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Congratulations to Vulcan Materials Company for their work on The Reach, The Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts which was just named Overall Winner for the 2020 ACI Excellence Awards.

The expansion project – which includes three main structures called The Welcome, Skylight and River Pavilions – adds 72,000 square feet of interior space. Worth noting is the fact that five different types of concrete were used to achieve the beautiful architectural, acoustic, and structural design.

This project is also a great example of the expertise our members bring to the table. Why? The “white” concrete mix used for this project tends to be highly demanding. It requires knowledge and understanding of all aspects needed to produce the white concrete including specification details, technical information, and equipment requirements.

Vulcan Aggregates also contributed to the success of the project. With color and color consistency playing such and important role in the project, the team chose Vulcan’s sand from their Puddledock quarry and stone from their Graham quarry to achieve the desired effect. No less important was the type of cement used. Aalborg White cement was provided by Lehigh Hanson out of their Brooklyn, NY terminal.

That’s not to say there were any guarantees when it came to the color of the final concrete. The Vulcan team was aware – and made it clear to the owner and design team – that as a ready mixed producer they could control the materials used, take quality control measures at the plant, and conduct quality control onsite. Other factors such as the environment that may impact the final color were out of their control. Setting such parameters and managing expectations was key given the desired aesthetic and helped ensure the entire team was on the same page going forward.

Vulcan delivered over 300 mixer loads of concrete for the project.

You can read more about this project and other winners on the ACI Web site