Fast Times In Vegas 2006

“In this town, it’s all about speed,” said Rick Thornton, owner, Las Vegas Concrete Pumping, Las Vegas Nevada. As the company completes deck pours on the first of two residential towers near the Las Vegas strip, the contractor relies on high-production pumping and state-of-the art placing equipment to get the job done fast. “There’s no excuse for downtime. We needed to figure out how to be as efficient as we could from the beginning, and we’ve certainly accomplished that so far.”

The Allure Condominium Towers, a residential complex consisting of two 41-story buildings, is one of 50+ luxury condo facilities currently under construction or offering units for sale in the Las Vegas area. Construction on Allure Condominium I began in August 2005. With a strict 25-month construction schedule, project developer Fifield Companies, Chicago, IL is keeping contractors on their toes.

As of April of this year, Las Vegas Concrete Pumping, Las Vegas, NV was proceeding on the 15th floor utilizing one of their seven KVM 32 XL separate placing booms. The boom alternates between two 39-foot tall, 28-inch diameter masts, while one BP 8800 trailer-mounted line pump supplies concrete to the system.

The first four floors of Allure Condominium I serve as the lobby and common areas of the facility and differ in floor plan and size from the remaining 37 floors. A tight job site restricted truck-mounted boom pump set up, so Las Vegas Concrete Pumping chose to utilize their 32-meter boom right from the start. Not only did this solve logistical problems for pump set-up and ready-mix truck access, it also allowed the pumper to strategically position masts and floor frames to take advantage of the booms 93-foot reach.

“Electing to complete the first four floors with the separate placing boom helped us achieve a systematic and consistent placement rate – it gave us huge piece of mind early on in a very busy and very tight construction schedule,” said Thornton, “Once we completed work on this initial stage, we were able to develop a one floor every four day production schedule.”

In consultation with the general contractor, two mast locations were determined by considering the reach of the boom and the impact on other trades. Pre-engineered knock-outs were planned into the floors. The Schwing system incorporates floor frames that are clamped to constructed decks. Two of these frames are used with the mast pinned to the lowest one. Wedges secure the mast in all of the frames. With a light picking weight of 13,700 pounds, the KVM 32 XL boom is easily lifted and flown by the tower crane from one mast to the other. Contractors maintain production schedules by coordinating the raising and elevating of one mast while the boom completes pours from its position on the other mast. To complete the twin 135’ x 95’ decks that branch out from the core, the pre-assembled forms are also flown from one side of the deck to the other.

The KVM 32 XL boom is lifted and flown by the tower crane from one mast to the other to complete the twin 135’ x 95’ decks that branch out from the core.

The Schwing BP 8800 trailer-mounted line pump supplies the KVM 32 XL separate placing boom via a hard pipe system. The pump is steadily supplying the boom at 80-85 yards per hour through pipeline that runs a short length from the pump then turns ninety degrees vertically through an elbow secured by a thrust block. The vertical section is secured to the side of the building. A ninety-degree elbow can direct the concrete to either boom location by rotating 180-degrees. As deck pours are completed and construction moves upward, sections are added to the single line running up the side of the building. Approximately 100 feet of horizontal pipeline is typically positioned two or three floors below the pour. Utilizing one vertical stack eliminated the need for a diversion valve, and ultimately saved the contractor on pipe costs.

Nevada Ready Mix Corporation, Las Vegas, NV, is supplying an 8,000 psi mix design for the columns and walls of the first 20 floors of the Allure Tower, while a 6,000 psi mix will be supplied for the columns and walls of the remaining 21 floors. The BP 8800 pumps a 6,000 psi mix to complete all deck pours. Equipped with 562 horsepower and applying up to 2,855 psi pressure on the concrete, the BP 8800 can pump a maximum 153 cubic yards of concrete per hour.

Las Vegas Concrete Pumping’s fleet consists of 10 truck-mounted concrete boom pumps ranging from 32 to 58-meters, seven trailer-mounted line pumps and a total of seven KVM 32 XL separate placing booms. The contractor can keep their versatile booms busy in a variety of Schwing-engineered mounting options, including wall truss, lattice tower, ballasted cross frame and foundation frame. A self-climbing option is available to lift the mast and zero-elevation frames are available to mount on climbing form systems. In addition, any of the 32 XL separate placing booms could be mounted to a truck chassis with Schwing a pump for even more versatility.

Allure Tower I will comprise 428 units, featuring one, two and three bedroom residences and penthouses, while Allure Tower II offers 472 units ranging from 669 to 4,218 square feet. Both towers will top out at 41-stories.