Key Ingredient in Concrete – Portland Cement

Portland cement is the most common type of cement and typically originates from limestone.  It is the key ingredient in concrete, mortar and stucco and used throughout the world.  When added to concrete, it is the paste that binds the aggregate (consisting of gravel and sand) with the water. 

Constructing Today’s Skyscrapers Require the Use of Tower Cranes

Tower cranes are essential to constructing the extremely tall skyscrapers being built today such as the Wilshire Grand Center in Los Angeles.  Capable of lifting very heavy loads of steel, concrete, generators and other building materials, tower cranes can be erected taller and taller as the building moves skyward.  Wikipedia cites the typical maximum unsupported height of a tower crane is 265 feet; the maximum reach of the jib is 230 feet, and the maximum lifting strength is 19.8 tons.   

Before it is ready for use, a tower crane is stabilized at the jobsite by constructing a concrete pad that is embedded with large anchor bolts used to secure the base of the crane.  When the crane reaches its maximum height, it is tied to the side of the skyscraper with steel collars so it can move upward as needed. 

The gears and motor of the crane are contained in the slewing unit, which is attached to the mast and allows the crane to rotate.   Set on top of that is a long jib used to lift the heavy materials and a counter-jib that is used as a counter-weight to keep the crane balanced.  A crane operator controls the unit from the ground or in a cab located on the top of the tower.

The mast of the crane is comprised of a series of vertebras generally 10 square feet in size.  Once the crane is fastened to the exterior of a building, or in some cases to the interior, a process is started to build the crane taller by adding new vertebra pieces.  The climbing frame, which sits just below the slewing unit and on top of the tower, temporarily supports that section of the mast as the jib moves a new segment into place.  After the new piece is bolted down, the climbing frame moves up higher along the mast to get ready to repeat the process. 

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: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crane_(machine)#Tower_crane  

Intern & Graduate Positions with one of the Nation’s Top Concrete Contractors

It is not often that the opportunity to train with some of the leading experts in the commercial concrete industry comes along.  At The Conco Companies, we recognize the importance of providing interns and new graduates a way to gain quality hands-on experience.  Our Concrete Estimator and Project Engineer positions offer hard-working, talented individuals the chance to do just that. 

For anyone wishing to apply for the Concrete Estimator positions, the jobs are with the East Bay Construction Company that has offices in Southern California and Seattle.  Our Conco professionals are committed to training these individuals.  The job of a Concrete Estimator includes preparing a project estimate, bid, and schedule for commercial construction projects as well as interpreting plans and specifications.  Individuals will learn how to evaluate subcontract, vendor and supplier quotes as well as prepare RFI’s.      

Currently all of our Project Engineer intern and graduate positions are out of our Concord offices, and again, Conco professionals will train individuals.  As a Project Engineer, some of your duties will include handling daily paperwork such as inspection requests and safety and pre-task reports.  You will also learn the requirements for processing Requests for Information (RFI’s) documents and oversee field fixes, schedule deliveries and manpower to jobsites, and attend jobsite meetings with the Project Manager.  Furthermore, you will work with the Project Manager to adjust delivery/crane/manpower schedules based on needs. 

   

Anyone seeking these positions should have comprehensive written and verbal communication skills and a proficiency in Microsoft Excel and Word.  Please see our website for our complete job qualifications and application details.  Conco is an exciting place to work and our extensive expertise has allowed us to be a part of many distinguished projects throughout the Western United States.  We invite you to come join our team!

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.

Opening for an IT Manager Position at Conco

One of the top commercial concrete contractors in the nation is seeking a qualified IT Manager.  The Conco Companies are looking for a leader to support the current and future needs of our business and to be responsible for administering, maintaining and implementing information technology networks and systems. 

As Conco’s IT Manager, you will be responsible for coordinating all operational support activities within the IT department along with providing technical support for IT solutions to advance mission-critical organization operations.  In addition you will work closely with decision makers from within all departments throughout our companies to identify, recommend and implement cost-effective technology support solutions.  

Job duties include tasks such as overseeing the IT department’s operational planning and organizing, and negotiating allocation of IT and hardware resources.  Furthermore, the IT Manager will facilitate technology team yearly goals and development plans as well as lead efforts to control our information technology’s annual operating and capital budgets. 

In terms of experience, it is preferred that applicants possess a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Business or a related field and have at 3 years or more management experience.  Furthermore, applicants should have 6 years of broad operational IT experience in a medium to large company in the construction industry. 

Along with professional qualification, applicants need to be self-motivated along with the ability to communicate ideas in a business-friendly and user-friendly language.  The individual should desire to make a difference in our company and be ready to effectively collaborate with a group of highly talented colleagues.  Applicants also need to be willing to travel to Conco locations in the Bay Area; Southern California-Los Angeles Area; Seattle, Washington; and Denver, Colorado.  Please see our website for complete job description and application details.  

Conco is a leading supplier of concrete services for the Western United States. We have built a reputation on superior concrete formwork, reinforcing, place and finish, shotcrete and other ancillary services that benefit from our vast experience.  We have four regional offices to serve Southern and Northern California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada and Colorado. 

The Tradition behind the “Topping Off Ceremony”

Just like many groups of workers, the construction industry also has its own set of traditions and ceremonies.  One such interesting tradition is the “topping off (or topping out) ceremony,” which is a builders’ rite held when the last beam is placed atop a structure during construction.  

The tradition started out as a religious rite in ancient Scandinavian countries.  Wikipedia states that the practice consisted of placing a tree atop a newly finished building as a way to “appease the tree-dwelling spirits displaced in its construction.”  To mark the celebration, a meal was prepared for the workers and a toast made to the success of the project.    

In America the topping off ceremony usually includes painting the last beam white and then having it signed by all the construction workers as well as the rest of the team involved in the construction project.  Another part of the tradition is to place an evergreen tree or leafy branch on top of the last beam along with the American flag; although if a death occurred as a result of the construction process, a tree is not used.  A meal or a toast may be included, and it is often used as an opportunity to hold a media event to promote the new building.  

Along with the U.S., the tradition is still common in Canada, the United Kingdom, Austria, Iceland, Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Poland among others.   Another tradition, Pannenbier, which means (roof) tile beer, is popular in the Netherlands and Flanders.  It involves hanging a flag up once a building reaches its highest point.  The World Library site says, “The flag (usually the national, regional or city flag) then stays in place until the owner of the building provides (free) beer to the workers, after which the flag is lowered. It is considered greedy if the flag is flown for more than a couple of days.”

At The Conco Companies, we are a leading concrete contractor 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: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Topping_out, worldlibrary.org/articles/topping_out

Ready-mixed Concrete

While concrete is produced in several different forms, ready-mixed concrete is the most common.  In fact the Portland Cement Association (PCA) states that almost seventy-five percent of concrete is used as a ready-mixed form.  Referred to as RMC, the concrete is batched at a factory or batching plant rather than mixed at the jobsite.  This provides the advantage of producing precise concrete mixes as well as reducing congestion at the jobsite.  The first concrete mixing plants were built in the 1930s.

Each batch of RMC is mixed according to an exact recipe as designated by the contractor to meet the project specifications.  Once the concrete is mixed, it is quickly transported to the job site in concrete mixing trucks.   If the material is mixed during the trip to the jobsite, it is call transit-mixed or truck-mixed.  Sometimes it is partially mixed in-transit and the process completed once it reaches the placement site. 

Often with transit-mixed concrete, the water is kept separate from the cement and aggregate until it is fully mixed right before placement.  According to the Portland Cement Association, the reason behind this approach is “to avoid the problems of premature hardening and slump loss that result from potential delays in transportation or placement of central-mixed concrete.”  Also transit-mixing can be used for those times when the jobsite is a distance from the batching plant. 

The disadvantage to transit-mixing is that the cement mixer cannot carry as large of a load of concrete as it can if the concrete is already completely mixed.  Shrink-mixed concrete, which is the process of partially mixing the concrete at the plant, reduces the volume of the mixture and increases the capacity of the load.  The rest of the mixing is done during transit or at the jobsite.

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/cement-concrete-basics/products/ready-mixed-concrete