Slag Cement Association honors 2020’s top projects

The Slag Cement Association (SCA) is proud to announce the recipients of its 2020 Slag Cement Project of the Year Awards. These awards were unveiled and celebrated during the Slag Cement Project of the Year Awards virtual ceremony.

Sixteen construction projects from across the United States were chosen to showcase the broad applications of slag cement and its impact on creating more durable and sustainable concrete. Two research projects on slag cement use are also being honored in this year’s program.

“The increase in award-winning projects this year demonstrate slag cement’s role in creating durable long-lasting structures. These outstanding examples showcase the value of using slag cement in concrete construction by achieving high-performing, durable, resilient, and sustainable results in concrete,” said SCA Board president Ed Griffith.

In the architectural category, Lehigh Hanson used slag cement in the construction of a new four-story parking garage at the Chesapeake Beach Resort & Spa to allow an additional 700 vehicles to park on the resort’s premises. The other winning project in this category, slag cement was used for durability enhancement and potential sulfate and alkali silica reaction (ASR) mitigation by St. Marys Cement in the construction of Adventure Cove at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in Ohio.

Lehigh Hanson also won in the sustainability category for using slag cement in the construction of the 72-story One Manhattan Square residential building at the foot of the Manhattan Bridge in New York City.

The awards for innovative application went to LafargeHolicm for the replacement of a 323 m (1060-ft) superstructure above the historic Lake Tillery Bridge in the Piedmont area of North Carolina. Slag cement was used in the deck placements of the bridge to increase durability and to mitigate against alkali silica reaction (ASR) in the concrete. In addition, slag cement helped with holding the slump longer and increased the workability of the mixture to help the finishers battle the strong heat during the placements. Argos was also awarded for its work on the Nucor Steel of Florida project where slag cement helped exceed the specified compressive strength of 4000 pounds per square inch (psi) in 28 days in a 50 percent replacement mixture with 245 kg (540 lbs) of cementitious material and with a 0.49 maximum water-cementitious materials ratio (w/cm). Lasty, St. Mary’s Cement was recognized for the Pittsfield Charter Township Planning Commission Development, a large residential project which included apartments, rowhouses, mixed-use commercial buildings, and stormwater retention buildings. Up to 35 percent slag cement was used in the concrete mixture design for its workability, increased control of curing and hydration cycles, and long-term durability benefits.

The remaining SCA winners include:

Durability

• Akron Hazel Storage Basin (CSO Rack 10 & 11)—Lehigh Hanson;
• CVST River Bridge—Lehigh Hanson;
• Lakeland Linder – Site Prep for Intermodal Center—Argos; and
• Upper Sandusky Water Reclamation Facility—St. Marys Cement.

High Performance

• Avon Park Air Force Range – Juliet Ramp & Airfield Pavements—Argos;
• Jamestown Municipal Airport Runway and Taxiway Paving Project—LafargeHolcim;
• Kew Gardens Interchange—Lehigh Hanson; and
• Potomac River Bridge/I-81 Widening and Replacement—LafargeHolcim.

Green Design

• The Blonde Apartments at 8th and Main—Skyway Cement Company; and
• The Lumen at Playhouse Square—LafargeHolcim.

2020 Slag Cement Research Award Winners include:

• Sustainability of Concrete in the Pacific Northwest—Hilary Chaimov, Oregon State University; and
• Innovative Application of Slag in Improving Sustainability, Flexibility, and Cost in Thin Panels—Arash Rahmatian, University of Houston-Downtown