Shea Concrete Products Takes Home Hardware at the 2014 Precast Show

New England’s Shea Concrete Products made a splash in the Lone Star State with a very successful showing at the 2014 Precast Show. The National Precast Concrete Association (NPCA) named it winner of the Sustainability Award and also awarded it third place for Above Ground Precast in the Creative Use of Precast category. “We are very excited to win the Sustainability Award,” said Manager Greg Stratis. “Shea is very conscious of the environment and has incorporated other methods to be sustainable. They include recycling water from wash out and coring and recycling cardboard & paper, and installing high-efficiency lighting fixtures for the production plant.” The installation of a $1.4 million solar panel system for its Amesbury, MA production plant gives Shea the ability to operate under environmentally-friendly conditions, as solar panels are free of emitting harmful greenhouse gases. Beaumont Solar Company designed, engineered, and installed the solar panels that went live in August 2013. “These panels, which are American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA)-compliant, harvest an output that is on average 7% better than other panels annually and 20% more productive over the 25-year life of the system,” said Beaumont Solar President and CEO Phil Cavallo. “The panels are a topic of conversation with other precasters, vendors and the local area. So many people are curious and amazed that we can run net-zero. It makes you feel proud,” said Stratis. Shea showcased its diverse concrete products in its Above Ground Precast honor. A Newport, RI seawall project alongside Ocean Avenue required specially-designed retaining wall blocks that Shea manufactured. The project focused on replacing a 300-foot failing retaining wall that was originally built in the 1930s. Of the 14 design proposals, Shea’s team of Mello Construction Company, Contech Engineered Solutions, and Gary K. Munkelt & Associates separated itself as the only one to offer a complete seawall replacement. The project was funded by the Federal Highway Administration and the Rhode Island Department of Transportation served as the liaison. This meant Shea’s team of designers, engineers, and producers needed to follow all standards at the state and federal levels. The Ocean Avenue project was completed just in time for Tropical Storm Irene in August 2011 and Hurricane Sandy in 2012. “Shea Concrete Products is capable of manufacturing a large variety of products to meet all kinds of project specifications,” Stratis said. “Also, if there is an application to use or substitute precast and we currently do not make that product, then we are very open minded.” Shea manufactured the ReCon wet-cast modular retaining wall blocks that were specially-designed to withstand exposure to saltwater and provide a service life of about 75 years. Block dimensions run 48” long by 16” high and 60” in depth. The top block weighs a hefty 5,800 pounds to preserve the wall’s top against powerful waves.