Sources: SIS Group LLC, Durham, N.C.; CP staff
North Carolina specialty precast producer SIS has entered into an exclusive licensing agreement with Anker Foundations GmbH, a leading international engineer that develops certified resource-saving precast foundations for a broad spectrum of tower structures. The agreement creates Anker USA LLC, a fifth wholly owned SIS subsidiary, and envisions annual production of up to 2,500 foundation packages—each combining angled and rounded elements.
“These innovative precast foundations are a superior alternative to cast-in-place foundations used currently in the U.S.,” says SIS CEO James Johnson. “SIS is poised to provide best-in-class precast concrete foundation solutions for the growing demand for towers, including cell and overhead High Voltage Line towers, as well as wind turbines, both onshore and offshore.”
“With our track record across Europe and understanding of the expanded need for primarily cell towers and wind turbines in the U.S., we believe this is a critical strategy in our growth internationally,” add Anker Foundations GmbH Chief Operating Officer Christoph Schwenzer. “Partnered with the superb quality assurance that SIS delivers, Anker USA will provide the most sustainable and economical solution for precast foundations.”
Engineering staff at Anker headquarters in Germany will develop modular foundation designs based on projects’ site-specific wind and geotechnical data, then relay production documents guiding Anker USA fabrication crews. Anker and SIS officials peg onshore U.S. wind turbine installations averaging 8,500 annually, adding to a fleet of 56,000 structures erected through early 2021.
The Anker USA business will join an SIS portfolio spanning NexGen Fibers, Vulcan basalt reinforcing rods, lighter and stronger than conventional steel rebar, and exhibiting higher stiffness, strength, and chemical resistance compared to E-glass; Promontory Sleepers, high performance railroad crossties engineered from proprietary Hi-Strain precast concrete; Carolina Concrete Structures, fabricated from Hi-Strain to perform in demanding building wall panel and noise barrier conditions; and, Gargoyle CM precast concrete for firewalls in electrical substations, ballistic protection, and blast mitigation. SIS is also a key Southeast player in tolling utility buildings of conventional precast concrete design.
