AltusGroup, Inc. is an international partnership of 14 precast concrete companies and eight industry suppliers founded in July 2003 to develop, manufacture and market precast concrete innovations throughout North America.[1]
| Industry | Construction Concrete |
|---|---|
| Founder | Oldcastle Precast, Building Systems Chomarat North America |
Key people | John M. Carson, Executive Director |
| Products |
|
| Website | altusprecast.com |
Innovations include the CarbonCast line of technology that uses C-GRID carbon fiber grid for shear reinforcing developed by Chomarat North America, and ARCIS, an ultra-thin precast panel for rainscreens, marine decking and more.
History
editAltusGroup emerged from a development initiative between Oldcastle Precast and Chomarat North America, formerly TechFab, LLC.
Chomarat North America first conceived commercial grid structures using fiberglass roving and epoxy in 1997. It was initially named, “PetroGrid,” and introduced by Amoco Fabrics & Fibers Co. in 1998 to create geo-grids for the road paving market.
In 1998-99, Chomarat North America and Oldcastle Precast entered a joint development agreement to explore the use of carbon fiber structural grids for use in concrete. The original precast product champion and technology visionary was Harold Messenger.
From 1998-2001, development efforts focused on product, process, testing, and engineering design validation surrounding grid use in concrete. Dr. Thomas Harmon,[2] a professor of engineering at Washington University in St. Louis, provided primary research support for the initiative, also co-funded by both companies.
Early research and development works serve as the engineering design basis used today to design and manufacture CarbonCast.
Operations
editAltusGroup emerged from a development initiative between Oldcastle Precast and Chomarat North America, formerly TechFab, LLC and operates under the concept of co-opetition. Member companies collaborate and share information to advance the development and marketing of CarbonCast and other technologies, but compete for jobs through the conventional sales and bidding process.[3]
Its member companies place volunteer representatives on committees that oversee the policies and function of the organization:
- Board of Directors – appointed officials establish an overall strategy for organization and set policies for the management of the enterprise
- Marketing – a committee handles communications and maintains national marketing initiatives for new product sales opportunities at each of the companies.
- Technical – a technical committee oversees the use of the technology in the plant and field to establish best practices and test results for all products developed and marketed.
The organization celebrated its 20th year of operation in 2023, noting that CarbonCast technology had been used on more than 2,500 projects representing 35 million square feet of surface area since its introduction. [4]
Precaster Members
edit- High Concrete Group LLC
- Metromont Corporation
- Knife River
- Encon United
- GPRM Prestress
- Enterprise Precast Concrete, Inc.
- Gage Brothers Concrete
- Wells Concrete Products
- Chomarat North America
- Mid-States Concrete Industries
- Strescon Limited
- MPS Precast
- Missoula Concrete Construction
- Saramac
- Spring Valley
Innovation Partners
editReferences
edit- ^ Six form first-ever precast concrete partnership retrieved 2010-06-11
- ^ "Thomas Harmon Professor & Director of Undergraduate Studies The Clifford W. Murphy Professor of Civil Engineering". Archived from the original on 2010-06-02. Retrieved 2010-06-29.
- ^ Vinoski, Jim. "Co-opetition: Rival Concrete Precasters Team Up On New Innovations". Forbes. Retrieved 2023-04-14.
- ^ "AltusGroup: 35 million square feet of precast wall panels in 20 years". Concrete Products. Retrieved 5 December 2023.