Civil engineering includes buildings, bridges, dams, towers and other types of concrete infrastructure, such as water supply systems. Civil engineers are here to ensure these structures are safe and functional and have a huge responsibility.
Helix Steel’s Helix Micro Rebar is a concrete reinforcement that is transforming how engineers approach civil engineering challenges. Although only one inch in length, the tiny twisted piece of metal is mixed with concrete to create a long-lasting composite material.
Traditional rebar and mesh result in weak points and can begin to rust even before installation, resulting in corrosion. Helix Micro Rebar, composed of intricately designed twisted steel, is uniformly distributed throughout the concrete, providing a more uniform reinforcement.
This distribution, combined with the twisted steel, significantly reduces cracks and greatly increases the tensile strength of the concrete, making structures like concrete bridges and roads more durable.
Mixing Helix Micro Rebar with concrete at the batch plant prior to delivery to the construction site helps reduce site complications and reduces the time spent placing and tying rebar.
This simplified option reduces labor on this aspect, which allows them to be better spent on other elements of the project. Depending on the application, there could be additional efficiency gained by placing less concrete and finishing the project aspect sooner.
Pivoting your crew to work on other tasks instead of tying rebar will reduce your labor costs. On average, every 10,000 sq. ft. of rebar/mesh replaced with Helix Micro Rebar saves one full day of construction.
Depending on the size of your civil engineering project, the savings can be a game-changer, and help to give your business a step ahead in the bidding process, while others can’t compare.
Cape Fair, Missouri
In Cape Fair, Missouri, the bridge over Table Rock Lake, built in 1957 and carrying more than 4,000 vehicles daily, was in desperate need of repair.
Precast panels were designed to replace the main sections of the bridge. A combination of FasTrac rapid-setting concrete and Helix Micro Rebar reinforcement was used to provide connections between each precast panel. The concrete was mixed on-site in ½-yard batches with a barge being used to safely install the precast panels over the Lake below.
Read more about the Route 76 Bridge
Manhattan, New York
The Metro Transit Authority’s East Side Access project was the nation’s largest public transportation project and the first expansion of the Long Island Rail Road in more than 100 years. It connects the rail line via underground tunnels to Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan. Helix Steel provided Helix Micro Rebar for cast-in-place tunnel lining and shotcrete applications.
Read more about the East Side Access Tunnel
Lake Havasu City, Arizona
Lake Havasu City in Northwest Arizona faces serious issues with its asphalt roads due to the extremely high desert temperatures. Seeking a more durable solution for one road in particular, Lake Havasu City chose Protek Construction to replace straight sections of asphalt with new asphalt, while high-wear-and-tear intersections would be replaced with concrete reinforced with Helix Micro Rebar. Each pour included a heavy dosage of 22-1/2 lb/yd of Helix Micro Rebar, ensuring enhanced durability and crack resistance for decades to come.
Read more bout the pavement rehabilitation
It’s time that you consider alternatives to rebar and mesh to make your civil engineering projects more efficient, whether they are roads, dams, towers or bridges.
Take a moment to read more detailed case studies and then reach out to Helix Steel’s in-house engineers to maximize your civil engineering project today.
In times of great economic uncertainty, there is no better way to keep your business humming than by trusting America to deliver.
As our built environment continues to increase, so does the demand for increased efficiency in our water management solutions. And that starts with the construction of the precast elements themselves. Using Helix Micro Rebar as your precast concrete reinforcement can provide your precast business and your clients’ water systems with benefits that only the tiniest of reinforcements can provide.
Your business may rely on a steady stream of online sales, but it’s your concrete reinforcement that’s holding your physical business together. For that reason, it’s essential to build your next fulfillment center or warehouse with the concrete reinforcement that rules them all: Helix Micro Rebar.
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