The Unibar Revolution
WE LISTEN TO YOU!
Sometimes the products you need, just aren’t on the shelf. You make do with what is out there, but It’s not what you really need. What you need, may not even exist yet. So who’s going to help you build it?
At Pieresearch, we LISTEN!
We LISTEN to our customer’s requests when they inquire about new products or changes to existing products.
We LISTEN to the people in the field that complain about competitor’s products.
We LISTEN to our facility managers who tell how to box and label our products to help with delivery accuracy.
Better Function by Design
Research is at the heart of who we are and what we do. All of our ideas for new products are based on market inquiries and customer needs. When we identify a problem to solve, we design a part to fulfill that specific need. While most companies are trying to figure out ways to skimp on their existing products to make more profit, we are developing processes to make our products better suited to customer needs. We want stronger parts, more reliable parts, and parts that are easier to use.
Our process is exhaustive! For our original Unibar® Centralizer, we interviewed engineers, pier drillers, people in the field, we watched videos of installations and talked to dealers for well over a year. Once we had a grasp of how we wanted to tackle the problem, we then outlined the data and hired several designers to come up with product prototypes. We went through design, after design, after design, scrapping every one of them, because they did not fit the need in the way it should! It wasn’t fast enough to use. It wasn’t easy enough to use. It just wasn’t right.
One day we finally had that ‘EUREKA’ moment when we realized the best solution was to design a product with two identical halves!
Why was that so innovative? For one thing, it makes installation a snap… literally! No thinking or bolting involved. This saves time and money on the job site! This design proved it was fast and easy to use. It was right.
So, we hired tool designers to develop CAD drawings of the new design and printed a 3D prototype. We spent the next year testing the design, interviewing people and getting feedback on how it was working for them. We made further revisions based upon the tests and feedback and began the product testing again, taking into account our customers’ reactions to the original prototype and the next few prototypes. We continued to make modifications to ensure we achieved our goal of making our customer’s life easier, because if it’s not right for our customers, then we didn’t do our job right in the first place.
Once we were happy with the final prototype, we performed numerous internal tests to make sure the product functioned properly. For the final product material, we chose white polypropylene/polyethylene because they are virgin materials… not recycled! This ensures the finished product is made of the highest, purest, quality of materials and is therefore the strongest!
Our production line is literally down the street from us, so there is no guessing as to quality control, overseas shipping times, customs issues, material usage or whether or not someone far away decides it is cheaper to skimp and not tell you about it.
Our products are proudly Made in the USA, so we can deliver high-quality products, when you need them, without any supply chain interruptions!
We have to be 100% accurate and make sure all specifications are correct before we create the final molds. They MUST be PERFECT!
“We spent as much money on designing and 3D printing the prototype as we did on creating the final mold!” says Pieresearch owner, Stan Agee.
And the product design doesn’t stop there! We also discuss with our customers details like what size box, how many parts per box, how and where to label the box, what size labels, etc. Details matter!
The Result: A Revolutionary New Product
A revolutionary alignment device for the installation of tiebacks, soil nails, micropiles, augercast piles and other earth retention and deep foundation support elements that employ a single bar or tendon. In 2019 Pieresearch received a U.S. Patent (Patent No. 10,151,113) for the original UNIBAR® Centralizer. Fast forward a year and we began the process over again. This time with our Adjustable Quick-Lock® UNIBAR® Centralizer (Patent No. 10,584,459 B2) for Single-Element Reinforcing. And in 2021 we’re proud to introduce “The Big Bow”, our newest Adjustable Quick-Lock® UNIBAR® Centralizer for Single-Element Reinforcing! (Patent Pending) Our centralizers are the answer to uniform spacing requirements across a wide range of diameters.
All are made of lightweight, durable, non-corrosive plastic and consist of two identical halves that snap together fast. The adjustable centering device will accommodate single bar, single and multi-strand anchors, encapsulated anchors (DCP), and are suitable for steel or plastic pipe applications. The adjustable UNIBAR® can be attached with zip ties or tie wire, and are offset to fit between rebar threads to keep the Unibar® securely in position on the rebar. They are lightweight, economical and do not require nuts or bolts for installation.
Field tested and field proven, the UNIBAR® Centralizer has been used on jobs throughout North America. Recent projects include the new stadium for the Texas Rangers Baseball Team, multiple highway jobs for the Texas Department of Transportation as well as for the North Texas Transit Authority, highway projects for the Oklahoma DOT, the University of Arkansas parking garage, the Fort Leavenworth Transient Barracks, and many more.
The best part of the entire product development process, was the fact that we worked directly with our customers to make sure we were giving them exactly what they needed!
Sometimes… it really is about the research.
Pieresearch, “the Standard of Excellence,” for the Deep Foundation and Earth Retention industries. For detailed information about all our QUICK-LOCK® UNIBAR® CENTRALIZERS and the wide range of alignment/centralizer aids for the deep foundation and earth retention industries call Stan Agee at 817-277-3738.
Stan Agee | PIERESEARCH
501 E. Main St. | Arlington, TX 76010
o: 817-277-3738 | f: 817-275-2335
sales@pieresearch.com
Pieresearch® is a manufacturer of quality concrete accessories, exclusively for the benefit of the structural and geotechnical engineering, architectural and construction communities.