FORTA-FERRO Fiber Ensures Long-Term Concrete Performance
As the corporate headquarters of Ryan Companies’ North Region, the Millwright Building in Minneapolis was under immense pressure to demonstrate the highest standards of functional materials and intentional design while saving time and money when it was being built in 2016. Today, the four-story, 174,000-square-foot building that houses the company’s experts in construction and commercial real estate features an exposed steel structure, a brick exterior and extremely flexible floor plates. Amenities like a rooftop terrace, skyway access, and bike-friendly features have cemented its iconic status in the neighborhood since its completion in 2017, but time and budget constraints were a constant during the construction phase.
To address these challenges, Ryan Companies used two different dosages of FORTA-FERRO – 4.5 and 7.5 lb / cu yd -- to ensure the long-term performance of the exposed concrete in the building’s slab-on-metal decks. The project’s owner and engineer saw first-hand how FORTA-FERRO reduced the amount of time necessary to complete the Millwright Building project, as the FORTA-FERRO 2-1/4” eliminated the need to install mesh or other accessories in their concrete slabs.
The project contractor acknowledged that FORTA-FERRO’s consistent performance proved to be the best choice for Millwright Building, noting, “We believe that these fibers help to increase the performance of the slabs by reducing the scope of shrinkage cracking.”
For new builds like the Millwright Building, traditional reinforcement methods like steel rebar and wire mesh have long been the go-to for enhancing concrete structures. But when it comes to improving structural integrity, FORTA-FERRO is a groundbreaking synthetic fiber reinforcement offering a robust, corrosion-free alternative to traditional reinforcements, providing enhanced performance, easier installation and long-term durability.
This reinforcement is noncorrosive, nonmagnetic and 100% acid- and alkali-proof, so it’s specifically engineered to elevate the performance of concrete. Its high-tensile polypropylene fibers effectively control and minimize plastic shrinkage cracking.
In the years immediately following its completion, the Millwright Building won multiple prestigious awards for its excellence in design, architecture, and contributions to improving Minneapolis’ Downtown East neighborhood. And, thanks to the durability, reduced shrinkage cracking and overall consistent performance of the FORTA-FERRO used in Millwright’s exposed concrete, the praise at the Ryan Companies site continues to hold up.