The Wilshire Grand Center is on track to open sometime in the spring of 2017. The Conco Companies are doing the structural concrete work on the new tower, which is located in Downtown Los Angeles. As a part of the project, Conco broke the Guinness World Record by completing the largest, continuous mat pour at the site. We are also doing the poured-in-place core wall that goes up the building and is surrounded by slab on metal deck. To help us more effectively and environmentally reach the upper levels of the Wilshire, we are using a new state-of-the art electric pump to pump concrete 400 ft. horizontally and then vertically up another 1,000 ft.
Slated to become the tallest building west of the Mississippi, project developers report that the project “will infuse more than $1 billion into the Los Angeles economy, create critically needed jobs and sustain the city’s booming travel and tourism industry into the future.” They go on to cite that the construction of the impressive skyscraper has created as many as 11,500 high-paying jobs for the construction industry, which was one of the hardest hit industries during the recent recession. The construction phase is also bringing in nearly $80 million in tax revenue for Los Angeles and the county. Another plus for the area is that once the Wilshire Grand opens, it will support more than 1,750 permanent jobs as well as provide $16 million annually in new tax revenue. Furthermore, with its immense size, the Wilshire Grand alone will provide almost 20% of the 5,000 rooms necessary to achieve the Downtown’s goal of adding more hotel rooms to the area. An increase in hotel rooms is considered necessary in order to continue to expand Downtown L.A.’s travel and tourism. Once the Wilshire opens its doors, it will join other newly constructed Downtown attractions such as L.A. Live, the Convention Center, Staples Center, Microsoft Theater, Walt Disney Concert Halls and others. These are more accessible thanks in part to the addition of 1,000 parking spaces (some of which Conco helped to build as part of the Nokia Theater and L.A. Live) and new transit connections. The Conco Companies are a leading supplier of concrete services for the Western U.S. and 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 taken a leading role as one of the top concrete contractors in the region. Our offices serve California, Colorado, Oregon, Washington and Nevada. Source: wilshiregrandcenter.com/project-info/economic-benefits
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Chris Martin, of AC Martin, and the lead architect on the Wilshire Grand project in downtown L.A., wrote an article a few years ago for the Los Angeles Downtown News about the sustainable practices used for the “green deconstruction” of the old hotel on the site. He states the fact that, “From demolition to construction to maintenance, the new projects in Downtown are incorporating green construction. It’s not only for environmental or PR reasons — done right, the moves can also save money.” He goes on say that deconstruction of the old Wilshire Grand exhibited the best in today’s new green practices.
Going the way of a wrecking ball for the old hotel was not practical as it had been constructed in 1951 and was filled with high levels of asbestos. Without care taken to remove the asbestos, it would have contaminated the valuable building materials that included glass, steel, aluminum and concrete, and have made them unusable. By carefully deconstructing the building, crews were able to properly remove the harmful asbestos as well as to recycle the greatest amount of materials. Concrete from the structure’s columns, walls, and floors was broken into pieces at the jobsite and then taken away to recycling plants to be crushed. This type of crushed rock is excellent for backfill, roads and building pads. The steel that was recovered from the old hotel was sent to a plant to be melted down and reformed into new rebar. Furthermore, the new Wilshire Grand tower is using many recycled building materials and will incorporate sustainable practices. Mr. Martin suggests that, “We can all look for new ways to focus on sustainability and environmental protection. It’s not just good for the environment, it’s also good business.” Conco’s mission is to be the best supplier of concrete services in the Western United States and to bring expertise, experience and quality to each project. We continue to upgrade and expand facilities to better serve the growing market for public works projects, commercial, parking structures, educational, and other construction development. Source:ladowntownnews.com/opinion/what-s-good-for-the-environment-can-be-good-for/article_7cb914e0-c4cc-11e2-be2d-0019bb2963f4.html At The Conco Companies, we understand the importance of safety, and as such, it is the top priority of our company from the top down. Our dedication to safety involves ensuring that our employees, customers, fellow contractors and the general public are part of the industry’s safest and most efficient construction and trucking services.
To help achieve this goal, our staff consists of a team of safety and risk management specialists that work to eliminate and mitigate all construction and “over the road” related risks. Their focus is on employee safety, claims management and regulatory compliance. Under their guidance, the entire Conco team works together to mitigate, or to all together eliminate unsafe working conditions, work related accidents and subsequent injuries. Conco also works together with our other jobsite contractors to ensure a project is following the highest standard of safety. For any project we are involved with, our team creates a Site Specific Safety Plan and Pre-Task Planning, along with our standard Injury and Illness Prevention Plan (IIPP)/ Accident Prevention Program (APP). In addition our entire workforce is routinely trained in a range of safety topics including Fall Protection, First-Aid/ CPR, Forklift Operation, OSHA 30, Material Rigging, Traffic Control and more. Conco’s skilled, concrete boom pump operators are also all ACPA certified as well as routinely participate in our own safety training programs. Furthermore, our Reliable Trucking drivers all possess a commercial driver's license (CDL) as well as receive extensive in-house training on accident prevention, driver courtesy and regulatory compliance. Other safety programs include: Accident Prevention Program - State of Washington Operations; Injury and Illness Prevention Program - State of California/Nevada Operations; Fleet Safety Program; Reliable Trucking Fleet Safety Program; and our Drug and Alcohol Prevention Program. See our website to learn more about Conco’s commitment to safety. The Conco Companies’ mission is to be the best supplier of concrete services in the Western United States and to bring expertise, experience and quality to each project. We continue to upgrade and expand facilities to better serve the growing market for public works projects, commercial, parking structures, educational, and other construction development. We serve California, Washington State, Oregon, Colorado and Nevada. Tower cranes are essential to constructing the extremely tall skyscrapers being built today such as the Wilshire Grand Center in Los Angeles. Capable of lifting very heavy loads of steel, concrete, generators and other building materials, tower cranes can be erected taller and taller as the building moves skyward. Wikipedia cites the typical maximum unsupported height of a tower crane is 265 feet; the maximum reach of the jib is 230 feet, and the maximum lifting strength is 19.8 tons.
Before it is ready for use, a tower crane is stabilized at the jobsite by constructing a concrete pad that is embedded with large anchor bolts used to secure the base of the crane. When the crane reaches its maximum height, it is tied to the side of the skyscraper with steel collars so it can move upward as needed. The gears and motor of the crane are contained in the slewing unit, which is attached to the mast and allows the crane to rotate. Set on top of that is a long jib used to lift the heavy materials and a counter-jib that is used as a counter-weight to keep the crane balanced. A crane operator controls the unit from the ground or in a cab located on the top of the tower. The mast of the crane is comprised of a series of vertebras generally 10 square feet in size. Once the crane is fastened to the exterior of a building, or in some cases to the interior, a process is started to build the crane taller by adding new vertebra pieces. The climbing frame, which sits just below the slewing unit and on top of the tower, temporarily supports that section of the mast as the jib moves a new segment into place. After the new piece is bolted down, the climbing frame moves up higher along the mast to get ready to repeat the process. Conco’s mission is to be the best supplier of concrete services in the Western United States and to bring expertise, experience and quality to each project. We continue to upgrade and expand facilities to better serve the growing market for public works projects, commercial, parking structures, educational, and other construction development. We serve California, Washington State, Oregon, Colorado and Nevada. The American Trucking Associations states that, “The trucking industry is the lifeblood of the U.S. economy. Nearly 70% of all the freight tonnage moved in the U.S. goes on trucks. Without the industry and our truck drivers, the economy would come to a standstill.” Furthermore, they point to a direct correlation between an uptick in construction and a rise in the demand for trucking services. This is great news for drivers as many trucking companies are actively seeking new drivers. Trucking has always been important to the success of construction as it is the process in which cement, aggregates, lumber, and other building materials are moved to and from a project site. At The Conco Companies, we consider experienced trucking services so vital to a project staying on budget and meeting deadlines, that we started our own trucking company. Reliable Trucking brings to the industry professional construction hauling services for the safe and dependable transportation of cement, aggregates and other construction materials. Our services are currently available to our California and Southern Oregon customers. We run Reliable Trucking with the same attention to detail as we do all of our other companies. Our construction vehicles are routinely serviced and maintained, and strictly adhere to safety standards and regulations set by the Department of Transportation. Furthermore, our professional drivers all hold a CDL and are trained in-house on accident prevention, regulatory compliance and driver courtesy. Currently Reliable Trucking has job postings for Bulk Pneumatic Drivers with openings in Redwood City, Martinez, Stockton, and Woodland. Requirements include a Class A license with doubles/triples and tank endorsements. While we prefer experience with pneumatic trailers, it is not necessary. These jobs involve local deliveries and offer competitive wages and medical and retirement benefits. We also have openings for Bottom Dump Drivers in Redwood City and Martinez. For both positions a clean DMV and no failed drug tests are a must. Please see our website for all the job details and how to apply. Conco is one of the foremost suppliers of concrete services for the Western U.S. We got our start in 1959 in the Bay Area by offering clients the best value on a broad range of concrete services and products. Since that time, we have taken a leading role as top concrete contractors in the region. We have four regional offices serving California, Oregon, Nevada, Colorado and Washington. Source: trucking.org/News_and_Information_Reports.aspx The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) reports, “As of May 2016, more than 15 billion square feet of building space is LEED-certified worldwide. More than 851 million square feet of real estate space became LEED-certified in 2015, representing a 10.4 percent jump from 2014.” They add that the green building market will set a record in 2015 with “LEED-certification being reported as a top sustainable goal for both public and private organizations.”
One of incentives to construct LEED certified buildings is that despite the initial higher investment, the building is ultimately more valuable. USGBC cites an average increase in value of 4 percent, in part, due to the building’s energy efficiencies and reduced maintenance costs. The return on the investment is typically as fast as seven years and that doesn’t take into account the enhanced health benefits for the buildings’ occupants and the benefits to the environment. In addition according to the USGBC, LEED certified buildings “report almost 20 percent lower maintenance costs than typical commercial buildings, and green building retrofit projects typically decrease operation costs by almost 10 percent in just one year.” Further statistics indicate that LEED certified buildings in the U.S. offer an estimated: $1.2 billion in energy savings; $149.5 million in water savings, $715.2 million in maintenance savings and $54.2 million in waste savings. Experts state that the growth in green building is also fueled by higher standards and guidelines both federally and state-wide. In addition there is a greater awareness by the general public regarding rising energy costs and global water shortages. A number of new projects are becoming even more ambitious and are working to construct buildings that have an annual zero net energy usage. 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. We serve California, Washington State, Oregon, Colorado and Nevada. Source:usgbc.org/articles/green-building-facts The Conco Companies are one of the country’s foremost commercial concrete contractors and is proud to be involved in some of the area’s most distinguished projects. Part of our success comes from owning and operating one of the largest concrete pumping companies in the U.S. for over 40 years.
This means our concrete boom pump operators are involved in some of the most challenging construction projects in the country and have the chance to work with some of the most state-of-the-art concrete boom pumps and equipment. As we continue to grow our operations, we are also expanding our workforce, and among our recent job postings, we have openings for concrete boom pump operators in all of our locations including Reno, NV. This is a great career opportunity for the right individuals as we prefer candidates who have prior experience but are willing to train the right person. Our requirements include having a commercial driver’s license (CDL) in addition to a clean driving record. Furthermore, as a Conco employee, you will not only be a part of a well-respected and established company, but will have the opportunity to receive an excellent union scale wage. Conco employees also are provided with family health insurance, paid overtime, company paid funding into a generous Operating Engineers pension, and other above market benefits. At The Conco Companies, we are committed to providing employees with a safe work place. We also pride ourselves on creating a drug-free work environment that fosters personal growth and overall satisfaction. See our website for further information on how to apply. Conco’s mission is to be the best supplier of concrete services in the Western United States and to bring experience, expertise and quality to each project. We continue to upgrade and expand facilities to better serve the growing market for public works projects, commercial, educational, parking structures, and other construction development. The Conco Companies have owned and operated one of the largest concrete pumping companies in the United States for more than 40 years. Our extensive experience has made us leading experts in delivering cost-effective, quality solutions for even the most challenging projects. One of the reasons why we can accomplish this is that we own one of area’s largest fleet of concrete boom pumps and ancillary equipment. The newest addition to our fleet includes two powerful and reliable Schwing S 36 X concrete boom pumps.
Conco was the first company to purchase the Schwing S 36 Xs with a new tremie option that allows users to safely support up to 1,100-pounds from the boom. Schwing America states that the “new tip section can be used to support a tremie pipe up to 45-feet long providing the wall thickness is not more than .125-inches. This new option eliminates the need for a crane to support the tremie pipe.” At Conco we have always believed that a large part of getting the job done right is having the proper equipment. Our purchase of the two S 36 Xs will allow us to more cost-effectively serve project specific challenges of our drilling customers. One of the primary reasons that the Roll and Fold boom design is the most effective for tremie applications is that the full 180 degrees articulation at the 2/3 knuckle is on the working side of the boom. Our new boom pump also features the VECTOR control system that offers two-way communication between the concrete pump and operator from the radio remote box. The VECTOR system also includes a record keeping system used for managing maintenance. See our website to learn more about our newest additions as well as all of our other concrete pumps. Conco’s mission is to be the best supplier of concrete services in the Western United States and to bring expertise, experience and quality to each project. We continue to upgrade and expand facilities to better serve the growing market for public works projects, commercial, parking structures, educational, and other construction development. We serve California, Washington State, Oregon, Colorado and Nevada. Our latest addition to The Conco Companies’ extensive fleet includes the Putzmeister Telebelt® TB 105 Telescopic Belt Conveyor. The new Telebelt will be put to good use and allow us to quickly convey a wide variety of materials ranging anywhere from sand to 4-inch rock.
Our new Putzmeister TB 105 has the operating capacity of up to 360 cubic yards per hour and provides a cost-effective alternative to transporting materials by using a crane and skid-steer. By offering the advantage of requiring less manpower and smaller handling machinery, our crews will be able to place material at a high volume. The TB 105’s broad range of hopper options brings to our projects the benefit of its adaptiveness to a variety of job specifications. In addition to its easy set-up, it offers the ability to operate on a jobsite with a low clearance (under 16 feet). Furthermore, the TB 105 can handle concrete from 0” to 12” slumps. Other highlights of the new Putzmeister Telebelt® are the 105 feet horizontal reach and a large 18” wide conveyor belt. A few of our new Putzmeister’s options include a conveyor horizontal reach of a maximum at 0° and 105’ (32.00m). It has a feed conveyor length of 40 feet long and a 15 foot trunk/end hose length. The discharge height has a maximum of 30° 58’ 8”. Owning such an impressive fleet of concrete boom pumps, Telebelts and ancillary equipment has contributed to Conco being one of the largest concrete pumping and belting companies in the U.S. It gives us the capability and resources to handle even the most difficult project requirements. We only buy top quality equipment such as from Putzmeister America, a global leader in manufacturing concrete and material placing equipment that is proudly made in America. Please visit our website for more specifications on the new pump along with information on the rest of our fleet of concrete pumps and Telebelts. The Conco Companies are one of the foremost suppliers of concrete services for the Western U.S. We got our start in 1959 in the Bay Area by offering clients the best value on a broad range of concrete services and products. Since that time, we have taken a leading role as top concrete contractors in the region. We have four regional offices serving California, Oregon, Nevada, Colorado and Washington. Many of the projects that The Conco Companies are involved with incorporate energy efficient and “green” sustainable features to not only construct better buildings but also to achieve LEED certification. So what is LEED and why would the construction industry try to achieve a higher LEED rating? To start with, LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is the most widely recognized green building rating system in the world.
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) started LEED in 1998 with the intent to provide third-party guidelines for the building industry to design, construct, and operate buildings that provide the most optimal environment as possible. The standards used by LEED are reviewed and publically updated periodically by the USGBC that has almost 20,000 members. LEED is important as it promotes and rewards energy efficiency along with the protection of renewable resources. USGBC explains that for new construction, achieving a higher LEED certification can improve the market demand for the building over non-LEED certified buildings. Furthermore, the occupants of a LEED rated building benefit by being in a healthier environment. The LEED system uses certifications based on the organization’s guidelines to recognize buildings that achieve these goals. Certifications include Silver, Gold, and Platinum (the highest achievement). At each level, the following five categories determine how points are awarded: Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy and Atmosphere, Materials and Resources, and Indoor Environmental Quality. Certification levels are improved by such things as installing heating and cooling systems as well as energy-efficient appliances. Ratings are also improved with the use of recycled materials. Additional recognition may be achieved in other categories such as Innovation in Design or Regional Priorities. Points in Regional Priorities are earned when a builder is recognized for going to great lengths to lessen or eliminate the harmful impact on an area’s sensitive environment. LEED endorsements are used for commercial and industrial buildings, residential homes and whole neighborhood projects. The Conco Companies is one of the leading concrete contractors in the Western U.S. and offer a wide range of quality services and products. While we tackle projects both big and small, our experience includes providing the complete concrete package for the Levi’s Stadium along with other notable projects. We serve California, Washington State, Oregon, Colorado and Nevada. |
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