< PreviousFiberglass Reinforced Polymer (FRP) · A composite material made of a polymer matrix, reinforced with fibers - epoxy, vinyl ester, or polyester thermosetting plastic · A non-corrosive alternative to steel for concrete reinforcement · The ideal solution for concrete reinforced projects, such as bridges, barrier walls, decks, diaphragm walls (soft eye), tunnel segments, garages, pavements, wharfs, sea walls, wave breakers, retaining walls & fence systems · Suitable for any structural or architectural application where a material that is corrosion resistant, lightweight, or non-conductive is required SFT-Bar (ICC Certified: ESR-5081) 800-282-8489 • 2500 South Combee Rd., Lakeland, FL 33801 • MineMill.com Mine & Mill Supply Company is a proud distributor of SFTec FRP products Serving Florida since 1909 Unsurprisingly, this period of growth and success led to the need for expansion. In 2009, the company built and opened a new state-of-the-art plant which incorporated the newest technology and allowed Leesburg to expand its metal fabrica- tion services. This significant addition is home to some of the company’s larger projects such as the state-approved precast concrete classroom. This alternative to mobile classrooms and trailers enables fast-track construction for projects of high-importance. Engineered to withstand 200-mile-an-hour winds, Rouse believes that the classrooms will be an import- ant facet in the company’s ongoing growth. “They are definitely something for the future as they provide an excellent alterna- tive to the trailer-type modular classrooms that currently exist.” As the precast concrete sector grew and expanded, it became ever more important that Leesburg Concrete stood out from what was becoming a crowded market. By adopting a flexible and creative approach to the products and projects it completed, the company was able to pivot as required. As Rouse says, this flexibility and skill has ensured the company can thrive. “We have experienced steady, ongo- ing, organic growth. A lot of that has come from our ability to take on projects that others may not have had an interest in.” By hiring and retaining the highest-quality staff in the sector, Leesburg has been able to develop its services and range. Rouse notes that many of the company’s employees have been there for many years. “We have a great team of people, and it has been enjoyable to grow the company, and | 40 AUGUST 2023equally enjoyable to watch the team members grow along with us over the last 40 years.” This experience, Rouse believes, is a hugely contributing factor to its success. “At Leesburg Concrete, our artistic talent allows us to work on the custom or niche projects. With these types of applications, we know how to build them, so we can approach them with a full understanding of what the necessary steps are. This all comes from our development and our growth. The company has come a long way from being a small block com- pany to being a company that’s installing 35-foot-tall architec- tural panels on the Orlando International Airport.” Far from being an exaggeration, this admission is accurate and well-deserved. Leesburg Concrete has been an integral part of the airport’s massive expansion project. A long-term piece of work, phase one of the project –situated in the South Terminal—has recently been completed. In a further example of just how adaptable the company is, Leesburg Concrete worked on both the land and air sides of the project with Turner Kiewit and Hensel Phelps respectively. It provided integrally colored architectural precast concrete panels in a range of different sizes, which involved drawing, producing, engineering, delivering, and erecting the products on-site. With phase two now underway, Leesburg Concrete is once again involved. While itself a slightly smaller project, Rouse shares that it is finally underway after a COVID enforced delay. “The project is back on track and moving forward.” | 41 APEIRON CONSTRUCTIONWith the company celebrating such an important milestone, it is no surprise to learn that its forty-year journey has brought many high-profile projects. In addition to having worked on “just about every military base in the south-eastern United States,” Rouse explains that Leesburg Concrete has part- nered with many of the largest general contractors on a wide variety of jobs. From providing the precast for projects to producing floor-to-floor stairs for structures such assisted living facilities, hotels, multi-story buildings, elevator shafts and stair shafts, the company has seen it all. Recently how- ever, the company has been taking things to a whole new level. Leesburg Concrete completed work on four buildings for SpaceX. With a specification requiring blast-proof build- ings for the spacecraft manufacturer’s launchpads, Leesburg Concrete used its vast experience and skill to engineer cus- tom designs that can withstand the blast load. With a large number of projects being carried out this year across its engineering, pre-production, and production ser- vices, the rest of the year is shaping up to be a busy one. How- ever, the goal for Leesburg Concrete is to continue what it does best: innovation and excellence. For Rouse, these abilities are why Leesburg Concrete is in a very good place. He believes that through a combination of its custom designs and ability to execute intricate projects, the company has truly set itself as an outlier. “We are unique in the precast industry and that has enhanced both our growth and our product line offerings. Typically, precast companies produce a finite line of products. Leesburg Concrete has taken a different approach by listening to the customers’ needs. By doing that, we are building the forms, and coming to the market with what the client wants.” After forty years in business, Leesburg Concrete has amassed a reputation for excellence and creativity. For Rouse, the experience has taught him many things. Relationship build- ing, innovation and adaptability are all crucial aspects for any successful business, and much is built on them. However, in an environment that is growing and changing on a near constant basis, there must be one thing above all else: move- ment. “The future looks good, and we will just continue to move forward. I used to think there was a destination, but it is actually an ongoing journey. Despite all this time, and the changes we have seen, it is still a journey.” “The goal for Leesburg Concrete is to continue what it does best: innovation and excellence.”| 43 APEIRON CONSTRUCTION| 44 AUGUST 2023WRITTEN BY DAVID O’NEILL B uildings, in general terms, are very well designed. Much work, skill and forethought go into every aspect of their design and construction. From materials and orientation to structure, shape, and composition, rarely are any stones left unturned. As an industry, construction has adapted to what is needed at the time. Materials and design features are as much about style and aesthetics as they are about necessity. Structures are standing documents to the era in which they were built, and as the construction industry seeks to evolve once more, that is likely to continue. Alongside the need for sustainable materials and cost-effective building techniques is another consideration, however. The context within which structures are created is of equal, and possibly greater importance. Take for example the raised buildings that stand over rising sea levels, or the reinforced buildings designed to withstand earthquakes. Clearly, in instances such as these the context is of vital importance. | 45 APEIRON CONSTRUCTIONFor many years these considerations were important, but niche. The need to factor in environmental events were low on the list when designing houses and large-scale structures. However, recent events have changed that. While weather proofing has always been a necessary component in building, it has usually consisted of angled roofs and insulation. It is only with the increase of unpredictable and frequently devastating natural weather events that the situation can become slightly more dangerous. In the U.S., flooding, hurricanes, and earth- quakes are very real considerations that can greatly impact the longevity of a building. Furthermore, with evidence of geological changes happening on a wider scale, communities are now seeing an increase of these weather events in both number and intensity. The need to adapt with the landscape has never been more important. Thankfully, those within the industry are already making headway. The results are climate responsive houses. Structures in which the architectural deci- sions reflect the particular region-specific weather conditions of a particular area. Design, insulation, reinforced windows and vents are just some of the ways buildings are adapted to meet the environmental needs of its proposed location. In terms of how these buildings are designed, we can look to a number of sources. The meteorological office in Ireland, for example, has recently completed a series of reports that are based on past weather patterns and climate change models. The resulting information is being used to guide best practice and future building standards in the country. According to Keith Lambkin, head of the office’s climate services division, the study offers a road map for the future of climate guided construction. “One of the issues we cover is overheating. In Ireland we’re used to building to retain heat, but we have to design buildings to let heat escape. That’s particularly import- ant in buildings such as nursing homes and hospitals where people spend most of their time indoors. But it’s also true for built-up urban areas which can become ‘heat islands.’ All those glass buildings need a rethink. Additionally, a different type of brick will work better in your house if where you live is subject to a lot of driving rain. That’s the kind of information that’s needed for climate resilient construction.” While we may prefer things to remain as they always have, particularly in cases of negative global change, the statis- tics are clear. Climate change is resulting in an increase of extreme weather conditions. According to Kai Kornhuber, a lecturer and research scientist at Columbia University, these weather conditions are worsening in a number of key met- rics. Heat extremes are getting more frequent, more severe; precipitation extremes are getting more frequent, more severe. Fire weather, which is linked to wildfires, is getting more frequent, more severe, more areas that didn’t see these conditions before.” In this context, we gain an under- standing of the potential that science and data can bring to the conversation. With a growing acceptance that adverse weather conditions have increased in recent decades, the need to proactively protect homes and structures is clear. So, what is it that science can offer in supporting —and pre- paring— the construction industry? It seems that in addition to the careful monitoring of data, technology can also play an incredibly useful role. A recently published study has collected and used hundreds of years of data to assist engineers and architects in the intricate nature of simulations. By analyzing and collating historical data, these simulations can predict the direction, location, and intensity of future storms which then feeds into the development of improved building codes in hurri- cane-prone regions. However, the key difference in this study was that, through the use of AI, the scope and magnitude of the study was far in excess of what had previously been pos- sible. Rather than mathematically ‘building’ a storm model, as was the traditional method, the machine was taught to mimic actual hurricanes. Adan Pintar, a NIST mathematical statistician and study co-author said, “Imagine you had a second Earth, or a thousand Earths, where you could observe hurricanes for 100 years and see where they hit on the coast, how intense they are. Those simulated storms, if they behave like real hurricanes, can be used to create the data in the maps almost directly.” | 46 AUGUST 2023The methods used to generate these simulations was metic- ulously planned and organized. By splitting data such as wind speed, direction, and the coordinates of the storm’s path into sets, the machine constructed models based on patterns and datasets that would previously have been missed. In real terms, the value of this new information cannot be under- stated. According to the National Center for Environmental Information, the total cost of rebuilding and repairing dam- age caused by climate disasters in the United States last year was $171.5 billion. Incredibly, this figure consisted of more than a dozen climate events that cost at least $1 billion each. The question now needs to be, how can we use this data to enhance and protect the structures we build around the world? Industry figures believe that it is vital that these weather prediction models can be incorporated into the new- est building codes. Armed with additional knowledge, fore- casters can now accurately predict the increasing needs of structures in hurricane zones. For those at the National Insti- tute of Standards and Technology, the need for an increas- ingly coordinated approach between code committees and the scientific community has never been greater. “Each year, communities across the United States are devastated by disasters. As the frequency, severity, and cost of many of these disasters continues to increase, new collaborations and innovative solutions are needed to reduce risk.” With billions of dollars at stake every year, coupled with the obvious risk to the safety of inhabitants, one thing is clear. New technology can offer positive alternatives to the industry. The knock-on effect of these studies is not limited to building codes, however. In far simpler terms, building materials, safety considerations, and building locations can all benefit at ground level. The research being conducted at NIST can have an impact on a global level, but it is also something that should benefit the industry, the homeowner, and the economy. “Industry figures believe that it is vital that these weather prediction models can be incorporated into the newest building codes.” | 47 APEIRON CONSTRUCTION| 48 AUGUST 2023WRITTEN BY AOIFE CHANEY Reflecting on the last 40 years and the milestones achieved along the way, Casella talks proudly of a company that holds high the value of sustainable growth, which it has been for- tunate to experience in tandem with the growth of the steel reinforcement industry. “We are really proud of our growth in the Dayton area. It has allowed us to give our employees the opportunity to have a better life.” For Casella, talk of company success does not come without mention of the employees at Barsplice, establishing clearly from the outset a ‘shared-suc- cess’ mindset. He tells me of a quote from Frank Casella, the man responsible for setting things in motion: “You cannot have good customers without good employees, and we have both.” As Casella explains, this belief is something that Bar- splice Products still lives by today. With a product list that is ever-evolving in line with new tech- nology and innovations, Barsplice offers a wide variety of solutions to its customers. As Casella explains, this is due to the varied nature and demands of the concrete reinforcing industry. “There is not one coupler or anchorage system that fits all,” he says, “so it depends on the project and the applica- tion its being used in.” Barsplice prides itself on its ability to adapt and customize its offering depending on the intricate details of the project at hand. “We really try to be at the fore- front so we can understand what our customers’ needs are, and what the industries needs are.” B arsplice Products Inc. is a company built on simple but effective values – treat others with respect, never inten- tionally lie or mislead customers, and maintain a fami- ly-feel in both its ownership structure and its approach to doing business. While the company is committed to upholding these values equally, the third is one that comes easy. Barsplice is a family-owned company that has been in business for 40 years. In December 1983, Frank Casella acquired Dayton Barsplice from Dayton Sure Grip & Shore Company. This acquisition saw a team of 10 people operating out of a 20,000 square foot building, introducing new products, one by one, to the Dayton area. Since these formative years, Barsplice has upgraded to a 330,000 square foot building that is considerably better suited to the 150 plus employees it now has on board. One of the five companies under parent company FC Industries Inc., Barsplice Products is a designer and manufacturer of mechanical splices and anchoring systems for reinforcing steel. It’s a company with a footprint that extends far beyond its head- quarters in Dayton Ohio. Barsplice serves customers across all 50 states, as well as internationally. “It’s the true American dream,” says David Casella, Regional Sales Manager of Barsplice Products, and part of the tightly woven fabric that awards the company it’s true, family-owned status. The significant growth Barsplice has experienced over time is what has propelled it forward to 2023, celebrating its 40th year in business. Next >