AMSYSCO

2013 PTI-AMSYSCO Scholarship

Neel Khosa — Mon, 13 May 2013 21:19:53 +0000

Afsoon Nicknam

Blake Greene

AMSYSCO would like to congratulate Afsoon Nickham (Ph.D Structural & Earthquake Engineering student at the University of Buffalo) and Blake Green (M.S. Civil Engineering student at the University of Alabama-Birmingham). Both individuals were the 2013 winners of the PTI-AMSYSCO Scholarships.

____________________________________________

Infrastructure and Unbonded Post-Tensioning

Neel Khosa — Thu, 09 May 2013 00:10:19 +0000

“Infrastructure and Unbonded Post-Tensioning” – a presentation given during the PTI Convention on May 7, 2013.

Infrastructure and Unbonded Post Tensioning from Amsysco, Inc.

____________________________________________

Post-Tensioning Institute Awards 2013

Neel Khosa — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 00:06:30 +0000

AMSYSCO is proud to announce 3 of our post-tensioning projects have won awards from the Post-Tensioning Institute.

Industrial/Special Applications (Award of Excellence)

Project : Target Field
Location : Minneapolis, MN
Contractor : Mortenson Construction
Structural Engineer : Walter P. Moore

Slab-on-Ground (Award of Excellence)

Project : Emergency Vehicle Operator Course (EVOC)
Location : Camp Ripley in Little Falls, MN
Contractor : Donlar Construction
Structural Engineer : URS

Parking Structures (Award of Merit)

Project : The Green Screen Parking Structure
Location : Columbus, IN
Contractor : F. A. Wilhelm Construction
Structural Engineer : Structurepoint

Target Field

Emergency Vehicle Operator Course

Green Screen Parking Structure

To view all the PTI Awards, view PTI’s April 2013 Newsletter. Excerpts are from the PTI Newsletter.

____________________________________________

Construction Outlook 2013

Neel Khosa — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 22:40:55 +0000

Where is the construction industry going in 2013? Up? Down? Flat? Based on the input from my network of construction professionals, 2013 should be slightly better than 2012, but still nowhere near the booming mid-2000′s.

The U.S. economy shrunk in the fourth quarter of 2012 in a surprise negative 0.1% GDP – the first contraction since Q2 2009. Most economists blamed the contraction on the reduction in government/military spending, the impact from Hurricane Sandy and/or the fiscal cliff drama. However, many experts pointed to a decline in inventory buildups as the prime cause of the contraction. Against a backdrop of strong consumer spending and steady sales and fixed investments by businesses, a decline in inventory generally reflects an underlying strength in the economy. My gut instinct tells me that inventory dropped due to the unplanned, temporary demand for goods created by Hurricane Sandy where millions of people had to replace their damaged possessions and houses.

With more economic uncertainty, inflationary pressures and costlier calamities, the Millennial Generation (those born between 1980 and 2000) have been pushed towards either living with their parents or renting an apartment versus owning a home or condo. Paired with tighter mortgage restrictions, this phenomenon partially explains the recent boom in the new construction of multi-unit rental buildings and the influx of professional investments in single-family-home rentals. The demand from ex-owners of foreclosed properties (who need to rent a home) has also helped fuel the apartment boom.

Construction and Real Estate economic figures, such as the AIA Index, have been improving for several months. When more construction projects are being designed, it’s assumed that actual construction projects will occur in the near future. Granted some of these projects are a “budgeting exercise” and may never see the light of day. That said, 50% of something is better than 90% of nothing. The increase in actual construction filters into an increase in construction jobs which then feeds back into the rest of economy as construction employees purchase goods and services.

Based on discussions that I’ve had with general and concrete contractors, the construction economy in 2013 should be the same or slightly better than 2012. However, this positive feeling is reinforced by the buildup in the backlog of construction companies. Also, as humans, we tend to compare our current sentiments to recent history. The recent history in construction was Depression, so most anything is better. Mindful Contractors are less optimistic (but mostly less certain) about the outlook in 4Q 2013 and onward. Due to the Great Recession, the construction crystal ball has been broken, repaired with duct tape, but is constantly leaking fluids. The thought is that the Millennial Generation will eventually want to own a home, but the real question is when? I think that once the Millennials get decent-paying jobs and create families, then the apartment rental market will lose its luster. Home-ownership will have a revival but home-rental could play a larger role in the United States during the foreseeable future.

- Neel Khosa, Vice President

References:
1. AIA Index (1/23/2013 report)
2. Business Insider (1/30/2013 article)
____________________________________________

Web Search Interest in Post-Tensioning

Neel Khosa — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 00:39:33 +0000

Ever wonder how much Web Search Interest (WSI) there is in Post-Tensioning? Thanks to Google Trends, you can find out.

You’ll notice that the 80% decline of WSI in “Post-Tensioning” has matched the 50% decline of WSI in “Construction” from September 2004 to January 2013. Both web trends matched the real-life decline in overall U.S. Construction. However, neither WSI have rebounded since 2012 like the real-life U.S. economy. While these web trends are not entirely correlated to reality, they provide some basic insights on the interest of particular topics.
____________________________________________

AMSYSCO joins Pinterest

Neel Khosa — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 22:52:24 +0000

It’s a new year and AMSYSCO has joined a new social media network – Pinterest. We have a few boards such as ‘Our Chicago Projects‘ and ‘Parking Garages Around The World.’

You can find us at https://pinterest.com/amsysco/

Unbonded Post Tensioning Construction Applications

Neel Khosa — Thu, 27 Dec 2012 23:49:34 +0000

Unbonded Post Tensioning Construction Applications from Amsysco, Inc.

____________________________________________

Concrete Volume and Post-Tensioning

Neel Khosa — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 14:00:07 +0000

Recently, a concrete contractor called me to find out the volume of our unbonded post-tensioning system within an elevated concrete deck. He wanted to find out how much concrete was NOT used due to the volume-displacement from the post-tensioning tendons.

For the sake of simplicity, the following calculation shows the volume of 0.5″ Unbonded PT within a flat-plate concrete structure.

Known Values:

Diameter of Unbonded PT = D = 0.5 inches
Weight of PT Strand = w = 0.52 pounds per foot
Length of PT Anchor = L = 2.50 inches
Height of PT Anchor = H = 5.25 inches
Width of PT Anchor = W = approx. 1.25 inch

Assumptions:

Area of Concrete = A = 100,000 square feet (or 11,111 sq.yd.)
Thickness of Concrete = t = 8.0 inches (or 0.222 yd.)
PT Quantity = 0.8 pounds of PT per square foot of concrete
PT Anchor per Foot of Strand= 1 anchor per 50 feet
Thickness of PT Sheathing = T = 50 ml (0r 0.05 inch)

Calculations:

Concrete…

Volume = A x t = (11,111 sq.yd.) x (0.222 yd.) = 2,469 cubic yards

Post-Tensioning Strand…

Diameter of 1 Coated Strand = 0.50″ + 0.05″ + 0.05″ = 0.60 inches (or 0.01667 yards)
Area of 1 Strand = (pi) x (radius x radius) = (3.14159) x (0.01667 /2) x (0.01667 /2) = 0.0002 cubic yards
Total Length of all Strand = (100,000 sq.ft. x 0.80 lbs/sq.ft) / 0.52 lb/ft = 163,462 feet (or 54,487 yards)
Volume of all Strand = (0.0002) x (54,487 yards) = 11.89 cubic yards

Post-Tensioning Anchors…

Volume of 1 Anchor = 2.5″ x 5.25″ x 1.25″ = 16.41 cu.inches (or 0.00035 cubic yards)
Number of Anchors = (163,462 feet) x (1 anchor per 50 feet) = 3,269 anchors
Volume of all Anchors = (0.00035 cu.yds) x 3,269 = 1.15 cubic yard

Other items that displace concrete (but not factored in the analysis)…

PT Support Chairs
PT Support Rebar
PT Pocket Former (eventually filled with grouted)
Rebar (mild steel)
Other Embeds

Assuming concrete costs $100 per cubic yard, the concrete contractor could potentially reduce his bid by 13 cubic yard of concrete (or $1,300) for this 100,000 sq.ft. concrete deck.

- Neel Khosa, Vice President, AMSYSCO

____________________________________________

Barrier Cable Maintenance

Neel Khosa — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 19:21:10 +0000

The following is a general maintenance procedure for the Galvanized Barrier Cable system. The procedure is basic in nature, is subject to change and does not cover any special conditions.

(ANNUALLY) Inspect galvanized barrier cable for damage from vehicles and/or corrosive elements.
(ANNUALLY) Clean cables with wet rag.
(QUARTERLY) Inspect anchorage locations (and grout pockets, if applicable).
(QUARTERLY) Test horizontal deflection at each cable at mid-point of cable run. Horizontal deflection should not exceed 18 in. (457 mm). Vertical deflection can be tested for loosening of cables.
(QUARTERLY) Verify height and spacing requirements referenced in section 1.2.2 (of the PTI Specification for Barrier Cable Applications).
1. “The system shall be a minimum of 42 in. (1065 mm) in height and be constructed such that a 4 in. (100 mm) diameter sphere shall not pass through any opening up to a height of 34 in. (864 mm). Above 34 in. (864 mm), an 8 in. (203) diameter sphere shall not pass through the openings.”
(IF DAMAGED) Contact a qualified supplier of barrier cable for repair procedures and additional information.

A copy of the PTI Specification can be purchased online at the Post-Tensioning Institute website.

____________________________________________

Map : Minneapolis and AMSYSCO

Neel Khosa — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 02:45:32 +0000

Minneapolis – Post-Tensioning structures supplied by AMSYSCO within the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area (completed 2003-present).

(Hint: use the controls within the Google Map application to zoom and pan.)

View

Minneapolis & AMSYSCO in a larger map

____________________________________________