Barry Saylor, President of SAY-CORE, INC., prides himself on giving his customers an integrated experience.

Hollow-core planks may speed up construction because they can be installed while other trades are completing their work.

SAY-CORE, INC. (SAY-CORE) of Portage, Pennsylvania, calls itself “manufacturers and erectors of pre-stressed hollow-core floor and roof slabs.” Since October 2001, the company has been using a state-of-the-art extrusion process out of its 24,000-square-foot facilities to fabricate 6-inch, 8-inch, 10-inch and 12-inch precast/prestressed hollow-core 4-foot-wide planks—but fabricating slabs are only one of the company’s capabilities.

SAY-CORE not only transports the slabs to job sites via its trucking company, it also employs a team of craftsmen that install the slabs on-site. “Whether we are delivering the product to a residential project or a multistory hotel, we pride ourselves on giving our customers an integrated experience with our products,” says Barry Saylor, SAY-CORE’s President.

“We have grown this business with great products and customer service,” Barry says. “Our company is fueled by technology and personal relationships.”

SAY-CORE’s Beginning

In 2000, Barry discovered a business. A year and a half before, a local pre-stressed hollow-core floor and roof slabs manufacturer declared bankruptcy and shut down. “I came across this opportunity and jumped on it,” says Barry. With help from Johnstown Redevelopment Authority, the Small Business Administration and private banks, Barry secured the financing and bought the company. “By the time I got to it, the parts were sold off and the people had been hired by other industries,” he explains. “Essentially, I bought an empty facility, but I knew if I could get the key people back I could revive it.”

The first step Barry took to building SAY-CORE was to find and recapture its key people. “I really want to emphasize how important people are to this business,” Barry says. The industry is notoriously competitive, or as Barry says, ‘Competitive enough to keep it honest.’ There’s a small group of highly trained fabricators that are constantly poached from or by other businesses. These professionals are the backbone of the industry and our business,” he says.

Barry was able to win the majority of the people back. But he still had a problem—an empty facility. “I hunted the machinery down and bought what I could,” he says. “By the end of the first year, we were up and running.”

Cut and Dried

SAY-CORE’s fabrication of the 6-inch, 8-inch, 10-inch, and 12-inch planks is literally cut and dried. First, concrete is mixed to zero slumps and emptied into the machine. Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute (PCI)-certified plant technicians use SAY-CORE Elematic self-propelled machines to extrude concrete over steel beds with prestressed wire tendons. The machines vibrate the concrete, forming the hollow-core slabs and form grout keys.

“Other than weld plates, all structural connections are made without embedding anchors, dowels or other connected devices in the slab during manufacturing,” Barry says. “The type and location of structural connectors should be selected to fit the structure’s requirements prior to production.”

Once they are made to the customer’s specifications, the slabs are laid out, cut to order and cured electronically overnight. “The first shift covers the slabs with tarps to keep the heat in,” Barry explains. “After the slabs are cured, the third shift uncovers the slabs, cuts them to the specified length and stacks them in the storage yard, making them ready for delivery.”

The planks can be shipped and installed in eight states: Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York and Connecticut, plus the District of Columbia.

To help customers make the best decisions for their projects, SAY-CORE provides contractors and architects with detailed drawings prior to fabrication. “We can provide all of the information—plank size, reinforcements, openings, framing plans, and all sections and details necessary for proper installation.”

Installation and Use

As a building component, the SAY-CORE slabs and sections have been widely used for a range of building designs, from residential and commercial to industrial and institutional installations.

“The planks are soundproof, the 8-inch, 10-inch and 12-inch planks have a two-hour fire rating and are easy to install and maintain, Barry says. “Our custom-designed cross-sections meet or exceed building code requirements specified. They meet or exceed most acoustic, fire prevention, insulation and energy conservation requirements, which is why they are so popular with builders. But, most importantly, the slabs can be fabricated before site construction starts, and installation can begin when its foundation and framing are prepared.”

There are a number of requirements a project must have for SAY-CORE planks-to be best utilized. Barry explains that non-load-bearing partitions should not be rigidly connected to the SAY-CORE slab’s bottom side due to the possibility of temperature movement.

The final product has a smooth, steel-form bottom finish that is suitable without further treatment for textured paint application or acoustic plaster. “On un-topped SAY-CORE planks, we recommend that ½-inch leveler be applied to the top before applying padding, carpet, tile, wood flooring or seamless floor coverings,” Barry adds. “But that is more of a factor of comfort than of structural integrity.”

Barry also explains that the product can be installed in any weather. His floors require no curing or temporary decking, so a working area is immediately available to the other tradespeople on the site. “The only weather-related limiting factor is the grout used during installation,” Barry says. “But otherwise, weather conditions shouldn’t be a problem.”

Speeding Up Construction

“Our product can be a factor in speeding up the construction of a home or commercial space. When you’re borrowing money to build a hotel, for example, you’re paying interest until the project is completed. If you can speed up construction, you’re saving money,” Barry says. “So, the ability to install our products in any weather, and in tandem with other trades, is incredibly important and powerful.”

But there is another use for the precast, hollow-core concrete. “When other construction products are hard to come by, our products can be manufactured to take their place,” Barry says. He explains that some customers are now using hollow-core planks in lieu of traditional steel bar joists. “Because our product is cut to order and has prestressed wire tendons, it has become a natural replacement for bar joists, which can be hard to find,” he notes. “We are happy to partner with any contractor or builder to explore the possibility of using our product for novel applications.”

At the end of the day, this product is optimal when compared to wood construction. “The soundness of construction, combined with the two-hour fire rating and sound dampening acoustic qualities make these products ideal for all types of construction and applications,” Barry says. “The longevity of buildings is also much greater when compared to wood construction. It’s a better investment over time for the life of the building.”

He feels confident about the future of the company. “Our team of 87 employees is the backbone of the company, and with them, I think anything is possible.”