Tallest Buildings in the World

Now that Conco is doing the concrete work for the new Wilshire Grand Center that will reshape the Los Angeles skyline as the tallest building west of the Mississippi, we got curious about other “tall building.”  Throughout the world, proposed or newly constructed projects are pushing the envelope as skyscrapers get taller and taller.  We will do a series of ten blog posts describing some of that construction. 

The Burj Khalifa, located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, shatters several records for not only the tallest building (by a significant amount), but also the tallest man-made structure and free-standing structure.  Previously the KVLY-TV mast in Blanchard, North Dakota had been the tallest structure, and the CN Tower in Toronto, the tallest free-standing structure. 

According to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, which ranks the tallest buildings in the world, measurements are “from the level of the lowest, significant, open-air, pedestrian entrance to the architectural top of the building. This includes spires, but does not include antennae, signage, flagpoles or other functional-technical equipment.”  The Burj Khalifa stands at 2,716.5 ft. tall with a record 160 stories and the highest outdoor observation deck in the world.  It also wins in the category of highest continuously occupied floor and an elevator with the longest travel distance in the world. 

Construction began on the Burj Khalifa in September, 2004 and the building was formally opened in January, 2010.  The architecture and engineer for the project was Skidmore, Owings and Merrill of Chicago.  Adrian Smith was the chief architect.  The chief structural engineer was Bill Baker and the primary contractor was Samsung C&T of South Korea.

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.

 

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.

Is There a Shortage of Skilled Labor in the U.S?

During the last recession, construction and manufacturing were two of the hardest hit industries.  According to the publication, Finance and Commerce, “The U.S. lost about 2.1 million construction jobs from December 2007 when the recession began through January 2011, when industry employment hit its lowest level since 1996.”* 

As a result, many workers left the industries and went back to school or retrained for jobs in the business or service sectors and also the number of young people enrolling in vocational or technical programs declined.  Recent studies have shown that skilled construction workers are getting older such as a report from EMSI in 2012 that states 53% of skilled-trade workers in the U.S. were 45 years or older. 

Now that we have gotten past the worst of the depression, the demand for skilled workers is way up.  A report from the Minneapolis Star Tribune in July, 2013 estimates the Minneapolis/St. Paul area will need more than 20,000 new workers in construction and manufacturing by 2015.  This means that there has to be a concerted effort throughout the country to encourage and provide training opportunities for young people to enter the industries and fill the shortage. 

The Concrete Pumping, Winter 2014 publication cites the FMI’s 2013 U.S. Construction Industry Talent Development Report that was sent to general contractors and construction managers.  It shows that over half of the respondents indicated a shortage of skilled labor.  The report also said there is a need to recruit more women and minorities to fill these skilled trade jobs.    

The good news is that many companies are making an effort to recruit young workers and get the word out about the benefits of having a well-paying job in the construction industry.  There are even some states that are expanding community college and vocational training programs to help meet the demand for skilled construction workers.  Even celebrity, Mike Rowe, is leading a campaign to promote skilled labor careers and alternative education programs.

*Read more: http://finance-commerce.com/2013/08/labor-shortages-slow-us-home-rebound/#ixzz2tgl8ed7w

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 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.

 

Skyscrapers Keep Pushing the Limits

Early this year, Conco will provide concrete services for a record breaking skyscraper being built in downtown L.A.  Not only will Conco execute the largest continuous mat pour ever done over the course of three days, but the new Wilshire Grand Center will become the tallest building in the U.S. west of the Mississippi.   

According to a global forecast from the Council of Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat  (CTBUH), 2013 was a robust year for new skyscrapers and 2014 is looking to be even better.  In 2013 the One World Trade Center, after much controversy, was designated as the tallest building in the U.S. at 1,776 feet.  The new tower is scheduled to open in 2014 and has replaced the Willis Tower in Chicago as the tallest building in the U.S. 

The CTBUH’s job is to document the progress and trends of skyscrapers built throughout the world.  Their publication estimates that 75 skyscrapers at least 650 ft. tall or higher were completed in 2013, and that there will be approximately 100 buildings at least that height or taller that will be finished by the end of 2014. 

The editor of CTBUH, Daniel Safarik, cites their reasons for the increased activity in skyscrapers as, “The advancement in high-strength concrete technology, combined with land scarcity and plenty of billionaires willing to spend a great deal of money for single-or double floor unity high in the sky has made this a new reality.”

 

One of the newer trends in skyscrapers is to build extremely narrow, very tall structures that carry a small footprint.  Several examples are currently being built in New York City.  Another new construction trend is prefabrication, which is helping to speed up the building process.  Furthermore there is a concerted effort to develop fully sustainable skyscrapers referred to as zero net energy buildings that have zero net consumption and zero carbon emissions annually. 

Mumbai and China will be the strongest markets for new skyscrapers in 2014 with continued growth in skyscraper construction throughout the Middle East.  

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 and highways.

Great Progress Achieved Thus Far on the 49ers Levi Stadium

The new San Francisco 49ers Levi Stadium construction project is progressing at the fast pace needed in order to meet the approaching August 2014 opening date.  When the Levi was awarded the 2016 NFL Super Bowl game, it required the stadium to be operational for at least two years before the big game.  Hosting the Super Bowl is an honor for the stadium and will be the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the championship game.

Conco was awarded the concrete package for the $1.2 billion project that broke ground in April of 2012.  The new stadium is being built by the construction/design team of Turner Construction and Devon Construction.  Due to the aggressive timeline, construction is being handled differently.  In most cases, stadiums are built like a wedding cake with one tier on top of another.  For the new Levi, the stadium was divided into four sections and each section is concurrently being constructed as separate projects. 

Conco had to jump right into the project with the enormous task of excavating 60,000 yards of dirt, reinforce and pump 18,000 cubic yards of concrete, backfill and build a half-mile of perimeter wall – all in 40 calendar days.  According to an article in the Concrete Pumping, Fall 2013 publication, the design specifications “made the level of difficulty extremely high for what is the largest structural steel building under construction in the U.S.”  To demonstrate how large the project is, the foundation took twenty-three semi truckloads of anchor bolts to complete.  Crews worked basically day and night starting at 5 a.m. and finished up at 1 a.m. 

Concrete pumping was constant throughout the construction of the foundation and was skillfully accomplished with the help of Conco’s recently acquired, Schwing S 58 SX boom trucks, equipped with a 188-foot reach and easy set-up.  The Schwing KVM 52 and S 47 SX were also utilized.  The foundation portion was done as a series of smaller pours rather than a large slab pour.  On a typically day, 500 yards of concrete were pumped with most of the concrete a standard 4,000 psi mix, and 8,000 psi at shear lugs.  

The Schwing 58 meter boom trucks were a valuable asset on the project.   Pumps were located both inside and outside the structure and the narrow-front spread and curved outriggers provided the crew the ability to shoot around any obstacles that were in the way.  There were times that a pump ran almost 24 hours a day with one operator quickly replacing the prior operator to start pumping again.  Conco successfully met the Phase 1 foundation deadline in July 2012.  The whole team pulled together for the difficult project and has done an excellent job!       

Conco is a leading supplier of concrete services for the Western United States. We got our start in the San Francisco 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. Our concrete services include commercial, educational, parking and other construction development as well as public works projects and highways.

The Beautiful Ashton in Downtown Bellevue, WA

This mixed-use, luxurious apartment building, located in downtown Bellevue, WA was constructed to include all the amenities and finishes generally only found in high-end condominium properties.  Conco was a part of the skilled team that constructed the beautiful, 20-story Ashton Bellevue Towers. 

The sleek, contemporary Ashton was designed with an urban concept and has 202 sizable apartments with 14 townhouse/lofts.  The offerings include 115 one-bedroom homes that come with or without a study, 61 two-bedroom units, and 12 penthouses.  The units provide residents with spectacular views of the Cascade and Olympic Mountains, Lake Washington, and downtown Seattle.  

This was another project from the award-winning contractor, The Hanover Company, who built the Ten20 Tower located just across the street.  CollinsWoerman, a leading expert in sustainable architecture and infrastructure, was the architect on the project and was also a part of the Ten20 Tower.  The engineer was the S.C.A. Consulting Engineers.   Once again Conco delivered premium concrete services for the 20-story structure. 

One of the biggest differences the Ashton offers from other apartments is a very large 9,000 sq. ft. amenity space that has a fitness center complete with a spinning room, aqua lounge, conference room, and a movie screening room.  The building has a 5-level, private parking structure that can accommodate 354 cars.  The ground floor is 2,650 sq. ft. of commercial retail space.     

In addition, the Ashton Bellevue offers residents 24-hour concierge services and an elevated outdoor great room equipped with grills and a dual-sided fireplace.  The building’s location allows residents to conveniently walk to restaurants and boutiques as well as access to Bellevue’s cultural district.    

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 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.

Cal Poly’s Student Housing Achieved LEED Gold Certification

Today many universities require new student housing that is being built to be “green” and utilize sustainable practices that save both energy and water consumption.  Conco was part of the team that constructed the award winning 2,670-bed Poly Canyon Village at Cal Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. 

The architecture firm, Niles Bolton & Associates designed the Poly Canyon Village, which became the one of the largest student housing projects in the country to achieve LEED Gold certification.  The finished construction even performed 50% better on the base building standard of ASHRAE (International technical society organized to advance the arts and sciences of heating, ventilation, air-conditioning and refrigeration).  The contractor on the project was the Clark Construction Group, LLC.  The engineer was Nabih Youssef Associates.  Conco provided the expert concrete services. 

Bob Kitamura, Executive Director/University Architect (retired), Cal Poly said of the project, "Poly Canyon Village has been a great example of what can be done to further the green initiative in a living-learning environment. Both the builder, Clark Construction and the architect, Niles Bolton Associates, did a fantastic job for us in bringing this dream to a successful reality."

The Poly Canyon Village was built on a 30 acre agricultural site and consists of nine residential buildings that form a community that is somewhat removed from the rest of the campus.  The project also included on-site retail stores, ATMs, a swimming pool, mail center, study rooms, and administrative student support services.  Two parking structures provide 1,926 parking spaces. 

According to the document for the ENERGY EFFICIENCY PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM BEST PRACTICE AWARDS, the project’s “use of materials with a high amount of pre- and post-consumer recycled content, such as doors, gypsum wall board, steel decking, and composite wood cabinetry, reduced the impacts of processing new materials.”  Additionally the  “regional materials and resources, such as local concrete, steel, and metal stud trusses resulted in lower carbon emissions due to the reduction in transportation needs.”   Overall more than 12,000 tons or 90% of construction waste material was reused or recycled.  

Discover the experience of working with one of the top professional commercial concrete contractors in the San Jose 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.