Concrete Finishing Archives | Page 16 of 22

The reality is that tight construction schedules demand coordination between building trades if a project is to be successful. With the recent uptick in building activity, this task has become increasingly more difficult for both the developer and the general contractor.

In order to alleviate such scheduling difficulties, a simple solution that The Conco Companies provides is to be a single source alternative to our customers. When working with Conco, a GC can make one call and get high-quality, formwork, rebar, place and finish, shotcrete and pumping services all in one place.

The advantages of this approach are clear. As business improves, companies are stretched thin as subcontractors must move their crews between several different projects. A single day delay by one subcontractor can delay the work of others by a week or more as each subcontractor has committed crews and resources to other projects. With Conco’s approach of working as a coordinated team, it allows us to anticipate and respond to any problems with formwork, shotcrete or rebar by shuffling crews to accommodate our customers.

Nowhere is the need as critical as with concrete and rebar. Concrete cannot be poured until rebar is complete and demanding schedules mandate minimal delay between rebar inspection and pouring concrete. When one company controls both aspects, the chances of success are greatly increased. Some key benefits of a combined solution include:

Joint management of rebar and concrete generates a holistic approach where decisions are made based on the best end result
Ability to manage crane time between concrete and rebar tasks
Coordination of trades to keep projects on schedule
Joint collaboration between concrete and rebar that identifies opportunities for improvement in design
Reduction of equipment on projects as forklifts, hydro cranes, and power tools are shared between concrete and rebar
Eliminate disputes over scope issues between concrete and rebar and the management time necessary to settle those disputes
Reduce unnecessary paperwork and charges between trades that add no value to a project

The Conco Companies, through Conco Reinforcement and Conco’s Concrete Division, is structured to meet all the concrete needs of a project. We bring decades of experience to provide unsurpassed services to our customers.

The Conco Companies, one of the nation’s largest commercial concrete contractors is finishing up concrete work on the new Platform at Union Station, a luxurious 21-story apartment building that is part of the Union Station Neighborhood in the heart of downtown Denver. The building is being developed by Holland Partners and includes 288 apartment units, a 260-car underground parking structure, and approximately 7,000 square feet of retail space. The project broke ground in early 2013 and is expected to be completed later this year.

Conco’s Role in the Denver Union Station Redevelopment Project — Conco is finishing up concrete work for the highly anticipated Union Station Neighborhood in Downtown Denver.

The Platform was appropriately given its name as it is adjacent to the new commuter rail platforms and other transit options located within the historic Denver Union Station. Once it is complete, it will be the tallest tower in the project. The modern building will offer residents spectacular views and impressive amenities such as a 15th floor pool deck and resident lounge, fitness center, yoga room, dog run, and 24-hour concierge services.

The architect is Shears Adkins Rockmore who specializes in the design of urban projects. They describe the tower as a “restrained palette of exterior materials, precast concrete, glass and metal.” The design is intended to compliment Union Station as well as to set a contemporary tone for the new district. The ground floor is glass and the building’s façade consists of grey and white concrete paneling. The north side of the tower has a glass curtain wall on the corners of the building. Apartments are on floors 5-21 and most are 1-bedroom units with some 2-bedroom and a few studio apartments available. The building has obtained LEED Gold certification.

The highly anticipated Union Station redevelopment is being done in conjunction with the FasTracks light rail development. The combined projects have an estimated budget of $7.2 billion to make it the largest transit redevelopment in the U.S. The project is expected to play a large role in furthering the revitalization of downtown Denver and will bring to the neighborhood residential housing, office and hotel development, and a mix of retail.

When your project demands exceptional services and the best value, Conco can deliver. We have been offering premium concrete services throughout the Western U.S. since 1959, and have a regional office in the Denver area. With state-of-the-art equipment and modern facilities, we work diligently to meet goals and stay within budget.

Most large scale construction projects in downtown settings lack the room necessary to stockpile large quantities of equipment or materials needed to get the job done. This makes the utilization of the space that does exist vital in the planning of every job task. This is certainly the case with 1 South Market, a new high-rise residential tower being built in downtown San Jose.

One of the tasks that Conco had to undertake on this project was to backfill 2,900 tons of crushed rock in three 8-hour days. With the congestion of a busy worksite, there was no margin for error as delays in placing the material would impact many other job tasks.

In order to deliver the crushed rock within these constraints, Conco brought in its Direct Feed trailer which allows a Superdump, Transfer, End Dump or 10-Wheeler to unload its contents directly into the hopper attached to the trailer. Material is then fed from the hopper onto one of Conco’s Telebelts. The Telebelt then places the material directly to the point of placement. With this system, there is no need to stockpile material on the jobsite and handle it twice via a loader or bobcat. It is also quicker and less labor intensive than using a loader, as the material is discharged directly from the back of a truck.

The first quarter of 2014 saw some significant projects being completed for The Conco Companies. Concrete work for the new Levi’s Stadium (home to the San Francisco 49ers) is virtually complete as only minor concrete remains. The goal posts have been installed and the seats are in as the stadium gets ready for an on time opening this summer. Conco has placed more than 67,000 cubic yards of concrete without a single injury or accident of any kind.

In Seattle at 815 Pine, we poured the final deck (Level R2) on March 20, 2014. This was the exact day shown on our original contract schedule from August of 2012! Regardless of the weather impacts from two Seattle winters and any unforeseen challenges which presented themselves throughout the construction, Conco deployed the resources and equipment needed to keep the project on track, as committed.

In addition to these two signature properties, Conco has completed 15 other sizable projects in the first quarter including high-rise office buildings, mid-rise office buildings, multi-story apartment buildings, parking garages, hospitals and a casino.

Looking forward, Conco’s backlog continues to grow but our continual reinvestment in the construction industry with new equipment and added personnel along with our ability to complete projects on time and on budget will help us satisfy our customers’ needs on new jobs in the future.

Raising the Environmental Bar on Concrete Pumping

The Conco Companies have been busy working on the new Wilshire Grand Center in Los Angeles, which is slated to become one of the tallest buildings west of the Mississippi. Before the start of the project, we were asked how we will pump concrete 650 feet horizontally and then 1,125 feet vertically to reach the upper levels of the skyscraper? Additionally, since we would be pumping concrete higher than was ever pumped in Los Angeles, could this be done without generating air pollution or creating too much noise for the adjacent office buildings?

Conco’s unique solution was to purchase and use a new state-of-the art electric pump. This high pressure, high powered pump is the only electric pump of this size being used on the West Coast by the concrete pumping industry. Since it is electric, this pump allows both the project owner and the contractor to meet the guidelines imposed by the Southern California Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) for reduced emissions.

Another benefit of the electric pump is that it generates much less noise than a traditional diesel powered pump. This is important as the pump must sit less than 30 feet from an occupied office building, which makes it less disruptive to the neighboring businesses.

The new pump will be the primary workhorse in pumping concrete throughout the course of the project and it will be used to pump concrete all the way to the top of the skyscraper. We are anticipating that we will pump more than 100,000 yards of concrete through our electric pump to complete the Wilshire Grand project.

Conco is a leading supplier of concrete services for the Western United States. We have built our reputation with superior concrete formwork, reinforcing, place and finish, shotcrete and other ancillary services that benefit from our vast experience. Our concrete projects include commercial, educational, parking and other construction development as well as public works projects and highways.