32 - Sunday, November 25, 1990 - North Shore News NEWS photo Mike Waketleld VOTCN CONCRETE (Canada) inc. director of sales and public relations Gregory Merrell shows a test-pour slab of lightweight cellular concrete. The material is new to the North American building industry and it was demonstrated recently in North Vancouver. Cellular concrete has heavy-duty applications WE KNOW of cellular telephones and cellular chocolate bars — but what of cellular concrete? Lightweight, cellular concrete came to the North Shore for the first time last week with a demonstration of the new con- struction material as it was ap- plied at the site of a local com- pany. Voton Concrete technology is being introduced to North America by way of Holland, where it was invented about a de- cade ago. Said Voton Concrete (Canada) Inc.. director of sales and public relations Gregory Merrell, ‘*It has made surprising leaps and bounds in terms of advancement of tech- nology in the last four years and it has developed into a product that is extremely well accepted over in Europe.”’ Where standard concrete, made heavy with gravel, weighs in at about 2,500 kg per cubic metre, the cellular concrete weighs a maximum 1,850 kg per cubic metre. By changing the density of the concrete, it can weigh as little as 350 kg per cubic metre. “Variable densities are achieved through the ratio of compo- ecre FLUTES Sy Michael Becker fo HIGH TECH nents,’’ Merrell said. Components include cement, sand, fly ash, water and a concentrated liquid “foaming agent’? — the Voton secret ingredicn:. Explained Merrell, ‘‘This con- crete is actually injected with foam. The foam evaporates and leaves behind cellular air bubbles. Applications of the lightweight concrete include non-structural floors, slabs, marinas, parking tots, fill for open-pit mines and mine shafts, the filling in of un- derground fuet tanks and drains, soil stabilization, and the thermal - insulation of basements. The concrete can also be. mixed so that it absorbs water to provide drainage for playgrounds, and track and field installations. In a more specialized applica- tion the concrete has been used to cover underground military bunkers in Europe. In the event of a ‘‘smart’’ missile attack, a cellular concrete slab will absorb the timed detonation of the ex- plosive. A lower density of con- crete absorbs more energy than standard concrete. Meanwhile in relatively bunker-free B.C., the lightweight cellular concrete is manufactured on-site with equipment that fits into an eight-tonne, 20-foot-long container. A 28-foot tall silo is erected on-site and fed with a dry mix of raw material trucked in. Water and foaming agent are ad- ded and then the concrete is pumped into place via hoses. Said Merrell, ‘‘We’re capable of manufacturing and pumping up to 60 cubic metres of concrete per hour, and we can pump cencrete horizontally up to 200 metres. And if we're doing non-structural work on a highrise, we can go 18 storeys vertically.’” WARD MUSIC: all the best in your new location in North Vancouver THE CORPORATION OF THE DISTRICT OF NORTH VANCOUVER ~ PROPOSED DAYCARE SITES 3600 BLOCK GARIBALDI DRIVE INDIAN RIVER The Corporation of the District of North Vancouver proposes to lease two individual sites within Lot 6, District Lot 622, Plan 20208 for daycare purposes in accordance with Section 538(1) of the Municipal Act. For further information please contact Hazel Baxter, Land Depart- ment at the District Hall, 355 West Queens Road, North Van- couver, British Columbia, Telephone 987-7131. Tender Packages are available for pick up at the above address. Bids must_be received by no later than 11:00 a.m, Tuesday, January 15, 1991. THE HIGHEST OR ANY OFFER WILL NOT NECESSARILY BE ACCEPTED Business Management Courses. Early Registration for Spring °91: November 26-December 7 Monday Nights: BSMG 160 Marketing CMPT 222 Microcomputer Applications | Tuesday Nights: BSMG 179 Accounting I! BSMG 187 Intro to Business Wednesday Nights: CMPT 180 Intro to Business Computers BSMG 178 Accounting I Thursday Nights: BSMG 241 Business Law I Courses begin Wednesday, January 9. Call 984-4960 for information and to register. CAPILANO COLLEGE 2055 Purcell Way * North Vancouver B.C. > wednesday * Cal-Van Save-On-Foods * Woolco * Eaton’s > friday Watch for our Real Estate section. > sunday Safeway * Consumers Distributing f . Shoppers Drug Mart * SuperValu * SuperValu * Woolco If you miss any of these flyers call North Shore News Distribution 986-1337 + delivered to selected areas onty