City of Calgary Concrete Sidewalk Reinforcement

Oct 28, 2022 | Case Study

City of Calgary Concrete Sidewalk Reinforcement Cover Image.
Download PDF Version of Case Study

Industry Sector & Application:
Civil Infrastructure

Location:
Calgary, Alberta

Featured Products:
ConForce Grid™ 

Featured Services:
Product Supply, Pre-Design Assistance, Consultation & Tech Support

Product Category:
Concrete Reinforcement & Lining 

Project Overview

In this application, the City of Calgary was faced with a concrete rehabilitation project. They were looking for a sidewalk reinforcement system not susceptible to corrosion, that would work to minimize and delay surface cracking of concrete. They were also looking to reduce construction and rehabilitation costs.  

Enter ConForce Grid™, an innovative geogrid product designed by Titan. ConForce Grid™ was used in this project to help reduce costs and ensure the longevity and strength of the sidewalk are maintained over time, further reducing maintenance and rehabilitation costs.  

The City of Calgary expects to save 12% in material costs where the ConForce Grid™ is installed. 

The Main Challenge: 

  • Reducing construction and maintenance costs 
  • Find an alternative to the use of thick, unreinforced concrete slabs 
  • Avoid yearly rehabilitation work to repair major cracking of slabs shortly after installation 

What’s the Best Approach?

The Conventional Solution

Steel rebar is typically used for concrete structural reinforcement. However, time corrosion can cause weakening reinforcement ability and compromise the concrete’s structural integrity. 

Titan’s Geogrid Solution

The City of Calgary was looking for a reinforcement system not susceptible to corrosion, that would work to minimize and delay surface cracking of concrete.  

Aiming to provide an innovative solution, Titan rose to the challenge and engineered a high-strength polymer geogrid product, ConForce Grid™, designed for reinforcement of concrete pathways. Lighter than conventional steel rebar, ConForce Grid™ has higher tensile, flexural and shear strength offering both better reinforcement and control of surface shrinkage cracking than conventional rebar. 

Technical Breakdown of the Sidewalk Reinforcement Application

The project utilized three different placements of the concrete reinforcement geogrid: 

  • Three 125-mm-thick concrete slabs created three sections of sidewalk to be reinforced with the concrete reinforcement geogrid.  
  • The slabs were placed on a 100-mm-thick compacted granular base.  
  • The slabs consisted of road standard concrete #32mpa with an 80/plus 20 slump mix.  
  • The ConForce Grid was placed at different levels in each of the slabs with the objective of studying its performance in each sidewalk section. 
  1. In the first section, the grid was placed towards the top of the concrete slab.  
  1. In the second section, the grid was placed in the middle of the concrete slab.  
  1. In the third, the grid was placed towards the bottom of the slab. 

One year after installation, there was no surface cracking in any of the sidewalk sections, indicating that ConForce Grid™ is performing optimally. 

What is ConForce Grid™?

ConForce Grid™ is an innovative concrete reinforcement geogrid made from high-modulus fiberglass with an engineered durable polymeric coating. A superior alternative to conventional steel reinforcement, you can expect several benefits when using ConForce Grid™ in an application: 

  • Non-corrodible – the corrosion of conventional steel rebar results in direct risk to the concrete integrity over time 
  • Provides durable reinforcement in aggressive and non-aggressive environments 
  • Distributes and resists tensile stresses in the concrete structure that might cause unacceptable cracking and/or structural failure 
  • Increases the flexural stiffness and shear strength of the concrete 
  • Significantly improves post crack ductility of the concrete structure 
  • Helps reduce the concrete thickness 
  • More economical  

Applications: 

  • Concrete pavement/pathways 
  • Sidewalk reinforcement 
  • Ground supported concrete slabs 
  • Floating slabs 
  • Bridge beams 
  • Exposed concrete surfaces 
  • Sewer lining 

CLICK HERE to view the Product Info Sheet on ConForce Grid™ 

CLICK HERE to view the Product Specifications Sheet on ConForce Grid™ 

Want to learn what ConForce Grid™ can do for you? Looking for information on different geogrid products? We welcome the opportunity to work with you on your next infrastructure project. 

Request a consultation using the form below to speak with us about your specific site requirements and the best solution for your project. 

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