Specializing in custom solutions
The program of this year’s Precast Show in Orlando, Florida, also included a visit to the factory of Leesburg Concrete Company, Incorporated (LCCI). About 250 trade show attendees joined the guided tour through the plant located north-west of Orlando, in the so-called Lake County.
Established in 1972, the company has remained a family business to the present day. It currently comprises two lines of production: precast concrete elements and prefabricated steel components. Each of these areas produces its own elements; however, both areas also closely collaborate with each other to jointly manufacture a number of products.
The activity of both production areas is essentially characterized by LCCI’s specialization in products for barrier-free access and entrance areas designed for the needs of people with disabilities, including ramps, stairs, landings, and elevated walkway systems, each consisting of concrete, steel or a combination of the two materials.
Custom production
The company decided to specialize in this field as a result of the adoption of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1988. This piece of legislation requires schools, government institutions and companies to design their buildings in such a way that people with disabilities can easily access them. In the following years, LCCI developed a system of modular, mobile, safe and maintenance-free products buildings can be equipped or retrofitted with to respond to the needs of the disabled.
Besides standard stairs, ramps or walkways, LCCI also offers custom-produced elements that respond to specific customer requirements. “We’ve never had a job that we couldn’t handle,” said Kirk Rouse, LCCI Vice President, during the factory visit.
The product portfolio is complemented by the Easi-Set and Easi-Span modular building systems, which LCCI manufactures under license. These systems comprise a large number of precast buildings, including restrooms, transformer and pumping stations as well as warehouses and school buildings with classrooms. These buildings are erected without foundations within a single day at the most.
Furthermore, the Easi-Set range includes a SlenderWall cladding panel system. This system comprises 50 mm thick, reinforced concrete panels that are attached to a sturdy frame consisting of hot-dip-galvanized or stainless steel. Any finish can be applied to the exterior panel surfaces, including a masonry or granite appearance.
High-end mixing unit
At the very heart of the LCCI precast production line is its mixing unit, which was also the prime attraction of the guided factory tour. The Wiggert Mobil Mat Mo2250-3-PCS system was delivered by Advanced Concrete Technologies and installed in 2009. Its capacity amounts to 1.5 m³ of hardened concrete per batch, which, according to Leesburg, corresponds to about 3.6 tonnes of normal concrete. Its maximum output per hour equals about 36 m³ or 93 tonnes of concrete for dry-cast production.
Each of the aggregate silos integrated in the plant has three chambers that provide a total capacity of 80 m³ or about 145 tonnes. The silos are fed with material directly from the truck via a conveyor system. The cement silos have a capacity of about 80 tonnes; an additional 50-tonne silo is available for fly ash. All silos are equipped with a continuous filling level indicator system that displays the actual level between 0 and 100 % in real time.
The mixing unit is computer-controlled: a PCS control system with integrated HydroMat water correction system ensures that the w/c ratio remains constant from one batch to another. The mixing unit is also fitted with moisture probes to measure the degree of moisture of the sand. Another key feature is its automated high-pressure cleaning system.
