Concrete construction requires experienced placement to complete jobs on-time and on budget. The onsite work of an experienced team is key to a successful project. At The Conco Companies, our teams have successfully completed challenging construction projects both large and small providing a variety of concrete services including concrete pumping, cellular concrete, formwork, and shotcrete.
Conco’s shotcrete services provide the opportunity to place concrete without traditional cast-in-place walls. This greatly reduces the amount of formwork required, increasing the speed of construction and saving you money. Shotcrete is pneumatically placed concrete. It also has the same structural properties as traditional concrete placement methods. This combination allows shotcrete to be used for a wide range of concrete needs, including retaining walls, architectural walls, soil nailing, shear walls, and slope pavement. Due to shotcrete’s pneumatic placement process, it requires highly skilled, experienced operators, called nozzleman. Nozzleman must be able to identify the proper mixing ratios of additives and water and how to place the shotcrete to create the desired form. Conco has taken this expertise further as a leader in the development of sculpted concrete. Our experienced sculptors can use shotcrete as a canvas to make walls that have both structural integrity and are aesthetically pleasing. Conco provides a range of concrete services in addition to shotcrete. An example is the new thirteen story Epic Tower in Hollywood on Sunset Blvd, where Conco provided shotcrete services as well as concrete finishing, concrete pumping, and concrete formwork. The project is a 280,000 Sq. Ft. office tower with 18,400 Sq. Ft. of new retail space. The building also included 27,000 Sq. Ft. of inspiring landscaped terraces, providing a seamless transition to outside workspaces through tall glass walls that overlook the city of Los Angeles. Another example project is the renovation of the historic Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles. Conco provided shotcrete services for the project in addition to concrete pumping, concrete formwork, and construction trucking. The Coliseum is a high-profile project that included many unique challenges that required Conco’s experience in planning and executing complex projects. Conco’s goal is to be the top supplier of concrete services in the Western U.S. and to bring our expertise and professionalism to each project. We continue to upgrade and expand our facilities to better serve the growing market for commercial, industrial, educational, parking structure projects and other development. For the best value and quality, trust your project to one of the area’s leading lightweight concrete contractors.
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Concrete is the combination of cement, aggregate, and water. While the ratio of water to other elements can be a wide spectrum, no matter the mix, poured concrete does not maintain its shape at first. Over time, concrete hardens but must be kept in place initially. This is done with molds, called formwork, that keep the concrete in its desired shape. Alternatively, there are also concrete application methods gaining popularity, such as shotcrete, that reduce the formwork needed. In both cases an experienced team is needed to ensure that a concrete project is finished on time and on budget. The Conco Companies is an experienced concrete contractor offering a variety of concrete services in Portland including formwork, pumping, and shotcrete.
Traditional Formwork Formwork is required to counteract the internal lateral pressure of poured concrete which naturally wants to spread out. This essential element of concrete contracting is a large component of the costs in the traditional concrete placement process, so an experienced concrete contractor can make the difference between an on-budget or over-budget project. Formwork needs to be constructed so that it is level and correctly placed, and to ensure that the final structure will meet the specified design. Additionally, concrete formwork must be strong enough to prevent bowing on its sides and correctly braced at the joints to prevent leaks. After the concrete cures, slight shrinking during the curing process allows the formwork to be removed with relative ease, leaving the hardened concrete in place, ready for finishing operations. Safety in Formwork The skilled teams at Conco recognize it is paramount that formwork is arranged with safety in mind. The construction of formwork often includes building scaffolding first, followed by the framework molds themselves. This often means working at heights with heavy machinery. OSHA requires strict standards around the design, fabrication, and inspection of formwork throughout the concrete placement process to ensure formwork can safely hold the concrete while it hardens. Reduced Formwork in Shotcrete For certain applications, shotcrete can be an alternative to traditional concrete placement. Shotcrete is pneumatically applied concrete and according to U.S. Green Building Council, shotcrete uses 50-100% less formwork than traditional placement. Shotcrete Magazine illustrates the benefits of shotcrete through a comparison of the formwork design requirements. The formwork of a 4 x 8 ft. cast of concrete needs to withstand 10 times the pressure concrete absorbs when a car is driven over it. Unlike poured concrete, shotcrete is pneumatically applied at the target site and acts to support itself. This reduces its tendency to spread out, meaning there is less formwork required to maintain the desired shape. At The Conco Companies, we are one of the leading concrete contractors in the Western U.S. and offer a wide range of quality services and products. Our experience includes providing services for commercial, educational, parking and other construction development as well as public works projects. Please contact us for more information about our full range of premium Portland area concrete services including shotcrete. |
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