Award Description

Project Participants

Owner – High Concrete Group LLC, Denver, PA
Architect/Designer – Greenfield Architects, Lancaster, PA
General Contractor – High Construction Co., Lancaster, PA
Concrete Contractor – High Concrete Group LLC, Denver, PA

Constructed at an estimated cost of $ 4.1 million, precast fabricator High Concrete Group’s 16,200 sq. ft. maintenance building in Denver, PA is used by the company’s maintenance department to service heavy trucks, pick up trucks, and cars, and other plant equipment. The facility is expected to earn Silver Certification in the LEED rating system for new construction through the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC); documentation for 43 LEED v2.2 points was submitted.

It may seem like a given that a precaster would choose precast concrete for its building. But the durability and environmentally sound characteristics of the material make a strong case for the company’s CarbonCast products. These advanced carbon fiber-reinforced precast products are designed to increase durability and thermal efficiency, reduce or eliminate corrosion and reduce weight. Additional characteristics of concrete result in a long list of green attributes.

· Precast panels can be re-used when buildings are expanded or repurposed in different applications, such as protecting shorelines from erosion.

· Since the precast process is self-contained, formwork and finishing materials are re-used.

· Virtually all reinforcing steel is made from recycled steel.

· Light-colored precast reduces heat island effect in urban areas.

· Reflective or light-colored concrete requires less artificial light to illuminate the structure.

· Thermal mass and reflective properties reduce the amount of electricity used for A/C during the heat of the day.

· Thermal mass is beneficial in absorbing and retaining heat.

The all-precast concrete building features thermally efficient sandwich wall panels fabricated by the company’s Springboro, OH plant. With insulating foam literally sandwiched inside them, the panels provide an R-value of 25 and are reinforced with innovative CarbonCast carbon fiber shear trusses that make them structurally composite for load bearing. The roof is composed of CarbonCast double tees manufactured by the Denver plant. The double tees are made with non-corrosive C-GRID carbon fiber flange reinforcement and are 10 percent lighter weight than traditional double tees.

Computer energy models and computer daylight modeling were used to optimize the HVAC systems and building envelope, as well as to determine the correct size, location, and glazing type for windows and skylights. Projected operational energy costs were reduced by 24.5 percent over a typical code-compliant structure through use of:

Thermally efficient wall panels reinforced with innovative carbon fiber to provide structurally composite performance for thinner, lighter, wall sections
A highly insulated building envelope with a rating of R-24
Carbon fiber grid reinforced double tees that are lighter in weight and non-corrosive
Eight inches of insulation on precast concrete roof double T’s for a rating of R-40
Highly efficient doors and windows
Heating systems consisting of a water-based radiant heat floor system (to provide uniform distribution of heat and comfort where technicians will work) and a boiler that will use waste oil from fleet vehicles
Highly efficient dimmable fluorescent lighting interconnected to photo sensors that determine foot-candle levels from natural light though skylights and dim or turn off fixtures as necessary.