Hot News

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has enacted new laws that mandate reductions in diesel emissions for trucks operated in the State of California.  In general terms, the newly enacted laws required trucking companies to register their equipment with the State in 2012.  In addition, the law states that:

• By December 31, 2013 nearly all truck owners with 1996-2006 diesel engines in trucks >26,000 lbs gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) must be upgraded with a CARB-approved diesel filter or replaced with a 2007 or newer engine.
• Trucks with engines that are 1995 and older are required to be replaced or retrofitted by 2015 or 2016.  Many of these trucks cannot support an aftermarket diesel filter so retirement is the only option.
• By 2023, nearly all diesel trucks >14,000 lbs GVWR need to be replaced with 2010 or newer engines.

In 2012, Reliable Trucking began putting diesel particulate filters (DPF’s) on its existing fleet of trucks.  Although phased-in plans offered by CARB allow some companies to install these units over an extended timeline, Reliable will have DPF’s outfitted on their entire fleet of company-owned trucks by the end of 2013.  Once completed, Reliable will have spent in excess of $1 million on filters alone.

Reliable has taken the approach of getting ahead of the curve due to the uncertainties and hardships that are anticipated in trying to comply with the demands imposed by CARB.  Many companies and owner operators are not expected to be in a position to comply as their trucks are not new enough to retrofit and/or they are not in a financial position to make the necessary investment in their equipment mandated by CARB.  Reliable will continue to assess the changing market and is committed to making further investments in the trucking industry when the need arises.

Hot News

The Conco Companies own and operate two large rebar fabrication facilities in Benicia, CA and Rochester, WA.  In our core markets on the west coast there has been a sizable increase in the number of projects coming out of the ground and being contemplated in the future.  In order to meet the needs of a growing market, we have spent significant capital to increase our capacity at each of our facilities.

Our newest facility in Rochester, WA (half way between Seattle, WA and Portland, OR) was built in 2008.  Recent upgrades will serve to double the capacity of the plant by adding a second shear line, a new overhead crane and a new #14 rebar bender.

In Benicia, an additional overhead crane was purchased and installed and new state of the art auto benders were bought.  A straight bar automatic bender (Barwiser) and a Coil 16 bender were bought from Schnell.  These upgrades will serve to substantially increase our production capacity at this facility as well.

Furthermore, at both facilities additional stock inventory has been procured and more field fabrication tools such as a new coupler system from Dextra called Bartec have been deployed to give our crews the best equipment to complete a quality job.

By investing in our facilities, Conco is now in a position to better serve a growing market for the public works projects, high technology campuses and other expanding construction markets throughout the western United States. For more information on how we can service your next construction project, please call or email:

Jim Luke :: General Manger: 925-681-6516

Shane Williams :: Pacific Northwest: 425-451-1684

Rich Martini :: Dir. Business Development: 925-681-6658

Andrew Valle :: Chief Estimator: 925-681-6510

Hot News

Conco Pumping has taken delivery of a brand new Schwing 58X concrete pump.  This is the first of three 58 meters that were purchased and all three will be put in service in the State of California this summer.

We purchased the 58 meters as our customers have been asking us to provide them with long boom pumps that are CARB compliant.  Gary Brandt, Vice President of Marketing for Conco Pumping.

The 58 meter pumps are the first of this size to be shipped in the state of California in the last 5 years making them the only long boom pumps that have engines which meet the latest emission standards. With the uptick in construction activity and the heightened emphasis on reducing emissions on jobsites, it is anticipated that these pumps will be busy for years to come.

Hot News

Conco is pleased to announce the opening of a new regional office in Denver, Colorado.   Denver is a dynamic and growing market to which Conco brings its expertise, experience and quality reputation in concrete formwork, reinforcing, place and finish, shotcrete and other ancillary services.  The opening of the Denver office aligns with Conco’s mission to be the best supplier of concrete services in the Western United States.

Conco’s entrance into the Denver market began by providing the concrete work for a 21-story luxury apartment building at 1650 Wewatta, which is next to the historic Union Station in downtown Denver.  The project will include 288 apartment units, 260 parking spaces, and approximately 7,000 SF of retail space.  It broke ground in early 2013 and should be completed in 2014. The project is being developed by Holland Partners, a key customer of The Conco Companies.  Conco has serviced several of Holland’s projects in the Seattle, WA and Portland, OR markets.

Russ Soeters will be managing the Denver office, located at 14 Inverness Drive East, Suite F-240 Englewood, CO 80112.  Should you be interested in receiving a quotation on upcoming work in Denver please contact Russ or Brandon Petri at (303) 996-9841 or email Russ at rsoeters@conconow.com and Brandon at bpetri@conconow.com.  To learn more about Conco please visit our website at www.conconow.com.

Spotlight

All of us who have spent many years in the construction industry have seen unprecedented challenges brought on by the last five years.  Construction activity dropped in all markets serviced by Conco with the worst markets off by nearly 80% from their peak.  As the U.S. economy fell into a recession, the construction industry dropped into a depression.

Recently, general signs have pointed to a marked improvement in construction activity throughout the western United States.  The amount of work secured by Conco has increased dramatically with new projects in the planning stages being announced every week.

With this renewed optimism, Conco has embarked on a plan to put itself in a position to meet the needs of a growing construction market.  We have made significant capital investments in our facilities and equipment so that we can best serve our customer base.

Furthermore, Conco has expanded its geographic footprint by opening an office in Denver, CO and has taken a more active role bidding and securing work in Portland, OR.  This newsletter will give you an overview of some of the actions taken by Conco to meet the needs of the construction industry.  With the infusion of private money into projects, we are bullish that the worst is behind us and recent gains can be sustained in the near future.

Spotlight

Elkhorn

New challenges arise for the concrete contractor due to the growing demand for in-fill projects such as Conco’s current Essex-Elkhorn Court Apartment Homes in San Mateo, CA. The City of San Mateo is part of the Bay Area plan drafted by the Association of Bay Area Governments and the Metropolitan Commission designed to find solutions to meet the growing housing needs of the Bay Area. An integral part of their plan is to locate housing near transportation corridors and jobs. The result of doing this would generate a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions due to a less automobile traffic.

Therefore, more projects being constructed are located next to existing commercial buildings and residential complexes. These in-fill projects pose challenges such as noise, site access, and impact on the surrounding neighborhood.

The Essex-Elkhorn Court Apartment Homes will consist of 197 apartment units and have 125,978 square feet of office space with below grade parking for all. The project is being constructed by Barry Swenson Builder.

The Essex-Elkhorn project is sandwiched adjacent to a hospital, day care center and residential housing.  Because of this, special attention had to be taken to lessen the impact of performing the concrete work on the surrounding neighbors including scheduling large concrete pours on weekends during designated hours only and reducing the traffic around the site by limiting mixer truck traffic by pumping concrete from one pump to another.  The attached clip shows a time lapsed video for accomplishing one of four mat pours scheduled for the project.

Type of Construction:

• 3” Thick Mud Slab w/ 2” Thick Protection Slab over waterproofing
• 30” Thick Below Grade Mat Foundation Slab
• Two Levels of Below Grade Parking: 8” thick Post Tensioned slabs
• Podium Level at Grade: 11” thick Post Tensioned slab
• Exterior Basement Walls: Shotcrete applied against shoring walls.
• Interior Walls: Shotcrete with Backform
• Cast-in-place Columns
• Total CY (including mud slabs & shotcrete): 15,500cy

Spotlight

The natural beauty of the Northern California coastline has sometimes wreaked havoc on the coastal communities of Moss Beach and Montara. During the rainy season, mud slides become a frequent occurrence often leading to the shutdown of Highway 1, the only artery leading north to San Francisco.

The resolution to this problem was to build a tunnel through the mountain that will bypass the parts of the coastline most prone to erosion. Public input from local residents reflected a high level of concern that the fix not detract from the natural beauty of the California coastline. Therefore, great attention was made to make sure the tunnel blended in with its surroundings.

Robert T. Hill & Associates, a well-respected artistic firm with 25 of years experience in concrete sculpture, teamed up with Conco on this high profile project. The task at hand was to reconstruct boulder formations out of concrete to blend into the natural formation that existed above the Portal at the south end of the tunnel.

The project was designed by Cal Trans in 2006, but not started until March 1, 2012. Applying shotcrete was extremely difficult as the grade was at 1 to 1 ½ slope. This required the use of man lifts and cranes and sometimes having crews tied off from the top and rappelling down from the top.

The tunnel is scheduled to open in late 2012 before the start of the next rainy season. As a testament to the work from Conco and Robert T. Hill & Associates, the work performed blends into the hillside making it virtually impossible to distinguish between the rocks made by nature and those made by man.

Hot News

Rich Martini

The Conco Companies (www.conconow.com) is pleased to announce that Rich Martini has become the latest addition to the Conco team. Rich’s responsibilities will include Business Development with a strong emphasis on utilizing Rich’s reinforcing background in the highway and public works sectors. Rich will also promote and market the other divisions of Conco which include concrete place and finish, formwork, shotcrete, pumping and belting and trucking.

Rich comes to Conco from Harris Rebar where he served as President for 11 years. Prior to that, he was co-founder of Salinas Reinforcing and served as Executive Vice President and General Manager for 18 years.

Rich brings to Conco vast experience and knowledge in all facets of the reinforcing steel industry. Previously, he served on the Board of Directors of the EUCA and the Beavers and was awarded Subcontractor of the Year from the Bay Area Chapter of the American Subcontractors Association. Rich can be reached at rmartini@conconow.com.

Solution

www.clarkhallofjustice.com

A city’s history can be told by its venerable buildings that still stand. Over time even the best built buildings succumb to time and stress. Some buildings are worth saving, but cost prohibitive. Retrofit construction costs can often exceed a budget and doom a building. The Hall of Justice renovation project in Los Angeles could have been halted if a cost-effective solution was not designed.

Massive strengthening was necessary to save the 1925-built Hall of Justice. New 24-inch thick shear walls, hammerhead-shaped boundary elements, and drag beams were critical pieces needed to save the ailing structure. These new concrete members will be joined to the existing structure by anchoring approximately 52,000 drill and epoxied dowels.

Conventional methods of placing this concrete would require that forms be erected, adding both time and cost to the project. Additional hurdles would include form material storage, and crew movement through the thirteen building levels. With all of this complexity, it became apparent that pneumatically placed concrete, also known as shotcrete, was the ideal placing method. Shotcrete will allow the construction team to almost eliminate the forming process all together. Once the reinforcing has been installed, the shotcrete can be placed. Furthermore, because shotcrete is placed without a form there are no concrete consolidation surprises.

The Hall of Justice’s structural retrofit would not have been economically possible without the use of shotcrete. Conco’s efforts during the design, its ability to execute, its robust tool set, and immense experience may have given The Hall a new lease on life. Contact us for more information on how we can save or improve your next project.

Follow the progress of The Hall of Justice at CalrkHallofJustice.com.

Spotlight

Looking for a Faster, Economical Solution?

A new parking structure being constructed in Santa Clara, CA offered challenges similar to many other projects. The owner and the general contractor, Devcon Construction, were looking for ways to get the structure built more quickly and economically. One solution used was to build the 40 feet shear walls using the shotcrete method as opposed to being cast in place.

The project, Lawson Lane Commons, has shear walls spanning 310 lineal feet and 40 feet high. Foundations for the walls were poured on 5/25/2012 and three separate shotcrete pours were done with the final shoot being completed on 6/28/2012. In total, 390 cubic yards of concrete were shot and the walls were completed in only 25 working days.

In reviewing this project, our estimators projected that comparable cast-in-place walls would have taken 24% more man hours to complete. The additional man hours would have equated to higher labor costs and several more days on the schedule to complete the task. By using shotcrete provided by Conco, the general contractor was able to have the shear walls completed in less time than anticipated, saving time on the overall schedule. Furthermore, the shotcrete walls have the same structural characteristics as traditional cast-in-place walls.