A large masonry building recently constructed in Wallingford, Conn., using the Rebar-Lok system provided a case study of the new technology. The structure
A large masonry building recently constructed in Wallingford, Conn., using the Rebar-Lok system provided a case study of the new technology. The structure features 2,280 feet of wall with vertical reinforcement at 32 inches on center, comprising 855 locations.
A comparison was made of the cost of low-lift grout, i.e., installing 8-ft. rebar overlapping every 4 ft., versus high-lift grout, i.e., employing the Rebar-Lok system to install 20-ft. rebar at 16 feet and 14-ft. rebar at the final 30-ft. height. Savings noted in several categories were weighed against the cost of the Rebar-Lok system.
- Labor savings Û The three bidding mason contractors deducted an average of $30,000 Û approximately 6 percent of the overall job cost Û from their base bids, owing to the convenience and time-savings of the Rebar-Lok system.
- Rebar savings Û The low-lift system would have required 54,720 feet of rebar, while the Rebar-Lok system used 29,070 ft., a savings of 25,650 ft. of #6 bar, equaling $15,000.
- Rebar-Lok Cost Û Installed at 4-ft. and 20-ft. increments using 1,710 units, the system incurred a cost of slightly less than $9,000.
The sum total of a $30,000 labor reduction, $15,000 rebar savings, and $9,000 investment in Rebar-Lok was a net project savings exceeding $36,000, or just over 7 percent of the overall job cost.