Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/1101469
A PR IL 2019 | 13 Precast Concrete PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY SURESPAN STRUCTURES LTD. Accompanying the precast boom is the increas- ing use of the system as an architecturally creative material, case in point: although Surespan Structures is well known for its precast concrete bridges for a variety of industries, the company has also supplied 330 curved and straight precast "slivers," each about three-storeys tall, for the cladding of a science build- ing for Simon Fraser University in Surrey. Intended to mimic the look of a circuit board, the panels were cast using several specialty liners that followed the lines of the panel, creating a wave pattern (installation of the complex cladding consisted of Surespan using multiple cranes, with the panels being rotated on site prior to being hung from the building). The robust precast market also means increased international opportunities. Peikko continues to achieve major successes with its Deltabeam Slim Floor Structure, a composite beam whose shallow design decreases a building's floor-to-floor height while eliminating conflicts with HVAC systems (thus becoming the best alternative to post-tension flat slabs). One of the company's more prominent inter- national projects was secured in January, when it received an order to supply two kilometres of Deltabeam Composite Beams to the S7 Business Campus in Vilnius, Lithuania. Peikko will also produce and deliver 260 tons of other structures, including Petra Slab Hangers and various connection items. All of this activity means that the Canadian Precast Prestressed Concrete Institute (CPCI) is more proactive than ever in disseminating infor- mation that will advance the precast market and educate professionals on best standards. CPCI will be holding full-day seminars in early 2019 to review the requirements of building enclosures, with an emphasis on the elements of design and thermal per- formance and costing analysis required to ensure high-performance precast concrete enclosures. The Institute is also running free webinars throughout the year (the next one to take place in May) that will demonstrate how ABC (Accelerated Building Construction and Accelerated Bridge Construction) can deliver projects in a safe, time-sav- ing, cost-effective manner that optimizes resources in labour and material, while nearly eliminating waste. The webinar will also present various exam- ples of projects using precast concrete accelerated building construction. Finally, CPCI has released the new CPCI Precast Concrete Wall Thermal Performance Calculator, a web-enabled program that instantly estimates ther- mal performance for thousands of possible wall assemblies. By combining the calculation method- ology described in the CPCI Thermal Performance Guide with a pre-programmed database of wall com- ponents, users can quickly gauge the approximate performance of multiple design options. A Pouring precast 'slivers' before install on site at the Sustainable Energy and Engineering Building – SFU, Surrey, B.C. 1:24 PM Coreslab.indd 1 2018-10-31 2:53 PM