Janesville, WI – Members of the City of Elgin, IL’s engineering staff now have a better appreciation for prestressed concrete production following a complimentary tour of County Materials Corporation’s Janesville, WI facility June 26, 2015. Participants included City of Elgin engineers, inspectors and consultants, along with members of the Fox Valley branch of the American Public Works Association (APWA).
City of Elgin staff requested the tour after participating in the planning and construction of the nearby toll bridge over the Fox River (Tollway Project I-13-4144R on I-90 in Kane County.) Impressed with the size and scope of the 170 ft long, 90” tall prestressed concrete beams that County Materials manufactured for the bridge, the city contacted County Materials about visiting their manufacturing facility in Janesville where they were produced. “When we were given the plan (for the bridge) it was incredible to see how big some of these beams were,” says Elgin’s city engineer Ron Rudd, who is also an APWA member. “We got in touch with County Materials because we try to offer as much education to our staff as we can. It’s good to understand how things are built so you have a better understanding of how to deal with it, and we thought we’d take advantage of this project.”
Led by the facility’s operations manager, Ziad Sakkal, with help from other key members of the plant team, the 3 hour tour showcased the prestressing process as well as technical aspects about concrete production and placement.
The tour provided participants with insight and technical explanations on how prestressed concrete girders are fabricated, as well as their lower life cycle costs compared to other methods of construction. “For a number of people it was the best plant tour we’ve ever done,” reports Rudd.
Prestressed Concrete Plant Tour Enlightens City of Elgin Engineering Staff was published in the Chicago Tribune
