NEWS & INFORMATION FROM HAMILTON FORM WINTER 2012

Form+Function

Project Spotlight

Pinnacle Bank ArenaConcrete Industries Inc.

he Pinnacle Bank Arena will be the focal point of the West Haymarket redevelopment project in LincolnNebraska. The 16,500 seat arena will be home to theUniversity of Nebraska basketball team, host other sporting events and serve as a venue for concerts. The arena is designed with steep slope seating to putfans close to the action. Precast concrete risers are being produced by Concrete Industries Inc.

Concrete Industries challenged Hamilton Form to develop an economical formwork package for the project. Instead of opting for multiple forms, two self-stressing, longer forms were designed that can cast multiple length products simultaneously.

The first form was designed to accept thelargest of the tub products, which is almostfour feet tall. Five different products will becast in this form, using a unique set of backpans for each set-up. Headers are made intwo pieces with a single-piece at the topand an adjustable L-shaped lower portion.

The second form will cast the remaining products usingfillers for different product configurations. Boosters areused to lift the deck for different riser heights, eliminatingthe need for a third form. Concrete Industries opted for magnetic rails to make set-up more efficient andeliminate holes for bolting locations in the deck.

Expected to open in time for the 2013 basketball season,the Pinnacle Bank Arena is another example of HamiltonForm, rising to the occasion, developing an economicalformwork solution for a unique project.

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Two sections make up 85 lineal feet of formwork to cast multiple length products simultaneously.

amilton Form has designed and builtformwork for Tricon Precast Ltd. to produce the Alfabloc® retaining wall system. Alfabloc is in wide use across Europe and has recentlybecome available in the U.S. through a licensing agreement with Tricon. The A-frameshape allows the sections to remain freestand-ing for reconfigurable bays. Sections are tiedtogether with a recessed interlocking strap connection. Units can also be ground-fixed forpermanent installation, or filled with concreteto create a nearly indestructible push wall. The Alfabloc system can be used for a variety of applications, including recycle processingfacilities, bulk material storage yards and industrial security operations.

The Alfabloc A-shaped forms were fabricated,assembled and shipped on casting pallets. This approach helps simplify form installationand set-up. Two sets of forms were supplied: one for the 8’ and one for the 10’ product.Product is cast on its side using two side andone bottom sideform. The interior has two voidsections. Pipe guides are welded to the bottomof the pallet to position the voids. Combinationvoid hold-downs/top-ties also function to keepthe sideforms square.

After initial set, the hold-downs are released to allow movement and prevent the void from locking in the concrete during stripping.Quarter-inch pipes form the holes for attachingconnectors. Sideforms are pulled back and voidsremoved for stripping, revealing a versatile,durable, A-shaped product.

Formwork

Alfabloc® Retaining Wall FormsTricon Precast Limited; Houston, TX

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Formwork for the Alphabloc® Retaining Wall System.

Interior voids. Pipes form holes for the connectors.

t Hamilton Form, we build solutions. That’s why, if steelplate is not available in the width required — or if the cost ofshipping outweighs practical considerations — we produce a split versus a one piece form. The result is formwork that can be shipped as standard loads of freight, with no need to rerouteoversize loads. Total shipping costs are reduced and you get the same high quality formwork you’ve come to expect fromHamilton Form.

Drawing on our proven experience, split forms are built in much the same way as a long line form. First, steel is cut andmeasured at our facility. Most steel manufacturers work at a1/8th” tolerance, while Hamilton Form’s standard is a 1/32nd”tolerance, making this initial step critical. The skin is tacked intoplace and the understructure is assembled and fitted upsidedown on a level fixture. On a split form, however, the under-structure is designed with double bolting, overlapping plates. The plates are overlapped to add rigidity and support at theseams and are used to pull the form together when it’s installed.

Once the form is complete, it’s disassembled and then moved to the finishing area where it’s cleaned, aligned and re-assembled.This step helps us assure the form is matched properly and all tolerances are checked and double checked, so that when theform arrives at the customer’s plant, it lines up and is easy to install.

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Formwork

Split Forms: Two Sections, Better Efficiency

Splitting the form is a more efficient use of plate material and reduces freight cost.

This 16’ wide self-stressing Double Tee form is split at the centerline and ships in two sections.

Hamilton Form is proud of its quality and long history of buildingsolutions like split forms — two pieces resulting in better efficiencies: delivering performance and confidence to customers from coast to coast.

Technically Speaking

Protecting Steel Casting SurfacesSteel forms represent a significant investment. Protect that investment by taking care of your forms, especially the casting surface.

Take Time to Season

Hamilton Form applies a protective coating of form oil to all casting surfaces in advance of shipping forms to our customers. After your new forms are installed, it is important to take the time to reapplyand season the casting surface before the first pour, just like seasoning a favorite cast iron frying pan. Apply a generous coat of form oil or release agent to the surface and let it soak in.Applying heat helps the process.

Some precasters season their forms as part of their routine maintenance schedule. Taking time out to season your formsmonthly — or quarterly — helps maintain a good casting surface.And when your forms are idle, keep them protected by applying a coat of oil or release agent to the casting surface.

Prevent & Protect

Protecting steel forms from rust doesn’t need to be an overwhelm-ing challenge. All it takes is a bit of know-how and some diligence. A precast plant is the perfect environment for rust to not only occur but thrive. Rust is a chemical reaction that needs oxygen and

moisture to occur. Oxygen and moisture are both abundantly present in precast production and, like most chemical reactions,heat — another ingredient in concrete production — speeds theprocess. Once rust occurs, it spreads and goes deeper and deeperinto the metal. That’s why maintenance that includes rust protection is paramount in preserving the integrity of your steel forms.

Guard Against Rust

Special coatings that form a protective barrier on steel casting surfaces are available from several industry sources. Some are formulated with rust inhibitors but may or may not be concentratedenough to prevent rust in your particular plant. Different productswork better in different areas of the country. Variations in temperature, humidity, atmospheric contaminants, elevation, seasonal changes and processes used in your plant should all beconsidered when making a product choice.

If you’re not sure which protective coating or other rust inhibitor isthe best solution for your plant, talk to a chemical supplier to learnwhich formula is right for you.

Technically Speaking: TIPSForm Storage

When it’s time to take forms out of production, store them carefully.

• First, make sure your forms are clean and always apply a good, long-term rust inhibitor.

• Forms should be stored on a level plane in a position that will prevent them from warping.

• Never stack forms metal-to-metal. Insert spacers between forms.

• Make sure forms are stored in a way that prevents water from collecting or pooling on any surface.

• Vessel-type forms — such as piling or double-tees — should be stored in an inverted position.

• Never, ever store forms filled with concrete. It's easy for condensation to develop between the form and the concrete. Condensation will accelerate rust production.

• Occasionally inspect forms that are stored. If you find rust, attack quickly and eliminate it.

Following these basic guidelines will help protect your investmentand keep your forms in “top form” for years to come.

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Store forms on a level plane, with spacers between the metal.Store vessel forms inverted.

Do not store forms so that they can collect or pool water. Never store forms filled with concrete.

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Employee Profile

Kathy PattersonFinance

athy has been with Hamilton Form for almost 30 years. She began in the accounting department in 1984, fresh out of college, with a degree inaccounting. Since then, Kathy has been back to school, completing an MBA in 2003 and a master’s degree in accounting in 2010. Today, she handles accounting, credit, taxes, payables, job costing, and generates monthly financialreports. She also has the joy of assisting our annual auditors.

Kathy has two adult children, a daughter and son. While she is technically an“empty nester”, her home is hardly empty. She loves animals and lives with threedogs…one small, one medium and one large; quite a sight to see at the dog parkon weekends! Kathy also likes to work-out at the gym, garden and cook.

A native Texan, born and raised in the Fort Worth area, Kathy also has ties toMissouri. Her family owns land on Bull Shoals Lake in the Ozarks. That’s whereshe learned to love the water; spending many hours boating, water skiing andfishing. And that’s where the Patterson family and friends meet for vacations, holidays, and special occasions.

Productivity Improvement Ideas …from the 2011 PCI Productivity Tour

ach fall, the PCI Productivity Tour andWorkshop provides plant managers andproduction personnel an opportunity to visitseveral PCI member plants and networkwith others in similar roles. Hamilton Formalways sends representatives on the toursince it’s also an opportunity for us to visitplants and network with production peoplewho use our forms and equipment.

One of the highlights of the event is the annual – ITPO (Ideas That Pay Off) contest when attendees share productivityimprovement ideas. Here’s a few of theideas from the 2011 tour.

A-Frame Mesh CartTindallCorporation in San Antonio,Texas built a 12’metal A-framemesh cart. The cart has four wheels; two on swivelsfor steering.

Two people load mesh onto the cart, then,one person pushes the cart down the aisleto the deliver the mesh to the beds. Usingthe cart eliminates mesh stacks becausethey are now stored on the cart, and itimproves productivity because now one person can deliver the mesh. Plus it’s easierand safer to transport mesh using the cart.

Truck ScalesDutchland Inc. in Gap,Pennsylvania is staying legaland improvingsafety by usingrecently installedtruck scales at their plant.The scales areused to verifypiece weights and verify that tractor-trailer axels are not overloaded.

Beams Solve Ladder ProblemCoreslab Structures in Tampa has improvedsafety by eliminating the use of ladders toaccess their double tees for finishing or

rigging. Instead, they cast beams with built-in steps and a rail that are installed in their finishing yardto access the tees. This solution is easier,faster and safer.

Extension HandleTindall Corporation inVirginia keeps their finishers on the floorby using an extensionhandle for their air-powered finishinggrinder. The handleconnects to a standard ¾” air-line.Finishers can grind the top of double tees stacked three high from the safety of the ground. And,because working on the ground is easier, it has greatly improved efficiency sincebeing implemented.A-frame mesh cart are used for

storage and to deliver mesh tothe beds.

Verify weights by installing yourown truck scales.

Precast beams with cast-insteps and railing eliminateladder usage.

Stay grounded with a handle extension for finishing grinders.

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Hamilton Form Company, Ltd7009 Midway Road • Fort Worth, Texas 76118Ph 817.590.2111 • Fx 817.595.1110www.hamiltonform.com

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arge, self-stressing steel casting tables provide the flexibility toproduce a wide variety of panel sizes, or multiple panels at once.But despite their practicality, large casting tables have seams, sothat even the best-welded and ground seams are visible under certain light conditions. For the past several years, Hamilton Formhas been using a process called bead blasting to help improve the aesthetic appearance of seams.

Bead blasting involves using a special machine to bombard the steelsurface with tiny non-abrasive pellets. The pellets are applied in anoverlapping pattern, creating very fine dimples on the surface thatforce the metal to yield in tension. The process actually cold worksthe metal, strengthens it and blends the seams to create a moreuniform surface. Although seams are still visible to the naked eye,bead blasting makes them difficult to “read” on the finished panel.

In addition to blending the surfaces of new tables, bead blastinghas been used successfully to recondition older tables. The processcan be performed on new tables in our plant or in the field at yourfacility. To learn more, please call us at 817 590-2111.

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Bead blasting bombards the casting table surface with tiny non-abrasivepellets that help blend seams.

Product News

Bead Blast Casting Surfaces for a Better Finish