Foam concrete, also called cellular lightweight concrete, is a low density concrete that includes a higher amount of trapped air through foams incorporated into the mixing process. Foam concrete differs from standard concrete mixes of cement, sand, aggregate, and water by substituting the coarse or larger aggregate pieces with foam. In some cases for extremely lightweight concrete, the sand can also be replaced with foam, leaving only cement and water as the components.
 
Creating Foam Concrete
You can think of foaming agents like baking powder for cooking. When baking powder is mixed with water, it begins to form carbon dioxide bubbles, which allows cakes to rise and creates the porous, fluffy baked goods we all know. Foaming agents work in a similar way, but create more controlled bubble characteristics. Bubbles are created to fit density and strength specifications and are generally from 0.1mm to 1.5mm in diameter. Foaming agents must create these bubbles so that they will maintain their integrity throughout the mixing, placement, and curing process. If foaming agents are not used correctly, the air will escape or begin to create larger bubbles which could impact the concrete’s strength. When foaming agents are mixed in, they create an air content between 40% - 80% of the total volume. With that much air trapped inside very small bubbles, it becomes easy to imagine that this type of concrete is very light yet retains its strength.
 
Foam Concrete Applications
Foam concrete has a number of benefits that make it ideal for particular applications. Conco’s Confoam is self-compacting, which eliminates that need for mechanical compaction. This is particularly important for filling projects. It is safer than traditional fill methods because it eliminates the need for employees to enter the excavation area. As foam concrete is lightweight it can also be engineered to make the new structure less than or equal to the weight of the excavated soil, effectively eliminating structure settlement.
 
Conco’s mission is to be the best supplier of concrete services in the Western United States and to bring expertise, experience, and quality of each project. We continue to upgrade and expand facilities to better serve the growing market for commercial, educational, public works, and parking structure projects as well as other construction development. Please call or email for more information on how Conco can assist your next project with Confoam™, our cost-saving cellular concrete.
 

A beautiful and functional space for commercial businesses can increase consumer demand, employee satisfaction, and improve operational efficiency. General contractors who are experienced in commercial business spaces can help you create the ideal space for your business from the start of the project through the end of construction. San Francisco, known for its exquisite restaurants, is demanding space to create exceptional commercial spaces. General contractors in San Francisco that have experience working with commercial businesses, like Mares & Dow, can help restaurants work with commercial building owners to create high-end, well-designed, and functional restaurants and kitchens of all types that uphold and reflect the area’s famous dining experience.
 
Pre-construction phase
A general contractor will help guide you through the entire commercial building construction process. After a business works with architects and engineers to produce project plans, a general contractor will manage the implementation of your vision. This includes evaluating project conditions and determining construction needs, such as estimating materials, equipment and labor costs as well as help budgeting the project with you. This will help you understand and plan what the construction process will look like and forecast how you want to operate your business during construction.
 
Construction Sourcing and Management
The pre-construction phase is completed when the timing, materials, and cost of the project are finalized and agreed upon. At that point, the general contractor will begin to prepare for project construction. Managing project schedules and sourcing is a complex task that a general contractor will manage for you. They will hire subcontractors to perform specific construction tasks, manage schedules, and provide you with updates on construction progress and budget.
 
The difference of a high quality general contractor
A general contractor will be your key resource to identify the best materials and construction teams for your project.  An experienced and knowledgeable general contractor will ensure that your business has the high quality, long-lasting materials that will create a space that inspires customers and staff alike, all within your budget.  They will also work with experienced and skilled craftsman that will deliver high quality construction services on-time and on-budget.

Mares & Dow provides its clients with the best value quality construction and materials. We leverage quality craftsmanship and materials to ensure that your space continues to function as planned and wows your customers for years to come. We approach every project as our own, communicating progress, construction options and answering questions throughout the project.  Contact us today to discuss your next commercial business project!

Once your company’s replacement glass is ready to install, we’ll load it onto one of our Dan’s Glass trucks and send it out promptly. When our technicians arrive, the first order of business is to prepare the area, which helps protect your property from damage, make the area safer, and give us sufficient access for a trouble-free window glass installation.

What You Can Do
We would be happy to take care of all of the preparation for you, but keep in mind that doing so may increase your job costs and add time and labor to the project. To save time and costs, you can do most of the site prep ahead of time. Moving furniture, taking down drapes and pictures from the wall, and generally giving our technicians easy access to the work area would be greatly appreciated. We leave that decision up to you and will arrive ready to get the job done regardless of what is involved.

Path to Project
Having a clear path to and around the window opening is crucial for safe and expedient work. We may need to move desks or other equipment, but we will put it back when the replacement is complete. Once the path is cleared, we will bring in most of the equipment needed for the job to reduce trips back and forth to the work truck.

Move Obstructions
Your Dan’s Glass technicians will need complete access to the window opening as well. This means removing any drapes or blinds and placing them in a safe place during the glass installation. Any security devices used in the window opening will need to be temporarily removed as well. In some cases, we are able to remove and reconnect the sensors for you, but coordinating with your security company is the best option for your protection.

Remove Old Glass
​When you call us for a broken window replacement, we will remove all of the broken glass during our initial visit and cover the opening temporarily while the replacement glass is prepared. When we arrive with the glass, our technicians will remove the temporary covering - or pull out the old glass if it hasn’t already been done - and dispose of it appropriately. Once the glass is removed and the empty frame cleaned up and prepped, installing your new glass should only take a few minutes and we’ll be out of your way.

Keep in mind that Dan’s Glass is available to clean up broken glass, get correct dimensions, and board up an opening. As soon as we have the replacement glass available, installation can be done at your convenience. If you are in need of a commercial glass replacement, contact our glass experts today!

Using reclaimed redwood for your construction projects will add luster and appeal. As the Bay Area’s premier source for reclaimed lumber, The Lumber Baron is your authority on the differences between today’s fresh cut lumber and the old-growth material harvested in times past.

Unique Coloration
When redwood is continuously exposed to a liquid, it will begin to take on traits related to that immersion. Reclaimed redwood taken from wine and water tanks is a good example, and the individual boards will be stained according to the fluid they were used with. The wood’s naturally unique colors are further enhanced by exposure to fluids.

A Different Texture
Similarly, reclaimed lumber which has been immersed in a liquid will develop a special texture. Depending on the original application, the wood may have a feathery texture, feel slightly scaly to the touch, or exhibit other properties caused by chemical reactions over time. For example, wood planks used in wine vats may be imbued with grape tannins which subtly alter the wood’s look and feel.

Wood With History
​Another popular selling point for reclaimed redwood is that you are working with a bit of American history. While we may not be able to tell you exactly where the original old-growth wood was cut, we can give you some of the history of the lumber which was cut from it. Building a rustic beam using material of this type adds a bit of Americana to your project, increasing the benefits of using it and adding conversational value

The Lumber Baron specializes in reclaimed lumber, and we have an on-site lumber mill for custom cuts and resurfacing the material you choose. We have scoured the countryside in search of decommissioned buildings and bridges, offering you the best of our hand-selected finds. To learn more about reclaimed redwood or to get started on your next home project, call or stop by our lumber yard today.

Concrete pumping is one of the more important innovations in building technology over the last 200 years. It is what allowed building with concrete to become faster and cheaper, and consequently helped to make concrete the most ubiquitous building material used today. Before concrete pumping, concrete needed to be manually moved from the mixing location to where it would be placed, either by hand or wheelbarrow. Concrete pumps use pressurized tubes to move concrete from where it is mixed to where it is placed. The type of delivery mechanism used for the pump in any given project depends on the specific needs of each project. The Conco Companies is a leading concrete contractor in Portland and the Western U.S. and offers a wide variety of concrete services, including concrete pumping. Here is an overview of three popular pumping technologies.
 
Ground Line Pump
This type of pump runs on the ground from the mixing truck to the placement area. It can usually use a smaller mixing truck and is best applied in small, easily accessible project areas, so the pump line can be manually carried from the pump to the placement area. This is ideal for low-rise buildings or residential concrete work. Though it may seem like ground line pumps have limited applications, this type of pumping technology will nevertheless be easier to manage than wheelbarrows or moving concrete by hand, as it can be pumped very rapidly and does not create spills or other waste.
 
Boom Pump
Boom pumps leverage a remote-controlled, truck-mounted arm. Many boom pumps can articulate, rotating through the placement area. This allows for placement in large or inaccessible construction sites and can reach over buildings, multiple building levels, gaps, and other obstacles. A standard boom pump’s reach can range from 50 feet to 180 feet in length, with specialized equipment reaching even further.
  
Trailer or Stationary Pumps
This type of pump creates its own pipeline by connecting multiple sections of rubber or steel pipes, linked together, and then mounted to the pump. At the end of the pipeline is a boom, which allows for accurate concrete placement. This type of boom is ideal for tunneling or high-rise construction sites as the pump can be up to a mile away.
 
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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