Concrete Contractor August/September 2014

The Differences Between Dyes, Stains and Pigments

Page 28

F L IP F O R

G POLISHINTOR C O N T R AC

August/September 2014

+

Cold Weather Slab Testing Page 36

Pouring Concrete in

PANAMA

The Panama Canal expansion project includes a third set of locks and water basins designed to recycle water from the canal.

Mass Concrete Thermal Control Is the Key to Success Page 42

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Contents August/September | Issue 5, Volume 14

Cover Story

Published by AC Business Media Inc.

14 The Construction PO Box 803, 1233 Janesville Ave., Fort Atkinson, WI 53538-0803 (800) 547-7377 • www.ACBusinessMedia.com

www.ForConstructionPros.com/Concrete

PUBLICATION STAFF

Nancy Terrill , ext. 1387 nterrill@ACBusinessMedia.com Ryan Olson, (847) 454-2719 rolson@ACBusinessMedia.com Kim Basham, Jim Baty, Brad Humphrey, David C. Whitlock, Joe Nasvik Media Production Representative Cindy Rusch Art Director April Van Etten Sr. Audience Development Manager Wendy Chady Audience Development Manager Tammy Steller Publisher

Editor

Contributing Writers

of the Third Set of Locks Poses Challenges in Panama

At 100 years old, contractors are discovering that pouring concrete in Panama is not without its own set of challenges.

18

ADVERTISING SALES

Jill Draeger Eric Servais Barb Levin

Erica Finger Amy Schwandt Sean Dunphy Denise Singsime National Automotive Sales

ext. 1617, jdraeger@ACBusinessMedia.com ext. 1713, eservais@ACBusinessMedia.com blevin@ACBusinessMedia.com (800) 538-5544 ext. 1324, efinger@ACBusinessMedia.com ext. 1667, aschwandt@ACBusinessMedia.com ext. 1504, sdunphy@ACBusinessMedia.com ext. 1381, dsingsime@ACBusinessMedia.com Tom Lutzke tlutzke@ACBusinessMedia.com (630) 484-8040

FORCONSTRUCTIONPROS.COM

Digital Sales Consultant Norine Conroy, ext. 1330 nconroy@ACBusinessMedia.com Digital Operations Manager Nick Raether, ext. 1303

nraether@ACBusinessMedia.com Editor Larry Stewart, ext. 1653

lstewart@ACBusinessMedia.com Managing Editor Kimberly Hegeman, ext. 1374

khegeman@ACBusinessMedia.com

Features 22 Company Overcomes Adversity Through Diversification

Breaking into the agricultural sector of the concrete industry provided Solid Foundations a chance to grow and overcome a tragic loss.

Between Dyes, Stains and Pigments

When it comes to imparting color on a concrete surface, understanding the product options is critical to achieve the finished look your customer desires.

CHANGE OF ADDRESS & SUBSCRIPTIONS

PO Box 3257, Northbrook, IL 60065-3257, Phone: (847) 559-7598 Fax: (800) 543-5055 • circ.ConcreteContractor@omeda.com REPRINTS Nick Iademarco at Wright’s Media (877) 652-5295 ext. 102 niademarco@wrightsmedia.com.

Departments 4 Editor’s Letter 10 Challenging the System

By Ward Malisch and Bruce Suprenant

LIST RENTAL Elizabeth Jackson, Account Executive, Merit Direct LLC, Phone: (847) 492-1350 ext. 18 Fax: (847) 492-0085 • ejackson@meritdirect.com

12 Legal Matters

By David Whitlock

AC BUSINESS MEDIA INC.

Chairman President and CEO Executive Vice President VP Content VP Marketing

22

28 Understand the Differences

Anil Narang Carl Wistreich Kris Flitcroft Greg Udelhofen Debbie George

28

Published and copyrighted 2014 by AC Business Media Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage or retrieval system, without written permission from the publisher.

CONCRETE CONTRACTOR (USPS 021-799 , ISSN 1545-4193) is published 7 times a year: January, February/March, April/May, June/July, August/September, October/November and December

by AC Business Media Inc., 1233 Janesville Avenue, 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 3257 Northbrook, IL 60065-3257 Month/Month 2014. Issue xx, Volume xx 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).

Products 6 New Products

36 Cold Weather Slab Testing

Earlier this year, a contractor and a team of manufacturers and individuals, performed a series of cold weather tests on 15 different panels to replicate 15 different field conditions.

40 Mass Concrete

Thermal control is key to success.

Canada Post PM40612608. Return Undeliverable Canadian Addresses to: Concrete Contractor, PO Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B2.

6

Concrete Contractor is the Official Media Sponsor of the CFA Foundation Company Certification Program

40 ®

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Editor’s Letter

The Panama Canal Expansion Project

I

n May, I was invited to visit the Panama Canal Expansion project and take a tour of the site. The reality of standing in the presence of an engineering marvel was awe-inspiring. I was visiting the Atlantic Ocean side of the canal, located in Colon, Panama. During the site visit, I ended up standing on the shores of Gatun Lake, trying to comprehend the reality of where and what I was doing.

There was a lot of activity during my visit. Trucks were hauling away debris.

I heard jackhammers chipping away at concrete in the distance. The sights and sounds were overwhelming and yet, standing on the floor of the third set of locks and looking up at the massive concrete walls was breathtaking. I found myself to be confounded and speechless.

About half way through my site visit, my guide, Alex Sanchez, turned to me and asked, “So what do you think?”

With a deep breath and wry smile, all I could muster, “I’m not really sure what to think. I don’t think the gravity of this situation has hit me yet.”

My comment garnered a few laughs and the following response, “Yeah, it happens. Your reaction seems to be the reaction most people have when they come to see this. Don’t worry, your airplane will land back in the United States. You’ll arrive at your home, and it will hit you. You will realize what you saw here. And you’ll never forget it.”

He was right.

During my visit, I was able to have discussions throughout the day which included such topics as labor relations, training, local customs, Panamanian politics, and the general day-to-day lives of contractors living and working in Panama. The recurring theme of these topics always came back to one phrase

Editor

Ryan Olson, rolson@ ACBusinessMedia.com (847) 454-2719

Advisory Board Tim Blankenship Blankenship Concrete Specialties; Atlanta, Ga. Chris Chan Architectural Concrete Construction Fairfield, Calif.

— “Panama, it’s a tough place to work.”

Changing weather patterns, high heat and humidity, and a daily dose of rain in the afternoon makes for some interesting and challenging conditions for contractors.

We hope you enjoy the coverage of this dynamic and ever changing project. Visit the “Concrete” channel on www.ForConstructionPros.com.

You’ll be able to see the story of this project in pictures, http://tinyurl.com/ PanamaProject. Additionally, check out the video, where you’ll take a ride with me through the canal, which can be found here – http://tinyurl.com/ CanalJourney

Jim Cuviello Cuviello Concrete - Polished|Stained|Crafted Stevensville, Md. Mike Donlin Donlin Building, Inc.; Miller, S.D. Jim Engelman Engelman Construction, Inc.; Macungie, Pa. Ira Goldberg Beyond Concrete; Keyport, N.J. Julio Hallack Concrete Innovations by Hallack Turlock, Calif.

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

Michael Klein Five Star Concrete Solutions; Howell, Mich.

Tim Parrish Cornerstone Foundations.; Harrisonburg, Va. Mike Poppoff Poppoff, Inc.; Moxee, Wash.

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

Greg Randa The Randa Group, Inc.; Yorkville, Ill.

Congratulations!

In May we conducted a Reader Survey. I’d like to say thank you to those of you who took the time to take the survey and let your voice be heard. In exchange for taking the survey we chose two random winners to receive a $100 American Express Gift Card.

Congratulations to Scott Schwebe of LSK – Columbia, Mo. and Steve Sweet of Calumet Civil Contractors, Whitestown, Ind.

Shellie Rigsby Decorative Construction Supply, Inc. Dallas, Texas Joshua Salmonson Rykor Concrete & Civil; Norfolk, Mass.

Todd Schneider Schneider Contracting Corp.; Alexandria, Va. Darrin Thornton PolySteel Alternative Building Systems, Inc. Central Point, Ore. Chuck Tower Oakridge Builders, A Division of Flintco, Inc. Tulsa, Okla.

Shawn Wardall Specialized Construction Services, Inc. Waterloo, Wis. Randy K. Wilkerson Sustainable Building Strategies, LLC Knoxville, Tenn.

Facebook.com/ ConcreteContractor

Follow us @ Concreteinsider

Dan C. Yeghoian Brundage-Bone Concrete Pumping Denver, Colo.

4 Concrete Contractor | August/September 2014 | www.forconstructionpros.com/concrete

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6 Concrete Contractor | August/September 2014 | www.forconstructionpros.com/concrete

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Challenging the System

Repair to a Higher Standard?

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

Is it a repair or a betterment?

A

ll project specifications for cast-in-place concrete including ACI 30110 “Specifications for Structural Concrete” include materials and procedures for repair. The specifications anticipate, before any contractor is chosen or the project has started, that some part of the concrete work will require repair. Thus if repairs are needed, the repair material and procedures are already approved as part of the specification. Seems straightforward and simple but this is not always the case.

Sometimes the owner or architect ignores the repair specification and chooses repair materials and procedures that differ from those in the specification. Often, these different choices don’t provide the same quality or repair costs as those in the specifications. These different choices may result in an increased value or “betterment” of the concrete.

What is betterment?

The legal definition of betterment is an improvement that enhances the value more than mere repairs. A betterment for concrete would be a repair that enhances the value of the concrete by an improvement of the strength, durability, service life, or appearance beyond that produced by the original repair specifications.

The owner or architect who requests a betterment is responsible for the increased cost of repairs that create the betterment, while the contractor is responsible only for the cost of the repair as required by the project specification.

Often the choice of the material or procedure that results in betterment is based on criteria that were not part of the original design criteria, but were later set by the owner, architect or engineer.

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

A concrete example

A contractor produced a broom finish surface in 15 different placements for a 100,000 square foot parking garage. The owner believed the broom finish was not uniform in texture in some areas and demanded that the surface be repaired. The contractor agreed to remove a layer of the surface, replace that concrete with the project’s specification-approved patching materials, and produce a broom finish in the selected areas. The contractor expected the cost to be $3 to $4 per square foot to repair about 5,000 square feet.

The owner however, asserted that the approved patching materials did not match the color of the surrounding concrete, stated he would not accept repairs in accordance with the original specifications, and demanded a different repair.

The parking surface was not designated as architectural concrete nor was a mock-up required to establish acceptable color variations between any repair and the adjacent concrete.

The contractor pointed out that the owner was accepting the color variation in the concrete surfaces where the broom texture was uniform.

Color variations always exist on large projects as a result of day-to-day or truck-to-truck variations in concrete color. In spite of this, the owner believed he was owed a uniform surface appearance that the contractor’s construction methods and approved

patching materials did not produce.

The owner’s solution was an epoxy coating with a non-skid additive for the entire 100,000 square foot surface at a cost of $8 per square foot.

What do you think?

The contractor was offering about $20,000 to repair the selected areas in accordance with the project specifications to provide the surface texture. The owner was demanding a $800,000 repair to provide uniform texture and color for the entire surface. The solutions are quite different.

BETTERMENT: A paraphrased and simplified explanation A purchaser of a Ford who encounters some instance of faulty construction of the vehicle is not entitled to its replacement by a Cadillac. Therefore, if corrective measures necessarily taken enhance the value of the property above that which it would have had if built according to the original concept, this should not be the obligation of the constructor who is found liable.1 1. Goodin, Architectural Malpractice Litigation § 140, 19 AM. JUR. 2d Trials 231 (2006).

10 Concrete Contractor | August/September 2014 |wwww.forconstructionpros.com/concrete

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Legal Matters

Is Your Company Handbook Current?

As the owner of your business, employee behavior can lead to headaches if you don’t have policies to protect you, your company and your employees.

M

y friend Bob called me with what he called a predicament.

Bob said he did not know whether or not he should fire Jim, who has been with Bob’s company for nearly 15 years. Jim fills a critical role in Bob’s company because of his experience and he is one of Bob’s most dependable and reliable foremen. Jim, however, has issues.

Seven years ago, Jim was drunk on a job and passed out in the company pickup. Although he was warned and promised not to repeat this behavior, the workers on his crew have reported periodically that he smells of alcohol. Bob suspects that Jim is drinking during lunch breaks.

Three months ago, Jim got into a shouting match with another foreman over some equipment issue. The argument led to a shoving match. No one was seriously hurt but Jim was warned again about his behavior.

Yesterday, Jim was caught in his truck using his company laptop to surf for porn on the Internet. Jim acknowledged he was not supposed to be doing that and agreed it was a violation of company policy.

Bob is torn between firing Jim and giving him another chance.

My recommendation: the “cons” outweigh the “pros” and it is time for Jim to go.

Although firing Jim will be a setback for Bob’s company because of Jim’s experience, the company will recover fairly quickly. In contrast, if

Jim screws up again and the company is sued, the outcome could mean the end of the business. Right now, Jim is a huge risk to the company.

The consequences of risky behavior

If Jim is drinking and gets involved in an accident in his company truck, the company’s exposure will be substantial. Worse, the company would almost certainly face a sizeable punitive damages award because Bob knew or suspected Jim was drinking on the job and did not stop it.

Jim’s aggressive behavior also creates significant risk. The company will not be able to fall back on the “boys will be boys” sort of defense to a first-time offense. Instead, Jim’s prior aggressive conduct will be used as proof that the company knew or should have known he might injure or attack someone else. If a co-worker is injured by Jim, there likely will be no worker compensation insurance because the insurance carrier will argue he was acting outside the scope of his duties and engaged in willful violent behavior.

This means the company could be liable for any injuries Jim causes.

The biggest exposure comes from Jim’s surfing the Internet. If a customer or co-worker saw what was on Jim’s laptop, the company could be sued for harassment. Again, punitive damages would probably be awarded.

The plaintiff’s attorney would argue to a jury that the company deserved to be punished because it let Jim keep working after he had committed the same offense earlier. There really is

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.

no defense to this argument that will persuade a jury.

Yes, it is true you might avoid a jury trial by means of an arbitration agreement or jury waiver provision if employees sign one, but that will not protect you from a lawsuit by a customer or vendor. For all of your employees, however, you can and should implement at least a jury waiver provision if not an arbitration agreement.

The company handbook

This is also a good opportunity to review your company handbook — you do have a handbook right? A company handbook will confirm the policies in place and will protect you and cover these situations. Many harassment policies do not forbid surfing the Internet, but they should.

That prohibition should also be set forth in the policy discussing use of company equipment.

Finally, the substance abuse policy needs to set out clear guidance and steps for “reasonable suspicion” testing for drugs and alcohol. Once the rules are written down, it would be a good idea to have a safety consultant give a presentation to all employees about the signs of substance abuse.

Ultimately Bob terminated Jim for misuse of company equipment.

We chose not to bring up the aggressive behavior and prior substance abuse problem so as not to complicate the termination. We agreed to give only a neutral reference regarding Jim and not disclose the real reason he was let go. Bob is now training Jim’s replacement, but he tells me he sleeps better at night.

12 Concrete Contractor | August/September 2014 | www.forconstructionpros.com/concrete

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Cover Story

The Construction of a Third Set of Locks Poses Challenges in

PANAMA

Project Profile: Project Participants Owner: Panama Canal Authority (ACP) Architect: CICP Consultores Internacionales, LLC Contractor: Grupo Unidos Por El Canal (GUPC) – Consortium Concrete Pumping: Putzmeister, Schwing Formwork: DOKA, Peri

14 Concrete Contractor | August/September 2014 | www.forconstructionpros.com/concrete

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A lot has changed since the original Panama Canal was constructed 100 years ago. While the challenges at that time were daunting, pouring concrete in Panama in 2014 is not without its own set of challenges.

F

or 100 years, the Panama Canal has stood as a testament to the ingenuity and engineering marvels of the 20 th century.

However, the time has come for the Panama Canal to undergo an expansion by adding a third shipping lane to accommodate larger shipping vessels. Construction on the third set of locks has been ongoing since September 2007 and of course, concrete and concrete accessories are the shining stars.

The new set of locks is intended to double the capacity of the Panama Canal by creating a new lane of traffic and allowing larger ships to transit “Post Panamax” — which is the term coined for the size limits of ships traveling through the canal.

The expansion project is estimated to cost from $5.25 billion to $7 billion, and has led to heavy investment in the construction sector of Panama, as well as the development of new infrastructure in Panama City. The contractor responsible for building the third set of locks is Grupo Unidos Por El Canal (GUPC), a business consortium led by SACYR VALLEHERMOSO, Spain; Impreglio, Italy; Jan de Nul, Belgium and CUSA, Panama.

Summary of the project

The Panama Canal Expansion Project consists of two new locks, one each on the Atlantic and Pacific sides. Each will feature water-saving Construction on the third set of locks has been ongoing since September 2007 and will accomodate larger shipping vessels.

Photo Credit: Ryan Olson

By Ryan Olson and Joe Nasvik

The new canal will operate in a more environmentally friendly fashion, specifically as it relates to water consumption. Water basins will be constructed next to the canal to reuse up to 60 percent of the water consumed by the locks.

Photo Credit: Ryan Olson

basins intended to reduce the environmental impact. The existing channels will be widened and deepened to raise the maximum operating level of Gatun Lake, which serves as the conduit between the Pacific and Atlantic coasts.

Incidentally, Gatun Lake was artificially created in 1913 by the damming of the Chagres River, and is an essential part of the Panama Canal which forms a water passage between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, permitting ships to transit in both directions. At the time it was formed, Gatun Lake was the largest man-made lake in the world. Gatun Lake also serves to provide the millions of gallons of water necessary to operate the Panama Canal locks each time a ship passes through, and provides drinking water for Panama City and Colon.

When the canal is completed, the new shipping lanes are expected to generate increased demand in ports both in Panama and internationally.

Water basins will be used to recycle water

The new canal will operate in a more environmentally friendly fashion, specifically as it relates to water consumption.

Once completed, the water basins will be the largest in the world. The basins are designed to reuse up to 60 percent of the water consumed by the locks. Gatun Lake is not only utilized as a conduit to connect the Atlantic side with the Pacific side of Panama, but it also serves as Panama’s drinking water source. As one can imagine, during the rainy season in Panama, water levels in the lake are monitored, but rarely pose a threat to a diminishing water source.

However, during the non-rainy season, a water shortage is a realistic threat to the community. To address this ongoing threat, located on the side of the canal will be man-made water basins designed to recycle and reuse the water from the canal.

Chambers were constructed to help

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Cover Story

Situated just outside the jobsite, these are the lock doors which will be installed in the canal when ready.

Photo Credit: Ryan Olson

transfer the water back and forth between the canal and the lake.

“The water draining into Gatun Lake is a big problem,” says Alex Sanchez, project site supervisor with GUPC. “When it isn’t raining there are water shortages. The water levels in the lake can’t get below a certain level otherwise the shipping vessels can’t pass through. We don’t get the option to run out of water in the lake because it will also cut off the canal.”

The practice of dumping millions of gallons of fresh water everyday into the ocean is not sustainable.

“Recycling the water from the canal is the right thing to do and a thing of necessity because Gatun Lake cannot sustain two canals and be a water source for Panama.”

The design of the water basins features a fill and drain system. The raising and lowering of the canal to facilitate passage through the canal will be operated in three stages over three chambers — low, medium and high. In order to limit the amount of water wasted, the new system will allow larger ships to pass through the canal, using up to seven percent less water than the existing locks.

Each chamber will feature three water-saving basins, for a total of nine basins per lock. Just like the existing locks, the new locks and

their basins will be filled and emptied by gravity, without the use of pumps. “The water they use to fill in the locks will be the same water that will come back into the recycling pool,” explains Sanchez.

Originally scheduled to open around the 100th anniversary of the first canal, October 2014, budget overruns have delayed the project to a January 2016 opening.

By the year 2025, the expanded Panama Canal is expected to bring $6.2 billion to the Panamanian government.

Taking a tour of the site

As one can imagine, the jobsite on this project is massive: a machine shop, an aggregate processing plant and a concrete batch plant are located on site.

Everything needed to construct the canal walls is readily available.

The workshop is where all the bending of rebar is performed. At the time of this writing, the project was approximately 70 percent complete and the demand for rebar has diminished. However, at the beginning of the project, there were three machines set up to thread rebar. To date, crews have unloaded 105,000 tons of steel and have used 86,000 tons.

“The project plans required us to thread the ends of three different sizes of rebar — No. 4, No. 6 and No. 8,” says Sanchez. “We had one specific machine set up for each size of rebar.

Now we have all three machines set up for the No. 4 rebar.”

The crushing of aggregate begins near the shores of Gatun Lake.

It is here, where barges deliver aggregate, starting the journey through various conveyor belt systems.

Photo Credit: Ryan Olson

Key Equipment: • Autodesk BIM software products • Caterpillar • Dayton Superior • DOKA

• • • • • • •

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16 Concrete Contractor | August/September 2014 | www.forconstructionpros.com/concrete

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Cover Story The steel is sourced from Mexico and Costa Rica and arrives on site, pre-cut and figured for a location.

However, plans can and do change.

Sanchez says, “Due to circumstances in the field and because all of the steel is configured to our needs, we cannot rebend any rebar if changes occur.

That rebar becomes unusable. It will be sold back to our steel supplier, melted down and recycled for reuse.”

Aggregate processing plant

Colon, Panama is home to the expansion project on the Atlantic Ocean side and because of its remote location, crews assembled an aggregate processing plant on site.

The crushing of aggregate begins near the shores of Gatun Lake. It is

As aggregate is being processed, it is distributed to various points on the processing plant. Different lanes break the rock down into different sizes. In fact, this plant produces nine different sizes of aggregate.

Photo Credit: Ryan Olson

here, where barges deliver aggregate, starting the journey through various conveyor belt systems.

“The aggregate arrives as large rocks,” Sanchez says. “As it is being processed, it is distributed to various points on the plant. Different lanes break the rock down into different sizes. In fact, this plant produces nine different sizes of aggregate.” All the conveyors run underground to its final destination before being segregated by size.

“Just as there are multiple sizes of

Pictured here is one of the sections of the canal where a lock door will be installed when the canal is ready.

Photo Credit: Ryan Olson

aggregate, there are also six different sizes of sand fine aggregates created for concrete mixes,” he adds.

Concrete admixture

The concrete batch plant, engineered and manufactured by Italy’s SIMEM, is designed to process approximately 797.85 cubic yards (610 cubic meters) per hour with dedicated scales to handle the aggregate types required for the admixture.

Project engineers determine what types of aggregate should be used to create the required mixes. “While it’s not common to have this many different sizes of aggregate,” Sanchez says, “the specifications called for the different sizes to create the wellgraded dense marine concrete mixes.”

The Marine mix is a special mix design used for any part of the locks that comes into contact with water. In addition to compressive strength and reduced shrinkage, the low permeable concrete had to be formulated to guarantee a 100-year service life.

The new locks are being constructed using two different concrete mix designs, a Structural Marine Concrete (SMC) and an Interior Mass Concrete (IMC). A typical concrete section consists of an IMC core with SMC facing. The SMC facing is typically 24-inches thick while the IMC varies. A lock wall monolith is approximately 60-feet wide, 100-feet high and 95-feet long. Each lock wall monolith contains two 20-foot tall culverts for filling and draining the chamber.

The monoliths require 232-tons of

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pumping systems are set up on the floor of the canal. The contractor uses Putzmeister 38-meter pumps and, five section TB130 telescopic belt conveyors to place the concrete into wall sections.

For the most hard-to-reach sections of the canal, concrete Schwing and Putzmeister trucks with attached boom pumps are used.

In addition, four Rotec tower-crane mounted conveyors with an 80 meter reach are used.

reinforcing steel and 3,400 cubic yards of concrete each. A total of about 50 of these massive concrete structures make up each lock chamber.

The foundations for the locks are mass concrete. This mix includes Portland cement, fly ash (or other pozzolans), aggregate size from 1-1/2” to 3” and reduced amounts of water. While the mix is curing, temperatures may not exceed 160 degrees Fahrenheit, nor have more than a 30 degree Fahrenheit differential between the center of a placement and the outside surface. The high temperatures in Panama pose additional challenges to preventing thermal cracking. Temperature is reduced by covering the aggregate piles with large tents for sun protection. At the start of the batching process, water cools the aggregate on its way to the bin, which is a fully enclosed, air-conditioned area. In addition, flake ice is placed on the main feed conveyor with the aggregate. Conveyor belt systems are then used to pull the underground material to a final batch mixing stage.

Dayton Superior provides jobsite solutions

In order to structurally join rebar together GUPC opted to utilize Dayton Superior’s Mechanical Couplers Taper lock system.

Additionally, Dayton’s Taper Lock Flange Couplers were used in order to avoid having to use chemical anchored rebar for future, segmental concrete pours. Over 500,000 of these couplers will be used throughout the jobsite.

The contractor is also using Dayton Superior’s EZ Lock Spacer Wheel system to provide the correct rebar spacing from concrete surfaces as required by the engineer. Because the concrete in the Panama Canal is constantly exposed to salt and fresh water, the spec required the rebar be kept far enough away from the concrete surface to reduce exposure that could cause corrosion. The EZ Lock Spacer Wheel enabled the contractor

to maintain the correct concrete coverage in a range of 4-1/2 in., 5-1/2 in., and 6-1/2 in. coverage in walls that exceed over 100 feet in height.

One of the contractor’s options was to manufacture concrete dobies.

But the areas for properly spacing rebar were extremely large and it Each chamber in the third set of locks will have three water-saving basins, for a total of nine basins per lock. Just like the existing locks, the new locks and their basins will be filled and emptied by gravity, without the use of pumps.

Photo Credit: Ryan Olson

Pouring the canal walls

More than 5 million cubic meters of low slump concrete have been placed to date to create the canal walls.

Transporting the concrete to the placing sites was a challenge in itself.

A fleet of agitator trucks transport the mix from the concrete batch plant to locations throughout the jobsite. For large placements at key locations, conveyors and concrete

Some areas on the canal walls have unconsolidated concrete at the pour seams. These areas will be patched and repaired at a later date.

Photo Credit: Ryan Olson

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Cover Story

Left Photo: As of the date of my visit, crews have unloaded 105,000 tons of steel and have used 86,000 tons.

Middle Photo: Dayton Superior’s Mechanical Couplers Taper lock system was used to avoid having to use chemical anchored rebar for future, segmental concrete pours.

Photo Credit: Ryan Olson

would be impossible to attach a concrete block with the required coverage areas on a vertical application.

Dayton Superior was one of only three companies consulted on the solution and the EZ Lock Spacer Wheel system was selected due to characteristics such as strength and the lock hub. Additionally, laborers on site were now able to install spacer wheels faster and ensure the coverage area would be correct for the construction inspections conducted on each aspect of the project.

The design of the water basins features a fill and drain system. The raising and lowering of the canal to facilitate passage through the canal will be operated in three stages over three chambers low, medium and high.

Photo Credit: Ryan Olson

“We manufactured the EZ Lock Spacer Wheels in the USA and supplied them through our local Dayton Superior distribution center in Panama City,” says Rick Wilson, Regional Vice President – Latin America. “Dayton Superior’s local facility gave us the advantages as there were only two other companies worldwide that could custom make these products. The spacer wheel proved superior because once locked onto the rebar they would not fall off or change shape, guaranteeing uniform coverage.”

Another benefit to using the custom spacer wheels is that the concrete did not require sanding for a smooth finish, saving labor costs and work time.

Once the project is complete, over 300,000 of these units will have been installed.

As construction of the canal walls progressed and the concrete pours were set up in phases, the couplers were installed during the first stage of the pour to mechanically splice structural reinforcement. “Workers mechanically splice into the couplers which can be seen imbedded in the first stage pour,” notes Danny Hernandez, Sales Manager – Latin America (Dayton Superior).

Plan changes during the construction of the canal have occasionally created challenges for the contractor.

For example, Sanchez describes one instance, “The first stage of the design

Dayton Superior’s EZ Lock Spacer Wheel system provides the correct rebar spacing from concrete surfaces as required by the engineer. plans tell us where we need to install the couplers. However, once the first stage pour was completed, we moved into the second stage pour and there were some structural changes made where we could not use Dayton’s couplers, but they had already been embedded into the first stage pour.

We couldn’t move the coupler. In order to make a structural connection, we used an anchoring epoxy from Hilti to make the connection.”

Conclusion

A lot has changed since the original construction of the Panama Canal.

Modern construction machines, amazing technology, and huge strides in the production of concrete make this project vastly different than the struggle to build the first one. But this project is one of the world’s great construction marvels and is by no means a walk in the park — challenges abound. To the average person the price tag might seem to be a lot, but that’s about what it costs to build a high end casino in Las Vegas these days — the forces of nature being much easier to deal with.

To see more about this project, visit: VIDEO: Take a journey through the new channel at the Panama Canal - http://tinyurl.com/ CanalJourney PHOTO GALLERY: See more pictures from the jobsite http://tinyurl.com/PanamaProject

20 Concrete Contractor | August/September 2014 | www.forconstructionpros.com/concrete

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Foundations/ Walls

Company Overcomes Adversity Through

Diversification

Breaking into the agricultural sector of the concrete industry provided Solid Foundations a chance to grow and overcome a tragic loss.

By April Schultz

S

olid Foundations, a family owned and operated company in Bellevue, Ohio, has specialized in residential poured walls since the company was founded in 1990 by its current president, Valerie Gore, and her husband, Daniel Gore.

But everything changed in 2010 when Daniel passed away after a four year battle with cancer. Valerie was forced to make tough decisions regarding both her family and her business. Despite these challenges, Solid Foundations has grown by 70 percent and continues to flourish.

Expanding the foundation

With the help of her son and Production Manager, Dawson Gore, Valerie managed to diversify the company’s product by breaking into the agricultural concrete sector and taking on projects that were completely new to them.

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Recently, Solid Foundations performed its largest agricultural pour, to date. The month long project required the team to use 750 yards of concrete to pour circular grain bin walls.

“Taking on the project I really wasn’t sure how I was going to do it,” Dawson says. “The biggest challenge was figuring out how I was going to make a circle out of squares.”

Having started in the family business at a very young age, Dawson had no problem trusting the ability of his younger employees to complete this pour. “It was me and four other guys and the average age was 20 years old. I’m only 24 years old,” Dawson said. “Age doesn’t mean anything; it’s all about effort and knowing what you’re doing.”

The Solid Foundations crew used over 32 miles of rebar to create the formwork for the walls of the Sukup grain bin.

Breaking into the agricultural concrete sector required Solid Foundations to take on new challenges such as pouring a radius wall.

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Foundations/ Walls

It took the Solid Foundations crew a month and 750 yards of concrete to finish pouring the grain bin walls.

For this pour, Dawson’s team used a 3,000 psi footing mix, 4,000 psi mix for the walls and over 32 miles of rebar to create what is called a Sukup grain bin.

The team built the formwork using four foot forms in order to pour the three foot grain bin walls.

They needed to find a center point to act as a radius and, making sure to situate the outside panel exactly at that point, they used an inside panel one inch smaller to ensure they could move it around to form the circle.

Initially, the team struggled to overcome the challenges of creating the circular shape of the grain bins and was forced to adapt to the project’s specific needs. With some simple math, they realized they needed to put in a four foot form, set a four foot radius wall and then troll in one foot to reach the required height and thickness. “But the tricky part was that we had to have the three foot wall at the right

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24 Concrete Contractor | August/September 2014 | www.forconstructionpros.com/concrete

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elevation,” says Dawson. “What I did was leave the outside form on so my tie was still embedded in the concrete. For the slab, I used a pivot screed and rode the screed on the outside of the form.”

This project left very little room for error, creating a very rigid working environment and another obstacle for the team to overcome. “When we did the trench footers, we had to have the footings with a tolerance of no more than a ¼-inch out (an 1/8-inch high and an 1/8-inch low). If we wanted a flat pad, we had to be precise. Not only that, on the inside, when I poured the three foot wall, I had to be really precise because I didn’t want there to be a wavy line when I pulled off the form,” notes Dawson.

After successfully completing projects such as this, Dawson believes there is potential for Solid Foundations to thrive in the agricultural sector. “In Ohio, agriculture is a really big part of the concrete

industry and locally it has always been a big deal. Over the past five years I’ve started farming, so I was able to see potential opportunities by going to the local co-ops. I instantly knew, being a business person, there was work there. Agriculture work here is just as powerful as residential work,” Dawson says.

Solid Foundations has also been working to expand its residential market by performing larger pours.

“Recently we took on a residential pour that was the largest pour we’ve ever done. The total size was 300 yards between the footings and the walls,” Dawson says. “The biggest challenge was in large part, due to it being spread out. There was a detached garage and half of the house pivoted on a 45-degree angle.”

Due to the massive size of the pour, Solid Foundation’s residential concrete team was forced to complete the project in separate pours over the course of multiple days.

“Usually, we like to form everything and pour it at once so we can square it up with each other, but we had to adapt,” Dawson notes.

Rebuilding the business

Solid Foundations would not have been able to adapt and diversify if it hadn’t been for the strength and planning of Valerie and Daniel.

The two had created a financial succession plan that proved invaluable to Valerie in her struggle to continue the business after Daniel’s death. Valerie emphasizes the importance of such preplanning for the protection of both the business and the owners. “You never know what can happen and the succession plan needs to reflect the wishes of both parties. My husband knew I would be OK and mentally capable of handling all of the responsibility. You can’t have anything stopping the flow of the business,” Valerie says.

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www.forconstructionpros.com/concrete | August/September 2014 | Concrete Contractor

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Foundations/ Walls By taking the role of Production Manager for Solid Foundations, Dawson Gore (left) is fufilling Daniel Gore’s (right) hope that Solid Foundations would stay in the family.

After the death of her husband in 2010, Valerie Gore took on the role of company president and managed to lead Solid Foundations to four years of success and growth.

Though the couple’s forward thinking put Valerie in a good position, she faced many other challenges as she became the sole leader of the company. “Basically, when I started to take over the company, it was at the rock bottom of the economy. Nothing really looked bright,” says Valerie. “I had to earn respect. I had respect from the core group that was here because they knew me, but we were bringing in a lot of new guys. I had to build the company back up with people.”

Both Valerie and Dawson emphasize the importance of hiring good, hard working employees.

“The biggest thing I’ve learned is to value your employees. I tell people all the time that I would have nice equipment just sitting in the shed if I didn’t have the right guys to run it,” says Dawson.

As a member of the Concrete Foundation Association (CFA), the company utilizes the training and conference opportunities provided by the organization to better educate their employees and create a safe and fully operational working environment. “For the last few years, rather than buying better, newer equipment, we invest in teaching and training our employees,” says Dawson.

Forming business relationships was another way Valerie was able to increase her company’s market potential. “I hit the road in sales and drove all over. I spent a lot of time building relationships. It seemed like during the recession that wasn’t a priority, there was more focus on pricing, but it’s going back to relationships again. Everywhere I could go to find work, I went, and I started meeting with people,” Valerie says.

Plans for the future

Though Solid Foundations has achieved success over the past four years, Valerie and Dawson still search for means of bettering their company in the future. They plan to continue diversifying their product offerings and increasing their knowledge of the concrete industry. “What I’d really like to get into is gang forms. We did a project at a Menards in Toledo where the foundation was two miles long with six-foot high walls and we used these gang forms. The contractor said it sped up production tremendously.

Being a poured wall business, if

someone comes to me and wants a poured wall that big, I want a way of doing it,” Dawson explains.

Another hope for the future is to develop the Gore name in the industry by utilizing the talents of all members of the family. “My younger brother has recently been coming here to work and he told me he wants to get more involved.

He’s the complete opposite of me; he’s more of a numbers person. And that’s what I need in this company,” says Dawson. “If my brother really wants to get involved that would be a relief to me because I could take care of all the field work and he could take care of the accounting.”

Secret to success

The Gores assert the reason Solid Foundations has become so successful is the company’s emphasis on providing a high-quality product.

Their motto “Whatever It Takes” demonstrates the drive for excellence that brought Solid Foundations to such achievement and growth. “As we’re growing in quantity, I always tell my employees, you have to keep the quality. You got to kill them with quality and they will be back,” says Dawson.

“Bottom line, people need to pay attention to doing things right.

You have to meet your customers’ expectations. Ask, how can I satisfy everyone’s needs?” Valerie concludes.

26 Concrete Contractor | August/September 2014 | www.forconstructionpros.com/concrete

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Decorative Concrete

Understand the Differences Between Dyes, Stains and Pigments When it comes to imparting color on a concrete surface, understanding the product options is critical to achieve the finished look your customer desires.

By Ryan Olson

L

et’s take a closer look at three different product types that help you turn your concrete surface into an amazing piece of art — dyes, stains, and pigments.

Dyes

Dyes can be defined as a coloring material or matter for imparting a particular hue to a surface. Dyes are a great way to color existing slabs of concrete and they offer a wide range of color options which will dry very quickly.

The raw form of a dye is a super fine powder that depending on manufacturing can be dispersed in a solvent or water. True dyes are not UV stable.

“Recently, manufacturers have used the term ‘dye’ for exterior pigments,” says Brett Cline, Sales Manager, Super-Krete of Texas.

“These special ‘exterior dyes’ or pigments come in vibrant colors as well and are UV stable.”

Pictured above, an outdoor living space where acid stains were used to etch the concrete surface.

Photo Credit: QUIKRETE

Stains

Unlike dyes, concrete stains are generally classified into three categories: film-forming, penetrating and acid stains. All three types of stains come in a variety of colors, tints, shades and textures, but each uses different technology to create distinct decorative looks.

Film-forming stains have been around the longest and are still very common today. Like paint, film-forming stains simply coat or lay on top of a concrete surface to add color to a concrete surface. However, over time exposure to weather, traffic, chemicals and other harmful elements will cause film-forming stains to fad, peel or flake.

A more permanent alternative to film-forming stains are penetrating stains, which are designed to literally penetrate deeper into the

pores of concrete and bond to the concrete. The water-based, polymer-bonded technology in penetrating stains minimizes the possibility of it fading, peeling or flaking while being VOC-friendly. In addition, penetrating stains are available in an almost endless assortment of tints and shades ranging from very light translucent colors to bright and bold solid colors. Typically water-based and user friendly, water-based penetrating stains can often be mixed together to create new colors without any adverse effects, they are often translucent and do not hide surface defects or flaws.

While both film-forming and penetrating stains rely on color pigments to alter the decorative appearance of concrete, acid stains chemically react with the minerals in concrete to generate a natural-looking

28 Concrete Contractor | August/September 2014 | www.forconstructionpros.com/concrete

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EPOXY | METALLICS | NATURAL STONE | OVERLAY | POLYASPARTIC | URETHANES | SEALERS

Industrial Epoxy

INDUSTRIAL EPOXY— Contains an additive in the Resin to make it harder and an additive in the cure to make it chemical resistant. Our Industrial Epoxy can be tinted to a color of your choice for that ideal concrete coating color match.

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AURORA EPOXY DUST— Intended for use as a metallic epoxy floor system, countertop system, or other horizontal surface to create one of a kind unique designs to enhance any epoxy floor coating. Aurora Epoxy Dust has many advantages over other concrete coating methods. Unlike acid stains and standard coloring methods, the pigments in this metallic epoxy reflect light rather than absorbing it, creating incredible depth and dimension.

Chromastain

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Decorative Concrete marble appearance by physically etching the surface. Acids stains are slightly more expensive, and require more safety precautions and experience to apply than the filmforming and penetrating stains.

Pigments

Pigments impart black, white, or a color to other materials. Typically, pigments are available as a powdered substance that is mixed with a liquid in which it is relatively insoluble and used to impart color to coating materials (such as paints) or to inks, plastics, and rubber.

As it relates to coloring concrete, the main type of pigment used in coloring concrete is Synthetic Iron Oxide. In manufacturing these minerals different colors are produced. They can either be left in their original powder form or dispersed into a liquid to create liquid pigments.

Surface preparation

Before applying any of these products it’s critical the concrete surface is thoroughly cleaned and free of any contaminants, and in the case of penetrating stains, the surface should be porous and profiled enough to accept a stain.

“There are a variety of effective methods for cleaning concrete including pressure washing, stain removers, mild cleaners, etchers

Film-forming stains can be applied using a plastic sprayer. To apply, hold the wand one to two feet from the surface and move in a circular motion.

Photo Credit: QUIKRETE

and degreasers,” notes Paul Luecke, Vice President of Coatings for The QUIKRETE Companies.

Dyes — The most common method of applying dye is to disperse the dye powder in acetone and spray a fine mist over the concrete surface.

“Using acetone will cause the dye to dry very quickly which will allow you to introduce more colors if desired and seal the surface right away,” Cline says. “Dyes will also get darker the more you spray, so one color of dye will mottle by spraying it randomly over the surface.”

Cline offers the following best practices when applying these products:

A penetrating stain was used in this residential driveway project.

Photo Credit: QUIKRETE

• Always do a mock up or sample area before doing the whole job for color consistency, etc.

Sealers will enhance color, be sure the customer sees the color sealed vs unsealed.

• Dyes will highlight existing stains and imperfections of the concrete. Make sure you educate the buyer.

Safety precautions The safety precautions you should follow when working with these products are entirely dependent upon which product you’re using.

However, a few common practices you should follow will keep you and your crew members safe.

• Wear rubber gloves, eye-protection, long pants and rubber boots for protection.

• If working indoors, tape off walls.

• If working outdoors, cover vegetation with plastic to protect against any unintended contact.

• In some cases a respirator might be helpful to protect yourself from vapors.

• If you are broadcasting a pigment topically in a powder form, eye and inhalation protection is a must.

• When using solvents such as acetone, etc., turn off all pilot lights.

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Penetrating stains may be applied using a roller.

While a sprayer, roller or brush are all appropriate application tools, a sponge can provide more control, creativity and texture when taking a multi-toned approach to decorating concrete.

“For the best results, practice various techniques on an inconspicuous area of the surface

Photo Credit: QUIKRETE

• If spraying, always start and stop in a container. Not doing so will cause you to drip on the floor. The dye dries too fast to eliminate the drip marks.

• Introducing saw cuts to the floor will help you fix any coloring mishaps. It’s much easier to fix a three inch by three inch square than the whole room.

Film-forming stains — The film-forming stain can be applied with a plastic sprayer, roller or brush being sure to avoid any pooling or dripping in order to achieve a consistent and uniform look.

“When using a plastic sprayer hold the wand one to two feet from the surface and move in circular motion,” Luecke says. “When using a roller or brush, make smooth, even strokes in one direction while keeping a wet edge to avoid streaking.”

Once the film-forming stain has dried for 24 hours, a sealer can be applied for added protection Penetrating stains — When applying penetrating stains, the concrete surface must be void of any paint, stain, coatings or sealers and thoroughly clean. Before applying the stain, prepare the surface with a cleaner, etcher and degreaser.

“Taking these steps insure that the concrete will accept the penetrating stain and maximize the bond to the surface,” Luecke notes.

“An easy test for determining if the concrete will accept penetrating stain is to pour a small amount of water on the surface. If it absorbs the water, it will accept the stain. If not, it’s being prevented by paint, stain, coating or sealer, which must be removed.”

Like film-forming stains, rinse the cleaned surface and allow it to dry before applying the penetrating stain with a plastic sprayer, roller or brush following the same technique and taking the same precautions for best results.

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Decorative Concrete or on a disposable piece/area of concrete,” Luecke says.

For added visual appeal and another layer of protection against wear-and tear and other potentially harmful elements like oil, grease and UV rays, apply a clear sealer over the stained concrete surface.

Acid stains — Cleaning a surface before applying acid stain is also very important, but it should be done

without the use of chemicals that could prematurely trigger a reaction with minerals in the concrete.

“If that happens, the acid stains won’t etch the concrete or create the visual appearance expected when it’s applied to the surface,” Luecke explains. “The application of the acid stain should be done with a plastic garden sprayer using a circular motion about one to two feet from

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the surface, being careful not to drip or pool the stain on the concrete surface.”

A word of caution, there is very little control of acid stains. If the concrete slab isn’t level, the stain will puddle and appear darker in those areas.

While a sealer is recommended, but not required with film-forming or penetrating stains, it has to be applied on acid stained concrete surfaces to fully develop the desired marbling effect.

Pigments — Pigments can be applied either integrally or topically to achieve a uniform look.

“Integrally colored concrete means whether you are pouring new concrete or doing an overlay system, pigments are added to the cementious mix for a full depth of color,” Cline explains. “This method creates a product that when scratched or worn the color remains consistent.”

The main topical application is achieved by broadcasting the pigment (pre-blended with cement and other materials) on the surface of freshly poured concrete. They are then worked into wet concrete to create a uniform look.

Pigments can also be used for antiquing concrete to create a molded look.

When applying pigments, Cline recommends the following: • Always do a mock up for the customer. “This will save you a lot of heartache when the customer decides they do not like the color they chose after seeing it over a larger area.”

• When using pigments in overlays it’s best to have the same person adding the pigment.

• Always read the Data Sheets before using any products.

As a concrete contractor, understanding the differences between these decorative concrete materials will allow you to offer a variety of options to meet your customers’ expectations.

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Concrete Science

Cold Weather Slab Testing

Earlier this year, a contractor and a team of manufacturers and individuals, performed a series of cold weather tests on 15 different panels to replicate 15 different field conditions.

Here are their preliminary findings.

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I

n the course of conducting cold weather testing on concrete slabs, Dennis Purinton, owner of Purinton Builders in East Granby, Conn. and his team, which included five ACI 306 Committee members, were seeking answers to the following questions: • What effect does cold grade and cold ambient temperature have on slabs on grade?

• Does changing concrete temperature change its performance?

• Does concrete temperature affect the performance of accelerators?

• What effect do Supplemental Cementitious Materials (SCM’s) have on cold weather slabs?

“It was a great winter for field testing the performance of slabs on grade in cold temperatures,” says Dennis Purinton, owner of Purinton Builders in East Granby, Conn.

The team chose February 10, 2014 as the placement day and it was a beautiful, cold day in Suffield, Conn.

Purinton says the morning started with single digit temperatures and a couple of inches of new snow from the night before. Meanwhile, the ambient temperature never got above the mid 20s.

The test

The testing consisted of 15 different 10 foot by 10 foot by 5 inch panels that replicated 15 different field conditions. “We placed three loads of concrete, provided by Tilcon, Conn.

Two loads were a straight Portland cement design,” says Purinton. “The only variable was its batch temperature. The third load was a ternary blend of 45 percent SCM’s.”

Two of the 15 panels were constructed in a temporary building that had cold subgrades. A Wacker Neuson indirect fired heater was utilized here.

The balance of the slabs were placed outside in the open air; some with cold subgrades, some utilizing hydronic ground heaters to heat the bases, and one with two inches of XPS directly under the slab.

All 15 panels were monitored with Con-Cure radio remote maturity meters. “There were four probes in every panel,” he says. “One was placed two inches below grade, one at the interface of the concrete and base, and two in the slab (see diagram 1). We also monitored surface temperatures with a hollowed out block of insulation and a digital thermometer.”

The time of concrete placement and the surface temperature of the concrete were recorded at every step in the finishing process. In the slabs utilizing higher temperature concrete, the surface temperature dropped as much as 12 degrees Fahrenheit during the finishing process. In the slabs utilizing the

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Concrete Science lower temperature concrete, the surface temperature dropped as much as 15 degrees Fahrenheit. Even with surface temperatures dropping, no finishing issues occurred.

An ACI certified lab technician was also on site to record concrete temperature, test for air content, and make cylinders to be cured at the lab and tested for compressive strength.

After the finishing process was

Diagram 1: Panel layout and location of maturity probes in elevation profile.

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complete, all panels were covered with poly and blankets. “In addition, we added hydronic heat piping on top of the poly and under the blankets in three of the panels, to simulate moist, heated curing environment,” Purinton says.

Coring the slabs

During the seven days after placement, the average ambient daily high temperature was 29 degrees Fahrenheit. The nights averaged 13 degrees Fahrenheit with a low of zero degrees. Two days after placement a 12 inch snow storm walloped the area of placement.

On the eighth day, the maturity meters were removed for reading, along with the blankets and poly on all panels. Water was present under the plastic on all panels, including the edges and corners. The surface temperature of all slabs was still above 32 degrees Fahrenheit despite only a few hours of temperatures above 32 degrees Fahrenheit over the previous seven days.

“We cored all 15 slabs at eight days and again at 28 days,” he explains. “The cores were taken to the Connecticut-based, Materials Testing, Inc. and tested for compressive strength.”

Observations

The following are just a few of the interesting facts that were observed in the testing process: • There was minimal drop in the concrete temperature where the interface of the concrete and the 33 degrees Fahrenheit subgrade met.

• The 33 degrees Fahrenheit subgrade temperature had little

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or no effect on the concrete two inches above subgrade.

• The subgrade absorbed heat from the initial hydration that was slowly consumed by the slab in the curing process over some number of days.

• Two inches of XPS directly under the concrete accelerated set and finish times and reduced the compressive strengths in the cores.

• A warm subgrade will shorten finish time, but higher concrete temperature will reduce finish time even further.

• Two trucks of the same mix design were ordered. The only difference between the two was the concrete on the first truck was 88 degrees Fahrenheit, while the concrete on the second truck was 54 degrees Fahrenheit. The 88 degrees Fahrenheit concrete compressive strength in lab cured cylinders was over 20 percent less than the 54 degrees Fahrenheit concrete cylinders.

The cores in the field panels showed a similar reduction in compressive strengths.

• Non-chloride accelerators are temperature sensitive in their effectiveness on finish time.

Purinton says the amount of data collected from this cold weather slab testing was daunting, resulting in hundreds of possible performance comparison combinations. “We have just begun in the effort to draw conclusions to many of these comparisons.”

Ed. Note: None of this testing could have been carried out without the valuable help received from many companies and individuals.

Thanks to Mike Barry; Gene Daniel; Euclid Chemical Company; Ron Kozilcowski; Lloyd Concrete; Bill Lyons; Materials Testing, Inc.; Mike Purinton; Smith Brothers Concrete; Tilcon, CT; Wacker Neuson; ConCure Corporation; JGW Concrete.

Pictured above, the plastic was removed and slab finishing was in progress.

• Finish times for the 45 percent ternary blend mix design showed a 10 percent increase in comprehensive strength over a 53 degrees Fahrenheit Portland cement mix design, and over 30 percent higher than the 88 degrees Fahrenheit Portland cement mix design.

All were cured under the same conditions. www.forconstructionpros.com/concrete | August/September 2014 | Concrete Contractor

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Jobsite Best Practices

Mass Concrete Thermal control is the key to success.

By Kim Basham and L.J. Mott Mass concreting practices were primarily developed for dam construction where thermal cracking was first identified. However, now mass concreting practices are used for large structural elements including mat foundations, pile caps, bridge piers, large beams and girders, and thick walls and slabs.

U

nderstanding the concerns with mass concrete can help contractors avoid problems such as noncompliance, construction delays, damaged concrete and expensive repairs.

Specifications for mass concrete limit fresh and in-place concrete temperatures and typically require a thermal control plan by the contractor for each mass concrete placement. Consequently, contractors must know about maximum concrete temperatures and temperature differences, temperature rise, temperature monitoring and control, pre- and post-cooling of mass concrete and thermal modeling.

Defining mass concrete

The American Concrete Institute (ACI) does not provide specific size limits to define mass concrete. ACI defines mass concrete as “any volume of concrete with dimensions large enough to require that measures be taken to cope with generation of heat from hydration of the cement and attendant volume change to minimize cracking.1 Historically, large placements where the minimum cross-sectional dimension equals

or exceeds three feet are commonly designated as mass concrete.

However, smaller sizes may also be designated as mass concrete depending on factors including: type and quantity of cement, volume to surface ratio of the concrete, weather conditions, concrete placing temperatures, degree of restraints to volume changes and the effect of thermal cracking on function, durability and appearance.

Carefully review the contract documents to identify what structural elements the specifier has designated as mass concrete.

The specifier, not the contractor, is responsible for determining what concrete on the project is mass concrete. For elements designated as mass concrete in the contract documents, the additional requirements specified in ACI 301, Section 8 – Mass Concrete apply.2 If the documents are not clear, then request clarifications before work begins.

Maximum temperature and temperature differences

To avoid concrete damage, specifications limit the maximum internal concrete temperature and the maximum allowable temperature

difference between the center and surface of a mass concrete element.

ACI 301 states: 1) The maximum temperature in concrete after placement shall not exceed 158 degrees Fahrenheit 2) The maximum temperature difference between center and surface of placement shall not exceed 35 degrees Fahrenheit.

Limiting the internal concrete temperature to 158 degrees Fahrenheit prevents delayed ettringite formation (DEF).

Ettringite is a normal product of cement hydration that forms within the first few hours after batching the concrete. Early-age high temperatures (greater than 158 degrees Fahrenheit) can prevent the normal formation of ettringite. If DEF occurs in hardened concrete with an external moisture source, internal expansion with subsequent visual displacement and cracking may occur. DEF can also increase the risk of additional deterioration due to freeze/thaw attack and reinforcement corrosion. Limiting the internal temperature during the concrete’s very early life will prevent DEF. The specified 35 degrees Fahrenheit maximum temperature difference between the center

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and the surface of the concrete minimizes the potential for thermal cracking. The temperature difference is the difference between the temperature measured at the center or hottest portion of the concrete and the surface.

The thermal gradient between the center portion and the surface creates tensile stresses in the concrete. Essentially, the interior portion is expanding relative to the surface. This differential expansion creates tensile stresses. When the tensile stresses exceed the tensile strength of the concrete, cracking occurs. The depth and severity of the cracking depends primarily on the magnitude of the thermal gradient.

The 35 degrees Fahrenheit maximum temperature difference is a historical value and may be conservative for today’s concrete’s and designs. Differences of 45 degrees Fahrenheit or even 55 degrees Fahrenheit may be sufficient to control thermal cracking. Increasing the maximum temperature difference can save time and money. The maximum temperature difference depends on many variables that control both the thermal stresses and tensile strength of the concrete. For these reasons, it is becoming common practice to use sophisticated computer-based thermal modeling to determine the maximum allowable temperature difference so the thermal stresses do not exceed the tensile strength of the concrete.

Temperature rise and predicting maximum temperatures

Factors such as type and amount of cementitious materials, concrete placing and ambient temperatures, size and volume to surface ratio of the concrete element control the temperature rise and maximum temperature in mass concrete. In general, only concrete elements where the minimum cross-sectional dimension equals or exceeds three feet have thermal concerns because smaller elements typically dissipate the generated hydration heat at a rate sufficient to limit temperatures to required levels. Thicker elements do not dissipate hydration heat at a fast enough rate and temperatures at the center of the pour can therefore build to levels that exceed specified levels.

Two methods commonly used to predict the maximum concrete temperature include an approximate “equivalent cement content” method and computer or thermal models.

With the approximate method, estimate the maximum temperature by adding 14 degrees Fahrenheit for every 100 pounds of cement per cubic yard to the concrete placing temperature. For Types F and C fly ashes and slag cement (50 percent replacement) use 50 percent, 80 percent and 90 percent of the equivalent cement per cubic yard, respectively3 Essentially, this method assumes that these materials generate 50 percent, 80 percent and 90 percent of the heat as compared to cement.

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Jobsite Best Practices Thermal control

mixes in the laboratory to establish fresh and hardened concrete properties. Perform field tests by casting blocks to represent the mass concrete elements and measure internal and surface temperatures. Also, use the test blocks to evaluate the proposed concrete placing techniques and the post-cooling plan. Be sure the measured temperatures comply with the specified temperature limits. If not, revise the thermal control plan.

Reduce concrete placement temperature – ACI 301 does not specify a maximum concrete placement temperature for mass concrete but specifiers commonly use 50 degrees Fahrenheit and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. As illustrated in the example calculations for estimating the maximum concrete temperature, the maximum concrete temperature is a function of the placement temperature. If the placing temperature had been 50 degrees

Methods to control the concrete temperature and temperature difference include: Concrete mixture - Limit the quantity of cement to the smallest amount possible and replace cement with slower setting supplementary cementitious materials (SCM) such as Class F fly ash and slag cement. Use cement with moderate to low heat of hydration properties. Do not use Type III or HE (high-early strength) cements and chemical accelerators.

If available, use low thermal expansion aggregates such as granite, limestone or basalt. Slowing the rate of heat generation also slows the rate of strength gain. Therefore, propose a 42- or 56-day compressive strength for concrete acceptance in lieu of the standard 28-day strength.

Work with the concrete supplier to develop an economical and lowheat generating concrete. Run trial

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Place temperature sensors at center of the mass concrete and at a depth of two inches from the center of nearest exterior surface.

Take readings every hour and compare concrete temperature and temperature difference to specified maximum limits every 12 hours.

Fahrenheit in the example, then the estimated maximum concrete temperature would have been 121 degrees Fahrenheit. In general, every degree of pre-cooling reduces the maximum concrete temperature by approximately one degree. Precooling or reducing the concrete’s placing temperature can reduce both the concrete temperature and temperature difference.

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Pre-cooling - Means to pre-cool concrete include shading and sprinkling the coarse aggregate pile with water, using chilled mix water, replacing mix water with shaved or chipped ice and injecting either the mix water or fresh concrete with liquid nitrogen. In general, pre-cooling the aggregates by 2 degrees Fahrenheit will cool the fresh concrete by about 1 degrees Fahrenheit. Direct and evaporative cooling lowers the aggregate temperature. Temperatures within about 2 degrees Fahrenheit of the wet bulb temperature can be achieved by blowing air through the moist coarse aggregates.

Reducing the mix water temperature by 4 degrees Fahrenheit will cool fresh concrete by approximately 1 degrees Fahrenheit with a maximum temperature reduction of about 10 degrees Fahrenheit. Substituting shaved or chipped ice for mix water (up to about 75 percent) can reduce

the fresh concrete temperature up to about 20 degrees Fahrenheit. Of course, the amount of pre-cooling will depend on the amount of mix water available for ice substitution.

When the specifications limit the concrete placement temperature to 50 degrees Fahrenheit or more than a 20 degrees Fahrenheit concrete pre-cooling is required, consider using liquid nitrogen. With an injection temperature of -326 degrees Fahrenheit, fresh concrete temperatures as low as 35 degrees Fahrenheit are achievable.

Post-cooling - Use insulation to control the maximum temperature difference between the center and the surface of the mass concrete. Slowing the rate of heat dissipation from the surface reduces the temperature difference and the potential for thermal cracking. Of course, reducing the cooling rate of the concrete may cause construction delays. Wet curing is risky because the thermal

Heat removal by cooling pipes depends on location, size and spacing, flow rate and temperature of the chilled water. Cooling pipes must be pressure grouted after the cooling period ends. shock from applying cool water to hot surfaces may cause rapid cooling of the surface and cracking.

To control both the concrete temperature and temperature difference, consider using preinstalled cooling pipes. Cooling pipes remove heat from the interior of the concrete and

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Jobsite Best Practices can reduce both the maximum concrete temperature and temperature difference. Cooling pipes may also significantly reduce the amount of time for the concrete to cool and accelerate the construction process.

Thermal modeling

As part of the thermal plan, consider using computer-based thermal modeling to estimate the maximum concrete temperature and temperature differences. In addition, modeling can evaluate and optimize the pour size (lift or block size), placement schedules (time intervals between placements) and temperature control plan to minimize the risk of thermal cracking. Computer modeling is a quick and efficient way to evaluate the different options available for controlling temperatures and thermal cracking. In most cases, the cost of the modeling is insignificant to the potential savings from optimizing the thermal control plan.

Use thermal modeling to estimate both center and surface temperatures vs. time. Comparing temperatures vs. time charts yield the maximum temperature difference between center and surface of concrete.

References 1. ACI 207.1R-05 (2012) Guide to Mass Concrete, American Concrete Institute, www.concrete.org 2. ACI 301-10 Specifications for Structural Concrete, American Concrete Institute, www.concrete.org 3. Gajda, John, Mass Concrete for Buildings and Bridges, Portland cement

Association, 2007, www.cement.org For additional information: ACI 207.1R-05 Guide to Mass Concrete ACI 207.4R-05 (2012) Cooling and Insulating Systems for Mass Concrete ACI 207.2R-07 Report on Thermal and Volume Change Effects on Cracking of Mass Concrete Kim Basham is president of KB Engineering LLC, which provides engineering and scientific services to the concrete industry. Basham also teaches seminars and workshops dealing with all aspects of concrete technology, construction and troubleshooting.

He can be reached via e-mail at KBasham@ KBEngLLC.com.

L. J. Mott, PE, is president of GES Tech Group, Inc., which provides general mechanical, structural, civil, and forensic engineering services to a wide variety of clients and industries. Mott is an expert in advance finite element modeling, specializing in non-linear static and dynamic mechanics and transient thermodynamics. He can be reached via email at gestech@gestech.net.

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MAINTENANCE MATTERS

are none, water is all that is needed to remove the surface contamination. In the cases of oil or other spills, a neutral detergent can be used to emulsify the spill but only in these areas should a detergent be used. The soap that is chosen for these ‘spot’ treatments cannot be acidic in any way, as any acid introduced to polished concrete will etch/damage the polish.

Quarterly or semi-annually the polished concrete floor should be treated with a diamond pad and chemical formulated for polished concrete floor care. Manufacturers of these products abound and the contractor has many choices for what to buy. A general description of the maintenance systems offered specifically for polished concrete will consist of a diamond powder impregnated pad and a hardening/ cleaning chemical. The diamond pads look like any common buffing pad

16

that is used on an auto-scrubber. The difference is, the pad will have a resin and diamond powder mixture on the surface of the pad. The diamond powder that is present will be effective in buffing the polished concrete to keep it looking good and mechanically sound to combat the traffic. The chemical will usually be in liquid concentrated form which is then added to the auto-scrubber solution tank. Work execution is done by using the solution of water and concentrate fed through the auto-scrubber to the diamond pads. The process will look like a standard floor cleaning. The combination of the chemical and diamond pads scrubbing the floor will yield a rejuvenated polished surface that looks great and is also denser. Some may think this could be an expensive proposition, but most systems on the market today cost around $.05 per square foot to use (cost of diamond pad and

chemical). If done on a semi-annual basis, the building owner will have a floor maintenance cost of $.10 per square foot to keep their polished concrete floors looking great for years to come.

Where does the contractor come into the equation and how does he or she make money from this opportunity? You, as the contractor, are the best person to offer the products that are best suited for the after-care of the polished concrete.

The special needs of polished concrete to maintain its brilliance and strength are not common knowledge for the janitorial industry. There is no one better than the expert that performed the polishing to advise the customer about the best way to maintain their polished concrete floor.

A contractor can easily expand his or her profit channels by offering this value added service to their existing and past client portfolio. â—?

Polishing Contractor | Fall 2014 | www.PolishingContractor.com

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Given that polished concrete floors are expected to handle traffic but inherently unable to defend against common contamination, prevention and remediation are the only way to ensure the polished concrete retains its hardened polish surface.

Prevention The introduction of contamination from consistently dirty areas such as parking lots (asphalt, concrete, gravel or dirt) can be greatly reduced by the use of devices that clean both foot and wheeled traffic and the majority of debris picked up by them. A walk-off mat is an inexpensive and passive way of actively cleaning shoes and wheels of contamination brought from a parking lot. The strategic placement at every single entry point ensures that most dirt and debris will be caught by these walk-off mats. As traffic from outside passes over the mat, the

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materials used to make the mat attract and retain the dirt and sand instead of letting the contamination pass to the area of polished concrete. The key to successfully employing the use of walk-off mats is the regular cleaning and replacement of them based upon the quantity of traffic over a given period of time. As the mats collect debris, they will eventually become full of this contamination that must be removed by vacuuming or mat replacement. If walk-off mats are not maintained, then they themselves can become the source of sand and grit introduction. Any reputable janitorial service can give recommendations about walk-off mat types and the replacement schedule based upon the facilities traffic load.

Remediation While walk-off mats are good for stopping the majority of debris from coming in contact with the polished

surface, there will always be a percentage that makes its way to the polished concrete. Daily maintenance is best performed through the use of an auto-scrubber. The common autoscrubber should be sized appropriately for the area it is intended to clean to save on labor to perform the cleaning. The auto-scrubber should be a rotary style machine and not a cylindrical design.

Rotary style are the most common and depending on size will have one or two mono-rotational heads or discs that carry a buffing or scrubbing pad. Regardless of the manufacturer, the appropriate cleaning pads for cleaning a polished concrete floor should be white in color or carry a name like Buff or Polish.

Buff or Polish denotes the pad is nonabrasive and only used to remove light contamination with water.

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www.PolishingContractor.com | FALL 2014 | Polishing Contractor

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MAINTENANCE MATTERS

BY RICH MITCHELL, CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Opportunity Knocks with Maintenance Services As a polished concrete contractor, expanding your product offerings to include maintenance after the floor is complete can boost your business.

T

here is money to be made as a contractor by supplying the maintenance of polished concrete after the initial project is complete. While the concept of maintaining a polished floor may not seem as attractive as doing the work itself, a steady concession from maintenance products is good for a contractor’s revenue flow. This will maintain the relationship with the enduser and keep your final work looking great for years to come.

Much like a car needs regular maintenance to function on a daily basis, so do polished concrete floors. If the most expensive vehicles were left to run without oil, coolant or transmission fluid, it wouldn’t be long before the operation of the car was impaired or stopped altogether. Polished concrete is no different!

The allure of polished concrete has always been its ability to save a building owner money. A polished concrete floor maintenance costs’ are far lower than traditional floor coverings and never needs to be ripped out and replaced as compared to traditional floor coverings.

The polished concrete does require some maintenance. That is an opportunity for a polishing contractor to continue making money from his or her past clients.

Polished concrete floors, like any other floor covering, will become dirty as a function of its intended use.

Polished concrete’s daily intended use is accommodating traffic; foot or wheeled. As the surface becomes dirty with different contaminants, like dirt and sand particles, the traffic will then become the “machine” that

14

» Above: Pictured here is a concrete floor prior to being cleaned.

Inset: Here is the gloss meter reading prior to the floor being cleaned.

» Above: Pictured here is the same concrete floor after being cleaned and maintained.

Inset: Pictured here is the final gloss reading after the floor had been refurbished.

moves these contaminants across the polished surface. This movement causes mechanical abrasion by the particles being trapped between the traffic (foot traffic or wheeled traffic) and the polished surface. Consider the presence of sand particles being repeatedly dragged across a polish surface and you understand why a polished concrete floor will lose its shine. Another example would be a shopping cart loaded with 50

pounds of groceries, having hard rubber wheels and being rolled across a floor covered by particles of sand or grit. The origin of the sand or grit will vary but the most likely place it was transported from would be the parking lot outside the store or the cart-corral. Having this action take place daily (in some cases 24/7) it will not be long until the densest, most polished concrete begins to exhibit signs of wear and loss of shine.

Polishing Contractor | Fall 2014 | www.PolishingContractor.com

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www.PolishingContractor.com | FALL 2014 | Polishing Contractor

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EQUIPMENT

» Pictured above, typically these machines work with “free” planetary heads underneath them. These machines use a water tank to actually add addtional weight and the use of water on the steps needed.

concrete floor back to life.

Each machine is not actually the same.

New machines, tooling and the process have been adapted to handle the harsher environments and are able to respond to what the contractors have requested.

Typically these machines weigh around 300 to 400 pounds and are not planetary but work with “free” planetary heads underneath them. Think of a burnisher on steroids. In the picture above you can see that these machines use a water tank to actually add additional weight and the use of water on the steps needed.

During the actual process a floor undergoes a test section to actually determine what steps/diamond tooling will be needed to bring the floor back.

Typically most larger retailers want

12

gloss values between 35 to 45 and the newer qualification on DOI (Distinction of Image). All of this is taken PRIOR to any protective treatment that is used to create a false look/reading.

As stated, these machines will not replace the use of a 1,000 pound machine or the tooling that they use. Typically the best tooling used is on a flexible pad that allows the lighter weight machines to actually follow the surface and hit all “peaks and valleys” and provide constant contact with the floor. As with any surface that you are processing, each chemical manufacturer recommends to re-densify the surface properly and according to manufacturer’s instructions.

Read the floor and apply to rejection on any densifier you use.

» Pictured above, a completed polished concrete floor after the re-enhancement process.

Once the surface has been “re-enhanced” to meet the owner’s expectations, the use of a protective treatment will ensure that your floor will once again gain the durability look your owners, architects, and consultants will accept.

In closing, not all machines are the same and you will need to work with your machine manufacturer to determine what equipment will work for you and your company. The right choice on tooling will ensure your efforts are rewarded. Don’t go at it alone, there are many resources in the field, pick yours and work with them as they are there to help.

Happy enhancing!!!! ●

Polishing Contractor | Fall 2014 | www.PolishingContractor.com

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applicators and support, guidelines have been worked on to actually define the grinding, honing and polishing process. Manufacturers that lead the industry, SASE Company, Ameripolish, Metzger Mcguire, PROSOCO, Inc. and others have worked with the CPAA (Concrete Polishing Association of America) and with multiple committees on ACI (American Concrete Institute) — which is the go to entity on concrete in our industry (302, 310 and their respective sub committees). As with most guidelines, manufacturers still work to train and educate each applicator/artisan to actually learn to read each floor since each floor is different and processed differently. SASE Company Inc., National Sales Manager, Marcus Turek states that as the industry evolves, the diamond tooling changes, “We currently have multiple hardness bonds of diamond tooling on our shelves to help serve the contractor. This is due to the way concrete floors are processed today, some extremely hard and others extremely soft and we need to be able to respond.”

Many machine manufacturers that serve our industry have responded and have come out with machines that are light weight, durable and contain the right diamond tooling to help address the need for bringing a polished

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www.PolishingContractor.com | FALL 2014 | Polishing Contractor

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EQUIPMENT

BY JOE REARDON, CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Advancement for Enhancement of Your Polished Floor Proper equipment, proper tooling and a complete re-enhancement system can bring your polished concrete floor back to its’ former glory.

I

recently returned from a trip and noticed one thing that has not changed in hundreds of years, re-enhancement of every type of building, surface and everything in between. When applying this to our industry it reminds us that each and every floor out there needs some sort of “face lift” or beatification in order for it to last the test of time.

Let’s first start with the “why” would this be needed in today’s industry?

Since the emergence of finished concrete floors, the industry has taken a turn for the better by offering proper education on the actual process of polishing concrete to the maintenance procedures that are now being recommended. All

» Pictured above is a polished concrete floor that is in need of some enhancement.

10

surfaces, not just concrete surfaces, take abuse every single day. In some cases they take extreme abuse due to their simple location. We’ve all seen the salt attack on a concrete floor in the entry areas of buildings or the abuse of a store next to the beach.

To bring this into simple perspective: Without proper walk off mats: • 1,000’s of people and their carts, strollers and shoes will track into an entry area 1.2 pounds of dirt and abrasives per day.

• On wet days this increases to 3.6 pounds of dirt and abrasives.

• 1,000’s of people will remove up to 42 percent of the floor finish per year.

• Abrasives are the major cause of floor wear in our industry.

The industry has taken the proper steps to help educate owners, architects and themselves on how to actually extend the life of a concrete surface. In

» Pictured is the PDG 8000 from SASE. These lighter weight machines will work the surface of a properly polished surface

order for the “enhancement” process to work, the finished concrete floor needs to be properly processed in the beginning.

According to SASE Company’s Vice President of Sales, Greg Ferchaud, “These lighter weight machines are here to work the surface of a properly diamond ground and polished surface using heavy planetary machines with the proper diamond tooling on them. They will not replace these machines or the work they do.”

There have been a lot of advancements in diamond tooling and the way that floors are processed, some with just marketing behind them and others that have been proven through time. Today, with the growing number of manufacturers,

Polishing Contractor | Fall 2014 | www.PolishingContractor.com

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challenging floors we’ve ever done. And I now have a job site where I can use it as an example of our work to show prospective customers.”

Perfect is now starting to bid and be awarded projects he’s been trying to get for six years. He cites job experience, networking with his peers and making a commitment to a specific polishing system, producing consistent results each time as keys to his success.

“One of my rituals is to try to visit all of my floors to make sure they are holding up,” he says. “It’s part of my commitment to the job and to my customer. Too many guys do the job and leave. I can’t do that. It’s really a concept I learned from Husqvarna, once you put a brand name to a product or service, to an architect, a designer or a future client — they want to see something proven, something that works. Our polished concrete floors are the proof.” ●

» The polished concrete floor at Clarke Environmental was one of the most challenging floors Steve Perfect and his crew have ever done.

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www.PolishingContractor.com | FALL 2014 | Polishing Contractor

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COVER STORY

into the ventilation system. Perfect’s crew would wrap up every day’s shift an hour early to afford time for daily vacuuming of recently ground areas.

As any polisher should know, concrete dust disposal is expensive and due to its weight, can’t be excessively dumped into a dumpster. Past experience however, allowed Perfect to utilize a recycling process he learned on a previous job.

“Concrete slurry is easily recycled at concrete plants, but when the concrete dust is still in its dry form, it makes transportation and containment difficult, no concrete facility will take the dust in dry form” explains Perfect “We ended up ordering slurry dumpsters and disposed of the dust into the dumpster, mixed it with water to turned it into a concrete slurry.”

The slurry was later transported to a concrete plant and will be used as extra filler for future orders of concrete.

By the end of the project, Perfect filled four slurry dumpsters and scale tickets showed 41,840 pounds of concrete slurry were recycled. That’s 41,840 pounds kept out of the landfills and put back into the concrete circulation.

As with any profession, not all contractors are created equal nor are they as environmentally conscious. Perfect acknowledges that by adding water to the concrete dust, a toxic material is created. He also recognizes the availability of products to eliminate the toxins created when dust and water meet. However, he says safely converting to a slurry in a contained dumpster keeps the material from being put into the environment.

“Not all contractors use the products available to handle slurry. Most contractors simply dispose of the concrete dust into plastic bags and take them to a landfill. But what happens when it rains? What happens when you dump a

load of garbage with a variety of materials in it and the bag gets punctured? This scenario is exactly what we’re trying to avoid.”

“In our case, we have the dust contained and then recycled,” he says.

“We’ve been able to recycle over 100,000 pounds of concrete dust on recent projects .”

Perfect CC Midwest, Inc will be performing this recycling process on all of his future jobs. For smaller projects which don’t justify their own disposal unit, the dust will be stored at his shop until it can be recycled with a full slurry dumpster.

A sense of pride Growing up in St. Charles, Ill., a suburb of Chicago, Perfect takes a great deal of pride in this project. “This is my hometown, and one of the most prestigious floors I’ve ever installed is here. This was one of the most

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You wouldn’t want to hold on to a buckin’ bronco for 20 feet let alone 20,000 feet, but that’s what most operators do—and they do it day in and day out. It’s crazy.

Most floor grinders today have inefficient designs when it comes to demolition and surface prep that put almost as much force against the operator as they do against the grinding head on the floor. You end up having to lean against the machine every step of the way, and your muscles and joints absorb a lot of vibration.

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Scanmaskin floor grinders are designed to put more torque on the floor, not your hip. You can calmly push the machine along—almost as easy as pushing a shopping cart—and you don’t have to grit your teeth or break a sweat to do it.

Scanmaskin machines couple their great engineering design with a durable all-steel construction—right down to the dust shroud.

There’s no fiberglass or plastic, so there’s no dents, chips, or cracks that you have to patch up with duct tape. You get better vibration control, better dust collection, and a safer work environment.

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These machines are designed to WORK, not to be worked on. Just plug it in, push the start button, and get to work. Enjoy less downtime, fewer stoppages, and reduced maintenance costs.

Whether you perform concrete demo, surface prep, or polishing jobs, Scanmaskin floor grinders can handle it all. From heavy remote-controlled units for your biggest commercial jobs to small, versatile edge grinders that get incredibly close to the vertical surface, you can find the right Scanmaskin grinder for any job!

8/18/14 3:59 PM

COVER STORY

» For the duration of the project, hundreds of dust extractor bags were accumulated outside the facility. The dust bags were eventually transferred to a slurry dumpster before being recycled at a concrete plant.

specifications ensures a consistent and efficient way to perform the job.

“The specification tells the contractor exactly what they are to do. The specification calls for the necessary grout coat, crack fill, joint fill and the type of densification. These are all things that make the polished concrete last longer. And these are also some steps in the process which some contractors skip.”

The only aspect of the specification where Perfect offers an option to his customer is the gloss level.

“I’m making sure the floor is going to last. This is what I learned from the Husqvarna system,” he says. “This is why I feel choosing a specification is vitally important. If you don’t fill a joint or have it cut flush, dirt will get in there and eventually cause the concrete to crack. Or, the open gap will become a chipping point for the traffic within the building. A proper specification avoids these potential problems in the future.”

The challenge Perfect started the job with the demolition for the carpet. “We prefer to handle the demolition and removal of the floor before we polish it,” he says. “By personally removing the prior

6

flooring, we can do everything in our power to keep the substrate as ‘in-tact’ as possible.”

As with most of the re-construction projects Perfect picks up, recycling is always a key component. Once the flooring was removed and floor preparation was finished, 23,000 square feet of carpet, cut to size, was delivered to Kruse Carpet Recycling in Indianapolis, Ind. “We successfully submitted 8,120 pounds of carpet to the Interface Program. That’s 8,120 pounds we kept from the landfill,” he says.

Perfect and his crew were given the challenge to create a polished concrete floor with full aggregate exposure, a grout coat and a 3,000 grit final polish.

However, the excessively hard concrete had its own story to tell.

“The initial concrete was gorgeous even after scraping off wall-to-wall carpet and surface glue. However, there was a very irregular level in which the aggregate of the concrete sat. Some spots we could get full stone exposure at ¼ inch while others were over 3/4 inch, making it difficult to produce a flat, consistently full aggregate floor,” describes Perfect. “The stone was so uneven, this was probably the most difficult exposed aggregate we’ve ever come across.”

Five sets of Husqvarna 16-grit Soft Softs’ achieved the exposure before transitioning to 30-grit Soft Softs’, utilizing 11 different diamond grits in the entire process. Perfect had one goal in mind, beat the other trades who would also be

working on site, to prevent any floor contamination. “We were looking to beat the drywall installers in order to save our edge worker the hassle of hand grinding the edge along the future walls.”

Time constraints and the schedules of other trades people prevented Perfect from grinding the entire floor before other trades people came to the site.

“The other trades quickly caught up to us, so we decided to keep moving with our 16-grit cut throughout to save serious edge work prior to wall installations.”

Perfect says, the decision to keep moving ahead of the other contractors on site turned out to be the best decision due to multiple trades contaminating the recently cut surface. The 30-grit metals were able to take out any “accidental” surface stains due to mud work or paint overspray. Additionally, Perfect had no choice but to have his crew hand grind the edges using Metabo angle hand grinders. “It wasn’t easy, but we needed to make sure we created an even and consistent floor. More so, the initial 16-grit cut we had finished prior reduced some of the edge work depth needed.”

Disposing of concrete dust With the heavy cuts on the floor being processed, there’s was a constant battle of excess dust on the floor the vacuums weren’t picking up in the grinding process. In the interest of trying to remain environmentally and health conscious, architect Serena was concerned about any remnant dust that could find its way

Polishing Contractor | Fall 2014 | www.PolishingContractor.com

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and the construction process was to be as environmentally friendly as possible.

During one of their first meetings, Perfect says the owners had indicated plans to run carpet throughout the entire building. “Of course, I had to ask, ‘If you want a sustainable floor, why don’t you want a polished concrete floor?’ ” That one question changed the scope of the job. “I had their attention. A polished concrete floor was not something the owners had considered other than a few small rooms prior. It was now up to me to sell them on the idea.”

The original sales call for this building involved polishing a mere 2,000 square feet for visual impact in specific areas. As one of the leads on the project, Perfect worked with architect, Marty Serena, Serena Sturm Architects, Ltd. In order to placate any concerns regarding natural slab color differences throughout the building, Perfect performed 12 mock ups throughout the building to demonstrate the beauty and continuity of color in a polished concrete floor.

Ultimately, Perfect received the job to polish 11,000 square feet of concrete.

A transparent spec produces quality

» Perfect CC Midwest was hired to complete a full stone exposure polished concrete floor at Clarke Environmental, a global environmental products and services company.

S

pend five minutes with Steve Perfect and one thing is clear, he is passionate about polished concrete. So when he received a call regarding a flooring project in a 20,000 square foot building, he knew it was a chance to demonstrate how a concrete floor can be sustainable and gorgeous.

Perfect is the owner of Perfect CC Midwest, Inc., Batavia, Ill. and he has been polishing concrete for the last six years. With every job prospect, he views it as an opportunity to be an advocate for polished concrete.

The job request came from Clarke Environmental, a global environmental products and services company, located in Roselle, Ill. which was in the process of relocating their headquarters. Considering the nature of the company’s business, the owners wanted a sustainable flooring solution

When polishing a floor, Perfect and his crew specialize in using only the Husqvarna HiPERFLOOR Concrete Polishing System. He says by choosing a specific polishing concrete system, a contractor is assuring their qualifications and transparency in the bidding process.

Furthermore, by adhering to a specific specification, the end result is a quality floor with quality craftsmanship.

“It’s interesting, when I started polishing concrete, I learned the craft through on-the-job experience and networking with other contractors,” he notes. “But I came to realize, I was taught to skip steps when polishing concrete. I was taught to perform the work differently than what I am doing now. I was taught to get the job done and get out.”

Perfect says the Husqvarna system doesn’t leave any room for skipping steps. He says following the

www.PolishingContractor.com | FALL 2014 | Polishing Contractor

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COVER STORY

BY RYAN OLSON, EDITOR

A Passion for

Polished Concrete Choosing a specific polishing concrete system and adhering to the specifications has allowed Perfect CC Midwest to flourish by producing a quality floor each and every time.

4

Polishing Contractor | Fall 2014 | www.PolishingContractor.com

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CONTENTS

FALL 2014

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COVER STORY

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4 A Passion

for Polished Concrete

Choosing a specific polishing concrete system and adhering to the specifications has allowed Perfect CC Midwest to flourish by producing a quality floor each and every time.

FEATURES 10

EQUIPMENT:

10

Advancement for Enhancement of Your Polished Floor

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MAINTENANCE MATTERS

Opportunity Knocks with Maintenance Services

As a polished concrete contractor, expanding your product offerings to include maintenance after the floor is complete can boost your business.

4

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OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS WITH MAINTENANCE SERVICES

PAGE 14

FLIP FOR CONCRETE CONTRACTOR

POLISHING CONTRACTOR FALL 2014

COVER STORY:

A PASSION FOR

POLISHED CONCRETE

Choosing a specific polishing concrete system and adhering to the specifications produces a quality floor each and every time.

EQUIPMENT: Advancement for Enhancement of Your Polished Floor PAGE 10

PAGE 4

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