Virtually every material and construction technique used in the institutional building was chosen because it lowered or even captured carbon emissions, setting the bar high for future sustainable design on campus and beyond. Materials included hempcrete, a combination of hemp mixtures and lime which captures carbon from the atmosphere while it sets. The foundation was made from reusable steel piles and light wood framing instead of engineered wood. It’s a beautiful, relaxing space with plenty of natural light.

“We sought to create an addition to campus that encourages interdisciplinary action of climate change, both as an example and through its eventual use,” UBC architecture student Katie Theall told UBC News on April 13, 2023 for the article ‘Come for the selfie, stay for the sustainability.’ “As a sustainability living lab and flexible collaboration space, we hope Third Space Commons will inspire future building industry leaders and cultivate innovation.”

Buildings like Third Space Commons exemplify how green principles are becoming more of a mainstay within the design and construction industry. Right now, the use of green materials and construction methods has steadily increased to the point where the World Economic Forum points to pent up demand for green buildings, with about 65 percent going unmet in New York City for instance.

And while in the past, some would have been deterred by the additional costs of applying green construction processes or sourcing green materials, the benefits that come from a sustainable focus are becoming more widely known and sought out. The commercial real estate market is seeing a premium for green buildings. In the Los Angeles market, for example, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) noted that LEED-certified spaces garnered $2.91 per square foot, while traditional non-LEED certified buildings are earning $2.16 per square foot. These buildings also enjoy operational cost savings and have delivered an increase in asset value of 10 percent or more, making them more appealing to potential owners.

In the bigger picture, sustainable design, construction, and operations combine to deliver buildings that reduce carbon emissions, energy, and waste. These buildings also help to conserve water and lower our exposure to toxins with safer methods and materials, making the construction industry better for people and the planet.

So how is green construction advancing today? To a very high degree, green construction is adding jobs to the industry, according to the USGBC. Sustainable construction has created millions of jobs and contributed billions of dollars to the U.S. economy. And the market for green materials has been valued at approximately $475 billion and is expected to grow to more than a trillion dollars by 2033, reports GlobeNewswire.

Primary green construction materials include bamboo, rammed earth, cork, recycled glass, straw bale, aerated concrete, earth blocks, recycled steel, and hempcrete (used to construct the Third Space Commons building at UBC). Each has specific uses in structures and furnishings, but all have advantages in reducing waste and minimizing energy consumption. In fact, simply making traditional concrete contributes an estimated eight percent of the world’s global emissions—almost three times the emissions that are produced by airline travel.

A recent example of innovation combines two longtime materials, steel and concrete, to form a new material that both holds building up and brings emissions down to nearly zero. The process, developed by researchers at the University of Cambridge, uses electric furnaces in the steel industry to recycle cement that is recovered from buildings that have been demolished. As one of the researchers, professor Julian Allwood, told the Wall Street Journal in the May 23 article ‘New Green Cement Production Method Could Bring Emissions Close to Zero,’ “It’s remarkably simple, and I think when we started, our concern was that it was quite a simple substitution. So, would it work if nobody did it before? Improbably it did work.”

Typically, when steel is melted down for recycling, a compound called flux is used to eliminate impurities. While effective, this creates a “dirty” byproduct known as slag. The researchers used recycled cement instead of flux when the steel was melted and the slag in this case ended up being usable cement. The whole process of building demolition has more green potential than ever before with salvaged materials and recycled cement.

There are in fact several current techniques that are becoming more common across the construction landscape. One of those is prefabrication. The idea behind this is that if you can build as much of your building as possible in a controlled environment, you can reduce the level of waste produced while improving the overall quality of a structure. A May 20, 2020 article on For Construction Pros, ‘5 Techniques for Sustainable Building Construction,’ points to the example of McGough Construction which prefabricates forms for projects like the concrete structure for the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts in St. Paul, Minnesota. The company used 3D models to prebuild the forms inside its warehouse and away from the impact and unpredictability of the weather. From there, the team transported the components to the site and assembled them, much like a giant model.

Another important way to improve on the environmental impacts of construction projects is to reduce the waste generated by sorting haulers. Now the sorting of materials can be done by pickers, and some projects are now able to process up to 90 percent of waste leftover from the construction work.

The construction site itself is also an opportunity to make construction a greener process. Avoiding water runoff from a site is a major way to reduce contamination of surrounding areas. Silt fences can contain water used on a site and “walk-off mats” can help remove lead and other toxins from a site that would otherwise be carried around on workers’ boots.

In addition to the new processes and techniques making construction greener, some classical construction techniques are seeing a resurgence because of the benefits they can offer the environment. For instance, long before modern HVAC existed, builders would rely on architecture to help stabilize indoor conditions. Known as passive solar design, the actual positioning of a building as well as the placement of windows was carefully thought out to make the most of natural heating and cooling. These principles can be paired with modern HVAC technology to further reduce energy consumption by a building.

In the same vein, traditional processes to harvest rainwater for gardens and toilet flushing is also being put to use to reduce the strain on municipal water sources and lower bills for building owners.

The main purpose in bringing back traditional techniques is not to do away with modern design and technological advances. It is to make those advances even better by applying time-tested solutions to find further efficiencies that can reduce energy use and resource stress. And all of this is even more important as the need for affordable housing is being felt almost everywhere. Although there is growing demand for more homes, if construction is sped up without incorporating sustainable design, the impacts of more building will only further complicate our climate issues.

On the face of it, using greener techniques and materials may further add to the cost of building and construction. But by and large, costs for more efficient buildings are only about three to four percent higher than building to minimum code requirements. When compared to the overall reduction in expenses during the lifetime of the home—including heating and cooling as well as savings on water and reducing waste—the upfront costs tend to fade fast. And there is also the boost in value that greener homes enjoy in the market. The University of Texas at Austin analyzed the resale value of homes in the Austin region and noted that homes that are LEED-certified showed an eight percent increase in value while homes that were built to other green standards also saw a six percent increase in value, as reported by the USGBC.

Certainly, there are a lot of reasons why green construction is moving from niche to mainstream in both commercial and residential construction. The benefits are not only helping the Earth but are boosting many companies’ bottom lines while enhancing quality of life for inhabitants. Let’s call it a win-win-win.

The post What’s New in Sustainable Structures<p class="company">Greener Methods and Materials</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

That’s exactly what happened on the Northglenn, Colorado City Hall project where FCI Constructors came together with Anderson Mason Dale and others to deliver a spectacular building that is redefining community.

A plan comes together
Northglenn, Colorado was in desperate need of a new city hall. With a dated building that lacked resources, space, and safety infrastructure to support employees in the provision of services to the community, it was time for change.

The City Hall project was the second phase of a three-part Civic Center Master Plan approved by Northglenn City Council in 2017. Phase one included the construction of a new recreation center that’s also home to the local seniors’ center and a theater, and the third phase will entail the redevelopment of the remainder of the Civic Center.

“FCI actually worked on the initial Master Plan scope for this campus development and within that Master Plan, we thought at the time that the City Hall project was going to go in a different location, be a different shape, and have different things around it,” says Nathaniel Sperry, Senior Project Manager with FCI Constructors.

The goals of the Civic Center Master Plan were to enhance Northglenn’s community identity through the creation of a more inviting, functional place with a mix of spaces and uses to bring the community together. It is a gathering space for the community to connect and thrive and at the heart of this development is the City Hall.

Consultation has played a significant role in the City Hall project to date, with FCI Constructors as Construction Manager/General Contractor, Anderson Mason Dale Architects as Architect, and The Cumming Group as Owner’s Representative. From the outset, the team, which included a variety of trade partners, did everything to ensure the project met the client’s vision—which was grander than first imagined.

The goals of the City Hall project were to, “be an inspiring civic resource for residents, serve as a gathering place and anchor of the Civic Center, and foster a sense of pride, camaraderie, and community,” which the building’s design and function have achieved.

Growth of a vision
From the perspective of Joey Carrasquillo, Principal at Anderson Mason Dale Architects, Northglenn took this project as an opportunity to fortify its identity as a young city with a vision for the future.

As a result, he notes, “The project began to change and transform and began to shape into something that had higher aspirations, so as those discussions began, we started to explore and define for them what some of those opportunities would be.”

In this case, it was the opportunity to highlight sustainability and design, testing the limits of what is possible with new materials, approaches, and a vision for what a City Hall looks like and how it functions.

For Carrasquillo, “The whole sustainability agenda became a significant narrative for the City of Northglenn. It’s still a relatively young city, and they are seeking identity and saw this project as an opportunity to begin shaping a path for that identity to take shape.”

It also became an opportunity for a collaborative approach to design and construction to shine. With more than 25 years of collaboration behind FCI and Anderson Mason Dale, this was another chance to demonstrate how working together in harmony can be the catalyst for project success.

Building a structure, building identity
Ground broke on Northglenn’s new City Hall on June 5, 2023, and the project topped out on November 13 of the same year. Since then, the trades teams have been working diligently to get the finishing touches on the project and the art installed in time for fall 2024. The job embodies tens of thousands of creative and labor hours, a tremendous effort by everyone.

The new building features 32,600 square feet of space complete with welcoming public spaces and community rooms. Most impressive of all, though, is the commitment to sustainability and the ability to push the limits of design to create an aesthetically attractive building that is simultaneously strongly functional.

Sperry notes of the exterior, “We used really smart high-end exterior materials: Arbor Wood, a tongue and groove paneling, and then NedZink zinc metal cladding in a couple of different profiles on the outside of the building.”

The project embraces the city’s sustainability agenda, and the new building will be Net Zero, which means it will generate as much energy as it uses or more. The building features a 196-kilowatt rooftop photovoltaic array that powers the structure.

“The building is fully electric,” says Sperry. “There is no gas service to this building, no gas loads. We’ve got a variable refrigerant flow (VRF) mechanical system and car-charging parking spots with a goal for some future locations for that as well.”

Putting Core into Colorado
Northglenn took its commitment to environmental stewardship a step further as it became apparent that the city’s vision aligned with the principles of the prestigious International Living Future Institute’s Core Green Building Rating certification (which adheres to the highest standards of sustainable design and construction), making it the first municipal building in Colorado to achieve this.

“There are currently no municipal projects in the state of Colorado that have secured Core, so it was an easy choice for Northglenn to move in that direction,” says Carrasquillo. “We pursued Core because the initiatives of the International Living Future Institute were better aligned with the aspirations and opportunities that Northglenn had.”

One of those opportunities was the ability to harvest rainwater, as the water rights in Colorado are stringent. Luckily, Northglenn operates its own water utility with its own water resource, so it invested in the capacity to store upwards of 25,000 gallons of rainwater in cisterns that will be used by the city to irrigate the low-hydration-needs landscape concept developed by the landscape team.

Carrasquillo pays tribute to the work of Martin/Martin and MIG, who served as civil engineer and landscape architect, respectively, on the City Hall project and as the original master planners for the City of Northglenn’s entire Civic Center project: “I think the site team brought a lot of collective wisdom to the City Hall project and helped us be successful in developing the land.”

Model for the future
What makes this project unique is that cross-laminated timber (CLT) was used in the building’s construction. A relatively new commodity in the U.S., CLT is typically used on square structures, and the Northglenn City Hall was anything but.

“This project will be a model that demonstrates that geometries can be manipulated and this technology executed so that it can be used for future projects that aren’t square; it will be a great demonstration of that,” says Carrasquillo. “The geometry changed quite a bit throughout the design process,” he adds, “and we were able to find that sweet spot and deploy cross-laminated timber optimally for this project. Our partners at Nordic were gracious in their involvement in finding that sweet spot.”

“That piece is really cool,” agrees Sperry, giving his perspective. “We had 300 tons of timber manufactured within a millimeter in precision. That all went up very quickly. We had that part erected in five weeks.”

As a result of the outstanding performance of all the team members, Northglenn City Hall has become an exemplary model of how thoughtfully designed buildings can shape a community and become what Carrasquillo refers to as “a house for the people; a house for the citizens of Northglenn.”

He adds, “This project is going to redefine what city halls are in today’s world. I think there is a connotation historically with city halls that they tend not to be places people want to go. I think that’s because city halls also included other programs like law enforcement and judicial courts and now, those types of programs are developing their own facilities. I think for Northglenn that’s what this city hall is all about.”

The Northglenn City Hall project demonstrates the commitment of the team of professionals who came together collaboratively to do more than build a structure; they came together to build community.

“That is the ethos of our design practice. We are about community building, and every project is nuanced and unique relative to its specific place and community. To understand those places and those specific communities is to be able to articulate a place for them, so it feels great,” says Carrasquillo. “Some projects, obviously, are more successful than others, but I think this one is beginning to reveal itself to be what I believe is a successful project.”

The post A New Home and Image for Northglenn, Colorado<p class="company">FCI Constructors & Anderson Mason Dale Architects</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

Originally named Plant Brothers Corporation, the San Francisco-based construction company was the brainchild of brothers Tom, Buck, and Dave Plant. Even in the early days, the business became known for its high-quality, professional work. The first job the brothers took on was unusual, to say the least: salvaging an old sunken wooden barge and creatively transforming it into a lodge for duck hunting. Not only was the project unique, but it also set the bar for the company and its ability to successfully tackle challenging projects.

Much has changed in the world years since the three brothers founded the business bearing their family name all those decades ago, but Plant Construction’s ongoing commitment to professionalism, client service, timely project delivery, and customer satisfaction remains as strong as ever. Starting off with custom home building, then moving on to public school construction and commercial work—much of it seismic upgrading—Plant has always kept up with the times.

Responsible today for an array of services including concrete, preconstruction, construction, green building, self-performed services, and design-build, the company has amassed a massive project portfolio, earning the trust of new and repeat clients across California. And much of the company’s success comes from hiring the best people. Growing to meet the diverse needs of customers state-wide, Plant Construction is led by a strong team of highly experienced industry veterans, including construction managers and senior project managers, a director of field operations, a director of safety, and others.

This year alone, Plant Construction has been behind several standout projects. In May, the company announced that it was awarded three affordable housing works. These include returning to the historic Mission District’s Casa Esperanza, formerly known as the Eula Hotel. The company will complete the second phase of this project, which will include “the build out of support spaces with new office space and exterior enhancements,” according to Plant’s website.

To be completed for the Dolores Street Community Services—in partnership with the San Francisco Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing—the company will also be responsible for Phase 2 of Casa Colibri, the former Mission Inn. The scope of work here encompasses a seismic retrofit, conversion of new ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) units, renovations, “and additions including office and support spaces, electrification of the existing gas hot water systems, and installation of new fire sprinkler systems,” states Plant. And as part of another affordable housing project, the team is undertaking a large exterior rehabilitation at the Dunleavy Plaza Apartments for the Mission Housing Development Corporation.

Earlier this year, Plant Construction was awarded the contract for Phase 2 of Gateway Vista West. This contract comes after the company completed a similar project in San Francisco’s North Waterfront neighborhood, Gateway Vista East. The Gateway Vista West project will see Plant Construction undertake a voluntary structural upgrade of the 22-storey structure. The work also marks the second time Plant will be working with Saiful Bouquet Structural Engineers. One of California’s largest structural consulting firms focused on structural engineering, Saiful Bouquet has offices in San Diego and Los Angeles.

With a highly skilled team—including many long-tenured staff—Plant Construction takes on a range of project types, all undertaken with the utmost attention to detail and adherence to customer budgets and schedules. These projects include everything from adaptive reuse to affordable housing, hospitality works to higher education, and residential to retail, along with residential conversion, historic renovation, seismic renovation, and much more.

No matter the project type, safety on all job sites remains a cornerstone of Plant Construction’s values. With a thorough Environmental Health and Safety Plan, the company’s employees, partners, and subcontractors are equipped with the knowledge necessary to ensure safe work practices while exceeding local, state, and federal requirements.

Committed to providing clients with the most effective and seamless construction experience possible, Plant Construction continues to invest in groundbreaking technologies. Incorporating cloud-based project management software, virtual modeling, building information modeling (BIM), state-of-the-art laser scanning, and drone surveying, Plant enables clients “to make quick, informed decisions that ultimately make their projects more efficient.”

During its many successful years in business, Plant Construction has received more than 100 awards for its outstanding work, recognizing the company for its commitment to quality, project execution, and safety. Plant is honored to be recognized by many prominent associations, publications, and organizations, including the American Institute of Architects, American Society of Civil Engineers, American Council of Engineering Companies, California Preservation Foundation, National Trust for Historic Preservation, Retrofit Magazine, The San Francisco Business Times, and more.

Grateful for the ongoing recognition, the team at Plant Construction is a great believer in giving back. “Our commitment to building goes beyond the construction business,” states the company on its website. “A major foundation of what roots Plant in the Bay Area and brings our employees personal and professional satisfaction is our long history of supporting nonprofits that we touch through our work or through participation in our local communities.”

Over the past decade, Plant Construction has been the proud recipient of a Top 100 Bay Area Corporate Philanthropy Award, from the San Francisco Business Times. The business is also involved with other charities, foundations, and associations, including the Boys & Girls Club of San Francisco, Habitat for Humanity, the Larkin Street Youth Center, San Francisco Planning and Urban Research (SPUR), and others.

Growing to encompass over 80 salaried staff and some 200 craftspeople, Plant Construction is active across California, works in Utah, and has completed work in other locations across the U.S. and Canada. Almost 80 years after it was founded by brothers Tom, Buck, and Dave Plant, the company continues living up to its slogan: “The Finest Construction Services, Efficiently Performed, Delivered on Schedule.”

The post The Finest Construction Services<p class="company">Plant Construction</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

In Hagersville, Ontario, the owner of Tyre King had fought a provincial order to dispose of the tires since 1987. Following a 1989 appeal, the Environmental Appeal Board noted that the dump—the size of 18 football fields—had “the potential for a very serious disaster.”

That was almost an understatement. 17 days on, when front-end loaders were used to break down piles of tires, the Hagersville Tire Fire was news around the globe. It cost an estimated $13 million.

The Hagersville fire did some good. It opened up the subject of what to do with a huge source of environmental degradation and paved the way for new technologies to flourish.

And it caught the attention of a thoughtful young man named Paul Downey, inspiring him to choose tire recycling as his University of Western Ontario engineering thesis topic. “It was a problem that definitely needed a solution,” he says, noting that very few people were working on the issue at the time.

Back in the day, one of the very few companies doing something about tire recycling was National Rubber. Downey sent his thesis to them and was hired in 1991 to help design and build the world’s largest scrap tire recycling plant.

There was still a problem, though, namely that the process of recycling rubber used harmful chemicals. Knowing there had to be better, more environmentally friendly methods, Downey founded Pliteq® in 2006, and the company is now behind a range of cleverly engineered products for buildings, including flooring and sound control underlayment derived from the materials recovered from scrap tires.

One of the world’s leading manufacturers of products created from waste material, Pliteq successfully diverts tires that would end up in landfills. Trusted by contractors, architects, engineers, and acoustic experts, Pliteq’s innovative products are third-party tested and known internationally for their superior engineering qualities.

Although we may think of tires as being made from nothing more than rubber, they are composed of many other materials, including oil, silica, sulphur, polyester, rayon, and steel.

Much of Pliteq’s ground-up rubber comes to the company from suppliers in 2,000 pound (907 kg) ‘super sacks’—about 20 to 26 per truckload. Steel, fabric, and ferrous and nonferrous materials like glass and stone are screened and removed to ensure a clean rubber material.

Since quality from different suppliers can vary, Pliteq is now getting into processing. “It’s a matter of having good suppliers and making sure we can use the product in our downstream processes,” says Downey. “We’re making very high-quality finished products like flooring and underlay, so we need to control the quality of the raw material.”

Once materials have been screened and distilled, they are mixed, using a carefully guarded formula, with particles of various sizes and a binder and then pressed into a 10,000-pound (4,535 kg) log. After sitting in a mould for eight to 24 hours, the massive cylinder is removed and put through a process called peeling, much like an apple.

“We can veneer it into any thickness between one and 50 millimetres (0.04 and 2 inches) in thickness; basically, you’re taking a solid log, and turning it into a sheet or roll,” says Downey.

Using a combination of machinery from the plywood industry—where trees are cut, bark stripped, and then spun against a band knife—and its own technology, products are made using a polyurethane binder invented by Bayer, the company that created Aspirin decades ago.

“The great thing about rubber is that it’s different from plastic in that it’s permanently recyclable,” comments Downey. “It doesn’t degrade in the recycling process. Every product we make we can take back, grind up, and reuse.”

As for materials, there’s no shortage of tires. It’s estimated that, in developed countries, one tire is discarded per person per year—2.5 billion tires a year. Pliteq is Canada’s largest recycler at almost seven million tires per year; impressive, yes, but modest compared to 2.5 billion.

The son of a hard-working bricklayer in Sudbury, Ontario, and one of eight children, Downey remembers his venture’s early days. To make money to fulfill his dream, he created patents and licensed them. “I didn’t have the money to build a factory, so I licensed the patents to build Pliteq and build the factory, invent more stuff, and commercialize more products,” he says. “That’s how it worked.”

Today, Pliteq has 300 employees, an engineering office in north Toronto, and a 200,000-square-foot factory in Woodbridge, Ontario. The company also has offices throughout Canada and the United States, Mexico City, London, Dubai, Singapore and Melbourne.

Since similar products did not exist before Pliteq, Downey created the market with items like GenieMat RST, the GenieMat D-Series (sound control underlayment), GenieMat FIT (fitness flooring), GenieMat TMIP, GenieMat WSI, GenieMat GBV, and GenieMat Rail for the control of ground-borne vibration. Pliteq is not only behind these and other innovative products, but smarter, safer manufacturing methods and carbon capture.

“There are multiple ways to manufacture goods or products from recycled tires. Most of them involve a process called vulcanization, which uses chemicals, which we don’t do,” Downey says. Unlike other techniques, Pliteq makes products at room temperature using water.

“That’s the magic of that material. We are not doing anything—heating it or putting other chemicals in—so there’s nothing to off-gas. It doesn’t smell or break down.” One example he cites is gymnasium flooring made by other companies, which emits a powerful odour. With Pliteq’s manufacturing methods, the flooring turns out odourless.

Pliteq’s products also aid in carbon capture and embodiment, and help to tackle one of the biggest issues facing builders today—namely, how do you minimize sound transmission in buildings?

Traditionally, concrete is used to control acoustics issues, which brings its own problems. One of the most polluting materials, it is estimated that four to eight percent of the planet’s carbon emissions are due to concrete. It creates pollution during its manufacture, is heavy, requires massive truck transport, and is labour-intensive. Pliteq’s products are much lighter, easier to use, recyclable, and eliminate mass from buildings while still solving their acoustics problems.

In the future, as buildings become much taller and more densely populated, Pliteq will play an even more important role. Although cities worldwide believe building vertically is one way to address housing issues, it raises other potential problems, like hearing your neighbours’ footsteps, music, and parties. One’s quality of life is dependent on a feeling of security, peace, and privacy and Pliteq ensures people can enjoy these aspects even when living in close quarters.

“There’s no current building code requirement for impact sound in Canada, which is really unfortunate,” says Downey. “Every other jurisdiction in the world has one, and then Canada doesn’t. But there are quite a few developers in Toronto who use our products. Even though they don’t have to, they know they should, because people are more aware of sound becoming a problem. You don’t want to buy a million-dollar condo and then can’t sleep at night.”

Pliteq’s products are found in construction projects worldwide. One of the best-known is Dubai’s Burj Khalifa. At a height of 2,722 feet (829.8 m), the skyscraper is the world’s tallest structure. The company’s products were specified for sound control in the building and its gymnasium.

It is Pliteq’s desire to help other regions globally do a better job recycling their tires, and the company is looking for opportunities with government and industry to manufacture in new international regions.

Much of the company’s business comes from meeting builders, developers, and architects in person and to date, Pliteq’s products are used in about 30,000 buildings around the world. The reasons, says Downey, include quality and comfort. Builders know Pliteq’s products, their ease of installation, and the company’s reputation for quality. Often, it is much easier and more comfortable to work with tested products you already know and trust.

Although training videos are available in multiple languages and the company can provide a fly-out technical service team on-site if necessary, Pliteq’s products are straightforward. “Generally, with a lot of our products, you kick a roll and it rolls out to the end and lies flat. So the installation can be quite easy,” Downey says.

He and his team are constantly developing new markets and introducing new products to address a breadth of issues. “Our vision is to be in or around every building that’s under construction in the world,” says Downey of the company that was inspired by a devastating tire fire over 30 years ago.

“That’s how we thought of using our products to solve problems in building construction, because we knew rubber was very good for vibration, sound control, and flooring,” he says. “We were a smallish Canadian company, but recycling is a big global problem, and we’re the global leader in solving that.”

The post Where Acoustics, Architecture, and Engineering Meet<p class="company">Pliteq</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

Headquartered in the city of Longueuil, Quebec, the venerated business has grown to encompass over 27 business units across Quebec, Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador. Internationally, AGF Rebar has a presence in Chile, Costa Rica, France, Martinique, India, Ecuador, Colombia, Peru and Guadeloupe.

Strong values
Corporate social responsibility is at the heart of AGF Rebar’s history and corporate values, going back decades.

As a matter of fact, helping others has played an important role at AGF Rebar, and an extension of this is the AGF Group Foundation, supporting charities across Canada. AGF Rebar fosters long-lasting relationships in the community, benefiting organizations such as The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) and SickKids Foundation. As of June 2024, $4.3 million has been given back to about 300 charities in Canada through a total of 730 activities organized by AGF Rebar employees since 2012.

To ensure the future of the AGF Group Foundation, the team also decided to create an endowment fund placed in green funds.

“The exemplary impact of the AGF Group Foundation, headed by Catherine Gendron [Chief, Organizational Culture], has been recognized by many in the industry,” according to the book, Reinforcing The Future Since 1948, prepared for AGF Rebar’s 75^th anniversary. “AGF Rebar’s employees are increasingly committed to promoting the value of community involvement through the Foundation’s marvelous leverage.”

Then in late 2022, the company launched its ESG Program. Standing for environmental, social, and governance, the program is “a way for AGF Rebar to ensure its social responsibility and sustainability as a major Canadian company,” according to the company. The result of considerable research, training, and consultation with staff, the ESG Program outlines 10 action areas and exacting goals for the future.

“Our first edition was published after two years of research to build our very own ESG program,” says Maxime Gendron, President and CEO of AGF Group. “Since then, we have continued to progress on our ESG objectives. We plan on publishing a second edition at the beginning of 2025,” he says.

Taking its role as an ESG leader seriously, AGF Rebar’s 10 action areas encompass mitigating climate change, sustainable development, employee wellness, the circular economy, and others (a complete list is available here).

To lessen its impact on the environment and boost the circular economy, AGF Rebar is reducing waste and increasing its recycling efforts. In addition, the company is working with more local suppliers, gradually electrifying its automobile fleet, and making improvements through means such as LED lighting to save electricity. Mindful of its 10 action areas’ impacts on staff, AGF Rebar is also addressing everything from employee wellness to professional development, breaking down taboos surrounding mental health and employing many other forward-thinking initiatives.

Reducing waste and emissions
“Rebar is 100 percent recyclable. Our raw materials are made from 20 to 60 percent recycled steel. Furthermore, we send all of our waste material to recycling for our materials to be reintroduced into the cycle,” says Maxime Gendron.

Recently, AGF Rebar has assessed the carbon footprint of its shops in Quebec. “As they represent different models of what we have across Canada, the goal is to extend the best practices that come from the assessment to all our divisions,” adds Maxime Gendron.

Recognizing the impact of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions such as carbon dioxide (CO₂) and methane (CH₄) on the planet, AGF Rebar has identified the main sources of these gases, and is actively working on optimizing them. The company is examining its fleet of vehicles, minimizing waste, recycling, reducing consumption, and much more. This includes studying the impact of changing gas-fueled pick-ups to hybrid models and assessing ways of decreasing GHG produced through transportation from shops to sites.

Other climate-forward initiatives encompass changing metal saws on job sites from gas to battery power to reduce fuel consumption and keep employees safer, adding a heat redistribution system to one of its shops, and even partnering with a local organization on an intelligent traffic light pilot project in the industrial park of Trois-Rivières.

Ongoing innovation
Although the rebar business is often viewed as being somewhat traditional, there are still many possibilities for innovation, explains Maxime Gendron. And in the words of Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors, Serge Gendron, P.Eng., FEC, “You can’t stop progress.”

After 76 successful years in business, innovation remains an important part of the company’s culture. This includes continuing to implement best practices throughout the organization using AI productivity tools, and pursuing the implementation of the company’s new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system in all divisions to improve processes and better serve clients. To ensure productivity is increased even in the face of labor shortages, AGF Rebar is also expanding the use of robotics for rebar fabrication, with research being conducted by the company’s Indian team at AGF Tecnik.

By embracing innovation, AGF Rebar is ensuring a bright, productive future while bringing in more tools to advance worker health and safety, like exoskeletons—in partnership with Biolift—that help reduce the muscle effort required to perform heavy physical tasks.

Engaged in sustainable construction
Recognizing the need for sustainable operations, AGF Rebar is active in many environmentally sensitive construction projects.

In Calgary, Alberta, the AGF Rebar Inc. team was selected for the ambitious project of the 14-kilometre Valley Line West Light Rail Transit (LRT), running from Downtown Edmonton to Lewis Farms. Requiring about 5,000 metric tons of steel, the job encompasses the Anthony Henday LRT Bridge, barrier end treatments, caissons, shafts, and track slab extending the whole project length.

In Toronto, AGF Rebar is working on several large-scale projects. At present, the company is fabricating rebar for the Sky Concord residential building, a high-rise which will require about 9,500 metric tons of rebar. The company is also working on the Ashbridges Bay Project. “It involves adding a new discharge pipe to transport the effluent further into Lake Ontario, after treatment by a new ultraviolet sanitation system,” explains Maxime Gendron. “The scope includes adding two containment tanks to the existing structure. One is intended for wastewater treatment, and the other is a sanitary screening well. One is approximately 220 feet (67 metres) deep, and the other just over 100 feet (30.5 metres). With both wells combined, the weight of the steel slightly exceeds 6,400 metric tons.”

Future goals
At present, AGF Rebar employs 2,814 people worldwide, 2,257 in Canada alone. While the company has seen a little slowdown in residential construction in the last year, this is balanced by a shift in demand toward larger infrastructure projects. “It’s really just about being in the right place at the right time to position ourselves for other types of projects,” says Maxime Gendron. “We remain close to our clients and follow the global construction market direction.”

Positioning itself to meet customer demand in the years to come, AGF Rebar continues making significant acquisitions to strengthen its market position and capacities. Most recently, these include Rendan Fabricators—a leading rebar company in Nova Scotia—and NACK, known for its rebar prefabrication and installation expertise in Ontario. NACK’s expertise in prefabrication is a great asset for clients, who benefit from space and time savings on construction sites as well as expert, quality service. These two acquisitions bring the company to 27 business units in nine countries.

Along with growth, numerous projects on which AGF Rebar has worked were recognized at the Excellence Awards in Concrete Construction Excellence organized by the ACI – Québec and Eastern Ontario Chapter last May. These projects include the National Bank of Canada head office, Montreal; Collège Notre-Dame Sports Centre, Montreal; the major refurbishment and transformation of Montreal’s Mont-Royal metro station; 628 Rue St-Jacques, Montreal; and the REM (Light Rail Train) – Réseau express métropolitain.

“Our commitment to quality, innovation, and sustainability is well-recognized within the industry,” comments Maxime Gendron. “We continue to build a strong reputation for technical excellence as our customer-focused approach enables us to provide customized solutions for complex construction challenges.”

Taking over the presidency of AGF Rebar in June 2023, Maxime Gendron is building on the foundation laid by his father, Serge, who championed the vision of expansion. Like his father, Maxime is committed to continuing along the path of growth and development. “AGF Rebar’s future plans are ambitious and focused on continuing our expansion into new markets, with the final goal of providing our clients with best-in-class rebar services,” he says.

“We are interested in strengthening our presence in Ontario, Alberta, and British Columbia. These regions present significant growth opportunities and we are committed to bringing our technical expertise to these markets. Our goal is to establish AGF Rebar as a trusted partner in these regions, known for delivering high-quality and cost-effective solutions that meet the evolving needs of the construction industry. Additionally, we are exploring potential opportunities in international markets. We are already well established in Latin America, France (through our division EMCA), and India. Everything is still possible.”

The post The Reinforcing Steel Specialists<p class="company">AGF Group</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

A true family affair, Terry Horton joined his brother Donald’s company, D. R. Horton, helping him build homes in Dallas-Fort Worth. He eventually raised his son Trent in the home construction industry, where he instilled a love of the business and a wealth of knowledge in the young man from an early age.

“That was my upbringing, with the early beginnings of that company,” says founder Trent Horton. “Lots of other family members joined; eventually they hired outside the family, and it kept going.”

After leaving that company in early 2001, Terry and his son Trent focused on land development. They launched back into the construction industry in 2009, later restructuring to establish Kindred Homes. Seeking expansion, they partnered with Todd Miller’s Glacier Custom Homes in 2018, enhancing the company’s portfolio with a luxury product line.

“Now operating as Kindred Homes, we’re finding our way to grow into a larger company,” says Horton. “Expanding will allow us to achieve a little bit greater scale, which we believe will enhance our stability. Being very small isn’t always as helpful as you may think, so our focus is on making daily efforts to grow.”

After 15 robust years, the team is obviously doing something right. Enduring family ties have also helped maintain the company’s success over the years. “If you grow up around it, you learn what not to do by osmosis,” Horton says.

He adds that the industry has changed a lot over the years with the loss of many mid-sized developers, making it harder for small to medium-sized private homebuilding companies to buy finished lots in neighborhoods.

“Although it can be a negative to be smaller because of all the big fish, it allows us to really have a focus on our customers and make modifications or changes quickly,” says Todd Miller, Partner. “Something we’ve been working on over the past few years is improving our customer service and having a nine-point process of how we go through this cycle and engage with our customers.”

It’s largely about communication, he adds—letting clients know what the company is offering and ensuring it’s communicated correctly, as well as communicating throughout the entire process to guarantee the quality expected is being delivered.

“That’s something we’ve improved greatly over the last 18 months with some of the people we’ve brought on,” Miller says. “Plus the ability to allow customers to personalize their home. That’s where we’re different from some builders we compete with; we allow some modifications and are more flexible with changes, so they feel they’re more bought into and invested in the process,” he shares.

While in larger companies there may be arduous processes involved in decision-making, smaller family-owned companies like Kindred allow questions to be answered and moves made quickly. “Being smaller, when we see things that don’t make sense, it’s a little easier and quicker for us to pull back and reallocate how we’re doing things. It allows us to make more changes that some of the other, larger builders may not be willing to do.” Within the Dallas area, Kindred builds around 100 to 200 houses a year, so the company is not so big that it can’t adjust quickly.

“As we aim to grow, it’s important for us to provide a superior customer experience, so that our buyers want to share with their friends and family how much they enjoyed building with us,” says Miller.

Word of mouth is always an appreciated method of earning new business, he adds. “That’s an important part of our business, those second, third, fourth buyer referrals, and we’ve worked hard to foster that,” says Miller. “We also use a service called Avid Ratings to gather feedback on our customers’ experiences, helping us continuously improve and meet their expectations every time.”

That commitment to quality customer service trickles down to how employees are treated. Kindred Homes was built on strong family ties and values that continue to this day.

“It’s truly a family feel here,” Miller says. “Culture has changed in business to be more employee-centric, and we’ve done a good job in getting our employees to understand they’re important. We try to share what we’re doing and welcome their input.”

Both Horton and Miller believe their company’s culture is only continuing to improve, as evidenced by high retention. “We’ve got a consistent team, and that consistency is something we’re really proud of,” says Miller.

“We’re all approachable, which feels good to people,” adds Horton. “There’s stability in a smaller company and it feels more like a family.”

“Kindred does feel like family. We know each other well—not only regarding work matters but also our personal lives.” agrees Courtney Castleberry, Marketing Manager. “What stands out to me is the commitment you get to see from senior leadership. They set the standard and work closely with every department to help us grow and succeed. This close-knit environment is a key highlight of working at a smaller company.”

The company’s personable approach extends to its charitable works as well. This includes its Hometown Heroes program, which supports educators, law enforcement, nurses, and other city workers, as well as the team’s ongoing contributions to local Toys for Tots initiatives. For example, Kindred Homes has participated in Toys for Tots year after year, with more than 250 toys donated last year alone. “We ask all of our employees to engage in our charity efforts,” says Castleberry, “but we also invite community members to join in giving back by providing donation boxes in each of our model home communities and hosting events in partnership with Toys for Tots. It’s been wonderful to witness the collaborative involvement.”

On the industry side, Kindred Homes is currently focused on growing Dallas-Fort Worth which is a “massive” market for housing, offering a significant opportunity for the company. And while Kindred already stands out through personalization and customization, another point of difference is the value the company can add to a community.

The aim is to “thoughtfully expand our portfolio of communities over time,” says Horton. “If we have an opportunity to go into a neighborhood that doesn’t make a lot of sense for us in terms of our product, the way we build, or who we’re competing against, it would be a thoughtful thing to say no, and instead grow in communities where we can be who we are, do what we feel we’re the best at, and profitably grow that way.”

Being authentic by holding to the company’s own vision and plans for future success is important to Kindred, he adds.

“You could just grow by buying lots, regardless of whether they make sense, but we’re going to buy lots that allow us to be successful for the people we put in those neighborhoods,” agrees Miller. “We’re not just going to grow for the sheer sake of revenue but to be thoughtful, so we can manage our balance sheets and also manage our day-to-day operations.”

Kindred’s competitive advantages also include better salespeople, better customer service, and better construction, Horton adds. Instead of just looking at a price point alone, big builders often compete head-to-head on price in certain communities, and whoever has the lowest cost of goods will have the most comfortable margins. “We’re not really focused on that, not really interested in competing that way,” he says. “I do believe the market is large and differentiated enough so that we can find the appropriate communities and grow over time.”

Naturally, affordability is also an ongoing concern for this team, Horton says, with customers’ incomes not keeping up with growing inflation, fuel costs, utilities, property taxes, and insurance over the years. “I’m shocked and surprised—but thankful—that consumers have held on as long as they have, but in talking to friends and family at all different income levels, their grocery costs are two and a half to three times what they were two years ago,” says Horton.

However, housing prices have outpaced inflation over the last three decades, he adds, which is beneficial on the investment side. “We’ve proven time and again that the greatest creation of wealth for most families is through their home. If we can somehow get that average family or average person in a house, it’s a forced savings account that should appreciate over time.”

Kindred’s commitment to building quality homes while holding to its personal vision and family values is made easier by its ability to attract and retain high-level and high-quality employees, allowing the company to ultimately provide a better product, adds Miller.

“It’s part of the culture, that it’s truly a family-owned and operated business. Everyone is treated the same way and enjoys coming here and hanging out for eight hours or more a day,” he says. “And we have the projects ahead. We encourage everyone to work hard, but we also like to play hard together. That’s what’s important to us.”

The post Family First – Roots Run Deep at Kindred Homes<p class="company">Kindred Homes</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

The oldest privately-owned homebuilder in Texas, HistoryMaker marked its 75^th anniversary this year. The company designs homes that are aesthetically pleasing, economical, and environmentally friendly. Some structural elements are built off-site for the sake of efficiency and speed, and energy saving measures include insulated glass, high-efficiency air conditioning, Energy Star rated appliances, and LED light bulbs. High-tech features include WiFi garage door openers and thermostats, easily accessible wiring, and hard-wired connectivity.

In addition to building homes, HistoryMaker provides its customers with links and information about lenders and insurance via its website. The company site also explains the multi-step method for buying a home from them. The “HistoryMaker Process” begins with a purchase agreement, then a loan application, and a conditional approval letter. Next, if all goes to plan, the client is invited to make an appointment at the HistoryMaker showroom to select their preferred flooring and cabinetry, along with other features, finishes, and flourishes.

Further steps include a “pre-drywall meeting” (homeowners are invited to inspect installed plumbing, HVAC, and electrical systems prior to drywall going up), a quality inspection, then closing. HistoryMaker offers a warranty and maintains a dedicated customer service team to assist homeowners with any issues they might have after moving in.

The HistoryMaker website is packed with pictures of beautiful homes the company has built. The residences offer a sturdy looking elegance, with clean lines, appealing façades, and family-friendly touches such as spacious yards, patios, and porches. Videos of completed homes are also available, as are digital tours of potential floorplans. Prospective homeowners can investigate the company’s floorplans, move-in homes, and communities in Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, and San Antonio.

A blog on the HistoryMaker website contains articles about the financial benefits of homeownership, popular residential communities, and stylistic suggestions (“Embracing Biophilic Design: Bringing Nature into Your Home” is the headline on a recent post).

HistoryMaker Homes traces its lineage to O.N. Mitchell Sr., a grocery store meat department manager who launched his own business, Mitchell’s Grocery, in East Fort Worth in 1946. Health issues ensued, however, and O.N. Mitchell’s physician recommended he seek new employment that involved fresh air and less stress. As a result, O.N. Mitchell got into the house-building business. His timing was excellent—servicemen were flooding back after World War II and looking to set down roots, some of them benefiting from government home loan guaranty programs for veterans.

In 1949, O.N. Mitchell Sr. and his son, O.N. Mitchell Jr., constructed and then sold their first home for approximately $5,000 (the equivalent of roughly $66,000 today, according to the U.S. Inflation Calculator website). The firm built and sold more homes in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex region and achieved such success it began to develop entire communities. The first such community, established in 1958 in Arlington, Texas, consisted of 160 single-family residences, the priciest of which was listed at $9,995 (about $108,000 today).

O.N. Mitchell Sr. passed away in September 1977, but the company he created and the values he espoused such as hard work, a family focus, and religious commitment, continued to flourish. The firm took an innovative approach in response to economic conditions. When gas prices and mortgage rates increased dramatically in the late 1970s, HistoryMaker began selling homes with 1.5 story floorplans that incorporated an unfinished room over the garage. Homeowners could save money on costs and finish this room at their own speed.

In the mid-1990s, Nelson Mitchell joined the firm, eventually becoming the fourth generation of the Mitchell family to lead the company. Under Nelson Mitchell’s watch, HistoryMaker grew rapidly, with closings soaring from 412 in 2009 to 800 in 2016, according to Builder magazine’s annual Builder 100 list. By 2022, closings had risen to 1,267 and HistoryMaker was ranked 57^th on the Builder 100 list. Things have since slowed a bit (2023 closings totaled 927) but the company remains firmly entrenched in the top echelon of American homebuilders.

A few other things have happened in recent years: in 2017, Lane Wright became HistoryMaker’s first president who wasn’t part of the Mitchell family. Also, HistoryMaker established a presence in Houston then San Antonio, Texas, in addition to its Dallas-Fort Worth base.

Building and selling homes isn’t all that matters to this long-lived company. HistoryMaker has long been involved in charitable and community endeavors. The firm has raised millions of dollars for women’s shelters, food banks, the Miracle League (an organization that enables disabled children to play baseball), and Homes for Hope (homebuilders who construct a house then sell it, with proceeds going to assist low-income people).

Indeed, HistoryMaker has earned industry kudos for its charitable work. In 2022, CEO Nelson Mitchell accepted a Hearthstone BUILDER Humanitarian Award (an honor that “recognizes home builders who demonstrate a lifetime commitment to public service” in the organization’s words).

Recently, HistoryMaker was involved in a high-profile initiative to right a decades-old wrong involving African-American civil rights leader Dr. Opal Lee. In the late 1930s, when she was a little girl, racism and vandalism drove the Lee family from their home in the Historic Southside Neighborhood of Fort Worth. Habitat for Humanity, HistoryMaker Homes, and other companies recently joined forces to build a new home for Dr. Lee on the site of her original family residence.

2024 has been a momentous year for the firm; Zac Thompson became president following the retirement of Lane Wright, and HistoryMaker marked a milestone anniversary. While home styles, technology, and designs have changed since the early days of the firm, HistoryMaker’s values remain intact as the firm moves forward.

These core values include high performance (“We believe high-impact outcomes are driven by a culture that is built on respect and trust, and transparency,” reads the website), accountability, customer service, and “Christ-Centered Heartbeat” (conducting business with integrity and honesty).

Clearly, these values have served HistoryMaker well, given its transformation from a small outfit run by a former grocer to one of the leading homebuilders in the Lone Star State.

The post Venerable Homebuilder Marks 75 Years Building Houses and Dreams in Texas<p class="company">HistoryMaker Homes</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

A go-to source for rear-ventilated façade systems, SVC provides upscale and environmentally friendly options for building requirements with an RVF system that satisfies all criteria for ecological, sustainable, and ecologically friendly designs thanks to its clever layer structure, which offers a component specifically suited for every exterior wall function.

Continuing the construction legacy of Murray Sommer, Eric Sommer initially started his career in residential home construction, focusing on backyard decks, finished basements, and house framing. With his skills progressing, Eric transitioned to high-end custom home building and later to commercial and industrial projects. His expertise in wood construction led him to work on iconic Canadian structures, including the Art Gallery of Ontario’s Italian Gallery and Lansdowne Stadium in Ottawa.

When the company restructured in 2015, Patricia Overgaard came on board. Together they discovered Ultra-High Performance Concrete and recognized it as a building material with the potential to transform architecture while minimizing environmental impact.

Currently manufacturing a number of products, including Flat UHPC wall panels in sizes 1220mm x 3660mm x 14mm up to 38mm; curved, shaped, and flat architectural concrete building elements as large as 3.6m x 7.5m x 75mm or as required; Dream Wall insulated concrete panels made with 1” of UHPC on the inside as well as the outside that can achieve R-values as high as R100; and iClad thermally broken attachment systems made from galvanized steel or stainless steel, SVCs’ main advantage is the capacity to complete intricate projects that call for a great deal of mold creation and careful engineering to realize the vision of the building designer.

“With the technology that Spring Valley has developed for flat panels, we are able to provide the market with a mass-produced panel with threaded holes in the back of the panel in a 150mm grid to facilitate the panel’s attachment to the building,” says Sommer.

With a focus on full building envelopes, SVC provides a comprehensive array of services and products. Regardless of budgetary constraints or price ranges, the business can collaborate with a client to attain their ideal results.

Producing UHPC is Sommer’s and SVC’s main priority and CAAST (Concrete Art and Applied Science Technology) is its hallmark product. Described as a “unique product,” CAAST concrete is fully engineered, combining particle density theory and chemistry to formulate concrete that can do the required job.

Depending on the project at hand, Spring Valley produces two types of concrete: Ultra-High Performance and High Performance. These types of concrete are primarily distinguished by their overall strength. UHPC is 120 MPA and beyond, while HPC is 90 to 120 MPA. While most projects are best suited for HPC, when a project calls for it, UHPC can be implemented. Concrete selection is influenced by a number of parameters, including water resistance and flexural strength, and for those at SVC, all of these considerations must be taken into account.

Sustainability and environmental concerns also benefit from SVC’s capacity to create thin concrete profiles. Due to the carbon footprint cement production leave behind, as well as related problems with mining and transportation, concrete has a negative reputation, and Sommer suggests one solution is simply using less.

Making investments in concrete innovation and sustainability has been part of SVC’s mission since the company began its journey into UHPC, and innovations have included mold making techniques, mold design, attachment methodology, and mixes with different properties and aggregates to create the appearance that is called for while maintaining the structural objectives.

“We are committed to fulfilling the design visions that architects task us with, which calls for a lot of out-of-the-box thinking,” says Sommer. “Our commitment to innovation reaches beyond architecture to innovative infrastructure applications currently under development.”

One of the company’s initial attractions to UHPC technology was the sustainability of the material. A building clad with UHPC uses less material than standard precast; UHPC panels can be made as thin as ½”. Another important aspect of sustainability is durability, in which case UHPC is an unparalleled material.

“The past 20 years have seen significant advancements in precast concrete technology, with the introduction of UHPC playing a key role in driving innovation and pushing the boundaries of what is possible in precast concrete construction,” says Patti Overgaard, Marketing and Sales. “UHPC’s superior strength, durability, and resistance to corrosion allow for thinner and lighter components, and its refined nature and moldability allow for more aesthetically pleasing and creative architectural projects.”

Additionally, advancements in production methods—such as digital fabrication techniques and automation—have also allowed for more precise and efficient manufacturing of precast concrete elements. “This has increased the quality and consistency of precast concrete products, leading to faster and more cost-effective construction processes,” she adds.

The increased requirements for improved thermal performance of building envelopes require thicker insulation in the wall assembly, and UHPC allows designers to use precast concrete without the need to increase the thickness of the wall.

Some of SVC’s notable projects are notable indeed, including 1 Park Row, a high-rise in Manhattan where UHPC was the chosen material as thin profiles allowed the architect to optimize the space within the residential units. This 23-storey mixed-use building in Lower Manhattan’s Financial District, designed by Fogarty Finger Architects and developed by Circle F Capital, received a $90 million construction loan from Parkview Financial in 2021. The 305-foot-tall structure will yield 103,000 square feet with 58 condominium units in one- to three-bedroom layouts, along with 19,000 square feet of office and retail space on the lower levels.

This reinforced concrete superstructure features wooden formwork aiding in settling the newly poured concrete. Meanwhile, the voids of the window grid are steadily being lined with blue insulation boards in preparation for the installation of the floor-to-ceiling glass envelope and interstitial spandrels, which will be spaced at two-storey intervals.

The LiUNA (Laborers’ International Union of North America) Local 183 Headquarters in Toronto is another highlight. The project features UHPC, chosen due to its aesthetic appeal. “The reduced weight and ability to cast complex forms made it an ideal solution to achieve the architect’s design,” says Overgaard.

Some challenges the company has faced recently include the quality and availability of raw materials, adds Sommer. “Spring Valley’s clients are constantly pushing us to develop solutions and details for their projects as they push the material to new limits,” he says. “The demand for CAAST concrete has grown exponentially, requiring significant investment in people and equipment.”

Despite these challenges, SVC has enjoyed a number of highlights and accomplishments recently, including its current work producing 3D cladding for its first tower in NYC. “We have developed multiple proprietary mix designs as well as a thermally broken substructure system to attach the panels to the building,” says Sommer. “Our iClad system was designed to meet the budget and energy requirements of the building.”

Additionally, Spring Valley’s CAAST UHPC is gaining a foothold in the market and is being specified by architects throughout North America.

Looking ahead, SVC’s planned transition into a purpose-built facility will allow the company to integrate all learning while enhancing efficiency and productivity to meet the growing demand for UHPC products.

When it comes to what sets SVC apart from similar companies, there are a number of factors. “We recently purchased a large-format laser machine just to fulfill the design objectives of one project,” says Overgaard. “We also manufacture our own thermally broken substructure system which allows us to modify and customize it as necessary to accommodate project-specific needs.” SVC has also designed a mold that allows the company to cast anchors in place which results in higher pull-out strengths and less time.

“Our willingness to take on complex projects and 3D geometry is one of our strong points,” says Sommer, adding that other manufacturers focus primarily on standard flat panels as their factories are set up for this type of repeatable production. SVC proudly stands apart, however. “We are happy to create custom colours, molds, and surface finishes for our customers.”

The post Building Core Strength with Concrete Solutions<p class="company">Spring Valley Corp</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

The firm uses bricks, mortar, stone, and other materials to build schools, shopping malls, sport stadiums, and more. “We strictly do masonry. We don’t do concrete. We stick with what we know and what we’re good at,” says Jeff Staver, President and Chief Executive Officer, and son of the company’s founder. Given that it marked its 40^th anniversary this year, the company has been well-served by this deliberate approach.

Corner Stone’s enduring success is due to “smart growth” and “good estimating,” Staver says. By the former, he means “not taking on projects that are over your head and staying within your capabilities. Staying within our work region is another, where we know the way the market works. I think a lot of that has contributed to our success.”

While Corner Stone has occasionally ventured into northern Illinois, most of the company’s work is done within its home state, and precise estimating helps it remain profitable.

“Every project has a certain amount of risk involved with it—whether it’s the site logistics or maybe it’s the height of the building,” says Staver. “Those are all things you have to price accordingly. Sometimes, you price yourself out of a job, but if we can’t do it at our cost, we look at it as not worth doing. We trust our costs. We don’t pay attention to what other people’s costs are.”

Hands-on involvement is also key to Corner Stone Construction’s longevity. “As owner, I’m very involved in the day-to-day operations of the company. Instead of delegating a lot of the responsibility to everybody, I’m the project manager,” he states.

Corner Stone has approximately 55 employees—a number that can go up to 80 in the busy summer season. It is also a union contractor, with workers belonging to the Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers.

The company has built a team of employees who are ethical, hard-working, and have a “good attitude,” says Staver, adding that common sense is another sought after trait in new personnel, as Corner Stone is very safety-focused. “I’m one of the few masonry subcontractors around here that has a full-time safety director—a real one, that’s gone to school and been trained for it,” he says.

Mike Bales, Corner Stone’s Safety Director/Operations Director, graduated from Eastern Kentucky University with a degree in Occupational Safety and is in his 16^th year of working in safety. Bales regularly inspects worksites and performs safety audits, complete with photographs. Workers file daily paperwork identifying hazards they expect to face on their shift, and the company erects its own scaffolding, which is carefully inspected before and after each job, hosts weekly toolbox meetings, and encourages open communication and continuous improvement.

“We stress to our people that we want to hear about near-miss incidents. We want these reported even if nobody got hurt,” Staver explains.

Clearly, the company has found a successful strategy, as the firm took a first-place finish in the 2024 Construction Safety Excellence Awards conferred by the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC). It won this national-level award in March of this year based on its safety performance in the under 175,000 man-hour-per-year category.

In addition to being committed to safety and quality, Corner Stone takes its workplace culture very seriously. The company uses a picture of a stone arch to depict its values, with the stones in the archway marked with values such as accountability, motivation, integrity, communication, and empowerment. The stone at the top of the arch is marked, simply, ‘culture.’ “Our culture is the top keystone that holds that arch together,” explains Bales.

Corner Stone has a leadership team that is not only expected to lead and inspire but to set the pace and act as experts. “We find, in a lot of situations, our masonry superintendents are more knowledgeable than the superintendents on the jobsite. We’re very fortunate to have some really well-trained leaders in our group,” says Staver.

Likewise, he greatly appreciates his workforce. “We can’t be the company we can be without their hard work and their dedication to safety and quality and production. Those guys are out there working on days when it’s five below zero or 98 degrees out. [We take] our hats off to these guys,” he states.

Corner Stone was founded in 1984 by David Staver (Jeff’s father) who has since retired. From the start, the business centered on masonry. By not overextending itself in terms of services or market reach, the company avoided the pitfalls that can plague businesses with ambitions that outstrip their capabilities. In a similar fashion, it has weathered economic downturns that devastated other companies.

“I don’t think we really had any struggles,” Staver shares. “We’re proud to say we made it through the market crash in 2008 to 2009 when construction basically went to a halt. We were still able to have a few profitable years there; even though it wasn’t what we were used to, we were still able to move forward.”

This forward progression stemmed in part from the company’s willingness to “say ‘no’ to a lot of projects back then, to not dig ourselves into a hole,” he explains.

COVID did affect the firm, as it did every company in North America, but Corner Stone simply adjusted and continued to maintain an even keel. “We just followed government protocols. We had masks on our people,” recalls Staver. “Fortunately, we got through it.”

Over the decades, Corner Stone has been involved in several high-level projects, including a minor league sport stadium in Beloit, Wisconsin. Officially called ABC Supply Stadium, this beautiful ballpark boasts a reddish brick façade with graceful arches. The company won an Excellence in Clay Masonry Award for 2022 from the Wisconsin Masonry Alliance (WMA) for its efforts.

“It looks like a small professional stadium. It was a really neat project,” says Staver. “We’ve done so many large projects—airports, hospitals, schools, corporate offices, industrial, wastewater treatment plants. We just finished a $7 million school renovation at Madison West High School. There aren’t many projects we can’t take on.”

That said, Corner Stone does not do residential work and can be picky about other assignments, wary of working on very tall buildings in crowded urban areas, particularly if such jobs entail the use of tower cranes to hoist supplies and parts.

“We’re pretty careful about how we approach those projects from a pricing standpoint, because we’re not always in control of things such as access to a tower crane,” Staver explains. “[Sometimes] you have to share it with other trades. Anywhere with a large density where you go high, those are the [projects] we are most cautious about,” he says.

The company takes this mindful approach in everything it does. The team doesn’t do much promotion per se, relying instead on its reputation to generate business. “When we tell you we’re going to do something, we do it; we don’t show up a day later. We don’t miss schedules. We’re really known in the industry for getting things done fast, while not taking any shortcuts.”

In contrast to its minimal marketing efforts, Corner Stone is heavily involved with charitable and community initiatives. The firm is a strong backer of a charity called Logan’s Heart and Smiles, which retrofits homes to better accommodate children with disabilities. It also supports a Madison, Wisconsin residence called the Goodman Community Center that offers shelter to vulnerable populations. “It’s not a handout,” says Staver. “They’ve got young adults in there learning how to cook and cater, performing services and things like that. We’re proud to be part of that as well,” he notes.

In another initiative close to home, Corner Stone regularly takes part in an annual event called Kids Building Wisconsin, which aims to educate children about construction. In previous years, kids constructed brick wall mock-ups with lime-based mortar. In more recent years, the company has erected hydraulic scaffolding for boys and girls to climb on, eventually exiting at an assortment of playground equipment.

Staver says it can be difficult to find and retain skilled workers. It is not a unique problem; across North America skilled tradespeople are nearing retirement age and not enough young people are stepping up to replace them. Still, he is optimistic.

“We definitely have goals,” he says. “Our goals are to continue to be safe. Growth hasn’t always been a huge goal, as long as we’re profitable. It’s a matter of picking the right projects throughout the year.” And at present, there are no plans to diversify and risk diluting the formula that made the company so successful. “We’re going to stick with masonry.”

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It starts with experience. “We’ve done it for over fifty-plus years,” Vaughn says. “We have been the benchmark leader for a very long time and continue to drive that success with the experience that we have. Our extensive industry experience and expertise in manufacturing metal roofing and wall panels distinguish us from smaller competitors and new entrants in the market. We have the products, the manufacturing, and the know-how,” he says.

“Many of our manufacturing employees and management teams have dedicated their entire careers to this business, becoming true experts in their field. For many of these individuals, this has been their sole job throughout their lives,” he explains. “Our team carries a wealth of experience and industry expertise.”

Of course, there is the product itself. “What sets us apart is the exceptional performance and quality of our products,” Vaughn emphasizes. Fabral’s dedicated team diligently upholds high standards. “We take pride in our operational excellence.”

In another point of difference, sustainably has long been at the forefront. The company’s metal panels are made from partially recycled materials and are fully recyclable at the end of their lifespans. “The product itself is sustainable,” Vaughn notes. “Many of our products have reflective properties, helping to reduce heat absorption and enhance energy efficiency.”

Durability is another important advantage when it comes to sustainability. “Many of our products have a thirty-plus year warranty. So, for most people that put a metal roof on their house, that roof is going to last throughout their lifetime.”

This applies even in tough weather conditions. “The metal, obviously, withstands a lot of natural weathering,” says Vaughn. “You look at some of the coastal regions where there are hurricanes, or some of the areas prone to tornadoes, hail, and fire damage, that metal roofing will withstand some of those harsher elements. The durability of it makes it a sustainable product, unlike shingles or asphalt. Those products, they’re damaged, they fly off the house, they have to be replaced. Well, metal is going to withstand a lot of those harsher climates or elements.”

Fabral supports green building practices and contributes to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification. “A lot of our products qualify for LEED,” says Vaughn, and the company goes the extra mile to educate potential customers about how to best utilize these products. “We engage with the design and build community through educational programs, partnerships, and initiatives aimed at promoting sustainable building practices. We work with architects, builders, and other stakeholders to encourage the adoption of green building technologies and methods.”

The company’s commitment to the customer is another key to success. “We pride ourselves on customer service and have an internal customer service department. Each of our manufacturing facilities has dedicated customer service representatives that work inside those facilities, and they’re on the phones, talking with customers daily; they know the customer. They have relationships with those customers.” This builds long-lasting trust between the two parties. “It’s not some automated computer or something like that. There are real people there to talk and support and answer questions and take orders.”

Fabral’s in-house engineering department also gets involved in customer service. “That does play into customer support from a technical standpoint. Many of our competitors lack in-house engineers and typically outsource this work.”

In a recent example, an architect was able to speak directly to an engineer to ask questions in order to obtain a full understanding of the products. “We were able to provide solutions for a particular design and give that architect confidence that this is how to move forward with the design of this project.” These in-house engineers also ensure the products’ quality and durability. “A lot of what they do is product testing and onsite inspections to ensure our products are meeting industry standards for environmentally responsible manufacturing,” says Vaughn.

The company values new technology, ensuring that its products and processes remain relevant. “We have made significant investments in new equipment to make sure that we’re keeping up with technology and are able to innovate and come up with new efficiencies and new ways to better produce products,” he says.

Flack Global Metals acquired Fabral in February 2023, a move that has strengthened the business substantially. The company retained much of its independence but gained valuable support. The fact that Flack is an industry insider is significant. “Having someone who understands the metal business has been very advantageous throughout our organization,” Vaughn explains. “They’ve made huge investments in the organization. We’ve seen that already internally with newly created positions, internal promotions, and upgrades to our facilities.”

The acquisition has also led to increased efficiency. “We’ve cut a lot of waste. That’s attributed to Flack coming in and really understanding the metal supply chain and [having] that knowledge. Flack provides critical support, and insights into all things metal-industry-related.”

The new ownership has also been a good fit when it comes to company culture. “From a cultural standpoint, it’s been a huge injection of positivity,” Vaughn says. “There are a lot of synergies with that acquisition.”

Bringing two teams together has provided new opportunities to troubleshoot and improve the business. “We are able to discuss and brainstorm ideas [with an] industry partner,” and pursue those ideas with an aligned focus for success,” he affirms.

For example, the team has put forth new incentives that have boosted employee retention and engagement, while rewarding performance. “This has led to employees having a stake in the success of the business, and drives us all to be top performers.”

The influence of Jeremy Flack, Flack’s founder and Chief Executive Officer, is being felt throughout the company. “His enthusiasm and his energy have really trickled down throughout the Fabral side of the business, and everybody’s excited,” Vaughn says. “We are optimistic about where we’re going.”

Fabral has several new initiatives in the works.” Says Vaughn, “we are super excited about new opportunities to grow and expand as our future is looking very bright!”

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