U.S. Concrete Precast Group Completes the Production of High Strength, Green Concrete U-Beams for the Phoenix Sky Train Project

U.S. Concrete Precast Group has completed the production of 130 pre-stressed, green concrete U-beams for the Sky Train Project at the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. U.S. Concrete Precast Group secured the project in 2009 with Hensel Phelps Construction Company. Production of high strength U-beams began at U.S. Concrete Precast Group’s manufacturing facility in Phoenix, Arizona in February of 2010 utilizing environmentally friendly concrete mix designs, EF Technology®, which can have a carbon footprint 30 percent lower than standard concrete mix designs. This proprietary technology not only provides enhanced performance of the concrete products and a reduced environmental footprint, but can also provide credits toward LEED certification. The U-beams are an integral part of Phase One of the Sky Train project and are designed as the platform for the future elevated people mover at Sky Harbor International Airport, which is expected to be completed in 2013.

The Sky Train is projected to reduce the number of vehicles per day at the Airport by nearly 20 percent or 20,000 vehicles, and significantly reduce congestion and pollution. Phase One of the Sky Train will transport passengers and employees between METRO light rail stations, parking lots, and Terminal 4, which serves 80 percent of Sky Harbor International Airport’s passengers.

A total of 130 pre-stressed U-beams were used in Phase One of the project, ranging in length from 58 feet to 100 feet. Each beam requires up to 47 pre-stressing strands and can weigh up to 72 tons. Over 3,723 cubic yards of green concrete was utilized by U.S. Concrete Precast Group in Phase One of this project.

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The U.S. Green Concrete Council Releases “The Sustainable Concrete Guide”

The U.S. Green Concrete Council (USGCC) has released its new book, “The Sustainable Concrete Guide – Strategies and Examples,” available for purchase through the American Concrete Institute (ACI).

The first-ever comprehensive resource on concrete and sustainability, “The Sustainable Concrete Guide – Strategies and Examples” provides insight on specific strategies for the best use of concrete in high-performance, long-lasting, green buildings. Included in the guide are case studies, technical data and references, and numerous practices that can be implemented immediately. The guide is divided into three parts.

Part 1 of the guide includes information on “Concrete Basics for Sustainability,” which outlines the uses of concrete as the most widely used building material in the world.

Part 2 of the guide is titled “Considerations for Best Use of Concrete for Sustainable Structures,” and it contains 11 chapters on specific uses of concrete for sustainable structures. Topics include:

• Chapter 1 – Carbon footprint
• Chapter 2 – Thermal transmission
• Chapter 3 – Thermal mass and storage
• Chapter 4 – Longevity and service life
• Chapter 5 – Stormwater management
• Chapter 6 – Human factors and the living/working environment
• Chapter 7 – Safety and security
• Chapter 8 – Reduce, reuse, recycle
• Chapter 9 – Economic impact
• Chapter 10 – Resilience with climate change
• Chapter 11 – Compatibility with other innovative sustainability strategies

Part 3 of the guide, titled “Beyond Sustainable Rating Systems: Project Profiles,” features 12 specific construction projects throughout the U.S.; all of which utilize sustainable concrete practices and techniques. Included are profiles of three specific types of structures: parking structures and parking lots; single-family and multi-family residential structures; and commercial, institutional, and industrial structures.

The book is authored by Andrea J. Schokker, professor and head of the civil engineering department at the University of Minnesota Duluth. Schokker is a member of the Board of Direction for the American Concrete Institute (ACI) and is active in many ACI committees including Joint ACI-ASCE Committee 423, Prestressed Concrete, and a subcommittee of Committee 318, Structural Concrete Building Code. She is the chair of ACI Committee 130, Sustainability of Concrete.

Schokker has received awards for both her technical contributions and her educational efforts, including the ACI Young Member Award for Professional Achievement (2004); the ACI Outstanding Educational Committee Member Award (2003); the Post-Tensioning Institute Outstanding Educator Award (2004); Penn State’s Engineering Society Outstanding Teaching Award (2004); and Penn State’s Lawrence J. Perez Student Advocate Award (2003).

“Green building practices have been in the spotlight for quite some time in the U.S. and around the world,” said Andrea J. Schokker. “’The Sustainable Concrete Guide – Strategies and Examples’ is a first-of-its-kind guide that fills the pressing need for a comprehensive source on implementing sustainable concrete building practices and techniques immediately. This book presents real-world examples that can be used to guide any engineer, architect, specifier, building owner, or contractor who is interested in learning how to most effectively and efficiently integrate concrete in durable and sustainable structures.”

Also an integral part in the creation of the book is the editorial review panel of the U.S. Green Concrete Council. Current ACI president Florian Barth serves as chair of the editorial review panel. Other members include Michael Deane, vice president and chief sustainability officer at Turner Construction Company; Kevin MacDonald, vice president of engineering services at Cemstone; Aris Papadopoulos, CEO of Titan America; Michael Paul, lead structural engineer and senior consultant for Duffield Associates; Richard Stehly, vice president of ACI and principal of American Engineering & Testing; and Wayne Trusty, president of Athena Institute International.

The U.S. Green Concrete Council was established in 2009, with the purpose of disseminating information on sustainable concrete. The organization aims to satisfy the immediate demand for resources on the role of concrete in sustainable buildings and to facilitate the development of additional sustainability-related consensus documents. USGCC is a division of Creative Association Management (CAM), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the American Concrete Institute (ACI). “The Sustainable Concrete Guide – Strategies and Examples” is the first in a series of sustainable concrete guides to be published by USGCC. The second is expected to be available in Fall 2010.

To order, call ACI at 248-848-3800 or click the link below.

The Sustainable Concrete Guide – Strategies and Examples
Published: March 2010
Pages: 89
Order Code: SCG1.PR
Price (for ACI members and non-members): $75

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