Special Merit Concrete Design Award
BAY COLLEGE WEST CAMPUS WINS SPECIAL MERIT CONCRETE DESIGN AWARD
Iron Mountain, MI – The creation of an energy efficient building on the Bay College West Campus captured a 2007 Annual ICF Concrete Design Award.
The awards are a part of a prestigious program showcasing best uses of ready-mixed concrete in Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula (UP). The Wisconsin Ready Mixed Concrete Association (WRMCA), Aon Risk Corporation, General Resource Technology, and the Wisconsin Chapter of ACI International cosponsored the annual awards, now entering its 29th year. A distinguished panel of Wisconsin/UP educators and construction professionals determined award winners.
The Wright Stuff themed Concrete Design Award Ceremony took place on Thursday, March 5, 2008 at the Monona Terrace Convention Center, a past Concrete Design Award Winner, in Madison, Wisconsin. Award program sponsors included Champion Inc., County Materials Corporation, GeoTest, Green Valley Ready Mix, Illinois/Wisconsin Cement Company, Meyer Material, The Phill Domask Consultancy, Verrette Materials, Wingra Red-Mix, and WR Grace.
ICFs are expanded polystyrene forms (blocks or panels) construction professionals stack as a component form system to create frost, foundation, and exterior walls for residential and light commercial construction projects. Crews then add reinforcing steel and fill the gap (typically 4 to 8 inches) in the foam systems with ready-mixed concrete. After the concrete has hardened, the forms remain in place and provide a sandwich of insulation for the walls and backing for drywall (on the interior side of the ICF walls) and lap siding, brick, or other exterior finish systems (on the exterior side of the ICF walls).
By request of the college and the State of Michigan, the construction of the building needed to incorporate ecologically aware products. One definite way to meet this requirement was by using an ICF wall system. The Bay College West had 66,000 square feet of finished floor space and approximately 61,000 square feet of wall surface area utilizing both 16” and 18” wide wall forms, 17 feet in height on both floors. The concrete used for the majority of the project was a 4,000 psi concrete with 20% slag replacement.
When the walls were poured, a superplasticizer was added to take the concrete from a 2 ½” slump to an 8” slump. It allowed the concrete to be able to flow around a heavy reinforcement schedule within the wall cavity. Approximately 174 tons of rebar ranging in size from #4 up to #9 bar and 2500 cubic yards of concrete was used in the foundation and wall pours.
The floors for the project utilized another 900 yards of concrete. The lower level used 1 ½# of fibermesh 300 for reinforcement in the slab on grade. The upper level metal desk used wire mesh fore reinforcement. After ample cure time and when construction allowed, the floors were
BAY COLLEGE WEST CAMPUS WINS CONCRETE DESIGN AWARD ADD ONE
then acid stained to get the desired look and followed the final layout of the ceiling. A polyurethane seal coat finished the operation.
The exterior concrete amounted to another 500 yards of concrete again using the specified 4,000 psi concrete with 6% +/- 1.5% air content. The elevated walkway, which contained heat tubes within the slab, was poured using micro-silica fume in the mix. This was added to not only increase the strength but to provide a more dense and impermeable surface.
In addition to owner Bay de Noc Community College, project construction team members included:
- Gundlach Champion Inc. | Project Build Contractor
- Blomquist & Associates | Project Architect
- Champion Inc. | Project Ready-Mix Supplier
The Wisconsin Chapter of the American Concrete Institute works statewide to develop, share, and disseminate knowledge and information needed to utilize concrete to its fullest potential.
The Wisconsin Ready Mixed Concrete Association (WRMCA) is a statewide trade association consisting of ready-mixed concrete producer and associate members throughout the state and Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Its mission is to advance the ready-mix industry through legislative action, promotion, and education. Champion Inc. is a proud and active member of the WRMCA.