Conco’s regional office in Washington completed a 2,880 cubic yard mat pour on April 7th at The Martin–a 24-story luxury apartment tower located in Seattle’s Belltown neighborhood–for general contractor Exxel Pacific.
Located downtown adjacent to Seattle’s Monorail, access and time constraints were a concern. Three pumps–36 meter, 47 meter & 58meter–were used to complete the mat pour, together pumping 450 cubic yards per hour at peak times. Cadman, Inc. delivered the ready-mix with trucks arriving approximately every 80 seconds to fill the mat which measures 7′-6″ at the deepest point.
With 2,880 cubic yards and 275 tons of rebar, The Martin stands as affirmation of Conco’s abilities and reputation.
The City of Burien, WA sits below the Cascade Mountain range. As such, in the background of the downtown area is Mount Rainier. When building a parking garage to support the bus transit center, the city wanted to avoid having a structure with stark concrete walls. Their goal was to turn the building into a piece of art that highlighted the city’s most visible landmark and surrounding mountain ranges.
Working with the general contractor, Pankow Builders, Conco worked to create sculpted shotcrete murals that depicted views of the Cascades, Olympics, and Mount Rainier on all four sides of the building. The shear-walls were shot from the outside of the building and the area’s where the murals were going to be located were left with a scratch finish to allow the proper bonding of the mural work to the structural shotcrete wall.
As the picture shows, the shotcrete murals provide not only the structural integrity needed for the parking structure but serves as a stunning work of art that highlights the local landscape of Burien, WA.
The application of sculpted shotcrete is only limited by the imagination. It is a great way to either highlight your structure or blend it in with the local landscape.
Click the gallery images below for a closer look.
For more information on sculpted shotcrete contact Chad Watson at 925-685-6799.
Concrete package for the San Francisco 49ers stadium
49ers Stadium
A joint venture between Turner Construction and Devcon Construction has awarded the concrete package to Conco for the $1.2 billion San Francisco 49ers stadium. Designed by architect HNTB, the stadium is scheduled to open in time for the 2014 NFL season.
The project consists of slabs in excess of 2,000,000 square feet and will use more than 65,000 cubic yards of concrete. In order to meet the demands of the ambitious timeline for completion of the foundation, Conco will be working in four separate areas simultaneously. The same approach will be taken for the many deck pours that will need to be completed.
Conco brings to the project its vast experience in public arenas. Among its portfolio of projects include all the cast in place concrete for the San Francisco Giants ballpark (AT & T Park), the foundation package for the HP Pavilion (Shark Tank), all cast in place concrete for the LA Live complex, and ancillary structures for the Seattle Seahawks Stadium.
Visit the Construction Camera page for a live view of the construction.
Wafflemat is one of the most-proven foundation systems ever developed, with millions of square feet of residential and light commercial space built across the United States and Mexico since 1995 – all without a single structural failure.
It is also one of the easiest, and in terms of cycletime, fastest to construct, taking 3 – 4 days vs. 10 – 14 for alternative slabs. Wafflemat conforms to both International Building Code and Post Tension Institute specifications.
To build a Wafflemat foundation, all that’s needed is a clean and level pad, as the system sits directly on grade. No pre-soaking is necessary.
After installing underground utilities, a task made much easier with Wafflemat because the trenching does not have to go under any in-ground ribs or deepened footings, the perimeter formwork is placed directly on the pad.
A series of interlocking Waffleboxes, 8½” or 12” high, 19” x 19” thermal-grade, heat-resistant, patented plastic forms, are then set directly on the ground. Strong enough to walk on, they connect together at the top and bottom with plastic clips supplied with the Wafflemat system and create voids in the foundation. There is only one way Waffleboxes can be installed, ensuring each Wafflemat foundation is laid out correctly – and, to code.
A post tensioned or rebar reinforced concrete slab, usually 4” – 5” thick, is monolithically poured directly over the Waffleboxes. The pour creates concrete beams running throughout the footprint and perimeter. The completed Wafflemat slab then sits on the ground like a raft.
There are two key features that set Wafflemat apart from all other foundations systems, and are the reasons why it delivers superior performance. First, the voids formed by the Waffleboxes act as ‘relief valves’ that absorb heaving soils and eliminate significant structural cracking.
Second, and even though Wafflemat provides one of the stiffest cross sections per cubic yard of concrete, the system has less contact area with the underlying soils when compared with other slabs. And, less contact area means less uplift pressure on the slab when soils heave.
In terms of environmental impact, a Wafflemat foundation uses less concrete and steel, and reduces excavation of soils and accompanying off-haul when compared to other systems. This results not only in lower carbon emissions, but also less erosion and transport of sedimentation in drainage and storm runoff waters ultimately flowing into the ocean. Wafflemat also assists builders in obtaining LEED points, most likely in the categories Energy & Atmosphere, Materials and Resources, and Innovation and Design Process.
Finally, and even though Wafflemat’s track record of reliability is unparalleled, it’s consistently one of the most economical systems in all construction, as reductions in soils prep, materials, and cycletime often produce cost savings of 10% – 20% when compared to other foundations.
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.
