Stay in Place Fascia Forms
SIPFF’s allow all construction work to be performed from the topside in a fraction of the time compared to conventional means (i.e. bridge brackets)
Precasteel's forms consist of relatively thin (3") precast panels 'L' shaped with a birds beak notch cast along the length of each panel toe that sockets onto the outboard edge of the top flange of the fascia girder, steel or precast, and is tied back with a diagonal tie to the same girder.
Functionality
SIPFF’s were initially vetted through New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) and after numerous prototypes and testing has been approved for use statewide on a case-by-case basis similar to conventional means; the one caveat is that the inside face of the form should be held to the outside face of the proposed barrier line thereby being consider means & methods rather than a design change. In other words, the width of the bridge grows on either side by a few inches, the thickness of the SIPFF. In addition to increase service life due to the quality controls of a shop environment and the aesthetics of a glass smooth surface, the introduction of these panels appears to contribute to micro-cracking in the concrete at the butt joints of the panels, which should coincide with the control joints in the concrete barrier, during the curing process of the concrete deck stemming from vibrations resonating through the structure from the concrete paving machine and other construction activities during the deck pour.
Installation
All work can be done from the topside of the structure with ease and efficiency, rate of installation can be as fast as 1 LF/minute under the right circumstances; the governing factor is distance from shake-out area to point of installation, and line speed of the crane or maneuverability of the material handler. No matter the means & methods of installation chosen by the contractor, the speed of installation is a no brainer to the alternative conventional construction using bridge brackets which has not change much since B.C.!
Who We Are
About
Gary M. Dinmore, P.E. is the founder of PRECASTEEL. He combines 30 years of construction and engineering experience primarily in the New York Metro area, with a strong military base.
Gary served as a member of the U.S. Army Special Forces on an A-Detachment and is a life member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW). He is also an alumnus of The Pennsylvania State University and a member of and a proud father of four college graduates and grandpop of 2 future graduates.
2012
Year of Establishment
Gary M. Dinmore, P.E.
Founder
What We do
Our Projects
LaGuardia Airport (LGA) project was the first project that used Stay-In-Place-Fascia-Forms (SIPFF) conceived by PRECASTEEL; this project provided proof of concept and helped with the development of the hardware system manufactured by SureBuilt Concrete Accessories Over 1800 linear feet of SIPFF’s were used on LGA, 900 LF were founded on precast bulb-T girders and another 900 LF on built-up steel girders, with 2 spans having a horizontal curve in them. Besides being aesthetically pleasing and extending the service life of the structure, the rate of installation coupled with the fact that all work can be performed from top side and there’s no need to come back for removals, SET ‘EM & FORGET ‘EM, makes this product a no brainer.
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