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A PR IL 2017 | 11 PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOSH PARTEE/COURTESY ALTUSGROUP Precast Concrete The precast concrete sector experiences continued growth in 2017 by ROBIN BRUNET Bountiful Benefits T The concrete versus steel debate in construction cir- cles will probably never go away, but one thing is indis- putable: ongoing advancements in concrete products, especially in the realm of precast, are completely changing the way buildings are designed. This is no surprise to anyone involved in the sector, as precast concrete has several advantages over metal and site-poured or cast-in-place concrete. Precast products can be installed quickly (since curing has already been completed at the plant), are made in con- trolled settings that result in more accurate and pre- cise production than site-made components and have longer lifespans. Non-residential building construction is the stron- gest area of growth, to the point where precast is even relied upon to provide architectural components because it can be less costly than facades such as natural stone. The propensity for innovation in this sector is even greater if the definition of precast is stretched to include similar processes such as tilt-up: 100-foot heights are now readily achievable in the tilt-up industry, with pro- duction streamlined thanks to embedded facers cast integrally with wall panels that greatly reduce conven- tional brick and mortar veneer labour requirements. But innovation remains alive and well within the strict definition of precast: for example, self consolidat- ing concrete eliminates the need for mechanical con- solidation and yields a smooth surface finish without mix segregation; pre-stressed open space trusses have proven to be an effective solution for long spans and maintain the shallow floor depth of flat plate systems; and in the residential and commercial sectors, insulated concrete form walls not only provide rapid construction but also energy savings and increased durability. That's hardly all. Lightweight precast panels are being manufactured with fibre-reinforced plas- tic (FRP) grids. The resulting weight reduction pro- vides savings in shipping, erection and substructure costs. The company responsible for this innovation, AltusGroup, Inc., uses the brand name CarbonCast for its enclosure systems, double tees and pile products made using C-Grid. John Carson, executive director for AltusGroup, says: "Strescon Limited and Armtec were the first of our man- ufacturing partners to use and market CarbonCast in Canada. Most recently, Quebec producer Saramac has joined the group and begun manufacturing. The pre- cast products' high R-value and composite panel design approach makes this an ideal solution for the ever- increasing code requirements and energy standards." CarbonCast High Performance Insulated Wall Panels are composed of two concrete wythes separated by continuous insulation. With low thermal conductiv- ity, the high-strength carbon fibre epoxy C-Grid con- nectors can deliver a panel with insulation values up to R-37, depending on the thickness and type of foam insulation; moreover, extensive research has proven that a panel with 102 millimetres of insulation between two 51 millimetre concrete wythes will behave struc- turally as if it were a 203 millimetre solid panel. Other benefits of the precast panels include inherent fire and mould resistance, and smooth prefinished inte- rior walls with low sound transmission. Esthetically, hundreds of pigments, aggregates, textures, surface treatments and embedded finishes like medallions and tiles can be selected to meet nearly any design vision. + CarbonCast insulated panels featuring a custom stone liner at the base of the panel and a shiplap liner for the upper portion — Sandy High School, Sandy, OR.

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