Concrete Contractor February/March 2016

DECORATIVE CONCRETE: Ancient Greece Coming Together in the Carolinas

20

February/March 2016

Now available online and on your iPad!

LESSONS LEARNED

from the Recession 12

GREAT

AN INTRODUCTION to Fabric Formed Concrete 8

Expectations 32

The Smith

HOUSE

16

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WHAT’S INSIDE

February/March 2016 | Issue 2, Volume 16

Cover Photo Credit: Walter Smith

Walter and Susan Smith wanted to build a home that was energy efficient. They achieved this by using concrete and a radiant floor heating system—easy to do with concrete—heat will be more uniform throughout the house.

Departments 4 Editor’s Letter 6 Legal Matters 28 Foundations Q&A 36 Challenging the System

Cover Story

42 The Last Placement

16 The Smith House

Rebuilding after Hurricane Sandy.

Features 8 An Introduction to Fabric-Formed Concrete for Architectural Structures - Part 1 Fabric formwork is a unique method of forming concrete and there are benefits to the contractor using it successfully.

12 Lessons Learned from the Recession A reduction in the labor force and a slowdown of awarded projects forced one contractor to re-evaluate their business and find ways to remain profitable.

20 Ancient Greece Coming Together in the Carolinas Stone textures originally taken from the pathway leading to and from The Parthenon in Athens, Greece transforms the entry way to the Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation in WinstonSalem, North Carolina.

32 Great Expectations

26 Deck Coating System Produces Tough New Surface for Helipad A hybrid concrete repair system makes landing pads easily visible to helicopter pilots.

28 Chloride and Fluoride, You Get It Whether You Need It or Not The Concrete Foundations Association explains the complex issue of maximum chloride levels permitted in residential concrete and the efforts undertaken by professional concrete contractors and producers to ensure the quality concrete in the marketplace.

What’s Online

Managing the expectations of the owner/architect will ensure success for all parties involved... but don’t forget about the building users.

40 A Quality Finish is Determined by Diamond Tooling Efficiency A plant renovation which included a honed and dyed concrete finish is complicated by embedded grease, the removal of a thick coating and 200-plus bolts sticking up out of the floor.

Read these online exclusive articles at www.ForConstructionPros.com/concrete.

Brewing Concrete in Milwaukee For the first time since 1979, the ACI Convention/Expo will be held in Milwaukee. At that time, the local Wisconsin ACI chapter had just been founded a few years prior. Search: 12172311

Patterned Concrete: The Value of Being Backed by a Brand Beyond stamped concrete, franchisees get exclusive branding, training, tooling, and support for a competitive edge. Search: 12168593

www.forconstructionpros.com/concrete | February/March 2016 | Concrete Contractor 3

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EDITOR’S LETTER

What’s the Buzz in the Concrete Industry?

Ryan Olson, Editor

C

oming off the heels of World of Concrete, it was clear to me the industry is poised to make 2016 one of the best years yet for concrete contractors. Enthusiasm was high amongst contractors and exhibitors. According to organizers the show drew 60,110 registered attendees and featured more than 1,532 exhibiting companies. This was the largest World of Concrete in seven years! There was clearly a buzz in the air during the show.

The show opened with the annual economic forecast from Ed Sullivan, Portland Cement Association vice president and chief economist who last fall forecast a robust five percent increase in consumption of the world’s most common construction material, but other global events has since made him look to a milder March re-forecast. It’s important to note, however, the sky is not falling.

Instead it looks like the softening of non-residential building construction might reduce the cement consumption growth forecast to four percent or four and a half percent.

View the full discussion with Sullivan regarding the PCA forecast by visiting http://tinyurl.com/h3k9ztd.

We also had some exciting news to Facebook.com/ ConcreteContractor

Advisory Board

ROlson@ ACBusinessMedia.com (800) 538-5544

share. During World of Concrete, we announced the International Concrete Polishing and Staining Conference will be re-launched and re-branded to CP&S — the International Conference for Concrete Polishing & Staining. As a part of the re-launch, a new conference and venue were also noted. The conference will take place on October 20-22, 2016 in Milwaukee, Wis. CP&S offers something for all industry manufacturers and polishing professionals — including seminars, exhibits, product demonstrations and great networking opportunities. For more information, visit www.

CPSconference.com.

The CP&S conference brings together a segment of the industry to discuss trends and techniques, allowing the industry to grow in a united direction. Whether you’re new to the industry or an experienced concrete polisher, CP&S is THE place to learn about the latest and greatest in the concrete polishing world. Stay tuned as we will be rolling out more details in the coming weeks.

Follow us @ Concreteinsider

Kim Basham KB Engineering Cheyenne, Wyo.

Jim Cuviello Cuviello Concrete Polished|Stained|Crafted Stevensville, Md.

Jim Baty Concrete Foundations Association Mt. Vernon, Iowa

Chris Klemaske T.B. Penick & Sons, Inc. San Diego, Calif.

Search: Concrete Polishing

Dennis Purinton Purinton Builders, Inc. East Granby, Conn.

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CONCRETE CONTRACTOR (USPS 021-799, ISSN 1935-1887 (print); ISSN 2471-2302 (online) is published 7 times a year: January, February/March, April/May, June/July, August/September, October/November and December by AC Business Media Inc., 201 N. Main Street, Fort Atkinson, WI 53538. Printed in the U.S.A. Periodicals postage paid at Fort Atkinson, WI, and additional entry offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Concrete Contractor, PO Box 3605 Northbrook, IL 60065-3605 February/March 2016. Issue 2, Volume 16 One year subscription to nonqualified individuals: U.S. 1 year: $35, 2 years: $70. Canada & Mexico 1 year: $60, 2 years: $105. All other countries 1 year: $85, 2 years: $160 (payable in U.S. funds drawn on U.S. banks). Single copies available (prepaid only) $10.00 each (U.S., Canada & Mexico), $15.00 each (International).

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Vaughn Rockhold, (800) 538-5544, ext. 1248 vrockhold@ACBusinessMedia.com Ryan Olson, (800) 538-5544, ext. 1306 rolson@ACBusinessMedia.com Kim Basham, Jim Baty, Brad Humphrey, David C. Whitlock, Joe Nasvik Cindy Rusch April Van Etten Wendy Chady Angela Kelty

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LEGAL MATTERS

By David Whitlock

Things to Look Out for in 2016

There are a number of important changes with the labor law. Here is a summary of the major ones.

I

t is expected that 2016 will bring more business to concrete contractors.

Unfortunately, 2016 comes with risks for employers as well.

The Department of Labor (DOL) will publish revised regulations affecting who is exempt from overtime. It is expected that the standard, salary exemption will roughly double to over $50,000. For most contractors, this change will not affect field laborers, but it will probably affect supervisors and office workers. In the past, these workers were exempt from overtime if they earned a salary of $455 per week and were employed in administrative, executive, professional, or outside sales positions. When the revised rules become final, many of these employees will no longer be exempt. This means that contractors will have to pay them overtime if they work more than 40 hours per week. The DOL is not presently scheduled to revise the “duties” test for these exempt positions, but that may happen in the future.

“INTERPRETIVE GUIDANCE” Last summer, the DOL issued “interpretive guidance” regarding who is an independent contractor not subject to minimum wage and overtime requirements. Effectively abandoning the “right to control” test, the guidance adopts an economic realities test. DOL rejects a “mechanical” application of the factors it considers in determining the economic reality.

Since the test is subjective and very much unclear, this puts employers doing business with non-employees

at risk. Concrete contractors need to be particularly careful about employment of persons paid on a 1099 basis.

The misclassification issue is still an active (and expensive) area.

Tax collectors at the state and federal level are looking for income they missed during the economic downturn. That comes from finding employers have been treating workers as independent contractors — rather than employees — in order to avoid paying withholding, Social Security, Medicare, worker comp, etc.

Today, states are much more aggressive auditing employer payrolls and practices. The concrete industry is especially vulnerable because government agencies believe that use of independent contractors or 1099 labor is rampant, particularly among smaller employers.

“JOINT EMPLOYMENT” Recently, the DOL issued more guidance about “joint employment” and how to determine who is liable.

In essence, DOL takes the position that if two employers employ the same worker and are sufficiently related, both are liable for compliance with federal law affecting that worker. This guidance looks at horizontal and vertical joint employment relations and economic dependence. This guidance should not affect most concrete contractors who are properly classifying employees and paying overtime correctly.

Note, however, that for contractors that “share” an employee with a related business, the hours worked for both employers are aggregated which may lead to overtime liability.

David C. Whitlock has over 25 year’s experience in business immigration, compliance, employment counseling and training. He is the founding attorney of Whitlock Law LLC and can be reached at (404) 626-7011 or at davidcwhitlock@gmail.com.

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) remains aggressive in protecting all workers’ Section 7 rights to engage in protected, concerted activity. Note that the NLRB jurisdiction extends beyond employers that are unionized, so all contractors need to be concerned about expanded efforts to protect workers. The NLRB is “chipping away” at employer policies such as confidentiality, social media, outside communications, etc.

Contractors should have their policies and procedures updated regularly to stay in compliance and avoid liability in the future.

EEOC The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has stepped up enforcement in several areas. These include age and disability discrimination, largely the result of the Baby Boomer generation getting older. Also included are genetic information proscriptions enacted in the Genetic Information Non-discrimination Act (GINA) and heightened scrutiny of the use of criminal background checks.

While it may seem fairly obvious that employers should not rely upon genetic information to make employment-related decisions, the EEOC’s enforcement posture on background checks is a little more troubling. In essence, EEOC takes the position that you cannot use criminal background as the basis for not hiring someone unless you can demonstrate a clear correlation between the job and the crime.

Note that you should never rely upon arrest information alone.

6 Concrete Contractor | February/March 2016 | www.forconstructionpros.com/concrete

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CONCRETE FORMING

By Robert P. Schmitz, M.S.ST., P.E.

An Introduction to FabricFormed Concrete for Architectural Structures -

PART 1 Fabric formwork is a unique method of forming concrete and there are benefits to the contractor using it successfully.

T

hroughout the 20th century, a number of innovators experimented with fabric as a flexible membrane for the support of fluid concrete, forming structural members. Significant among the early innovators were James H. de W. Waller (1884-1968) who in 1934 patented a fabricformed system using hessian (burlap) fabric for numerous building components and in 1948, along with Kurt Billig, built corrugated concrete shell roof structures utilizing hessian fabric.

In 1949, Felix Candela one of the most prolific of the shell builders and influenced by Waller began to experiment with fabric by utilizing burlap sacks stretched over wooden arches to form corrugated shell roofs. In the years following, Candela in turn influenced other visionaries including Pier Luigi Nervi (1891-1979) and Heinz Isler (19262009). Besides Nervi and Isler a few of the architects and engineers who used the forming materials at hand

Figure 1.

Juan Zurita residence.

Photo Credit: Studio Miguel Fisac

to create expressive forms out of concrete and masonry were Antoni Gaudi (1852-1926), Robert Maillart (1872-1940), Eladio Dieste (19172000) and Miguel Fisac (1913-2006).

FORMWORK APPLICATIONS Alan Chandler in fabric formwork1 notes “…for Felix Candela and Christopher Alexander fabric acted as a permanent shutter (formwork)…”.

Chandler speaks of the family of fabric construction that includes: • Tensile structures • Pneumatic structures • Hydrostatic structures • Shell structures derived from membrane form-finding From this family of fabric construction what potentially practical applications exist? Fabric forming applications include: • Walls - Cast-in-place, precast, Shotcrete thin-shell curtain wall systems.

• Beam and floor system - Trusses • Columns • Shells and vaults - Prefabrication of thin-shell funicular compression vaults, pneumatically fabric-formed

thin-shell domes, molds for stay-inplace concrete formwork pans, pneumatically formed concrete impregnated fabric shells.

• Foundations - Continuous and spread footings.

• Civil engineering works Revetments, underwater pile jacket, coastal and river structures.

While it is true that a flexible fabric formwork may be used nearly anywhere a rigid formwork is used, a significant amount of research remains to be done to bring these systems into everyday practical use by the construction industry. Standards and guidelines for using flexible fabric formworks need to be developed for the design community to take full advantage of this unique method of forming concrete members and feel comfortable using it. It should also be recognized that wood and/or metal used for forming is not totally eliminated by using fabric but can be reduced to essential components thereby saving natural resources. So what is the current state-of-the-art?

Following are several architectural examples.

8 Concrete Contractor | February/March 2016 | www.forconstructionpros.com/concrete

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CONCRETE FORMING STATE-OF-THE-ART: ARCHITECTURAL FORMWORKS One of the first architects to use a flexible formwork in an architectural application was the late Spanish architect Miguel Fisac with his 1970’s design of the Juan Zurita residence in Madrid, Spain, see Figure 1. His use of rope and plastic sheeting to create these precast panels imparts a sense of “warmth and softness” to an otherwise cold and hard substance.

Fisac used this method throughout the 1970’s to form the cladding of a number of structures.2 Another architect whose work has softened up concrete is Japanese architect Kenzo Unno. Working independently of Fisac he has developed several cast-in-place (CIP) fabric-formed wall systems since the mid-1990’s. The Kobe earthquake on January 17, 1995 provided the motivation for Unno to create residential designs that are intended to provide safe housing using simple methods of construction with as little construction waste as possible. Using standard wall ties and the wall’s reinforcement for support of the fabric membrane his quilt-point restraint method, for example, creates a pattern reminiscent of a quilt for the Eiji Hoshino Residence, Figure 2.

For the Susae Nakashima “Stone Renaissance” house a ”frame” restraint method was employed using pipes at a slight angle to restrain the fabric and give these walls their own distinct character, see Figure 3.

Another practitioner that comes to mind is Sandy Lawton, a Vermont, USA design-builder. Lawton used

geotextiles to form the columns, walls and floors for a nontraditional “treehouse” which was completed in 2007, see Figure 4.

Figure 2. Quilt-like formwork pattern used for the Eiji Hoshino Residence.

Photo Credit: Mark West photos

FOUNDATIONS Industries are sometimes slow to embrace new technologies and industries utilizing fabric formworks are few. Since 1993 Richard Fearn, owner and founder of Fab-Form Industries, Ltd., has developed and marketed several fabric forming products including; Fastfoot for continuous and spread footings; Fastbag for spread footings and Fast-Tube for piers and columns.

PNEUMATIC FORMWORKS Several methods of construction using inflated forms have been available since the early 1940’s but it was only recently that American Concrete Institute (ACI) Committee 334 introduced a standard guide for the construction of thin-shells using inflated forms.3 David South, president and founder of Monolithic is the co-inventor of the Monolithic Dome and has been constructing thin-shell domes for more than 40 years. Monolithic’s basic steps for constructing a dome are inflating an airform fixed to a foundation, applying a layer of polyurethane foam, hanging reinforcement and applying up to five layers of

Figure 3: Susae Nakashima “Stone Renaissance” house.

Photo Credit: Kenzo Unno

shotcrete. The inherent tensile strength of the PVC-coated or polyester fabric used for the airform allows it to be inflated to a sufficient strength to support all the applied construction materials until the concrete has cured to the point where the dome is self-supporting.

Monolithic’s use of fabric allowed the construction of thin-shell domes to once again be done economically.

CONCLUSIONS By utilizing a flexible fabric formwork, such as a geotextile, several advantages have been noted: • The possibility to form very complex shapes.

• Geotextile fabric is strong, lightweight, inexpensive and is reusable.

• Improved surface finish and durability—due to its filtering action.

• A more efficient and sustainable design is possible since material is placed only where it is needed —“form follows function”.

• Flexible fabric formwork increases freedom of design expression and can spark the imagination of architects and designers to think beyond the simple prismatic shape.

• The development of a fabric formwork system has the potential to significantly reduce man’s impact on the environment in terms of materials and energy usage.

Ed. Note: Part 2 will appear in the April/May 2016 issue of Concrete Contractor.

10 Concrete Contractor | February/March 2016 | www.forconstructionpros.com/concrete

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Robert P. Schmitz, P.E. is a registered professional engineer in the State of Wisconsin, with more than thirty-five years experience in architecture and structural engineering.

His research interest in fabric formwork comes as a result of work he

completed for his Master’s degree and his desire to see this unique method of forming concrete brought into mainstream construction practice. He is a member of ASCE and ACI. He can be reached via e-mail at rpschmitz@rpschmitz.com

Figure 4: “Treehouse” for Chuck and Wendy Black.

Photo Credit: Sandy Lawton

REFERENCES: Readers interested in additional information are encouraged to visit the following websites: • Author’s research dedicated website: http://www.fabwiki.fabric-formedconcrete.com/ • The International Society of Fabric Forming (ISOFF): http:// www.fabricforming.org/ • See Umi Architectural Atelier website: http://www.umi-aa.com/ architecture-en/ • See Sandy Lawton ARRODESIGN website: http://www.arrodesign. org/ 1. Chandler, A. 2007. Concrete as equipment. In: Chandler, A. & Pedreschi, R. (eds.). fabric formwork London: RIBA. pp. 5-19.

2. Veenendaal, D. & West, M. & Block, P. 2011. History and overview of fabric formwork: using fabrics for concrete casting. Structural Concrete: Journal of the fib, 12 (3): pp. 164–177.

3. ACI Committee 334 2005.

Construction of Concrete Shells Using Inflated Forms (ACI 334.3R-05).

Farmington Hills, Michigan: American Concrete Institute.

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FOUNDATION / WALLS

By Ryan Olson

Lessons Learned from the

Recession

A reduction in the labor force and a slowdown of awarded projects forced one contractor to re-evaluate their business and find ways to remain profitable.

F

or 27 years, Advanced Concrete Foundations Inc., (Louisa, Virginia), has made a name for themselves as a contractor who offers quality work at a competitive price.

While the contractor started out in the concrete business as a foundations, footings and wall contractor, the Great Recession of 2008-2013 forced the contractor to look at other ways to diversify their business while also trying to weather the economic storm.

This is their story.

As a former builder, Tom Lanahan

was fascinated with aluminum forms and as a builder he knows the concrete foundation is the starting platform for any residence being constructed. The year was 1989, when Tom was approached by a friend who asked him to take a look at his concrete business. At that time, there were no poured concrete foundations in the central Virginia area. Foundations were constructed using concrete blocks.

After examining the business, which also happened to be for sale, Tom realized that as a foundation system, it was the weakest part of the contractors work and he knew he could do better. As such, Tom left his successful career as a builder to become the first poured foundation concrete contractor in central Virginia.

Tom began to learn more about the aluminum forming systems; he thought he could use his years of experience and professional connections to make aluminum forming systems accepted in the area. Tom had a vision.

Pictured here is the Lewis and Clark Exploratory Center in Charlottesville, Virginia. The exposed concrete wall was board formed to appear like it had the texture of a boat.

Photo Credit: Advanced Concrete Foundations, Inc.

According to Tom’s wife, Kay, “Once the builders saw the concrete foundations, they realized it was a superior product compared to a block foundation. Tom was able to convince the builders in our area and he set the stage beautifully for our future.”

It was business as usual for Tom. Over the years, he set out to build a concrete foundation business based on high-quality work at competitive prices. As the business grew so did the need to hire key employees to complete the work. By 1999, Kay joined the business to manage the paperwork – invoicing, accounts payable, payroll, etc.

Keeping the business as a family affair, the Lanahan’s son, Josh officially joined the ranks too. He spent nearly two years at his father’s side, learning how to estimate and bill jobs. He worked in the field

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alongside seasoned laborers. As the company grew, so did Josh’s position. He moved into a sales role and assisted in running the operations.

By 2003, illness forced Tom into retirement. Meanwhile, Kay and Josh stepped forward to continue the vision established by Tom. Business continued to grow until 2008 when in Kay’s words, “the world collapsed.” At that time, Advanced Concrete Foundations Inc. had 130 field employees and were billing approximately $8 million in sales volume.

“After the housing collapse, Josh and I really said, ‘We can no longer say we don’t do anything.’ We changed how we run the business,” Kay explains. “Our answer had to be, ‘Yes, we will do anything in the concrete world.’ We also began to say more and more, if you want it in concrete, we can do it.”

MAKING A TRANSITION According to Josh, like all concrete businesses, it was a struggle at times. The contractor was bidding a large volume of commercial jobs and the pricing of the jobs was askew. At that point too, the contractor transitioned into flatwork.

“We were losing a lot of contracts because we were not a complete contractor,” Josh says. “We only did footings and walls.”

The transition wasn’t easy, but Josh says he tried to find the training opportunities to be successful.

Learning about using the right mix design for atmospheric and jobsite conditions, slab design, reinforcing,

Pictured is Kay and Josh Lanahan, owners of Advanced Concrete Foundations, Inc. Photo Credit: Advanced Concrete Foundations, Inc.

control joints and vapor barriers all became new territory for Josh.

“I underestimated the amount of knowledge that I needed for highend industrial work and high-end residential slabs,” he says.

Kay says one of the first areas of change was how the contractor priced out jobs. For years, the company operated on a unit pricing model but transitioned into a total time and materials pricing model. Visitors to the contractor’s website will find the unit pricing there in order to give prospective customers a sense of what a job may cost. The transition from unit pricing to time and material pricing has had its positive impacts too.

The Lanahan’s started to see more projects being awarded to them. Projects such as the Lewis and Clark Museum which featured board forming as the customer wanted the Pictured here is a project the Lanahan’s worked on in Albemarle County, Virginia. It is curved and sloping walls for a walking garden.

Photo Credit: Advanced Concrete Foundations, Inc.

museum exterior to look like a boat, barrel rooms for local winery’s or a custom sewage tank project for a rock concert venue.

“It’s that kind of thing, when a customer tells us what they want, we say, alright, we’ll do that,” says Kay. “These are opportunities for us to do something different. We’ll learn to do it and that’s the kind of attitude we have with our guys.”

Changing the way they bid projects has been a welcome and profitable change. “What we found was that for small jobs, we couldn’t charge enough to cover the cost of the job. For large jobs, it became too much—it was cost prohibitive. When the recession hit, we did a number of small jobs but continued to lose money. We have to make money on every step that goes out the door.

Changing to time and materials pricing helped turn that around.”

As with most concrete contractors at the time, the recession was not kind. The contractor was faced with reducing labor to 27 employees which allowed the Lanahan’s to keep their foreman employed.

“What we were able to do was keep our talent,” Kay says. “What we found is if you have talented people, we were able to perform the work in a much better fashion. The mistakes on the jobsite went away. These guys have learned, and because we kept

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FOUNDATION / WALLS the talented people and stressed to be the very best in what we do and our crews take pride in what they do.”

While keeping the company’s talent in place has been key to the contractor’s success. Josh says his biggest challenge is making a promising future for somebody on the crew.

Presently, Josh is developing a training manual for the business.

“We’ll still deliver the same product but we’ll do it five placements instead of one,” he explains. “We’ll teach our crews how to set up the jobsite including where the concrete truck should be located on site, where tools should be cleaned and

Here is a barn in Rappahannock County, Virginia. This structure will be faced with rock when completed.

Photo Credit: Advanced Concrete Foundations, Inc.

other aspects that go into performing flatwork. We’re still in the fledgling stages of this program, but as a business, I need to take the time to train the crew and give them the tools they need to be successful.”

INVESTING IN TECHNOLOGY The recovery from the Great Recession has also been helped by the equipment and technology available to contractors today.

The contractor currently owns and operates two Trimble Total Station units. The units have proven to be an invaluable piece of equipment that has made a difference in the work Advanced Concrete Foundations Inc. performs. With three roving foreman on staff, two of them work exclusively with the total station units.

“These foreman meet with the builders and use the units to do all the layout for the builders and they love it,” exclaims Kay. “What my

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14 Concrete Contractor | February/March 2016 | www.forconstructionpros.com/concrete

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husband taught me was that if you don’t have the very best equipment you’re shooting yourself in the foot and its true. Those pieces of equipment have been amazing for us and our builders depend on it.”

In the front office, the Lanahan’s use Sage contractors software to manage job costing and invoicing.

One piece of advice Kay offers to contractors, “Don’t shortchange yourself on software solutions. Job costing is essential. Your customers want reliable numbers and we need to be able to deliver those bids out the door as quickly as possible.

WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD? If you ask Kay what the future looks like, she says it’s a bright and prosperous one. From her viewpoint, the recession offered a valuable lesson for Josh.

“It’s hard to explain to someone who may not have experienced the

This is a farm in Fluvanna County, Virginia. Crews built a retaining wall for the owner’s pool area.

Photo Credit: Advanced Concrete Foundations, Inc.

difficulties of operating a construction business during that time period,” she explains. “You can have large amounts of dollars going through your hands, but that means nothing.

You have to learn to manage the business and keep your hands on all the pieces so whether your business is up or down, there is a plan to handle it.”

The Lanahan’s continue to look at other ways to diversify the business.

They recently purchased a cast stone business and it’s a very different one from the current operation. Kay says she wants to see how the revenue stream works, but feels like it is time to “stretch” a little bit.

While Josh is anxious and ready to take on a greater role in the business, he offers sage advice for other contractors.

“You have to be willing to put in the work,” he says. “Protect your business. Take some chances.

Take on jobs that might make you uncomfortable. Perhaps the biggest and most influential aspect is to have a handle on your numbers. The numbers will tell you what you can and can’t do. If you don’t know what it is costing you in your business, it can lead to disaster. Finally, stay involved. You can’t be an absentee owner and lead by example.”

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COVER STORY

By Joe Nasvik

The Smith House

Rebuilding after Hurricane Sandy THE SMITH HOUSE AT A GLANCE • Sq. Ft. Living Space: 2,500 • Top height of concrete: 32 ft.

• Wood piles: 31 • Concrete columns: 8 • Cubic yards of concrete: 255 • Tons of epoxy coated rebar: 31 • Wall thickness: 14 inches thick: 4 inch interior concrete width, 4 inch insulation board, 6 inch exterior concrete width

O

n October 29, 2012 Hurricane Sandy battered the Jersey Shore area in New Jersey, bringing in four-foot tidal surges that dislodged many homes from their foundations.

Homes slid into the bay, floated onto streets, and most in the area filled with water. Susan and Walter Smith’s 1953 bungalow was located in one of the hardest hit areas and it took them three weeks just to get back to their house to see the damage. Walter said the front door was swollen shut, the contents were destroyed, there was structural

The Smith family decided to build a concrete house to replace the old wood-frame one they lost when Hurricane Sandy destroyed many homes along the Jersey Shore coastline in New Jersey. It became a family project and they all helped in parts of the construction.

Photo Credit: Walter Smith

foundation damage, and the electrical and mechanical systems were beyond fixing—their house, and his mother’s house next door were completely destroyed.

In the months that followed the hurricane the government changed the base flood elevation, meaning that new homes had to be built to new guidelines. Walter and Susan owned an architectural firm called Education Lab Architects, Stamford, Connecticut, and he says it was a good time to be an architect because everyone in the area who wanted to rebuild had to hire an architect to start the process.

The first question the Smith’s asked themselves was “what was the right thing to do?” They loved the beaches and sunrises in the Jersey Shore area and wanted to keep living there. But to continue there meant building a new home that could to be able to withstand future weather events. So they decided to build a concrete house.

ARCHITECTURAL CONCRETE As an architect Walter has always liked concrete as a building material so this construction also provided the opportunity to play with ideas; creating any shapes that could be formed, designing surface textures that included diamond polishing, The top floor of the house is where the master bedroom is located.

Three steel containers were lifted into position to form the bedroom walls. The doors at either end can be opened to view the ocean and allow breezes to flow through.

Photo Credit: Walter Smith

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board-formed imprinting, and sanded finishes. For example, wall-tie holes are normally filled in afterwards with concrete patches but the Smiths created acrylic “light spikes” that fit into the holes, allowing one to see light patterns on the walls—glowing points of light from the outside light during daylight hours and outside glowing patterns from inside light at night.

The decision to have “board-form” wall surfaces—textured wood grained boards placed inside the wall forms as formliners to create wood patterned walls—influenced many decisions about construction methods. At some locations they wanted the boardformed look on both sides of walls.

Wanting concrete to be visible on both sides of walls drove the decision to use the Thermomass wall insulating system which locates ridged foam insulation in the center of walls so that reinforced concrete remains exposed on both sides. For the construction of both walls and floors rough electrical and plumbing were placed inside the concrete for the same reason.

sustainable. Considerable energy is consumed in the production of concrete compared to other building materials but this initial energy becomes minimal when structures have long life spans, compared to materials with lower initial energy requirements that don’t hold up as well. This home, set in a sensitive area, is sustainable.

Also important is energy efficiency

and the Smith’s also wanted to build a home that was energy efficient.

They achieved this by using concrete, because it has thermal mass, air can’t “leak” through it, and by including high R-value insulation in the walls and decks. Also, by including a radiant floor heating system—easy to do with concrete—heat will be more uniform throughout the house.

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www.forconstructionpros.com/concrete | February/March 2016 | Concrete Contractor 17

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COVER STORY CONSTRUCTION Construction in an environmentally challenging area is more difficult and often more expensive. Finding contractors experienced with building concrete housing was difficult too. The Smith’s found Claudio Ripoll, owner of Compass Path HC, Point Pleasant, New Jersey, to manage the construction. Ripoll says he owned a concrete construction company for thirty-two years and liked the challenge of this project. His son Ryan owns JRR Masonry and performed all the concrete work.

Here are some of the challenges faced in the construction of the house.

Foundations. With the water level being only three feet below the surface, building codes in Jersey Shores now require foundation pilings to go down 10 feet below the surface. The Smiths installed 31 wood pilings 25 feet below the concrete grade-beams for the house as added precaution.

The first floor (deck) of the house is nine-feet above ground elevation and is supported by eight one and a half-foot diameter concrete columns supported by the grade beams which rest on the pilings. The insulated, epoxy coated rebar highly reinforced deck, is a primary structural component that ties columns together and gives the house rigidity.

Forming systems. Doka USA, which supplies forming systems for commercial and some residential construction, supplied the forms needed for this project: columns, wall-form panels, and deck forms. Dan Kent, a

technical sales manager for Doka, says they looked at the plans for the house and provided Ripoll with form layout drawings. The wall form panels had plywood faces so that workers could nail picket fence boards to them—after trying out many kinds of wood the team determined that fence boards provided the best board-form texture.

Doka rented the forms for the project by the month Concrete. There were several requirements for the concrete mixes used. Columns and decks required 5,000 psi strength, walls required 4,000 psi, and due to proximity of the ocean 5,000 psi air-entrained concrete was decided upon for exterior slabs.

Mixes were designed to be pump-able too as nearly all concrete was pumped, Ripoll says 32-feet was the highest they pumped. Cole Fischer, territory manager for Clayton Concrete, Lakewood, New Jersey, says they designed 3/8 inch aggregate mixes that could flow around congested reinforcement, small tight spaces, and that could easily fill the board-form textures. Ripoll used a combination of stationary form-mounted vibrators and internal stick vibrators to consolidate the fresh concrete.

The decision to use “boardformed” texture for the walls drove many decisions concerning the construction.

Shown here are deep-grained picket fence boards nailed into conventional wallpanel forms.

Photo Credit: Walter Smith

PROJECT PARTICIPANTS • Owner: Susan and Walter Smith • Architect: Walter Smith, Education Lab Architects, Stamford, Connecticut • Engineer: Blue Sky Design, New York, New York • Construction Manager: CGA Construction, Stamford, Connecticut • Concrete Supervisor: Compass Path HC, Point Pleasant, New Jersey • Concrete Contractor: JRR Masonry, Brick, New Jersey • Formwork: Doka USA, Little Ferry, New Jersey • Ready-mix Supplier: Clayton Concrete, Lakewood, New Jersey • Concrete Polishing: Green Earth Floors, Tuckahoe, New York Clayton Concrete is one of the few ready-mix producers in the U.S. that produces its own admixtures and several were used for this job. They included: • Viscosity modifying admixtures (VMA) to minimize segregation during placement in columns and around the insulation sandwich in the walls.

• Retarding admixtures to increase placement time, especially in cooler weather when concrete was batched with hot water and times of day when traffic delayed transit times • Air entrainment for exterior slabs • Polycarboxylate super plasticizers to increase placing slump • Hycrete corrosion inhibiting and waterproofing admixture to minimize chloride attacks and create

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The house is supported by eight concrete columns supported by a concrete grade beam, supported by wood piles driven 25 feet below that.

The columns support concrete beams which in turn hold the decks in position.

Photo Credit: Walter Smith

a water barrier (not a Clayton Concrete product) A bit unusual for residential construction, concrete mix quality was monitored at the batch facility and on site for air entrainment, water content, and slump design criteria.

Cylinders were taken by Clayton Concrete at the site and tested for strength at seven and 30 days to confirm proper strengths.

FEATURES OF THE HOME The home has three floors; two are concrete and the top floor includes three 20 feet long steel high-cube shipping containers placed side-by-side over an open

part of the floor. The interior steel walls were removed to create a large master bedroom. The steel doors at either end can be opened to allow the ocean breeze to blow through and for the view. An open 650 square foot concrete fenced terrace surrounds the bedroom.

Four concrete beams connect the columns on the first level of the house. Part of this floor is living space and part is a balcony overlooking the back yard. Cast-in-place planters are included in the rear perimeter wall that defines the property.

All the floors in the building are diamond polished concrete floors.

This lends to the sustainable nature of the home, allows better heat transfer for the floor radiant heating system, and provides an easily maintained concrete look.

The Smith’s are pursuing a LEED Platinum qualification for the house.

A hydronic geothermal heating/

cooling and domestic hot water system will extract energy from water circulated through loops of deep ground pipes. Energy requirements will also be minimized by taking advantage of the thermal mass of the concrete—it’s ability to store energy—and the center panel insulating system.

At a time when many people in the U.S. dream of owning huge homes with many more rooms than they need made with wood and drywall, it’s refreshing to hear about homes that are built for the ages, homes that can keep its occupants safe from natural disasters, homes that consume minimum amounts of energy, and homes that embrace creative ideas.

The Smith’s wanted something that looked clean and modern, a house full of creative ideas. From the beginning they said they liked the light, natural simplicity of concrete. Their new home wins on all counts.

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www.forconstructionpros.com/concrete | February/March 2016 | Concrete Contractor 19

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DECORATIVE CONCRETE

By Aaron Szerletich

ANCIENT GREECE Coming

Together in the Carolinas Stone textures originally taken from the pathway leading to and from The Parthenon in Athens, Greece transforms the entry way to the Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation in WinstonSalem, North Carolina.

G

reece and the many Greek islands are among the world’s favorite tourist destinations for their historical beauty and cultural hospitality. Building on the desire for European travel, the innovative line of concrete stamping tools Paladiano Wonders of the World by Bobby Harris were launched in 2008

by Brickform. Natural limestone and other mineral textures were taken from architectural locations in Bulgaria, Cyprus, England, France, Greece and Italy. The imprinting tools where designed with the decorative concrete professional in mind.

Orthodox churches are renowned for their striking and distinctive architecture that immerses the viewer in the imagery of the Orthodox faith.

The Greek Orthodox Church of the

Annunciation in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, is no exception. As host to one of the largest Greek Festivals in the state, they undertake the monumental task of bringing Greece to North Carolina every spring. This sensory experience uses food, drink, music, entertainers, and all the trappings of Greek culture to transport visitors half a world away. When the Hellenic Center was renovated in 2015, it was an imperative to

After the touch up and antiquing process a solvent-based acrylic sealer, Brickform Poly-Seal, was applied.

Photo Credit: Solomon Colors

further contribute to this atmosphere in a meaningful way. The church approached Atlantic Coast Concrete for consultation on their external renovations.

Tom Dombalis, president of Atlantic Coast Concrete, was the person with the right background and skills to achieve this task. His father John, a Greek immigrant, earned his living as general contractor.

Dombalis attended North Carolina State during which time he was an all ACC offensive lineman. After playing professional football in the NFL and

Atlantic Coast Concrete poured a mix with 4,000 psi straight cement and a custom blend of stone aggregate.

Photo Credit: Solomon Colors

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CFL from 1997 to 1999, Dombalis became a contractor. In 2001, he expanded his portfolio to include decorative concrete. By 2004, that portfolio included decorative coatings, as well.

In 2002, Dombalis founded Atlantic Coast Concrete, a contracting firm specializing in decorative concrete and restorations. He was joined by his business partner, Carlo DiFranscesco, in 2005. Over the past decade and a half, Atlantic Coast Concrete has done decorative concrete work on numerous high profile projects including theme parks, aerospace facilities, and universities.

Their portfolio also includes well over twenty historic mill restorations as well as smaller scale residential and commercial properties throughout the region.

Dombalis saw the potential to utilize the Stones of Athens from the Paladiano Wonders of the World line of tools, with its heavy rustic

stone textures originally taken from the pathway leading to and from The Parthenon in Athens, Greece.

Nothing would be more appealing to embrace the historical significance of the Orthodox Church. The section of stamped concrete would be in the entryway to the Hellenic Center, serving as a focal point for community events. Highly visible and

The section of stamped concrete would be in the entryway to the Hellenic Center, serving as a focal point for community events.

Photo Credit: Solomon Colors

exposed to traffic, it would be vital that it be resilient while complimenting the facility’s existing architecture.

In a manner of speaking, it would be necessary to transform this sliver of North Carolina into an enclave of Greek culture.

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DECORATIVE CONCRETE

The slab was stamped using the Brickform Paladiano Stones of Athens. A Gray Antique Release and touch up tools from Brickform were also used.

Photo Credit: Solomon Colors

To start, Atlantic Coast Concrete demolished 800 square feet of existing concrete. Welded wire mesh was placed for crack control and each corner was triple struck with #5 rebar. They poured a mix with 4,000 psi straight cement and a custom blend of stone aggregate. This mix was pigmented with Brickform Slate dry integral color at a dosage rate of one bag per two cubic yards. Brickform Light Gray and Medium Gray Color Hardeners were broadcast over that to provide additional color variation.

The slab was then stamped using the Brickform Paladiano Stones of Athens. A Gray Antique Release and touch up tools from Brickform were also used. Thirtythree days later, after the concrete had cured out, workers returned with angle grinders to clean and hone all of the joints. Additional touch-up antiquing was provided with an application of Brickform Antique-It. After the touch up and antiquing process a solvent-based acrylic sealer, Brickform Poly-Seal, was applied. When the

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Photo Credit: Solomon Colors

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final coat of sealer was applied, but before it had cured, extra fine kiln dried sand was broadcast over the surface. With this combination, the sealer would provide protection from the elements and wear while enhancing color. The broadcast sand created a fine sand texture more reminiscent of the authentic stones in Athens on which the stamps were based.

In the end, Atlantic Coast Concrete achieved the goal. As Mike Vlasis with Vlasis Building Construction, the general contractor on the job, remarked, “ACC did an amazing job as usual in transforming the Hellenic Center and bringing a little bit of Greece back to the United States. The realism of the pattern exceeded the client’s expectation.” Projects such as this illustrate how truly capable concrete is as a material. With skilled applicators and quality materials, concrete can serve as a versatile medium.

As a decorative concrete contractor, Dombalis and Atlantic Coast Concrete have built a strong reputation in

Atlantic Coast Concrete achieved the goal in transforming the Hellenic Center and bringing a little bit of Greece back to the United States.

Photo Credit: Solomon Colors

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www.forconstructionpros.com/concrete | February/March 2016 | Concrete Contractor 25

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CONCRETE REPAIR

By Tom Lundgren

Deck Coating System Produces Tough New Surface for

HELIPAD

A hybrid concrete repair system makes landing pads easily visible to helicopter pilots.

T

he University of Utah Hospital’s emergency room has provided an adult Level I Trauma Center since 2001; its Burn Center, the only one in the Intermountain West, serves the largest geographical area in the country. Attending to such a large population frequently requires the services of medical air transport.

AirMed was established in 1972 as the eighth air medical transport program in the nation. Using the most state-of-the-art equipment available, the company flies trauma, burn, medical, pediatric, neonate, balloon pump, and high-risk OB patients 24 hours a day. AirMed routinely transports patients from Colorado, Wyoming, Nevada, Montana, Idaho and Utah to its main base at the University of Utah Hospital in Salt Lake City.

PRODUCT INFORMATION: Project Category: Institutional – Hospital Project Owner: University of Utah Installer Company: Creative Concrete Solutions, Murray, Utah Project Size: 26,000 sq. ft.

Helicopter landing on the new helipad at University of Utah Hospital.

Photo Credit: Tom Lundgren

The circular landing zone on the helipad on the roof of the parking garage next to the Emergency Room.

Photo Credit: Tom Lundgren

In 2007, a new helipad was built on top of a parking garage on the grounds just east of the emergency room. The helipad is large enough for three helicopters to land at the same time. Since its construction, the helipad has been in constant use and the top floor of the four-story parking garage has been subject to the heavy, abrasive effect of the landing struts of the helicopters. Every time a helicopter lands and takes off, the traction cleats of the landing struts abrade the surface. Over time, the old, existing membrane covering the helipad surface has worn through down to base concrete in the landing zones. This situation was allowing water and carbon dioxide to come into direct contact with the structural slab of the upper deck of the parking garage, creating

the potential for corrosion cells to develop throughout the deck.

INSTALLING THE HYBRID SYSTEM To provide long-term performance and eliminate ongoing maintenance costs for the University, MAPEI representative Tom Lundgren presented project manager Joe Cronin and officials of the hospital with a comprehensive specification for the installation of a hybrid system from MAPEI – Mapefloor PU 400 as a flexible basecoat over Primer SN, followed by a two-coat, colored-quartz seeded system of Planiseal Traffic Coat epoxy overlay. This heavy-duty system was installed in the three discrete landing zones. The non-landing areas of the helipad deck received

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the standard Mapefloor PU 400 basecoat topped with a single coat of quartz (silica)-seeded Mapefloor Finish 450 topcoat.

Because the landing zone “targets” had to stand out clearly for pilots landing under all kinds of weather conditions, red-colored quartz was used to seed Planiseal Traffic Coat within the large landing zone circles, while white-colored quartz was used to create the white landing target “T”s as well as each of the helipad designation numbers. The Estes Company supplied the angular, red and white quartz that provided clear visual definition of the landing targets, symbols and numbers. A “lock coat” of Planiseal HG epoxy sealer was squeegeed over the red and white quartz to ensure that all aggregate was tightly bonded to the substrate and to ensure that no free grains would be ingested into the turbine of the helicopter jet engines.

The total area of the hybrid system

(Mapefloor PU 400 and Planiseal Traffic Coat) was around 6,000 square feet.

The remaining square footage of the deck – about 20,000 square feet – received Mapefloor PU 400 along with Mapefloor Finish 450 (an aliphatic topcoat to protect against the constant high UV exposure on the top deck of the parking garage. About 6,000 square feet of Planiseal HG was applied as a lock coat over Planiseal Traffic Coat in the landing zones.

The project was completed by contractor Matt Gladheart of Creative Concrete Solutions within the narrow time frame specified by the University of Utah Hospital. The lines and numbers defining each of the landing pads are crisp and clear, and easily visible to the pilots from a distance as they come in to land on the deck. The Mapefloor/ Planiseal Traffic Coat hybrid system

Close-up of the delamination that had occurred on the helipad surface, necessitating the rehabilitation.

Photo Credit: Tom Lundgren

is demonstrating its ability to resist the concentrated abrasion of the landing struts, as well as provide waterproofing and corrosion protection of the structure. Hospital officials are extremely happy with the results.

Ed. Note: Tom Lundgren is the Business Development Leader – Concrete Restoration Systems at MAPEI, www.mapei.com.

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FOUNDATION Q&A

By James R. Baty II

Chloride and Fluoride, You Get It Whether You Need It or Not

The Concrete Foundations Association explains the complex issue of maximum chloride levels permitted in residential concrete and the efforts undertaken by professional concrete contractors and producers to ensure the quality concrete in the marketplace.

Q

Recently, one of our builder client’s home owners requested that no chloride be added to the concrete for the winter walls. Our state design code required vertical structural steel reinforcement for the foundation condition and there was no specification in the contract documents preventing the use of a chloride-based admixture. However, as requested, we did not use any CaCl2 on this project, although we do frequently in the months dominated by sub-freezing temperatures. The ready mix producer has also verified that no CaCl2 was added at the plant or the jobsite by their employees. Despite our assurances, the home owner privately contracted for the wall to be tested by a laboratory.

This test came back conclusive of chloride ions in the wall, prompting them to stop the builder from continuing until this gets resolved. We need to know what the restrictions are as well as the possible

sources for this issue to advise the builder, satisfy the home owner and continue this work – Foundation Contractor (Ohio).

A

NSWER The problem created here is due to the overabundance of information

regarding the effects of chloride on steel reinforcement and the numerous resources that one might turn to for advice. The home owner, while savvy enough to check on this information and place a request on the project to protect any sort of problem that might occur, did not do enough work to ensure an understanding of the code requirements and the physical reality of this condition. Let’s take a look at some of the key issues and factors.

Both ACI 318 and ACI 332 address the durability of the concrete related to chloride with a process of assigning an exposure category and placing limits on the maximum chloride content based on the particular

category. At the time this inquiry is being fielded, the two codes match in their limits and their direction.

First, an exposure category must be selected. Using ACI 332, since this is a residential foundation application, the relevant portion of Table 5.2.1 provides:

Table 5.2.1—Exposure categories and classes The exposure categories are intended for the application of consideration for concrete members with reinforcing steel intended for the resistance of loads, in other words, structurally-reinforced concrete. Were these walls to be designed and built as plain, structural or walls without vertical steel or vertical steel used only to space horizontal bars, they would automatically be given a category selection of RC0.

However, as described in this particular project application, the walls did contain vertical steel so further consideration of the exposure category and

28 Concrete Contractor | February/March 2016 | www.forconstructionpros.com/concrete

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possible chloride limits is valid.

Vertical concrete foundation walls (for basements) are of a unique exposure to consider. It is most likely not appropriate to assign a category exposure of RC2 since they are vertical and therefore do not have deicing salts or other direct contacts with external sources of chloride. The assessment of RC0 or RC1 becomes the primary focus. The interior is considered dry and protected assuming the basement is living space and not a crawl space wall or carrying any other odd exposure. The exterior of concrete foundations are sometimes left unprotected, sometimes coated with a bituminous damp-proofing and when required or desired finished with a true waterproofing membrane. If the waterproofing membrane is provided, it is installed from the vertical footing surface (below the wall) to the top of the wall.

Additionally, since the IRC requires foundations to be insulated, they are

further protected in many cases with exterior insulation.

A strong case can be made for these walls to be protected from moisture or dry in service, therefore RC0. Validation for this position exists earlier in Table 5.2.1 for the consideration of the exposure category RF—freeze/thaw cycling.

The code commentary for this section in ACI 332 states: Basement and foundation walls that extend above grade less than 12 in. are unlikely to be saturated and could generally be assigned Exposure Class RF0.

Later in this same commentary section it describes the RF2 exposure being assigned to horizontal concrete where excessive accumulation of snow and ice may exist. This equates to the exposure to both saturation conditions from the pooling of water as well as the repeated

The service condition of a concrete element is of specific importance.

Concrete that is coated by a qualified waterproofing coating from the top of the footing to above the exposure line can make a good argument for being considered as dry in-service.

Photo Credit: Concrete Foundations Association

freezing and the exposure to de-icing chemicals bumps the exposure category higher to RF3. Therefore, the vertical orientation itself lowers the exposure to saturation and high-levels of moisture and the incorporation of waterproofing provides further support for the protected

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FOUNDATION Q&A condition as RC0. Anything less than a waterproofing membrane would have to be automatically considered RC1 since it cannot be presumed that moisture will never be present against the concrete surface.

Each exposure category level has a maximum chloride ion content specification. This means that within the concrete, whether the chloride is added to the concrete mix or naturally-occurring, the total amount or number of chloride ions in the concrete cannot be greater than the code provided maximum.

Here is a major detail affecting this issue between the contractor and the owner. When the laboratory returns a test documenting the presence of chlorides in the concrete, the home owner’s response is automatically to assume it was the fault of the contractor ignoring the request.

However, naturally-occurring or embodied chlorides are common and

must be accounted for, especially when using calcium chloride as an admixture. The level of natural chloride ions must also be accepted and this is why the two codes acknowledge a minor maximum level even in highly-exposed categories of concrete. Chloride ions are present in most aggregates and sands and as we know, present in the potable sources of water, even our drinking water. Therefore, if the most common form of chloride to be added, calcium chloride is desired for an accelerator, the amount added to the mixture cannot push the total levels above the number selected based on the exposure category.

In the case of RC0 or RC1, the maximum allowable chloride ion content in either ACI 332 or ACI 318 is 1.00 and 0.30, respectively. What this means is that for the total weight of cement in the mix, the amount of total chloride ions cannot exceed

a ratio of either 1.00 or 0.30. The total means that both water soluble (added) and naturally-occurring must be considered. This is also a departure in the understanding of tested limits as the measured level is often expressed in terms of a percentage of the weight (mass) of total concrete rather than the specified reference to weight (mass) of cement, roughly a difference of a factor of ten.

The final major factor to be considered in this issue is the nature of testing for the chloride ion content.

Most laboratories will conduct tests based on acid-soluble content. While this is perhaps the easiest and most accurate test for them to conduct, it is not aligned properly with the building code requirements. Both ACI 332 and ACI 318 set requirements based on total amount of water-soluble chloride ion content, which determines the amount of free chlorides present. Free chlorides are those that will actively

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30 Concrete Contractor | February/March 2016 | www.forconstructionpros.com/concrete

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induce corrosion when presented with exposure to moisture. The acid-soluble testing normally results in a higher concentration levels than water soluble as it returns much of the embodied chloride as well, those that will not contribute to corrosive influence. Therefore, the acid soluble test that returns a limit exceeding the maximum defined by the code should be followed by a water soluble test if there is concern that the levels are prohibitive of acceptance based on analysis of the additional conditions discussed earlier.

FINAL THOUGHTS When challenged on the basis of chloride ion content affecting steel reinforcement, it is important to know the presence of chloride ions is a natural part of concrete and should be expected as well as being manageable. While concrete foundation walls are certainly not bridge decks, a rational approach to determining

the allowable level of content should include the factors affecting exposure, protection systems if present, natural content embodied in the mix elements and the nature of the steel reinforcement. From there, the professional construction team of contractor and ready mix producer can plan for the appropriate solution and quality installation.

Ed. Note: In 2014, the issue of proper calcium chloride (CaCl2) use was discussed in this column, “Calcium Chloride: Friend or Foe?� (http://tinyurl.com/jf9uu77) demonstrating the methods contractors use and the decisions on when the admixture should be used to provide acceleration to the concrete maturity.

For more information on the technical issues of concrete for foundation walls and other features of foundations, visit the Toolbox at the Concrete Foundations Association website, www.cfawalls.org.

REFERENCES: 1. Residential Code Requirements for Structural Concrete (ACI 332-14) and Commentary published by the American Concrete Institute, www. concrete.org 2. Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete and Commentary published by the American Concrete Institute, www.concrete.org

Jim Baty is the Executive Director for the Concrete Foundations Association, 866-2329255 or by email at jbaty@cfawalls.org.

www.forconstructionpros.com/concrete | February/March 2016 | Concrete Contractor 31

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By Ryan Olson

Great Expectations

Managing the expectations of the owner/architect will ensure success for all parties involved.

I

n 2012 Jim Cuviello, owner of Cuviello Concrete (Stevensville, Md.) was asked to do an AIA presentation for an architect designing an elementary school and an owner who wanted to use polished concrete. Several weeks following the presentation Cuviello was asked to review the proposed plan, cast-inplace and polishing specification.

Through the design process the architect looked at the finished polished concrete floor in its entirety including the production of the substrate to be polished (the finished slab), the polishing process, protection from construction through maintenance training.

The project went out to bid in 2013 and Cuviello Concrete was awarded the work.

CHALLENGES The construction manager put the polishing work into the division three package. This was done in an attempt to keep everyone from pointing fingers for failures, it holds one company responsible. In theory this should work. The reality is the division three contractor didn’t understand polishing and by the time the polishing work was performed they had completed their work and were focused on other jobs.

Respecting the chain of communication is preferred, but a concrete polisher then has to convey information to the cast-in-place contractor

who doesn’t understand which in turn, has to now be explained to the construction manager.

The cast-in-place contractor is also focused on other work and the polishing portion does not get the proper attention it needs from the division three contractor.

Communication when doing polished concrete projects is critical and communicating through another sub-contractor causes communication break down and problems.

Shortly after receiving the job, the first of several meetings were held to get all parties involved in the project to understand what responsibilities they had to ensure its success. The construction manager had to better understand the process overall. The cast-in-place contractor had to understand the finishing requirements. The architect and owner had to understand the limitations and what to expect from the processes.

Although the specifications were well written in terms of the process, the construction manager did not understand the time requirements for the polishing process. The cast-in-place contractor did not fully understand the time it was going to take to achieve

The design was a mix of one color of integrally colored concrete with sand aggregate cuts surrounded by a different integral color with course aggregate cut accents.

Photo Credit: Cuviello Concrete the level of detail required for polishing. And the owners expectations were based on pictures. (No one shows pictures of bad work.)

The design was a mix of one color of integrally colored concrete with sand aggregate cuts surrounded by a different integral color with course aggregate cut accents. This presented challenges for the division three and polishing contractor. The division three contractor had to place the course aggregate accents higher than the areas being cut to a sand aggregate. This meant the course cut accents and sand aggregate cuts had to be placed and finished independently.

The polishing contractor then had to cut the accents level with the sand aggregate cut area. Mating two different degrees of cuts next to one another requires a lot of hand work so the two cuts remain and look independent of one another.

32 Concrete Contractor | February/March 2016 | www.forconstructionpros.com/concrete

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THE MOCK-UP PHASE The time came to produce the mock-up which was to become part of the finished work. The mock-up was done in a back of the house corridor.

Although the architect knew polished concrete is not manufactured in a factory setting where everything is controlled, the construction manager did not. When the mock-up was done several meetings and phone calls were required to explain that perfection is not what polished concrete is, even though this was explained several times in previous meetings. The construction manager did not think the architect was going to accept the product.

The construction manager was convinced to bring in the architect who looked at it and said “that’s great.”

A mock-up is one of the many steps in not only managing expectations of the owner/architect but also the general contractor or construction manager. As the sub-contractor, Cuviello will tell all the project participants what it is and the purpose it serves.

“The mock-up is used by the architect as a reference and general guide as to the appearance of the finished product,” Cuviello says. “It is also used to show the depth of cut, the aggregate exposure, clarity of the cut surface, color, natural variations and quality of workmanship.”

While valuable to the process, understanding the role a mock-up plays in a project is key to managing expectations.

“We say this because no two concrete pours are the same and will/may have differences,” he says. “Mock-ups can also be dangerous because it is easy to make small areas better than what an overall area may lend its self to because of the nature of finishing concrete.”

PRE-CONSTRUCTION MEETING Cuviello says pre-construction meetings usually happen later than they should.

“The polished concrete portion of the project should be awarded to a contractor at the same time as the castin-place portion,” he explains. “A first meeting should happen early in construction and a second meeting before the pour.”

The first meeting is to allow the general contractor to understand how the polishing is coordinated in the schedule and time for the cast-in-place contractor to digest the information and make changes as needed.

The second meeting is a review and to tighten up information. Both meetings should be attended by the architect and owner so their expectations can start to be managed.

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Not managing the expectations of the owner/ architect will ensure a contractor is set up for failure.

“If the owner/architect doesn’t understand what can and cannot be done within the time constraints and associated costs, the expectation is perfect,” he says. “But there’s more. Not just managing expectations once, but throughout the project and documenting how, when and what these expectations are is the difference between success and failure.”

Cuviello says if polished concrete contractors want to ensure success, site visits, photos of the ugly, site visits while the polishing process is taking place and making sure there is an understanding of the process will go a long way to success. Always remember to document the visits and remind the customer about what they are expecting to see.

Now bring in the principal. Throughout the project Cuviello managed every ones expectations including the “owner”. The owner in this case should have been considered the principal not the construction manager. The construction manager’s expectations were managed, he understood what polished concrete was and what to expect. The principal running the school, walked in thinking they were getting a product consistent like manufactured VCT. In the end because their expectations were not managed what could have been a cheerleader for polished concrete turned them into someone who is against polished concrete.

34 Concrete Contractor | February/March 2016 | www.forconstructionpros.com/concrete

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CHALLENGING THE SYSTEM

Polished Concrete Differing results for slabs-on-ground and suspended slabs.

O

wners and architects choose polished concrete as an alternative to floor coverings for a variety of reasons. But the finished result can disappoint them, especially when polishing is specified for an elevated slab.

Differences in the behavior between slabs-on-ground and suspended slabs often result in the polished floor appearance varying from a cream surface (little fine aggregate visible) to fine aggregate (salt-and-pepper) or coarse aggregate (medium to high exposure). Also, any cracks in the surface of suspended slabs will be visible. And surface porosity will vary when lightweightaggregate concrete is polished.

ASCC’s newly established Finishing Subcommittee and its Decorative Concrete Council (DCC), in conjunction with the Minnesota Concrete Council and the Concrete Polishing Association of America (CPAA) will be addressing these issues at ASCC’s Annual Convention in Minneapolis in September.

SLABS-ON-GROUND

Compressive strength: The recommended 28-day compressive strengths are typically 3,500 to 4,500 psi. Higher concrete strengths or polishing at later ages increases the polishing costs as more aggressive surface preparation methods are required.1 To avoid the higher

strengths, placement of concrete for polished slabs-on-ground is often scheduled near project completion.

This also minimizes the protection needed to prevent other trades from damaging the concrete surface before and after polishing.

Normal weight vs. lightweight concrete: Normal weight concrete is used for slabs-on-ground.

Flatness and levelness: The CPAA recommends a specified overall FF 50/FL 30 and a minimum local value of FF 35/ FL 20 measured at eight hours after completion of final troweling. 2 Some polishers believe that an FF this high is not necessary, but also believe that the FL may need to be a bit higher. They recommend an overall FF/FL of 40 or higher.3,4 While these flatness and levelness values are readily achievable on slabs-on-ground, they are unlikely to be what the polishing contractor encounters when he arrives on the project.

Cracking and curling: The CPAA recommends using contraction joints to “minimize slab curling and cracking” by spacing joints for four-, six- and eight-in. thick slabs at 10, 12 and 15 feet, respectively, on center each way. Contraction joints are the most common method of controlling cracking and curling of slabs to be polished. The recommended CPAA joint spacings are typically closer than what most specifiers choose for non-polished floors.

Curling that occurs as the concrete shrinks and dries will lower the

When slabs on ground are polished, non-uniform exposure of aggregate is a result of high spots cause by slab curling. Deflection of many suspended slabs exceeds the upward movement at curled slabs, so polishing may result in even larger areas that exhibit such non-uniform aggregate exposure.

Photo Credit: Pete Wagner - Retroplate

F-numbers. Greater magnitudes of curling deflection result in lower FF values.

Mock-ups: A slab-on-ground mock-up is easy to duplicate but must include the specified concrete mix, flatness and levelness, contraction joints and also consider the timing—age of the concrete before it’s polished.

SUSPENDED SLABS

Compressive strength: The specified compressive strength varies significantly for suspended slabs, depending on the structure. Specified strength of concrete placed metal decks supported by steel beams is likely to be close to that for slabs-on-ground. However, the concrete compressive strength for formed and shored post-tensioned or conventionally reinforced concrete suspended slabs is driven by a schedule of two to three days for post-tensioning or form removal.

The concrete compressive strength at this early age is often comparable to that of slab-on-ground at 28 days (3,500 to 4,500 psi). Polishing of suspended slabs usually takes place much longer after the concrete was placed, which increases concrete

36 Concrete Contractor | February/March 2016 | www.forconstructionpros.com/concrete

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strength due to extended curing. The polishing contractor could be dealing with concrete as strong as 6,000 to 8,000 psi. Higher concrete compressive strengths for suspended slabs, similar to those for an older existing slab that is being refurbished, result in higher polishing costs.

Normal weight vs. lightweight concrete: Normal weight concrete is typically used for post-tensioned and conventionally reinforced formed and shored structures. But lightweight concrete is more likely to be used on metal decks supported by unshored steel beams. The difference in density and surface hardness affects the depth of grinding and final polished appearance. What is achievable on normal-weight concrete may not be achievable on lightweight concrete and vice versa.

Flatness and levelness: Required flatness and levelness values also vary significantly for

suspended slabs depending on the structure. Flatness and levelness values for concrete used on metal decks supported by unshored steel beams is likely to be closer to an overall FF 25/FL 15. Flatness and levelness values for formed and shored post-tensioned or reinforced concrete suspended slabs, however, could be as high as those for slabson-ground (FF 50/FL 35). It is often difficult to get a levelness number of, say FL 30, due to the elevation tolerances for slab and beam soffit forms. And some flatness requirements for suspended slabs border on the ridiculous. We recently saw a straightedge specification for suspended-slab concrete slabs that were to be polished. It required “from edge of pour to edge of pour and between different pours, finish and measure surface so gap at any point between concrete surface and an unleveled, freestanding,

10-foot-long straightedge resting on two high spots and placed anywhere on the surface does not exceed 1/16 inch.” This would require a floor flatness equivalent to about FF 100!

F-numbers on suspended slabs are to be measured within 72 hours and prior to removing any shoring.

Also, levelness tolerances do not apply to unshored slabs-on-metaldeck construction. The higher cost of producing high- F-number floors at an age of 72 hours doesn’t make much sense anyway. Deflection will significantly reduce these values and thus any money spent achieving higher F-numbers will not be a direct benefit to the polishing contractor.

Cracking and deflection: The range of crack widths in suspended slabs depends on the type of structure. Because contraction joints are not used in these slabs, crack width— not crack location—is controlled by reinforcement. Reinforcing bars

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CHALLENGING THE SYSTEM or post-tensioning will keep cracks tight in suspended slabs. Because of differences in the type of reinforcement used, crack widths in concrete on metal decks vary. Some designers favor small-gauge welded wire reinforcement (WWR). It’s also difficult to keep WWR in the proper location near the slab surface. These both result in larger crack widths, because of high

concrete tensile stresses above beams that frame to columns. Other designers use reinforcing bars above the beams, macro-synthetic or steel fibers, or both, to control crack widths.

Crack locations are not controlled in suspended slabs and the irregular pattern of cracks affects aesthetics of the polished concrete.

Deflection of suspended slabs

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lowers flatness F-numbers similar to the way curling on slabs-on-ground affects flatness. The table on page 39 shows the effect of deflection on floor flatness which is considered more important than floor levelness for polished concrete.5 No matter what initial floor flatness is achieved, or paid for, most concrete on metal deck/steel beams will be at a floor flatness of 20 once it deflects. There are special construction provisions in which extra concrete and shoring can be used to compensate for the decrease in flatness due to deflection but this will increase the cost to the owner. For a shored moderately stiff reinforced concrete structure, the initial floor flatness will decrease by about 25 to 50 percent once it deflects.

In addition, flexible structures such as concrete on metal decks provide significant high spots (over the beams framing to columns) and low spots (middle of the bay) that might be problematic for the polishing contractor. This often results in significant differences in the depth of grinding and thus the final polished appearance at different locations.

Mock-ups: Unfortunately, mockups for suspended slabs are typically placed on the ground, and thus do not duplicate the flatness and levelness, random cracking, variable crack widths, and deflection issues associated with suspended slabs.

The best location for this mock-up is on the suspended slab. Otherwise, what is achieved on the ground might not be achieved in the air.

EXPLAIN THE DIFFERENCES TO OWNERS AND ARCHITECTS Most of the specification requirements for polished concrete are based on experience with slabson-ground. This article illustrates the many differences between slabson-ground and suspended slabs and the effects of these differences on the final product. So concrete and polishing contractors need

38 Concrete Contractor | February/March 2016 | www.forconstructionpros.com/concrete

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EFFECT OF DEFLECTION ON FLOOR FLATNESS FOR A 30 FT. BAY (REFERENCE 5) Deflection ratio

Deflection, in

FF

FF

FF

FF

Initial FF

0.000

51

40

30

25

L/960

0.375

39

34

28

24

Moderately stiff reinforced concrete structure

L/480

0.750

25

23

21

19

Concrete on metal deck/ steel beams

L/360

1.000

20

19

19

16

Structure Type Post-tensioned or stiff reinforced concrete structure

to explain these differences to architects, engineers, and owners with regard to appearance and cracking.

REFERENCES: 1. Bob Harris, “Specifying Polished Concrete Floors”, Concrete International, September 2009, pp.

39-42.

2. “CPAA Recommendations for the Design, Specification, and Placement of Concrete Floor Slabs”, Concrete Polishing Association of America.

3. Rebecca Wasieleski, “How to Achieve Success on Exposed Aggregate Polished Concrete Floors”, Concrete Contractor, August 2012.

4. Bob Harris, “The Proper Techniques for Polished Concrete Floors”, Concrete Contractor, February 2006.

5. Bruce A. Suprenant and Ward R. Malisch, “Tolerances for Cast-inPlace Concrete Buildings: A Guide for Specifiers, Contractors and Inspectors,” American Society of Concrete Contractors, 2009.

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Ward R. Malisch, PE, PhD, FACI is concrete construction specialist for the American Society of Concrete Contractors. Reach him at wmalisch@ascconline.org.

Bruce A. Suprenant, PE, PhD, FACI, is technical director for the American Society of Concrete Contractors. Reach him at bsuprenant@bsuprenant. com.

The table shows the effect of deflection on floor flatness which is considered more important than floor levelness for polished concrete.

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by Diamond Tooling Efficiency A plant renovation which included a honed and dyed concrete finish is complicated by embedded grease, the removal of a thick coating and 200-plus bolts sticking up out of the floor.

W

hen it comes to grinding and polishing concrete floors, there are many variables that affect quality of the floor finish and how fast you can finish the job but it all starts with selecting the right tools for the specific project, and your diamond tooling efficiency determines your bottom line.

The initial cut is always the most time consuming, especially when you have to remove thick coatings. In some cases contractors can start with metal bond tools but thick coatings often require a more aggressive step like PCD tools, i.e. tools with one or two poly-crystalline diamond segments, with or without sacrificial bars or a metal button. This is what Robles Concrete Services, a flooring contractor from Georgia, used to remove the thick coating on their most recent project for Resilux America, a

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PET-plastics manufacturer with headquarters in Pendergrass, Ga. Resilux chose a honed and dyed concrete finish as part of their plant renovations. They contracted Robles Concrete Services and the first plant renovation has just been completed.

The 44,000 square foot building was previously owned by a construction equipment company, and there was a lot of grease embedded in the concrete, plus some 13,000-square feet of flooring had a 5mm thick coating to be removed. A real pain throughout the entire project were the 200plus bolts sticking out on the floor, where shelving used to be, and damaging tools if not properly hammered or ground down one by one.

Robles Concrete used LAVINA grinders – LAVINA 32-inch, LAVINA 30 Robles Concrete Services, a flooring contractor from Georgia, used PCD tools to remove the thick coating on the floor.

Photo Credit: Superabrasive

Photo 1: The contractor started with Superabrasive’s HD Copper discs, which cut the concrete really fast without leaving deep scratches.

Photo 2: Throughout the entire project there were the 200-plus bolts sticking out on the floor.

Photo 3: The contractor applied Prosoco’s densifier and Gem tone dye.

Photo Credit: Superabrasive

inch (propane) and LAVINA 25-inch.

The first step was with PCD diamond tooling from Superabrasive. The tools worked aggressively but left deep scratches, so Robles Concrete had to continue grinding with a 14 grit metal bond diamonds. Superabrasive’s QuickChange tools are offered in separate bonds for hard (red), super hard (gold and white), medium (grey) and soft (yellow) concrete.

For the tooling optimal efficiency, it is important to check the floor

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hardness before selecting a bond.

Robles Concrete used the Red tools for hard concrete made of soft bond to cut fast. They grinded the floor with 30, 50 and 120 grit, and switched to Superabrasive’s Calibra ceramic discs, 100 grit (3-inch Velcro backed). Calibra are ideal for removing scratches after metal steps, and they did a great job refining the scratch pattern.

The sections of the floor where no coating had to be removed, were processed much faster – Robles Concrete started with Superabrasive’s HD Copper discs, which cut the concrete really fast without leaving deep scratches. The copper discs have to be used wet, and an auto scrubber was cleaning diligently after each pass. Next steps were 200 and 400 grit HD resin pads (dry), after which they put down Prosoco’s densifier and Gem tone dye.

Robles Concrete ran one final step with LAVINA 36-inch propane burnisher (LB36G-S) and ShinePro Buff pads. ShinePro Buff is a 3,000 grit diamond pad designed for micro polishing and mechanically cleaning sealed and non-sealed floors, and is part of Superabrasive’s ShinePro line of diamond screens and pads for floor restoration and maintenance. It improves the floor shine without removing the sealer or causing orange peel effect.

The next plant renovation for Resilux is starting in the second quarter of 2016 and includes the same floor finish as the first plant.

The floor was finished using ShinePro Buff, a 3,000 grit diamond pad designed for micro polishing and mechanically cleaning sealed and non-sealed floors.

Photo Credit: Superabrasive

PCD tools, i.e. tools with one or two poly-crystalline diamond segments, with or without sacrificial bars or a metal button.

Photo Credit: Superabrasive

Fortunately, there are no more coatings to be removed and Robles Concrete expects a faster project turnaround time.

Ed. Note: This article was supplied by Superabrasive Inc., manufacturer

of LAVINA equipment and diamond tooling – info@superabrasive.us; www.superabrasive.us.

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www.forconstructionpros.com/concrete | February/March 2016 | Concrete Contractor 41

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THE LAST PLACEMENT: BACK TO BASICS

By Randy Stevens

Tips for Boosting Concrete Dowel Drilling

efficiency

Efficient concrete drilling maximizes jobsite productivity.

But choosing the right concrete dowel pin drill, and getting the most out of it, can be difficult.

• First things first: Know the scope of the project. How many holes do you need to drill, and how many holes need to be drilled daily? Desired production rates can help you determine whether you need a single drill model or a multi-gang model.

• Know the type of drilling project. Different models (on-grade models, slab-rider models, equipment-mounted models) are better suited for different projects, such as a lane addition, airport runway, or a full-depth repair job.

• Have the right drill bits. The size and length of the dowels will determine what diameter and how deep of holes that will be drilled. Estimating the bit life can help determine how many drill bits to have on hand.

• Use a compressor with enough capacity to run the drill. The general rule of thumb is 100 cfm of air per drill (i.e. 100 cfm for a single drill, 200 cfm for a 2-gang, etc.). If the compressor

is too small, you will run the risk of slowing the drills down and losing production, or not being able to drill the holes at all.

• Choose the right size of hose from the compressor to the drill. A standard 3/4” diameter hose is large enough for a single drill model, but larger hoses are needed for multi-gang drills.

Check the drill specifications for size required for your drill.

Using a hose that is too small can drastically slow the drills down and lose production.

• Stick to a preventative maintenance schedule to keep the drill in good condition. Far too often, concrete dowel drill maintenance doesn’t cross a contractor’s mind until a breakdown occurs.

But if you are proactive and do regular checkups, you can avoid

costly and time-consuming breakdowns.

• Follow proper safety procedures to avoid downtime and costly worker compensation claims. Check out E-Z Drill’s concrete drilling safety blog for tips. (http://www.ezdrill.com/4-tips-forconcrete-dowel-drilling-safety/) • Properly store the drill if it’s not going to be used for a while to ensure a quick start the next time you need it. This includes flushing the drill motors with any type of lubricating substance the will prevent from forming, and removing excess concrete dust from the machine by blowing it off with compressed air, or pressure washing.

Ed. Note: Randy Stevens is

the Vice-President of Sales and Marketing at E-Z Drill.

42 Concrete Contractor | February/March 2016 | www.forconstructionpros.com/concrete

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