Concrete

and when the diamond polishing system is processed there will be areas where plain gray concrete “burn through” can occur.

ENTER BID DAY

and distributors, there is plenty of room for incomplete, incorrect, and misunderstood specifications. Architects always intend to provide the very best for their clients. General Contractors want to build the very best for these same clients, and subcontractors want the concrete to be the very best it can be, in most circles anyway. The architect originally worked with the client and a manufacturer’s rep of some type to create a

specification that involved the use of color hardener with a diamond polished finish. Original intent was to gain color along with controlled sand tip exposure with a medium gloss diamond polished final finish. The project consists of over 45,000 sq. ft. of this polished concrete surface combination. The obvious issue here is that color hardener can be applied pretty uniform, but there will still likely be some high spots and low spots or areas of improper hydration

Bay Area Concretes Inc / PolishedCrete was the low bidder on this public project and became part of the Webcor general contracting team, along with world renowned architectural firm SOM. President of Bay Area Concretes, Mike Price says, “We bid projects with specification issues all the time, it’s what we do to communicate these issues after the fact, that really counts toward the success of the project and ultimately the team.” Architects are inundated with manufacturers reps selling their products every day and the architects welcome the flow of new and exciting products and information into their business and creative mind set. Products and processes don’t always equal a successful final end-user surface and this is where the experience of a tried and true architectural concrete contractor can come into play. Bay Area Concretes, Inc. has been a cast in place architectural concrete contractor since 1966 and a polished concrete contractor (PolishedCrete) since 1999. This is the perfect combination for understanding the dynamics of color hardener, integral color, plain gray concrete, surface seeding, dye and stain, imbeds, saw cuts, joint fillers, Aggretex surface treatments, stamped concrete finishes/ textures and just about anything else you can imagine for finished concrete surfaces. Bay Area Concretes, Inc. works with architects every day and is always available for a no cost provided opinion on a design plan or detail. Once BAC was in contract

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they began the process of their communication of expectations quest required to arrive at a successful project for all involved parties. “The most important component to successful architectural concrete contracting is expectations communication” says Price. It’s hard to argue with this concept, as there are so many paid experts on board with a high profile international project of this caliber. Price states, “Everyone is smart and very well educated and facilitating a nonconfrontational communication space is key.” How else do you deal effectively with a billion dollar highly respected and very successful general contractor like Webco and a world class architect like SOM and of course, a well experienced client like City of San Francisco. It seems obvious that it takes an experienced team that listens to each other and works together. Bay Area Concretes got the ball rolling by suggesting that the client execute a no-cost change order converting the color hardener product over to the Aggretex product. Aggretex is a patent protected wet-on-wet concrete placement product that utilizes placement of a pre-colored Aggretex mix matrix at 3/8” thickness placed over plain gray sub slab – same day. The cost of Aggretex was definitely more expensive, says Price, but BAC was willing to foot that difference in cost as an insurance policy against “burn through” and other related issues to polishing color hardener. Aggretex has fine and medium sands within its natural matrix and can actually provide a very controlled colored concrete finish – similar to the original intent of color hardener, but with much more thickness of product. The owner had originally wanted uniform sand tip exposure and color hardener

seemed like the right product, only because the architect and owner were not aware of Aggretex at the time the specification was designed. Experienced sub-contractors can bring great specialized information like this to the table. Thus, the idea of Aggretex was presented and a mock-up was constructed, all at the cost of Bay Area Concretes, so that original budgets were not impacted by the potential change. Once the Aggretex sample was completed, the communication of expectations ensued with multiple

site meetings. Once the client and the architects got their eyes on the Aggretex surface they realized, this actually created a sea of uniformity, in both a light cream and a medium gray color tone. Thus, the next questioning level was triggered “how will this surface hide inevitable stains?” As Price states, “It was better that this questioning process started then rather than at the end of a completed project.” Thus, the surface was treated with red wine and coffee, and allowed to have the stained areas dwell for three days to a week. This

Once the client and the architects got their eyes on the Aggretex surface they realized, this actually created a sea of uniformity, in both a light cream and a medium gray color tone. Photo Credit: Bay Area Concrete

64 Concrete Contractor | December 2017 | www.forconstructionpros.com/concrete

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created staining that was still visible after cleaning the materials from the surface. Alarm bells sounded and the owner deemed it will be too hard to maintain. So, what will we do now? The owner along with the design and construction team, as a unit, decided that maybe the owner was not after high end architectural uniformity in this particular public space, after all. The decision to place a plain gray concrete slab and to cut, grind, and polish this slab in yet another mock up iteration, and to improve the originally specified diamond polish system with a new Prosoco System was executed. Bay Area Concretes suggested Prosoco for their industry best stain resistance and potential add-on maintenance products to help improve against staining even more intently. Once the new mock up was completed on site, the same red wine and coffee was added to the surface and allowed to dwell. The team discovered several things, the Prosoco materials did a much better job of densifying and guarding the polished concrete surface against stains. It was also noted, that the remaining stain residues once cleaned, were now much harder to notice! Because the diamond polished plain gray concrete now showed irregular forms of surface reveal, large and small rock tips, cream pockets, and the like, this now normal polished concrete surface with little controls, provided a camouflage for future stains. In the end, Bay Area Concretes offered a two tone coloration via the use of Prosoco dye in a “black” tone, to create architectural differentiation between plain gray polished concrete and black dye polished concrete. Phase One is now complete and it seems that all parties are happy with the final polished concrete product. Bay Area Concretes suggested a team led by Kevin Sigourney of Prosoco, to arrive on site and meet with City of San Francisco maintenance staff and review cleaning techniques, equipment types, and various Prosoco chemicals. All in the

name of completing the sales cycle for this project. Webcor is a professional general contractor and SOM is a professional architect, and along with Bay Area Concretes helping to drive conversation throughout this process of expectation gauging and communication, everyone was able to maintain an open mind. This gave the design and construction team the ability to work together and find real world solutions for their mutual City of San Francisco owner, even if it meant abandoning the original specification. This article is an example of how any successful project does not simply stop on bid day. Successful polished concrete and all architectural concrete surfaces are a progression of communication by all parties

Bay Area Concretes offered a two tone coloration via the use of Prosoco dye in a “black” tone, to create architectural differentiation between plain gray polished concrete and black dye polished concrete. Photo Credit: Bay Area Concrete

and especially the communication of expectations. We are not perfect all knowing entities in this business and we need to learn how to lean on each other to succeed. Manufacturers, distributors, manufactures representatives, contractors, general contractors, and the concrete and polished concrete sub-contractors as a team, will make a project successful. It takes a village folks.

66 Concrete Contractor | December 2017 | www.forconstructionpros.com/concrete

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Understanding the New Polished Concrete Appearance Chart A revised measurement tool for polishing contractors to measure DOI in combination with haze as an indicator of surface profile, quality of the mechanical interaction between abrasives and the surface and sustainability by Jim Cuviello

W

hen craftsmen restore natural stone the goal is to restore the polish to the same high degree of clear reflective polish when originally installed. The Concrete Polishing Association of America (now the Concrete Polishing Council (CPC), a division of the American Society of Concrete Contractors (ASCC) was founded on this principal. The challenge was to teach concrete polishers this concept; to have them

understand the difference between simply creating a shiny surface compared to one that had high reflective clarity. Even harder was to teach architects, designers, general contractors and owners this concept. A floor with a high degree of reflective clarity is more durable and sustainable than one that is simply shiny. As a concrete polisher it was hard to bid jobs and even more difficult for the person evaluating proposals when one price may represent durability and sustainability, while the other represented a shiny floor with a lower life cycle. At the time, basic gloss meters were used to evaluate the degree of specular gloss but lacked the ability to distinguish the quality of that specular gloss. In early 2011 Brad Burns, then the sitting president of the CPAA found a portable device that would read Distinction of Image (DOI). Simply put it reads the reflective clarity of the specular gloss of the polished finish. The CPC recently released the, “Polished Concrete Appearance Chart” which replaces the CPAA, “Finished Gloss Chart.” The CPAA, “Finished Gloss Chart” used both 60 degree specular gloss and DOI

The Concrete Polishing Council recently released the “Polished Concrete Appearance Chart” that replaces the Concrete Polishing Association of America’s “Finished Gloss Chart.” Photo Credit: Concrete Polishing Council

to quantify the polished surface. Although, it did not specify a haze index requirement. The new document was created for two reasons -60 degree gloss is easily manipulated compared to achieving a high DOI in combination with a Haze below 10. DOI in combination with haze is an

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indicator of surface profile, quality of the mechanical interaction between abrasives and the surface and sustainability of the polished surface.

DEFINING GLOSS Gloss is a general description of specular reflection. Specular reflection is the difference between the total amount of light (incident) and the proportion of light reflected back. Gloss is overly used as a generic term to describe reflected light without regard to the visual properties of that reflected light. Specular, Sheen, Contrast, Haze, Distinction of Image and Absence of Surface Texture Gloss are the six different properties of gloss. Specular gloss is the perceived brightness and brilliance of highlights and is defined as the ratio of the light reflected from a surface at an equal but opposite angle to that incident on the surface.

Sheen gloss is the perceived shininess at low grazing levels and defined as the gloss at grazing angles of incidence and viewing. Contrast gloss is the perceived brightness of the specularly and diffusely reflecting areas and defined as the ratio of the specularly reflected light to that diffusely reflected normal to the surface. Absence of Bloom, also known as

Haze, is the perceived cloudiness in reflections near the specular direction defined as a measure of the absence of haze or milky appearance adjacent to the specularly reflected light. Distinction of Image is the perceived distinction of images reflected in surfaces and defined as the sharpness of the specular light. Absence of Surface Texture Gloss is defined as the uniformity of the

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Other parameters such as haze and E430 can be an indicator of an improper polish, dried densifier, resin transfer from diamonds, guard like products or impregnator not removed from the surface. Haze is the whitish blushing coloring seen in reflections that diminishes contrast within the reflection sometimes throughout the entire reflection and sometimes just along the edges of reflected objects. Photo Credit: Jim Cuviello

millionth of an inch is extremely low. DOI is an indicator of a highly sustainable surface based on the hardness and density of the material the surface is made from. Smooth surfaces wear less than rough surfaces. Other parameters such as haze (ASTM D4039-09(2015) and E430) can be an indicator of an improper

polish, dried densifier, resin transfer from diamonds, guard like products or impregnator not removed from the surface. Haze is the whitish blushing coloring seen in reflections that diminishes contrast within the reflection sometimes throughout the entire reflection and sometimes just along the edges of reflected objects.

surface in terms of visible texture and defects such as orange peel, scratches and inclusions.

CONCRETE POLISHING INDUSTRY When references are made about gloss meters or gloss readings technically what is being referred to is specular gloss. Gloss (ASTM D523-14) is measured in Gloss Units (GU) and range from 0 – 100. Gloss is measured at different angles depending on the material and its reflective qualities. The most used angles are 20, 60 and 85 degrees. The concrete polishing industry has traditionally used 60 degree measurements. Other industries will use 20 degree when the 60 degree reading is above 70 and 85 degree is used when the 60 degree reading is below 10. The change in angle reading is performed when more precise measurements are needed when comparing the specular gloss of finishes. In essence you are increasing the resolution of your specular gloss measurement. Specular reflection gloss readings are good indicators of the gross amount of light reflected from the surface but it does not quantify the quality of the reflected light. Parameters to read DOI, Haze and Rspec provide numerical readings that quantify surface finish quality. As a standalone measurement DOI (ASTM D5767-17) provides information to quantify surface profile and visual characteristics of surface finish. DOI is calculated using the 20 degree reflection since it is a higher resolution reading and measure on a scale of 0 - 100. DOI is an indicator of surface texture. To achieve a high DOI the surface profile when measured at one

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Pictured here is an example of a floor with high DOI. DOI is an indicator of surface texture and a highly sustainable surface based on the hardness and density of the material from which the surface is made. Photo Credit: Jim Cuviello

ASTM D4039 determines haze be reading specular gloss at 20 and 60 degree angles and calculated as the difference between the two. ASTM E430 is performed with three test methods. The first method reads specular gloss at 30 and 28 or 32 degrees for narrow angle haze and 25 or 35 degree for wide angle reflection haze. The second reads specular gloss at 20 degrees and 18.1 and 21.9 degrees for narrow angle reflection haze. The third reads specular gloss at 30, 28 or 32 degree for narrow angle reflection haze and 15 degrees for wide angle reflection haze.

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Polished Concrete Maintenance Part one in a series of articles, we will discuss the areas of concern for maintaining polished concrete, including basic housekeeping practices. by Jon Hughel

P

roper on-going maintenance of polished concrete floors is vital to the floor owners' long-term satisfaction. However, this important aspect is often overlooked or neglected, leading to dissatisfied customers and unhappy outcomes.

BASIC HOUSEKEEPING

There are some basic housekeeping procedures that are universally applicable to polished concrete floors, from highly refined small residential floors to enormous industrial floors left at a honed refinement level. Implementing these procedures is a great start and will go a long way to increasing floor longevity and long-term customer satisfaction.

TERMS AND DEFINITIONS Densifier: A solution that contains a silicate(s) that react with the calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2) present in concrete to form calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H), creating a denser, more abrasion- and impact-resistant surface. Guard: Sometimes called semi-topical/semi-reactive sealers or stain protectors, these are usually a blend of acrylic polymers and reactive silicate(s). This class of product protects the concrete by creating a barrier between it and the outside world. Depending on the exact product, they typically have a topical aspect, especially when multiple coats are applied and as such are subject to wear and can scratch, scuff and walk-off, making periodic reapplication necessary. Penetrating Stain Protector: Usually silane and/or siloxane based, these sealers build up silicone in the access channels of the concrete to block the infiltration of staining substances and to suspend reactive substances on the surface, limiting it to superficial damage. Since these sealers are subsurface, there is nothing to abrade away, extending the time between reapplications. Diamond Impregnated Pads (DIPs): Lofty non-woven pads that are sprayed, dipped or otherwise coated with diamond abrasive (or similar) suspended in a carrier binder, typically a phenolic resin or latex. DIPs come in a variety of grits, but for daily maintenance are typically 3000 grit or higher. Acidic Solution: A solution that has a pH less than 7. When introduced to unprotected concrete, it can react with it and cause chemical profiling or etching. Examples include battery acid (sulfuric acid), some toilet bowl cleaners (hydrochloric acid), vinegar (acetic acid) and citrus fruit juice (citric acid) Base Solution: A solution that has a pH greater than 7. When introduced to unprotected concrete, it can cause chemical erosion or etching. Examples include some drain openers (sodium hydroxide) and some oven cleaners (potassium hydroxide).

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Aztec’s LowRider Spray Mist burnisher, for use on polished concrete floors can be used for spray cleaning with a cleaner/ maintainer chemical. Photo Credit: Aztec Products

Walk-off Matting / Grating Installing walk off mats or similar, such as grating, in the entry points of a building will reduce the amount of outside debris that is tracked inside onto the polished concrete floor. This is especially important in cold weather climates where de-icing salts are used in the winter, as it will minimize the quantity of salt that is tracked onto the floor and that can cause extreme deleterious effect on concrete. Be aware that textile walk-off mats have to be regularly cleaned, as once they are saturated with debris, they no longer function efficiently. Timely Spill Clean Up Any liquid spilled on polished concrete should be cleaned up as soon as possible to reduce the opportunity the spilled substance has to penetrate into the concrete and, if the spill is a reactive substance, to reduce the duration of chemical attack on the floor. In addition, rapid cleanup of liquid puddles reduces the possibility of slip-fall accidents.

on the floor. In situations where the regular use of an automatic scrubber is not possible, the regular use of a wet mop is recommended. Whether using a scrubber or a mop and bucket method for cleaning the floor, best practice is to use a cleaner that is specifically designed for polished concrete, ideally one that is designed to work with the specific stain

protection product that was applied at installation. This is recommended because even though a standard neutral cleaner is preferable to a cleaner that is either acidic or basic, those generic neutral cleaners often contain glycols and other additives that can harm the floor, specifically any stain protection products present in the floor.

INTRODUCING THE NEW CORNER TOOL. Manufactured by BORIDE Engineered Abrasives, the Blue Star Diamond Corner Tool is specifically designed as an accessory to the Easy Edge line to grind and polish those hard to reach areas like corners and door jams. Offered in grits 30, 50, 100, 200 and 400. The corner tool can be used for wet or dry grinding.

Dust Mopping Frequent dust mopping removes dust and debris from the floor, reducing the amount of surface abrasion wear, as well as helping to keep a safe coefficient of friction. Scrubbing / Mopping Regular cleaning of the floor keeps the surface of the substrate free from soil, dirt and grime. Ideally, this would be done with an automatic scrubber, outfitted with pads specifically designed for maintaining the floor as installed. It is inadvisable to use overly aggressive scrubbing pads or stiff bristle brushes for regular cleaning on polished concrete, as these will increase the abrasion wear

BSDDiamond.com · 800.662.0336 · TRAVERSE CITY, MI ForConstructionPros.com/11239670

www.forconstructionpros.com/concrete | December 2017 | Concrete Contractor 75

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AREAS OF CONCERN & HOW TO ADDRESS THEM Polished concrete has three main areas of concern in terms of long-term use and maintenance: it is abradable, it is porous and it is reactive. Addressing each of these concerns in both the installation phase and the maintenance phase, using both preventative and remediative methods and procedures, will greatly enhance the aesthetic and functional life of a polished concrete floor and the owner's long-term satisfaction. Concrete is Abradable The surface of polished concrete is susceptible to erosion and wear caused by friction from traffic, both foot and wheeled. The typical grit equivalency of such traffic is roughly 200 grit, meaning that over time and with enough traffic, a floor that has been refined to a high level will

eventually degrade to that level. The harder the surface of the floor, the more resistant it will be to this gradual degradation. How to Address Abradability During Installation: The application of a densifier during installation will make the surface of the concrete harder and more wear-resistant than it was prior to application. To get the full effect, densify to rejection (the concrete will not accept any further application of densifier) and use a high quality densifier. Optionally, a guard can be applied and the film formed by the topical aspect inherent in those products will act as a sacrificial wear layer, taking the abuse of traffic and being worn away, sacrificing itself

The T16 battery-powered rider scrubber from Tennant Company is ideal for industrial and commercial environments. Photo Credit: Tennant Company

GRINDING & POLISHING

REPAIR WORK & EDGING

DUST EXTRACTION SURFACE PREPARATION

MAINTENANCE

COLOR & CHEMICALS architectural concrete products

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to protect the underlying concrete. Be aware that the guard will need periodic reapplication and will scratch and scuff, requiring periodic burnishing to stay at a high aesthetic level. During On-going Maintenance: If a guard type product is applied to the floor, then it acts as a sacrificial wear layer, as described above. As the acrylic polymers in most guards are relatively soft, it is easy to remediate the scratches and scuffs that occur from regular traffic by buffing or burnishing. A periodic reapplication of guard will be necessary to replace the material being abraded away or “walked off”; the frequency of this reapplication will depend on the traffic levels of the floor. If this sacrificial layer is allowed to wear away without being replaced, the surface of the concrete will be exposed and subject to the

same wear profile as an un-guarded floor and if this situation persists long enough, the concrete surface will have to be repolished / re-refined with abrasives to restore its aesthetic levels. If no guard is applied and the surface is either treated with a penetrating stain protector or not stain protected, then the surface of the polished concrete will be subject to erosion from traffic. Regularly incorporating cleaning pads with specifically engineered abrasives will re-refine the surface and repair this damage incrementally, before there is significant deterioration in the aesthetic appearance of the floor. If this is not done, then the damage to the floor will eventually be so great that an intensive restoration is required, and in the most extreme cases, necessitates a full regrind and polish.

This concludes part one of the overview of maintenance of polished concrete. In part two, we will cover the other two areas of concern (reactivity and porosity) and discuss the importance of matching a floor with the owner's expectations and maintenance capabilities prior to installation. Ed. Note: Jon Hughel has been in the polished concrete industry for 11+ years, working for a major equipment and tooling manufacturer, a chemical producer and a national distributor. He has focused on the installation process from the contractor side as well as specializing on the maintenance of polished concrete and other hard surfaces, working with floor owners and building service contractors.

CUT and BEND REBAR At the Shop or Jobsite

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www.forconstructionpros.com/concrete | December 2017 | Concrete Contractor 77

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WOC Idea File THE FASTEST WAY TO POLISH CONCRETE. THE LOWEST COST PER SQUARE FOOT.

TROWEL SHINE

POWER TROWEL CONCRETE POLISHING SYSTEM Transform your power trower into a planetary grinding and polishing machine. Simply, install the Trowel Shine Tool Holders (10.63” or 14”) on the trowel floating pans and attach Superabrasive diamond pads. Our rotating heads technology provides an even tool wear and perfect machine balance.

 IDEAL FOR INDUSTRIAL CONCRETE PROJECTS PLANTS, WAREHOUSES, BIG BOX STORES  INCREDIBLY HIGH PRODUCTIVITY - OVER 10,000 SF PER HOUR PER GRIT www.trowelshine.com | www.superabrasive.com

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Our products and systems are designed to conquer both your industrial and decorative flooring needs. We’re your solution for any environment. 800.562.4921 l 623.435.2277 l www.apfepoxy.com l www.super-krete.com

78 Concrete Contractor | December 2017 | www.forconstructionpros.com/concrete

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BONUS EXPOSURE AND BONUS DISTRIBUTION CALL US TODAY FOR A CUSTOMIZED PROPOSAL AT 800-538-5544

OZTEC BP-50A GAS-POWERED BACKPACK The Oztec Backpack has evolved into one of the most rugged and reliable units on the market. Equipped with a dependable Honda engine and coupled to a “speed-up” transmission, vibrator heads develop 12,000 vpm and never drop below 10,000 vpm even in the heaviest low slump concrete loads. A unique and outstanding feature of the BP-50a is a patented, totally enclosed rotary throttle, which prevents wet cement WOC from clogging the mechanism. The rotary Booth #N2226 throttle is specifically designed and engineered to eliminate the operator’s variable setting of the engine speed. This feature ensures that the unit will consistently produce the proper vibrations per minute resulting in optimum concrete consolidation. A clog-preventing kill switch is also conveniently located on the same handle. All Oztec gas power units including electric power units come standard with the Quick Disconnect “QD” system allowing immediate changing of shafts and heads on the job site. Oztec Industries, Inc. 1-800-533-9055 / 516.883.8857 /

www.oztec.com

www.forconstructionpros.com/concrete | December 2017 | Concrete Contractor 79

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WOC Idea File

DAMAGE.

CONTROL.

ContiTech hydraulic hose with Armorcoat™ cover makes the cut in the most extreme conditions where maximum abrasion resistance is demanded. Combine that with our unequaled impulse performance, flexibility, and bite-to-wire coupling that hangs on like a pit bull. And there’s no doubt that this hose proves its mettle day in and day out. So, if you’re having a rough time with hose, take control with hydraulic hose with Armorcoat. ContiTech. We Have an Answer for That. www.contitech.us

GET OSHA

COMPLIANT

COMPLIANT PRODUCTS TO OSHA CRYSTALLINE SILICA RULE 29 CFR 1926.1153

1117 MA-3564-17

Makita® has an expanding dust extraction system with vacuums, accessories and attachments for use in concrete drilling, breaking, surfacing and cutting applications. Makita® provides the options you need to build an OSHA compliant system for your job site, even if the job takes you away from a power source.

FIND YOUR SOLUTION Use the online app and find an OSHA compliant solution that works for you. Learn more at makitatools.com/buildyoursystem

80 Concrete Contractor | December 2017 | www.forconstructionpros.com/concrete

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BONUS EXPOSURE AND BONUS DISTRIBUTION CALL US TODAY FOR A CUSTOMIZED PROPOSAL AT 800-538-5544

KEEP AN EYE ON EFFICIENCY WITH BEAST速 CONCRETE ACCESSORIES! Beast速 Screed is a fixed-elevation, pointto-point guide screed system designed to replace common wet-screed methods allowing contractors to improve efficiency and maintain concrete floor levelness during the entire screeding process. Now you can utilize Beast Screed on elevated deck pours with Beast速 Deck Foot! Beast Deck Foot allows concrete contractors the same advantages the Beast Screed System brings to slab-on-grade pours; a point-to-point guide screed system designed to replace common wet-screed methods and improve overall efficiency for the placement crew. Beast速 Hook is a faster, easier way to set 2x4 overhead screeds with an easy grip large diameter, quick-twist handle for lightning-fast adjustment in the field.

Improve efficiency on your next job with Beast Concrete Accessories! Please contact us to get in touch with the nearest Stego representative. We look forward to working with you on your next project.

877-464-7834 OR WWW.STEGOINDUSTRIES.COM

www.forconstructionpros.com/concrete | December 2017 | Concrete Contractor 81

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WOC Idea File RSH Horizontal Rod Hanger Installation

If included If included

Steel Rod Hanger for Threaded Rod Suspension Simpson Strong-Tie introduces its steel rod hanger – a fastening system for suspending ¼" and 3/8" threaded rod. Vertical rod hangers are designed to suspend threaded rod in overhead applications from steel joists and beams. Horizontal rod hangers are available for applications requiring installation into the side of joists, columns and overhead members. Both rod hangers provide attachment points for use in pipe hanging, fire protection, electrical conduit and cable-tray applications. The hanger is recommended for use in dry, interior, noncorrosive environments.

If included If included

If included If included

For more information, visit our website strongtie.com/anchors or call us at (800) 999-5099.

RSV

RSH

RND62

Having Productive efficient vacuums connected to equipment, collecting the dust when working is key! Not only is the vacuums air flow (CFM) and water lift important, but the type of filter is crucial to collecting the smallest most harmful partials from the air. All vacuums should be outfitted with HEPA filters rated at 99.99 at .3 microns that are certified and individually tested. The proper vacuum with these features save time and money. When selecting a vacuum, the contractor needs to look for the following features: • High quality HEPA filters, that are tested and certified. • Multi levels of filtration, cyclonic, pre filters and HEPA filter. • Contained filter cleaning with JET Pulse, so as not to allow dust to escape when cleaning. • Control of dust when changing bags with drop down Longopac system.

Inc. RS17

®

© 2017 Simpson Strong-Tie Company

RSV Vertical Rod Hanger Installation

• Proper Cubic Feet/Minute (CFM) and high water lift, so air borne and surface dust is captured. • Accessory availability to install on the tool and equipment for collection at the source and for clean up.

855.736.2869

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BONUS EXPOSURE AND BONUS DISTRIBUTION CALL US TODAY FOR A CUSTOMIZED PROPOSAL AT 800-538-5544

Great news for Backsaver customers! CURB ROLLER MANUFACTURING is the leader in shaped concrete roller screeds. We are the only place to go for custom v-gutter, flume, swale, curb, and threshold roller screeds. If you have a need for your screed, contact us today!

VISIT US AT THE WORLD OF CONCRETE 2018 OUTDOOR SILVER LOT BOOTH 030974

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Now, not only will the Backsaver fit the DeWalt hammer drill, but the Bosch and Hilti hammer drills! Customers are loving our new additions! Get one today and try it out.

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LPS

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THE ONLY COMPANY TO OFFER YOU THE CHOICE OF 3D SYSTEMS! Our 3D systems cover every possibility from low cost entry to the contractor just getting started in 3D concrete screeding to total site management of earth moving machines and concrete machines simultaneously from one system. Ligchine International and Topcon Positioning Solutions have spent years engineering our 3D systems to include the values that you will appreciate the most. Our systems can be easily transferred between your ScreedSaver machine and a vast number of other machines in your fleet requiring 3D capability. www.ligchine.com | (812) 903-4500 | sales@ligchine.com Proudly Made in the USA!

Booth: O32126

www.forconstructionpros.com/concrete | December 2017 | Concrete Contractor 83

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WOC Idea File

Lythic Polished Concrete Products offer a complete flooring solution with unique colloidal silica technology. 100% reactive silica ensures the concrete is chemically hardened prior to mechanical polishing. Use Lythic Densfiers, Protectors, and Cleaners for long lasting performance. For more information, visit www.lythic.com

www.solomoncolors.com • www.lythic.com 800.624.0261

Collomix LevMixMobile Mixing Machine. Mixing and Transporting in one operation. For selfleveling and leveling compounds. Ideal for floors and subfloors. Highly effective mixing paddle prevents the formation of lumps; all material is mixed thoroughly.

www.collomix.us

ARDEX Polished Concrete System – The industry’s first full specification for polished concrete toppings! › Reliable products & Predictable results › One system from substrate preparation to the finished floor › Everything from basic gray to individual design options

WWW.ARDEXAMERICAS.COM

Pour concrete up to 60% faster and with less labor! Powered by 12 horsepower gasoline engines, the Line Dragon will easily maneuver over rebar grid, radiant heat lines, nelson studs, floor decking or other prepared surfaces. Weighing in at about 1,000 pounds means less weight per square inch of footprint than most manual laborers. The ‘Placer’ is attached to the end of the delivery line and places concrete where you need it while the ‘Dragger’ is 20’ away keeping the excess line out of the pouring area. Our machines move forward, backward, left, right or oblique. The placing boom swings 360 degrees making all areas accessible to the Placer. Both machines are radiocontrolled with fully hydrostatic controls for easy operation at a safe distance making your employees more efficient with huge savings.

717-875-1153 www.linedragon.com 84 Concrete Contractor | December 2017 | www.forconstructionpros.com/concrete

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BONUS EXPOSURE AND BONUS DISTRIBUTION CALL US TODAY FOR A CUSTOMIZED PROPOSAL AT 800-538-5544

MevaLite Wall Formwork

Now available locally in the Southeast United States MevaLite is the premiere hand-set clamp formwork system. Made of aluminum, it is lightweight and can be set up quickly with as little as one worker, but still has a sturdy concrete load capacity of 1,350 psf. Ideal for all jobs and  available, formwork needs when a crane is not  and always cost and time-saving with:  

  

   

■ An average of 5.7 lbs. per ft2 with a maximum panel weight of 136 lbs. ■ 90° inside and outside corners and 80° to 180° articulated corners

MadgeTech is known worldwide as the industry expert of data loggers engineered, manufactured and serviced in the USA. With a variety of thermocouple temperature data loggers, MadgeTech offers the ideal solution for monitoring concrete during the curing process.

■ MEVA multi-function profile with welded-in Dywidag nuts for fast and easy attachment of accessories

www.mevaformwork.com/info@mevaformwork.com

EUCLID CHEMICAL

Decorative Concrete

We’ve got you covered.

Indoor Booth #S10338 Outdoor Booth #O40853

■ Superior finish with all-plastic facing For more product and location information:

DECORATIVE CONCRETE BY

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increte.com

MQ WHITEMAN EXPANDS INDUSTRY LEADING TROWEL LINEUP. MQ Whiteman, the leader in concrete finishing, introduces the new InstaClutch™ line of walkbehind concrete finishers. The InstaClutch™ drive systems are available on MQ Whiteman 36-inch and 46-inch diameter trowels. The friction clutch disengages if the handle is released during operation bringing the machine to a complete stop within a quarter turn of the handle. It also allows the operator to safely & immediately resume operation without having to restart the engine. MQ Whiteman InstaClutch power trowels feature a hinged access panel to simplify blade change out and routine service, rugged spider assembly and handles fitted with QuickPitch™ or standard pitch controls. For more than 75 years professional contractors have turned to MQ Whiteman power trowels for innovation, quality and dependable performance. Learn more about Multiquip products at www.multiquip.com.

www.forconstructionpros.com/concrete | December 2017 | Concrete Contractor 85

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WOC Idea File NEW!

All Purpose Heavy Duty Mixer 

Adhesives

Concrete

Stains

Primers & Sealers

Paint

Viscous Materials

Imbotec Poligloss 60° Glossmeter Polished Concrete Tested

Celebrating Over 60 Years

Runyon designed its new tooling series Q8 metal bonds, RSP copper transitionals, Race Resins, Rocky DIPs, Shift Ceramic Cup Wheels and Drift Dry, Whip Wet hand pads - with you in mind. These high quality tools are innovative, yet affordable. They are made of the best materials for long life and optimum performance. They were designed to be easily identifiable and interchangeable. They feature higher diamond content and unique face designs. The goal: help you be more productive and efficient. Schedule a demo or place your order today!

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On Sale at WOC Booth: S13219 WWW.GLOSS-METERS.COM

IS YOUR OLD VACUUM LEAVING YOU IN THE DUST? Everyone has dealt with the trouble that a clogged vacuum filter creates, it takes up valuable time and creates a mess. Pulse-Bac solves this problem with our patented Automatic Pulse-Clean Technology™ that automatically cleans the filter while you work. Others may claim to have “automatic” or “pulse” filter cleaning, but look closely and you’ll see that they fall short of the original, requiring extra equipment like air compressors or manual gadgets that require work to stop for filter cleaning. These don’t truly solve the problem and make for more work. Only vacuums with the Pulse-Bac® name use our unique technology to automatically clean the filter while you work. PULSE-BAC VACUUMS FULLY COMPLY WITH OSHA’S SILICA RULE.

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86 Concrete Contractor | December 2017 | www.forconstructionpros.com/concrete

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BONUS EXPOSURE AND BONUS DISTRIBUTION CALL US TODAY FOR A CUSTOMIZED PROPOSAL AT 800-538-5544

Boral Material Technologies & Headwaters Resources have combined to form

Boral Resources America’s largest fly ash marketer… …and a whole lot more Boral Resources is the only fly ash marketer with operations coast to coast. No one offers more ash sources or more solutions to ash quality and supply reliability issues. When you think about fly ash for concrete, think about Boral Resources. Build something great™ www.flyash.com

PERI is one of the world‘s largest manufacturers and suppliers of formwork and scaffolding systems with several yards across the US. We are known for our innovative products that boost any crew’s productivity, resulting in great labor savings for the contractor. Our wide range of products include plywood, wall and slab formwork, shoring, scaffolding, and climbing systems. Our newest flagship, DUO, a lightweight polymer wall and slab formwork system is a game changer for any jobsite with limited crane time or no access to a crane. The panels clamp together in seconds without the use of tools, making it easier and faster than ever to form foundations, walls, slabs and similar handset applications. Visit us at the World of Concrete, Silver Lot Booth O30944, to learn more about this great system. www.forconstructionpros.com/concrete | December 2017 | Concrete Contractor 87

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WOC Idea File

BSD CORNER TOOL Made with Blue Star Diamond Technology™, the BSD Corner Tool is an extension to the Easy Edge product line. Now you can easily blend your corners to match the edges and floor. Works great on stairs, door jambs and counter-tops too!

• • • • • •

Pre-Polish Fillers Moisture Insensitive Polyurea Joint Fillers Polyurea Pumps Crack Repair Spall Repair Custom Colors

www.hitechpolyurea.com

PRODUCT FEATURES • Aggressive grind with superb finish • Blends the corners to match the floor and edges • Long life and superior performance • Available in 30-400 grit

BSDDiamond.com 800.662.0336 • TRAVERSE CITY, MI BSD products are proudly Made in the USA

denverconcretevibrator.com

Dynamic Systems Approach to Waterproofing and Restoration Miracote - Cementitious Renewal Systems & Protective Coatings MiraFlex - Vapor Permeable Membranes & Waterproofing MiraPatch - Concrete Repair Mortars & Underlayments

Visit our website at www.miracote.com. Headquarters: 800.692.3502 West Coast: 310.631.6594 East Coast: 908.245.2808

Crossfield Products Corp. | miracote.com | 800.692.3502 | miracote@cpcmail.net 88 Concrete Contractor | December 2017 | www.forconstructionpros.com/concrete

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INDEX ADVERTISER PAGE ADVERTISER PAGE

Lackmond Products, Inc. Introduces the Beast/B+BTec Automatic Coring Unit Marietta, GA. Lackmond Products, Inc. a leading supplier of diamond tools, carbide tools and equipment is introducing a state-of-the art Automatic Coring Unit. The Beast/B+BTec Automatic Coring Unit can be used with all the Beast/B+BTec Core drills and rigs. It is ideal for blind and conduit holes and is equipped with a depth input of up to 80”. The Beast/B+BTec Automatic Coring Unit has distinct features that are currently not available with other units on the market. It provides continuous optimal down-feed speed due to the intelligent processor, as well as offers a touch and start function. The Automatic Coring Unit is equipped with auto shutdown and retract after reaching set depth or penetrating concrete. The Beast/B+BTec Automatic Coring Unit will help the professional coring contractor be more efficient and productive.

1-800-850-2044 www.lackmond.com

Allen Engineering Corporation...................35, 89 Ameripolish...................................................28, 87 Ardex.............................................................26, 84 Arizona Polymer Flooring............................61, 78 BackSaver......................................................53, 83 Bloom Manufacturing Inc.............................59 Bon Tool Co..................................................29 Boral Resources............................................41, 87 BORIDE Engineered Abrasives...................75, 88 BuildBlock Building Systems.......................57 Caterpillar Dealer Network*........................17 CDC Larue.....................................................45, 86 Collomix USA................................................27, 84 Concrete Pump Supply................................7, 79 ContiTech North America............................5, 80 CTS Rapid Set Cement Mfg Co..................71 Curb Roller Mfg. LLC....................................58, 83 Denver Concrete Vibrator............................40, 88 Diamatic USA Inc..........................................37 Ermator USA.................................................65, 82 Euclid Chemical Company...........................50, 85 EZ Polish........................................................77, 83 Fascut Industries...........................................77, 89 GelMAXX.......................................................59, 87 Hi-Tech...........................................................70, 88 Husqvarna Construction Products..............25, 91 IMBOTEC......................................................43, 86 Increte Systems.............................................50, 85

Jiffy Mixer......................................................57, 86 Lackmond Products, Inc...............................72, 89 Ligchine International Corp.........................51, 83 Line Dragon, LLC..........................................11, 84 MadgeTech, Inc............................................56, 85 Makita USA Inc..............................................19, 80 McKinnon Materials, Inc...............................46-47 Metzger/ McGuire........................................76, 89 MEVA Formwork Systems, Inc.....................23, 85 Miracote........................................................67, 88 Multiquip ......................................................15, 85 Niagara Machine Inc....................................52 Oztec Industries Inc......................................79, 92 PERI USA.......................................................13, 87 Polished Concrete University.......................70 Runyon Surface Prep Rental & Supply........76, 86 Simpson Strong-Tie Co., Inc........................2, 82 Solomon Colors............................................49, 84 Somero Enterprises......................................33 Spin Screed...................................................56 Stego Industries............................................21, 81 Superabrasive Inc.........................................63, 78 Terrco Inc.......................................................55 Trimaco..........................................................39, 81 Trinic...............................................................69 VoidForm Products, Inc................................58 World of Concrete Europe...........................73 Xtreme Polishing Systems............................72 * Denotes regional ad

Developed to fill/repair concrete floor surface imperfections such as air holes, popouts, surface pitting, scratches and gouges, etc.

PORTABLE REBAR BENDER/CUTTER The Model FS-600 portable rebar bender/cutter will both bend and cut up to #6 rebar. • Plugs into a standard 110-volt outlet • 180 lbs. • Fabricate stirrups, hooks and 3-D bends and cut bars to length • Convenient carrying handles for on-site or at the shop

www.fascut.com

Available in 7 colors to best camouflage floor surface pitting and surface imperfections.

Rapid-set formula allows for quick access to floor areas and grinding as early as 1 hour after application.

Low viscosity allows for penetration into very small surface pits and imperfections.

Yields a smoother, denser floor surface.

Economical, hand mix formula.

Before

After 800.223.MM80 www.metzgermcguire.com

www.forconstructionpros.com/concrete | December 2017 | Concrete Contractor 89

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THE LAST PLACEMENT: BACK TO BASICS

6

I

By Brad Humphrey

"Safety Nets" to Improve Worker Productivity

n order for workers to give their best effort every day, let’s look at some specific "safety nets." to improve productivity.

1

The first day on the job. Most contractors do a less-than-great job at making the new employee feel welcome and appreciated. Remember, the first day on a new job for an employee should leave them with nothing but affirmation they made a wise career choice. When provided a clear picture of what the company represents, who their customer is, what they will be doing, and whom they will be working with, this new employee will gain confidence and work harder…sooner! The safety net here is to insure that every new employee is clearly welcomed to the company from their leader and work associates. Additionally, they should receive a “90-day Plan” that lines out what the new employee will be doing, when he or she will be learning new skills, where they might be working, and with whom they will be working. Such a “net” will inspire early positive attitudes and create greater confidence within the employee.

2

The Senior Leader is not open to ideas or challenges. Working for the manager who demonstrates little interest in new ideas and does not want their decisions or ideas to be challenged can quickly accelerate what I call the “motivational plunge,” within promising and thinking employees. The safety net here is that leaders must show visible proof that not only do they welcome new ideas but also appreciate workers who can challenge their ideas and past practices. Companies improve by challenging

old processes and seeking new and innovative methods.

benefits of different personalities and people who are “different.”

3

5

Lack of project planning and organization. Nothing sends a clearer signal to employees than beginning a project without knowing what the job is, what will be needed, and what are the expectations. With all the proof today that planned jobs produce better results, it is unforgivable that any contractor would ever allow their crew leaders to begin work without a work plan for the day, a week or more “look ahead” schedule, and a confirmation that key performance, safety, and quality issues have been addressed. The safety net for this issue is to have a plan in place, and consistently exercise every organizational and planning tool available and appropriate for their specialty of work. Investing in such tools and executing them consistently will remove much of the fear of failure and unleash a clear production focus.

4

Not being included as team member. After years of working with contractors I have concluded that many contractors simply never really developed a good, team-based work culture among their existing employees. This often leads to new employees being excluded from even the most basic activities, such as lunch. The safety net for this issue is pure and simple: “socialization.” Humans have a need to interact with other human beings. When employees don't feel part of the group it can negatively impact their morale and motivation of employees. The “net” installed should engage education for all workers on communication skills, how to conduct “small talk,” and recognizing the

Fear of making mistakes. If workers have a fear of making a mistake, the “kiss of death” is upon the leader and company. I realize that making a $100,000 mistake is different than a $500 mistake, and certainly we need to prevent repeating the same mistakes, but learning is still greatly accelerated when mistakes are part of the learning process. Regular and consistent reassurance, spoken by the leader, affirming the need to work hard and smart without fear of “falling,” is the "net" here. Then the leader must back up his words with his actions by not overreacting or, worse, disciplining or terminating a worker when they make a mistake.

6

Working under a control freak.” In most cases, leaders are just following up on assigned tasks, insuring that what was expected to be completed, was completed! However, there are those leaders who can be obsessed with never “letting go” of tasks, jobs, or projects -- the result being a real motivational plunge. This safety net here requires the "control freak" leaders to learn to trust their workers. These same leaders must learn to properly delegate, making sure the individual understands the expectations, knows the systems and processes, and understands the priority and timeline. It’s important also for the leader to understand how his actions can create frustrated and anxious employees who feel their leader doesn’t trust them. Ed. Note: Brad Humphrey is President of Pinnacle Development Group.

90 Concrete Contractor | December 2017 | www.forconstructionpros.com/concrete

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DUST AND SLURRY MANAGEMENT BY HUSQVARNA Helping you work towards OSHA silica compliance. Silica dust is produced when concrete, bricks, blocks, etc are cut and while it might seem harmless, it contains crystalline silica. The existence of crystalline silica and the hazards it can cause to a worker’s body – silicosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and kidney disease – has been known for decades. That is why Husqvarna Construction Products has continually developed solutions to control dust for decades.

OSHA has been working on a final ruling for the past several years, and since the first ruling on silica exposure Husqvarna Construction Products has been developing new ways to suppress crystalline silica and keep workers more safe, all while maintaining or increasing productivity. OSHA’s final ruling on crystalline silica exposure, released on March 24, 2016, defines the amount of dust permissible. By

supressing dust with water or vacuums, you can work towards compliance with OSHA’s Table 1 PELs. To help, Husqvarna has developed a compliance guide to show how our products will aid in meeting and/or exceeding the OSHA rules. The complete compliance guide as well as third party testing results can be found on www.husqvarnacp.com/us/silica.

T 7500

T 8600

T 8600 P

T 10000

T 18000

DC 6000

S 13

S 26

S 36

W 70 P

C 3000

C 5500

A 600

A 1200

For more information on Husqvarna’s OSHA Regulation Guide visit:

For more information on OSHA silica exposure guidelines visit:

www.husqvarnacp.com/us/silica ForConstructionPros.com/10073334

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www.osha.gov/silica Advertorial 12/8/17 1:23 PM


ForConstructionPros.com/10074104

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