In Canada, Northern Alberta’s expanding economy and population has been a boon to construction industry suppliers. With demand for materials such as ready-mixed concrete and concrete products soaring to record levels, Knelson Sand & Gravel Ltd., in La Crete, Alberta, needed to build a 40,000-square-foot heavy equipment repair shop and large vehicle wash if it was going to continue to meet industry demand. However, this economic boom also presented industry suppliers like Knelson with their own challenges. The growth had increased construction costs substantially, and skilled labor and construction materials were hard to find.

In 2005, the team at Vancouver, British Columbia-based Octaform Systems, Inc., designed a 12-inch, stay-in-place concrete wall system that would meet the structural and insulation requirements of Knelson’s heavy equipment repair shop and large vehicle wash. The system allowed for the creation of a large, open interior floor space that required no posts or support columns. This provided room for an overhead crane rail with a clear span of 120 feet. In addition, its pre-finished walls reduced labor costs and construction time while increasing the building’s energy efficiency.

From onsite delivery to installation, the 23,000 square feet of stay-in-place concrete wall system was finished within six weeks, allowing the entire building to be completed within 14 months. The total assembled wall length was 1,100 lineal feet, including interior walls. Due to the limited availability of scaffolding material, overall construction time was extended, as scaffolding was only available to assemble a 300-foot section of lineal wall at one time. Following a one-week cure period of the poured section, scaffolding was knocked down, moved, and reassembled to build the next 300-foot section of wall.

Reduced time equals cost savings
Understanding that construction time, energy efficiency, strength, and durability were important components of this project, the general contractor, Foothills Carpentry of Le Crete, Alberta, researched a wide range of concrete form systems. After reviewing and evaluating a number of options, the general contractor selected Octaform System’s stay-in-place concrete forming system. Its competitive price and pre-finished walls offered significant time and labor savings when compared with conventional lumber framing.

"I have used Octaform’s concrete forming systems in seven to eight large and small construction projects," says Ernie Kroeker, Foothills Carpentry. "I think this wall system provides my customers with a high-quality, energy-efficient product that gives them great long-term value."

Working closely with Foothills Carpentry and project engineers, G.P.E.C. Consulting, Octaform initially designed a 10-inch-wide, stay-in-place, PVC concrete forming system. Shortly into the project, the client determined that the project specifications needed to change. Because the wall was 26 feet tall with no support posts or beams, the wall width needed to increase from 10 inches to 12 inches in order to accommodate 9 inches of concrete with the minimum of 3 inches of high-density insulation.

Based on the new project specifications, Octaform was able to quickly revise the manufacturing specifications to produce a 23,000-square-foot, stay-in-place PVC concrete forming system that would provide its client with a 12-inch-wide finished wall for its industrial maintenance shop and truck wash.

Increased quality control
Because the forming panels are manufactured in a controlled factory setting, product quality and consistency is ensured. Due to its modular design, the forming system ships flat and is nested together to minimize shipping costs. Once the panels were delivered to the construction site, the crew began to put together the individual panels.

In compliance with the local building code, a scaffolding structure was built before the wall forms were erected. The scaffolding is a safety measure that also provides structural support to the 23,000-square-foot structure while the walls are being erected and concrete is placed. Additional bracing helps to ensure that the walls are straight and plumb.

Once the scaffolding was in place and the walls were built, the panels were then placed over the existing vertical rebar dowels and attached to the prepared concrete foundation pad. Unlike other PVC forming systems, the Octaform system facilitates the tying of vertical and horizontal rebar by allowing it to be installed through the side of the wall. Horizontal and vertical reinforcing steel was placed within the forms to provide the structure with additional strength. Using minimal tools and training, a six-person crew working five days a week put together the 23,000-square-foot, stay-in-place concrete form system in 20 working days.

One-step process
Octaform concrete wall forms are comprised of individual profiles and can accommodate design features such as lintels overhead of the large door openings, along with pilasters and columns. The forms are delivered from the factory to the site, set in place, insulated, reinforced, pumped full of concrete, and readied for windows, doors, and roof systems.

By eliminating the need for internal columns and beams, a one-step formed and finished wall provided the client with the open floor space needed for its fleet of trucks and for the operation of the overhead crane.

After the PVC components are in place and secured, and the rebar is installed, tied, and inspected, the concrete can be pumped into the 26-foot-high walls in 4- to 5-foot lifts per hour. Since most of concrete’s strength is reached within the first week of curing, the scaffolding and bracing can generally be removed at that time. The concrete will continue to cure for another three weeks.

An added benefit of the formed and finished wall system is that it eliminates the need to hire additional sub-trades for insulation, masonry, and drywall in order to complete the wall.

"Using Octaform, we completed each 300-foot wall section in a week," says Kroeker. "The stay-in-place construction that results in pre-finished walls is a huge time-saver, especially in a market like ours where the supply of labor and construction materials can be a challenge."

Conclusion
Octaform’s patented, stay-in-place concrete forming system with pre-finished walls provided Knelson Sand & Gravel with a cost-effective and timely solution for the construction of its 40,000-square-foot heavy equipment repair shop and large vehicle wash. The simple, one-step system also helped the general contractor complete the construction project on time with minimal labor requirements.

James Johnson is the senior sales representative of commercial, agriculture, and aquaculture industries at Octaform Systems Inc., based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He can be reached at jjohnson@octaform.com. For more information, visit www.octaform.com.


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Solution benefits

Octaform’s patented stay-in-place, watertight concrete forming systems offer the building and construction industry worldwide tangible business benefits.

Increased energy efficiency: White wall surfaces reduce the number of lighting fixtures for interior lighting and make the floors brighter.
Improved insulation: Insulation can be easily incorporated into the forms, increasing the R-value of any building in addition to utilizing the thermal mass of the concrete.
Reduced maintenance: Octaform’s PVC-encapsulated walls make structures easy to clean, resulting in lower long-term overhead costs.
Lower installation costs: Stay-in-place forms are simple and easy to use and require less labor, resulting in lower overall project costs.
Prefinished walls: There is no need for further finishing on either the interior or exterior walls. However, interior walls can be clad with drywall; or Octaform Concrete Forming Systems can provide interior panels in a range of colors. Exterior walls can be clad with various materials, including acrylic stucco, siding, brick, or stone.
Scalability: A flexible product can be used to build structures of virtually any size or design. The Octaform system comes in 4-, 6-, 8-, 10-, and 12-inch standard size wall thicknesses. Custom thicknesses are also available.