Hear the words industrial strength and what do you think of? Heavy-duty, bigger, stronger, and tougher come to mind. We think of things dubbed "industrial" as being more powerful and more durable. And when it comes to concrete for industrial applications, that is often the case.
Concrete placed in an industrial setting may be subjected to very large loads, says Charles "Bubba" Hansen, project manager with Casey Industrial. He cites a recent job where a two-million-pound iron press was assembled and placed on a foundation prepared by his crews. Besides the load of the finished equipment, he had to consider staging and assembly loads imposed as the construction progressed
Hansen also notes that there can be significant wind loads in industrial projects, resulting in large shear and uplift forces. Considering the large areas under roof on many industrial projects, limits on the speed of construction can mean highly variable loading conditions for an extended period of time before a structure is completed and self-stabilized.
These considerations, along with the increased risk of serious consequences in the event of any failure, make it important to meet concrete specifications.
"The contractor gets more involved in details of the mix design, temperature of the concrete, even the number of revolutions of the truck," Hansen says. These things that are sometimes viewed as generic contract requirements take on new significance in industrial work.
Headquartered near Denver, in Broomfield, Colo., with offices in Albany, Ore.; Raleigh, N.C.; and Atlanta, Casey Industrial is involved in all aspects of industrial construction and works throughout the United States. Based on that breadth of experience, Hansen notes several interesting trends, namely advances in materials, the effects of fast-track project scheduling, and safety issues.
Hansen says that while concrete admixture technology has progressed, not all engineers have updated their specifications to accommodate the material changes. That sometimes leaves the contractor with the task of making sense out of conflicting requirements.
Fast-track construction is another factor that, when combined with exotic mix designs, challenges contractors' planning and scheduling in all phases: estimating, bidding, and construction.
"With fast-track, there's not a lot of time to adjust methods or make changes in materials," Hansen says. "Without early knowledge of final design and construction materials, it is harder for us to come up with better ways to do things." He notes that when construction begins on this type of project, the contractor is expected to "hit the ground running." Meanwhile, estimates and bids have been assembled based on preliminary design documents that are "definitely not for construction," says Hansen, and the construction schedule has been set. Despite the inevitable design changes along the way, "generally the end date doesn't change much."
Hansen also has observed that construction safety is becoming a prime consideration of clients and customers. The importance of safety has always been part of the corporate culture at Casey, Hansen says. "It's a mindset, and it has to be from the top on down." But now it is typically on the client's radar screen, too.
One good reason to put such an emphasis on safety, Hansen says, is that having too high a TIR (total incident rate) can preclude a firm from bidding on some jobs. But he says it goes beyond being a sound business decision: "It's also the moral thing to do."
Carving out a niche
The industrial market is providing a good area of specialization for smaller, regional contractors as well. A case in point is L.L. Geans Construction Co., based in Mishawaka, Ind. This third-generation company for years has specialized in decorative and residential concrete work in the local area. But company president Rocky Geans, younger son of the company's founder, saw an opportunity in the 1990s to expand into the industrial service field. Located in the heart of the "rust belt," Geans realized that many nearby industrial buildings were undergoing repairs and facility upgrades. He also realized that this work was usually indoors and continued year round, a good thing for a northern concrete contractor.
Geans says the company began marketing and building relationships and today has numerous steady clients for its industrial service work. The biggest difference in doing this type of work, Geans says, is the cooperative nature of dealing with each problem or challenge. "Relationship is key," he says. "Low bid is not."
Geans follows a tried-and-true approach in industrial service work. When the project involves an existing facility, his first step is to clearly identify the problem. "Then we sit back and talk about possible solutions," he says. Not only does that result in a good initial approach, it also builds the owner's confidence in the contractor's ability to solve the problem effectively.
In the case of new installations, Geans says, "We like to present them with a grocery list of things they may not have thought of--things like how will this affect the existing flow of the process? If we put in a foundation and a new machine, and then later get rid of this machine, what will the effect be?" In short, Geans says they do as much research as possible and always have alternate plans for a worst possible scenario. Geans says he always addresses safety with the owner as well, making sure the owner understands how important it is to the company.
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