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.

How Do Concrete Pumps Work?

The Conco Companies have been working on the Wilshire Grand in Los Angeles, which is slated to become the tallest build west of the Mississippi.  This project has included our world record largest continuous mat pour last February and since then, moving and placing concrete on each level of the skyscraper. 

For help with the job, Conco purchased a new Schwing M31 concretepump that was specifically designed to handle the heavy lifting of concrete loads that in the past needed the assistance of cranes.  Our new tremmie pump has up to 1,100 pounds of capacity for lifting up to 60’ tremmies of 4” 11Ga. safely without a crane assist. 

So exactly how do concrete pumps work?  A concrete pump is a specialized piece of equipment that is designed to handle the heavy weight of concrete and to keep it moving to prevent it from solidifying.  The process starts with a concrete truck discharging concrete into a hopper that is located on the back of the pump truck.  From there the concrete falls through a mesh gate on the hopper that is used to prevent large pieces of rock from moving into the pump truck hoses.  An auger inside the hopper churns the concrete to keep it liquid and flowable. 

Now that the concrete is in the hopper, “it gets sucked into a valve system in small intervals or strokes. As some of the concrete is being sucked into the valve, the concrete before it is being simultaneously pushed through the concrete pipe on the pump truck boom until it reaches the end of the concrete hose and placed where you need it.”   

The concrete placement continues with the pump operator monitoring the process for any blockages and making sure the hopper stays full.  The safety and stability of the pump is provided by the front and back riggers and the ACPA says that, “Setting the outriggers of a concrete pump with placing boom is one of the most critical jobs of the concrete pump operator and should always be done in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommended procedure.”

The Conco Companies have built a reputation in the Los Angeles area with superior concrete formwork, reinforcing, place and finish, shotcrete and other ancillary services that benefit from our vast experience.  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.

Sources:

everything-about-concrete.com/how-does-a-concrete-pump-truck-work.html

concretepumpers.com/sites/www.concretepumpers.com/files/attachments/sb_outriggers_1.pdf 

Conco’s Concrete Pumps Available Throughout California

The Conco Companies have owned and operated one of the largest concrete pumping companies in the United States for over 40 years.  To remain a leader, we continue to invest in new concretepumps to provide customers one of the most modern, state-of-the-art operations on the West Coast. 

In fact our concrete pumps helped us to successfully undertake the largest continuous mat pour for the new Wilshire Grand tower this past February to break the Guinness World Record.  Also on this project, we will use our equipment to pump concrete to reach the top floors of the 1,100 ft. tall skyscraper that is scheduled to become the tallest building in the West once it is completed.

To serve our customers, we have a large fleet of 27 concrete pumps that are located in Northern California (12 pumps) and Southern California (15 pumps).  Our pumps are manufactured by two of the top names in the industry.  Putzmeister America, Inc. is the North American division of one of the most recognized and respected manufacturers of concrete and material placing equipment.  Schwing America is a member of the SCHWING Group, a worldwide designer, manufacturer and distributor of premium concrete production and handling equipment that is headquartered in Herne, Germany.

Both our Northern and Southern California locations have a Schwing 58SX long boom concrete pump that meets the latest emissions standards and is helping to reduce emissions at our jobsites.  With a 4-Section Overhead Roll and Fold, the innovative boom design works well on bridges, commercial and industrial work and has a reach of 175 feet. The versatile boom has a main section that articulates 180-degrees, which allows it to be angled away from the pour and then guided horizontally into enclosed areas, positioned vertically for elevated work, and stretched out over the cab for flatwork.

Another impressive pump we have available in both locations is the Putzmeister 36Z.  With its detachable Putzmeister Z-Fold boom, the 36Z has great reach.  It is the only four-section, 116-foot 10-inch boom on the market using X-style outriggers. The powerful pumping performance with a small footprint makes it perfect for restrictive job sites.

Conco is a leading supplier of concrete services for the Western United States.  We have four regional offices serving California, Washington, Oregon, Nevada and Colorado. Our concrete services include commercial, educational, parking and other construction development as well as public works projects.

How Do Articulating Booms Enhance Maneuverability?

The ultimate advancement in moving concrete has been the concrete pump.  The Conco Companies own an impressive number of different size pumps that gives us the opportunity to use the very best equipment available in the industry to meet the specifics of each job.

As the saying goes that you need to use the right tool for the right job so is it goes for concrete pumps.  Many jobs could not be done without the boom pumps that can reach up to 184 feet horizontally to place concrete on to the upper floors of today’s super tall skyscrapers but just as important to the industry are articulating boom pumps.    

Articulating booms known as roll-and-fold or Z-fold come in four-section multi-Z booms or five-section Z-Fold booms and offer a lot of versatility and a great working range.  These booms can maneuver around obstacles and be used to reach difficult places but still provide a good vertical reach (the exact amounts depends on the model).  Another advantage to articulating booms is even though they offer a long reach they are able to fold up to a much smaller size when transporting.   

One example of an articulating boom is the Putzmeister 28Z.  Conco thinks it is such an important addition to our booms that we have one in all of our pumping locations including the Seattle area.  The pump offers a smooth concrete flow while having the smallest front outrigger footprint of all models in its class.  Since the 28Z does not require a large vertical clearance to unfold, it can unfold inside of a building when a job calls for it.  The smaller size means it travels easily and can be set up quickly. 

These lighter and very resilient pumps can adapt to different loads and now feature longer straight pipe for a less stressful concrete flow and better wear on parts.  The multi-Z configuration can pump even if the boom is not fully extended and “their elbow-like joints, controlled independently by hydraulic cylinders, often allow the operator to place concrete at any point between the truck and the boom’s maximum horizontal and vertical reach.”

Sources:

concreteconstruction.net/Images/What's%20New%20in%20Truck-Mounted%20Boom%20Pumps_tcm45-342799.pdf

The Conco Companies has built a reputation in the Los Angeles area with superior concrete formwork, reinforcing, place and finish, shotcrete and other ancillary services that benefit from our vast experience.  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.

What Goes Into Determining the Best Pump to Use?

As we discussed in a previous blog post, the Conco Companies have owned and operated one of the largest pumping companies in the Western United States for over 40 years.  Our overwhelming success and continued expansion has put us in a leadership role in the commercial concrete industry.   We have an impressive fleet of concrete pumps with eleven of them conveniently based out of Washington State to handle the needs of our customers in this area. 

So what are the actual criteria that we take into account when determining which concrete pumps to use on a particular job?  One of the first things we need to know is the concrete output required to get the job done and the delivery output needed in cubic yards per hour that will meet the specifications of the job.  Having this information, now the engineer knows the pumping volume that the boom truck must deliver to accomplish the task.  The cubic yard per hour output for each boom truck is provided by the manufacturer as well as other features and capabilities of each pump. 

Next the layout of the pumps at the jobsite needs to be figured out and how long of a boom will be required to reach all of the work areas.  A boom’s maximum reach is really 10 to 20 feet shorter as the boom travels horizontally as well as vertically (the reach is not directly straight out or straight up).  Furthermore properties of the concrete mix such as the type of aggregate or sand used have to be evaluated as some concrete designs require more pressure to pump.  

Other factors taken into account are conditions at the jobsite including the size, any overhead obstacles, amount of congestion on the site, and any obstacles along the sides of the area.  Also how much room is there to get concrete trucks on and off the site?  These are but a sampling of the many dynamics that experienced concrete contractors use to determine the size of the pumps and how many to use.  

Sources:

concreteconstruction.net/Images/What's%20New%20in%20Truck-Mounted%20Boom%20Pumps_tcm45-342799.pdf

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.

Retrofitting Historic Buildings Against Earthquakes

New construction is being built better than ever to withstand the threat of earthquakes.  Moreover since earthquake activity is not limited to the West Coast, local building codes throughout the country mandate that new construction be resistant to the strongest earthquake activity that is believed possible in an area.  This task has become easier with new high-tech materials that are available such as fiber-reinforced polymers, fiber reinforced concrete and high strength steel.  

One of the on-going phases in creating safer buildings is the seismic retrofitting of older structures to be more resistant to seismic activity and ground motion.  Among these projects include significant historical buildings that have the additional task of ensuring the structure is stronger while still preserving the distinctive characteristics that make the buildings special.  

Obviously first and foremost human safety is addressed and then the focus switches to work on retaining the distinct architectural features of the building. Common weaknesses in historic buildings when faced with earthquake activity include unreinforced masonry and structural connections between walls, floors, and foundations.  Older construction used unreinforced bearing walls that offer inadequate lateral resistance and ductility or flexibility when subjected to seismic activity.     

According to the NPS Department of Interior’s Preservation Briefs, it is imperative to put together a team of experienced engineers, architects, and building code officials as well as consulting with their agency’s administrative staff.  They state that, “Historic materials should be preserved and retained to the greatest extent possible.”  Also that, “New seismic retrofit systems, whether hidden or exposed, should respect the character and integrity of the historic building and be visually compatible with it in design; and that, seismic work should be ‘reversible’ to the greatest extent possible to allow removal for future use of improved systems and traditional repair of remaining historic materials.” 



 

Conco is a leading supplier of concrete services for the Western United States. We have built our reputation in the Los Angeles area with superior concrete formwork, reinforcing, place and finish, shotcrete and other ancillary services that benefit from our vast experience.  Our concrete services include commercial, educational, parking and other construction development as well as public works projects.

 

A Few Facts on the Construction of CenturyLink Stadium

Awarded the concrete package on the new Levi Stadium, which is a joint venture between Turner Construction and Devcon Construction, we brought our previous experience on public arenas.  One of those projects was to provide ancillary concrete structures on the Seattle Seahawks stadium. The CenturyLink (previously known as Seahawks Stadium and Qwest Field) was completed in 2002. 

The architectural firm on the 1,500,000 sq. ft. stadium was Ellerbe Becket, in association with Loschky Marquardt & Nesholm Architects of Seattle.  The Construction Manager was First & Goal.  CenturyLink Stadium has a 67,000 seat capacity with an additional 5,000 seats for special events and 1,400 seats for fans with disabilities.  The facility is 70% covered by a roof and is laid-out with large concourses that easily accommodate the many concession stands and restrooms. 

An interesting fact regarding the building of the new stadium is that the Seahawk’s old Kingdome Stadium was demolished by the largest single concrete structure implosion in the U.S. and set a Guinness World Record.  The event was even covered by ESPN.  Furthermore approximately half of the concrete from the site was recycled and used for the building of the new stadium.

The project presented challenges early-on with soft soil at the site that required the engineering of over 2,200 pilings driven 50 to 70 ft. into the ground to form the base for the foundation.  The CenturyLink has one of the smallest footprints of a newly built NFL stadium but that may be due to being built only a mile from the central downtown business area.  To address the size of the site, the stadium’s upper level is cantilevered over the lower sections.

The multi-use arena is also host to the United Soccer League (USL) Seattle Sounders and the MLS expansion team Seattle Sounders FC.  The field hosted the MLS Cup in 2009 and the 2010 and 2011 finals for the U.S. Open Cup.

For over 50 years, Conco has been providing premium concrete services and is one of the most trusted concrete contractors in Seattle.  Our concrete services include commercial, educational, parking and other construction development as well as public works projects.

Tallest Buildings in the U.S.

A debate has recently started over whether the new World Trade Center, at 1,776 feet, will become our nation’s tallest building.  Apparently the controversy stems from a design change in the 408’ communication needle that sits atop the tower.  Without inclusion of the needle, the building will be designated at 1,368 feet, which just so happens to be the height of the original World Trade Center Tower. 

The Chicago based council of architects that officially bestows such titles is expected to rule on a decision in the next week or so.  The problem lies in the definition of what constitutes footage for the tower’s final height.  The criteria states that spires that are an “integral part of a building's aesthetic design count; broadcast antennas that can be added and removed do not.”

In the case of the World Trade Center tower, architectural plans called for the enclosing of the communication antennas with a design element of fiberglass and steel.  At the last minute, the practicality of maintenance became an issue and it was never done.  One of the World Trade Center’s architects, David Childs wants the building recognized for the higher height because of what it signifies.  He states the importance of the number 1776 which symbolizes the birth of our nation and the start of our democracy.

Presently the Willis Tower, formerly known as the Sears Tower, holds the record for the tallest building in the U.S and was constructed in 1974.  It was the world’s largest until the opening of the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 1996.

The third tallest building in the U.S. is once again in Chicago.  The Trump International Hotel and Tower was completed in 2009 and comes in at 1,389 feet.  The Burj Khalifa in Dubai became the tallest built structure in 2010 at 2,723 feet.  

For over 50 years, Conco has been providing premium concrete services and is one of the most trusted concrete contractors in Seattle.  We partner with clients on every project from the pre-construction stage right through to final completion.  At Conco we earned our first-class reputation by offering innovative, cost-effective solutions to meet the ever-changing demands of the industry.