Company has announced a noncorrosive, plastic centralizer version of its steel “OS2” model, suited to micro or auger cast piles, drilled shafts, caissons or tower footings. The two-part system locks
together in seconds, and then is installed onto the vertical reinforcing bar with wire or plastic zip-ties. The plastic version has debuted in 11- and 15-in. (outside) diameter, covering most common sizes of auger piles and drilled shafts, while fitting through most cages if needed. The open sided or offset design falls into place quickly on a single reinforcing bar or threaded rod, and is engineered for #7 or #11 bar with a ¼-in. off-center variance.
Centralizer placement at the pile base reinforcement is most valuable to contractors, product developers contend: during shaft descent, it keeps the foot of the bar from snagging, caving in the sidewalls or contaminating the critical integrity of each pile. Additional centralizers are placed every 15 feet from the bottom to the top for consistent alignment and coverage. The patent-pending product evolved from jobsite installation problems with horizontal bars prior to vertical installation. — Pile Protection Tops, Kansas City, 913/207-2460; www.pptkc.com