Month: June 2023

Concrete Supply Plus June Week #3

Posted on by Nanette

NEW DETAILS: First steel beam installed at Honda/LG Jeffersonville battery plant

It’s a construction milestone — the first steel beam was installed at what will be the new joint venture electric vehicle battery production plant for Honda and LG Energy Solution.

Honda said Tuesday the first beam was installed at the construction site in Fayette County’s Jefferson Twp., near Jeffersonville.

https://www.daytondailynews.com/local/new-details-first-steel-beam-installed-at-hondalg-jeffersonville-battery-plant/2KNUBMV3NVHZHLPCQG6WSLXXQI

Construction expert predicts flat material prices for second half of year

Labor shortages, a manufacturing boom and infrastructure work are keeping the industry from returning to pre-pandemic price levels.

https://www.constructiondive.com/news/construction-consultant-material-prices-linesight/652870/

Choosing The Best Cement Screws

The many considerations for choosing the proper cement screw to use for any particular application are described in the following:

Diameter

Standard cement screws come in two diameters of 3/16” and 1/4”.  The measurement refers to the outside diameter of the screw, which allows the screw to be inserted through a hole in the fixture equal to the diameter of the cement screw being installed.

Length

Each diameter of cement screw comes in different lengths from 1-1/4” long to 6”.  The minimum length of cement screw used for any particular application is determined by adding the thickness of the material being fastened to the minimum embedment of 1”.  The maximum length of cement screw to use is equal to the maximum embedment of 1-3/4” plus the thickness of the material being fastened.

Hole Depth

The depth of the hole is critical because it must be deep enough to allow the cement screw to be embedded at least to the minimum embedment depth of 1”.  Space must be left at the bottom of the hole to allow all the dust that is created during the tapping process to fall into and out of the way.  It is suggested that the hole is drilled a minimum of 1/4”deeper than the cement screw will penetrate the base material.

Diameter of Hole

The hole drilled in the base material is critical to allow the cement screw to obtain its minimum holding strength.   The hole must be drilled using a carbide tipped bit that meets ANSI standards because ANSI standards will ensure proper hole to anchor tolerance.  The 3/16” cement screw requires a 5/32” bit and the 1/4” diameter needs a 3/16” bit.

Materials

Cement screws are manufactured from two types of steel: low carbon plated and 410 stainless steel.  The standard low carbon cement screw should be used in indoor dry applications.  The 410 stainless steel can be used in applications where moisture may be present.

Head Configuration for Cement Screws

Two head styles are available: hex washer and flat countersunk.   The hex washer head utilizes a nut driver for installation and the flat countersunk requires the use of a Phillips drive.  The length of the hex head cement screws are measured from underneath the head and the flat countersunk are measured as an overall length.  The hex headed cement screws are used in applications where the head of the screw sits on top of the item being fastened.   The flat countersunk cement screw is used in applications where the head of the screw is countersunk into the item being attached.

Base Materials

The cement screw can be used in solid concrete, hollow precast concrete, brick, CMU, block and mortar joints.  The holding strength of the cement screw is dependent on the strength of the base material as well as on the quality of the installation.

Use

Cement screws can be removed, but should not be reused in the same hole because holding values may be diminished or nonexistent.  Using the cement screw in another hole can be done as long as the cutting edge of the screw is able to tap threads.

Brand Name

The most popular brand name for cement screws is Tapcon®. Tapcon screws are sold by Concrete Fastening Systems™, Inc., located in Cleveland, Ohio.  The Tapcon brand cement screws are made in America and can be shipped anywhere in the United States with an arrival in two days. We also make and sell our own brand of masonry screws for cement applications – CONFAST® masonry screws. Our brand is comparable to Tapcon but sold at a lower price due to lack of a middleman distributor.

Concrete Supply Plus Construction Humor for the week.

Concrete Supply Plus June Week #2

Posted on by Nanette

Glass-Fiber Reinforced Concrete Makes NFL Project a Standout The Hollywood Park Media Building won best office building in the 2022 PCI Design Awards. In this Q&A, the project architect tells us why.https://constructionext.com/commercial-residential/fast-5-glass-fiber-reinforced-concrete-makes-nfl-project-standout

Choosing the Best Anchor to Fasten to Concrete

What is the base material?

What is the difference between cement and concrete?

The words “concrete” and “cement” are often erroneously used as interchangeable terms. Cement is an ingredient of concrete. Concrete is a mixture of water, aggregates (i.e. small stones), sand and portland cement. Portland cement is not a brand name but rather a generic term for the type of cement used in most concrete. The cement and water harden and bind the aggregates into a solid mass over time through a process called hydration. The hydration hardens the concrete for years, which means that concrete gets stronger as it ages. People wrongly call sidewalks “cement” and point out “cement trucks” and “cement mixers”. The truth is that only concrete sidewalks and mixers exist!

How old is the concrete?

Green concrete, which is less than 28 days old, should not be drilled or anchored into. The older the concrete, the harder it gets and therefore the more difficult to drill into. In some cases, concrete also becomes more abrasive as it ages. The Tapcon screw may not work in extremely old concrete because the lead threads deteriorate and prevent the screw from being inserted the minimum of one inch. Most other concrete fasteners will successfully work in concrete regardless of age. However, the reason there are a variety of concrete fasteners is that a variety of concrete also exists. A specific concrete anchor or fastener may not work in all applications.https://www.confast.com/articles-choosing-the-best-concrete-anchor/

5 Tips for Photographing Concrete Hardscapes

The beauty of decorative concrete comes from its versatility and stunning final results. Each project’s unique traits help sell the next project. However, your future potential clients don’t necessarily have access to your past projects, which is why photography is a crucial component of your marketing plan — regardless of your company’s size. Whether you use the photography for a brag book, on your website, in brochures, on social media or with articles, you should always ensure you portray your work at its best. Here are 5 Tips for photographing concrete to remember:https://www.concretedecor.net/departments/business-industry/picture-perfect/

Hitachi Energy and Quanta Services won contracts on May 4 to design and build a 3.5-GW onshore wind energy farm in central New Mexico and a 3-GW, 550-mile transmission line from that state to Arizona to deliver its clean power and more—an estimated $8-billion project that developer Pattern Energy terms “the largest renewables development in the western hemisphere.” 

The 525-kV high voltage direct current line will carry the wind energy from more than 900 turbines planned for the New Mexico project to adjacent western states. Quanta Services and its Blattner unit, acquired last year, will construct the wind farm and transmission complex, which also is set to include 10 substations, multiple O&M facilities and more than 100 miles of related transmission lines. Hitachi Energy will design and supply high voltage equipment and technology. https://www.enr.com/articles/56416-quanta-hitachi-win-big-on-8b-sunzia-wind-and-power-line-project

Concrete Supply Plus June Week #1

Posted on by Nanette

How To Deal with the Top 5 Concrete Sealer Issues

Throughout the course of its lifetime, concrete suffers many different forms of damage. Although concrete sealers add a protective layer to concrete floors and structures to help maximize their durability and minimize moisture permeability, concrete sealer problems can be a source of frustration among contractors.

When a concrete sealer doesn’t look or perform as expected, the root cause can usually be traced back to issues like overapplication. It can also mean the application  was done in nonideal conditions or there is buildup of multiple coats.

Following are the top five most common concrete sealer issues encountered in the construction field, why they occur, and how contractors can avoid and/or fix them:https://www.concretedecor.net/departments/concrete-sealers/how-to-deal-with-the-top-5-concrete-sealer-issues/

A team from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo has reportedly scored the school’s seventh victory in the American Society of Civil Engineers’ Civil Engineering Student Championship concrete canoe competition. https://www.paintsquare.com/news/view/?26544

CONFAST Male Hurricane anchors For concrete and concrete block applications, drill pilot hole and drive the anchor in, it’s that easy. Predrilling is not required in wood base materials. Full thread engagement in concrete, concrete block and wood is required for best performance. Stucco-faced surfaces usually require countersinking so that the top of the hurricane anchors set flush to the stucco surface, allowing for full thread engagement in the base material Buy online today: https://www.confast.com/concrete-anchors/expansion-anchors/confast-hurricane-anchor/

Estimating Equipment Maintenance Cost

In this episode, construction guru Brad Humphrey talks with Jason Hurdis, quarry and aggregate expert and Lonnie Fritz, heavy construction and road building expert for Caterpillar. They discuss the importance of capturing the true operating cost of each machine on the construction jobsite. Construction companies, no matter the size, need to establish a budget for equipment maintenance throughout the year to remain profitable.https://megaphone.link/ACBMI1086943330