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Span Cast
Span Cast
Span Cast
Report
SPANCAST CARIBBEAN LIMITED
Contents
Executive Summary.................................................................................................... 2
Introduction................................................................................................................ 2
Safety is First Priority.................................................................................................. 3
What is Pre-stressed Concrete?.................................................................................. 3
Spancast and Pre-stressed concrete...........................................................................4
Contec Flooring System........................................................................................... 4
Hollowcore Flooring System.................................................................................... 4
Super Piles............................................................................................................... 5
AASHTO Bridge........................................................................................................ 5
Many Other Applications......................................................................................... 6
Water Tanks............................................................................................................. 6
Stadium Seats......................................................................................................... 6
Pan Mixer................................................................................................................. 6
Manufacturing of Concrete blocks...........................................................................7
Interlocking Concrete Blocks................................................................................... 7
V blocks................................................................................................................... 8
Waste Concrete....................................................................................................... 8
Appendix.................................................................................................................. 10
REFEERENCES.......................................................................................................... 17
Executive Summary
Spancast Caribbean Limited was incorporated in August 1990. The Trinidad
branch is located in OMeara Industrial Estate, Arima. Spancast Caribbean Limited is
involved in many building types that it is not always easy to categorize their work.
This report was done in order to highlight the various aspects of the company which
were introduced to us visiting. Upon initial research and later first hand observation,
it was noted that the company dealt with new technology in terms of concrete
based products such as Pre-stressed concrete and Concrete recycling as well an
understanding on time being a crucial factor in the construction industry.
Introduction
The site visit to Spancast Caribbean Limited was deemed necessary because
of the nature of the work being done there in accordance with the education of the
Civil Engineering Students of UTT, San Fernando. The company introduces or
maintains what is deemed New Technology in the Concrete field. They strive for
an improvement on the construction methods and materials of a contractor and by
extent, the employer. Where locals know a certain approach in construction, this
company has explored new as well as foreign methods and have had positive
results in testing these methods.
Super Piles
Another useful product which Spancast produces is prefabricated Super
piles .They are normally manufactured at 12x12, 16x16 and 20x20 dimensions
.These piles are formed using pile bed molds located on Spancasts premises. These
molds are made out of high strength steel and are very long so as to facilitate any
length needed. An example of this being used is in Michael Rahael Boulevard, South
Park San Fernando. Spancasts piles are reinforced with rebar and are often pre
stressed.
AASHTO Bridge
Precast pre-stressed bridge components are manufactured by Spancast
Caribbean Ltd, each bridge component is independently designed based on the
requirements on the construction site. The reason for pre stressing the concrete is
to overcome concretes natural weakness in tension, this aids in producing longer
spans than is practical with ordinary reinforced concrete. The concrete is cast
around steel bars while under tension and when this tension is released it is
Water Tanks
This is a new technology being researched and done by Spancast. It involves
casting semicircular molds of concrete individually and joining them on site to
create a giant cylindrical shape. They are then post tensioned by being pulled
together by steel cables. They interlock each other and are supposedly waterproof
when casted together.
Stadium Seats
Fresh concrete or a combination of regrind is used to produce precast
stadium risers and mini pavilions. Spancast has a wide range of designs for stadium
risers and pavilions and are applicable in many different structures .They are a
manufacture at higher strength to withstand structural damages to external forces
therefore being important to the construction industry. Because it is a precast
component they are erected relatively quickly and are cost effective.
Pan Mixer
3/8 and 3/4 aggregates are stockpiled to the back of the pan mixer separated
by a wall. A backhoe loader pushes the aggregates into a underground scale which
weighs the individual aggregates to a specified proportion, moisture meters which
are present measures the water / aggregate ratio to aid in computing the quantity
of water needed .After weighing and moisture calculations the aggregates are
introduced to the pan mixer along with cement and water . The mixture which is
produced is a relatively dry and stiff therefore having a low water /cement ratio, to
improve the workability and change its fresh early age or hardened state. Conplast
SP430 is added during the mixing stage. When mixing is completed after several
minutes the fresh concrete is emptied into a concrete hopper, it is then transported
by a rough terrain forklift to another holding hopper/ concrete bucket for the use
with the slip-former.
has been completed, the fresh concrete is discharged onto a conveyor belt
underneath the mixer, and carried up and into the holding hopper of the block
machine itself. The mixing cycle is then began for the next load. In the block
machine the concrete is forced downwards into molds which consists of an outer
mold box containing several liners which determines the outer shape of the blocks
an inner shape of the block cavities .The blocks are then shaped and made due to a
small degree of compaction but mainly because of heavy vibration. In this process
three concrete blocks are manufactured simultaneously. The blocks then leave the
machine on pallets and are most times inspected by the workers .The pallets are
then lifted and place on racks for curing overnight.
V blocks
Spancast Caribbean Ltd is also in the business of producing what is known as
Gravity Retaining walls by utilizing Mass concrete in the form of large blocks. These
blocks are interlocking and rely solely on its own weight to withstand pressures from
backfilling soil or just to stand up on its own acting as a wall barrier. The density of
Spancasts concrete blocks are approximately 2300 kg /m3 and weigh an
approximate 800kg each. These blocks can be laid together by using mortar to join
them or by simply stacking them upon each other since their interlocking design
caters for this, it is all dependent on the design requirements .Regrind is normally
combined with fresh concrete to manufacture these blocks since there is no
detrimental effect on the strength of the concrete mass; a higher strength may even
be produced. Reinforced steel bars are not used in the manufacturing of these
blocks since little to no tensional forces are applied to the blocks.
Waste Concrete
Concrete, being a very rigid and hard material cannot be dumped as easily.
The company saw a buildup of 30 years of waste concrete. As such, Spancast has
begun recycling it and using it as aggregate in their products and the result is a
much stronger block that if new material was used. This is due to the unreacted
cement grains in the crushed material being mixed with more cement and as such
creating a stronger product. A chemical reaction with massive physical properties.
The waste is grounded to different sizes for different uses and even sold to other
concrete based companies as it has such positive results and also that Spancast is
the only company now that recycles waste concrete. This helps the company save
money as well as reduce the need for new material.
Appendix
FIG 2. Contec Flooring System showing Beams, Blocks, Wire Mesh, Steel Rods and
over layered concrete
REFEERENCES
-
Hornbostel, Caleb. Construction Materials, 2nd Edition. John Wiley and Sons,
Inc., 1991