Concrete Seen as Major Competitor to Wood
Concrete homes are rapidly gaining market share in residential construction. In recent years, the growth has been so rapid that the Wood Promotion Council recently identified cement-based wall systems as “wood’s greater substitution threat.” Printed in the October 26, 2004 edition of the council’s newsletter, the report also stated that due to strong demand, cement shortages are being reported in 29 states. Jim Niehoff, residential manager for the Portland Cement Association says, “I think this is a great testament to the effectiveness of the combined promotional efforts of the cement & concrete products industries. Obviously, the wood industry will be working hard to recover their lost market share, but with concrete wall systems clearly outperform wood in the areas of energy efficiency, disaster resistance and noise mitigation, it’s very difficult to imagine them slowing the transition away from woodframing.”
Don’t Forget Your Badge!
Talia J. Nelson, CFA Marketing & Member ServicesYou do it at the Home Builders Show, you do it at the World of Concrete, it’s time to show me that you can do it here too! This year’s Summer Meeting registration is going to be a little different, but nothing you can’t handle.
Upon registering for the event, your receipt will arrive in the mail as usual, but in addition you receive your name badges for attendees, spouses, and guests. Then, when you show up for registration at the Opening Tradeshow & Reception, all you have to do is present your name badge at the registration desk, pick up the badge holder and lanyard, and that’s it. This system will definitely cut back on waiting in line and more time to peruse the exhibits and talk concrete.
It is crucial that you bring your name badge to the Summer Meeting, but also make sure that you have it with you when attending the seminars, luncheons and the Opening Tradeshow & Reception. Your badge is your ticket through the doors.
Registration is $375 ($475 after June 10) for members and $475 ($575 after June 10) for nonmembers. Registration for spouses and guests is $175, which covers only the cost of meals. So even if your wife or husband does not plan to attend the educational seminars but wants to attend the reception and meals, they must register.
To register for the Summer Meeting, complete the form on page #, visit www.cfawalls.org to register on our secure website, or call 866- CFA-WALL (232-9255).
CFA Members Hone Presentation Skills for Foundation Seminar
The National Homebuilders Show, with the assistance of CFA members, has introduced a seminar on residential cast-in-place foundations to educate builders on the details of building basements. It has been presented in Kalamazoo, MI and Minneapolis, MN and is currently undergoing final review.
The next step in the delivery of the seminar is developing a pool of trained presenters for the program. In order to deliver the NAHB program, presenters must undergo a daylong training program, “Train the Trainer,” and successfully complete this half-day foundation seminar. Culminating with recently completed seminars in Minneapolis, the CFA has seventeen qualified presenters from several regions of the US.
The NAHB-sponsored daylong “Train the Trainer” course covered basic principals of learning and presenting and included interactive exercises and concluded with a critiqued five-minute presentation. In addition to the Minneapolis meeting, members completed the course in January at the Home Builder’s Show and the World of Concrete.
The foundation course has segments on soil, excavation, footings, foundation walls, waterproofing, and troubleshooting. It will be listed in the NAHB Catalog of seminars offered through local HBA’s for the education of their members. Make sure you ask your local HBA if they would consider offering the course.
Building Concrete Homes With Removable Forms
Building homes with removable forms is just one of several concrete wall building systems. But there are advantages to building homes this way. For home builders, removable form construction is fast, saving as much as 30 days on the construction of an average home. In Mexico, which is increasingly using removable form construction, houses can be completed in as little as 17 days. Safety is important to homeowners, too: Removable form homes can be engineered to withstand 240-mph winds.
One unique advantage for homes with basements is that a room can be added under an attached garage slab for the same cost as any other room in the home. This can add a significant amount of space, and because there are usually no windows, it makes a good safe room for a family during severe weather.
Planning and organization are especially important for this type of construction, not only for the concrete work but for other trades as well. During the forming operation, wall insulation and rough electrical are also installed. When decks (ceilings) are being formed, workers locate and install all the block-outs needed for plumbing and HVAC. This eliminates the need for other trades to cut holes in walls and floors before they perform the skills they are really hired for.
Florida leads the rest of the United States in concrete home construction today. Removable form homes built there are mostly slab-on-grade construction with only the exterior walls being concrete. Interior walls are either steel or wood frame construction. Removable form homes built in other parts of the country often include both interior and exterior walls, and the deck. When there is more than one floor, stairs can be formed for concrete also. Workers set forms and place concrete for entire floor levels of a home at a time.
ENGINEERING REQUIREMENTS
The walls for concrete homes must all be engineered and approved. Brent Anderson, of Brent Anderson Associates, Findley, Minn., provides the engineering for many concrete home builders. He emphasizes the importance of starting construction on engineered structural slabs. The connection between slabs and walls is an important consideration.
When construction includes decks, Anderson says the resulting rigid frame adds enormous strength gains for a home to resist natural forces. Long spans without support involve the addition of c o n c r e t e beams which also require engineered specifications.
Generally speaking , codes for exterior abovegrade home wall construction require 6-inch-thick concrete. Below grade walls must be 6 inches thick also. Above grade walls for all-concrete homes are 4 inches thick with 6-inch-thick decks. To date Anderson’s longest span for a home is 26 feet, using an 18-inch-deep beam. Beam profiles depend on the length of span and the load on the deck.
ABOUT THE FORMS
Forming systems for this type of construction are usually made from aluminum. Unlike typical foundation forms, they leave a very thin seam between panels, and the finished wall surfaces are very flat and smooth. One manufacturer even adds a gasket to its form to ensure a tight joint. Forms are constructed to handle maximum lateral concrete pressures with very little deflection. There are different types of forms.
• Wall panels 2 or 3 feet wide can be carried by one worker or joined together as crane-handled gang forms.
• Ledger forms, which provide the connection between wall panels and deck panels, can be formed with crown molding shapes or standard 90º angles.
• Deck panels for forming ceilings are held in position by specialized jack post shores and beams.
• Window and door bucks can be either aluminum or wood.
• Stairway forms attach to wall panels and are filled with concrete as the wall panels are being filled. During construction, workers use them as stairs to climb to the next floor level.
HOW THE PROCESS WORKS
John Childs is a partner of Poured Concrete Walls of Florida, building homes along the east Florida coastline. Most of these homes feature exterior wall construction. He also owns Secure Structures in Kansas City, where home construction includes interior and exterior walls, and decks. Not all the interior walls are constructed with concrete. Typically short walls to frame closets or shower stalls are built with wood or steel.
Whether a concrete home is all concrete or just the exterior walls are, the beginning steps are the same. Forms are set on top of structural floor slabs. This is true for either slab-on-grade foundations or for homes with basements. It’s important to construct these slabs flat, level, and laid out properly—corners must meet at right angles.
Workers set exterior forms first, starting at a corner. Styrofoam insulation is placed against the forms—2 inches thick for Florida conditions, 2 inches thick for below grade applications, and 4 inches thick for freeze/thaw climates. Childs installs a product that resists rodent and ant infestations. The next step involves locating windows and doors and cutting the insulation out so that bulkheads can be inserted. Placing steel reinforcement is next. It is typically 1⁄2-inch-diameter rebar placed every 12 to 16 inches in both directions, depending on engineering requirements. The last step involves installing the rough electrical and setting the inside form—usually at the same time. Electrical boxes are clamped to the form so that they can’t move during concrete placement. Conduits extend to the top of walls for horizontal connections below the roof.
For homes with concrete decks, ledger forms are connected to the top of the inside wall forms. Deck forms are then connected to the ledgers to complete the forming system. When decks are incorporated, the system ensures that all corners will meet at 90 degrees (rooms will be square), walls will be plumb, and decks will be level. When the deck forms are in place, workers install block-outs for plumbing and HVAC, and place rebar.
PLACING CONCRETE
In Florida, where 6-inch-thick exterior concrete walls are standard, 3000-psi concrete mixes using 3⁄4-inch aggregate are used. But in Kansas, where 4-inch-thick concrete walls are common, Childs uses a self-consolidating concrete mix (SCC), enabling him to reduce his placement crew to two workers. The 4000-psi concrete mix design uses 3⁄8-inch top-sized aggregate with 5% to 6% air entrainment added (aluminum forms are more easily removed from air-entrained concrete). Concrete can be placed as fast as it can be pumped, and the SCC produces very smooth finishes with few bug holes. He adds that there is good consolidation around reinforcement, and areas under window bulkheads, difficult to fill with concrete, are no longer problems.
Workers can remove wall forms on the morning after concrete placement. Deck forms are frequently removed the next day also, leaving shoring beams and shoring in place until the concrete reaches self-supporting strengths, typically after seven days.
WALL FINISHES
When the insulation is placed in the center of a concrete wall, it’s possible to provide finished surfaces for both the inside and outside wall surfaces. This can save money and construction time. Formliners can be inserted against exterior forms to provide a wide range of masonry unit or other unique finishes that can reduce both project time and cost. Drywall isn’t needed for inside wall areas. Drywall taping compound is often used to smooth imperfections on inside walls before painting them. “Knock down” finishes are another popular wall finish.
When the insulation for a wall is placed against the outside of the exterior form, it must be covered with a finished surface. Any finish for covering a wood structure can also be used for insulated concrete walls. This includes vinyl siding, wood siding, brick and brick veneer products, stone, stucco, or decorative polymer cement finishes, and Exterior Insulation and Finish Systems (EIFS). Childs often uses EIFS finishes because they are easy and fast to install on a Styrofoam backing, and they are cost-effective.
CHANGING VIEWPOINTS
These forming systems are expensive, and concrete contractors who own them must keep them busy. They seek builders who are willing to build concrete homes. Builders are willing to build concrete homes but need owners who want to buy them. That’s not an issue in Florida where 80% of all new home construction is cementitious, but other regions in the country are much slower to pick up on the trend. Once purchased, contractors can expect form lives of 3000 uses.
Contractor experience has much to do with the cost of building removable form housing. Experienced contractors quickly learn how to increase their productivity, so their homes cost less. Still, average costs can be 10% more for an all-concrete home compared with a wood-frame construction. But it’s a mistake to market greater value and quality against products that offer less—the problem is to market the value.
Removable form construction is the most productive in cost and time where there is repetitive use
Tall Order for Pumping Equipment
PUTZMEISTER PUMPS TO ASSIST IN CONSTRUCTION OF WORLD’S HIGHEST TOWER
Jonathan Omer,
Putzmeister, Sturtevant, WI
Putzmeister AG was recently awarded a contract with Universal Concrete Products, Ltd. Co. (UNIMIX) L.L.C. to assist in the construction of the tallest tower in the world – the Burj Dubai. Commencing this spring, Putzmeister pumping equipment will be instrumental in the high-rise placement of concrete for this prestigious project.
Originally, UNIMIX was sub-contracted to produce, supply, pump and place all of the estimated 327,000 cubic yards (250,000m3) of concrete for the tower. With the signing of the recent contract, UNIMIX will now undertake this over 1970-ft (600m) tall project in partnership with Putzmeister.
The two companies already have a long-standing history of successful projects completed together in Dubai. Large-scale projects completed through their joint efforts include the construction of the seven-star hotel Burj El Arab, the Emirate Towers, the Shangri-La Hotel and The Tower.
With its impressive height, the Burj Dubai is viewed as the focal point of downtown Dubai’s Development Design. The lofty vertical city tower will offer upscale commercial space, elegant cuisine and trendy entertainment establishments on the lower levels and extremely plush and luxurious residential accommodations on the upper floors.
At its anticipated height upon completion, the Burj Dubai will be about 300-ft taller than any existing structure or building under construction today. It will dwarf other structures in terms of technical accomplishment and design excellence.
During construction of the building’s infrastructure, the Putzmeister concrete pumps are expected to reach astounding delivery heights. Experts are therefore expecting that the world record in concrete highrise pumping will be broken at this spectacular building site. Construction of the building’s infrastructure will take approximately 36 months, and total construction costs for the project are estimated at over $8 billion.
The general contractor for construction of the high-rise complex is a joint venture comprising Samsung Corporation (South Korea), BESIX (Belgium) and Arabtec, a local construction company. Architectural design and planning will be provided by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and Turner Construction International will manage the tower’s construction. The property developer financing the Burj Dubai Tower is Emaar Properties (Dubai).
The field of concrete building construction is rapidly changing, and its limits are constantly being tested and stretched. Obviously, to place concrete at such extreme heights, pumping must play a major role. Manufacturers are continually advancing technology to perform these high-reach concrete placement projects with greater efficiency. Technical aspects about the concrete delivery and equipment performance will be reported in more detail when the project commences.
Balmer Brothers Win CFA Basement of the Year Again
Jerry Balmer, President of Balmer Brothers Concrete Works, Inc. in Akron, Pennsylvania, knows what it’s like to build a basement from hell – he’s done it before. In 2000, Balmer Brothers was voted the winner of the Basement of the Year for their 29,000 square foot basement, which was complex as well as mammoth. This year’s winner was even bigger! This home in Gladwyne, Pennsylvania expanded over 34,000 square feet, which did not include the ninestall car garage.
Having worked on projects over 10,000 square feet numerous times before, Balmer Brothers is not a rookie at tackling complex foundations, and thus was selected for this project because of their reputation and experience. The winning structure boasts 2,210 linear feet of wall. Many of the walls were curved with curved window bucks and wells along with piers and offsets that were tangent to the curves.
“The curves, the various heights and the vast amount of steel, hundreds of fillers and vice grips, and miscellaneous equipment all made this foundation challenging,” explained Balmer.
Balmer Brothers continuously works hard to stay a step above the rest and the best way to do that is one foot at a time. For the project, the crew poured approximately 967 yards of concrete for the walls and concrete footings.
“Since it was a labor extensive job, we took it piece by piece and compared the cost to past jobs,” stated Balmer. However, this is one basement from hell that is not complete. Balmer Brothers will return to the project to pour the garden and terrace walls, the waterway for a moat – that’s right, a moat – and another three-stall car garage. What started as two brothers pouring sidewalks and curbs in the summer months in 1973 has become a successful company who has found a niche in upscale large, unique and complex foundations in the Philadelphia area.
The recipient of the Basement of the Year competition is selected by a peer vote during the annual World of Concrete. This project by Balmer Brothers was chosen from among six projects that met the criteria for judging. Contractors from across the country cast their votes in the CFA’s booth. The formal award presentation will be made at the Awards Banquet Luncheon during the CFA’s Annual Summer Meeting at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in San Francisco, California.
Balmer Brothers has been a member of the CFA since 1978, and Jerry Balmer was on the Board of Directors in the 1980’s. The CFA was established in 1974 for the purpose of improving the quality and acceptance of cast-in-place concrete foundations. The CFA works to improve member businesses and the industry through education, information, interaction and promotion of fair standards and business practices. The CFA provides promotional materials, educational seminars, networking opportunities, and technical meetings in 26 states and Canada. For more information about the CFA, please visit www.cfawalls.org or contact Talia J. Nelson at 866-232-9255.
Bontrager Concrete Specialties, Inc Named Contractor of the Year
Bontrager Concrete Specialties, Inc. of Nappanee, Indiana was named Contractor of the Year by the Concrete Foundations Association (CFA) based in Mount Vernon, Iowa. The Contractor of the Year Award recognizes an individual or company who exemplifies the ideals, goals, and standards of the CFA, a voluntary nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of the poured wall industry.
The award credits the Bontragers’ contributions to the industry through example, leadership, and performance. Bontrager Concrete Specialties, Inc. has been a member of the CFA for 15 years, and regularly submits projects in the Basement of the Year contest, which works to improve the quality of concrete walls and foundations as well as educate the industry about the accomplishments of using cast-in-place concrete construction.
The Bontragers are also leaders in their area. Bontrager Concrete specializes in foundations, flatwork, and waterproofing. Their family, starting with their father, has provided services to builders of the Nappanee and surrounding areas since 1965. Duane and Kevin officially took over the business in 1986, and their projects currently average 2,300 –2,500 square feet with some commercial work. Duane prides their company in giving that personal contact needed for a successful project.
“No matter how big or small, Kevin and I talk with the client and visit the jobsite,” stated Duane. “We are more concerned with quality than quantity.”
A formal award presentation will be made at the Awards Banquet Luncheon during the CFA’s Annual Summer Meeting at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in San Francisco, California. For more information about the CFA, please visit www.cfawalls.org or contact Talia Nelson at 866-CFA-WALL (232-9255).
CFA’s First Regional Meeting
It is hard to turn away from a recipe that works, but that is what we did for the recent Spring Board /Foundation Fundamentals program.
Brent Anderson has done a terrific job of educating contractors on the basic (and sometimes not so basic) engineering principles of foundation construction that we all should know. He has given this seminar in conjunction with every spring and fall CFA Board meeting for many years now, and we have no doubt that he will be back with many more in the near future. For the spring meeting held recently in Bloomington, Minnesota, we decided to do things a little differently.
Because the Minnesota chapter is the first and biggest chapter in the country, we decided to combine the board meeting there with a regional meeting, graciously hosted by the Minnesota Concrete Foundation Association. Since Brent is from the Minneapolis area and speaks often for the MCFA, we decided to give him a little break this time around.
Instead of one foundation seminar, Technical Director Jim Baty and MCFA Past President Troy Emerson worked diligently to develop an educational program that would benefit management and employees. Judging by the attendance and the buzz in the hotel on Saturday, the program was a big success. Both seminar rooms were filled, and extra chairs were brought in to accommodate overcrowding. Managers, employees, and even exhibitors spent the morning listening to well-educated speakers present topics such as the new ACI 332 code for residential concrete, OSHA Compliance & Inspections, Job Safety, Pumping Safety, and more.
Lunch provided an opportunity for the attendees to network and then visit the tradeshow room for dessert with the exhibitors. The afternoon commenced round table discussions about Safety Liability, Human Resources, Subcontract Agreements, and Form Theft. Employees went outside, where a crane was displayed, to learn about crane safety. The day concluded with a reception in the exhibit hall. The attendees once again filled the hall to learn about the products that our National Associates and Local Suppliers have to offer. I heard several contractors say it was a great opportunity for their employees to learn about all the products that are out there, not just the ones that they have gotten used to. I couldn’t agree more!
Again, I would like to thank all of our exhibitors for taking the time to participate. A special thanks to Carroll Distributing, Irving Equipment, Nox-Crete Products, Putzmeister, and Ulteig Engineers, for sponsoring the event. Without event sponsorships, we would not be able to provide the best quality meetings to our members. Another special thanks goes out to the MCFA for their great hospitality. I would also like to thank Mark and Roxanne Saldana and Schwing Pumps for the tours and receptions they gave the Board Members.
To all the great folks at MCFA, if you liked the event, sign up now for the summer meeting, it will be even better!
Terry Lavy, CFA President, Lavy Concrete Construction Inc. terry@lavyconcrete.comSummer Meeting in San Francisco
The 2005 CFA Summer Meeting,
our 30th Anniversary, is just around the corner. The CFA staff, Board of Directors, and committees involved in the planning of this event have implemented a host of changes to keep the event fresh, exciting, and fun.
The first change is the schedule. Classes will begin before the opening reception Thursday, July 6th. The golf outing was moved to Saturday morning so that golfers didn’t have to hurry, or worse yet be forced to make a decision on whether they would be late for the meeting or finish their round of golf. The golf outing has been growing every year due in part to the scramble or best-shot format. You don’t have to be a good golfer to participate – just willing to have fun. It doesn’t hurt, however, to have at least one experienced golfer in your group.
The second change is the educational format. There will still be seminars presented by Doug Staebler and others but we will be returning to the “round table” format for part of the educational forum this year. These interactive sessions were very popular when conducted in the past so we are bringing them back.
This is our first meeting in a major Metropolitan area since Milwaukee and Baltimore, which were both before my time (as executive director – not before I was born). We were able to negotiate a room rate of $145/night (plus taxes) at the Hyatt Embarcadaro, which is very low for a urban setting in this type of hotel. Try to book that same room on-line or direct and it will set you back $255/night. Make sure you mention the CFA room block when reserving.
Other things in the city center can be relatively expensive. Parking your car, for example, can set you back between $40 and $50 a day. If you arrive by air (or train) and need a car, we recommend you rent it only on the day or days you need it. There is a car rental desk located in the hotel. If you shop around, however, you can wine, dine, and travel for a reasonable sum.
Our location is great. The Hyatt Embarcadaro is across the street from the old restored Ferry Building, filled with shops and restaurants. The docks are still in use by the ferries – in fact, we board Saturday night’s harbor cruise ship at one of the docks. Step out of another door and you can jump on one of the famous Cable Cars. The terminus of one of the lines is directly in front of the hotel.
Both of the group extra events involve the sea. Friday night we board the USS Hornet, a World War II aircraft carrier. If you have never been on one (even if you have) you will be impressed. Tours will be conducted throughout the evening and we will have access to their “simulator” ride. The ship never leaves the dock but the experience is still dramatic. Saturday’s event is an evening harbor cruise. Relax, network, and enjoy San Francisco lights from the bay.
There are a number of great sights in San Francisco itself – the Presidio, Altatraz, Fisherman’s Wharf, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the Cable Car Museum to mention a few. If you want to leave the city, Muir Woods is a great spot to see the giant Redwoods. Napa and Sonoma valleys, where some of the best wines in the world are produced, are just an hour north of the city. Yosemite National Park and the Pacific coast are also great side trips.
This issue of our newsletter will provide details about the meeting and some of the opportunities that could make this a great family vacation. We have a limited number of rooms at the discount price so make your reservations early. I look forward to meeting you in San Francisco.
Ed Sauter, Executive Director, CFA esauter@cfawalls.orgCHBC to Hold Plant Tour
Have you ever wanted to tour a cement, a forms, and an expanded polystyrene manufacturing plants; as well as a quarry and state-of-the-art concrete homes?
If so, the opportunity awaits you. The Concrete Home Building Council, a council within the Building Systems Council of the National Association of Home Builders, has chosen residential concrete systems as the focus of their spring 2005 plant tour program. It will be held from June 26-28 in the Kansas City, Missouri area.
The event kicks off with a golf tournament on Sunday, June 26th. Registration is from 5:00 – 7:30 pm with an introductory reception from 6:00 – 7:30 pm. Monday’s tours include “Hunt Midwest Mining,” the world’s largest SubTropolis, created through the mining of a 270 million-year-old limestone deposit.
The next stop is the Lafarge cement manufacturing plant. Lafarge has North America’s most extensive network of cement distribution terminals and packaged product warehouses. A hands-on demonstration of stamping and staining follows at the Concrete Materials Company. The day’s tours end with hands-on homescaping demos using concrete pavers and segmental retaining walls at Miller Material Company located in Kansas City, Kansas. The day ends with a banquet.
Tuesday’s tours begin with Coutour Products located in Kansas City, Kansas. Contour represents a group of innovative expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam products. The manufacturing process for ICF’s is highlighted. The plant tour is followed by a visit to an ICF subdivision where the process of building ICF homes can be viewed. The third visit is the manufacturing facility of Wall-Ties & Forms. Wall-Ties’ robotic manufacturing systems is demonstrated along with a tour of the plant. Following the plant tour the group visits a subdivision constructed with Western Forms removable, reusable forms. The evening ends with a reception at the concrete home of Ross Worley, a state-of-the-art 6,000 square foot home. Buses have been arranged for all of the tours and each day kicks off with a Concrete Basics Breakfast.
A block of rooms is set aside at the Hyatt Regency Crown Center located at 2345 McGee Street, Kansas City, Missouri. A rate of $125 for a single or double has been negotiated. Make reservations through the Hyatt reservation system at 816-421-1234 or 800-233-1234. Reference the NAHB/Concrete Home Building Council to take advantage of the special rates. The cutoff date for reservations is June 1, 2005. You can register for the event on-line at www.nahb.org/concretetour or via fax or mail (call CFA for registration forms). The cost before March 11 is $275 for NAHB members and $375 for non-members. The prices increase $100 for each category after March 11 and the golf outing is separate ($80.00).
