High-quality Concrete Services in the Portland Area

Over the last couple of years, The Conco Companies have expanded our concrete services in the greater Portland area.  We now offer a full range of services including premium concrete pumping, rebar fabrication and installation, shotcrete, and formwork.  In addition we provide Conco customers a great value when they take advantage of our design/build, general contracting and turnkey solutions.  

Qualified Ironworkers Needed for Leading Concrete Contractors

Want to work for one of the nation’s top commercial concrete contractors?   With the steady increase of construction projects getting underway, The Conco Companies are seeking experienced carpenters, cement masons, laborers, operating engineers and ironworkers.  If you are a hardworking individual interested in getting ahead, we have openings in our Northern California, Southern California, Washington, and Colorado locations. 

As one of Conco’s elite ironworkers, you will be involved in many aspects of a construction project.  Our ironworkers perform all reinforcing work in connection with field fabrication, including but not limited to the pre-assembly of reinforcing cages, loading and unloading, handling, racking, sorting, cutting, bending, hoisting, and the intermittent use of forklifts.  Furthermore, if it is within Conco’s scope of work at a particular jobsite, you will be responsible for burning, welding and tying of all material including mechanical tying devices or substitute material, which may include carbon fiber and fiberglass, composites, stainless steel used to reinforce concrete structures excluding FOB deliveries.

Additionally we need ironworkers for maintenance on our larger-sized projects for the times we pour concrete on to reinforced steel, wire mesh and paper back steeltex.  The work also includes providing assistance for installing, aligning, and repairing or modifying panelized roof systems, pre-engineered fabric structures and more.  The Ironworker Fence Erector job duties entail all work done in connection with field fabrication, erection and construction of chain link fences, enclosures, ornamental fences, gates, playground equipment, etc.    

Our ironworker jobs are union positions except for those in Colorado, and Conco offers competitive wages as well as medical and retirement benefits.  We offer individuals an exciting opportunity to become part of a team and to help in the construction of some of America’s most significant landmarks projects.  Please see our website for complete job descriptions and contact information.  We also have an application available to download. 

Conco is one of the leading concrete contractors in the Western United States and offers a wide range of innovative, quality services.  Our concrete services include commercial, educational, parking and other construction development as well as public works projects.  We have regional offices serving Northern California, Southern California, Washington State, Oregon, Colorado and Nevada.

Why We Should Recycle Concrete

Along with efficiently using energy resources, it is also important to efficiently use and recycle raw materials whenever possible.  As concrete is the most widely used man-made material in the world, it is essential that we responsibly produce, use and recycle it. 

The benefits of recycling concrete are numerous.  Using recycled building materials reduces the amount of new raw materials that must be extracted, transported and processed.   Another huge benefit of recycling concrete from demolished buildings and highways is it reduces the amount of material that would otherwise go into a landfill. 

In the recycling process, once a building is demolished, crews start preparing the concrete by removing as many contaminates as possible including roofing, trash, wood, and other miscellaneous materials.  The quality of care that is taken at the job site can improve the outcome of the recycled material.  In fact, many recycling facilities will not accept concrete that is not reasonably clean.    

The recycling process involves crushing, pre-sizing, sorting, screening and eliminating contaminants.  It is then cleaned with water to remove dirt and any other remaining materials.  It is especially important to remove materials such as asphalt, sealant, chlorides and gypsum.  

Also of value is the reinforced steel (rebar) that is embedded in the concrete.  It is removed at the recycling site using huge magnets that attract and identify the steel.  After removal, the rebar is sent to facilities that specialize in steel materials. 

Recycled concrete is used as aggregate in new concrete as well as for fill, drainage, or as sub-base gravel before asphalt or concrete is poured. The Portland Cement Association says, “The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) reports that eleven states use recycled concrete aggregate in new concrete. These states report that concrete with recycled aggregate performs equal to concrete with natural aggregates.”

The Conco Companies are a leading supplier of concrete services for the Western U.S. and 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 currently serve California, Washington, Oregon, Nevada and Colorado.

Source:concretethinker.com/solutions/Recycled-Content.aspx

Growing our Geographic Footprint and Services

 

If you have not kept up with what’s new at The Conco Companies, we are continuing to grow our operations with upgrading and expanding equipment and facilities as well as our geographic footprint in an effort to better serve our customers.  With headquarters in the Bay Area, we currently offer premium concrete services to the following cities and surrounding communities: Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Jose, Sacramento, Seattle, Portland, Denver, Colorado Springs and Reno. 

By keeping our facilities up-to-date with the latest technology, it has allowed us to become one of the largest reinforcing steel and post-tension cable contractors in the West.  Our two modern, state-of-the-art rebar facilities are located in California and Washington.  In addition we have the expertise to design and implement forms that are certain to meet all of your job specifications and requirements.  We bring a coordinated team approach and numerous in-house resources to every project, and can serve as a single source on all formwork from the design stage, to fabrication, to placement.

In addition our Conco Pumping Company serves most of our locations and has a proven record for offering unique solutions and a wide range of placing options.  In yet another area that Conco has built an excellent reputation in is our shotcrete services.  We have taken a leading role in the developing field of sculptured shotcrete walls that have structurally integrity as well as being attractive.

We are also frontrunners in the industry with obtaining our Stud Rail Fabrication certification for Conco’s rebar facilities.  The Stud Rail certification allows us to provide cost-effective solutions that simplify the method of reinforcement for flat concrete slabs against punching shear at the column connection.  The prefabricated Stud Rail Assemblies offer faster installation which helps to reduce time and labor costs and also increases design flexibility. 

The Conco Companies 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.

The Aggregate in Concrete

The Conco Companies offer a range of services that include quality concrete formwork, reinforcing, place and finish, and shotcrete.  We also own a fleet of construction hauling trucks and operate one of the largest pumping companies in the U.S.  Our many years in the industry and extensive experience mean we have dealt with all types of concrete mixes.

Concrete is a mixture of cement, aggregates, and water and it is important to use the right type of aggregate as it influences the concrete mix in strength, durability, workability, hardening, and ultimately the cost.  The aggregate is an inert material that accounts for 60 to 75% of the volume, 70 to 85% of the weight and originates from sand, gravel or crushed stones.   Fine aggregate is typically defined as a mix of natural sand or crushed stones with a majority of particles smaller than 3/16^th of an inch or 5mm (although some define it as less than 4.75mm).  Coarse aggregate is crushed stones or gravel particles that are larger than 3/16^th of an inch or 5mm (or as some define it as larger than 4.75mm.).  

Generally the aggregate used in concrete mixes comes from natural sand or gravel pits, rivers, seas or lake beds, hard-rock quarries, or underground mines.  The type of materials used as the aggregate effect the concrete more when it is wet than once it has cured.  When the gravel is extremely rough or irregularly shaped, it requires more water in the mix as well as more cement to give it the proper consistency. 

Aggregate is prepared by crushing, washing, and putting it through a grading process.  Grading is important as it determines the paste requirements for the concrete and regulates how much of the costly cement will be needed.  According to the Portland Cement Association, “Although some variation in aggregate properties is expected, characteristics that are considered include: grading, durability, particle shape and surface texture, abrasion and skid resistance, unit weights and voids, and absorption and surface moisture.”

Source: cement.org/cement-concrete-basics/concrete-materials/aggregate

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 four regional offices serving California, Washington, Oregon, Nevada and Colorado. With state-of-the-art equipment and modern facilities, we work diligently to meet goals and stay within budget.

Today’s Modern Equipment Saves Time on a Jobsite

The Conco Companies are one of the top commercial concrete contractors and independent reinforcing steel and post-tension cable suppliers in the Western United States, and as such, we recognize the need to finish projects on time and on budget.  This is why we continue to purchase and utilize the most up-to-date equipment to help us successfully fulfill our commitments.  

As one of our lesser known pieces of timesaving equipment, Telebelts are designed to move heavy materials on or off a jobsite quickly and easily.  Telebelts are a mobile telescopic belt conveyor that is very versatile and comes in a variety of sizes.  This type of equipment is used to place high volumes of concrete, gravel, rock, and backfill fast and efficiently to save time and labor.  The set-up on a Telebelt is easy to do, and since it is mobile, offers the option to move around a jobsite as needed and is ideal for jobs that would otherwise have few options but to wheelbarrow material by hand.

Telebelts are fast and efficient with outputs up to 5 cubic yards per minute.  They are perfect for use in low clearance areas or under bridges and can go into limited access structures.  One example is a Putzmeister TB 130 that has a horizontal reach of 126’ 6” and a maximum rated capacity of 360 cubic yards an hour.  The unit has a 360 degree hydraulic rotation and a variety of hopper options.   

To demonstrate how we utilize Telebelts in a project, Conco recently had to backfill 2,900 tons of crushed rock in just three 8-hour days.  There was no room for error as any delay in placing the material would impact other jobs on the project.  To finish on time, we brought in our Direct Feed trailer which allows a Superdump, Transfer, End Dump or 10-Wheeler to unload its contents directly into the hopper attached to the trailer.  The material was then fed from the hopper onto one of our Telebelts.  The Telebelt placed the material directly at the point of placement, which all helped in our efforts to meet a tight deadline.

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 four regional offices serving California, Washington, Oregon, Nevada and Colorado. With state-of-the-art equipment and modern facilities, we work diligently to meet goals and stay within budget.

Conco’s Pumps are Located to Conveniently Serve the West

The Conco Companies’ pumping and belting division is one of the largest in the United States and is a very important and busy part of our operations.  After our historic Wilshire Grand mat pour, Conco got right to work on the attached parking structure and 73-story building that make up the project.  Our crews will be pumping approximately 80,000 yards of concrete vertically, which includes both lightweight concrete and 8,000 psi mixes. 

On the jobsite, we kept both of the placing boom towers that were used on the mat pour and brought in two additional placing booms to help with the construction of the underground parking structure.  We will use one of our trailer pumps to place shotcrete for the vertical concrete in the subterranean levels. 

In order to conveniently serve the pumping needs of our customers in Southern California, Northern California, Washington, Oregon, and Nevada, we have equipment strategically located throughout these areas.   To serve the Los Angeles area, we have a pumping facility in nearby Gardena and another based out of San Bernardino County.  Two pumping facilities in Martinez and Stockton service the Bay Area and Northern California.  For Washington and Oregon customers, our pumping facilities are based in nearby Kent and Rochester, WA.    

Our impressive fleet of pumps permit us to take on a project of the magnitude of the Wilshire Grand in Los Angeles, the Salesforce Tower in San Francisco, and the San Francisco 49ers Levi Stadium just to name a few.   We continue to expand our inventory of pumps and over the last several years have made large capital investments on equipment such as three brand new Schwing 58X long boom concrete pumps and several new 20, 39 and 47 meter pumps as well as new Telebelts. 

One of our most recent acquisitions included help from us to design and then to purchase the first, two Schwing S 36X pumps with tremmie options that allow us to safely support up to 1,100 at the boom.  All of our new pumps meet the latest emissions standards.

The Conco Companies has built a reputation in the greater Los Angeles area with first-class concrete reinforcing, formwork, place and finish, shotcrete and other ancillary services that benefit from our vast experience.  We have offered premium concrete services throughout the Western U.S. since 1959, and have four regional offices serving California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada and Colorado.

The History of Concrete Pumps

As a leading commercial concrete contractor, the Conco Companies have had our share of challenging jobs placing concrete over our more than 50 years in the industry.  Our success can be attributed to not only our seasoned team of professional engineers, managers, and pump operators but also to our impressive inventory of pumps conveniently located in California, Washington, Oregon, Colorado, and Nevada.

Many projects that have been built since the end of World War II would not have been possible without the use of concrete pumps.  Records show that the first patent for a concrete pump was applied for in 1913 by C. A. Cornell and S. A. McKee of the U.S. with little further development done at that time.  In 1927, after unsuccessfully attempting to lift concrete to the top of a war memorial in Germany, engineer Fritz Hell started working on a pump that would do that type of job.  Three years later the Rexnord Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin introduced the Pumpcrete.  Its inventor was C. W. LeValley. 

Many of the early innovations in pump designs were done by the Germans along with other Europeans as they had the need for such equipment during their reconstruction period following WWII.  Information from Ritchiewiki Everything About Equipment site, says the first hydraulic pump was developed by the Torket Company of Germany in the 1950s using water to operate.  They add that in 1957, “the Schwing Company manufactured a fully hydraulic double-cylinder pump that used an oil-operated ram with a water-flushed cylinder.”

During the 1980s and 90s, many of the largest manufacturers of concrete pumps were located in Germany and Japan.  Today manufacturers are located across the globe with the U.S. having several major manufacturers as most large construction projects rely on pumps to place the concrete such as skyscrapers, bridge pilings, dams, and tunnels.  The ability to pour concrete using modern, state-of-the-art pumps saves projects both time and money.

Sources:

ritchiewiki.com/wiki/index.php/Concrete_Pump

concretepumping.com/dictionary/index.php/The_PumpCrete_by_Rexnord_

or_Chain_Belt_is_believed_to_be_the_worlds_first_Concrete_Pump_1930

For over 50 years, Conco has provided premium concrete services throughout the Western United States and is one of the most trusted concrete contractors in the Seattle area.  We partner with clients on every project from the pre-construction stage right through to final completion to maximize efficiency and ensure goals and budgets are met.  Our concrete services include commercial, educational, parking and other construction development as well as public works projects.

Cast-in-place Concrete

By Conco  

Cast-in-place concrete is a commonly used building material for commercial and residential structures and accounts for 75% of all concrete used.  The process starts with a temporary form in which reinforcement such as steel bars (rebar) may be added.  The next step is to pour the liquid, ready mix concrete that has been transported to the jobsite (it may in some cases be mixed on site) into the removable forms.

Using cast-in-place offers the same benefits as other types of concrete such as durability, and strength and can use some recycled material.  It is resilient when faced with severe weather conditions such as tornados as well as resistant to mold, rot, bugs, and fire.  The thermal mass of the concrete helps to reduce a building’s energy costs and has the added benefit of acting as a sound insulator.  Moreover the concrete is ready to use once the forms are stripped and does not require any further treatment.

Originally this method was only used for sub-grade walls but the renowned inventor, Thomas Edison, experimented with using cast-in-place concrete on above-grade projects.  He demonstrated the success of his work by constructing several homes that were made entirely out of cast-in-place concrete.  With many improvements and new developments since then, cast-in-place is now used for constructing slabs, walls, beams columns floors, and roofs as well as for forming special architectural features.

The forms need to remain in place until the concrete is self-supporting.  Since one of the primary costs of cast-in-place is the forming process, using prefabricated formwork can help speed up a job and save money.  They are assembled on site and can be reused over and over again.

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 steadily taken a leading role as one of the Bay Area’s top concrete contractors. 

Why Concrete Shrinks and How it is Addressed

All concrete experiences some degree of shrinkage, which can result in cracks in the concrete.  Shrinkage may also affect the long-term strength and durability of the concrete.  Even though concrete contractors know that shrinkage is caused by a loss of volume that occurs in different stages of the process, it is still challenging to prevent or alleviate shrinkage, and thereby the cracking.  It is especially an important consideration when constructing industrial floors or pavement.

Since shrinking is one of the inherent properties of concrete, it is impossible to totally eliminate cracking but it can be controlled.  This is why contractors and engineers work to understand and address the volume change in concrete to reduce the amount of shrinkage.

According to the Portland Cement Association, “The shortening of concrete slabs can be caused by temperature decreases or moisture loss. These two causes are also related to curling and warping of slabs, respectively. Curling is the deformation of the slab due to a difference in temperature between the surface and the bottom of the slab (temperature gradient).  Slab “warping” is the deformation of the slab surface profile due to a difference in moisture between the surface and bottom of the slab (moisture gradient).”* 

To quickly move and place concrete, it is mixed with more water than is absolutely necessary for hydrating the cement materials.  Once the concrete is placed, the excess water separates from the hardening concrete, which results in a loss of volume that causes the concrete to shrink.  The concrete’s reinforcement or base friction works to restrain it, which in turn can create tensile stresses in the slab causing cracks. 

In an effort to prevent the shrinkage, one of the things that contractors watch out for is fluctuating temperatures during the first 24 hours after placement.  Also considerable care is taken to use the correct concrete mixture design so that the least amount of extra water is added and the largest size of aggregate is used.  All of this works toward reducing shrinkage.

*http://www.cement.org/for-concrete-books-learning/concrete-technology/focus-on-floors/concrete-shrinkage

 

Conco is one of the leading commercial concrete contractors in Sacramento and has been delivering first-rate services in the area since 1959.  We are experts at creating cost-effective solutions that take advantage of the most up-to-date techniques.  Our concrete services include commercial, educational, parking and other construction development as well as public works projects.

 

Eighth Tallest Buildings in the World

Our eighth skyscraper in a series of blogs regarding the tallest buildings in the world is the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.  The Towers became the tallest buildings in the world in 1998 by replacing Chicago's Willis (Sears) Tower until the Taipei 101 surpassed them in 2004.  They still retain the honor of being the tallest twin towers in the world. 

Architect on the project was Cesar Pelli & Associates who designed the postmodern building to create a distinct icon that promoted Kuala Lumpur as a commercial and cultural capital for the new millennium.  Planning on the Towers started in 1992 and the buildings were officially opened in August, 1999.  Engineer on the project was Thornton-Tomasetti Engineers and contractors were Mayjus and SKJ Joint Ventures.

Both of the Petronas Towers stand at 1,483 ft. and have a massive 10.7 million sq. ft. of space.  One of the most remarkably and well-known features of the skyscrapers is a dramatic two-​story bridge on the 41st and 42^nd floors that links the two buildings together.  It is the world’s highest double-decked bridge and is intended to symbolize a gateway to the future and provide stunning views of Kuala Lumpur.

According to the Petronas website, the building of the Towers required the single largest and longest concrete pour in Malaysian history.  It took 13,200 cubic meters of concrete that was continuously poured over 54 hours for each of the towers.  By the end of the pours, each Tower had a record-breaking slab with 104 piles that formed the foundation.  

 

 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.