Babb
Cellular Concrete Company
| COMPANY/LOCATION: |
Babb Cellular Concrete Company, Ringgold, Georgia |
| PRODUCT: |
Autocellular concrete blocks |
| YEARS IN BUSINESS: |
Start-up company |
| SITUATION: |
Babb Cellular Concrete of Ringgold, Georgia, plans to build production
facilities for a new kind of concrete that uses fly ash from coal-fired
electric power plants as the main ingredient.
The "autocellular" concrete blocks, composed of 70 percent fly ash and
30 percent cement, lime, and aluminum powder are solid and have higher
insulation properties than concrete blocks of the traditional variety yet
weigh only about one-fifth as much. A pilot plant to test manufacturing
processes will be built near Chattanooga, and the first full-scale production
facility will be located near the Tennessee Valley Authority's Bull Run
Steam Plant at Oak Ridge.
TVA is working with Babb Cellular Concrete to help perfect manufacturing
processes for the product that will ultimately put to use some 100,000
tons annually of fly ash, a combustion byproduct created by burning fossil
fuels at in TVA's coal-fired plants. |
| PROJECT: |
In planning for the new product, Babb Cellular Concrete required analysis
of fly ash samples and other raw materials to determine their suitability
for production. When no suitable private-sector provider of analytical
support could be found, the company turned to the Oak Ridge Centers for
Manufacturing Technology (ORCMT). |
| RESULTS: |
According to Roger Babb, company president, having access to ORCMT
technical expertise for both independent, third-party analysis of the fly
ash and testing of the quality, strength, insulation properties, and water
resistance of the new product was a key reason for building the first full-production
plant near Bull Run. The plant will produce six million concrete blocks
per year and will employ 75 people.
"Fly ash has variables, and the concrete has to be made properly—which
means you have to pay close attention to the laboratory analysis of your
materials. It requires very exacting chemical analysis. Additionally,
ours will be a new product. With new products you have to have good test
data to bring credibility to the product. Oak Ridge can provide that credibility,"
he said. |
PARTNERS:
|
