Another interesting project that Conco has been involved in recently is the renovation of the Los Angeles Hall of Justice. The building, which was constructed in 1925, is a perfect example of how smart solutions were necessary to save the project. Our collective expertise, experience and cost-effective techniques were put to good use.
The building was heavily damaged, and consequently completely abandoned after the 1994 Northridge Earthquake. Plans for the renovation had been discussed for many years before anything happened. Finally the County of Los Angeles awarded Clark Construction Group California along with design partner AC Martin the Hall of Justice Repair and Reuse Project. Work began in early 2012 and is expected to be completed sometime in 2014.
Conco’s scope of work includes all of the shotcrete, concrete, and rebar. We are also resurfacing the entire existing floor surfaces in the Hall of Justice’s structure and constructing a new 9 story, 1,000 car parking structure on the same site.
Using shotcrete means the walls can be constructed faster and with less material to save both time and money, which is exactly what the renovation of the Hall of Justice needed. It is the method of applying concrete pneumatically through a high pressure nozzle and offers an economic advantage over typical cast-in-place concrete with reduced forming needed. The structural retrofit would have been economically impossible without the use of shotcrete.
The L.A. Hall of Justice has a rich history with all sorts of interesting and notorious visitors that have come through the doors. According to Wikipedia, the building was used in scenes on Perry Mason, Dragnet, and Get Smart. For years, it was the primary county jail housing such infamous prisoners as Charles Mason and Sirhan Sirhan. A cell block that includes the area where Charles Manson’s was kept will be left as a new interpretive center.
Conco is a leading supplier of concrete services for the Western United States. As one of the leading commercial concrete contractors in the San Jose area, we have been involved with large-scale projects in the area including the Mineta Airport. Our concrete services include commercial, educational, parking and other construction development as well as public works projects and highways.