The Portland Cement Association states that, “Slightly more than half of all low-rise buildings in the United States are constructed from concrete.” It is also the most common man-made material on the planet as well as the 2nd most consumed substance just behind water. The concrete industry is worth over $37 billion, employs over 2 million people in the U.S., and each year about 10 billion tons of concrete are produced.
Concrete is very strong and averages about 3,000 psi (lbs/square inch) with high-performance concrete reaching strengths of over 20,000 psi. While today’s concrete buildings are both strong and durable, they can also be the most economical to construct. ConcreteHelper.com lists a variety of other concrete facts such as the first person to contract and live in a precast concrete home was Thomas Edison. In addition, they cite the fact that the world’s largest concrete structure is the Three Gorges Dam located on the Yangtze River in China. It was built with approximately 21 million cubic yards (16 million cubic meters) of concrete. Furthermore, due to its color, concrete reflects 30 to 50% more light than asphalt and helps to reduce the temperature in large urban areas by as much as 7%. Also did you know that heavy trucks actually get up to 20% better mileage on concrete roads than those paved with asphalt? Concrete not only gets stronger as it ages, but concrete highways typically offer about twice the useful life as asphalt roads and can serve about 20 to 30 years before they need major repair. Asphalt generally lasts about eight to twelve years before resurfacing or major repairs are needed. Around 60 percent of the interstate system in the United States is concrete. Another interesting fact about concrete is that certain types of the material floats and is used to construct concrete canoes and boat docks. The weight of standard concrete is approximately 4,000 lbs. per cubic yard, while lightweight concrete weighs about 3,000 lbs. per cubic yard. Finally over 70% of the world’s population lives in structures that were built with at least some concrete. The Conco Companies are a leading supplier of concrete services throughout the Western U.S. 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 and are now one of the foremost concrete contractors in the region. Our concrete services include commercial, educational, industrial and public works projects as well as parking structures. Sources: cement.org/infrastructure/buildings-structures, concretehelper.com/concrete-facts/
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The University of Michigan is conducting an interesting study that involves developing a more durable concrete using raw acid mine drainage from abandoned mines in Northeast Pennsylvania. The research is focused on whether the impacted water, taken from boreholes in Solomon Creek, could be used in a “mixture for bendable concrete that can withstand four times the amount of pressure than regular concrete.”
Haoliang Wu, a Ph.D. student at the U of M, contacted the Eastern Pennsylvania Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation (EPCAMR) to get about 180 gallons of the water shipped to the university’s laboratory. The executive director of EPCAMR, Robert Hughes, says the research team wants to use the mind drainage in concrete to build roads, bridges and highways. He explains, “They don’t have any raw mine drainage in Michigan that meets the kind of chemistry and criteria that we have here in the water in Solomon Creek coming from the boreholes.” In addition the concrete will be tested to see if it can better protect against rusting and cracking. The EPCAMR is also excited to learn if the acid mine water is a good fit for the experimental concrete as it could lead to a new partnership with the university and a beneficial way to reuse mine drainage in Pennsylvania. A more durable concrete also means bridges and roads would have a greater lifespan and be more sustainable. Furthermore, Hughes is excited at the prospect that something such as the acid mine drainage that has been a pollutant for the area could be a reusable resource in the future. They have plenty of impacted waterways as over 5,500 miles of streams have had run-off from the mines and the group has been trying to find ways to clean up the polluted streams. The Conco Companies are a leading supplier of concrete services throughout the Western U.S. 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 and are now one of the foremost concrete contractors in the region. Our concrete services include commercial, educational, industrial and public works projects as well as parking structures. Sources:thetimes-tribune.com/news/local-acid-mine-drainage-helping-in-concrete-research-1.2182101, wnep.com/2017/04/20/power-to-save-acid-mine-drainage-to-concrete/ The final beam was hoisted into place on April 6, 2017 topping off the new Salesforce Tower in downtown San Francisco, which is the tallest building west of Chicago. While the new Wilshire Grand in Los Angeles has a spire that actually makes it higher in height, the San Francisco tower will hold the honor of having the highest occupied floor. The 61-story skyscraper, located at Mission and 1st Street, and has been under construction for four years.
The Conco Companies provided concrete services on the 1,070 ft. skyscraper. We announced last November that we successfully completed the final core wall pour and that it was now officially the tallest building in San Francisco. One year before that, we completed the 12,000 cubic-yard mat pour for the tower and set a record for the largest pour in San Francisco’s history. Before construction of the Salesforce Tower, the 853 ft. tall Transamerica Pyramid had held the record as the tallest building in the city for 43 years. Another skyscraper, the Millennium, just a block away from the Salesforce Tower is garnering attention for the fact that it has sunk 16 inches from when it first opened its doors in 2009. To further complicate matters, the condominium building is sinking unevenly. While the Millennium’s foundations rest on 950 friction piles, they do not go down to the bedrock as does the Salesforce Tower’s foundation, which is anchored to bedrock. The developer of the Salesforce Tower, Boston Properties reports the opening will be rolled out in phases beginning in July and continue through to 2018. Spokesperson, Michael Cantalupa, said, "The steels been finished, concrete finished, the skin of the building is coming up. In terms of later phases of construction, the building needs to be fit out for its tenants. So, each tenant that comes in, its space is going to be designed and constructed for its particular uses." The Conco Companies are 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. Source:abc7news.com/realestate/topping-off-ceremony-for-salesforce-tower-in-sf----watch-live/1841834/http%3A%2F%2Fabc7news.com%2F1841834%2F Along with our broad range of commercial concrete services including pumping, shotcrete, rebar fabrication and installation, trucking, and design/build, The Conco Companies also offer superior formwork. This all-important temporary structure is designed to contain and mold poured concrete until it hardens into the required shape.
As formwork controls the concrete’s position and alignment, it needs to be strong enough to support its own weight, that of the concrete, as well as the workers and any equipment or materials that will be used in the process. Over the last couple of decades, there have been major advancements in formwork that have resulted in greater cost-efficiencies and have improved workers’ safety. The process behind creating topnotch formwork is a collaborative effort between the concrete contractors, engineers, and architects. The group must take into account factors such as the quality, cost, and safety requirements needed in order to design and implement forms that meet their project’s specifications. The materials used to construct the forms will depend on the type of job it is designed to do. Forms used to be built out of lumber, but today, a variety of materials is used including plywood, aluminum, and steel as well as custom-made plastic and fiberglass forms. With the development of newer types of forms, it has helped to improve the safety, speed, and manageability on a jobsite. Once the form is built, concrete is placed into it. After the concrete has hardened, the forms are disassembled or “stripped” and can be used again. It is important to not strip the forms or remove the shoring before the concrete has sufficiently cured and is able to support its own weight. In the U.S many forms are now made from prefabricated modules that allow the forms to be assembled quickly and cost-effectively on the jobsite. The modules can be reused thousands of times whereas older wood forms had to be replaced much sooner. The Conco Companies are a leading supplier of concrete services for the Western U.S. 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 taken a leading role as one of the top concrete contractors in the region. We have four regional offices serving California, Nevada, Washington, Oregon and Colorado. The term “Life-cycle assessment” (LCA) is defined by Wikipedia as a cradle to grave analysis used to assess the environmental impacts associated with all stages of a product's life. This includes raw material extraction and materials processing as well as the manufacturing, distribution, use, repair and maintenance, and disposal or recycling of the product.
The demand for green building projects is motivated by owners and developers as well as the marketplace as they offer reduced operating costs, improved health benefits, and perform better environmentally throughout the life-cycle of the building. The EPA states that green buildings should reduce the environmental impact on human health and the natural environment by:
When sustainable criteria are considered early in the planning and design stages, it can offer a greater cost-efficiency as well as influence design. ConstructConnect reports on a recent study done for the USGBC by Booz Allen Hamilton that states, “Green construction spending to increase from $150.6 billion in 2015 to $224.4 billion in 2018.” The study also suggests that, “between 2015 and 2018, green construction will generate $303.4 billion in Gross Domestic Product (GDP); support 3.9 million jobs, and provide $268.4 billion in labor earnings.” Typically green products are made from reused or recycled-content or from renewable resources. The EPA explains that the product should promote clean air and reduce the emissions of VOC (volatile organic compounds) and formaldehyde. They should not contain CFCs, HCFCs or other toxic substances and need to promote practices that conserve energy and water. Furthermore, they should offer good durability and ease of maintenance, and aid in reducing a building’s overall operating cost. The Conco Companies are 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. Sources: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life-cycle_assessment archive.epa.gov/greenbuilding/web/html/about.html constructconnect.com/blog/green-construction/green-sustainable-building-future/ High-tech advancements and innovations in the construction industry have made many of our modern buildings possible. The Conco Companies’ team follows many of these developments and implements advanced methods when applicable to our concrete services.
For the last several decades, researchers have been interested in discovering ways to extend the life of concrete used in buildings, bridges, and highways and to make it more sustainable. One of the ways this may be accomplished is to develop self-healing concrete, which is a process to embed concrete with a reactive substance that will begin to fill in cracks as they appear and harden. A recent article on the ConstructConnect website reports on efforts from the University of Victoria in British Columbia to develop self-healing concrete and asphalt. In this particular study, researchers are experimenting with a variety of fibers including fly ash and wood cellulose. In another study a group of researchers from the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands is using “dormant bacteria spores to create a bioconcrete.” In this process as the concrete begins to crack and the spores of bacillus bacteria are exposed to water, they are activated and begin “feeding on calcium lactate, consuming oxygen in the process.” Once the oxygen is gone, the calcium lactate converts to limestone and hardens and seals the cracks. The Delft University has another team that has been “adding small steel wool fibers to the porous asphalt concrete mix to make the pavement electrically conductive.” Once induction heating is applied to the asphalt, it heals the cracks. Please visit Conco’s website to learn more about our impressive portfolio of projects. We offer a wide range of concrete services including pumping, rebar fabrication and installation, shotcrete, formwork, design/build, turnkey and general contracting solutions. We also provide construction hauling in some of our service areas. 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:constructconnect.com/blog/construction-technology/future-building-materials-transparent-wood-self-healing-concrete/ The Conco Companies are proud to have an excellent safety record and work at it every day to make sure our entire workforce is trained on and adhere to all safety rules and regulations. Whenever applicable, members of our team are certified on the machinery they operate including our concrete pump operators, shotcrete nozzlemen, and crane operators.
Operating heavy equipment on a construction site can be dangerous and serious accidents can happen such as running over a crew member, rollovers, or having someone get caught between machines. Drivers of heavy equipment need to remember to take care when mounting or dismounting from their machinery and to follow proper procedures for starting up the equipment. Experts advise that workers never attempt to dismount a moving vehicle, and when shutting down equipment, they need to engage the parking brake and release any pressure from hydraulic controls. Drivers also need to be aware of their surroundings at all times including watching out for obstacles overhead and underground. Power lines should be deactivated or protected to avoid contact and underground utilities should be identified and marked in advance of any digging. The website, ConstructionConnect also advises that, “Operators should be aware of their swing radius, especially when working in tighter spaces, to avoid hitting other workers, bystanders, or other vehicles or equipment in the vicinity.” As with any vehicle, drivers of heavy equipment need to wear their seat belt. In addition equipment should not be used to exceed lift capacity or overloaded, and should only be used for its intended purposes. All jobsite workers need to wear the required proper personal protective equipment (PPE) such as safety glasses, hard hats, sturdy boots and gloves. Furthermore, when backing up equipment with workers in the area, a spotter or radio contact should be used to ensure blind spots are clear. 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. Source:constructconnect.com/blog/construction-safety/heavy-equipment-construction-safety-tips/#comment-10681 To counteract the inherent brittleness of concrete and the relatively low tensile strength and ductility, concrete is reinforced with rebar (steel reinforced bars). Without reinforcement, concrete has the tendency to crack or break when under high pressure conditions and shear stresses such as those caused by wind, earthquakes and other forces.
Reinforcement also prevents excessive cracking that is a result of concrete shrinkage and temperature changes. In addition the Portland Cement Association (PCA) states that, “Lateral reinforcement (stirrups, ties and hoops) are used to provide resistance to principal tensile stresses resulting from shear. They also explain its use “in highly stressed areas of compression zones of columns beams and joints provide confinement,” which is especially important in structures that are located in seismic hot spots. To achieve the maximum performance required on specific construction projects, it usually only takes a relatively low percentage of rebar. Industry standards state that a typical concrete beam requires about 1% of rebar to be added to the concrete. For a column, it can take about 6% of rebar to achieve the required performance. Furthermore, since steel is much more costly than concrete, rebar is an economical solution for providing strength, ductility, and durability to a structure. Reinforced concrete products can be precast and cast-in-place, and are used to construct slabs, foundations, walls, columns, beams and more. In fact many of today’s concrete structures would not have been possible without reinforced concrete. At The Conco Companies, we supply the industry with precision-engineered rebar that is fabricated in our state-of-the-art facilities. Using the latest technologies and outfitted with modern shear lines, benders and post-tension cable manufacturing equipment, we can meet the most exacting specifications. Our highly skilled workers are trained on up-to-date technologies that make use of building informational modeling (BIM) and our advanced field fabrication tools ensure a high-quality installation job. The Conco Companies are a leading supplier of concrete services for the Western U.S. 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 taken a leading role as one of the top concrete contractors in the region. We have four regional offices serving California, Nevada, Washington, Oregon and Colorado. Source:cement.org/concrete-basics/buildings-structures/design-aids/reinforced-concrete Along with the trend to construct energy efficient high-rises and skyscrapers, there is a move to develop energy efficient neighborhood communities. In 2010 the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) joined forces with the Congress for the New Urbanism and the U.S. Green Building Council to launch LEED for Neighborhood Development, or LEED-ND to formally rate a community’s environmental footprint.
Designed to acknowledge “communities that were truly doing things right—embodying the principles of smart growth rather than suburban sprawl,” the group set up LEED-ND to define the most important component to creating a smart community. The NRDC stressed that they only wanted to consider projects that were in smart locations such as “vacant city lots, old industrial buildings, or suburban sites adjacent to existing construction.” In addition they wanted to reject sites that would require new water and sewage infrastructure unless it had already been planned. In other words, the NRDC’s vision was that LEED-ND certification would be given to communities that model historic city neighborhoods. This means they need to have walkable streets and nearby services such as retail, entertainment venues, restaurants and public transportation. The committee agreed that, “LEED-ND should emphasizes sustainability, and respects both the human ecosystem, as described by urban activist Jane Jacobs, and the surrounding ecosystem of wetlands, biodiversity, and animal habitats.” NRDC states there were 401 certified LEED-ND projects completed or under construction as of 2015 worldwide. A NRDC consultant who also served on the LEED-ND’s launch committee, Jessica Millman, explains that it is much easier for communities to now understand the benefits of a project as they have a list of environmental measures they can use to evaluate it. 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: nrdc.org/stories/why-nrdc-helped-develop-leed-ratings-neighborhoods While The Conco Companies have successfully accomplished many significant feats during our decades in the industry, we have always put the safety of our workforce, our fellow trade partners, general contractors and the public first. We are proud of our safety record and it is one of the first things we consider when undertaking a new project.
By partnering with our contractors, we all work together to maintain the highest standard of safety on all of our projects. One of the first things our team does is to create a Site Specific Safety Plan as well as a Pre-Task Plan. We also implement our standard Injury and Illness Prevention Plan (IIPP)/ Accident Prevention Program (APP). In order to maintain our excellent safety record, the entire Conco workforce – managers and crews alike – are trained in a variety of safety related topics including new industry rules and regulations. Safety programs include Fall Protection, First-Aid/ CPR, Forklift Operation, OSHA 30, Material Rigging, Traffic Control, and more. Furthermore, Conco’s team of safety professionals not only provides our workforce with up-to-date training, but goes out to our jobsites to carry out frequent safety inspections. One example of our safety protocols includes having all of our concrete pump operators ACPA certified to ensure they operate their equipment safely for not only their protection but for those working around the pump. We also provide each jobsite with specific safety instruction for our other trade partners who routinely work around our pumps as it is important that they are aware of basic concrete pump safety procedures. One of these groups is ready mix drivers who need to be aware and follow basic guidelines when discharging concrete into a pump in order to protect everyone on the jobsite. To help mitigate the dangers, we have put together a flyer that cites the safety procedures for drivers to follow upon arriving at the jobsite and when they back up to the pump. 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. |
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