ProSpec Donated Products to Restoration of Lighthouse

CHARLOTTE – ProSpec, Bonsal American’s brand of professionally specified products, is donating its concrete repair material, Metro Mix 240 AE, to assist with the restoration of the Ashtabula Lighthouse in Ashtabula, Ohio.

The current Ashtabula Lighthouse was constructed in 1876 and has fallen into disrepair after years of neglect. Since acquiring control of the property in 2005, the Ashtabula Lighthouse Restoration and Preservation Society has been working diligently to restore the lighthouse.

One of the first efforts for restoration was to repair the lighthouse deck. Since the lighthouse sits more than a mile out in Lake Erie, ready mix concrete was not an option. ProSpec Metro Mix 240 AE, which is available in 80 lb. bags, offered the perfect solution in this situation where access to ready mix concrete was impractical.

Metro Mix 240 AE was ideal for the lighthouse deck repairs, which ranged from two inches to four inches deep because it is a high-performance, super-plasticized concrete mix, engineered for structural and full depth repairs. The product can also be extended for deeper repairs with the addition of aggregate.

The project also required a product that could withstand northern Ohio’s extreme freeze-thaw cycles and combat water intrusion. Since Metro Mix 240 AE is air entrained, it offers improved freeze-thaw resistance to prevent further delamination around the concrete base of the lighthouse. Metro Mix 240 AE’s integrated corrosion inhibitor also helps prevent water intrusion on the deck from causing additional spalling.

“The lighthouse has always been a landmark for the community and for the harbor,” said Lloyd Bogue, owner of Bogue Construction Company, Inc. and vice president of the Ashtabula Lighthouse Restoration & Preservation Society. “The goal is to restore it to its 1950’s condition and educate the community on its importance. ProSpec Metro Mix 240 AE performed beautifully in repairing the deck.”

The restoration project is scheduled for completion by summer 2009.

ProSpec provides architects, engineers and commercial and residential construction contractors with the finest in professionally specified concrete construction, restoration & repair products and tile & stone installation products and systems. The ProSpec brand is a registered trademark of Sakrete of North America, which is owned and managed by Bonsal American, Inc. Additional information is available by calling 1-800-738-1621 or online at www.prospec.com.