Oldcastle partnered with Blue Sea Development – known for integratingemerging environmental technologies into high-quality, affordable housingdevelopments – on construction of the 130,000 sq ft Forest House, a sus-tainable, eight-story green housing project located in a low-income area ofNew York. The 124-unit building will incorporate green and energy-effi-cient elements, both inside and out, and feature a rooftop greenhouse.Oldcastle Precast Building Systems supplied locally-produced precastconcrete building components to allow the structure to be built quickly, andwith minimal disturbance to surrounding areas. The site is located in ahigh density area with little space for construction activity.

Precast elements will also create a superior energy-efficient building en-velope. The building’s tight seal will create a continuous thermal break,meaning no heat can pass between the inside and the outside of the build-ing. Airtight seals will line the building’s interior walls, keeping tempera-tures, sounds and odors in common areas to a minimum, while increasingprivacy and overall quality of life in the building.

A commercial recycling hydroponics greenhouse will be built on the roofthat will incorporate Oldcastle Precast storm water run-off structures forrainwater harvesting. The greenhouse is integrated with the building struc-ture so that it can make use of waste heat from the building below. Rooftopsolar panels will create renewable energy for greenhouse power needs.

Project Credits: Architect – abs Architects & Danois Architects; Struc-tural Engineer – TY LIN International; Precast Consultant – Equus Design;General Contractor – Blue Sea Development Company; Precast Supplier– Oldcastle Building Systems (and thanks to David Wan for this informa-tion).

Testimonial “Oldcastle’s unique thin brick inlay saved labor and re-duced the construction cycle time for exterior walls.” Barbara Skarbinski,abs Architects. q

PCANY NEWSLETTERPCANY MONTHLY

PRECAST CONCRETE ASSOCIATION OF NEW YORK, INC. January 2012 Volume 24, No. 1

Focus of This Issue: Building Systems, Hollow Core

Forest House – A Sustainable, Eight-Story GreenHousing Project

The State University of NewYork (SUNY) recently com-pleted a new $60 million, allprecast concrete, 500-bed-room apartment-style dormi-tory on the southeast portion of the Uptown campus, named “Liberty Terrace”. The180,000-square-foot facility isone of SUNY’s first total pre-cast concrete dormitories. Thetwo five-story buildings offer 4-bedroom apartments with 2bathrooms, a full kitchen, andliving/dining room area.

“Oldcastle Precast is re-sponsible for the precast con-crete design and engineeringof the precast dormitory struc-ture and manufacturing and in-stallation of the precast concrete elements. Precast concrete was chosen for its versatility, durability, and speedof installation which allows for a short-term construction period”, stated Aaron Fink, Regional Sales Engineer forOldcastle Precast Building Systems.

PRECAST CONCRETE ASSOCIATION OF NEW YORK January 2012 MONTHLY NEWSLETTER Page 2

Using two field erection cranes and crews, and withthe ease of installing precast components, installationbegan in June of 2011 and finished in September,meeting a very aggressive schedule to place approxi-mately 185,000 sq ft of 8” and 10” Elematic hollowcore plank, 604 exterior wall panels and 250 8” thickinterior walls, plus various precast lintels, stairs andlandings. The exterior walls were 12” thick, with 4” ofinsulation sandwiched between a 5” interior structuralwall and 4” of exterior architectural grade finished con-crete.

The dormitory project is designed to achieve theLEED Gold Level, meaning this construction project

will be environmentally friendly in a number of ways,incorporating features such as countless natural andsustainable elements, including permeable pavement,a green roof, rain gardens, daylight maximization, andthe use of recycled and locally-sourced materials. Thebuildings will be heated and cooled through a geother-mal (ground source heat pump) system using the con-stant temperature of the soils to moderate cooling andheating energy needs.

LeChase Construction Services is the project gen-eral contractor, teamed with PS & S Architects andPaulus Sokolowski Sartor Engineering, PC to designand construct the dormitory. Oldcastle Building

SUNY Albany’s New 500-Bed All Precast ConcreteDormitory

Carefully engaging the bottom connections Panels with 4” continuous EPS serve as finished exterior walls

(continued on page 3)

Systems supplied and installed the precast, teamedwith US Concrete Precast Group who supplied the ex-terior walls. Thanks to David Wan, P.E., Chief

Engineer, Oldcastle Precast Building Systems for thisstory and the photos, as well as the September ’11issue of “Oldcastle Precast - Delivering Reliability”. q

PRECAST CONCRETE ASSOCIATION OF NEW YORK January 2012 MONTHLY NEWSLETTER Page 3

SUNY Albany’s New 500-Bed All Precast Concrete Dormitory (continued from page 2)

Precast Concrete Products, from PCA’s 9/8/11“Concrete Thinker”

In 1950, the completion of theWalnut Lane Memorial Bridge inPhiladelphia signaled the begin-ning of the precast concrete indus-try in North America. Today, pre-cast concrete structures, includingbuildings, parking garages, andbridges, are commonplace. Theseproducts benefit from superiorquality control achievable at a pro-duction plant. Cost savings are re-alized when shapes are duplicated.

Uses:Precast concrete is widely used

for:• Multi-family housing (low-, mid-

rise) • Hotels and Motels • Retirement Homes • Security facilities • Schools • Office Buildings • Warehouses • Manufacturing Facilities • Storage Facilities • Big Box Stores • Shopping malls • Hospitals • Libraries • Airport Terminals • Stadium and Arena Elements

(seating, steps, pedestrian ramps,concession stands, locker rooms)

• Sound barriers (Highways,Industrial Sites)

• Security barriers (planters, walls)

Why:Provides predictable quality and

structural characteristics becauseof factory controlled conditions.Timeliness. Mass production aswell as off-site production shortensproject timeline, allowing earlier oc-cupancy. For example, the walls ofa building can be manufacturedwhile on-site foundations are beingbuilt.

Strength. Precast concrete is nor-mally of higher strength which al-lows for long clear spans making itespecially applicable to structuresrequiring large open spaces suchas parking garages.

Safety. By nature concrete pro-vides superior fire resistance andsound control for individual buildingelements and reduces fire insur-ance rates, especially useful inmulti-family housing.

Durable. Provides long service forhigh use applications.

Secure. Acts as a strong barrierfor locations where security is anissue.

Precast concrete has many en-vironmental benefits during con-struction and for the life of thestructure.

During construction: Waste Minimization. Less materi-als are required because precisemixture proportions and tighter tol-erances are achievable. Less con-crete waste is created due to tightcontrol of quantities of constituentmaterials. Waste materials aremore readily recycled becauseconcrete production is in one loca-tion. Sand and acids for finishingsurfaces are reused. Steel formsand other materials are reused.

Recycled Content. Recycled ma-terials such as fly ash, slag cement,silica fume, and recycled aggre-gates can be incorporated into con-crete, thereby diverting materialsfrom the landfill and reducing useof virgin materials. Hardened con-crete is recycled (about 5% to 20%of aggregate in precast concretecan be recycled concrete). Graywater is often recycled into futuremixtures.Less Community Disturbance.Less dust and waste is created atconstruction site because onlyneeded precast concrete elementsare delivered; there is no debrisfrom formwork and associatedfasteners. Fewer trucks and lesstime are required for constructionbecause concrete is made offsite;particularly beneficial in urbanareas where minimal traffic disrup-tion is critical. Precast concreteunits are normally large compo-nents, so greater portions of thebuilding are completed with eachactivity, creating less disruptionoverall. Less noise at constructionsites because concrete is made off-site.

During the life of thestructure: Energy Performance. Energysavings are achieved in buildingsby combining the thermal mass of

Photo courtesy of Opus Architects andEngineers

(continued on page 4)

Photo courtesy of Johnston DesignGroup

concrete with the optimal amountof insulation in precast concretewalls. Precast concrete acts as anair barrier, reducing air infiltration,and saving more energy. Disaster Resistant. Precast con-crete structures are resistant tofires, wind, hurricanes, floods,earthquakes, wind-driven rain, andmoisture damage. Cool. Light- or natural-colored con-crete reduces heat islands, therebyreducing outdoor temperatures,saving energy, and reducing smog. Indoor Air Quality. Precast con-crete has low VOC emittance anddoes not degrade indoor air quality.

Recyclable. Precast concretestructures in urban areas can berecycled into fill and road base ma-terial at the end of their useful life.

Standard precast products suchas beams, decks, and railroad tiesare shaped in one type of form thatis used repeatedly. Specialty pre-cast products are designed for theparticular building, bridge, or otherstructure. Most precast companieshave their own carpentry shopswhere skilled workers create formsfor the specialty products. Archi-tectural concrete is often cast spe-cially for each new project.

During the production process,forms for concrete are well lubri-cated. Concrete is placed in theforms and allowed to cure. Aftercuring, the product is carefully liftedfrom the form and taken to a yardfor further curing before it isshipped to the project site. Theform is cleaned and prepared forthe next batch of concrete. Manyprecasters can reuse their formsevery one to two days.

Exterior finishes for architecturalprecast concrete can incorporate afull range of colors and textures.Textures are achieved by acid-etch-ing, retarders, or sandblasting. q

Precast Concrete Association of New York, Inc.2829 East AvenueRochester, NY 14610Tel: 585-249-9564 • Fax: 585-381-0945Email: pcany@aol.com Web: www.pcany.org

PRODUCER MEMBERSA & R Concrete Products, New Windsor, NY, 845-562-0640Bayshore Concrete Products, Cape Charles, VA, 757-331-2300Binghamton Precast & Supply, Binghamton, NY, 607-722-0334Camp Precast Concrete Products, Milton, VT, 802-893-2407J.P. Carrara & Sons, Middlebury, VT, 802-388-6361Coastal Pipeline Products Corp., Calverton, NY, 631-369-4000Dailey Precast, Shaftsbury, VT, 802-442-4418The Fort Miller Co., Inc., Schuylerville, NY, 518-695-5000Jefferson Concrete Corp., Watertown, NY, 315-788-4171Kistner Concrete Products, East Pembroke, NY, 585-762-8216Lakelands Concrete Products, Inc., Lima, NY, 585-624-1990LHV Precast, Kingston, NY, 845-336-8880Northeast Prestressed Products, LLC, Cressona, PA, 570-385-2352Oldcastle Precast, South Bethlehem, NY, 518-767-2116Oldcastle Precast Inc., Middle Island, NY, 631-924-7400Oldcastle Precast Inc., DBA Rotondo Precast, Avon, CT, 860-673-3291Roman Stone Construction Co., Bay Shore, NY, 631-667-0566Sunnycrest Inc., Auburn, NY, 315-252-7214LC Whitford Materials, Co., Inc., Wellsville, NY, 585-593-2741SEPTIC TANK PRODUCER MEMBERSBinghamton Precast & Supply, Binghamton, NY, 607-722-0334Concrete Building Supply, Champlain, NY, 518-563-0700R. Deso, Inc., Champlain, NY, 518-298-8411The Fort Miller Co., Inc., Schuylerville, NY, 518-695-5000Grimm Building Materials Co., Troy, NY, 518-272-1100Guardian Concrete Products, Schenectady, NY, 518-372-0080Jefferson Concrete Corp., Watertown, NY, 315-788-4171Keeler Vault Co., Inc., Hudson, NY, 518-851-6281Kistner Concrete Products, East Pembroke, NY, 585-762-8216C.J. Miner, Inc., 25 Route 28A, Valatie, NY 12184Oneonta Block, Oneonta, NY, 607-432-6641Sunnycrest Inc., Auburn, NY, 315-252-7214United Concrete Products, Inc., Yalesville, CTWoodard’s Concrete Products, Inc., Bullville, NY, 845-361-3471Zeiser Wilbert Vault, Elmira, NY, 607-733-0568ASSOCIATE MEMBERSA-Lok Products, Inc., Tullytown, PA, 800-822-2565Amcrete Products, Newburgh, NY, 845-562-0010American Spacer Technologies, Inc., Hudson, NY, 800-424-8557

BASF Admixtures, Halfmoon, NY, 518-669-8755Buzzi Unicem USA, Stockertown, PA, 610-746-6224Cemex, Inc., Wampum, PA, 724-535-4311Chase Specialty Coatings, Pittsburgh, PA, 412-828-1500Concrete Sealants, Inc., Royersford, PA, 610-948-7867Dimension Fabricators Inc., Scotia, NY, 518-379-1936East Jordan Iron Works, Newark, NJ 973-350-0600Eastern States Steel Corp., Upper Saddle River, NJ, 800-327-8335Engineered Wire Products, Waynesville, OH, 937-433-9753Eriksson Technologies, Inc., Tampa, FL, 813-989-3317 Essex Cement Company, Port Newark, NJ, 973-344-5903Essroc Cement, Nazareth, PA, 610-746-3109The Euclid Chemical Co., Saratoga Springs, NY, 518-376-0871Federal White Cement Inc., Emmaus, PA, 610-966-9481Forta Corporation, Grove City, PA, 800-245-0306Grace Construction Products, Wynantskill, NY, 518-361-4335Helser Industries, Tualatin, OR, 503-692-6909Holcim (US) Inc., Saratoga Springs, NY, 518-376-0871Jepco Sales, Royersford, PA, 610-948-7867JVI, Inc., Lincolnwood, IL, 800-742-8127Keystone Cement Company, Exton, PA, 610-837-2100 Lafarge North America, Concord, Ontario, 888-523-2743 x 5034Lehigh Cement Company, Glens Falls, NY, 518-792-1137 x 303M+P Labs, Schenectady, NY, 518-382-0082Meadow Burke, Billerica, MA Mixer Systems, Pewaukee, WI, 860-798-7248Northeast Solite Corp., Saugerties, NY, 845-246-2646A L Patterson, Fairless Hills, PA, 800-332-7090Polylok, Inc./Zabel, Wallingford, CT, 800-765-9565Quinn Consulting, Bladensburg, MDRiefler Construction Products, Blasdell, NY, 716-332-6283St. Mary’s Cement Company, Cleveland, OH, 216-579-1911Sika Corporation, Lyndhurst, NJ, 302-218-4987Spillman Co., Columbus OH, 614-444-2184Splice Sleeve North America, Livonia, MI, 734-838-0420Superior Precast Consulting, Inc., Ardmore, PA, 610-715-1969Syracuse Casting Sales Co., Cicero, NY, 315-699-2601Trelleborg Pipe Seals Milford, Inc., Milford, NH, 800-626-2180Tuf-Tite, Inc., Lake Zurich, IL, 847-550-1011PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSAbate Associates Engineers & Surveyors, Buffalo, NY, 716-632-2300Advance Testing, Campbell Hall, NY, 845-496-1600AECOM, Latham, NY, 518-951-2200Atlantic Testing Laboratories, Clifton Park, NY, 518-383-9144Barton & Loguidice, PC, Syracuse, NY, 315-457-5200A.S. Bell Engineering, PC, Slingerlands, NY, 518-357-0313Bergmann Associates, Inc., Rochester, NY, 585-232-5135Bernier, Carr & Associates, Watertown, NY, 315-782-8130A L Blades & Sons, Inc., Hornell, NY, 607-324-3636C & S Engineers, Inc., Syracuse, NY, 518-455-2000

CDM, Syracuse, NY, 315-434-3200Clark Patterson Lee, Rochester, NY, 585-454-7600Clough Harbour & Assoc. LLP, Albany, NY, 518-453-3961Collins Engineering Inc., Albany, NY, 518-436-0392Delta Engineers, Architects and Land Surveyors, P.C., Endwell, NY,

607-231-6612Dewberry, New York, NY, 212-685-0900Didonato Associates PE, PC, Buffalo, NY, 716-656-1900Edwards & Kelcey Engrs. Inc., Saratoga Springs, NY, 518-584-9733Erdman Anthony, Rochester, NY, 585-240-2666Eriksson Technologies, Inc., Tampa, FL, 813-989-3317 Fisher Associates PE, LS, PC, Rochester, NY, 585-334-1310Greenman-Pedersen, Inc., Buffalo, NY, 716-633-4844Hunt Engr Arch Surveyors PC, Horseheads, NY, 607-358-1000D.R. Johnson & Associates, LLC, Dover, NJ, 973-328-2354Keystone Associates, LLC, Binghamton, NY, 607-722-1100LaBella Associates, PC, Rochester, NY, 585-454-6110Lamont Engineers, PC, Cobleskill, NY, 518-234-4028Lancaster Development, Richmondville, NYMaser Consulting, Chestnut Ridge, NY, 845-352-0411McFarland-Johnson, Inc., Binghamton, NY, 607-723-9421O’Neill Consulting, Spring Lake, NJ, 732-974-0129Popli Consulting Engineers, Penfield, NY, 585-388-2060Ryan-Biggs Assoc., P.C., Troy, NY, 518-272-6266R Samsel Engineers, Henrietta, NY, 585-334-5549Shumaker Consulting Engineering & Land Surveying, PC, Binghamton, NY,

607-798-8081Simpson Gumpertz & Heger, Inc., Waltham, MA, 781-907-9000SJB Services, Inc., Hamburg, NY, 716-649-8110Slocum, DeAngelus & Associates, PC, Latham, NY, 518-763-6000Steuben County DPW, Bath, NY, 607-664-2479Transtech Systems, Schenectady, NY, 518-372-4067TVGA Consultants, Buffalo, NY, 716-849-3739VHB, 100 Great Oaks Blvd., Suite 109, Albany, NY 12203, 518-452-0300Watson Engineering, PC, Owego, NY, 607-223-4900Watts Architecture & Engineering, PC, Buffalo, NY, 716-206-1500WSP-Sells, Briarcliff Manor, NY, 914-747-1120Wilbur Smith Associates, Latham, NY, 518-783-1887OFFICERS, DIRECTORS AND STAFFPresident: Joseph Amoia, A & R ConcreteVice-President: Mike Weigand, J.P. Carrara & SonsSecretary: Todd Clarke, Lakelands Concrete ProductsTreasurer: Position Currently VacantImmediate Past President: David Wan, Oldcastle PrecastAssociate Member Director: Wally Swiger, A-LokProfessional Member Director: Doug Vandeusen, Lamont EngineersSeptic Tank Group Director: Ed Pennypacker, Jepco SalesNECSA Director: Ric Sullivan, Lehigh Northeast Cement Co.Executive Director: Carl Buchman, PCANY, 585-249-9564

PRECAST CONCRETE ASSOCIATION OF NEW YORK January 2012 MONTHLY NEWSLETTER Page 4

Welcome to LHV Precast Inc.PCANY is very pleased to welcome LHV Precast, Kingston, NY, as our newest Full Producer Member. As

with all our members, you can find information on the wide range of quality products they produce on our web-site, as well as theirs. Adam Baker will be their presenter for PCANY at the January breakfast meeting of ACIENY, describing their successful system for fast replacement of county bridge structures and abutments. q

Precast Concrete Products (continued from page 3)