Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/1433288
601 West Hastings, Vancouver, B.C. D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 1 | 11 Concrete P H OTO G R A P H Y CO U RT E S Y S T U B B E' S P R EC A S T I N C .; L EH I G H H A N S O N The concrete sector is stronger than ever as experts push to advance its sustainable benefits by ROBIN BRUNET A s 2021 draws to a close and pent-up demand is being unleashed, the concrete sec- tor is white hot and companies such as Stubbe's Precast are busier than ever. Stubbe's recently completed Gaslight, two 20-storey condo projects in Cambridge with a 750,000-square-foot floor space and a six-level above-ground precast concrete parkade. The project, which commenced during the height of the pandemic last year, was completed eight weeks ahead of schedule, and as Stubbe's moves on to serve busy tertiary and secondary markets, one of its advantages is that it has locked in supply at a time when material procurement is a challenge. Concrete is widely used as a construction mate- rial and continues to be recognized for its versatility, resilience, and environmental benefits. Leading con- crete suppliers throughout Canada, including Lehigh Hanson, are pushing to advance the sustainable aspects of concrete even further. One of the key ways to reduce the environmental footprint of concrete is turning the focus to one of its ingredients – cement. "As a company, we are working hard to evolve our approach to sustainable construction materials and we are increasing our focus on products with a lower carbon footprint," says Phil Bowie, technical sales representative for Lehigh Hanson. "As a producer of both cement and concrete, one way we are doing this is through the manufacture and application of gen- eral use limestone cement [GUL]." Bowie is referring to several products, one being EcoCem PLC, a Portland limestone cement pro- duced using ordinary portland clinker ground with limestone. Compared to CSA Type GU and ASTM Type I-II/A ASHTO Type I Portland cement, EcoCem PLC contains as much as 10 percent more limestone and exhibits equivalent performance to ordinary Portland cement. By using advanced technology to increase the amount of limestone and decrease the amount of clinker, Lehigh has reduced both the energy required to produce EcoCem PLC and associated emissions. Additionally, EcoCem PLC can be used in concrete that will be exposed to moderate sulphate conditions. EcoCem PLUS is also a blended Portland- limestone cement, capable of producing strong and durable concrete with high sulphate resistance. It is made by inter-grinding clinker, Type F fly ash and limestone, and implementing the use of this cement helps reduce silo requirements at concrete plants. Lehigh's three cement plants in Canada produce EcoCem, and one project in which the Portland/ limestone blend was used is 601 West Hastings in Vancouver. PCI Developments commissioned Ledcor Construction to construct this 26-storey tower AS SOLID AS IT GETS Concrete beam craned into position on the Gaslight project, Cambridge, ON. (CPCQA) CANADIAN PRECAST CONCRETE QUALITY ASSURANCE PROGRAM (CPCQA) CANADIAN PRECAST CONCRETE QUALITY ASSURANCE (CPCQA) CANADIAN PRECAST CONCRETE QUALITY ASSURANCE CERTIFICATION PROGRAM