Tag Archives: Cast-in-place

The Lo Residence Case Study: The Use of High Volume Fly Ash Concrete at the Lo Residence

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This report details The Haebler Group’s use of EcoSmart™ concrete in the construction of the Lo Residence a single-family house located in the Endowment Lands at the University of British Columbia Vancouver British Columbia. The design featured EcoSmart concrete primarily because of its aesthetic appeal. This project was chosen as a case study for EcoSmart in part because of its use of high volume fly ash -HVFA- concrete in horizontal applications.

EcoSmart concrete was used successfully in both horizontal and vertical applications although for the HVFA mixes used in this project the actual quantity of total cementitious material was increased over conventional mixes with a similar strength. Further the HVFA concrete used on this project was found to have a slower set time and higher slump increasing the wall form pressures and causing slab finishing delays. Since premium form design was already incorporated into the construction budget the extra precautions taken in the wall form design and construction did not increase the cost of the vertical elements. However the longer set times did increase the slab finishing costs. Offsetting these costs were the cost savings realized by eliminating sandblasting and other surface finishing because of the excellent quality of “form fresh finish” in the finished wall surface. The cost of the HVFA mix for the vertical applications was equivalent to comparable Type 10 Architectural Quality mixes. In contrast the HVFA mix used in horizontal applications resulted in a cost premium over standard slab mixes because of the increased strength of the HVFA mix.

The most noticeable cold weather concreting problem was darkening and discolouration of the finished and exposed surface. Otherwise the use of HVFA concrete resulted in a fine dense surface texture and light colour consistently throughout construction.

Case Study Report Author: Roland Haebler, Haebler Construction,

Technology Enterprise Facility – UBC Case Study: Using EcoSmart Concrete in Schedule Driven Construction

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This report considers the challenges and successes of using EcoSmart concrete for the Technology Enterprise Facility III -TEF III- LEED-registered project at the University of British Columbia. This report discusses how to overcome the issue of lower early strength and also contains information on early strength test results for mixes used on the project. The use of in-situ tests such as Maturity tests and Lok tests were also considered and Lok tests subsequently tried.

Also discussed in this report is the project s findings that certain elements such as columns and shearwalls could be reduced in size by increasing concrete strength. The benefits of this could be an overall reduction in cement for these elements and earlier stripping. Information on the curing processes used on this project is also included. This project was identified for a case study by the EcoSmart Concrete Project because it addresses the challenges of lower early strengths and curing of EcoSmart concrete.

Case Study Report Author: Diana Klein, P.Eng., Read Jones Christoffersen Ltd,

Use of EcoSmart Concrete in Nicola Valley Institute of Technology

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In this case study of the Nicola Valley Institute of Technology -NVIT- the use of high volume fly ash concrete presented a significant challenge because of the longer set-up times required during cold weather placing temperatures and resulted in increased costs. Despite the challenges presented by cold weather concreting the original goal of almost 40% fly ash replacement of cement averaged for the entire placement of concrete was reached. The report makes recommendations for future use and acceptance of EcoSmart concrete.

Case Study Report Author: Busby Perkins + Will Architects Ltd.

High Volume Fly Ash as a Supplementary Cementing Material: A Case Study: Arthur Erikson Designed Live/Work Studios

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The report explains how high-volume fly ash concrete overcomes the durability and environmental shortfalls of conventional Portland cement concrete. However the decision to use high volume fly ash for the Live/Work Studios -Waterfall Building- was based on aesthetics not on EcoSmart concrete s durability or environmental benefits. The mix design used in this case study is provided in the report. Several conclusions are presented in the report including that fly ash concrete exceeded compressive strength requirements; that costs for fly ash concrete were comparable with those of conventional concrete; and that the structure s service life was increased by increasing concrete durability. The report also contains personal feedback from case study participants.

Case Study Report Author: Michael Neundorf, Roland Haebler, Haebler Construction,