The Building Code Process
Adoption of Codes
The development of building codes is an ever evolving and ever changing process. It can be mystifying and frustrating to even those who understand the process. Most wall contractors operate under one of the current standard building codes, primarily the Uniform Building or the CABO One and Two Family Dwelling code. If you do operate under that code it will be an older version since both of the entities that wrote those codes published their last versions in 1997 and 1998 respectively. More than likely, you now, or soon will operate under the International Residential Code (the current edition is IRC-2000).
The major code writing bodies formed the International Code Council several years ago and decided to collaborate in the development of two codes to take the place of the various codes then being enforced. The result was the IBC (International Building Code) for commercial structures and the IRC for one- and two-family dwellings. Many states and local jurisdictions have already adopted these codes.
A code doesn’t become a code until it is officially accepted with appropriate language by the jurisdiction in which the code will be applied. Although governing bodies typically use codes endorsed by their State, they are free to use any code they like, and they are also free, with due process, to make exceptions or amendments to the code. It is this amendment or exception process where you have the best opportunity to impact the code and its effect on your business. Any citizen can petition the local government during the adoption process to make amendments to the code. The proposed amendments must be well conceived with strong supporting information and the chances of getting a modification are not high but local codes are full of pages of amendments and exceptions proposed by not building officials, special interest groups, and interested citizens. The process of impacting your local codes will be one of the presentations at this summer’s meeting.
CODE CHANGES
The day a code is adopted by the ICC the cycle of proposed modifications to the base code begins again (actually it begins before the code is even adopted). Codes are typically updated on a three year cycle through a series of hearings, public forums, and correspondences.
The code is kept up to date through the review of proposed changes submitted by code enforcement officials, industry representatives, design professionals and other interested parties. Proposed changes are considered through an open code development process in which all interested parties may participate. Only building officials vote on the changes but anyone can propose a modification. Don’t get the idea you The Building Code Process can waltz into a meeting and completely rewrite the code – it doesn’t happen that way. A detailed procedure and timelines must be followed in submitting changes and much of the consideration is done without your input before it comes to a vote. When the vote is held, you have a total of 3 minutes to make your case (2 minutes to explain and an additional minute for rebuttal to those who can also argue against the chance), a vote is then called for and it either passes or is rejected.
Fortunately we have allies in the code monitoring process. The Portland Cement Association has three full time code development people who monitor, attend, propose modifications, and argue the case of the cement industry in several code venues. Steve Skalko, the PCA residential code representative, will be making a presentation at this summer’s meeting on understanding the code process and how to impact codes at the local level. For more information, contact the CFA at 319-895-6940. Keep in mind that we also have a section in our CFA online forum where you can post questions on code issues.
CFA/CHC in New Trade Shows
The CFA and the CHC will make appearances in two new trade shows this coming fall. These efforts are part of an expanded initiative to increase awareness of not only concrete in homes and bases but also the activities of the CFA and its alliance, the Concrete Homes Council. Both shows are inaugural events.
The first show is the Southeast Regional Concrete Homebuilder Show. It will be held on September 5-6, 2002 in San Antonio, Texas. The show is an effort of Permanent Buildings and Foundations, an R.W. Nielsen Company publication. The show will feature seminars on Concrete Finishing, Building Basements in the Southwest, Mitigating Mold, Concrete Pumping, Worksite Safety and a host of other topics.
The preliminary list of exhibitors includes Schwing, Dow Chemical, Putzmeister, Owens Corning and of course the CFA and CHC. If you live in Southeast this will be an excellent opportunity to attend a regional trade show devoted to concrete housing. For more information visit the show web site at www.concretehomebuildershow.com or call 800-746-7690.
The second show is INCON 2002, Innovations in Concrete. It will be held from October 2-5 in Orlando, Florida. The event is a production of the Florida Concrete & Products Association, Inc. The show has generated considerable excitement and has attracted a wide range of exhibitors. The venue for the INCON show will be the Gaylord Palms resort and conference center.
The seminar presentations will be one of the focal points of the event. Called INCON University, it will feature over 60 informative educational sessions, many of which will qualify for continuing education. For more information, visit the show web site at www.FCPA.org or call show management, Riddle & Associates at 404-876-1988.
Abfalter Brothers Concrete
“It is really quite simple,” said Gib Abfalter, president of Abfalter Brothers Concrete. “Customer satisfaction is a key priority and our goal is to ensure that our customers don’t have to make a lot of phone calls to get the job done.”
A member of CFA since 1996, this business approach has allowed the Abfalter Bros. of Big Lake, Minn. to grow, provided they were willing to try new things. Constantly striving to make things more convenient for their customers, the $10-million company offers more services than competitors in their marketplace and is the first to try new technology. As a full-service provider of concrete services including excavating and waterproofing, they are one of the leading providers in poured walls in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area.
Probably the most significant change in the business was the transition from block to cast-in-place concrete options. Founded in 1981 by brothers Gib and Jerry Abfalter, the company originally began as a block basement and commercial flat work provider. In 1994, Abfalter Bros. became the first company to start with poured walls on “his side of town.” Although they still did some block work, “the more poured walls we did, the more customers wanted them,” said Gib Abfalter. Poured concrete foundations rapidly grew in popularity and Abfalter Bros. quit lying block foundations just one year after starting their poured wall business. Today, the company solely provides poured concrete for residential foundations.
Yet another example is waterproofing. Abfalter Bros. were the first to provide waterproofing. Following their lead, most of the competition now provides this added service, simply propelling Abfalter Bros. to continue to refine their offerings.
Keeping up with the constantly changing technology is very important to Abfalter Bros. and they are quick to credit CFA with helping them stay on top. For example, Abfalter discovered the Geodimeter Total Station and the Autocrete software through CFA, which has dramatically helped improve business.
“Productivity and accuracy are both greatly increased by utilizing this system,” said Abfalter. “Companies do not have to hire as many hard-to-find skilled laborers, and you are able to download coordinates into the software, which eliminates human mistakes caused by misreading.”
Even in this challenging economy, Abfalter Bros.’ business is thriving and they are busier than they ever have been at this time of year. With more than 40 employees, the company has two wall and two footing crews, one stripping crew, as well as drivers, operators and office personnel.
A big supporter of CFA, Abfalter encourages all members to regularly attend CFA meetings. “CFA functions are what made my business take off,” Abfalter explains. He said he has learned a great deal of valuable information, providing him with the advantage of having new products and techniques to keep his company ahead of the rest.
For more information about Abfalter Bros., visit www.abfalterconcrete.com or contact Gib Abfalter at 763-263-8088.
Cold Weather Protection Procedures for Footings, Foundations, and Retaining Walls
Cold weather concreting is becoming a topic that has the potential to substantially affect nearly every contractor in the CFA. This past year alone, members in Ohio experienced the frustration that can develop when misinterpretation of the ACI requirements for cold weather occurs. Based on this and similar occurrences over the past few years, the CFA has taken an aggressive position on analyzing, testing and producing guidelines for the poured wall foundation industry. This position is one that seeks to answer the age old question, “When is it actually to cold to pour concrete?”
In 2000, the CFA and a team from The Aberdeen Group commissioned a study of concrete cylinders cured at varying temperatures to attempt to answer this question. After many months of testing and analyzing the data from this study, justifiable conclusions were not definitively apparent. In short, it was concluded that additional research on actual wall specimens were required to further substantiate the data that was produced from the laboratory tests.
Recently, the CFA Board of Directors appointed an ADHOC Cold Weather Committee consisting of CFA contractor members, industry professionals, ready-mix suppliers and CFA executive staff to carry out further steps towards a resolution for our industry. The mission for this committee, as read by committee chairman Terry Lavy at the first meeting in Chicago on 6-15-02 is “To investigate the causes, effects, and remediation of extreme weather conditions on the residential Cast-in-place wall industry while working to establish the methods and parameters needed to decide When Is It Too Cold for poured concrete foundations.” The committee is seeking additional members that are interested in the progress towards resolution of this issue on an Association wide basis and feel that they can and wish to contribute to the direction of the committee. Please contact Terry Lavy at 937-773-3963 or terry@lavyconcrete.com for more information.
This committee, however, is not the only effort that is currently being undertaken within the CFA. Many members have committed to developing research and information that can solve this problem on a local level. Scott Smith, Modern Foundations and Frank Ramey, Tri County Excavating recently banded together to prevent inspectors from shutting down pouring of foundations this past winter. Their efforts, centered on mix designs by their local supplier and analysis by a registered engineer, produced immediate results that permitted them to continue with only a mild setback in construction schedules.
The article on cold weather concrete that follows was written by CFA member Kirby Justesen, owner of Formco Foundations in West Jordan, Utah. Kirby has been a member of the CFA since 1978 and has served on the Board of Directors. Kirby does commercial and residential concrete construction.
Objective:
The primary objective in cold weather concreting is to design a concrete mix design with admixtures that will achieve early strength gains to sufficiently protect against damage due to freezing and freeze thaw cycles. The resulting benefit is less effort and expense than with traditional tenting and heating.
Cost effectiveness and productivity can be achieved through better knowledge but the knowledge to accomplish these goals needs to defy conventional understanding. The application of this information will benefit the customer with lower cost yet will maintain the desired results.
Definition:
The definition of cold weather as stated by ACI 306R-78 1.1 is: Cold weather is defined as a period when more than three successive days the mean temperature drops below 40°F. When temperatures above 50°F occur during more than half of any 24 hour period, the concrete should no longer be regarded as winter concrete.
Thesis:
ASSESSING WHEN TO PROTECT THE CONCRETE:
Obviously concrete can resist freezing temperatures and freeze thaw cycles; the question is when does it have the ability to do so. To find an answer we can refer to ACI Cold Weather Concreting 306R-78 1.10.1.
Prevent damage to concrete from freezing at early ages. The degree of saturation off newly placed concrete, which has no access to external sources of water, will be reduced as the concrete hardens and water is combined in the hydration process. Under such conditions, the time at which the degree of saturation becomes reduced below that level which would cause damage by freezing corresponds roughly at the time at which the concrete attains a compressive strength of 500 psi (3.5 Mpa).
At temperatures of 50°F (10°C) most well proportioned concrete will reach this strength during the second day.
This tells us the resistence to early freezing is determined by saturation of water concrete mix. The degree of saturation to be able to withstand damage corresponds roughly to 500 psi which can be achieved quickly by well proportioned concrete.
Further ACI provides a table to understand what application of concrete, compared to the general mix design, will require how many days to protect the concrete against frost damage.
The left column, Service Category, refers to the type of use and whether load capability is needed now or will come later. For footing, foundation, and retaining wall, Category 1, “No load, no exposure,” would apply. See section 6.1.1.
To first includes such items as foundation and substructures which will not be subject to early load, and due to their deep or backfield location, will be subjected to little or no freezing and thawing service. In these circumstances of construction and service, conditions will be favorable to continued natural curing. This concrete would require only the protection time recommended for Category 1 in Table 1.4.2.
In the vertical columns of table 1.4.2 “damage from freezing” and “safe strengths” both right hand columns would apply. “Type III accelerator or extra cement.”
The conclusion is, after one day, footing and foundations cast in place with a mix design containing extra cement and accelerator admixture will be strong enough to resist freezing and freeze cycles. We see the well proportioned concrete mix is most vulnerable to frost damage from it’s earliest age and continues to decrease in vulnerability with time, until 24 hours, at which point conditions will be favorable to continued natural curing.
FIRST 24 HOUR PERIOD:
Understanding that the first 24 hours are critical and that reducing saturation is the key to frost resistant concrete we examine appropriate methods to cold weather protection. ACI 306R-78 5.1.
During the winter, however, when air temperature is below 50°F, atmospheric conditions in most areas will not cause undesirable drying; but, new concrete is vulnerable to freezing in a saturated condition, and therefore, should be allowed to undergo some drying before being exposed to freezing temperatures.
In contemplating the type of protection for the first 24 hours, first, consider drying to reduce saturation and second, allowing for adequate protection against the forecast low temperature. ACI further states in chapter 4 entitled “Protection” ACI 306R-78 4.2
Since most of the heat of hydration of the hardening cement in developed during the first three days, no heat from outside sources may be required to maintain concrete at correct temperatures if heat generated in the concrete is suitably conserved.
Emphasis should be placed on conserving the heat of hydration with out introducing heat from outside sources. Outside heat sources can produce carbon dioxide which reacts with calcium hydroxide to form a chalky calcium carbonate on the concrete surface. Forced air may also cause excessive below.
TYPES OF PROTECTION
Types of cold weather protection found in ACI 30678-R Chapter 4 include polyethylene plastic, foamed vinyl blankets, and straw. Advantages and disadvantages of each type of protection are listed below.
Cold Weather Protection Plan
MIX DESIGN
Mix Design should include 6 bag to 7 bag full sack mix with hot mixing water, + % to 1 + % non-chlorine calcium, and 6% to 7% air entertainment. The range in bag mix and calcium is increased with expected overnight low temperatures.
CALCIUM CHLORIDE
The best known and accepted accelerator is calcium chloride, but it cannot be used in prestressed or in concrete in which aluminum or galvanized metal is to be embedded. ACI 212 2.2
Accelerating admixtures are useful for modifying the properties of concrete, particularly in cold weather, to: (a) expedite the start of finishing operations and, when necessary, the application of insulation for protection; (b) reduce the time required for proper curing and protection; © increase the rate of early strength development so as to permit earlier removal of forms and earlier opening of the construction for service; and (d) permit more efficient plugging of leaks against hydrostatic pressure.
Some long term strength is sacrificed when using calcium chloride, but is more than offset by additional cement. ACI 212 2.3.4
Compressive strength is increased substantially at early ages. The ultimate strength may be reduced slightly. The increase in flexural strength is usually less than that of the compressive strength.
AIR ENTRAINMENT
Normally footings and foundations are designed with low air entrainment 3% to 4%. ACI 306 R-78 tells us in chapter 1.5, “If it is likely that any concrete will be exposed to freezing in a saturated condition during construction it should be properly air entrained event though it will not be exposed to freezing in service.” Therefore 6% to 7% air entrainment should be used during cold weather.
PROTECTION MATERIAL
Since there will be no load or service required, protection need only be for the first 24 hours. For forecast temperature lows 32°F to 18°F cover unformed surfaces with 4″ loose straw. When precipitation is forecast cover straw with polyethylene plastic. For forecast temperature 18°F to 10°F use foam filled blankets to cover formed and unformed surfaces.
TESTING
Cast one each concrete cylinder, each pour, leave on site under similar protection to represent conditions of concrete pour. Break cylinder at 24 hours, test results should or exceed 500 psi.
Through efforts such as these, and the work of the newly-formed CFA Cold Weather Committee, it is estimated that poured foundations in the extremes of winter will become as common nature if not preferred to pouring during the schedule-packed months of April through September. For more information on coldweather concreting, please contact Jim Baty, Technical Director of the CFA at jbaty@cfawalls.org or toll free at 866-CFAWALL.
CFA Presents Robert D. Sawyer Distinguished Service Award to Buck Bartley
MT. VERNON, IOWA (Aug. 12, 2002) The Concrete Foundation Association (CFA), an organization dedicated to improving the quality and acceptance of cast-in place concrete foundations, recently presented its Robert D. Sawyer Distinguished Service Award to Robert “Buck” Bartley at the CFA annual awards luncheon held Aug. 2.
Bartley, co-founder of The Bartley Corporation of Ashton, Maryland, is recognized for his devotion to the industry over several decades. An active member and supporter of the CFA since 1977, he has served on multiple committees for the organization.
The Robert D. Sawyer Award, named on behalf of Bob Sawyer, the first Executive Director of the CFA, is presented occasionally to a member of the concrete foundation industry whose contributions to the industry merit recognition. The award recognizes individuals who give tirelessly of their time and resources to serve the industry.
“Buck Bartley has always been an avid supporter of the foundations industry,” said Ed Sauter, Executive Director of the CFA. “He is always at the forefront in bringing new ideas and technology to the mainstream for foundation construction.”
Bartley, his late wife Marcia, and brother Tom formed The Bartley Corporation in 1970 and have been instrumental in introducing residential concrete foundation construction to the Mid-Atlantic region. Their industry efforts are mirrored by their business success and now have approximately 80 full-time employees and have grown to a multi-million dollar company. Sauter credits The Bartley Corporation with the dedication to implement new technologies that increase efficiency, as well as the willingness to share these innovations with others.
Serving as a voice for the foundation industry, Bartley was the only residential foundation concrete contractor on the ACI-332 (Residential Concrete) Committee until recent years. He has provided invaluable input from a contractor’s perspective to the group and their efforts to develop a residential concrete code. Furthermore, he is active on the CFA Codes and Standards committee where he shares his inventive ideas to help improve the industry.
“The Robert D. Sawyer Award is the highest honor given to any CFA member and Buck Bartley is very deserving of this award,” said Sauter.
The CFA was established in 1974 for the purpose of improving the quality and acceptance of cast-in place concrete foundations. CFA provides promotional materials, educational seminars, opportunities for networking, and technical meeting for members in 26 states and Canada. The CFA also represents the interests of its members and the industry on several code and regulatory bodies, such as the American Concrete Institute’s committee responsible for the creation of the “Residential Concrete Standard.” Once complete, this standard will likely be adopted by the UBC, CABO, and other building codes. The CFA has several of its members on the ACI committee responsible for this document and will endeavor to ensure that the interests of the foundation contractors are considered. For more information, visit www.cfawalls.org.
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Concrete Homes – It’s not a Question of If – but a Question of When
As the most innovative and progressive poured wall contractors in the US and Canada, the members of the CFA have always thought in what ways they can expand and make their companies more successful. This success has normally occurred through the training and retention of personnel and acquisition of additional equipment. Now that the economy is slowing, what is the next logical step to continue this growth? The answer is concrete homes. The next generation of aluminum forming systems is now allowing contractors of build energy efficient all-concrete homes competitively priced with standard wood-frame construction.
Concrete is being used more for the building of homes in the United States. It’s happening because homeowners are become more sensitive to environmental issues, are concerned with the increased cost and scarcity of energy, and because they want their homes to be “peaceful and quiet” – especially when they’re located in the center of urban areas. The awareness of these benefits of concrete homes is due in part to the Portland Cement Association’s promotional efforts and these efforts are working. “Public awareness of concrete homes is now at an all time high,” says Mike Weber from the Portland Cement Association (PCA). “22% of the people in the US said they were aware of the concrete homes in 1998. In 2000, the percentage has grown 41%.” He also estimates that over 15,000 concrete homes were built in the US in 1999.
Just a year ago, the PCA mainly promoted insulated concrete forms and concrete masonry unit as the method of choice in the construction of concrete homes. This is changing; in an effort of cooperation the PCA and CFA have produced a new brochure promoting the benefits of above grade concrete homes using removable forming systems.
What is the next stop in the promotional effort? Besides the CFA’s creation of the Concrete Homes Council, we may not have to look any further than the US Government. In the last few years, energy and natural disasters have been high priority. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), through its Project Impact program, is interested in all-concrete homes. FEMA is taking a proactive position about structures in potential disaster areas. They plan to spend more money promoting the construction of building that remain intact for reconstruction of destroyed buildings afterward.
The Environmental Protection Agency’s Star Program is an effort to reduce the green house effect by reducing the consumption of fuel. This program motivates builders to build homes that are 30% more energy efficient. Star Homes have lower closing costs. It also allows the borrower a stretch in their income-to-debt ratio at mortgage time. This qualifies more potential buyers for the builder.
The Department of Energy’s Building Thermal Envelope Systems and Materials Program, in an effort to reduce energy consumptions, is devoting research time to developing technologies that improve the energy efficiency and environmental compatibility of residential and commercial buildings. This focuses on the structural elements that enclose a building (wall, roofs and foundations). The building envelope provides the thermal barrier between the indoor and outdoor environment, and its elements are the key determinants of a building’s energy requirements.
Finally, Housing and Urban Development has established The Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing (PATH). This is a voluntary initiative that seeks to accelerate the creation and widespread use of advanced technologies to radically improve the quality, durability, environmental performance, energy efficiency, and affordability of our nation’s housing. Removable forms for concrete housing have recently been accepted as a PATH technology.
If now is the time you are thinking of which way you will continue to grow your company, concrete housing should be high on you priority list. In the near future, look for bills in Congress for builder tax credits and incentives to build more energy efficient and disaster resistant homes. Concrete Housing – It’s not a Question of If – But a Question of When, and it might be here sooner than you think.
Jack Easton “RETIRES” From Durand Forms, Inc.!
Durand Forms, Inc. announces the retirement of long time owner and co-founder, Jack Easton. This announcement became final on March 14, 2001; shortly after Jack’s favorite time of the year “World Of Concrete”. Jack has been a leader in the aluminum forming industry and a strong member and supporter of the CFA since 1977.
Jack Easton and his lifelong partner, Harry Harden, met in Detroit when both were tool and die makers. In 1954, Jack and Harry bought their first set of plywood forms to pour their own foundations as well as walls for others. It did not take long before these former tool and die makers were designing and machining a host of labor saving devices for their own concrete wall operation as well as for other contractors in their area. This unique background in both manufacturing and poured wall contracting helps explain Durand’s successful entry into aluminum form manufacturing in 1976.
Throughout the years, Jack has been involved in numerous product inventions for the poured wall industry. In 1980, Jack had his most notable invention, when he patented the Durand Attached Pin; which has become the most efficient and widely used attached hardware system in the industry today.
Through all of Jack’s many years of hard work and dedication, he has made Durand’s aluminum forming system what it is today. He has put Durand Forms on the map as a national leader in the industry. Jack Easton has not only been an excellent businessman, but a great friend. He has helped thousands of contractors become very successful. He is the best and will be missed by all.
Once again, Durand Forms, Inc., and the CFA would like to congratulate Jack Easton and wish him the best in his retirement.
World of Concrete 2001 Draws 77,225
The construction industry’s largest annual international trade show held February 26 to March 2 in Las Vegas, Nevada drew a record crowd this year. More than 77,000 construction professionals from 105 countries registered for the five-day event at the Las Vegas Convention Center
In both attendance and size, this was the largest World of Concrete in the show’s 27-year history. The previous record number of registrations was 62,025 at the 1999 show, also held in Las Vegas. Prior to this show, the largest WOC exhibition was in 2000 when the show has 1,430 exhibitors in 650,000 net square feet of space. The 2001 show had over 1,600 exhibitors occupying 760,000 net square feet of exhibit area.
Nearly half of all pre-show registrations were received through the Internet pointing out the importance of this media as a way of reaching customers.
The World of Concrete is also known as a show for doing business. Vendors reported that $918 million in transaction were initiated at the annual show.
This year’s show has several “Action Exhibits” which offered attendees hands-on opportunities to try a variety of equipment and products in a 60,000 square foot area outside the convention center. Nearby, in Concrete Alley, attendees were able to see and compare a variety of placing, screeding, consolidation and finishing equipment using fresh concrete delivered to the site throughout the day.
Seminar attendance also hit an all-time high. At 28,761, the number of education program registration topped the previous record by more than 21 percent. The average of 2.5 seminars per person was valid even with the increased attendance. Twenty of the 94 sessions were sold out.
The event was cosponsored by 19 leading industry associations including the Concrete Foundations Association.
Next year’s show is schedule for January 8th – 12th in New Orleans, Louisiana. This will be the final year in New Orleans. The Show will alternate between Las Vegas, Nevada and Orlando, Florida for the foreseeable future following New Orleans.
Student Selects Foundations as Science Fair Project
We all know and understand the importance of foundations. For one student at Bible Baptist School, the importance of foundations was so exciting she wanted to share it with her fellow classmates.
Rebekkah Stanko, an 8th grader, wrote a paper and conducted an experiment on different types of foundations for her science fair project. Her paper investigated the use and need of foundations and which foundation works best.
Why did she decide to do her report on foundations?
“Growing up my parents have always talked about the importance of foundations in regards to life. They told me a solid foundation will take me where I want to go in life. A stable family, strong morals and values, and faith are my foundation. Along the way to achieve my dreams I must choose my friends wisely and get a good education. Since a strong foundation is so important in life, I figured it must be important when building structures as well. But what kind of foundation is best? In the Bible it says “the wise man builds his house upon the stone”. Is this true? Is a stone foundation the best?I wanted to find out, therefore I chose to do my science report on foundations.” – Rebekkah Stanko
For technical direction for her report, Rebekkah sought out the advice of CFA’s Technical Director, Jim Baty. She used this information to discuss the benefits that a concrete foundations has over other types of foundations. Rebekkah sites the short installation time, versatility, and durability as the main advantages of concrete foundations.
During her experiment, she examined how plastic homes stood up to water on different ground substances and whether a foundation helped the home. As part of the procedure, Rebekkah placed each ground material. First, Rebekkah used a water hose to act as rain upon the homes. She determined that none of the homes moved in the rain, even though the rain thoroughly saturated the ground. Next, Rebekkah created flood-like conditions by pouring large amounts of water onto the ground in a short timeframe. She concluded that a home with a foundation built in sand withstood the flood the best.
Scott Smith Named Contractor of the Year
Scott Smith of Modern Poured Walls, LaGrange, Ohio was named contractor of the year at the CFA Annual Winter meeting held in conjunction with the World of Concrete, Las Vegas, Nevada. The contractor of the year award recognizes an individual or company that exemplifies the ideals, goals, and standards of the association. Scott Smith, with his tireless energy devoted to helping the association grow, is truly deserving of this award. When tree Penfield Township men got the notion to start their own business they kept one common thought in mind: “What do we have to lose?”
In spite of their calm reserve, partners Larry Rader, Jake Smith and his son, Scott Smith, soon were to learn they had everything to gain.
Twenty-four years ago this coming spring, Larry, Jake and Scott made the decision to quit their jobs with a poured wall contractor in Bath and start their own concrete poured wall company in Penfield Township. Modern Poured Walls, Inc. was formed with the three partners, five employees and the equipment necessary to construct high-quality poured wall basements. During its initial year of business, Modern Poured Walls was hired to pour 150 basements.
As Scott Smith looked back at the company’s 24-year-old history, he remembered that he and his partners jumped into the business with few fears. “When we started this business we were so young it didn’t matter…Larry and I didn’t have anything to lose. It may have been a little different for my dad because he owned a home,” said Scott who got his share of business startup money by obtaining a $3,000 loan (with 22 percent interest!) and using his old car and a stereo as collateral.
Modern Poured Walls would undergo a lot of transformations and a lot of growth. In the early 1980’s, the company’s partnership made a change, with Jake selling his share of the business to Larry and Scott. Later in the decade, Larry and Scott gradually would accept new duties for the business, which would take them out of the field.
“Both of us really love this business,” Smith said. “When we first go to a site there is just a hole there and then when we are done there is something where there was nothing. We are constantly moving equipment, so we are always in a different place. We’re like big kids with a huge sandbox.”
During the mid-1980’s to the present Modern Poured Walls would add excavating and concrete flat work as services offered, and Modern Waterproofing, Inc. would be added. “From 1985 until now, we added other services as the need arose and the time was right,” explained Smith.
Last year, Modern Poured Walls, Inc. boasted a staff of 100 employees and nearly as many trucks a staff of 100 employees and nearly as many trucks and vans. The business constructed 515 poured basements and according to Smith, “We poured 42,000 cubic yards of concrete last year. That is enough to concrete a 12-foot wide driveway from Cleveland to Akron or from Wellington to Mansfield.”
Modern Poured Walls handles both residential and commercial work, although residential business makes up 85 percent of the company’s business. The company travels to construction sites from Solon to Sandusky and from Lake Erie to Lodi. Word of mouth has been a big factor for the company, which added a sales department several years ago and does a small amount of marketing.
“This business has been a source of a lot of amazement and pride in what we’ve accomplished as a company,” commented Smith on Modern Poured Wall’ success. “We have a good solid Midwestern economy and haven’t had the ups and downs they’ve had on the coast. Lorain County is a good place to be in business – good help is available and the people here have good values.”
According to Smith, Modern Poured Walls recently developed a mission statement and a new vision for the company. Smith said the business is focusing on customer satisfaction and hopes to grow by 50 percent over the next three years. He said the benefit of growth would be in offering opportunities to key and loyal employees.
“Both Larry and I live fairly modestly. Now, that conservative approach has paid off. We’ve chosen to buy good equipment and use modern technology in our business, and people want to work for us. With the equipment we have, we virtually can’t be stopped from working unless we have below-zero temperatures or rain,” commented Smith.
Over the years, Modern Poured Walls, Inc. has employed its share of Rader and Smith family members, but there are no plans for “generation next” to take over the business. Jake Smith has come back to Modern Poured Walls in a scaled-down capacity and according to Smith, some of their employees have been with the company for 15 and 20 years, and they indeed seem like family members.
“Our success is not due entirely to our own efforts. We worked hard but there are other factors. I believe God has had a hand in things that have happened to us. We’ve worked hard and made a lot of mistakes….sometimes i think we’ve succeeded in sprite of ourselves,” concluded Smith.
