Commercial Concrete in Los Angeles

Los Angeles is a major city that brings together many industries and people, and with that comes a wide range of ways people describe it. One characterization that may offer an overarching theme is it’s that of a place with an ever-changing cityscape. Los Angeles is a city as fluid and flexible as the materials that created the city. Beneath the evergreen transformation of the city lies concrete, an important component of each project due to its strength, durability, and versatility. In order to meet the constant demand for reshaping the city is the need for a skilled commercial concrete contractor in Los Angeles.

The Topping Out of the East County Detention Center

Recently The Conco Companies announced the topping out of the East County Detention Center, a 500,000 SF expansion and replacement to the existing Riverside County Jail.  The project’s General Contractor is Clark Construction and the architect is HOK.  The $330 million project will add another 1,626 beds to the facility once it is complete.   

Seeking an Experienced Senior Project Engineer for Fontana, California

The Conco Companies are looking for an experienced full-time Senior Project Engineer for our Los Angeles Region.  The preferred qualifications for the position include possessing a Bachelor’s degree in Construction, Civil Engineering, Construction Management or a related program of study, but are NOT a requirement.  We also ask that applicants have a minimum of four years of related construction (vertical, commercial) experience in the local market.  

Our Extensive Fleet of Pumps Offers Your Project Many Benefits

The Conco Companies have a long history of providing exceptional concrete services for a wide range of projects using our extensive fleet of concrete pumps and ancillary equipment.  Since 1975, we have owned and operated one of the largest concrete pumping and belting companies in the U.S., and have the capability and resources to handle the most challenging project specifications.   

The Wilshire Grand is Now Open

One of The Conco Companies most impressive projects over the last few years was providing concrete services on the Wilshire Grand Center in downtown L.A.  Now after four years of construction, the 73-story tower officially opened on June 23, 2017.  Costing $1.35 billion, the 1,100 ft. tall skyscraper is the tallest building west of the Mississippi.   The opening ceremony for the skyscraper included local dignitaries and politicians as well as the owners of the building, Korean Air.  

Award-winning Residential Tower

The Ten Thousand, a luxurious apartment building in Century City that borders Beverly Hills, was recently recognized as a “Gold Winner” in the category of the Best Multi-family Project from the LA Business Journal‘s Commercial Real Estate Awards.  The Conco Companies were honored to provide concrete services on the 40-story, 483-foot residential tower, which is quickly becoming one of the area’s iconic architectural landmarks.  The developer as well as owner of the $300 million project is Crescent Heights.  The architect is Handel Architects and Shamir Shah Design the interior designer.  Swinerton Builders is the general contractor.     

Follow the Wilshire Grand’s Progress as it Prepares to Open

From the deconstruction of the old hotel on the site that began in Oct 2012, to the bottoming-out ceremony that took place a little over a year later, the 73-story Wilshire Grand is now receiving the final finishing touches.  Throughout much of the construction, The Conco Companies have been honored to be a part of the exciting project, and now look forward to the scheduled opening in March.   

To get a good idea of how the skyscraper has taken shape of the last several months, take a look at the incredible pictures and videos of the progress on the Wilshire Grand’s facebook page.  One amazing example is a series of pictures covering the placement of the spire that topped the building’s height out at 1,100 feet.  The short video of the spire’s eye view of the September 6, 2016 installation that made the Wilshire Grand the tallest building in the West United States is fascinating. Also be sure to check out the picture of the Grand’s beautiful front lobby that was added to facebook in October 2016. 

The selection of videos includes a short introduction to the building and mentions many of its highlights and features including the fact that it will exemplify an outdoor and indoor connection for an authentic Los Angles’ experience.  It also talks about the plaza that will be a portal to the city-wide transit system, the sports and entertainment corridor, and the financial district as well as the historic 7^th Street.  With high-speed elevators to take passengers up to the 70^th floor sky lobby complete with a signature restaurant, rooftop pool and observation deck in just 45 seconds, the Wilshire Grand is sure to be one of L.A.’s top tourist destinations. 

Please visit Conco’s website to see more about the construction of the skyscraper as well as other projects in our extensive portfolio.  Our broad experience includes commercial, industrial, educational, healthcare, parking structures and other construction development. 

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.

LA Federal Court House Project Wins Prestigious Award

One of the projects that The Conco Companies were proud to be a part of was the construction of the Los Angeles Federal Court House, which is affectionately known as “The Floating Cube.”  We are now pleased to report that this innovative construction project has won the “2016 Outstanding Achievement and Excellence in Concrete Construction” award recently presented by the Southern California chapter of the American Concrete Institute.    

In addition the building has been selected by the committee to compete on the national level at the Fall 2017 ACI National convention.  The event is scheduled to take place on October 15-19 in Anaheim, CA.  The project has already earned a Green Good Design award for “Green Architecture” in 2014. 

The LA Federal Court House was designed to address the federal government’s blast and set-back requirements, which helped to create the unique cantilevered look of a “floating cube” over the stone base.  The $400 million project broke ground in August 2013 and was completed in 2016.  The construction process also included providing safeguards against the threat of bombs or earthquakes and is considered to be one of the safest buildings in the country.  In addition the 630,000 GSF building has one level of below-grade parking. 

Conco provided professional reinforcing services as well as the construction of the concrete shear walls and the foundation.  Also due to the building’s California location, it required seismic design to be part of the structural engineering process.  To control lateral drifts, a state-of-the-art roof truss system was designed and engineered by the architects, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. 

Conco would like to thank our partners at Clark Construction and Skidmore, Owings & Merrill design group for their forward thinking on design, innovation, and coordination that was required to achieve this distinguished Los Angeles landmark.   We will keep you posted on the outcome of the national competition next fall. 

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.

Conco Proudly Supports Innovative CSU-Chico Concrete Program

The Conco Companies are a proud supporter of the Concrete Industry Management (CIM) program at California State University, Chico. As one of the only programs of its kind in the Western half of the United States, CIM uniquely combines the academic curriculum of concrete sciences with practical business management skills and networking opportunities. CIM Graduates are prepared to become future leaders within the large and thriving concrete industry. In fact, in the last two years, 100% of program graduates have landed jobs in the concrete industry.  

CIM is truly unique not only in its ability to teach fundamental concrete industry skills to young, excited students. It also leverages the expertise of leaders from across the concrete industry, including Conco, who have contributed over $2 million in direct support for the programs efforts. CEOs and executive leaders at Fortune 500 companies in the concrete industry are frequent program lecturers, mentors, and speakers. Giving students the ability to rub elbows with the industry’s most respected leaders inspires and educates them on how to become the leaders of tomorrow.  

The CIM program is also hands on. Jerry Hight, Assistant Dean and Development Director at CSU Chico raves about student involvement in real construction projects in their area. “The Alcatraz project, the I-80 Cal-Trans project, are all opportunities for students to take the technology that they have learned in the classroom and apply it in a hands on fashion,” says Hight. Conco encourages anyone seeking a strong foundation in both the business and science of the concrete industry to check out CSU’s program. Donors and supporters of the program are constantly recruiting these amazing students and career opportunities for hardworking graduates are plentiful. 

Conco 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 entire cast-in-place concrete for the Wilshire Grand, the tallest building west of the Mississippi, along with other notable projects.  We serve California, Washington State, Oregon, Colorado and Nevada.

 

Training and Career Opportunities for Cement Masons

Did you know that ancient cement masons built concrete structures in Egypt 3,600 years ago that are still standing today?  Needless to say, cement masons are some of the oldest tradesmen who continue to this day to pass their skills on to the next generation via the apprenticeship model.  

What does a Cement Mason do?

Cement masons work on construction jobs and are responsible for pouring, smoothing, and perfecting concrete. Concrete construction work is physically challenging and cement masons are encouraged to stay in great physical shape. 

Becoming a Cement Mason

Although there are some formal cement mason training programs, most learn their skills via a formal apprenticeship. Those who are interested in becoming a cement mason are encouraged to seek a mentor and become an apprentice. In most cases, finding an apprenticeship requires contacting a local cement mason union or association and inquiring about their programs. 

Cement Mason Opportunities at The Conco Companies

At The Conco Companies, we are seeking qualified cement masons at all of our locations in Northern California, Southern California, Washington, and Colorado. With the exception of Colorado, these are all union positions with competitive wages, medical, and retirement benefits.  Conco is one the nation’s largest cement contractor and our employees work on incredibly exciting projects every day. As a Conco cement mason, you will be working on a wide variety of projects including buildings, highway construction, bridges, tunnels, airports, drainage systems, and sanitation projects.  See the Conco website for more details and contact information regarding our posting for cement masons.  

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.

Source: bigfuture.collegeboard.org/careers/construction-cement-masons-concrete-finishers

 

Safety –The Number One Priority of The Conco Companies

Safety has always been important in the successful operation of a concrete construction company.  At The Conco Companies, we understand that construction work presents many hazards. In addition to ensuring that all construction operations are performed in accordance with federal OSHA, WISHA, and local standards, we also go many steps above and beyond to protect our employees, partners and the general public.  

Safety Professionals

Conco employs a staff of safety and risk professionals. The job of these professionals is to work with the team to eliminate all construction and “over the road” risks.  This team can be found at our project locations carrying out frequent inspections, ensuring employee safety, and monitoring regulatory compliance.  

A Culture of Safety & Prevention

To create the safest environment, Conco believes that each and every team member must be trained in hazard prevention and safety standards. Hazard prevention is the core of our safety program. With an entire team who can identify unsafe working conditions and potential work related accidents these hazards can be eliminated early or prevented entirely through individual responsibility and awareness. Conco believes that when safety is the first consideration, everyone wins.  

Beyond Conco

We ensure that our partnerships with contractors are based on a mutual understanding that we will employ the highest standard of safety on all project sites. All projects are provided with a Site Specific Safety Plan and Pre-Task Planning, Injury and Illness Prevention Plan (IIPP)/ Accident Prevention Program (APP), and training is provided to all on Fall Protection, First-Aid/ CPR, Forklift Operation, OSHA 30, Material Rigging, Traffic Control, and all other related areas. 

Drug and Alcohol Free

We have a strict drug and alcohol ban on all project sites. Additionally, we offer drug and alcohol prevention programs to eliminate the use and possession or drugs and alcohol in the workplace. 

Conco 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 entire cast-in-place concrete for the Wilshire Grand, the tallest building west of the Mississippi, along with other notable projects.  We serve California, Washington State, Oregon, Colorado and Nevada.

What Makes Concrete An Ideal Building Material?

Concrete is one of the most popular building materials in the world and has maintained that popularity for centuries. What makes concrete so great and why has it been the staple building material since the ancient times? The answer includes a number of concrete’s distinct characteristics: long lasting durability, energy efficiency, cost effectiveness, proven safety, and sustainability. Let’s take a deeper look at each one of these characteristics of concrete.

Durability

Concrete is a material that is made to last. It’s resistant to most environmental exposures (weathering, chemicals, and abrasion) while still maintaining its engineering properties.

Energy Efficiency

When combined with other energy efficient remedies (such as radiant heating and cooling), concrete can reduce the energy requirements of a building by as much as 30%.

Affordability

Taking lifespan, energy efficiency, and overall cost of the material into consideration, concrete offers one of the most cost-effective means of constructing an energy-efficient building.

Safety

Concrete is an extremely safe building material for humans and pets. The materials used to create concrete are inert, non-flammable, will not rot, will not mold, does not release gas, and helps fight the entry of pollutants into the structure.

Sustainability

Concrete creates a steady temperature environment because heat passes slowly through the material. As a result, less heating or air-conditioning is needed to maintain a comfortable temperature. Over the lifetime of the building, this amounts to less energy use and cheaper energy bills.  Additionally, although concrete is not biodegradable, it can be recycled and easily repaired; thus, limiting the amount of concrete waste on the planet.

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: concretenetwork.com/concrete-homes/benefits.html

Impressive Concrete Structures in the United States

Concrete has been used as a building material for centuries. From early ancient structures, such as the Pantheon and Coliseum, to modern day masterpieces concrete is the material of choice for durable, affordable, and versatile construction. While the world is filled with impressive concrete structures, some of the world’s most stunning structures can be found right here in the United States. Here are five that we think are pinnacles of modern concrete construction.

Grand Coulee Dam, Washington State 

Boasting over 47 billion pounds of concrete, the Grand Coulee Dam is one of the largest concrete structures in the world. With that much concrete, you could build a highway from Seattle to Miami!

The Pentagon, Washington DC  

Much of the concrete filler for the Pentagon project was dredged from the grounds of the project and the Potomac River. In the end, the project used over one billion pounds of concrete.

The Venetian Hotel, Las Vegas

In 1999, the Venetian Hotel project captured the Guinness World Record for the longest continuous concrete pour at 21,000 cubic yards.

Wilshire Grand, Los Angeles

In February 2014, The Conco Companies conquered the Venetian Hotel’s continuous concrete pour world record of 21,000 cubic yards by 200 cubic yards on the Wilshire Grand project in Los Angeles. The 82 million pounds of concrete and was poured in just 18½ hours.

Trump Tower International Hotel and Tower, Chicago

The Trump Tower in Chicago, IL, completed in 2009, is the world’s tallest concrete-reinforced building. Weighing in at an impressive 720 million pounds of concrete, case studies have been dedicated to this incredible architectural feat.

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.

Sources:constructionchat.co.uk/articles/heaviest-concrete-structures-in-the-world/, chicagotribune.com/2008-08-18/news/0808170445_1_trump-tower-concrete-trump-international-hotel

What is a Concrete Pump?

A concrete pump is a machine which transfers mixed concrete (i.e. in liquid form) through pipes via a pumping action. Previously, when concrete was needed on a jobsite the materials were mixed onsite and transported via wheelbarrow or bucket. As you can imagine, this method became very tiresome and expensive for large-scale projects such as high-rises. Thankfully, in 1927 Max Giese and Fritz Hull designed a solution which pumps concrete through pipes from a single concrete source (this design was improved upon in 1957 with dual hydraulic cylinders and remains the standard design today).

Types of Concrete Pumps

There are two main types of concrete pumps: boom pumps and transport pumps.  A boom pump is a concrete pump with a remote-controlled “boom” arm attached and a line pump is a concrete pump that is attached to a vehicle. The principle difference between these two types of concrete pumps comes down to the additional appendage equipment attached to the pump and volume. Boom pumps can pump at higher volumes than transport pumps and are typically used for larger projects. Other concrete pump variations include:

• Mobile concrete pump (truck mounted mobile)
• Stationary pump
• Truck mounted static pump
• Truck mixer concrete pump

Outside of the increased convenience of having concrete pumped to the worksite, concrete pumps offer a number of additional benefits over manual methods. First and foremost, concrete pumps allow for a steady and precise flow of material creating a smooth finish. These tools also help to save time, reduce worker fatigue, and improve the quality of the concrete.

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.

Experts in Dealing with a Range of Concrete Challenges

The Conco Companies many decades of experience and abundant resources gives us the expertise to innovate unique solutions to address the various challenges faced by concrete contractors.  One such issue we faced head-on was in the planning stages of how we intended to pump concrete to reach the upper levels of the Wilshire Grand. 

The challenge we had to undertake required pumping concrete 650 feet horizontally and then 1,125 feet vertically to reach the upper levels of the skyscraper.  Furthermore, this would be the highest level that concrete was ever pumped in the city.  Along with the need to get concrete to the upper levels, we also needed to do the job without creating air pollution or too much noise for the adjacent office building.  This is where Conco’s ability to think out-of-the-box came in handy.   Our unique solution was to purchase a high pressure, high powered state-of-the-art electric pump.  

In fact we were the first concrete company on the West Coast to purchase a pump of this size.  The benefit of the pump is that since it is electric, it allows the project owner and contractor to meet guidelines imposed by Southern California for reduced emissions.  It also produces much less noise that a diesel powered pump, and with an occupied building less than 30 feet away from the jobsite, this was critical.

The new pump will be put to good use pumping more than 100,000 yards of concrete for the Wilshire Grand project and will also be used on the Salesforce Tower in S.F. as well as other Conco projects.  Please see our website to learn more about our broad range of projects and our unique expertise in adeptly handling the most challenging ones.           

Conco’s mission is to be the best supplier of concrete services in the Western U.S. and to bring experience, expertise and quality to each project. We continue to upgrade and expand facilities to better serve the growing market for a wide range of construction development. We have four regional offices serving California, Oregon, Nevada, Colorado and Washington.

Experienced Concrete Services for Large Public Works

Caltrans District 7 Headquarters Replacement Building

The Conco Companies vast portfolio of projects includes commercial, industrial, educational, healthcare and entertainment venues.  We also have extensive experience with providing concrete services for municipal, state and federal buildings.  

One such project is our involvement in the construction of the new U.S. Federal Courthouse in Downtown Los Angeles.  Breaking ground in 2013, the $400 million project will be one of the safest buildings in the country in terms of withstanding the threat of earthquakes or a bomb attack.  Commonly referred to as the “Cube” for its unique shape, the cubic volume of the building appears to “float” over the stone base.  

Since the courthouse is being constructed in an earthquake zone, seismic design was an important component of the structural engineering process.  Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, LLP (SOM) designed and engineered a state-of-the-art roof truss system to control lateral drifts.   The 630,000 GSF building is scheduled to be complete by 2016 and has already earned the Green Good Design award for Green Architecture in 2014.  

We also had the honor to provide concrete services for an American Institute of Architects (AIA) award winning building, the Caltrans District 7 Headquarters Replacement Building in L.A.   The project was designed by Thom Mayne of Morphosis Architects, Inc., who was the 2005 Laureate of the prestigious Pritzker Prize.  The Caltrans District 7 Headquarters building is thought to be one of his best works and the futuristic, 13-story building is often included on lists of prominent architectural sites to visit.

The initial concept for the new Caltrans building began in 2000 when the State sought designs for a building that would incorporate “world-class design excellence, sustainability, integration of art and architecture, and contribute to the revitalization of the civic center.”     The 716,200 sq. ft. building also has an underground parking structure that accommodates 1,142 vehicles.  Clark Construction served as the general contractor on the project and John A. Martin & Associates, Inc. was the engineer.  

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. Our offices serve California, Colorado, Oregon, Washington and Nevada.

 

Reinforced Concrete Supports Modern Architectural Designs

Structural concrete or reinforced concrete is classified as precast or cast-in-place concrete and provides the required strength to allow many of today’s challenging architectural designs to be achieved.  The amount of steel that is embedded into the concrete is based on each project’s specifications and steel reinforcing bars (rebar) are commonly used.  The rebar is placed in a formwork or mold and tied into place with wire that is referred to as the reinforcement cage.  The concrete is then prepared following the design mix specifications and poured into the form to set and harden.   

The development of reinforced concrete has made concrete the most commonly used type of building material throughout the world.  It offers a higher tensile strength and ductility than concrete alone and absorbs the tensile, shear, and even at times the compressive stresses in a concrete structure.  It is the type of concrete typically used in the construction of dams, bridges, skyscrapers, columns, beams, frames, and foundations.   

Many large skyscrapers, such as the One World Trade Center Tower and the new Wilshire Grand Center in Los Angeles are being built with a cast-in-place, reinforced concrete core.   The reinforced core walls in the One World Trade Center are 6 ft. thick below grade and more than 3ft. thick above ground level.  On the upper levels the concrete is 2 ft. thick throughout the core of the building.  The Wilshire Grand, one of the current projects that The Conco Companies are busy helping to construct, will have a four-foot-thick reinforced core that surrounds the staircase in the center of the building.  Neither of these super tall skyscrapers could have been built without the use of today’s reinforced concrete. 

Conco is a leading supplier of concrete services for the Western United States. 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, Washington, Oregon, Nevada and Colorado.