IN THE NEWS
Look up. Way up!
Look up. Way up! While jobs come in all sizes, some are just bigger than others. Way bigger. In this case, it’s CIBC Square at 81 Bay Street in Toronto. With 225 individual shoots scheduled, this project is the largest urban commercial project Torrent has ever worked on. It’s the largest building currently being constructed…
Concrete, Heal Thyself!
Concrete, Heal Thyself! Concrete is the world’s most common building material and while it is long-lasting, it’s not indestructible. Ever since the Romans built the pantheon from it some 2,000 years ago, we’ve been trying to find ways to make concrete more durable. No matter how carefully it is mixed or reinforced, all concrete eventually…
A Pool in the Sky
A Pool in the Sky A pool on an upper floor of a downtown hi-rise is not that unusual. Unless of course, it has to be constructed after the crane used to transport the concrete to the top of the structure has left the site. That was the case when, due to last minute design…
They Shoot, They Score!
They Shoot, They Score! Torrent Shotcrete, Canada’s recognized shotcrete leader, added 10 fully ACI-certified wet-mix shotcrete nozzlemen to its ranks this past December 2017. ACI certified instructors Neil McKaskill and Roland Heere from Metro Testing were on hand at Torrent’s maintenance and operations yard in Coquitlam, BC to put the men through their paces. An…
Here Come the Drones
Here Come the Drones As we start a new year, it’s a perfect time to look ahead and see what type of new developments are on the horizon in the construction industry. In this post, we’re going to look at drones and how they’re changing the way we do business in some very interesting ways.…
It’s a Concrete Christmas!
It’s a Concrete Christmas! Concrete is not usually the first material that comes to mind for creating Christmas decorations, but with a little imagination, the right ingredients and a healthy helping of holiday spirit, concrete can add the fresh festive difference to your holiday trimmings! Check out these links for some very interesting and simple…
Waste – The Reality
Waste – The Reality Every concrete application methodology results in a certain amount of waste, but the inflated numbers sometimes associated with shotcrete are most often the result of inaccurate calculations based upon false assumptions. There is waste in the shotcrete process – but the actual amount is much less than the percentages attributed to…
Flexible Concrete!
Flexible Concrete! With natural disasters continuing to make to make headlines the world over, there’s understandably an intensified focus on doing whatever possible to mitigate the often disastrous effects of mother nature’s fury. With that in mind, recent findings by researchers at the University of British Columbia regarding the development of an eco-friendly concrete that…
In Search of Blindside Excellence
In Search of Blindside Excellence It seems there are still some misconceptions regarding structural shotcrete and the issue of blindside honeycombing and voids that ultimately affect water tightness. There’s an erroneous opinion in some corners of our industry that shotcrete applications result in more honeycombing and voiding issues than form-and-pour applications. It’s just not true.…
Safety Innovators – Part 1 in a series
Safety Innovators – Part 1 in a Series Safety is a concern for every industry, but for the construction industry, where working environments can often involve the potential for serious injury, its importance is paramount. Within the shotcrete segment of the industry, Torrent is setting the bar for safety innovation. Given structural shotcrete’s recent entry…