Opportunities for Hard Working Construction Laborers

By Conco  

The Conco Companies continues to seek experienced carpenters, cement masons, ironworkers, operating engineers as well as job opportunities for construction laborers.  We have openings at all of our locations, which include Northern California, Southern California, Washington State, and Colorado.  These are union positions (with the exception of Colorado) and offer competitive wages along with medical and retirement benefits.

Conco’s openings for construction workers include Bridge Laborers and General Laborers.  The responsibilities include all work in connection with but not limited to: dumpman, load Spotter, flag person and operating a forklift.  We are an equal opportunity employer.

At Conco we employ a dedicated crew of laborers and cement masons who are some of the most experienced in the industry.  We provide crews with the most up-to-date equipment and tools to assist them with optimally performing each job and to continue to meet deadlines.  Additionally, Conco is committed to providing all employees a hazard-free, safe working environment.  

To achieve this goal, our safety program focuses on hazard elimination.  We sincerely believe that when safety is the first consideration before any work begins, everyone wins.  Safety pays for our company, our employees, our customers and the general public!

We are sure you will find our company is an exciting place to work.  We have had the privilege to be a part of many distinguished project throughout the Western U.S.  Recently we provided the concrete services for the San Francisco 49ers Levi Stadium.  Last fall we assisted on the repairs for the new Bay Bridge also in San Francisco.  Our most recent accomplishment was to break the world record for the largest continuous mat pour that was done for the Wilshire Grand Center in Los Angeles.
 

If you are interested in applying for a position, please refer to our website for more information.  

Conco is a leading supplier of concrete services for the Western United States. We have built our reputation with superior concrete formwork, reinforcing, place and finish, shotcrete and other ancillary services that benefit from our vast experience. With state-of-the-art equipment and modern facilities, we work diligently to meet goals and stay within budget.

Seventh Tallest in the World - International Commerce Centre

While we are currently providing concrete services for the new Wilshire Grand Center in Los Angeles, which is on its way to becoming the tallest building in the U.S. west of the Mississippi, we have started blogging about other tall skyscrapers.  We recently saw an article from the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat that is already discussing the emergence of mega tall skyscrapers that will be built in the next decade.  Apparently a kilometer-tall (3280 ft.) building is already under construction.  The CTBUH now defines super tall skyscrapers as those over 300 meters (984 ft.) and buildings over 600 meters (1968 ft.) as mega tall.    

On our list of buildings, we are at number seven, which is the International Commerce Centre in West Kowloon, Hong Kong.  The 1,588 ft. building has 118 floors with a 360 degree observation deck and is the tallest building in Hong Kong as well containing the third largest number of floors.  The ICC was completed in 2010 and a winning entry in an international design competition.  The project was designed by the American architectural firm Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF) in association with Wong & Ouyang (HK) Ltd.

The skyscraper is part of the Union Square reclamation project and is built right above the Kowloon Station, which connects Hong Kong to the airport.  According to ArchDaily, the structure is made up of eight concrete mega-columns that “splay out 3 degrees as they touch the ground plane.”  The building includes office, retail, a hotel and the world’s highest cocktail lounge on the 108^th floor.   

Energy efficient abounds in the skyscraper and set new standards for sustainability.  It contains an “Energy Optimizer” air-conditioning system and a passenger smart elevator system that maximizes efficiency by assigning elevators to groups with similar destinations.  Water is saved by harvesting water from the a/c system and used in cooling towers and other situations that use non-potable water.      

Conco is a leading supplier of concrete services for the Western United States and is once again involved in doing concrete work for a major landmark project. The new Wilshire Grand Center will reshape the Los Angeles skyline as the tallest building west of the Mississippi.  As a part of the project, Conco successfully poured the largest continuous mat foundation ever done in the U.S. on February 15, 2014.

Fifth Tallest Building in the World - Taipei 101

Since starting work on the Wilshire Grand Center in Los Angeles, which is set to become the tallest building in the U.S. west of the Mississippi, we started a series exploring the super tall skyscrapers of the world.  As we proceed along in the series, we now arrived at the fifth tallest building in the world.  The Taipei 101, also known as the Taipei Financial Center, is located in the Hsinyi district, Taipei, Taiwan.

Recently replaced as the tallest building in Asia by the Shanghai Towers that is currently being constructed, the Taipei 101 was opened in 2004 and stands at 1,671 ft. tall.  The building has 101 floors with an indoor observatory deck at that level.  The steel and glass skyscraper was designed by C. Y. Lee & Partners and the structural engineers were Thornton Tomasetti and Evergreen Engineering.  The Project Manager was Turner Construction.  The building was awarded the highest LEED Platinum certification.

According to an article from Wikipedia, the Taipei was constructed to withstand adverse conditions that have been known to occur in the area such as typhoon strength winds or earthquakes.  The ultimate goal was to construct “a structure that could withstand gale winds of 134 mph and the strongest earthquakes likely to occur in a 2,500 year cycle.”  Using very strong reinforced concrete supports and an extremely solid foundation, the Taipei 101 is believed to be one of the most stable buildings ever constructed.  

The multi-use skyscraper has retail shops on the first four levels, a large fitness center on floors 5 and 6, and offices space above that on levels 7- 84.  A variety of fine restaurants can be found on floors 86 to 88 and outdoor observation decks on level 89 and 91. 

Conco is a leading supplier of concrete services for the Western United States and is once again involved in doing concrete work for a major landmark project. The new Wilshire Grand Center will reshape the Los Angeles skyline as the tallest building west of the Mississippi.  As a part of the project, Conco successfully poured the largest continuous mat foundation ever done in the U.S. on February 15, 2014.

Third Tallest Building in the World - Mecca Royal Hotel Clock Tower

Conco is currently providing concrete services on a landmark project in downtown Los Angeles where the tallest building in the U.S. west of the Mississippi is currently being constructed.  The Wilshire Grand Center will earn a place in the record books which got us thinking about other skyscrapers.  For our blog series regarding super tall buildings, we discover that the third tallest in the world is the Abraj Al-Bait Tower, which is also known as the Mecca Royal Hotel Clock Tower. 

The Mecca Royal Hotel Clock Tower is located in Mecca, Saudi Arabia and was completed in 2010.  The Tower and the surrounding complex of six additional buildings are all owned by the government with the Tower standing well above all of the other buildings.  The official height of the tower is 1952 ft. including a 233 ft. sphere, which makes it the tallest building in Saudi Arabia and the second tallest building in the Middle East after the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.  It has occupied space up to 1,833 ft. with an observatory deck at that level.  On the building’s façade is displayed the world’s tallest and biggest clock face.

The hotel was built to accommodate the many Muslims who make yearly pilgrimages to the mosque at Makkah, which is located directly across the street.  The Tower contains a 4-story shopping mall with regional and themed Arabian items for sale and a garage that can hold over a 1,000 cars.  The Tower and the surrounding residential buildings were all a part of the King Abdul Aziz Endowment Project and are designed to be the iconic symbol of hospitality in the Holy City.

Conco is a leading supplier of concrete services for the Western United States and is once again involved in doing concrete work for a major landmark project. The new Wilshire Grand Center will reshape the Los Angeles skyline as the tallest building west of the Mississippi.  As a part of the project, Conco successfully poured the largest continuous mat foundation ever done in the U.S. on February 15, 2014.

The Greenest Buildings in America

Most experts agree that a LEED Platinum certification or the equivalent is the standard for sustainable designs that clearly identify the best energy and water efficient buildings.  Other systems for rating green building are Green Star in Australia, DGNB in Germany, BREEAM in the UK, and CASBEE in Japan.  Generally accepted as the leading international standard, LEED ratings are being used to rate projects throughout the world.

By recognizing what constitutes the best green standards and how well a design translates into actual performance, we can gather data to be used for future projects.  Engineers, architects, and builders have taken the challenge and are moving forward to create greener office buildings, homes, and industrial parks.

It is recommended that the decision to build green is done as early as possible in the design stage as even the site choice can be a factor.  It will help to reduce costly missteps down the road.  A few examples of some of the greenest buildings in North America are:

·     Manitoba Hydro Place in Winnipeg, Canada – extensively used recycled building materials and has geothermal and thermal accumulators for heating/cooling.

·      Bank of America Tower, New York City – currently holds the distinction of being the only skyscraper with a Platinum LEED rating in the U.S.

·      Genzyme Center in Cambridge, Mass. – has a beautiful 12-story central atrium that allows for 75% of the employees to work in natural light.

·     Twelve West in Portland, Ore. – is equipped with four 45’ high wind turbines mounted on the roof and provides 9,000 kilowatt hours of energy per year.

·   Charles David Keeling Apartments, La Jolla, CA – receives extra points for utilizing the building’s site to its maximum potential and regulating temperatures with thermal mass.

Discover the experience of working with one of the top professional commercial concrete contractors in the Colorado Springs area.  Conco has been in business since 1959 delivering first-rate concrete services and has all the experience and expertise to handle even the most challenging projects. 

What is LEED?

LEED is a nationally recognized organization that stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.  It was started in 1998 by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).  The purpose of LEED is 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 that LEED is comprised of are reviewed and publically updated from time to time by the USGBC membership that numbers close to 20,000.  Energy efficiency and protecting or using renewable resources are some of the key issues that LEED promotes. 

They provide certifications to buildings based on their specific guidelines and the higher the points for achieving those goals, the higher the certification.  Buildings receive the endorsement of Certified, Silver, or Gold – right through to Platinum, the highest award.

There are five basic categories for which points are earned:

·         Sustainable Sites

·         Water Efficiency

·         Energy and Atmosphere

·         Materials and Resources

·         Indoor Environmental Quality

Extra points can be achieved through special recognition of Innovation in Design and Regional Priorities.  Regional points are earned when a builder has taken care to lessen or eliminate the harmful impacts on a sensitive, local environment.   

Even things like installing energy-efficient appliances and heating and cooling systems will increase the LEED certification.  The same goes for using recycled materials.  LEED endorsements are used for residential homes, commercial and industrial buildings as well as whole neighborhood projects.   

The organization states that new construction buildings with a LEED certification have a higher market demand than non-LEED certified buildings.   Not to mention the healthier environment for the occupants.  

When your project demands exceptional services and the best value, Conco can deliver.  We have been offering premium concrete services throughout the Western U.S. since 1959, and have a regional office in the Denver area.  With state-of-the-art equipment and modern facilities, we work diligently to meet goals and stay within budget.

Making Concrete More Environmentally Friendly

Water is the only substance in the world that is used more than concrete.  Concrete is the material that is used to construct most of the buildings in our cities, highways, bridges, and great entertainment venues like football stadiums and theaters.  It is readily available and made from abundant resources found locally.  Concrete has a long life-span and can be recycled once a building or other structure outlives its usefulness.  The industry provides millions of jobs right here in America.   

An article from the Smithsonian.com reports that in 2010, the world produced 3.6 billion tons of cement and that figure is only expected to go higher in the future.  So the only problem with concrete is that in the process of producing cement, which is an essential ingredient in concrete, it sends carbon dioxide gas into the atmosphere. 

The making of cement involves heating a mix of limestone and other minerals in large kilns at temperatures over 2700 degrees F with fossil fuels to run the kilns.  Scientists estimate that the production of cement ends up creating 5% of the human-generated carbon dioxide (CO2) believed to contribute to global warming.  

Obviously we are not going to stop using concrete and there is a lot of research being done to come up with solutions.  Furthermore we must factor in concrete’s sustainability to mitigate the environmental impact. 

In terms of research, one recent study from the Niels Bohr Institute at the University of Copenhagen reports successfully making stronger cement out of waste ash.  Waste ash is a by-product from sugar production.  The research indicates that “the ash helps to bind water in the cement so that it is stronger, can withstand higher pressure and crumbles less.  At the same time, energy is saved and pollution from cement production is reduced.”

*Read more: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/Building-a-Better-World-With-Green-Cement.html#ixzz2jzJBadNX

from @SmithsonianMag on Twitter

*Taken from an article from the University of Copenhagen - Niels Bohr Institute (2013, September 16). Environmentally friendly cement is stronger than ordinary cement.

Discover the experience of working with one of the top professional commercial concrete contractors in the Colorado Springs area.  Conco has been in business since 1959 delivering first-rate concrete services and has all the experience and expertise to handle even the most challenging projects.