Concrete Pumping Archives | Page 25 of 26

During the last several decades, California has been making efforts to replace or retrofit aging and seismically unsafe structures to meet higher standards. At Conco our concrete services have been used to help out in these efforts. A project we had worked on several years ago was the new state-of-the-art University of California, Berkeley – Davis Hall that houses science and research facilities.

The project’s contractor was Hathaway-Dinwiddie, the architect was the Smith Group, Inc., and engineered by Forell/Elsesser Engineers. The cost of the new building was $18 million and is approximately 185,000 sq. ft. The expanded building now includes the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department as well as the Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society (CITRIS).

According to the University’s website, CITRIS “was established to sponsor collaborative information technology education and research that will ultimately provide solutions to grand-challenge social and commercial problems affecting the quality of life of all Californians and others around the world.” The building includes nanofabrication facilities, labs, and classrooms. Some of the types of projects they are working on are technologically advanced medical alert sensors and information systems that will be used to respond to emergencies and disasters such as earthquakes.

California’s UC system has spent more than $1 billion since 1979 and the CSU system has spent more than $480 million on retrofitting buildings. The intent is to make buildings safer and reduce the risk of damage and injury in an earthquake. While it has been a huge undertaking, it is believed that the majority of buildings on California’s campuses pose only a minor risk of injuries or death in a major seismic event.

Conco is one of the leading commercial concrete contractors in Sacramento and has been delivering first-rate services in the area since 1959. We are experts at creating cost-effective solutions that take advantage of the most up-to-date techniques. Our concrete services include commercial, educational, parking and other construction development as well as public works projects and highways.

The Conco Companies had the opportunity to provide concrete services for a development of multi-family homes designed to offer innovative solutions to meet demand for housing in the Bay Area. The Essex-Elkhorn Court Apartment Homes in San Mateo, California, a mixed-use project, is one of the many developments of its kind being built throughout the state and the country. The well-planned neighborhood offers many amenities and benefits to its residents and the surrounding community.

The project is being built by the Barry Swenson Builder and was designed by MVE & Partners, one of the nation’s premier residential and mixed-use architecture firms. The idea of today’s planned communities differs from past practices when city planners deliberately separated housing and commercial districts. This model purposely builds close to public transportation and jobs, and in places where pedestrians can walk to shopping, work, and recreational activities.

The Elkhorn offers residents all those benefits. The apartments will be attractively orientated to face out to the common areas and have green space for recreational activities. The location is a mixed zoning area so it is close to businesses and public transportation, and the hope is to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions with less traffic. The Elkhorn has 197 apartment units and 125,978 square feet of office space with below grade parking shared by both. The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2014.

This project presented challenges for Conco’s concrete services since the Essex-Elkhorn is sandwiched adjacent to a hospital, day care center and residential housing. We had to pay special attention to lessen the impact of work being done at the jobsite on the surrounding neighborhood. This meant scheduling large concrete pours on the weekends, and then, only during designated hours. We also reduced the traffic around the site by limiting the number of cement mixers in the area by pumping concrete from one pump to another.

Conco is a leading supplier of concrete services for the Western United States. We got our start in the Bay Area in 1959 by offering clients the best value on a wide range of concrete services and products. Since that time, we have steadily taken a leading role as one of the Bay Area’s top concrete contractors. Our concrete services include commercial, educational, parking and other construction development as well as public works projects and highways.

With the increased activity in the construction market, our Concrete Pumping division recently purchased three brand new Schwing 58X concrete pumps. The 58 meter pumps were the first of their size to be shipped to California or Washington in the last 5 years. They are the only long boom pumps in the area with engines that meet the latest emission standards.

So what exactly is a long boom pump and how does it work? A concrete pump is attached (mounted) to a truck and uses a remote controlled, articulating robotic arm known as the boom. It has the ability to place concrete quicker and more precisely than traditional methods. There are some pumps that can deliver over 200 cubic yards of concrete per hour, which one of the reasons it is economical. With the long reach of the pumps, it also eliminates much of the need to construct walkways and access points into certain areas of a project.

Here are some remarkable statistics regarding the capability of the 58 meter pump. According to the Schwing website, the pump has a vertical reach of 187’ 9”, a horizontal reach of 175’ 1”, and a below grade reach of 141’ 1”. It has a boom rotation of 370 degrees. The outrigger has a 42’ 10” overall frame length and sets up quickly utilizing the exclusive Schwing patented stable platform.

The pump specifications are as impressive. It has a concrete output of 213 cubic yards per hour and allows for a maximum aggregate size of 2.5”. The 58 meter pump even has the option of a detachable boom that can be mounted hundreds of feet from the pump.

Conco is one of the leading commercial concrete contractors in Sacramento and has been delivering first-rate services in the area since 1959. We are experts at creating cost-effective solutions that take advantage of the most up-to-date techniques.

Coming Out of the Ground in Seattle’s Theatre District

The Holland Partner Group has come out of the ground with a new 40-story apartment building adjacent to the historic Paramount Theatre. This project, with its close proximity to Rapid Ride Transit and Seattle’s retail core, positions itself in the middle of the vibrant downtown. Upon completion this project will consist of 325 apartments, 276 parking stalls, and a restaurant and retail at the ground floor to cater to the theatre clientele.

As part of the Holland Team, Conco is performing all of the cast-in-place concrete, rebar, formwork, shotcrete and concrete pumping for this signature property. The small footprint with minimal lay-down area and five-day form cycle present challenges that require constant communication and coordination with all trades on site. Conco will be utilizing a perimeter protection system and perimeter netting system to ensure the aggressive schedule is met without jeopardizing the workplace. As of August 1, Conco is on schedule having recently completed the 12th floor. Conco will top out the project January 22, 2014.

815 Pine is designed and constructed to achieve LEED Silver status. The project is scheduled to be completed in April, 2015.

Conco Pumping has taken delivery of three brand new Schwing 58X concrete pumps.

We purchased the 58 meters as our customers have been asking us to provide them with long boom pumps that meet the latest emissions standards.

Gary Brandt, Vice President of Marketing for Conco Pumping.

The 58 meter pumps are the first of this size to be shipped in California or Washington in the last 5 years making them the only long boom pumps that have engines which meet the latest emission standards. Conco has also placed an order for several 20, 39 and 47 meter pumps along with a couple new Telebelts.

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.