Eight Pedestals Share Placing Booms for Cast-in-Place Structure 2002

In August of 1999, Camden Property Trust purchased 9.5 acres of land in downtown Long Beach, California, formerly known as Pike Amusement Park. After a year of demolition and clearing, contractors went to work on Phase One of a new development entitled The Park at Harbor View. The project is part of Camden’s urban redevelopment strategy, which entails the development and management of multifamily apartment communities. Residential structures as well as commercial space and hotel accommodations are in the plans. As phase one of the project nears completion, contractor Merli Concrete Pumping is right on schedule to complete a 538-unit apartment structure by August 1, 2002.

Productivity Phase one of the Park at Harbor View project began in mid-October of 2001. Roger Fleener, Merli project manager, estimates that 9,000 yards of concrete is pumped, placed and finished every month. With an efficient fleet of Schwing separate placing booms, detachable boom pumps and truck mounted boom pumps, 70% of the concrete required for the apartment complex has already been pumped and placed.

Fleener said that erecting the massive all-concrete, cast-and-place structure could not be accomplished any other way. "It would have been impossible to complete this type of job with the crane-and –bucket method," he said. Based on his 30-year experience in the industry, Fleener is positive that the placing booms have saved the contractor time and money on the job in comparison to other methods.

Combined with the right concrete pump, placing booms provide efficient, systematic placement for concrete distribution. On high rise construction jobs, separate placing booms increase concrete placement speed by 50 percent or more over crane-and-bucket methods. Labor requirements are minimal; the placing boom requires only one operator for uniform concrete placement in wall, column and deck forms. Fleener commented that the use of the placing booms over other methods also lessens safety concerns for the crew because there is less physical interaction with the crane.

Versatility Crews with Merli and concrete contractor Largo Construction, Long Beach are on the job five to six days out of the week. Due to the structure’s huge dimensions, on-site equipment varies daily to accommodate each particular pour. Fleener claims that one of every model boom pump in Merli’s fleet has contributed to the construction. At times the operators run multiple boom pumps while operating a Schwing 39-meter detachable boom pump with counterweight.(clear this up)

The Merli crew also used a truck mounted Schwing 32-meter boom to pour the first few floors of the building. The separate placing boom system was first used in the truck-mounted conventional mode and then detached from and placed onto floor-mounted pedestals to pour the first five floors. With the aid of a tower crane and Schwing’s quick coupling system, the boom can be removed and mounted for remote placements throughout the huge structure. Merli will use the boom again to complete the upper portions of the building.

Eight pedestals are mounted throughout the complex on floor frames to accommodate the versatile 32-meter boom as well as the detachable 39. All eight pedestals are supplied with concrete through an innovative pipeline system. Pumped concrete is distributed into the structure through two main pipelines; each of them branching into four separate lines.

Fleener said the crew saves hours of time and energy using Schwing’s 4-pin quick attach system to move the placing booms from the trucks to pedestals throughout the site. With this system, it takes 45 minutes to transfer a placing boom, freeing the crane to do other required lifting and saving the owner both time and money on a project of this size.

Capability The construction of the high rise consists of several smaller concrete projects with separate mix designs. Sheer walls, columns and slabs all vary in their strength requirements and demand detail-oriented management and quality workmanship from Merli, Largo and ready mix supplier Standard Ready Mix.

The apartment complex is only Merli’s first job in Camden’s all-inclusive project. Phase two of the Park at Harbor View will consist of pump, place and finish work on 246 condominiums. The third phase is construction of a 500-room hotel. Acres of parking will accommodate residents and visitors of the new buildings. Merli Concrete Pumping, Inc. signed on to help complete all three phases of the development.