Skyscrapers and the rise of Concrete

Modern cities have come to be defined in part by their skyline. From the Space Needle in Seattle to the new Salesforce Tower in San Francisco to the iconic Empire State Building in New York City, skyscrapers and the innovation of concrete construction techniques have become part of our cities' identities.

Post-Tensioning Concrete

Concrete is a uniquely versatile building material because of its readily available components, its ability to be placed as a liquid, and its high compression strength that allows it to support the tremendous weights required in construction. Despite these qualities, concrete alone does have a few drawbacks. Concrete can be brittle and weak against lateral forces like bending. Many techniques have been developed to improve concrete's performance in certain situations, such as post-tensioning. Post-tensioning is a technique used to reinforce concrete over unstable surfaces and across spans. It is a very safe concrete strengthening technique that has gained popularity in the last few decades as the technique has been perfected, with trainings and certifications standardized. In any project that calls for reinforced concrete, it is important to utilize a skilled concrete contracting team like The Conco Companies, the leading steel reinforcing concrete contractor in Portland.

Articulating concrete boom pumps

One of the main characteristics that makes concrete a great construction material is that it remains a liquid after mixing all its components until it cures to become a solid. The fact that concrete is a liquid mixture allows it to be transported through pressurized piping, like how water moves throughout a city. Pumping concrete means that it can be mixed and held in a different location than where it will be finally placed. Over the last 100 years, concrete pumping technology has advanced to accelerate the concrete placement process and push the boundaries of the scale and accessibility of concrete projects.

Conco is Involved in Oakland, CA’s Building Boom

If it has been a while since you last visited Oakland, CA, you are in for a surprise.  Over the last few years, Oakland has seen dozens of new construction projects throughout its downtown core and nearby neighborhoods. The Conco Companies have been pleased to be involved in several of them. 

Concrete Seismic Retrofitting Services in Los Angeles

Since the passage of Ordinance 183893 in 2015, the City of Los Angeles has been busy identifying non-ductile concrete buildings that require seismic retrofitting to come up code.  Along with all of the other concrete services we provide, The Conco Companies is providing professional seismic retrofitting for pre-1978 non-ductile concrete buildings in L.A. 

A Runner-up for the “2017 Subcontractor of the Year” Award

The Conco Companies are proud to report that Conco Pumping was recently honored as a runner-up for the 2017 Subcontractor of the Year Award from the American Subcontractors Association of Southern California.  The awards are designed to recognize the various achievements and contributions the recipients have made in the construction industry.  The ASA is a highly respected organization that embodies ethical & equitable business practices, quality construction, a safe and healthy work environment, and integrity & membership diversity.  This year’s winners were honored at the November ASA’s Awards Banquet.   

Conco Receives the Prestigious “2017 Charles J. Pankow Jr. Award”

The Conco Companies were recently recognized for our concrete services on the new Wilshire Grand Project with the “2017 Charles J. Pankow, Jr. Award” from the American Concrete Institute’s Southern California Chapter.  The Charles J. Pankow Jr. Award was established in 1984 by the ACI SoCal Chapter in honor of Charles J. Pankow, Jr. and is designed to recognize outstanding and innovative use of concrete in construction.  Mr. Pankow was an active member of the Southern California Chapter since its inception and had served as the International President of the ACI from 1980-1981.