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Infrastructure is the framework on which we build our societies. A strong, well-maintained network of roads, bridges, rail lines, airports and waterways ensures the health of our economies and our freedom to travel safely and efficiently. Equally crucial is our ability to generate and deliver power to homes and businesses with reduced carbon emissions.

 

With billions pledged in the U.S. and Canada to renew and expand the transportation and public power systems we rely on, our North American operations stand ready to supply cement, aggregates and concrete for the largest, most complex jobs. Right now our ready-mix teams in Toronto, Chicago and Florida are already at work on many projects that are shaping the future of our communities.

 

Expanding mass transit for millions in Toronto, Ottawa

 

The Toronto Transit Commission is currently overseeing a massive expansion of its subway, light rail, bus and streetcar networks. Now nearing completion is the Toronto-York Spadina Subway Extension Project, which provides a critical 8.6-km rail addition crossing from the City of Toronto into the regional Municipality of York. ​

York University subway station underground construction​

 

Canada Building Materials (CBM) supplied several unique concrete mixes for three of the six stations along the new rail line, working closely with EllisDon Construction, Walsh Canada and Carillion Canada.

 

“We’ve provided some very sophisticated low-heat and self-consolidating concrete mixes for this project,” says Steve Gobbatto, Commercial Sales & Marketing Manager for CBM. “For example, the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre Station’s design required a continuous mass pour of 2,250 cubic metres in 30 hours to fill the main entrance ring beam for the station. We used liquid nitrogen to cool the concrete to specifications for this mid-July pour.” (YouTube video)

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York University subway station street level entrance

 

CBM also supplied SureFlow™, a self-consolidating mix, for the creation of massive structural columns at Pioneer Village and York University stations. Total concrete volume for all three stations exceeded 175,000m³.

 

CBM is also supplying concrete for the largest transit expansion in Toronto’s history – the new C$5.3-billion Eglinton Crosstown light rail transit line that will run along Eglinton Avenue between Mount Dennis (Weston Road) and Kennedy Station.

Eglinton Crosstown light rail transit line. Courtesy of TTC

 

This 19-km corridor will include a 10-km underground section and incorporate 25 stations and stops linking to 54 bus routes, three subway stations and other transit lines.

 

CBM will furnish more than 200,000m³ of ready-mix concrete for 11 of the stations in a 5-km stretch working with Crosslinx Transit Solutions, a design-build-finance consortium of EllisDon, SNC-Lavalin, Aecon and ACS-Dragados.

 

In Ottawa, a planned east-west expansion of the Ottawa Light Rail Transit, known as the Confederation Line, will eventually add 36 km of rail with 22 new stations to the existing north-south Trillium Line network.

Design rendering of Ottawa Light Rail Transit Confederation line. Courtesy of TTC

 

 

CBM supplied concrete for the first 12.5-km section of the Ottawa project being built by the Rideau Transit Group, a public-private partnership that includes SNC-Lavalin, ACS-Dragados and EllisDon as principals. This section features 10 above-ground stations and three underground stations within a 2.5-km tunnel beneath the downtown core. In all, the job will require 50,000m³ of CBM concrete for 10 stations, an access tunnel and maintenance facility.

 

Gas-fueled generating station in Napanee will flex to meet local power demands

 

Two hours east of Toronto near the town of Napanee, a new, 900-megawatt power station will use cleaner-burning natural gas in place of coal to generate reliable, on-demand power for Ontario homes, businesses and public institutions.

Construction of the main generating plant at the new Napanee power station​

 

Construction of the C$1.2-billion facility, known as the Napanee TransCanada Generating Station, is now underway next to the existing Lennox Generating Station site. The modern station’s systems will have the flexibility to start and stop daily, varying output to match local electricity demands.

 

Matrix NAC, a U.S.-based contractor, is overseeing the project, which incorporates 10 buildings that house gas turbines, steam generators, water treatment facilities and other plant features. CBM is supplying over 60,000m³ of concrete for the main generating plant. Construction is on schedule for an expected December 2018 opening.

 

Air, rail improvements keep Chicago’s transportation hubs humming

 

Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport is the world’s 4th busiest airport, with more than 77 million passengers passing through each year. For the past 10 years, Votorantim Cimentos company Prairie Material has partnered with the city’s largest construction companies to modernize and expand the airport’s runways and support systems.

7,500-foot runway 10R/28L completes the south airfield at O’Hare. Courtesy of Turner Construction

 

Working with a joint venture led by Turner Construction, Prairie supplied 110,000 yds³ of slag-enriched concrete for the US $516-million Runway 10R/28L, the southernmost runway at the airfield. Put into service in late 2015, the 7,500-foot long, 150-foot-wide runway and associated 75-foot-wide taxiways increases arrival and departure rates at O’Hare up to 25 percent.

LEED Gold south air traffic control tower at O’Hare. Courtesy of AIA

 

 

Prairie also partnered with Walsh Construction to deliver 7,000 yds³ of concrete for the US $41-million, 218-foot-tall air traffic control tower that manages the runway. Like all portions of O’Hare’s modernization program, the tower project focused on sustainability, earning LEED Gold certification.

 

Prairie’s newest project at O’Hare is the 4.5-million-square-foot consolidated car rental facility (CONRAC), which will combine car rentals, public parking, and connections to the airport transit system in a single facility. The project, part of US $782 million in capital improvements at O’Hare, will ease traffic congestion by eliminating rental company shuttle buses to the terminals and delivering other efficiencies for an estimated 30,000 travelers daily.

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Design rendering of CONRAC facility at O’Hare. Courtesy of Ross Barney Architects

 

 

Dallas, Texas-based Austin Commercial is leading construction of CONRAC in a joint venture withPower Construction and Ujamaa Construction.  Prairie will deliver 65,000 yds³ of concrete for the job, including 15,000 yds³ of 8,000-psi white cement concrete for the exposed columns and other architectural elements. The new facility is slated to open in 2018.

 

Local rail systems in Chicago are seeing major investment, too. Prairie Material is delivering concrete for the overhaul of the Chicago Transit Authority’s Red Line, an arterial stretch of elevated and subway track that extends 23 miles through the city.

​​​​Concrete supports for track rebuild on Chicago’s CTA Red Line​

 

The first phase of the project will invest US $1 billion to modernize a north side rail corridor that is nearly 100 years old, adding capacity to handle a 40-percent rise in rush-hour ridership over the last five years. The project will rebuild sections of deteriorated tracks to eliminate slow zones, replace or repair aging stations, install new power systems to improve performance and upgrade significant sections of the adjacent Purple Line, an extension that runs from the city center to two north suburbs.

 

Now under way is the US $203-million reconstruction of the Wilson Red Line Station and associated track replacement, led by Walsh Construction in a joint venture with II in One Contractors. Prairie will deliver all concrete for the station rebuild, which will bring the facility in line with ADA standards and add modern touches while preserving the 1923 stationhouse facade and original clock tower. Future business development in the space is expected to create an anchor for revitalization and economic development in the city’s Uptown neighborhood.

Rendering of rehabbed Wilson Avenue station Courtesy of the CTA​

 

The project includes significant track and structural work to facilitate easy passenger transfers between Red Line and Purple Line Express trains. Prairie designed high strength mixes (6,000 psi) for the platforms and low-heat mixes for grade beams that support the new track. (YouTube video )

 

Florida ports benefit from $100m investment

 

In Jacksonville, Florida, a US $100-million capital improvement effort is underway to improve infrastructure at two key terminals of the Jacksonville Port Authority.

Wharf construction at Berth 35 Blount Island, Jacksonville Florida​

 

Votorantim Cimentos’ Prestige Concrete Products business worked with contractor American Bridge to rebuild Berth 35 at the Blount Island Marine terminal wharf to accommodate the installation of three state-of-the-art, 100-gauge electric container cranes. The new container cranes are equipped to service the newest class of wider cargo vessels, with the ability to reach across 22 containers – a significant upgrade over the 16-container reach of the previous cranes.

 

Completed in August 2016, the project included demolition of an older, pile-supported wharf and construction of a new 1,285-linear-foot marginal wharf in the same area. The new facility features significant upgrades to on-dock rails, crane beams and terminal pavement areas. Prestige supplied approximately 11,000 yds³ of concrete for the project.

 

Prestige has also been active with Florida DOT projects, including many roadway bridges that, per FDOT mandates, must be built with concrete. Prestige partnered with Prince Construction, a unit of Soares Da Costa (SDC) Group, to provide concrete for new bridges and ramps at crucial state roadways and interchanges in northern and central Florida.

Recently completed projects include:

The New Tampa Blvd. Bridge over I-75 in Tampa, with 5,200 yds³ of Prestige concrete Courtesy of Prince Construction​

 

The interchange at US27 and SR 50 in Clermont, including access ramps and bridges, incorporating 11,200 yds³ of concrete​

 

US 192 Bridge over US 27 in Orlando, 5,000 yds³ of concrete supplied​​

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Prestige also partnered with Lane Construction to rebuild the heavily traveled SR 408/SR 417 interchange that links northeast Orlando to downtown and provides a direct route to the Orlando International Airport from the north.

SR 408/SR 417 interchange showing bridges Courtesy of Lane Construction

 

The complex interchange required the construction of 5 bridges with separate designs.  Prestige provided 35,000 yds³ of concrete for the project.

 

Infrastructure for ‘lasting economic, social and environmental benefits’

 

Modernization and infrastructure improvements contribute to the vitality of North American economies. A strong infrastructure also aligns with Votorantim Cimentos’ drive to make a lasting, positive impact on our world.

 

“Investment in infrastructure has a multiplier effect throughout the economies of Canada and the U.S., generating lasting economic, social and environmental benefits,” says Filibero Ruiz, President and CEO for Votorantim Cimentos’ North American operations. “Our products provide the long-term durability, sustainability and resilience to build and modernize our infrastructure for generations to come.”​​​​​