Engineering Update
January 1, 1999 - 365 days from the new Millennium. As this date approaches, Standard Concrete Products, Inc. is already surpassing expectations for new product design, plant improvement and more qualified employees. The TEA - 21 Federal Highway Bill has been put in place by the Federal Highway Administration to cover funding for new projects and it is up to Standard to be ready when Contractors need prestressed concrete products. The Engineering Department located in Savannah, Georgia continues to generate shop drawings, product design and work on design build projects for the Savannah and Atlanta Plants. It is the personal touch from an inside engineering department that produces a customized set of shop drawings unparalleled in constructability and accuracy. The engineering team in Savannah has combined engineering experience of thirty-five years. Richard Potts heads up the engineering team with the expertise of Scott Peterson, Peter Pieterse and Sam Martin.

From a technical perspective, the AASHTO LRFD bridge design specification is now in its second edition.

The Precast Concrete Institute has and will continue to play an important role in the evaluation of this new design specification for highway bridges. P.C.I. is utilizing members of its Bridge Technical Committee to evaluate this new specification, working toward improving market share and design procedures. As an industry trend, we will see larger prestressing strand (.6" diameter) utilized in the coming year. This larger strand was on hold by the Federal Highway Administration for several years, but now may be used on a 2-inch grid. What does that mean for Standard? The P.C.I. Bulb Tees and Florida Bulb Tees will gain new market share be-cause more prestress-ing can be delivered into the bottom flange.

The Atlanta Plant will be using this strand on its upcoming DeKalb-Gwinnett Counties State Route 124 over Yellow River Project. Other trends are to increase the depth of the beam to make room for an additional row of prestressing strands and a renewed interest in spliced girders.

Savannah Plant Update
The Savannah Plant has recently ventured into a new type of prestressing product.

The Georgia Department of Transportation has contracted with S. Q. Company, Inc., Flowery Branch, Georgia; J. A. Long, Gainesville, Georgia; and Mitchell Construction, St. Simons Island, Georgia, to erect concrete picnic shelters at some Georgia rest areas. The innovative engineering team in Savannah quickly came up with a way to produce this product at a cost conducive to Georgia DOT and SCP. The tables, benches and support post are being produced in the Atlanta Plant and the 8' flat panel roof is being produced in the Savannah Plant. This is just one more way SCP is moving forward with inception of a new product line for each Plant. While one crew is making the picnic shelters, other work goes on. Some other projects currently underway are:

Atlanta Plant Update
The Atlanta Plant is currently producing 963 LF 72" Bulb Tees; 680 LF Type III Beams; 1354 LF 63" Bulb Tees; 863 LF Type II Beams; 887 LF 54" Bulb Tees for construction of the Muscogee-Talbot Counties, Georgia Project for the Georgia Department of Transportation.

The contractor for this project is Murphree Bridge, Troy, Alabama. The total project consists of five new bridges and widening an existing bridge and is expected to take two years to complete. This $22M project to widen US 80 from the end of the four-lane in Columbus to Geneva marks the western-most portion of the Fall Line Freeway linking Columbus, Macon and Augusta.

In addition to the above mentioned project, the Atlanta Plant is also producing products for the following projects:

Tampa Plant Update
The Tampa Plant is currently producing prestressed deck slabs for the Tampa Port Authority Berth 212. SCP teamed up with the contractor, GLF Construction Corporation, to redesign the panels for ease and speed of construction. The project consisted of 471 - 20" square pile, 390 deck slabs, 38 fascia panels and 37 wall panels. The facility will be used to support the Tampa, Florida burgeoning shipping industry. The Standard Concrete Products Quality Control (SCPQC) stamp on every member assures the owner that the component was constructed to meet or exceed the project specifications. The Tampa Plant has been producing prestressed products for Tampa Port Authority Berths for more than thirty years.

Another ongoing project is the Paradise Island Bridge in Nassau, Bahamas. Standard Concrete Products, Inc. continues to make inroads into the inter-national market taking advantage of the water access from both the Tampa, Florida and Savannah, Georgia Plants.

The Paradise Island Bridge was featured in Engineering News Record and was constructed in just 18 months. The SCP plant in Tampa, Florida teamed up with Interbeton (Misener Marine) and E. C. Driver to construct the 78" tall modified VI beams and the post-tensioned center span. Another example of SCPÕs design capabilities were evidenced by the production of precast arch beams and handrails used in the Venetian Causeway Historical Bridge Renovation Project in Miami, Florida.

All materials were produced to match the design used in original construction of the bridge in the 1920's. The handrails were constructed to exact dimensions and utilized an interior con- sisting of steel square box tubing with weld-ed wire fabric hand welded to the tubing. The concrete contains the corrosion inhibitor calcium nitrite.

The deep water trans-portation capability saved the contractor considerable transportation cost.

The Tampa Plant will be producing precast beams for the Jacksonville, Florida Metro Rail People Mover. These beams are constructed straight or with built in horizontal, vertical and super elevated curves. SCP personnel teamed up with the form manufacturer to develop a forming system capable of various geometric profiles. The form system is segmented and hydraulic operated to produce the curvatures required. The beams are cast in the upside down position to achieve the smoothest possible riding surface for the owner. The beams are then hand rubbed and rotated into the upright position using the "flip frame". This assures the owner that they are receiving the best possible product made with precast concrete and will be a showcase for the Jacksonville Transit Authority.

New projects for this plant include:

The Tampa Division has been working with designers to introduce new and innovative products to the market to give contractors more alternatives for bridge construction. This prestressed deck unit can be used as an alternative to cast-in-place bridge structures. These slabs eliminate the need for transverse post-tensioning and can save money for the contractors in deck forming costs. Due to the thin sections, vertical clearance problems are virtually eliminated. The Tampa Division has erected a new, state-of-the-art, concrete batch plant. This plant will efficiently produce concrete on a continuous basis to assure contractors their product will be produced without interruption. The new plant replaces the older batch plant which was originally barge mounted for use on the new Skyway Bridge. Computer controlled sensors will introduce components precisely to produce the best possible concrete that surpasses required compressive strengths and passes all testing requirements.

This diverse list of products emphasizes the ability of SCP to produce any product to the contractor's specifications and living up to the "Quality Products Delivered On Time."

Thanks to all employees for the dedicated teamwork involved on current work which affords us the opportunity to continue to take new work and produce what owners and contractors are seeing as the "standard" set for quality concrete products.

Safety Corner Tim Fagerstrom - corporate safety director
WHY SAFETY IS SOMETHING YOU SHOULD TAKE HOME

When you are working on the job, you know that safety is a top priority. In fact, one of your job requirements is to perform your job without injuring yourself or someone else. But your responsibility to stay safe should not end when you leave the plant at the end of your shift.

Even if you get hurt off the job, it impacts everyone at work. When you can't come to work because of an injury, someone else has to pick up the load. That is why it is important for you to play it safe on and off the job.

Start At Home
Many of the same hazards you encounter on the job also exist at home. To find out how safe your house is, conduct a home safety assessment. It can be similar to the ones we do at work. Start by checking the following:

Remember Safety Training
When you learn how to do something safely - remember to do it safety both at work and at home. For example, you know the proper way to lift heavy objects. You follow simple steps like bending at the knees, keeping the load close to you and asking for help with bulky objects or loads that are too heavy. You should lift things at home in the same safe manner as you do at work. If you lift incorrectly at home, you place yourself at greater risk of having a back injury on the job, even if you practice good lifting techniques at work. Other Things To Consider After you have gotten into the habit of applying what you learn about safety to your everyday life at home, go searching for other potential problems. Involve the entire family to make it more fun.

Here are some things you can look for around the house:

Conclusion
Your employer cannot force you to follow good safety practices at home, but you should know that we are concerned for your general welfare. Don't think of this or any other safety discussion as applicable only to your job. If you take lessons home with you, you will keep both yourself and your family safe.

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