Concrete Mixes that Meet the Specs of Each Project

At The Conco Companies, our portfolio includes a wide variety of projects that have required the use of various concrete mixes to meet their unique specifications.  For projects that require extremely durable and/or high-strength concrete, High-performance Concrete (HPC) is used.  

The U.S. Concrete Industry

The concrete industry produces approximately 10 billion tons of concrete worldwide.  In the U.S. the industry has an annual production of 500 million tons with an estimated value of $35 billion and employs more than 2 million employees.  It is suggested that with the amount of the U.S.’s yearly production that it equals to about two tons for every man, woman and child.   To produce these types of volumes, it requires vast amounts of natural resources to supply the aggregate needed as well as to make the cement.  Concrete is used to build highways, streets and bridges, commercial, industrial, medical and educational structures, residential housing and other construction markets.   

Telebelt® TB 105 Telescopic Belt Conveyor

The Conco Companies have an impressive fleet of modern, state-of-the-art concrete pumps in addition to Telebelts.  We use this equipment to help us complete projects faster and more efficiently for our customers.    

Concrete is All Around Us

An interesting report from the Portland Cement Association (PCA) illustrates the various uses for portland cement as it is one of the key ingredients in concrete.  They suggest that while concrete is very important to the way we live, and in fact surrounds us, it is often overlooked.  They explain that concrete “makes our homes and offices durable and more resilient in natural disasters, it makes our roads and bridges strong and last longer, and thanks to its permanence and energy efficiency, it helps sustain our environment.” 

Z-Fold Pumps Offer Versatility and Maneuverability

At The Conco Companies, we have a long history of adopting the latest concrete technologies as well as purchasing the latest state-of-the-art equipment to provide our customers with the best range of options for their project.  One of the types of pumps that we find are very beneficial in projects with challenging placement specifications is our articulating boom pumps. 

Shortages of Qualified Workers are Rampant throughout the Industry

Over the last several years, we have experienced a dwindling number of new workers seeking careers in the construction industry.  Some think this may be due to young people entering the job market feeling that construction work is not a glamorous or lucrative profession.  The problem has come to a head as older, experienced tradespeople retire and not enough people are stepping into the jobs causing a shortage in experienced cement masons, carpenters and ironworkers. 

Shotcrete Projects

Over the last several decades, there have been advancements in shotcrete technology and improvements in the equipment that have resulted in a material that is perfectly suited for more and more applications.  While shotcrete virtually eliminates the forming process, it still offers the same structural characteristics as traditional cast-in-place walls.  This means that projects using shotcrete are typically completed faster, which saves both time and money.  

Some of the Methods Used to Increase the Strength of Concrete

The strength of concrete can be increased by a number of methods including using a higher grade of cement or a mineral admixture such as ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS).  It can also be strengthened by using a low water to cement ratio (W/C) as well as by using well-graded angular aggregates.  

Heavyweight Concrete has Many Uses Including as a Sound Barrier

While there are many applications in which lightweight concrete is the most appropriate choice so are there as many that require heavyweight concrete.  Lightweight structural concrete is made using lightweight coarse aggregate and/or lightweight fine aggregate.  It typically has a density of approximately 105 pounds per cubic foot as compared to that of normal concrete mixes that have a density of 150 pounds per cubic foot.  A common use for lightweight concrete is to reduce the overall load or weight of an entire concrete structure such as on bridge decks, beams, slabs and walls of concrete structures.    

The US Cement Industry

Cement is the key ingredient in concrete, and as the Portland Cement Association (PCA) explains, portland cement is “the generic term for the type of cement used in virtually all concrete, just as stainless is a type of steel and sterling a type of silver.”  To manufacture cement, lime, silica, alumina, iron and other materials are heated to extremely high temperatures that create marble-size balls or nodules called clinker.  Next the clinker is ground up and mixed in with limestone and gypsum.  

The World’s Fastest Elevators and Longest Elevator Runs

The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) recently published a report in collaboration with the Guinness Book of World Records on the fastest elevators and the longest elevator run in skyscrapers.  It evaluates elevators in commercial buildings from across the globe to determine the speed and the length of their run.  The CTBUH has certified the Shanghai Tower, currently the world's second-tallest building at 632 meters tall (2,073′), takes the prize for both the “fastest elevator and the longest elevator run of all commercial buildings in the world.”  

Tips for Finding the Best Commercial Subcontractor

During our close to 60 years in the industry, The Conco Companies have learned a thing or two about the construction business.  Right from the start, our goal has been to provide customers with first-class services that are executed in a highly professional manner and to deliver what was promised.  

Today’s Concrete is More Resilient

Over the last several decades, technological advancements in the concrete industry have led to improvements in both the strength of concrete as well as the longevity.  In fact, experts predict that concrete mixes of today can produce concrete that will last for hundreds of years rather than just decades of concrete structures from the 20^th century.  Along with the superior performance, concrete has also become “greener” to produce.   

Precision Engineered Reinforcement Services

The Conco Companies provide a wide range of concrete services including concrete reinforcement for all of your rebar fabrication and installation needs.  By owning and operating two large rebar fabrication facilities in California and Washington, we have the capacity to cost-effectively serve our customers’ needs saving them both time and money.  Also Conco’s highly skilled crews are trained on the specialized tools used to fabricate, assemble, and install the rebar. 

Placing Shotcrete Expertly and Cost-effectively

At The Conco Companies, our shotcrete services provide an excellent alternative to traditional cast-in-place walls.  Since shotcrete is pneumatically placed, it virtually eliminates the forming process, saving time and money, while still offering the same structural characteristics as traditional concrete methods.  It is used for a wide range of applications including retaining walls, shear walls, and architectural walls as well as soil nailing and slope pavement.    

Conco’s Cellular Concrete Services

As one of the leading commercial concrete contractors in the nation, The Conco Companies provide the Western United States with a wide range of concrete services including producing and placing cellular concrete.  Also known as foam concrete, cellular concrete provides customers with one of the most productive, cost-effective solutions in a variety of applications.   

The Importance of Curing Concrete Properly

At The Conco Companies, we have experience placing any type of concrete for a broad range of projects and in a variety of weather conditions.  Our crews use several different methods for curing concrete as it is determined by the type of construction and the concrete mix as well as outside temperatures and humidity.  Other considerations include project specifications and/or parameters of the jobsite.  However regardless of the technique used for curing, it is important to keep the concrete moist and prevent further loss of moisture.   

New Fixes for Concrete Spalling

Concrete spalling and cracking, sometime referred to as concrete cancer, is caused by rebar corrosion and can affect buildings and other concrete structures.  Once the steel reinforcing in a concrete slab begins to rust, the steel rust can expand up to 7 times its original size and results in concrete being displaced and getting flakey.  As the steel pushes the concrete away, it allows more water to come into contact with the steel and compounds the problem.   

Reactive Powder Concrete

Reactive Powder Concrete (RPC), which is also known as Ultra-High Performance Concrete (UHPC), is a combination of portland cement, silica fume, quartz flour, fine silica sand, high-range water reducer, water, and optional additives.  The Portland Cement Association explains that reactive powder concrete is “extremely workable, durable and yields ultra-high strengths without using coarse aggregates. Reaching compressive strengths of 30,000 pounds per square inch (psi), this new-age concrete also has tensile strength with the inclusion of steel and synthetic fibers.”   The micro structure of RPC is optimized by precise graduation of all particles in the mix to give it maximum density.  

Fiber Reinforced Concrete

Fiber reinforced concrete (FRC), a type of reinforced concrete that uses a fibrous substance to increase structural strength, durability and ductility, is a subject of new research and developments.  In FRC, short, discrete fibers are uniformly distributed and randomly oriented to provide a kind of three-dimensional stability and include fibers made of steel, glass and synthetic or natural material.  Depending on which material is used, they offer varying properties and characteristics.