The Conco Companies, Author at The Conco Companies

Conco Pumps 5,700 cubic yards for Downtown San Francisco Mat Pour

On March 3 & 4, 2012, Conco successfully pumped 5,700 yards of concrete for the 1401 Market Street Project in Downtown San Francisco. Located on the edge of the Civic Center and Financial District, this project comprises a 35-story tower along with buildings of 9, 12, and 19 stories. The project will contain 720 residential units along with ground level retail and two levels of above ground parking.

The concrete was supplied for the project’s first mat foundation pour. Jobsite mandates required the concrete pour to begin after sunset on Saturday evening and finish Sunday morning. Gary Brandt, Vice President of Marketing with Conco, worked with the owner, the general contractor, the concrete contractor and the ready-mix supplier to develop a game plan and secure the necessary permits needed to pull off this logistical challenge.

Conco provided three 58-meter Schwing pumps, one 52 meter Schwing, one 47 meter Putzmeister and a 36 meter Schwing. The limited jobsite access required a pump positioned down in the hole to be supplied by one of the 58 meter pumps. Throughout the pour, concrete was being pumped and placed at the rate of 600 yards per hour allowing the pour to be finished in 10 hours. The pour was completed without any lost loads, injuries or complaints from the general public making it a success for all parties involved.

Contract Award

Turnkey concrete package for Los Angeles Hall of Justice

LA Hall of Justice — L.A. Hall of Justice

The Los Angeles Hall of Justice has been closed since the magnitude 6.7 1994 Northridge earthquake. The 335,000 sq. ft. building stands 14 floors tall in L.A.’s downtown. Originally constructed in 1925, this imposing structure was meant to convey a sense of justice and public importance. The Hall was designed in the classic Italianate style and was constructed with Type I non-combustible building materials including concrete floor slabs, a steel frame structure encased in concrete, granite exterior veneer, and hollow clay tile partitions at the interior. The Hall of Justice also presented a stunning interior with an ornate, barrel-vaulted entry foyer, gold-marble walls, and large ionic columns supporting the exquisitely gilded ceiling.

Although the building was completely abandoned following the earthquake, plans to revive it have been under consideration more than a decade. To date, all hazardous materials have been abated and all interior demolition of infrastructure systems and non-bearing walls have been completed. The building has been prepared for its eventual restoration and re-occupancy as an office building. After many years of designs and budgets, Clark Construction was awarded the job in a design build competition valued at $151,000,000.00.

A key part of the reconstruction is to preserve and restore the historic features of this important structure while bringing the building up to existing seismic codes. In order to accomplish this, shotcrete will be used extensively to reinforce existing concrete walls.

Conco’s scope of work will included all shotcrete, concrete, and rebar. We are also resurfacing the entire existing floor surfaces in the Hall of Justice structure and constructing a new 9 story, 1000 car parking structure on the same site.

Problem: Delivering Material in Tight Spaces

Solution: Portable Belts

Landscape contractor, Valley Crest Landscaping, was confronted with the task of filling newly constructed planter boxes around a new apartment complex in Pleasant Hill, CA. The site consisted of numerous buildings with tight access. The original plan was to use laborers with wheelbarrows to fill all of the planter boxes. It was estimated that the task would take more than a week to complete.

After consulting with Gary Brandt with Conco Pumping, Gary recommended that Valley Crest utilize Conco’s portable belts. These belts are capable of being deployed in tight spaces between buildings, can be configured to transport material around corners, use 110V single phase power, and can deliver material at the rate of 40 TPH.

With Conco’s portable belts, Valley Crest was able to complete the task in half the budgeted time using half the projected labor expense. Most important it allowed the GC the extra days needed to complete this project so the new tenants would be moved in on the dates promised by the owner.

Conco’s portable belts have many other practical uses. Some of the more notable uses include:

Import/export of material in confined space building basements
Back fill of retaining walls, abandoned swimming pools, etc.
Conveyance of masonry block, pavers and other building materials to upper level decks or into tight areas
Transportation of ballot boxes from delivery vehicles to counter rooms.