Cor-Tuf, the exclusive licensed producer of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-patented ultra-high performance concrete, has formalized an agreement with Virginia-based Precast Systems Engineering, LLC. Under the partnership, Cor-Tuf will help PSE develop the UHPC mixing technology for project-specific uses, utilizing local supplemental constituents. Additionally, PSE will support Cor-Tuf as a structural engineering resource to advance the technology and promote the continued development of Cor-Tuf UHPC.
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| Yard pile and girder demonstrations at Dura-Stress Inc.’s Leesburg, Fla., facility marked the commercial debut of Cor-Tuf UHPC. |
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“I have been excited for many months about how I envisioned the potential ‘union of forces’ between Cor-Tuf and Precast Systems Engineering,” says Rich Burgess, president of Cor-Tuf. “Our two companies have already started working together on several large projects and are in discussions concerning many more. We anticipate this new agreement will be mutually beneficial to both organizations. This is just the tip of the iceberg.”
Cor-Tuf UHPC develops up to 28,000 psi compressive and 2,700 psi tensile strengths. The Corps researched and formulated the product (US patent No. US 8016938 B2) to address the Defense Department’s demand for a strong, resilient material suited to blast- or intrusion-prone personnel and weapons facilities.
After a rigorous application process, Cor-Tuf was selected as the one and only licensed producer for public and private sector work. Its engineering and practitioner team is equipped to make the concrete technology available for use in all building and nonbuilding applications. The firm characterizes the UHPC formulation as one of “integrated fibers and a blend of proprietary ingredients which chemically change the make-up of the finished product to be stronger and more durable than conventional concrete … [The product] separates itself from other UHPC by honing and refining the proprietary constituents which make up roughly 20 percent of its total composition. These refinements impart several much-needed advancements into the product allowing Cor-Tuf UHPC to be pumpable, highly workable (up to 117 minutes) and easily manufactured using the same conventional methods as common concrete.”