Top 5 Concrete Stories of November 2020

From contraction joints to robots, from a nuclear power plant to thermal breaks, our audience found a wide range of content within the /concrete section of the ForConstructionPros.com website.

Here are the most popular stories from November 2020 be they news, announcements, releases, or articles. 

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Rules for Designing Contraction Joints

Through their experience in concrete, longtime contributor Kim Basham provides ten rules in the layout, spacing, depth, and timing of contraction joints. For either a wet-cut saw or an early-entry dry-cut saw, follow these jointing rules to minimize the risk of random or out-of-joint cracking.

Watch Time-Lapse Video of Final Concrete Pour at Hinkley Point C Reactor

Final section of the 20,693 m3 of concrete being poured into the foundation of Hinkley Point C Unit 2's Nuclear Island.EDFNo surprise here, this is one of those “can’t miss” items you find on the internet. This 2-min. video features the last pour of the Hinkley Point nuclear power station out of [location]. According to the details, the station is expected to last 60 years and cost between £19.6 billion and £20.3 billion. It is expected to be completed by 2025 and aims to produce reliable, low carbon electricity alongside renewable power. 

The four pumps seem like spider legs while in fast-forward. Refill your coffee and check this video out. 

Adding Calcium Chloride to Improve Cold Weather Concrete Pouring

Two questions: can you use calcium chloride admixtures? And, if so, what is an acceptable dosage? This article going through both using the International Building Code as a guideline.

Spoiler: Yes, and about 2% by weight of cement.

But you need to get that confirmed.

It’s Only Just Begun: Miami’s $25 Million Underground Parking Garage

Engineers are using a state-of-the-art, 10-foot high-torque drill to create the bathtub by digging into the site’s crushed limestone, while simultaneously injecting cement slurry into the ground and blending it with the limestone rock and sand.OKO Group/Cain InternationalTo be completed in 2023, this story marks the beginning of a project that will become the city’s deepest, most expensive underground parking garage. In order to build a garage that doesn’t flood, the building’s general contractor, a joint venture between Civic Construction and Ant Yapi U.S., along with specialty subcontractor Keller International, set out to create a massive watertight concrete box deep underground. Using highly advanced technology and equipment, the complicated undertaking requires workers to drill 800 holes 50 feet deep into the ground and fill them with concrete and water. The interlocking pillars create a cement block that is hollowed out to build the garage.

Find more details on the project, challenges, and specs in the story.

AI Robot Can Flatten Concrete Floors, Hyundai Engineering Seeks Patent

While the robot is still under the manufacturing stage with a prototype, news of a technology from Hyundai Engineering that could help flatten floors is exciting – to say the least. On Nov. 12, the company started filing for patents.  

We reached out for more information and will report as they come in ... stay tuned. 

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A Museum and Theater for the Motion Picture Industry

Imagine building a structural concrete sphere 150 ft. in diameter weighing 25 million pounds (25,000 kips) held in position 12 ft. off the ground by four concrete columns with seismic isolators between the columns and the sphere.

Joe Nasvik writes about the design and engineering that went into the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in LA.

Managing Your Assets

The inventory screen provided here shows how tools and equipment are logged into their cloud website and managed. Milwaukee is the only company that also allows their tools factory settings to be changed with a smartphone app to increase operating efficiency for given applications.Milwaukee ToolAccording to Eli Share, the IoT (Internet of Things) and Mobile Lead for Bosch Tools, Mount Prospect, Illinois, software solutions were originally conceived to improve product performance. “But the outlook now for additional value-added solutions provided by manufacturers is endless.”

This article from 2018 looks at some offerings from Bosch, Hilti, and Milwaukee Tool in asset management.

Building the Vista Tower

This is the story of the design, engineering, and construction of Chicago’s Vista Tower. The 100-story building stands at 1,190 feet above the ground – the city’s third tallest building behind Willis Tower and the Trump Tower.

The vision began with discussions between Magellan Development and Jeannie Gang at Studio Gang Architecture. Then Ron Klemencic, the CEO of Magnusson Klemenscic Associates (MKA) based in Seattle, Washington was brought in to help make their concept structurally and economically viable. Klemencic involved McHugh Construction and others to bring together the latest research and technology and up-to-date construction practices. 

Thermal Cracking

Thermal cracking is usually associated with mass concrete but it can also happen to thinner slabs because of temperature differences between concrete ground, and ambient temperatures.John GajdaWhile cracking in concrete is common, one of the reasons is due to the temperature development as concrete hydrates. This is also known as thermal cracking.

This article talks about some of the conditions that can cause this to occur. And conditions you should be aware of and plan for.

Thermal Breaks Provide Energy Efficiency in Concrete Reinforced Condo

The 30,000 sq. ft., the seven-story structure offers nine two-, three- and four-bedroom luxury loft residences from 1,545 to 3,400 sq. ft. The units feature high ceilings, cantilevered balconies, open floor plans, oversized windows, state-of-the-art kitchens, and master suites with walk-in closets. Some enjoy panoramic views of the Manhattan skyline. 

Tracy Dacko, head of marketing for Schock North America writes of this project.