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Author: |
Grant Lee |
Created: |
7/7/2009 12:54 PM |
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Industry-related issues are identified and explored to give some insight into perceptions held about precast reinforced concrete pipe and boxes. |
By Grant Lee on
7/10/2010 7:47 PM
Markets are increasingly influenced by new products and materials originating anywhere on the planet.
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By Grant Lee on
6/4/2010 11:58 AM
There is a difference. For many, it takes a long time to develop an understanding that there are differences in the terminology associated with specifications and standards. Many people sell products and services to the built environment, who are not engineers, technicians or technologists, and never had any exposure to standards and specifications before entering the workplace. It may also be fair to say that very few people engaged in selling products or providing services have little knowledge about how standards and specifications are developed, although they are heavily referenced in the marketplace when competing for sales or projects. The concrete pipe industry is specification driven, and its products and services are produced to standards that are widely accepted. Sales and marketing staff of member firms of the Canadian Concrete Pipe Association are subject to continuing education about the standards associated with the production and testing of concrete pipe and competitive products, and the specifications (standard and customized) used by client groups, government agencies, and local municipalities. Provincial and National Building Codes reference standards. Ontario is the only provincial jurisdiction that publishes its own building code. Plumbing under the OBC includes a drainage system (See http://www.ocpa.com/_resources/CPJ_Spring2010.pdf).
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By Grant Lee on
5/3/2010 3:04 PM
There are many products used to construct the drainage infrastructure that we depend upon, and those products have very specific service lives. The challenge of matching service life of materials and products to design life of projects is top of mind with public works officials who must work with, among other things, limited funding, changing standards and specifications, new products and materials, changing technology, political action, and changing weather and climate regimes.
For decades, corrugated metal pipe (CMP) culverts have been installed under most highways and local roads. With a service life that does not often reach the design life of the roads they service, failures are reported by media before scheduled maintenance and replacement can take place. Although failing CMP culverts have been attracting media attention over the past decade, public works officials continue to monitor culverts and cross drains of all materials to initiate repairs and replacements before failure occurs. From safety and economic perspectives, it is important to replace failing and failed culverts as soon as possible to protect associated structures from premature failure.
Conducting a life cycle cost analysis of culvert product and material prior to road reconstruction or construction of a new length of local road or highway, can reveal many of the issues that tend to be overlooked in designing a culvert pipe or box. Issues include traffic delay costs that most often far exceed the actual construction costs. Therefore, any initial savings that occurs by installing a pipe with a lower life expectancy is quickly exceeded by subsequent replacement installations and user delays. By quantifying the additional costs of emergency replacement, it is clear that an inspection/maintenance program provides an attractive cost benefit. It also shows that pipe materials with a longer life are more cost effective than materials with lower life expectancy, even if initial installation is more expensive.
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By Grant Lee on
4/5/2010 8:12 AM
The last decade of the 20th Century, and early years of C21 witnessed a flurry of mergers and acquisitions in the cement, precast and thermoplastic pipe industries. There are now signs that business models are shifting to concentrate on one-stop shopping for all materials and products, and the marketing of sanitary and storm sewer products as complete systems.
What is your opinion on this apparent shift to servicing the needs of municipalities, agencies, developers, and contractors? Is it wise to present businesses as the single source for all needs, or best to focus on core competencies? Is there a danger that single source businesses will promote the use of products with cheaper capital cost at the expense of more expensive capital cost products that would be the best product for the application? Is the acumen of competition among materials and products being diminished in the buried infrastructure marketplace?
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By Grant Lee on
3/3/2010 9:46 AM
Life Cycle Analysis (LCA), not life cycle cost analysis, is a tool used to evaluate the potential environmental impact of a product, process or activity throughout its entire life cycle by quantifying the use of resources ("inputs" such as energy, raw materials, water) and environmental emissions ("outputs" to air, water and soil) associated with the system that is being evaluated. LCA is a component of Sustainable Development which is supported by the concrete pipe industry.
Do you believe that LCA is a tool that is understood by industry and governments?
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By Grant Lee on
2/3/2010 11:05 AM
The applications for precast concrete boxes go far beyond the common application of roadway culverts and small bridges. The ways they can be used for projects keeps expanding.
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By Grant Lee on
1/2/2010 6:03 AM
Concrete is one of the world’s most commonly used building materials. In its simplest form, concrete is a mixture of paste and aggregates.
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By Grant Lee on
12/3/2009 9:16 PM
In regions susceptible to massive flooding and wildfires, the application of concrete pipe and boxes for culverts and associated storm sewers makes sense because concrete culverts don’t burn, they resist buoyancy, have installation savings, are strong and durable, can be used for stormwater retention, and producers are nearby to supply products in a hurry.
If the decisions to use materials and products that corrode quickly, incinerate, or float away are not technical in nature, then the public deserves an answer from their elected officials why their taxes are being used to support temporary roads, sewers and culverts.
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By Grant Lee on
11/5/2009 7:07 AM
Concrete pipe mixtures incorporate industrial by-products (such as fly ash and slag cement), which reduces the use of virgin materials, reduces the amount of cement needed, reduces the energy needed to manufacture the product and conserves natural resources. In addition, concrete made with fly ash is more durable and has a higher ultimate strength.
The steel that is used in reinforced concrete pipe is typically made of 90 to 100% recycled steel, which itself can be recycled. Materials that can be recycled at the end of their intended use reduce the amount of waste that is land filled and reduces the need for virgin construction material.
Concrete pipe is renewable and 100% recyclable. Due the durability and strength of concrete pipe, it can be reused.
We are always interested in ways that concrete pipe can be reused in applications other than storm and sanitary sewers, and culverts. When concrete pipe is excavated for replacement with larger diameter pipelines to accommodate growth, how have you re-used the pipe?
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By Grant Lee on
10/13/2009 7:46 AM
Precast concrete pipe outperforms plastic or metal conduits for stormwater and sanitary sewer applications. Concrete’s rigidity and mass allow for easy and secure placement in the trench, without disrupting line or grade. Plus, precast concrete pipe joints are easily assembled, which helps minimize the time needed for installation. Precast concrete pipe is the best option when installation time matters, or when the soil poses challenges to installation.
Since concrete pipe is a rigid product that is often more than 85% dependent on the pipe strength and approximately 15% dependent on the strength derived from the soil envelope, installation is made easy. The installation of plastic or metal pipes can take longer than precast concrete pipe. That’s because the structural and hydraulic integrity of flexible pipes rely heavily on how well the surrounding soil is prepared at installation. Widely accepted Standard Installations provide options for installing concrete pipe that are not options for flexible pipe.
It is important to fully understand the differences between rigid and flexible pipe installations, especially when time is a factor in the construction schedule and long-term performance is an element of a municipality's asset management program.
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