CREWS THAT ROCK 2013 WINNERS

ONLINE AUDIENCE AWARD WINNER

Hampton Commercial Construction Inc.

Nebraska City Power Plant Silo Footing

The project consisted of a 25' x 25' footing that was to be poured on top of a grid of 18" concrete pilings that were drilled to a depth of 100' to bedrock below, with reinforcing cages made of #6 rebar. The pilings were installed with extreme caution due to the large number of overhead high voltage lines and conduits that seemed to be going every which way. Everyone was very concerned with this phase and continued to closely monitor this operation. Everything went very well and at this point, we were able to start the excavation of our footing, which was excavated to a depth of 48". In this same adjacent location was a 115' tall silo on one side and a bank of high voltage electrical switch gear on the other. After excavating the footing, a limestone rock base was installed to create a safe/timing saving surface for our team of rebar iron workers to install the steel reinforcing, which consisted of two mats constructed with #8 bar tied on 6" centers. We installed the wooden template by supporting it from underneath the three steel I-beams that spanned the excavated footing.

We then installed the 42 individual anchor bolts, which weighed 241 pounds each. After threading nuts above and below the template to firmly secure the bolts to the template and with a few minor adjustments to the I-beams, everything fit together very well. The contractor had their surveyors come to verify our anchor bolt locations and elevations, which we were once again within the tolerances. We used a Putzmeister Telebelt to place the concrete, which consisted of approximately 100 yards. We used two concrete vibrators as we poured to eliminate any air pockets around the steel or bolts. The only problem that occurred was keeping the anchor bolts plumb. So once the problem was identified, we started to place the concrete in at 12" lifts around the bolts nad had a couple of carpenters follow with levels to plumb the bolts. The pour overall went very well. The tank erectors were very happy when the sections fell into place and they could start welding the sections together. After the sections were welded together they could start constructing the 100' tank.

Our crew at Hampton did an excellent job of construction, reinforcement placement, layout, placing, planning, checking and double checking of steel and anchor belts, all the while maintaining a strict code for safety. That is why I am very proud to work with these men, which makes them the backbone of this company. This crew is definitely a crew that 'rocks.'

EXPERTS' CHOICE AWARD WINNER

PULLMAN/Shared Systems Technology, Inc.

10 Light Street Facade Restoration

The Ten Light Street building is an immense 37-story, 360,000-square-foot structure that was constructed in 1929 and is considered the first skyscraper in Baltimore. The Art-Deco style building is decorated with carved limestone statues of humans, falcons, and lions. The wall system consists of multiple wythes of brick backed by terra cotta wythe, which encase the structural steel framing. The limestone accent pieces are either full wall depth or occupy a single brick wythe with the terra cotta back up.

Beginning with early investigation and planning work in the winter of 2011, the PULLMAN crew worked continuously through record heat in summer 2011, a 5.8-magnitude earthquake, Hurricane Irene 5 days later, and various snowfall events typical of the Northeast. The successful project was completed in April 2012 with over 33,000 incident-free man hours worked. PULLMAN's repair scope consisted of stabilizing the building's exterior while integrating modern safety measures to complete the high-rise restoration in an Urban Metro Area (downtown Baltimore). The three major scope categories were limestone resetting and repairs, brick masonry repairs and marble replacement and repairs.

By the numbers, our crew:

• Repointed 59,000 linear feet of limestone joints (over 11 miles!)
• Replaced over 500 pieces of custom fabricated marble
• Installed over 16,000 helical wall anchors up to 16 inches long
• Reset 20 pieces of large limestone up to 200 pounds each
• Rebuilt over 5,000 square feet of brick masonry
• Safely restored the ferociousness of 4 limestone lions
• Repaired the beak of a carved 2,000 lb. limestone falcon

Community Service/Not-for-Profit Winners

ONLINE AUDIENCE AWARD WINNER

StoneMakers

Giving Back to Those Who Have Served (Veterans for Veterans)

While learning to create hardscapes out of concrete, in a StoneMakers training session, some vets along with the some additional contractors and the StoneMakers crew had the opportunity to give back to a disabled vet. Mark lost his leg after been hit by an IUD in Iraq. He is now home with his wife and young daughter in Epsom, NH and is teaching and coaching. StoneMakers had heard his story and wanted to say “Thank You” for what this family sacrificed for our country. Plans were made with his wife, Katie, and she arranged for the family to be away on vacation for 3 days, during that time this group recreated his back yard.

The couple had purchased a foreclosure and the yard needed some work. After clearing the yard the crew created a totally new yard complete with wall, patio, water feature, outdoor kitchen, bridge, fire pit, log effect bench and all of the supporting landscape and electrical.

The walls were stacked and built in about one hour with no forms. They were cut and sculpted. The patio was built without forms and the control joints are the lines that create the look of the individual rocks so there is no control joint running across the patio and taking away from a more natural look. Texture molds helped to create realism. The bridge was made to look like railroad ties with the use of a wood stamp. A cage was formed to create the waterfall. Concrete panels were attached to the frame and the seams were filled in. The crew paid great attention to detail in texturing and coloring to get the most natural look possible even sanding off some of the color so the new “rock” would have a tumbled look.

This combined learning and giving experience showed us not only that you can get a great yard done from start to finish in just 3 days, but it showed us how people who have never worked together before can come together and create something wonderful especially when motivated by a great cause. The family received a completely renovated back yard as a result of the generosity of the crew and local vendors that donated either labor or materials.

The smiles on the family’s faces were a tribute to what this crew accomplished.

EXPERTS' CHOICE AWARD WINNER

Chasco Constructors

The Play for All Abilities Park

The Play for All Abilities Park was five years in the making and has truly been a communitywide effort. In 2006, the city of Round Rock was approached by Round Rock citizens Kenneth and Dennis Seymore to consider applying for a Boundless Playground Outdoor Grant. Although the city was not awarded the grant, the City Council realized there was a great need for a universally accessible park and added the project as a high priority project in the Parks Master Plan.

Two years later, the city was approached by Marge Tripp and Sunrise Rotary organization about installing an adaptive swing for children with autism. While the city agreed there was a need for areas for children with autism to play, the city remembered the need expressed during the boundless playground grant application process. With these two requests in mind, the city began development of a park plan that would provide all children, regardless of ability, with an opportunity to play and develop skills in a fun, outdoor environment.

From there, the project grew to become a communitywide effort. Members of local civic clubs joined forces and formed the Play for All committee and a 501(c)(3) non-profit foundation (Play for All Foundation). The committee met regularly to fund raise and spread awareness throughout Central Texas.

The design for the park also became a community-wide effort. City staff included professionals and parents familiar with working with children with special needs in the design process. A Design Task Force of 30-plus people was formed, which included several parents of children with special needs along with professionals from different disciplines in medical, educational, and design fields. As a result of their input, the city was able to fine tune the design to ensure the diverse needs of all children.

CHASCO was approached by the city of Round Rock and we were asked if we could contribute in-kind donations. We are a local contractor and have been in business for more than 30 years in the Central Texas area. We specialize in horizontal and vertical concrete work, earthwork and underground utilities. We donated all the labor and materials for the concrete, earthwork and underground utilities. We have 18 concrete crews and for this project. Juan Yanez, a 21-year employee at CHASCO, and his crew prepped and poured all of the concrete for the Play For All Abilities Park.

The mission of the park is to provide a safe, fun place to play and develop new skills for children of all abilities in Round Rock and surrounding areas. The Play for All Abilities Park will serve the more than 100,000 children of Williamson County with an estimated 7,945 children with a disability.

This large gated park will include a variety of play opportunities designed to stimulate and encourage the development of several skill sets, such as gross and fine motor skills, social interaction, sense of discovery, creativity and strengthening exercises.

Highlight's of Austin's first universally-accessible park:

Southwest Tech Bricklaying & Masonry

Don Borchert, the Southwest Tech Bricklaying & Masonry program instructor, submitted an entry for his crew, which recently donated time to the Grant Regional Health Center Foundation by laying and sealing engraved bricks within the hospital’s Memory Walk.  The Memory Walk was designed to form a sidewalk and patio area surrounding the Healing Garden, an outdoor space for patients, family, and friends to reflect, relax, and enjoy a quiet conversation.  The Memory Walk was also created to provide a tribute to someone through the purchase of an engraved brick or paver.  The proceeds are used to provide scholarship support for nursing students and professional development training for current nurses.  To date, approximately 300 bricks have been sold and over $30,000 has been raised. 

Mr. Borchert’s crew routinely performs community service projects similar to this in our district comprising of five counties in Southwest Wisconsin.  It gives them the opportunity to learn about teamwork, problem solving, and the importance of community service.  These projects are perfect examples of how the masonry trade can provide a very special gift.  The Memory Walk project taught my crew that this is not just a brick sidewalk.  Every brick in the Memory Walk tells a story and represents an individual.  Mr. Borchert’s crew was able to meet the families that purchased engraved bricks and the hospital staff who cared for the individuals memorialized by the bricks. 

Mr. Borchert’s crew completed a masonry paver project and learned the masonry trade means so much more than a nice sidewalk. 
“Special thanks go to Southwest Tech for completing the second phase of this project. The class has culminated their technical program by providing community service work and laying the bricks and pavers that form this walkway,” said Sandy Leibfried, Grant Regional Health Center Foundation Director.

WINNER: SECOND PLACE

Stark Excavating Inc. 

Stark Excavating Inc. has nominated their “CCFL” - Concrete Crew for Life. This team name came about after a merger of companies. Mark Aberle of Stark Excavating says he was trying to blend both companies, crews, loyalties, personalities and pouring techniques and finishing methods. The crews had triple the workload and no time to take sides.  At the end of the road was a group of men who saw guys come and go and the best were left standing.

The Stark Concrete Crew led by Chris Ryan cover the central Illinois region in a wide variety of work from paving, building, bridges, vertical and decorative concrete for both public and private sectors. The workload has been action-packed with a variety of projects and challenges, which has helped the group grow to a be one crew. 

WINNER: THIRD PLACE

Impressions Concrete

Due to the dedication of Impressions Concrete’s crew, the company grew its business despite the recession and six weeks of record-setting rainy weather. What made this year unique were the positive impressions left in the community.

Impressions Concrete recently helped three families who were scammed by a con artist out of thousands of dollars and then walked away from their projects.  Impressions Concrete helped these victims by completing their projects at a discounted rate and helped them to file reports with the police to pursue criminal charges for fraud.  In addition, Impressions Concrete has helped connect others who have been scammed by the same company.

This story was featured on the local news with the owner of Impressions Concrete, Earl Spinks, speaking about how his crew assisted those who have been cheated.

Fraudsters undermine confidence in products and tarnish the good name of concrete contractors in every community.  The crew at Impressions Concrete believes that it is important for contractors to give back to their neighbors and show that fraud and theft will not be tolerated in our communities. For the crew's dedication, the company was a finalist for its local Better Business Bureau Awards.

The whole team at Impressions Concrete is dedicated to improving the image of good contractors in Ottawa, Canada, helping those who have been victims of fraud and helping the police bring a known criminal to justice.

Team Pain   HONORABLE MENTION 

Team Pain is a skate park design-build company with more than 30 years of experience working worldwide in creating custom skateboard parks and skate structures for municipal parks systems, the private sector and professional skateboarders and BMX riders.

We believe in order to create the best skate parks; you have to be an experienced skateboarder. Each crew and staff member has a minimum of 12 years skateboarding experience under their belt.

Team Pain Skate Parks was awarded the city of Arvada, Colorado’s skate park project in March of 2011. Located a few miles northwest of Denver, the city of Arvada wanted a 42,000-square-foot destination skateboard park for their community, in addition to holding professional level competitions.

Denver-based Ready Mixed Concrete Co. provided the concrete & shotcrete for the project. The skate park consists of 1,238 yards of smooth concrete. Team Pain utilized their own mix design consisting of a 4,000 psi mix with integrated colorant throughout various sections of the park. This 42,000-square-foot skate park consists of various sections and elements to accommodate all disciplines and levels of skateboarding.  The street section emulates urban streets and includes skateable handrails, stairs, banks, ledges and grass gaps as well as skateable sculptural pieces.  The snake run section, which is reminiscent of 1970s skate parks with a modern twist, is massive in size. Rolling in with continuous momentum leads to its deepest end at 13½ feet.  The intermediate bowl ranges in depth from 3½ to 7 feet tall and includes extensions, escalators and banks built into it to perform various technical tricks. The advanced bowl replicates a gigantic swimming pool at 11 feet deep with various hips and even includes tile and pool coping for that genuine feel of skating an empty pool. There is also a beginner section where users can learn the basics within a safer area and ultimately transition to other areas of the park. 

Concrete Mystique Engraving   HONORABLE MENTION 

Concrete Mystique Engraving’s team is definitely a team that rocks, especially since they are from Nashville, TN - aka Music City, USA. Concrete Mystique likes to think of its team as a really great band - one that performs well, is solid and reliable through the years and has a unique creative edge.  Company owners Rick Lobdell believes it takes a team of talented individuals working together to accomplish a high caliber of work.

By the time the Nashville Dinner Theater project was completed, the Concrete Mystique Engraving team was a group of skilled installers of H&C, Elite Crete, Skimstone, and Surfkoat product lines. This growth originated with accomplishing the many designs in the short amount of time given. It made this the challenge of a lifetime and brought the team closer together. Usually the team works on separate jobs sites, so they don’t spend a lot of time together. This project required the team to spend two and a half weeks of long hours in the same building, challenging them to see if they could do a better design as we moved on to the next room and the next material.

The aesthetic of this historic Printer’s Alley building remained in place with elements of Art Deco inspiration and a Nashville-based feel to match some of the existing architecture. Concrete Mystique’s goal was to show how far decorative concrete design can go while maintaining fluidity within the building as a whole and between all the rooms. Once a textured overlay was removed, the team treated each area of the project with a different product and theme based on the architecture and utilization of the space.  The bi-leveled Randolph Room and Main Theater, Lobby and Lower Lobby comprised the majority of the working space. Concrete Mystique created a flashy Art Deco feel both in color and design for The Randolph Room, including the countertop. The Main Theatre floor incorporated some of the existing architectural elements, while the countertop incorporated new elements with a dancing female that glows in the dark with a vine-like design. The Lobby had an Art Deco design using warm tones of tan and brown to compliment the historic brick walls. The Lower Lobby depicts a concrete mural of the Phantom of the Opera and a trompe-l’oeil staircase to visually extend the existing staircase as if there was another level to walk down.

Sawcutters NW     HONORABLE MENTION 

Sawcutters NW was contracted by the city of Tacoma, WA to core a 30-inch diameter hole 20-feet deep at a 1% angle up through the side of the Cowlits Dam in Morton, WA. This job was needed for an experimental new fish ladder.

The objective was to core through a dam that the engineers said had no reinforcement and was to be around 3000 psi. The city said it builds dams with their size (20-feet thick) not with rebar and high density concrete. Engineers had no idea of how long this should take. Sawcutters NW has lots of coring experience but nothing of this length, so they could only estimate the rate of production. Engineers estimated that they should allow five full working days. After the first day of coring, all plans went out the window.

Sawcutters NW encountered rebar and lots of it. 1" & 1.25" even stainless steel all thread every 12" to 16" every direction. Also, the concrete was extremely hard, in the range of 5000 psi. They used a diamond products 30-inch-by-36-inch bit and a custom-made in their own shop 30-inch-by-6-foot-long bit. Sawcutters NW also did their own onsite reseging of segments (diamond products) and used a 10-foot-long M-6 stand with hydraulic auto feed. They used an ICS hydraulic 24-inch chainsaw to help with demo and removal of the concrete slugs and a 50-ton energy pak hydraulic press to help with cracking the slug for removal.

This project took longer than everyone expected because of the rebar and the strength of concrete. Also, the length was wrong; it was 23 feet because the first design was to have the hole a little higher up but changed later and was lowered just days before Sawcutters NW was to start. The overall time to finish was 10 days with four operators. The extra guys were used for the very removal of the concrete slugs. The guys had to crawl into the hole and chainsaw a hole into the slug and then insert the 50-ton ram into the concrete to crack the slug. They then attached a cable to the broken pieces and winch them out.