Professional engineers and aspiring construction management students are gaining valuable industry knowledge during plant tours hosted at County Materials Corporation’s precast and prestress manufacturing facility in Roberts, WI. In the months of March and April 2018, County Materials hosted tours for engineers from the City of Woodbury, and from Bolton & Menk and WSB and Associates. Additionally, 42 students from the University of Wisconsin Stout’s Building and Construction Management program visited the facility on two occasions.
During the engineers’ tour, County Materials demonstrated the advantages of T-Lock lined concrete pipe, and how to perform welding and field maintenance. T-Lock lined concrete pipe incorporates a PVC inner liner during the manufacturing process. Set into the concrete prior to curing, the liner and pipe perform as a single product to resist both exterior loads and corrosion from storm water. Many engineers in the region are unaware that maintenance and repairs for high density polypropylene (HDPE) stud lined pipe, an alternative to T-Lock, is costlier and can often take longer to accomplish because HDPE certified welders are hard to come by in Minnesota. Often, contractors must hire certified welders from outside of the state.
The student tour focused on the manufacturing process of reinforced concrete pipe and how products manufactured at County Materials’ Roberts facility are used in communities across the country. “This tour was an opportunity to show future graduates what the precast concrete industry is all about and how it positively impacts our communities through the variety of products, services and jobs we offer,” reflected Carlos Villarreal, Location Manager in Roberts, WI.
County Materials frequently hosts tours for students, community representatives and industry professionals at the company’s production facilities to increase awareness about concrete product manufacturing and the advantages of using concrete products in the construction industry.