Written by admin on July 27, 2011 – 11:59 am
The Canadian Society for Civil Engineering (CSCE) presented its Award for Excellence in Innovation in Civil Engineering at the CSCE Annual General Meeting and Conference held June 14-17 in Ottawa, Ontario. The award, sponsored by Canam Group, was bestowed to DIALOGTM, Lafarge Canada and the University of Calgary for their innovation Ultra-High Performance Concrete in Architectural Cladding.
“The CSCE is very pleased to partner with Canam Group in presenting the Award for Excellence in Innovation in Civil Engineering,” said George Akhras, Chairman of the CSCE Innovation and IT Committee. “This award, created to encourage innovation in all civil engineering disciplines, is bestowed on an individual or group belonging to a Canadian firm or research organization involved in the practice of civil engineering in Canada.” He emphasized that this award is primarily intended to encourage creativity and ingenuity in civil engineering practice.
Summary of the Innovation:
Increased demand for sustainable solutions and ongoing advancements in construction materials technology is allowing Ultra-High Performance Concrete (UHPC) to conquer new frontiers in the construction industry. The Atrium project in Victoria, BC is the first building in North America to have a UHPC façade. This unique project involved close collaboration between: panel designer—DIALOG™, precast manufacturer/UHPC material supplier—Lafarge Canada, and panel testing—Department of Civil Engineering, University of Calgary. A result of this collaboration is the customized design and creation of highly durable, attractive, ultra-thin UHPC cladding panels.
Understanding the characteristics of UHPC—very high compressive strength associated with ductility, flexural behavior and tensile properties, in addition to its superior durability characteristics and flowability/mouldability, made UHPC the logical choice for use in the seven-storey building’s façade. These characteristics made it possible to design/produce aesthetic panels as thin as 17 mm with irregular, complex shapes and integral texturing. A total of 690 flat and curved panels were utilized.
Stone or granite panels would have been much thicker and heavier than UHPC panels. In addition, introducing surface texture on such materials is impractical, labor intensive and extremely costly. Furthermore, since the project is located in a high rated seismic zone, the heavier panels penalize such products. Metal panels could have been used to produce curved shapes but are typically not suitable for forming tight radial curves, and cannot have irregular textured face similar to that produced for the Atrium.
For the Atrium project, one of the goals was to achieve sustainable construction with a balance between initial environmental impact and the life cycle. Considering that concrete is the most common manmade building material and one of the largest sources of industrial emissions, minimizing its quantities and improving its durability led to use of UHPC for this project, and is a step towards achieving sustainable solutions.
Use of UHPC is expected to increase in popularity in the coming years as more engineers, architects, and building officials become aware of the material’s potential and as guidelines for its design and use become available and adopted in the North American Standards.
“Canam Group is proud to be associated with the CSCE and to encourage innovation in the field of civil engineering in Canada,” stated Tony Bégin, commercial development manager. “The practical and commercial application of experimental discoveries aimed at improving the design and construction techniques used in civil engineering projects is consistent with our company’s position: Better Building Solutions.”
About Canam Group Inc.
Canam Group is an industrial company operating 18 plants specialized in the design and fabrication of construction products and solutions. The company employs close to 3,000 people in Canada, the United States, Romania and India, and has partnerships with companies in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and China.
About the CSCE
Founded in 1887 by prominent civil engineers in Canada, the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering is a learned society intended to develop and maintain high standards of civil engineering practice in Canada and to enhance the public image of the civil engineering profession.
A high resolution photo is available upon request.