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Red Hawk Casino is adding a new hotel and an amusement complex this year in Placerville, CA. The planned entertainment center will occupy 85,000 square feet of space above the northern half of the parking garage and will feature a bowling alley, virtual reality gaming suites, and indoor go-carting. As concrete supplier for this project, Folsom Ready Mix Rancho Cordova, Plant 1 supplied lightweight concrete for the 85,000 sq. ft slab, placed on a suspended steel deck. General contractor, Avanti & Level 10, coordinated the construction of the new entertainment center on top of Red Hawk Casino’s 8th floor parking structure.
The Challenge: Maintain a consistent workability (slump) of the plastic concrete from the production plant to the time of placement.
Factors contributing to loss of slump:
- Travel time, roughly 45 minutes and an additional 20 minutes of unloading.
- Lightweight aggregate absorption, 17.6% per test method ASTM C-127.
- Concrete was pumped 75ft vertically and through a total of 165ft of piping. Concrete loses an average of 1”-1.5” of slump for every 100ft of piping system. The added pressure of pumping the concrete vertically will exacerbate the slump loss.
The Solution: Ensure that the lightweight aggregate was completely saturated at the time of production.
Note: Aggregate that is not saturated to a minimum of SSD, will absorb any available moisture during transit and more so when under pressure from a pumping system.
FRM advised the placement team to accept the use of three chemical additives to ensure successful pump and placement of the lightweight concrete.
- MasterGlenium was used to increase the slump of the fresh concrete to offset the calculated slump loss from production to placement.
- MasterMatrix VMA was used to enhance the viscosity of the lightweight concrete to prevent segregation form the high slump produced by the MasterGlenium. The VMA also had the added benefit of working as a pumping aid.
Folsom Ready Mix was able to provide a mix that not only exceeded the pumpability expectations of Interstate Concrete pumping, but also met all the design requirements set forth by the design team without a single load lost. Through the life of the project FRM’s lightweight mix experience an average slump loss of 2” from production to placement.
Our specialized concrete mixes are engineered to meet project requirements and specifications. Call to get started on your next project: 775-900-2939.