Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/807489
16 | A PR IL 2017 Precast Concrete While industrial is understandably a big sector for Lafarge's panels, the code requirements are prompting multi-family residential developers to consider pre- cast concrete for their projects. "Our panels help save money due to ease of installation, considering they can arrive on site with the windows already in place," says Zakariasen. Lafarge precast and prestressed concrete is used in low-rise and mid-rise apartment buildings, hotels, motels and nursing homes where the repetitive use of standard components manufactured in a factory can be fully utilized. And in the wake of the Fort McMurray fires, Lafarge is expecting a growth of clients who appreciate con- crete's resiliency to fire, wind, hail and other destruc- tive elements. "We're getting a lot of inquiries in this regard," he says. In fact, in the residential realm, two- hour fire containment within each living unit provides safety for adjacent units. Using precast concrete hous- ing of this quality reduces fire insurance rates and increases residence safety and noise privacy, often generating higher incomes for building owners. Concrete manufacturers may be enjoying a high profile in many circles in 2017, but it's important to note that they are supported by a host of service com- panies, including Canadian Construction Materials Engineering & Testing (CCMET, and formerly the Metro Group). Over the years, CCMET has become the materi- als engineering and testing company of choice by pro- viding everything from specialized testing (including pile driving analysis) to traffic management plans. CCMET has proven to be invaluable on major proj- ects such as Telus Garden in Vancouver, and more recently it provided concrete and shotcrete testing, post tension, dowel inspection, pull test and other ser- vices for the Trump Tower in Vancouver. On Vancouver Island, CCMET's new Victoria-based construction materials testing laboratory provided concrete testing on the new Johnston Street Bridge; a $100-million proj- ect that will, when completed later this year, improve traffic safety and accessibility in the region with more than 50 percent of its deck space dedicated to pedestri- ans and cyclists, in addition to three lanes for vehicles. While it's virtually impossible to accurately predict where any building sector is headed, data from south of the 49th parallel suggests that a bright future of the precast concrete sector in Canada is assured. This year the National Precast Concrete Association maintains its previous 2016 forecast of a seven percent growth in the precast, pre-stressed, and reinforced concrete pipe sec- tor, for a total North American sales volume of about $26 billion – which is a continuation of builds since 2014 after the recession caused a massive 40 percent sales drop. CPCI's Hall says by way of conclusion: "Designing and constructing with architectural precast con- crete facilitates faster and efficient construction, and improved building performance, at an economic advantage. That, combined with the stunning esthetic options, makes architectural precast concrete the solution for many design professionals." A Three-finish architectural façade using CarbonCast High Performance insulated wall panels — The Sanford Pentagon, Sioux Falls, SD. PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY ALTUSGROUP .ca .ca Member CERTIFIED CPCI – Canadian Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute @CPCI_Canada cpci_canada Canadian Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute (CPCI) COME VISIT CPCI AT THE FOLLOWING EVENTS Find out more about these events at: http://www.cpci.ca/en/about_us/news_events/ RAIC/Architecture Canada Festival of Architecture Westin Hotel, Ottawa, ON May 24 – 27, 2017 http://www.oaa.on.ca/news%20&%20 events/oaa%20annual%20conference CaGBC Conference and Expo (Building Lasting Change) Vancouver Convention Centre Vancouver, BC May 30 – June 1, 2017 http://www.cagbc.org/CAGBC/Events/ CSCE Annual Conference 2017 Bayshore Westin Hotel, Vancouver, BC May 31 – June 3, 2017 http://csce2017.ca/ TAC annual Conference & Expo Delta St. John's Hotel and Conference Centre, St. John's, NL September 24 – 27, 2017 http://www.tac-atc.ca/ COMING SOON Meeting and Exceeding Building Code Thermal Performance Requirements for Concrete Wall Enclosures - Canada Wide Seminar Series April – May, 2017 For more information check out www.cpci.ca