CREWS THAT ROCK 2013 WINNERS!

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.'

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

Access was by far the most complicated aspect of the repair scope, in addition to the repair sequence, schedule constraints, building features, and challenges of working in an occupied building full of attorneys.

For the project, our crews needed vertical access to 100% of the facade. The limestone pieces are located around the entire building perimeter between the 17th and 20th floors, as well as the entire penthouse between the 23rd and 34th floors. Our crew utilized all means of access to the facade; these included over 35 swing stage drops, three mast-climber platform set-ups, system scaffolding, bosun's chairs, baker scaffold set in tight spaces, all done over a 100% coverage sidewalk shed for pedestrian protection.

We even set up our lay-down space on the 19th floor of the building, removed the windows, and climbed out to the mastclimbers to perform the most complicated marble work!

The various roof levels also presented access challenges. As the building increases in height, it steps in from the width of an entire city block to just about 20 feet wide. The crew had to manipulate all of our different access methods across 9 different roof levels all with varying widths and unique challenges.

Community Service/Not-for-Profit Winners

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.

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:

• Retreat Pod
• Sensory Pod-Sand Box
• Rock Band Pod
• Rolling Hill/Performance Lawn
• Sensory Pod
• All Ability Swings
• Brushy Creek Village life skills area

Commercial/For-Profit Finalists

All K’s Masonry

Adam's Wedding Fountain

Father and son team, Tim Kosley Jr. and Tim Kosley III, completed this fountain in record time for Dale & Josie Adams. The Adams’ son, Jeremy, held his wedding at their Hudson, OH home, and they wanted a special feature to highlight the event. Dale, designer of the project, wanted a mason that could accurately match the style of his unique home. It is constructed of Belden Brick with chocolate mortar to match the house. The fountain itself is extremely unique. It houses Koi fish whose water is pumped in from a nearby lake, making it very environmentally friendly. The action of the fountain aerates the water and recycles it every four hours. The aerated water is then returned to the lake, allowing the fish to breather better and break down bacteria. It requires virtually zero maintenance. The fountain is topped with Haddonstone caps, and the patio pavers are reclaimed from another project that Dale Adams is restoring.

This project deserves to win the “Crews That Rock” contest for several reasons. First, the masons were a unique, two-man, father-and-son team. Second, they really came through for the homeowner/architect who needed quality workmanship in a very quick amount of time. The project is impressive, and became the focal point for the young couple’s wedding!

Architectural Concrete Technologies

Twin Cities Ready Mix

Architectural Concrete Technologies (ACT), an HTC-certified installer from Tulsa, Oklahoma, completed the Twin Cities Project over a span of eight consecutive days from October 29, 2012 to November 5, 2012 with 2,880 feet of post-tension, maximum refined Superfloor with two stained logo effects, and deep-grind terrazzo finish. Our crew, which consisted of Nick DeAngelis and Edward Wynn, completed the project with HTC’s latest machinery, powered by two highly efficient 800RXs, as well as the full spectrum of HTC’s metal bond segments and Fenix pad resin tooling.

Our equipment and tooling capabilities allow us to be cost-effective, which enabled us to offer an economic solution to our client. Utilizing the seamless post-tension slab method, with mix design compliments of Twin Cities Ready Mix and admixtures by Chryso, we were able to construct an impressive surface and finish for the project. As you can see, the outcome is striking. Site conditions allowed us to be efficient with our machinery and manpower, an ideal situation for our process.

Due to the continued support by so many, ACT has come a very long way in our first year of business. We owe special thanks to Zach Webb of HTC, for his persistent and outstanding service to our company. Also, thanks go out to Mike Hargis with SSI, Tulsa, Oklahoma, for providing prompt attention to our material needs. We appreciate those who design and manufacture the materials we utilize, for it is with you all that we are capable of installing a superior finished product. The Twin Cities project has been one of our favorites this year and was most exciting to be a part of. Thank you John and Chris Schwarz, owners of Twin Cities Ready Mix, for giving us this opportunity and having an impact on ACT’s momentum in our first year of business!

BJCC

George Washington Replacement School Pre K-2

BJCC recently completed the concrete and masonry on the 100,000-square-foot George Washington Replacement School in Edgewater NJ for General Contractor Dobco out of Wayne, NJ. The project included more than 200,000 brick, 80,000 block and 3,000 yards of concrete. Because of BJCC's outstanding crew, they were able to help Dobco complete the project four months ahead of schedule and under budget, allowing the Edgewater Board of Education to open the school for the fall semester of 2012.

The project site was tight and elevations changed dramatically. In order to fit a school of this size on such a challenging site, project architect DiCara Rubino Architects of Wayne, NJ chose to utilize the elevation changes by designing the school into the side of what essentially is a mountain, as the elevation changes from the east side of the school to the west side of the school by almost 20 feet.

One of the many highlights of this school is an outdoor amphitheater and playground for the children carved into the high side of the site. This required over 300 liner feet and 400 yards of large sloping cast-in-place concrete site walls and a dry block retaining wall seating areas with planters. The architect designed the concrete retaining walls to look like the existing 100-year-old stone walls surrounding the site by utilizing a random ashlar form liner. By choosing BASF Rheocolor "Stone Harbor" for the color of the 4000 psi concrete used for the retaining walls, the results were nothing short of impressive. BJCC's crew of union carpenters, masons, cement finishers, and laborers worked for 12 months straight through the cold New Jersey winter along the Hudson River and 100-degree summer days to complete this impressive project ahead of schedule and under budget so that the children of Edgewater, New Jersey could enjoy all of the amenities this school has to offer.

Borrowed Time Carpentry and Concrete Overlay Designs

Kitchen Floor in Barrie, Ontario

A good client and friend of ours, whose son is a Canadian soldier suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder since he returned from Afghanistan, recently referred us to a friend of hers who was moving to our area. Her friend had just bought a house here in Barrie, Ontario that needed quite a bit of work, and our client wanted to recommend a contractor she could trust. When she told us that her friend was the social worker who had been helping her son with his PTSD recovery, we knew we had to go the extra mile to make her new home something special.

The flooring in the front entrance, hall, powder room and kitchen were originally covered in dated, poorly installed ceramic tile (the widths of the grout lines were glaringly inconsistent). Since she was also updating her kitchen, we felt she deserved a floor that was as unique as she is. We suggested a Reflector Enhancer application from Elite Crete Systems – a custom solution that is as much a durable, easy-to-clean flooring surface as it is a beautiful work of art. The end result, with bold swirls of coffee and butterscotch colorization, topped with a soft satin finish, gives her home a warm and welcoming feel.

With only a month to complete all the renovations to her new home before her move-in date, our crew put everything they had into every detail. The new floor, however, was without a doubt the cherry on top! The results are spectacular, and the homeowner couldn’t be more pleased. We’re just so honored to have been given the opportunity to help make this lady’s house a home. As far as we’re concerned, anyone who stands behind our troops the way she does deserves something beautiful to stand on!

Brock Construction

North Bend City Streetscape

Our company, Brock Construction, was awarded the bid for a 2,000-cubic-yard concrete project in our hometown of North Bend, OR. We have approximately 10 to 14 employees, and we excel in many areas of concrete construction, especially placement and finishing due to our very skilled and dedicated finishers. We feel that our concrete company and this project would be a good entry for the WOC "Crews that Rock" contest.

The project "City of North Bend Downtown Streetscape" involved new curb and gutter, monolithic curbs, new handicap ramps with truncated domes, and decoratively scored sidewalk. Concrete site work in a downtown core is an iconic use of concrete. The project definitely presented challenges every day because when you tear out an entrance or approach to someone's business, the race is always on to get it installed as soon as possible. Brock Construction crews met that challenge every day showing huge courtesy for everyone and especially taking care of pedestrians needing to traverse the project area.

Most municipalities will phase site concrete construction, but the city of North Bend decided to get their downtown renovated all at once. The finished streetscape also includes ornamental streetlights, new trees and cast-iron tree grates. The city of North Bend is rich in history as a sea-faring lumber port. The buildings in the downtown core had many old coal chutes that had to be blocked off with structural concrete walls. This was a fun concrete project for Brock Construction and also it provided an economic stimulus to our company, crew, and families. It never got old hearing how nice the work looked and how we were doing a great job. The crew took tremendous pride in this project and it showed.

We were able to get the project substantially complete before the winter rains and short daylight periods arrived. The crew put in long hours and got along great as they have been working together for many years - we are all like family. This is a project that we will be able to show off to our grandchildren as it will be in place for many decades.

Buyze & VerVelde Concrete Construction, Inc.

Burns Lake Home

On the shores of Lake Michigan, our crew of "three" started a residential project in October 2011. We completed this project this past August 2012.

This project, which we called Burns Lake Home, is an 8,000-square-foot house with seven bedrooms. It consisted of concrete flatwork, full veneer stone, thin cut stone, and patio pavers.

The concrete we poured for the basement floor, front porch, garage, back porch, and driveway took about 10,600 square feet of concrete. The exterior stone is full veneer Fond du Lac 50% Rockfaced Tailor Blend. Limestone sills and caps were chose to finish it off. The exterior stone totaled about 3,000 square feet, which covered the lighthouse, pillars, and different exterior areas around the house.

The chimneys had the same type of stone as the exterior, except it was the thin cut stone. With the four chimneys we had to do, it took about 940 square feet.

The 1,200-square-foot front porch was covered with Chilton Flagstone. The 1,400-square-foot back porch has New York Pattern Bluestone pavers. The three exterior staircases all have New York Bluestone with a Bullnose finish.

All of our stone was supplied by Buechel Stone, a stone supplier based out of Wisconsin.

We truly enjoyed this project. When we can use all of our different skills in one project, it's truly a "package" we appreciate. We are looking forward to The World of Concrete in Las Vegas to further our knowledge of concrete and enhance our mason skills. As most businesses, we are also excited to learn new skills that are being brought into this trade. This house is a beautiful home to see from Lake Michigan, especially on dark nights when their lighthouse lights up the sky!

Flat-Crete, Inc.

Whelan Eye Care

This project at Whelan Eye Care was a vertical overlay that we formed with conventional lumber and then sheetrocked. We applied a basecoat with a troweled in fiber mesh. We then troweled a one-half-inch layer of vertical stamping mix in a straight grey and stamped it in a slate pattern. We let it dry to the point that we could color the mix and let it absorb the color. We then carved the joint lines to simulate the look of brick laid in place. We used three or four different stains in order to get the mottled look. The panels in between the "brick" dividers is actual plastic panels to give the Old World look of a metal ceiling. This was a father/son project that took approximately a week and a half to get it accomplished. The detail that we put into the project is what makes it look so realistic and at the same time giving it an appearance that is warm and attractive. After entering the lobby, a client immediately knows that he or she has entered a business that wants to portray attention to detail. This “artwork” emulates the detail that this business gives to its eye care customer. It is almost artwork in a business that uses eye glasses as artwork to accent a person's appearance.

George Armstrong Co. Limited

Noden Causeway - 3 generations of history

My Grandfather, George Armstrong (deceased 2001), founded the company in 1952. My grandfather and father’s company built the Noden Causeway from 1960-1965. I miss him every day and strive to run the company the way he did, with a focus on teamwork, safety and helping people solve a problem.

In 2005, the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (MTO) noticed an urgent need to rehabilitate the three-structure causeway spanning Rainy Lake on Highway 11 in Fort Frances, Ontario, Canada. The MTO faced two challenges -- the first was to design a rehabilitation of the superstructure that would add a considerable “dead load” to the bridge by the placement of precast concrete deck panels and the second was to reinforce the 856 concrete tube pile substructure support.

Upon design investigation, it had been discovered that a microorganism had inadvertently entered the waters of Rainy Lake and was attacking the bridge structure in the waterline area and was causing extensive corrosion. Polymer Pile encapsulation was deemed to be the best repair solution. The final design reinforces the existing pile and incorporates an adhesive epoxy and mechanical shear studs bond between the existing pile and the encapsulation. The MTO issued a time aggressive tender as they wanted the pile repair work to be completed “post haste” since this work had to be completed before the much needed superstructure work could commence.

Our company was awarded the contract to do the pile repair work. Considering the time constraints, company employees engaged in a brainstorming session to evaluate how to meet the challenges and time constraints of the project. In order to complete the project successfully we had to consider the following challenges in developing our approach: corrosion, weather, scheduling, customized materials, international material procurement, and logistics/project coordination.

Solutions included:

• Develop a barge working platform that would encompass the entire pile bent and provide access for the diving crew (under potential 7-foot wave action) and enough space for all equipment, crew and materials required. The 4,000-square-foot barge configuration we used had a 400-ton capacity.
• Purchase a plural component epoxy grout pump, which we substantially re-engineered to meet the required production rate.
• Procure a diving crew that was willing to engage in the quantum and nature of the work.
• Assemble a deck crew that was able to work six days per week at an average of 12 to 14 hours per day. We encouraged all crew members to make suggestions on how to enhance the work process with safety being the number one priority.

My crew ROCKS because in the final analysis, they worked together to come up with the solution, completed it safely without any breakdowns or failure and successfully completing 36,000 man hours of labor. The primary stakeholder and governing authority, the MTO, was very pleased that our work was completed one year ahead of schedule and to the required specifications.

Ghilotti Bros., Inc.

Marin Veterans' Memorial Auditorium - Path of Travel & Accessible Parking Improvements

The Veterans’ Memorial Auditorium Path of Travel and Accessibility Improvements projects not only provided access to disabled people where none existed prior, but the designs accomplished this in such a way as to greatly increase the overall aesthetic quality of the area as well. The site is the central hub for the County of Marin’s numerous daily, weekly and yearly events and the auditorium is used extensively for various art and music festivals, farmers market, corporate events and parties, performances and presentations.

One of the primary challenges faced during both the design and construction phases of the projects is the relative flatness of the site itself. While this did aid in achieving accessible slope compliance, it did present significant drainage issues as well. Couple this with the fact that historically the site was a wetland with preexisting groundwater issues and the challenge to maintain adequate drainage along with accessible compliance was compounded. However, the designers were able to achieve this through improvements to the existing storm drainage system as well as the addition of a more environmentally friendly bioretention system that also provides additional irrigation to the new landscaping.

An additional challenge faced during construction was the requirement to maintain public access to the auditorium building. The aging utilities present on the site also created numerous situations where adjustments in design and construction needed to be made to accommodate the existing utilities. This created an ever changing environment with an evolving design concept throughout the duration of the project with changes in layout and elevations occurring on a nearly daily basis. Both the designers as well as the construction crews both rose to the challenge and were able to complete the projects successfully while preserving the functionality of the auditorium during construction. These projects created a true blend of both functional and artistic improvements that are seldom achieved in the heavy civil industry.

Giovanni Stone

Mills College Museum Stone Portal Project

The initial inspection of the Mills College Museum Stone Portal took place in 2007 when we were working at the campus located in Oakland, CA.

Mills College was founded in 1852. Many of the older buildings on campus are architectural wonders but have required repairs and in many cases complete restoration. Fortunately Giovanni Stone was selected to work on many of these projects.

During the inspection, we discovered that the large stone portal was attached to wood members using nails and wire, which was standard practice when the masons first erected this stone more than 90 years ago. Since then, it became evident that the portal was spalling and shaking itself away from the framing.

Heavy wire that had been imbedded into the top of each stone block and attached to a large nail in the wood framing behind the stone had moved forward throughout the many years of earthquake-related stress. We believed that gravity was the main force keeping the multi-ton stone portal in place and set in motion a plan to better secure the large doorway making it safe again for patrons of the museum.

In a written report, we expressed our concern that the integrity of the piece had been compromised and would become increasingly dangerous in time. Campus Architect, Karen Fiene, wanted me to show her what my inspection report had revealed. Upon examination by her, the project went into motion with the hiring of Mr. Domenic Campi of the San Francisco Engineering Firm Rutherford & Chekene and Randy Griffin, who has subseqeuntly taken over company relations for Griffin Construction.

Six months of meetings produced a workable plan that would shore up the overhead lintel, leaving it in place and removing the Jambs from floor to ceiling. Welded Steel Tubing, fabricated & erected by D.W. NICHOLSON CORP. would replace the wood behind both Jambs. This would become the backbone of the new installation and would look like a ladder on both sides connected horizontally above the lintel stones. The steel was sunk into new concrete footings on both sides and attached to the concrete walls that resided three feet behind the stone portal.

Our masons dismantled the stones that weighed as much as 350 pounds each and lowered them using straps attached to a winch with labor supplied Rob Meighan of RM Masons and his crew. When it was time for reconstruction, we sent the stone back up the using straps attached to a winch and the strength of Sammy & Lorenzo, the other two members of our crew.

We fabricated special steel anchors that fit nicely into the quarter-inch joint with protrusions up and down imbedded neatly into the top and bottom of each stone and attached to the “ladder” using hardened steel thread cutting screws.

Upon completion, another crew came in to clean the stone and repair the spalling that occurred over the years using Jahn Mortar from Cathedral Stone Company in Baltimore, MD.

Everyone was happy to have completed this project on schedule without any glitches, and to the satisfaction of the Mills College personnel.

Jet Concrete LLC

Merrimack Premium Outlets

Seventeen years in the business and I've NEVER been a part of, or so proud of - such a talented, dedicated and hard-working concrete crew as I am of the men at Jet Concrete! These guys can do the impossible, but they are not the type to look for praise. After pouring nearly 2,220 pristine yards in 74 days though, even I was blown away by these skilled power houses. I just had to shout out the story of my fantastic crew and their amazing achievement this spring at Simon Property Group's upscale Merrimack Premium Outlets!

Lead by Nick Vautour, focusing on safety and pride of workmanship, common crew issues don't ever get in the way of this talented group of craftsmen! Instead, there's just a sense of family and comradery - mixed with just the right spirit of healthy competition.

Jet's crew approaches each new project with a willingness to pool their knowledge, experience and backgrounds. Always looking to determine the best techniques to achieve an outcome each and every one can take pride in, it's through this sense of cooperation, attention to detail and amazing endurance they were able to exceed all expectations in production goals on this 143,179-square-foot project this spring. We started on March 12, 2012 and wrapped it up on May 25, 2012. That's nearly 3.5 acres of hardscape in Iess than 3 months!

This beautiful, rambling outdoor village-style premium shopping center features more than 100 designer stores and in appealing upscale atmosphere that is achieved primarily through sophisticated landscaping and architectural design. The pours had to be spot on; there is no room for error when the hardscape is a featured design focus! With three color variations, 760-foot sidewalk runs, multiple texture and finishes, and a 5,900-square-foot stamped and stained central food court. Sometimes pulling 12- and 14-hour days, week after week, the numbers this crew hit are unbelievable...they brought it and nailed it! The crew at Jet Concrete is proud of their role in this major project. With an inviting atmosphere and over 100 premium outlets, folks in our community are excitedly enjoying this beautiful new haven to gather, shop and save money...and over 800 new jobs were created to boot! Jet Concrete - a crew that Rocks!

J.T. Wimsatt Contracting Company, Inc.

LAX West Bradley Gates International Terminal

J.T. Wimsatt is proud to be a part of the $1.5 billion project, LAX West Bradley Gates International Terminal. The new LAX North and South concourse of the LAX International Terminal includes a four-story structure with two cast-in-place basements, 14 Type III architectural concrete gates/piers and a steel frame structure. Nine of these new gates handle the latest in large commercial airliners, such the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and the giant Airbus A380, which can be configured to carry more than 800 passengers.

The project contains 405,405 cubic feet of concrete, enough to fill 8,000 Ready Mix trucks or to create a one-foot-thick slab of concrete the size of 8.5 football fields!

Our crew worked hard on the job earning a Golden Gate Partnership Recognition Award from Cal/OSHA. The award recognizes J.T. Wimsatt's hard work implementing and maintaining an effective injury and illness prevention program. Less than 1,300 Golden Gate Awards have been awarded to all California companies since its inception.

Mark Beamish Waterproofing, Inc.

Voluspa

Mark Beamish Waterproofing provided labor and material to grind/polish, stain and burnish approximately 5,700 square feet of concrete at the Voluspa corporate headquarters in Irvine, CA. Three men were the crew for this particular job, which took four days. Mark Beamish Waterproofing, Inc. has four or five crews for each category of work that they do. And, the crews often interchange and don’t have the same members from one job to the next. MBW employs approximately 60 crew members. The project was very difficult because the concrete was covered with old tiles that had to be removed. Upon removing the tiles, we found severe spalling, large cracks and an uneven surface. In addition, the removal of the tiles created ghosting on the concrete. The concrete was ground and polished, spalls were repaired, joints filled, and drywall mud was removed and pre-existing stains in the concrete were polished to remove imperfections.

On the Voluspa project, the crew used black stain, then they sealed the flooring with a penetrating sealer/densifier. They then plated and burnished the concrete. Carpeting, baseboards, mastic, epoxy and glue were stripped off once or twice and removed prior to grinding and polishing. Edges needed to be hand grinded. All of the many joints and spalls were demolished and prepped. Several areas of the business were closed off during the project. The old cove base was cleaned and replaced. The concrete was restored and stained to a beautiful, shiny black surface. The restored stained concrete surface is now a great contrast to the luxurious décor in the building.

Mattingly Concrete Inc.

Beginning in January 2012, a very large existing custom home was being partially demolished and renovated to the new homeowners’ tastes. After many contractor changes and years of planning, the main renovation was set to begin. The homeowner and contractor had heard of us through the grapevine and were impressed with how professional we were in providing them countless samples poured at our shop/showroom. We were selected among a slew of other concrete contractor based on our reputation and not our price. A few footers were poured along with a portion of a stamped patio/deck during the winter months of January and February.

Plans soon called for more than 3,800 square feet of integral colored and stamped concrete along with an additional 5,000 square feet of broom finish concrete with decorative saw cuts. About 1,400 lineal feet of 2-foot-wide stamped border was poured around the entire driveway portion with 4-foot portions of band in front of the many garage doors. Three separate smaller stamped patios, two large stamped walkways, five sets of stamped steps (three to six risers each) leading to various portions of the home, two stamped driveway aprons at each end of horseshoe driveway, a stamped valet parking area, and a very large pool deck with gas fire pit. Two elevated concrete decks/walkout patios were poured and stamped as well coming off the second story. These proved to be an especially daunting form and pour task that we took great pride in handling in a residential situation. The formwork included textured liners for the exposed 6-inch edge of the elevated "patios" to look as if it were one large slab stone sitting atop limestone columns. The concrete decks had #4 rebar 4-by4-inch grids and 2-inch Styrofoam was added to displace concrete and to form integral concrete load-bearing beam action. All of the flat concrete portions of this job, both broom and stamped, included 5"-6" thick concrete, heavy duty 18-by-18-inch #4 rebar grids throughout and fiber mesh reinforcing.

Most of the colored concrete had to be poured in large portions to allow for better blending of different loads. In total, the concrete prep and pour portion of this job took well over four months. Speed and timing were of the essence considering this home was located on the 13th hole of the prestigious Crooked Stick Golf Club in Carmel, Indiana where the BMW Championship was set to take place just days after the set completion date. Pictures do not do this job justice as it is truly a sight to behold. It has amazed all who see and walk on it. For a crew of six men, I think my men and I did an outstanding job. Mattingly Concrete Inc. deserves a shot at the 2013 Crews That Rock Contest!

Max-Crete

Paul Siwek

Our company received a call from a gentleman in Beach Park, Illinois that needed some concrete work. He was referred to us by a previous client. I met Paul Siwek in the spring at the start of our season he was looking for a total backyard makeover. Paul wanted a patio, sidewalk, seat walls and a fire pit. I suggested stamped and colored concrete for the seat walls and the fire pit. To really make the project, I suggested a concrete cap for the walls and fire pit. Paul wanted the 24’ by 24’ patio to be picture framed but since we were coloring and stamping the walls, I suggested doing the same for the patio design. Paul then tells me he is going to have his blacktop driveway replaced after I get all the concrete finished. There was no way I was going to let this client install blacktop next to the beautiful concrete. I gave him a great deal on a concrete driveway. Paul hired us to complete whole project.

My small crew of three started on the 3 ½-foot-high fire pit and the 2-foot-high seat walls. The fire pit was a challenge because Paul wanted the inside diameter to be 4’ and the walls to be 8” thick. For the fire pit, I made my own sono tube out of 1/8” hardboard and plywood circles. Timing is crucial when you have to pour, strip, rub and stamp the walls! You have no room for error! The walls and the fire pit turned out excellent. We stamped the walls with a Roman slate stamp. We then used brick forms step liner for the 2” cap. Next we stamped the patio with a smooth slate stamp. The backyard looks great! We then finished the project 40 yard driveway and sidewalks. The job was a complete success! My Crew of 3 rocked this project!

Morley Construction Company

San Diego New Central Library

SAN DIEGO NEW CENTRAL LIBRARY
The project presented Morley Construction with multiple unique challenges combining mass concreting with architectural concrete practice.  Unique design elements included moment-frame columns up to 7 feet thick and over 60 feet tall, nearly 350,000 square feet of waffle slabs, and one-of-a-kind components, such as the Concrete Gravity Arch in the Library’s main lobby and custom roof structures at the Reading Room and Special Events Room. Our crew and staff totaled more than 100 persons.

ARCHITECTURAL CONCRETE PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
All concrete above grade is designated to be fair-faced as-cast, utilizing architectural-grade Type-III cement and a Class A finish. Exposed concrete work was to maintain consistency of color without mottling, paste loss, or “coffee stains” and to be free of sheen - instead exhibiting a flat/matte finish. Plywood sheets were to be oriented randomly to create an organic “quilted” effect, with no sheet larger than 4’x4’ or 3’x6’. In response to the architect’s requests, Morley developed fully detailed concrete shop drawings for every exposed column, beam, edge of slab, and wall as well as custom structures such as the Gravity Arch.

ARCHITECTURAL MASS CONCRETE & PLYWOOD TESTING
Morley conducted a series of 15 full-scale mock-ups to test the specified concrete mix for aesthetics, color, heat gain, and compressive strength. Morley’s team convinced the design team to allow a switch to an architectural-grade Type I cement product that would yield max temperatures up to 70 degrees cooler than the specified cement while also lending to improved consistency in the concrete color range.

CONCRETE GRAVITY ARCH
The soaring 46-foot tall x 70-foot wide structural concrete Gravity Arch within the Library’s main lobby supports the 4th through 8th floors directly above with combined floor space exceeding 20,000 square feet. Morley conducted in-house peer reviews to determine the best approach to forming the Arch. Upon weighing multiple scenarios, the team settled on an approach to build the arch in 3 lifts in a sequence that allowed reuse of the forms for each pour but also maintained the custom appearance of the random pattern, untreated architectural layout with exposed tie-holes.

READING ROOM ROOF
At the 8th floor is the steel and glass enclosed 70-foot tall Reading Room. 72-inch square cast-in-place columns, cruciform in plan, rise 62 feet to support the 6-foot wide by 5-foot deep CIP concrete roof beams. The 64-foot long beams, column capitals, and 10 in concrete slab were placed in a single monolithic concrete pour.

SPECIAL EVENTS ROOM ROOF
The Special Events Room roof cantilevers over 10 feet from the 9th floor deck and is made up of a hybrid system of precast beams and a 6 in cast-in-place concrete slab. The flanks of the structure are architecturally exposed and the steel curtain wall columns and mullions were designed to be cast with the CIP slab. The roof is supported by a single 72-in x 48-in inclined CIP concrete column which begins its rake nearly 90 feet below between the 4th & 5th floors. Morley utilized a custom designed falsework system that incorporated the use of four steel “mega-trusses”, steel outriggers and girders, and aluminum shores, stringers, and beams to support the eccentric construction loads.

Oakridge Builders

Samson Plaza Concrete Renovations

This was a 24,000-square-foot tear out, waterproof and replacement project in the heart of Tulsa, OK downtown area. The existing brick and aggregate had deteriorated throughout the plaza. The plaza is situated over an existing parkade; we proceeded in tearing out 22,000 square feet of brick and concrete. Two coats of waterproofing were installed before the forms could be set and concrete could be poured. It was then poured with a 3,500 psi mix with buck-eye fiber and air.

The owner selected the Pennsylvania brick pattern style; it was used as a border and also in the main areas of traffic. The color was 3m natural bark and the plaza area a sombrero buff color was used for the 42 squares of 14x14. It was then sandblasted to match the existing planters that were onsite. There was more than 3,000 lineal feet of expansion joints isolating every pattern. The forming had to be done after waterproofing had dried and finally rechecked for trueness of form the morning of the pour. During this time, the plaza was never fully shut down and 95% of the pours were done by 8 a.m. so it would not disrupt tenants and customers.

The final 2,000 were installed when 90% of the plaza was complete. Pours also were placed with two power buggies. This time and effort put forth on this project was astounding. With only a crew of six men, it was completed remarkably fast. Just seeing the amount of effort put into this by my crew made them more than worthy of being a crew that rocks. The jobsite was always clean and it was overall a great project. We had zero accidents, stayed on budget and a zero punch list – making this a quality project.

P and H Concrete

Mr. and Mrs. Shrug’s Deck

My name is Hank Guerrero Sr. I am the owner of P and H. Why I think our crew should be selected is simply this: work pride, quality, and craftsmanship. We have a small crew, but we put out a great product. Our background goes as far as my father, who was a great finisher not just in my mind, but for all the men who worked with him. Most of his work was in Los Angeles water and power building, GTE buildings and major freeways, such as 10, 57 60, interchange in Pomona, CA.

I was taught concrete at a young age; my father started me when I was 8 years old, and at that time I was playing in it. I guess you can say I have not stopped since. My father taught me a lot how to be a finisher not just to swing trowels but to treat every job like it is your own. He said,” If you don’t like it, they won’t either. Quality is the key.” And with that you will always have work, which I have found to be true.

That brings me to our crew; Hank Jr. is the third generation finisher. He has come a long way. He too started at age 10, collecting concrete tickets from the trucks and floating edges. I now can say he is a good finisher from slabs to custom stamping and detail, as you will see in the photos. Jorge came to us 3 years ago not knowing a thing about concrete. He has worked up the ranks from labor to labor, finisher and stamping edges. We have worked hard to be a good crew, to not only put out a beautiful product, but care about what we put out. There is so much I could tell you about my team. I am 52 years of age; I have seen a lot in this industry. Young men don’t want to do this kind of work, they would rather do something else that is easier than getting their hands a little dirty. But I look at my guys and the work they put out. I am proud of them and that’s why you are getting this entry.

This project was done in November. This job was fun to do. The homeowner told me to make it inviting, so we did. We started with a three-tier deck, a landing off the existing deck, then 6-inch step to an area - this was her sun deck. Then we step down again six inches, and this would be the fire pit area. We chose an in-ground because when you stand at the top of the deck, you almost feel that you’re above the flame. This pit is woodburning to give the feel of the outdoors. As you see in one of the pictures, there is a planter curb. That area would have a water feature.

The labor involved: we have 35 tons of compactable base or road mix. We moved that with a Bobcat. The base is about 12 inches deep at lifts of six inches at a time to compact. We have thickened edges 12 inches wide and 14 inches deep with 12 inches of exposed edges that are hard trowel as well as the 12 inches bands picture framing the outer edge of the deck. We stamped the centers with a proline seamless texture Belgium slate, tooled curving joints 3/4 with matching 3/4 edger. The color is Davis harvest gold. We came back seven days later to ez tique with black, another pro line product, and sealed with dura seal matte finish. Now all this is tied together with rebar 2 feet on center each way doweled to existing stem wall. The thickened edge has rebar top and bottom throughout. This deck is about 1,600 square feet, 4 inches thick, 3,500 psi concrete with micro fiber and 1% high early around 25 yards. We have two days labor to set and one day to pour, 13 hours. We started with lights and ended with lights. We took advantage of this day because it was a 65 degree day in November in Montana. That doesn’t happen too much and there were no plans for this job. The shapes and curves you see are just many years of setting pool decks.

Pascal Robertson Masonry Inc.

Rice Residence

Our company was established in 1984.We pride our company's ability to provide the area’s highest quality masonry and concrete work. Pascal, our company owner, has been gifted personally in masonry, 2-time national fastest trowel winner at WOC 2008 and 2009, DIY dominator contestant and local apprentice instructor. Our masons and finishers are true journeymen with skills developed over twenty and thirty years each.

The Rice residence is one of the finest homes we have built at the new exclusive Golden Oaks on Disney property. A true Tuscany design beauty drawn by Manzo designs and built by Derrick Builders ,estate builder on property ,one of the three estate builders (there’s only four)that we provide all services for from footings , c.m.u. construction, concrete slabs, custom fireplaces, brick and of course, all the stonework. The home has it all--authentic details, fieldstone laid dry stack, arches with distressed brick accents, indoor and outdoor fireplaces, fireworks stone tower, waterfalls, pizza oven, kitchen details-- just a natural oasis of a home…so comfortable, never a need to leave home. Fourteen months from placing concrete footings to laying that last stone, a most memorial project for our crew.

Schuepbach Builders

Moving Falls Fish Ladder

Team Schuepbach is a general contractor specializing in concrete work. The Schuepbach Crew led by 3 owners, Randy Baker, Gary Fisher and Ross Brown, has 14 employees, 11 of those employees have been with us for 7 years or longer, which makes our crew rock throughout Oregon and Washington year after year.

This year we rocked right through a 300-linear-foot fish ladder with a tight in water work permit period beginning July 1 and ending October 26. The excavation crew first had to build nearly 400 linear feet of cofferdam to divert the Hood River. On July 18 there was enough of the dam and a hole dug to start the upstream fish trap area; 6 days later, the first 81 yards were placed. We were on a fast track down the river from there, first forming a 11'6" x 280' footing 5' deep, followed by a west wall of 280' x 17'10” x 1'2", an east wall of 280' x 21' x 1'6", with an AWS structure at the entrance pool.

We used 5,957 man hours along with help from an 80-ton crane to place the 152.5 tons of rebar and the Alsina Alisply Wall system forms. On October 18, we made the last pour in the in the river, the excavators started removing the dam on October 22, and we still had 120' of the east wall to complete, which wasn't in the river. On October 26 we placed the last of the 1,507 yards of concrete and made the deadline. It took just under 4 man hours per yard placed, we definitely feel we rock and want to rock Vegas in February!

Single Point Construction

Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Training Facility

Single Point Construction LLC is a commercial construction subcontractor with 50 - 100 employees based in Landover, Maryland. Trades performed by the company include Concrete, Masonry, Structural Steel, Misc. Metals, Structural & Architectural Demolition, and Excavation. Single Point's goal is to provide high quality construction services and products delivered in a safe and timely manner. We are able to achieve our goal by leveraging our highly qualified and experienced team members who are dedicated to your project's success.

Single Point's scope of work for this base building project for the Fairfax County Fire Department consisted of all Concrete, Masonry & Misc. Metals. The concrete frame and structural slab 5-story structure was designed as a Class B burn building for training of fire fighters in real fire conditions. All interior and exterior walls were 8-inch CMU Dryblock solid filled and dovetailed at ceiling joints. Window shutters were fabricated plate with closures.

Somero LLC

Michelin Red Oak Project

This project was a challenge for our company, there was a 56,000-square-foot Tire Casting Basement that was 47 feet deep. Our crew dealt with a lot of rain to get this completed within the schedule. At the same time 16 different buildings that the crew poured the footings and any CIP walls for. The total SF of slabs was 800,000 with a metallic shake hardener. The crew worked 5 to 12 hour days from July through the end of the year. Total Crew size was 90 employees to accomplish this project. The total man-hours was 70,000 and only 11 first aid cases with no OSHA Recordable Injuries. The project was bought in at budget due to the creativity and willpower of the entire crew. The Crew that Rocks is Somero!

Stark Excavating

Ikenberry Commons Phase C & D - University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Construction Manager: Turner Construction Company

Stark Excavating “Team Champaign” was the Site Hardscape Contractor on a combined $42 Million Dormitory Project on the campus of the University of Illinois in Champaign, Illinois. This project had some unique qualities about it that required Stark and other contractors to be on their A-game each and every week – little room for error or lost opportunities. The prime challenge for Stark was to excavate, form, reinforce, place concrete, place pavers, grade, install hardscape accessories and clean-up amongst the bustling activities of other contractors needing constant access to complete the building itself. Access was paramount and creative thinking/planning ensued. Time was never in abundance and synchronized timing for Stark among the other contractors was a key component to the challenges laid before them on this project.

Stark’s exceptional performance over this past year involved the completion of permeable pavers, 8-inch thick pervious concrete, over 37,000 square feet of 8-inch thick sidewalks, various retaining/concrete seat walls, bike racks, and placement of landscape boulders. All these items were completed by “Team Champaign” and in compliance with the project goals set forth to obtain LEED Gold Certification.

It should be noted that the Landscape Architect was impressed with Stark’s construction of the 8-inch pervious concrete construction. While pervious concrete is a widely known LEED attribute to a ‘Green Project Orientation,’ it was not common in our region. Stark was unique in that they brought highly specialized expertise with them in this type of construction since they have been on the leading edge of this technology and have implemented it successfully on several projects prior. It was a resounding success and an example of how Stark approached the project.

Stark’s office and field personnel worked long hours in planning and execution. Stark was not afraid to think outside of the box and overcame challenges associated with Mother Nature, compressed scheduling, limited access and crowded site conditions. Stark Excavating’s crew is dynamic in their abilities and motivated by their successes. All in all Stark completed their work safely on time, under budget and with high-quality. Stark Excavating Champaign Team Rocks!

Team Pain

Bradenton Riverwalk Skate Park

Company Overview
Team Pain is a skate park design-build company with over 30 years of experience working world-wide 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 member has a minimum of 12 years skateboarding experience coupled with superior craftsmanship to provide a unique and highly specialized product.

Project Description
In August 2012, Team Pain Skate Parks completed the design and construction of a custom 16,000-square- foot concrete skate park for the Bradenton Downtown Development Authority’s revitalization plan for Bradenton Florida’s Riverwalk Park. The skate park is located partially under the Desoto Bridge along the Manatee River. This beautification project transformed Bradenton’s riverfront into a 1.5 mile long signature attraction for residents, tourists and commercial businesses.

Florida Rock Industries provided the concrete & shotcrete for the project. Utilizing our own mix design, the skate park consists of 341 yards of smooth concrete & shotcrete. The skate park contains various sections and elements to accommodate all disciplines and levels of skateboarding. The street section emulates what you would find in urban streets and includes skateable handrails, stairs, banks, ledges, hips and manual pads, in addition to skateable granite pieces and moguls. There is also a mini flow bowl with vertical skate wall and a skateable pool that is 9.5 feet deep complete with tile and pool coping; for that genuine feel of skating an empty pool.

ThemeScapes Inc.

Washington Park

Our project was very unique, amazing and one of a kind! What we do for a living is sometimes hard to explain and easier to show in person or with pictures. Here at ThemeScapes we build highly themed, customized, tricked out playgrounds constructed of concrete. Our employees are very creative skilled fabricators who have learned to use concrete in methods far beyond anyone's imagination and like no other.

The Project I have entered is Washington Park in Cincinnati, Ohio. The city wanted a playground like no other, but yet using some of the local history in the area. We built a series of 3 pieces. 1st piece, a Canal Boat built ADA accessible that sat alongside an interactive stream that kids could play in; 2nd piece, a Climbing Ruin Wall over 50 feet long by 8 feet tall that kids can traverse all over with discovery fossils and small critters hand sculpted throughout the climber; 3rd piece, a Castle Tower on a play mound approximately 15 feet tall tower carved and textured like old stone and brick matching local ruins in the area. This feature also included a spiral slide inside the tower, stone climber, and ruin walls for traversing.

We take great pride here at ThemeScapes on everything we build from a Dinosaur climber to a giant tree house--the end result is the most satisfying seeing the kids excitement while they are playing on the features we build. And best of all, telling their parents they are not done playing and don't want to go home! I believe we should be chosen to win this contest because of the uniqueness of how we use concrete and our ability to think outside the box. Being creative to me means never saying to a client “we can’t do that”… we always find a way no matter what. The end result speaks for itself.

Universal Precast Concrete, Inc.

StageCoach Climber

The Custom Stagecoach Climber was designed and manufactured for Southside Park in Yucca Valley, CA by our UPC Parks Division.

The project initially started as a 30-acre community park but had to be scaled back because of budget constraints. The original plan had a very conventional playground. The city changed direction just prior to construction, deciding to include some themed elements that tied the playground into the local frontier history of the area.

The town determined that a stagecoach would be one of these playground pieces. The challenge was to produce a realistic fun-for-kids playground piece while at the same time staying within the budget constraints.

UPC was given no other direction from the town other than to manufacture a stagecoach. The challenge for UPC Parks was to keep within budget despite the last minute direction change to trade out some of the conventional metal and plastic playground pieces and add in some custom frontier themed pieces. This enhanced the interactivity of the traditional post and deck playground pieces.

UPC Parks’ design manager, Dan Christensen, and lead designer, Garry Schwartz, originally conceptualized the stagecoach as a large monolithic piece of concrete, without a high level of detail to the finish. The entire inside seating area was not part of the original concept, either.

As the modeling began, the design team realized that if the piece was broken up into several smaller casting pieces, they could incorporate more detail into the stagecoach.

Schwartz modified the original design to add more individual detailed pieces. He expanded the detailing for the luggage rack to contain a variety of frontier era items that would be individually modeled and painted. Then he created a hollow center passenger compartment, complete with fully textured seats and floor.

The result was the creation of an interactive play climber that is fun for kids to play in as well as a historical learning piece. Christensen oversaw the molding process, the pouring of the concrete pieces, the final assembly and painting.

• Design time for the stagecoach modeling = 1 month
• Production time = 2 months including pouring of concrete and assembly
• Painting and detailing = 2 weeks

Uretek

Marriott Knoxville

Uretek working with value engineering ideas put together a value engineered plan to install Micro Piles for the new Marriott hotel in Knoxville, Tennessee. Uretek used the duplex drilling method on this project to install 5.5" O.D. casing. Uretek drilled the casing in to rock to the engineered depth. We then grouted each pile using 5,000 PSI grout. Once our work was completed, the new foundation for the hotel could be poured. Uretek worked very closely with the GC to help complete this project under ahead of schedule and under the owner's budget.

Vertex Contractors, LLC

BAAF Misc. Navaids and Pavement Repair

The BAAF Misc. Navaids and Pavement Repair is a project that Vertex crew deserves an outstanding workmanship. There was much coordination, training and discipline to perform this project. Vertex had to go through extensive airfield training that consisted of FOD (foreign object damage), driving training, and training in communications with the tower.

This project was located inside the Ft. Bliss Biggs Army Airfield Taxi Runways. Vertex crew had to pass a test before any work commenced. Once everything was approved, our crew was badged and began the surveying layout and demolition of concrete panels that need to be replaced. All equipment had to be inspected and worked properly. All debris had to be picked up and removed from the airfield immediately, so that there would not be any danger to any air crafts in the vicinity. The BAAF project had to be a very clean and net project at all times. Vertex had a safety coordinator on the field the majority of the time. Vertex crew worked long hours to get this project done. There was only a certain amount of time that Vertex had to complete this project due to certain areas being closed on the airfield for repair, and the remaining areas opened 24 hours a day. Aircrafts were very close in the vicinity of the work and precautions had to be taken. Coordinating the equipment, labor on the demo and the replacement of the panels was a challenge because every truck and person had to be escorted, checked into the tower, and checked for any possible FOD before they proceeded on to the runway.

Different areas of the runway consisted of the demo work and replacement of papi light bases, threshold light base and replacement of concrete panels for the air strip, demo and replace asphalt shoulders, and stripping on new asphalt. The difficult part was the demo of the panels. Since there was limited debris from the demo that can be done on sight due to FOD, the concrete had to be saw cut into 15 x 15 panels, then carefully removed into large flat beds and transported out for recycling. Since the concrete paving was existing and had been there for more than 40 years, the thickness of the concrete in some areas was thicker than others. The thickness ranged anywhere between 14 inches to 16 inches. Vertex came across unforeseen conditions and had to act immediately on preparing extra subgrade, placing base course, place reinforcement, and place and finish concrete. The concrete had to be placed and finished immediately.

Vertex was able to complete this project with no delays, no safety issues, and the knowledge and experience of Vertex Crew and management. Vertex crew and management have a combined knowledge and work experience of earthwork, storm drain, utilities, and concrete for over 30 years.

Alta Vista Masonry & ICF Specialist

The Green Schoolhouse Series - Safari at Roadrunner Elementary

Just two days prior to when the Amvic ICF walls were due to be erected for the first ever Green Schoolhouse Series project, the company that had volunteered to install the ICFs pulled out of the project. Since the projects are built entirely by volunteers, we felt this would be a major challenge to bring another volunteer group in quickly. Gary Fetters, CEO of ICF Specialist, mobilized a team that was assisted by volunteers from Alta Vista Masonry and the Phoenix Job Corps Center, and the ICF walls were finished slightly ahead of schedule. Lasaro Avila and his crew, led by Angel Vasquez, volunteered to assist with the installation of the Amvic ICF walls and to install all of the EnduraMax High Performance Wall System in the first-ever Green Schoolhouse Series project.

The Green Schoolhouses are the world’s first (designed-to-be) LEED Platinum schools built by volunteers, funded by corporations in the U.S. and Canada, and then gifted to a low-income public school. The first ever project is being completed in Phoenix, Arizona and the keys to this highly sustainable and technology packed 6,000-square-foot school will be given to the Washington Elementary School District on January 24. The building will serve as a school, a place for after-school programs and a community center.

The Alta Vista crew has since installed the EnduraMax stone veneer product around much of the exterior of the Green Schoolhouse. Their team also mentored future masons from the Phoenix Job Corps Center, providing these students with invaluable hands-on, in-the-field experience.

Special thanks go to Drake Materials for donating the concrete for the ICFs, JD Russell Company for donating the rebar, and Fleming Concrete for supplying the concrete pumping equipment. Also, Hensel Phelps was the volunteer GC on the project.

Gary Fetters and Rod, the prinicpals at ICF Specialist, have been giving back to our communities and country for many years. As former Air Force airmen, they have carried through the commitment to service and all of the parties involved in the Green Schoolhouse Series projects at Roadrunner Elementary will be forever grateful for their commitment on this project. “Gary, Rod and the team at ICF Specialist can't be thanked enough for helping to insure the success of this project. They stepped in the 11th hour and saved the day and the project. They are the epitome of giving unselfishly to help others in need,” said Will Grupenhoff, Director of Design & Construction for the Green Schoolhouse Series.

“We also could not have accomplished this great project that supports our children, educators and a very deserving community without the unbelievable support from the crew at Alta Vista Masonry. There was not a second of hesitation from Lasaro when we asked him to help on both the ICF and stone veneer. We at the Green Schoolhouse Series would like to recognize their amazing efforts,” he said.

California State University, Chico

Historic Puppy Stair Repair - Preservation Field School at Alcatraz Island

Chico State students rock, literally! Our student crew actually conquered the Rock with a passion for concrete. The crew was part of the California State University, Chico, Concrete Industry Management Field School at Alcatraz wherein students learn about concrete, concrete preservation, and concrete repair aesthetics while completing a project with oversight from the National Park Service, faculty, and professional mentors. The 2012 crew completed repairs on the historic Puppy Stair (named for small steps built for the Warden’s Corgi).

Not every college student is cut out for life on The Rock. They sleep in old Army barracks in the Marin Headlands (without TV, internet, and cell phone service), cross the Bay by boat, wear uniforms of black, hand-carry material and equipment up the hill (equivalent of 13-story building), conduct high-tech non-destructive testing, chip deteriorated concrete fully armed with proper PPE, wield the hand-held mixer and five-gallon buckets with the best of them. They figure out how to get power and water on an Island not well set up for either, willingly engage many of the more than 5,000 daily visitors who want to know who they are and what they’re doing, act as mentors for at-risk high school student volunteers, and respect the Birdman’s creatures as they nest, raise young, and routinely target white hard hats (the Birdman of Alcatraz, by the way, never had birds on Alcatraz!).

They are responsible for choosing proper materials and application methods (form and pour, hand layup, self-consolidating, high- or low-tech, etc.); build complex formwork to match the beautiful inconsistencies of historic shapes; develop finishing techniques that blend repairs with surrounding patina of partially intact layers of cementitious overlays, historic white wash, and biological growth; and balance industry-accepted practices with federally mandated historic preservation standards because of the Island’s National Historic Landmark status.

The student crew had to study each situation, evaluate options, make their case to faculty and NPS, follow through, and take responsibility for decisions and results. The outcome was spectacular - the completed work sets (we believe) a new standard even for professional work in the historic realm (we challenge you to find the repaired sections . . . approximately ¼ of the stair is new), and the crew, after finishing ahead of schedule, integrated easily back into real life after their summer escape to Alcatraz as truly empowered, knowledgeable, confident young people who will forever share a common bond. They served time in the shadows of Machine Gun Kelly and Al Capone; gave up sunny beach time with friends for the rain, wind, and fog of San Francisco; left their occasional thumb print; otherwise contributed to a new layer of history of the famous Island prison; and, well, truly rocked. They demonstrated deep enthusiasm of purpose and dedication to the full meaning of their job. From here they will graduate college and enter the concrete industry as future leaders capable of changing the world one rock at a time.

Missouri Department of Transportation

Rehabilitation project on Poplar Street Bridge approach

Bridge rehabilitation projects are known for surprises - the bigger the project, the bigger the surprise.

In 2012, Missouri contracted a $16 million rehabilitation project on the Poplar Street Bridge approach. This contract was awarded to replace the wearing surface on a 1.5-mile-long double deck bridge. On a project of this magnitude, any contractor should expect some surprises, but I doubt many would ever expect a DOT crew to be called in to help.

The contract allowed for complete traffic lane closures during many weekends. These closures were required to complete work in narrow two- lane sections of the structure that carry 50,000 vehicles a day, but the bridge was required to be open during rush hour every weekday. There was no doubt to anyone involved this is a critical structure for St. Louis. Calculated User Costs for this contract were $3700 per hour.

The weekend of June 23, 2012, the westbound lanes were completely closed Friday night for hydro-demolition and High-Early Strength Latex overlay placement. This work started off like many other weekends, but the condition of this portion of the structure was much worse than anticipated. During the hydro operation, there seemed to be a significant amount of deteriorated concrete. With everything saturated, the extent of the challenges ahead was very difficult to determine. By Saturday afternoon, as the deck dried out, everyone realized there was no way the bridge could be opened on Monday. The bulk of the deck was rotten, but over 20% had been patched. These patches were still connected to rebar and very difficult to remove. At this point, the contractor was reluctant to accept any help from the owner, but all immediately available local contractors started helping jackhammer the 1200-foot-long by 12-foot-wide section. Monday came with many press releases and media interviews, but it was obvious the interstate couldn’t be opened. Many temporary alternatives were considered, but in the end it was determined to work around the clock and “get ‘er done.” The available contract forces were not going to be able to get the bridge open for a few days by themselves, so MoDOT’s St. Louis Bridge Maintenance crews loaded up their resources and joined in. Sixteen state employees working side by side with the contractor kept eight jackhammers running for ten hours straight. The contractors were impressed with the level of effort exerted from state employees, as well as the setup of the equipment. One of the contractors was so impressed with the speed and efficiency of the jackhammering operation that they quizzed them about what it would cost to buy the DOT crew’s equipment setup (truck with a mounted compressor, quick air connections in the bumper, and hose and tool storage in the side boxes). When the day was done, everyone admitted the interstate would have been closed for at least another 24 hours if DOT crews had not pitched in. You don’t have to compare St. Louis Bridge crews strictly on a government scale to see these crews rock. They rock on any scale!

NPW Contracting

University of Colorado Hospital Expansion

In October 2011, NPW Contracting, Inc. quoted the urethane traffic topping that was specified for the 4th floor mechanical area of the University of Colorado Hospital Expansion Tower and Critical Care Wing. NPW was eventually awarded the contract for this work, after weeks of negotiating for a system that we were certain was correct for the field conditions that existed.

The 4th floor mechanical area comprises approximately 52,000 square feet. Areas A and B at the Northern end of the floor have 5 ½ inches of concrete on a 3-inch deck for a total thickness of 8 inches. The remainder of the floor is 4½ inches of concrete over a 3-inch deck for a total thickness of 7 ½ inches. The concrete on both decks is of normal weight. The concrete was poured in a metal retainer, which was to remain in place. At the time of the bid, I recommended that the metal be vented with ¼-inch holes at 18 inches O.C. in order to provide vapor transfer, which is industry standard. In February 2012, we entered into discussions regarding the scope of work and its progression. We found, at this point, that the metal deck had not been vented and raised our concern about the longevity of the system for the required 5 year warranty. With the help of Mark Grundmann, BASF, and Angela Echols and Randy Diner, Procoat Systems, we proposed using BASF’s MV Block as a vapor barrier and then the Conipur II system.

Our method of installation was as follows:

• Shot blasting the floor and hand grinding the curbs – followed by thorough vacuuming
• Placing the MV Block
• Sanding the cured MV Block using a Floor Maintainer with a sanding pad on the bottom
• Vacuuming the floor and wiping the floor with xylene
• Installing the Conipur II system (Grey):
  • Primer, Base Coat, Top Coat with sand

     

NPW was able to submit for, and have approved, the use of the EFVM breach detection by International Leak Detection. We did a mock-up for Haselden, the Owner and HDR and were able to identify quite a few potential breaches. All parties were impressed and could see the value of this breach detection compared to a 48-hour water test on 52,000 sq. ft. of the 4th floor with 3 floors of interior finish below.

This project is part of a $400 million campus expansion for the University of Colorado Hospital. This phase is a 12-story, 660,000-square-foot building of in- and out-patient rooms, diagnostic and treatment locations, operating rooms and miscellaneous office and staff rooms. The facility will also allow for the tenant finish of 144 future in-patient rooms. The University of Colorado Medical Campus encompasses many of the facilities that provided treatment for 58 victims of the devastating Aurora Theater shooting. Haselden Construction LLC has built much of the Anschutz Campus and has accomplished wonders under very challenging circumstances. We are working with many Haselden employees that have shown themselves to be worthy of our regard.

TJ Rowles Builder Inc.

Gladys Porter Zoo - South Texas Discovery Education Center

The Gladys Porter Zoo has long been known as a leader in conservation and naturalistic habitats for the animals. They have approximately 400,000 visitors per year. A few months ago, I was contacted by them to see if we would be interested in doing some vertical concrete on one of their new buildings - The South Texas Discovery Education Center.

The building was meant to have a look of old stucco chipping off and exposing the adobe brick beneath it. The way it was going though, the contractor was going to finish it as another CMU building with an elastomeric stucco finish. They wondered if we could get the look they wanted.

We hadn't done this particular technique before but I had learned a very realistic method to pull this off from another contractor, so I told them we would do it. We were also informed that this would be a labor of love since there was no money left in the building fund to cover this.

Don Breeden, a member of the crew, designed the facade, including the exposed brick, the shutters and wood sills at the faux windows. He also included a hewn wooden beam over the entry door.

Three's a crowd but in this case it’s also the crew - my son, Charles Rowles, Don Breeden and myself, T J Rowles. Working with these guys was a real treat - enough different personalities to keep things lively all day and watching my son progress each time we take on another project is an indescribable feeling for a father.

Once the facade was finished, the zoo liked it so much we designed and built the split mesquite log, which will act as the backboard for the letters with the building’s name. Don shined on this one and really nailed the colors of the interior of a freshly felled mesquite. We had studied mesquites in the area and learned that when fresh, a sawn or broken mesquite has vibrant shades of dark red running through the interior with pale shades of yellow closer to the bark. After a few days though, these colors start to fade significantly. Our colors will hopefully always give the impression of one that is fresh.

We're anxiously looking forward to the next project that the zoo will have for us.

Tulsa Technology Center - Lemley Campus

9-11 Tribute Wall

My name is Chauncey Kila and I am the masonry instructor at Tulsa Tech. I have a crew of 27 students that did another outstanding job of creating and building a 9-11 tribute wall. Most of my students have never picked up a trowel before much less laid a brick. To be able to create and build such a meaningful project was quite an accomplishment for some of the students. I have been asking my students to do a 9-11 tribute wall every year for 9 years now. Every year they have been able to amaze me with their creativity and their ability to complete the project with so little training.

This year was exceptionally special because a mother who tragically lost her son in the Pentagon stopped by to view the wall. She told her story about her son to my class and it was then that the students realized that the wall they built had a special meaning. Some of my students were only 5 to 6 years old when that tragic event took place. I believe it is important to continue to remind my students about this tragic day because it has made such a difference in the way we live in the world today. This project also teaches the students about problem solving, critical thinking, time management, and the ability to work as a team.

The wall is constructed of modular brick, cinder blocks, flagstone, and brick pavers. The twin towers were constructed from 8-inch cinder blocks cut at 45-degree angles. The pentagon was constructed with 4-inch half blocks for the white stripes and the red stripes are red modular brick laid in a soldier pattern. An aluminum tray was constructed by the welding program to create the 6 foot waterfall protruding out from the pentagon. The brick pavers were meticulously cut to form the fireman’s Maltese cross. The pavers and flagstone were laid in a bed of sand. A job well done by the students. I’m very proud of my crew of students and I’m very proud to live in the USA!