CONSISTENCY IS KING FEATURE BRIEF

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1 FEATURE BRIEF CONSISTENCY IS KING In construction, consistency is king. predictability gets a bad wrap. All too often people see that word and they immediately think boring and uninspired. In our business, however, predictability is desirable and consistency reigns supreme. If your organization is considering building a new headquarters or expanding your capacity, you re looking at a significant investment millions of dollars, maybe tens of millions. If you notice even the slightest deviation from your construction partners you should run in the opposite direction as fast your legs can carry you. You want predictability and consistency. That s one key advantage precast concrete construction has to offer the surprises are few and far-between. Precast concrete panels are generally engineered, manufactured, delivered and installed by the same organization. Our organization has spent 45 years pursuing predictability and removing the unwanted variables. Our service strategy and manufacturing process have been engineered with consistency in mind, and not just in an anecdotal sense. We continually find ways to measure and quantify consistency. Fabcon is a certified mnl-116 structural concrete panel manufacturer. In shorthand, that means our panels are straight and true and meet architectural aesthetic standards for color consistency from top to bottom and from one panel 1 to the next. The same can be said of the PCI Certified installation crews that erect our panels. They do nothing else day in and day out they install Fabcon precast panels. Some crewmembers have been doing the job for decades and they re brilliant at it. The same goes for our leadership team. Fabcon s officers and directors have an average tenure of 15 years, and many have logged 20 to 30 years of service. President and ceo Mike LeJeune just celebrated 20 years in that position this month. The hand on the rudder has been the same hand for two decades. That consistency has not resulted in complacency; rather, it has resulted in a never-ending predictable desire to innovate, improve and grow. We re predictable, all right certifiably so. Fabcon an ideal solution for the most aggressive timetables and the most modest of budgets. Fabcon precast panels possess all the performance qualities needed to impress building owners, architects, and general contractors alike.

2 GRAY IS THE NEW GREEN Precast concrete is more sustainable than you think. even for building professionals, precast concrete wall panels aren t at the center of dinner-table conversation. Trendier subjects tend to trump our humble building material; lofty ideas like conservation, sustainability, and aesthetics command all the attention. It s too bad, really; with a little information, precast wall panels should rightfully enjoy a place at the table. At our house, it s a pretty regular discussion topic, and why wouldn t it be? For anyone who designs, builds, owns or manages buildings, precast concrete has a lot to offer. The problem is that most people haven t followed precast panel innovation. In the minds of many, precast concrete is a mature technology that has remained relatively unchanged for decades. Truth be known, you d be hard pressed to find a more progressive building product. In an age when sustainable practices are no longer simply admirable, but rather the status quo, structuralprecast wallpanels are in lock step with heightened performance expectations. Precast concrete helps companies increase their physical footprint while shrinking their carbon footprint. Precast wall panelsenable building professionals to customize R-values up to an amazing R-34. The right building envelope can greatly reduce heating and cooling costs and energy consumption. In addition to the obvious environmental benefits, think of the cost savings realized over a decade or two. In an age when reuse, repurpose, recycle are words to live by, structural precast concrete wall panels areahead of the curve. The steel strand, the aggregate and even the insulative foam billets used in a Fabcon VersaCore+Green panel are made of recycled materials. The concrete itself makes use of fly ash, a by-product of coal burning power stations. A precast panel can be comprised of more than 50% recycledcontent. Funny thing is, that s old news. We ve been making panels that way for over a decade we were early adopters of the green movement. Of course, none of that means anything if you can t use the technology to build something you re proud of. And to be honest, that s up to you. Precast is available in a broad range of colors and finishes. By mixing pigments and natural aggregates there really is no limit to what you can accomplish. And if you like gray well, that s pretty achievable, too. Fabcon an ideal solution for the most aggressive timetables and the most modest of budgets. Fabcon Precast panels possess all theperformance qualities needed to impress building owners, architects, and general contractors alike. 4

3 BUILDING TO ACCOMMODATE GROWTH SPURTS Building to accommodate growth spurts. using a crystal ball to predict the growth of anything is impossible. This is especially true of the physical space your company operations will require down the road. Fortunately, there are construction methods that allow you to react quickly when faced with expansion, production or equipment changes that require your building size or configuration be modified with cost effective flexibility. A modular building envelope constructed of structural precast panels gives you the ability to literally reconfigure and expand your building without disrupting the entire structure. With a structural precast concrete wall panel system the exterior cladding, load-bearing components, insulation and interior substrate are all engineered into a single, multifunctional and modular unit. Although tied into one another and sealed up tight, each of these panels is an independent section like a Lego block. Removing and repositioning a few panels or can be done quickly with fairly straightforward engineering, manufacturing and construction processes. Another advantage of precast is that it allows you to change how you use your space, without changing your footprint. Precast panels can reach heights of nearly 64 feet and varying panel widths up to 12 feet. A shifting business model may place new requirements on your facility and call for higher ceilings for racking or an extensive row of dock doors. Just by swapping or changing panel size or configuration, a precast building can actually adapt to and accommodate your changing needs. Sometimes moving to a different facility or building a new one from scratch is unavoidable; that s often a good sign that your business is trending in the right direction. For those times when growth is dependent on one of or a combination of customer, product or market forces that are less concrete, consider a construction strategy that affords you the greatest flexibility. None of us can accurately predict the future. It is, however, possible to factor future building capacity into your plan. Fabcon an ideal solution for the most aggressive timetables and the most modest of budgets. Fabcon precast panels possess all the performance qualities needed to impress building owners, architects, and general contractors alike. 2

4 THE SPEED & EFFICIENCY OF PRECAST Build With Speed. commercial construction is an expensive undertaking. Every day a structure is under construction is another day costs will be incurred. That s why the power of speed is vital. Every day you shave from a construction cycle is money in the bank. When it comes to saving big time on big buildings, one construction method stands head and shoulders above the rest: structural precast. One of the key advantages of a precast panel is that it provides an integrated solution, delivering the exterior cladding, load-bearing capabilities, insulation and interior substrate all in one component. Think of it this way by the time a precast panel rolls off the production bed, the structural engineering has been addressed, openings have been cast in place and in most cases, the exterior finish has been applied. Panels are sequenced in the yard, loaded and installed at an average rate of 25 panels per day, regardless of weather conditions. Time savings really add up when you consider that panel widths range from 8 to 12 feet. Precast panel preconstruction planning expertise and installation accelerate building enclosure times and in turn ripple throughout the entire construction schedule. With a structural perimeter securely in place, construction activity goes into overdrive. Ceiling supports can be installed making more efficient use of equipment. With a fully enclosed envelope, electricians, mechanical contractors and other trades can get to work sooner. Being able to pour the floor later in the construction schedule reduces damage from heavy loads, ensuring operational equipment has a level surface beneath it. All of this adds up to weeks and sometimes months of time saved. The greatest efficiency gain is achieved the day your building opens its doors and the intended use of your building replaces the cost of construction with productivity and sales. That s progressive turnkey construction at its finest. Fabcon Precast an ideal partner for the most aggressive timetables and the most modest of budgets. Fabcon precast panels possess all the performance qualities needed to impress building owners, architects, and general contractors alike. 3

5 SURPRISE! THAT S PRECAST concrete will surprise you. I m betting you ve never read that sentence before in your entire life. If you ve read this column you know I m somewhat biased toward this particular building material. And why not? Concrete s appeal and function is ancient. Rome s Pantheon and Coliseum are living proof of the enduring beauty and versatility of concrete. To say a few product innovations have been made over the centuries would be an understatement structural and thermal performance have improved greatly in the last 2,000 years and so has appearance. Unknowingly you pass by precast concrete buildings every day. There are literally thousands of buildings in the Twin Cities constructed of structural precast wall panels. If you ve ever been to a home center, bought groceries, been to movie or taken in a hockey game, you ve been in one of our buildings. A precast building can have a brick finish, be brightly colored, fool you into thinking it is limestone or be any one of hundreds of finishes. Our ability to create a broad range of looks quickly and cost effectively is what has made precast construction the darling of world-class organizations like UPS, Pepsi Co., Frito Lay, Amazon, Walmart, Home Depot and Bass Pro Shops. The big guys know and love our product, for sure, but some of our most interesting projects are commissioned by privately- or family-owned companies. A personal passion for their brand and their business has brought them to us. They want something unique, something singular. These are projects that have challenged us to take a building product with ancient origins and move it forward to the present. We ve worked with craft breweries, tribal casinos, charter schools, bike makers, third-generation shoemakers and a host of other business types to develop custom finishes that give them precisely what they were looking for. For companies looking to create a new home, structural precast is an option that has earned consideration. It might be 2,000 years old, but we have a few new tricks. qualities, speedy construction and design flexibility make Fabcon Precast an ideal partner for the most aggressive timetables and the most modest of budgets. Fabcon precast panels possess all the performance qualities needed to impress building owners, architects and general contractors alike. 5

6 WINTER CONSTRUCTION RISKS Why precast wall panels are your best choice for combating winter construction risks. as it pertains to the pouring and curing of concrete, the American Concrete Institute defines cold weather is a period when for more than three successive days the average daily air temperature drops below 40 F/5 C and stays below 50 F/10 C for more than one-half of any 24 hour period. It s safe to saythe Twin Cities has its share of cold weather. Cold weather conditions can prove particularly challenging for building contractors because cold weather affects project schedules, construction quality, and employee safety. If site cast concrete or masonry mortar freeze before they ve developed sufficient strength to resist the expansive forces of freezing water, the disruption of ice crystals will result in an irreparable loss in strength as much as 50 percent in the ultimate strength of the material. Cold is hard on people, too. Masons are continually exposed to the cold, putting them at risk of frostbite if they don t take frequent breaks. Unfortunately, business growth can t stop because it s cold outside. The good news is that contractors can combat subzero conditions with innovative building materials and construction methods. Structural, pre-stressed precast concrete panels keep building projects on schedule regardless of the weather. Fabcon precast panels are poured and cured in the controlled environments of our certified manufacturing facilities, ensuring quality and consistency. By the time our panels arrive on your jobsite, they re stable and ready to go. And because our PCI-certified installation crews specialize in this specific style of construction, not a moment is wasted. Even large-scale projects can be enclosed in a matter of days. Structural precast panels provide load-bearing support once erected, giving site managers more flexibility over the construction schedule. Precast also provides an immediate barrier to the elements, allowing work to be done inside the building. Fabcon an ideal solution for the most aggressive timetables and the most modest of budgets. From manufacturing plants to ice arenas, Fabcon Precast panels possess the speed, performance, and design flexibility to impress building owners, architects, and general contractors alike. 6