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A PR IL 2018 | 13 Precast Concrete PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY ALTUSGROUP + CORESLAB STRUCTURES Precast concrete drives both energy and financial efficiency by ROBIN BRUNET A s with any building material, precast concrete undergoes steady evolution and improvement, to the point where in 2018 many precast structures are stunning from an esthetic point of view. This is in addition to its functionality (espe- cially in the infrastructure realm) as well as its job site advantages over cast-in-place concrete. Coreslab Structures is a perfect example of a com- pany that has advanced precast's capabilities so that whether it's an office building, mixed-use complex or even a parking structure, the material's architectural abilities are seemingly endless. Coreslab is a North American leader for the man- ufacture of precast (it began in Ontario in 1975 as a small hollowcore producer), and its products enable developers to have total modular building systems and full structure solutions from below grade to the roof. The company's familiar "more is less" philoso- phy means that the more precast concrete solutions it can offer clients, the more efficient the project becomes and the less headaches occur, with develop- ers able to focus on the finishing trades rather than masons or structural steel professionals. One recent project of note that Coreslab has applied its expertise to is the Belmont Avenue Apartments in Kitchener, Ontario, consisting of three buildings and over 450,000 square feet combined. Anthony Franciosa, Coreslab's VP and sales manager, regards this project as an example of precast "really catching on in the market place. We're literally put- ting up buildings more than four times faster than with a conventional system." He goes on to note that, "High-rise makes sense with a total precast system. Manufacturing of all components is done before construction, so compo- nents are ready before the job site is. By improving job site construction schedules and reducing over- all cost to owners, a 20-storey building, with a 10,000-square-foot footprint can be built at a rate of a floor per week, including walls." In assessing the precast industry in Canada in 2018, Jason Rabasse, business development manager precast WCAN at LafargeHolcim, says, "We're seeing a positive increase. All kinds of jobs are underway in Canada and product is flowing. Overall, the market is stronger than it was a few years ago." Of course, LafargeHolcim's opportunities are hardly confined to Canada. The company will soon be a vital partner in the construction of two major port projects: the deepwater port in Posorja, Ecuador, and the Nador West Med complex in Morocco. LafargeHolcim Maroc will supply special cement for Nador West Med. Located 30 kilometres from Nador on the Mediterranean coast, Nador West Med Finding The Cure will enable the use of LafargeHolcim solutions such as the precasting of caissons, breakwaters, and quay construction using cement that has been developed to guarantee 100 years of durability in an aggressive marine environment. Located 65 kilometres from Guayaquil, the greenfield multi-purpose deepwater port in Posorja will see LafargeHolcim Ecuador supply cement for the piles and precast quays that combines high com- pressive strength and high resistance to sulphate, guaranteeing durability and resistance to seawater. Similarly, John Carson, executive director of AltusGroup, Inc. reports that his company, through its Canadian manufacturing associates, is "very busy, and quite possibly this year will be better than 2017 – but I would say overall Alberta is still sluggish due to the oil and gas sector only beginning to recover, and activity in Toronto is starting to pick up." This seems to dovetail with IBISWorld's latest precast concrete manufacturing report for Canada, which predicts "modest" revenue gains for the sector and annual growth of about 1.2 percent. However, the report also intimates the sector's potential for sig- nificant growth because "construction markets often turn to operators who can deliver concrete products rapidly and on tight project deadlines; in addition, markets often require the product to be customized in strength, durability and shape." AltusGroup is well known for its innovative CarbonCast and Arcis systems, and over the years the company has supplied high-performance insulated wall panels for everything from schools (the Piedmont Central Student Housing and Dining Hall) to commer- cial offices (Wahl Clipper Corporate Headquarters) and industrial facilities (the Universal Alloy Light Press Plant). But Carson is especially excited about Belmont Avenue Apartments, Kitchener, ON. Universal Alloy Light Press Plant, Ball Ground, GA.