Flood wall installed at SMUD net-zero energy facility

May 15, 2013
Crane Materials International provided a 1,300 linear foot flood wall at Sacramento Municipal Utility District's East Campus-Operations Center.

ATLANTA, GA, May 15, 2013 -- Crane Materials International (CMI), the world's largest, performance-driven manufacturer of sustainable sheet piling solutions, provided a 1,300 linear foot flood wall at the recently completed Sacramento Municipal Utility District's (SMUD) East Campus-Operations Center. The facility is a net zero energy operation and is pursuing Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Platinum certification, the highest distinction issued by the U.S. Green Building Council.

For more than 60 years, SMUD has been delivering power to the Sacramento region, serving a population of 1.4 million people. In September 2011, the company broke ground on its East Campus Operations Center, which includes a five-story office building, fuel/general storage areas, maintenance space, shops and felt parking. Before construction of the campus could begin, a flood wall needed to be constructed due to the facility being located within a flood risk area. SMUD and the project's engineers, Sacramento, Calif.-based Bohler Engineering, wanted a solution that was non-corrosive and would contribute to the overall goals of the project and ultimately selected CMI's UltraComposite™ UC-95 profile sheet piling.

The design included a flood wall made of 30-foot-long UltraComposite fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) sheets with 13 feet of vertical exposure. The UC-95 profile was chosen for its high design strength, durability, cost and sustainability. Unlike steel, UltraComposite products are corrosion-resistant and do not require additional coatings that are often required on steel structures. And, since steel is subject to corrosion and oxidation, it requires costly ongoing maintenance of the protective coating. Steel's manufacturing process, heavy weight, and related transportation logistics, combined with energy intensive maintenance requirements create an enormously large carbon footprint, which SMUD wanted to avoid. CMI was able to help SMUD save money and reduce construction costs with UltraComposite. Additionally, the product provides a longer lifecycle and lower environmental impact in manufacturing and shipping. And, most importantly, UltraComposite sheet piling is pultruded at an ISO-certified manufacturing facility to ensure consistent high quality.

Because the project was being designed and constructed to meet stringent environmental certification objectives and requirements, the products used throughout needed to meet high environmental standards. CMI's UltraComposite sheet piling was able to meet these needs. The company is committed to developing products that are environmentally responsible, while focusing on protecting and sustaining the environment. CMI has decades of experience providing environmentally responsible sheet piling used in some of the most challenging flood protection projects.

Turner Construction served as the project's general contractor. In a press release about the project, SMUD noted that, "By incorporating a variety of energy efficiency features to reduce consumption and a large solar array to generate electricity, the campus should produce as much power as it consumes over the course of a year, making it a net-zero energy site."

About Crane Materials International

Crane Materials International is part of the Crane Group, which was founded in 1947. This family-owned business is one of the largest manufacturing organizations in North America and the leader in developing new technologies for construction materials. In addition to being the world’s largest manufacturer of synthetic and composite pilings, CMI can also provide proprietary installation equipment, product engineering assistance and a team of experts to support every aspect of a project. For additional information or to speak with a piling expert, visit www.cmilc.com or call 1-877-377-7453.

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