| Over the last thirty years, contractors
have embraced the convenience, quality and efficiency a concrete
pump brings to the job. Along the way, concrete pump manufacturers
pushed the envelope by developing state-of-the-art technology
to meet the needs of industrial, commercial and state-owned
projects. Schwing America, Inc., White Bear, MN, developed
the S 61 SX. Once unimaginable, the 197’ boom pump meets
the challenges of everything from bridgework, to stadiums,
to mixed-use mid-rises across the country. Schwing’s
new 31 EZ telescopic boom pump offers the abilities of two
pumps. With the lowest unfolding height of any 31-meter boom,
the 31 EZ completes everything from indoor slab pours to conventional
wall pours. The trailer mounted BP 8800 recently “topped
off” the tallest building in the world, the Taipei Financial
Center in Taipei, Taiwan, reaching an overall height of 1667
feet. Alongside these technological advancements, the single
largest influence on the growth of concrete pumping in the
US has been residential construction.
As the residential market segment grows,
pumping contractors, poured wall contractors, and ready-mix
producers have made adjustments to ensure the acceptance of
pumping as a cost efficient method of concrete placement on
residential sites.
Pat Phares, Patriot Concrete Pumping, Englewood,
CO, says the company began in 2000. Patriot invested in nine
concrete pumps specifically purchased to serve the residential
market in the Denver area. “Our largest pump is a KVM
39 X,” says Phares. “We don’t own any of
the larger scale equipment needed on commercial projects.
The residential market is our bread and butter.”
Phares says a continually growing population in the Denver
area is partly responsible for their success. “A few
years ago, the housing development surrounding the Denver
area was about a 25 to 30 mile circumference. Now, there’s
about a 50 mile circle around downtown Denver.”
The acceptance of pumping as a cost efficient means of concrete
placement has also become more popular in the area. “Over
the last fifteen years, the people of Colorado have recognized
the benefits of concrete pumps on these residential sites.
For one thing, with the population explosion, the lot lines
in these developments are very close together. If they don’t
elect to use a pump, they need to bring in ramps and loaders
and pay for the loader operators,” says Phares. “There
is no supplemental equipment or pre-construction work when
they use a pump. When it comes to cost and efficiency, people
recognize that this makes sense. I’d say around 85 to
90 percent of the homes in the Denver area are pumped. Pumps
are also beneficial in this area because of groundwater issues.
We’re contracted to complete caissons to prevent infiltration.
”
Patriot keeps a tight schedule with each pump completing several
pours each day. “I’m not sure exactly how they
do things elsewhere, but we’re completing an average
of 40 to 50 yard pours, three to four times a day. We don’t
just schedule for our pumps to be busy in the AM.”
Patriot also maintains a close working relationship with Southwest
Concrete Pumping, Denver CO. “It’s an ideal relationship,”
says Phares, “We have the ability to bounce pours off
of one another depending on availability and location of our
pumps on any given day. It allows us to serve our customers
better and keeps our fleet busy all day.”
Pumping contractors in other areas of the
country have developed the practice of dedicating one pump
to their best residential customers, guaranteeing availability.
Developers appreciate an all-access pass to scheduling efficiency
and quick completion.
In other areas of the country, it’s
not a question of availability but of economics. In Lansing,
Michigan, Cross Concrete Pumping offers flexibility with their
minimum pricing in the afternoon to attract local residential
contractors. Cross Operations Manager, Michelle Thomson says,
“ We still run a four hour minimum, but if our customers
can set up the pours back to back, we’ll bill it as
one job. This is a fast paced industry and our residential
customers are pumping more concrete than ever.”
Another popular trend within the residential
market segment is the growth of poured walls. As poured walls
become commonplace on residential sites, contractors are recognizing
the benefits of concrete pump ownership.
A concrete pump goes to work regardless of
weather, time of day or job site conditions. The labor savings
creates more time in a day to complete multiple projects.
With a concrete pump, there is no need for supplementary equipment.
Where job site conditions call for bulldozers to create access
for ready mix trucks, a boom pump reaches over inaccessible
terrain for pinpoint placement. Excavating time is reduced,
and backfilling is less complicated.
In the northern US, poured wall contractors
have invested in frost law legal concrete pumping equipment
to meet state requirements and extend the construction season.
John A. Izler Concrete Contractor Co., Grand Ledge, MI, installs
approximately 400 residential foundations and all the related
flatwork each year. Five years ago, President John Izler decided
to purchase a 28-meter “frost law” legal pump.
“For a period of time each spring in my area, it’s
illegal to drive trucks over a certain weight limit on some
roads,” says Izler. “My pump falls within the
legal limit.”
He rents his pump to other contractors, but
95 percent of its use is for his own projects. “I decided
several years ago to decrease my labor cost wherever possible
by the use of machinery,” he says. “My employees
appreciate that because they don’t link the back-breaking
parts of their job.”
He soon discovered that pumping concrete
placements averaged 1 to 1 1⁄2 hours less per job, increasing
company productivity by 10 percent. “It’s hard
to measure the increase in revenue, he adds. “But, by
the end of the year, we know there is more profit for the
company.” Izler also learned that the same crew is able
to install more house foundations in a year.
With the addition of a concrete pump, poured
wall contractors are also providing a higher quality product
to their customers. Concrete pumps place footing and wall
concrete at proper slumps, assuring strict control over the
final performance of the product and a reduction in costly
callbacks. Ed Sauter, executive Director of the Concrete Foundations
Association says, “The image of the poured wall industry
has improved with the acceptance of concrete pumping. The
days of adding water and backing the ready mix truck up to
one corner are over. The highest quality poured walls in the
industry are produced by CFA members who pump.”
Several poured wall contractors have recognized the addition
of a concrete pump as a business opportunity. With the new
capabilities, contractors have created a separate business
around their pump. This gives them the freedom to explore
new markets and increase their visibility with project owners
and general contractors in the commercial, municipal, industrial
and civil industry markets.
For those contractors who have chosen to invest in other areas
of their business, renting concrete pumping equipment has
its advantages.
Herbert Construction Co., Marietta, GA, centers
their operation around the availability of concrete pumps
from Cherokee Concrete Pumping, Stockbridge, GA.
“We pump close to 100 percent of our footing and wall
work,” says owner Barry Herbert, an active member of
the Concrete Foundations Association. “With the efficiency
of Cherokee’s fleet and their operators, we’re
executing seven to eight pours a day. That kind of turnaround
is only possible with a pump.”
Cherokee owner Wayne Bylsma accommodates
Herbert’s operation by automatically reserving one pump
for morning pours, which remains with Herbert crews all day
long. “In the afternoons we might require three more
pumps, often times more than that,” says Herbert. “Cherokee
has been very good to us, and they can always supply what
we need to get the job done.”
Herbert recently relocated his company from their headquarters
in southwest Michigan to the new offices in Marietta. “Back
then, we required a pump for one out of every twenty jobs,”
he says, “The residential lots in Michigan are typically
very large, allowing plenty of room for ready-mix truck access
and other equipment. In the Atlanta area, the lot lines are
tighter together; there’s no room to jockey around trucks.
A pump reaches into all of those tight corners right from
its setup on the curb.”
One of the most obvious benefits to renting
a concrete pump is the predictable, fixed cost of the service.
All pumping contractors provide trained operators to make
sure the pump stays in prime working condition throughout
the pour. Depending on the pumper, a wide range of boom sizes
and specialty booms are available to insure the project’s
needs are met with the most appropriate, cost-efficient equipment.
The contractor doesn’t concern himself with the storage
and maintenance of a rented pump. As in the case of Herbert
and Cherokee, poured wall contractors and pumpers develop
long-lasting relationships that benefit their customers and
the industry in general.
A ready-mix producer who also offers pumping
services becomes a one-stop shop for customers who require
supply and placing capabilities. This streamlines the coordination
efforts in comparison to scheduling concrete pumping equipment
and ready-mix supply from two separate contractors.
Dan Rentz, Sales Manager with Apple Valley
Ready Mix, Inc. (AVR), Apple Valley, MN, says AVR got into
the pumping business to maximize scheduling efficiency. “In
the beginning we were constantly waiting for a pump,”
says Rentz. “Now we can dispatch mixers and pumps to
one job all at the same time. This system benefits us and
our customers.”
Rentz has been with the company long enough to see the effect
the residential market has had on concrete pumping. “In
the last 15 years in Minnesota, the housing industry has gone
from block to poured walls. I would say around 95 percent
of the residential work we do right now is poured wall work.”
An obvious benefit to the ready-mix operations
is the ability to utilize an entire fleet of ready-mix trucks
more efficiently with the addition of concrete pumps. Investment
in a pump allows delivery of more concrete per day without
additional trucks. Mixer turnaround times improve and company
productivity skyrockets, leading to recognition from large
general contractors for opportunities in commercial and municipal
projects.
As the company expanded their fleet and pursued
opportunities in other markets, AVR worked out a compromise
with residential customers. “We execute a lot of our
commercial work in the morning hours and dispatch pumps to
residential projects in the afternoon. Our customers are used
to that kind of system and schedule accordingly.”
Ready-mix suppliers have also invested in
specialized pumping equipment with additional axles to meet
frost law requirements in several states. This extends the
construction season for developers and residential contractors
in the northern US.
As the housing industry grows with climbing
populations, concrete pumps are becoming more and more of
an asset with developers and residential contractors. Poured
wall contractors and ready-mix suppliers are gradually realizing
the benefits of concrete pump accessibility and ownership,
and concrete pumpers across the nation are capitalizing on
the need for pumps in residential construction. The working
relationships between all of these players are important for
the advancement of concrete pumping in the residential market.
|
