Verti-Crete precast fencing integrates seamlessly with even the trickiest parts of the wall job like entrances and dumpster enclosures. Since both panel and column can be installed in varying heights and angles they can accommodate curved entrances and adjust for visibility clearance. With the natural look of real stone they serve as an elegant backdrop for molded concrete logos and lettering or decorative iron when mounted in front. The result is a stunning monument that will last for decades.
Precast Entry Signs
One example is an entrance feature recently completed by Verti-Crete producer TAL Stone Fence Inc. of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada for the nearby town of Bonnyville. The backdrop was completed using stacked 4′ by 12′ Sierra DryFit panel sections. The side panels were 6′ x 12′ monolithic “wings” which both came off at 22.5 degree angles. The wings were then topped off with ornamental iron and the iron lettering and shields were mounted to the panels. The angles in the posts were set by using a modified “Flex-Post” so that the notch was precast directly into the column at the proper angle.
This ensured a tight clean fit between the individual concrete elements that ultimately formed a 45 degree feature. The Town of Bonnyville can now look forward to using other Sierra DryFit posts for directional signage and other theming elements within the community.
Signs like the one featured above for the Highlands at Riverbend were cast in a flat bed with recess and lettering cut from polystyrene by a hot-wire CNC machine. After the panel is stripped and stood up, the polystyrene is removed (with the help of some solvent, depending on how patient you are) and stained to match the Verti-Crete columns and to highlight the lettering. When casting these types of signs, care needs to be taken to make sure the concrete doesn’t displace the foam lettering during the pour and that the aggregates don’t ding the foam as its placed into the bed.
Dumpster Enclosures
Dumpster enclosures can also challenge the developer. A necessary evil on any project –they’re needed but balancing their accessibility without compromising convenience or aesthetics can be disheartening. Surrounding the dumpster with Verti-Crete walls is a convenient and beautiful way to blend in with the boundary wall and hide them in plain sight. At Millennium Ridge, a commercial plaza in Sherwood Park,
Alberta, TAL Stone Fence enclosed six such dumpsters by using a texture and concrete stain that closely matched the architectural stone treatment on the adjacent buildings. By using a corner post on both sides of the opening a 4″ steel tube can be mounted inside the notch so that’s it’s flush with the stone surface. This gives the installer something straight and secure to mount a steel or wood gate to for easy access to the dumpster itself. The final result is both beauty and brawn. The compressive strength and durability inherent in precast concrete will allow these enclosures to stand up to the physical abuse so common around dumpsters. And with Verti-Crete’s low maintainance cost along with its efficient installation, you’ll show everyone who’s also got the brains.