Madison Concrete

By Jim Dolente Jr, President, Madison Concrete Construction

At 204 S. 12th St. in Washington Square West, Madison crews are working on the foundation walls and structural concrete levels of the 32-story tower.

As we head into July and another steamy Philly summer, Madison Concrete is steaming ahead with construction on 204 S. 12th St. in the Washington Square West neighborhood.

The mixed-use luxury apartment tower will stand 32 stories tall and feature 378 residential units plus a three-level below-grade parking garage with 96 parking spaces and 130 bicycle slots. Other features include a third-floor amenity level with outdoor pool, 30th-floor terrace and two levels of lobby and retail space. In total, the building will house 401,870 square feet of space.

Our Madison team has constructed core walls up to Level 18 and is currently working on the structural slabs at Level 14. We anticipate completing three-quarters of the core and two-thirds of the slabs by the end of July. Topping out the main roof is scheduled for October, with full completion of the structure in December.

When complete, the high-rise is going to be a great addition to the Philadelphia skyline!

At Madison, we are proud to be part of this large-scale residential project. Additional housing in the ever-growing Center City market will help support the numerous businesses located in the surrounding area. Let us know how we help with your next project!

PROJECT TEAM

Client/Construction Manager: Hunter Roberts Construction Group
Developer: Midwood Investments and Development
Architect: Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners (RSHP)
Architect on Record: Bower Lewis Thrower Architects (BLTa)
Structural Engineer: WSP USA

By Jim Dolente Jr., President, Madison Concrete Construction

Photo credit: HSC Builders & Construction Managers

Located in the heart of campus, the University Health Services (UHS) Building project at Princeton University is designed to offer a warm and welcoming environment for students to obtain a variety of healthcare and mental health services. A central atrium will house a reception lounge and connect three distinct wings: two new additions and Eno Hall, a laboratory building constructed in 1924. By adaptively reusing Eno Hall, the building will be anchored in Princeton’s rich architectural history while it connects to its present and future through the two contemporary wings, which stretch toward two primary pedestrian walkways.

Madison is proud to collaborate with HSC Builders & Construction Managers, WRNS Studio and Thornton Tomasetti on this project. Our crew is nearing completion of the foundations, and once the erection of the superstructure is complete in early summer, we will return to pour slabs. Many of the structure’s walls are composed of exposed architectural concrete with a board-formed finish (see photo at left). We achieved this look by lining our wall forms with cedar boards, which in turn imprinted the boards’ wood grain texture onto the fresh concrete surface.

With wellness as a sustainable design throughline, the project is targeting LEED Gold certification and will employ a hybrid mass timber and steel structure, reducing the project’s carbon footprint. Construction is projected to be complete in 2024.

At Madison, we invest our concrete construction expertise in projects that make a positive impact in the communities they serve. How can we help you with your next project?

PROJECT TEAM

Contractor: HSC Builders & Construction Managers
Client: Princeton University
Architect: WRNS Studio
Structural Engineer: Thornton Tomasetti

Photo credit: HSC Builders & Construction Managers

By Jim Dolente Jr., President, Madison Concrete Construction

Every person on a jobsite should be empowered to take ownership of acting safely—and to step in and speak out to keep their team and jobsite safe. Strong Voices, Safe Choices is the theme for this year’s Construction Safety Week. The annual week-long event is a time for the construction industry to reaffirm our commitment to sending every worker home safe each day.

Construction Safety Week is scheduled for next week, May 1-5. Safety Week Daily Topics are available with accompanying videos and Toolbox Talks to help you plan conversations, demonstrations and activities with your team. Available resources include a Mental Wellness Field Guide, as mental health is an increasingly important safety topic in construction.

Another component of safety is partnering with other trades to make jobsites safer. The American Concrete Pumping Association recently launched a safety campaign that brings heightened awareness of each trade’s responsibilities when working around a concrete pump. I encourage you to learn more about the campaign by visiting WeAreSaferTogether.org.

Our Safety Culture
Safety has always been a cornerstone of Madison Concrete’s culture. It is our No. 1 priority. Through the employment of a corporate safety director and safety manager, the implementation and enforcement of a comprehensive safety policy and the in-house production of an Employee Safety Orientation program and video, Madison is recognized in the local construction industry as a contractor that strives to provide a safe working environment for our employees as well as other trades working nearby.

Our safety professionals work hard to stay on top of the latest safety regulations and industry trends, and our program incorporates safety procedures so that they become a natural part of daily activities. This is done through teamwork, collaborative evaluation of incidents to determine measures that reduce risk, and teaching employees to proactively identify and mitigate risks. Participation is expected at every level of the organization, from executive staff to field workers. However, the program is implemented from the top down so managers can verbalize the message of safety to staff and lead by example.

We’d love to hear about how you’re approaching safety on your projects and how we can use our experience to assist you. If you would like to learn more about our policy and how it might relate to your project, I invite you to contact me or our safety department.

Rising between two existing structures and towering at 209 feet, The Standard at Philadelphia is one of Landmark Properties’ newest student housing projects. Designed by CUBE 3 and located at 119 South 31^st Street, The Standard At Philadelphia is adjacent to both University of Pennsylvania and Drexel University campuses. Its 280 units include gourmet kitchens with quartz countertops, stainless steel appliances and hardwood laminate floors. Residents will also enjoy amenities such as a fitness center, pool, computer labs, a student lounge and a 14^th floor roof deck that has views of Philadelphia’s downtown.

The 376,640-square-foot project is situated halfway between West Philly’s low-rise buildings and the high-rises in downtown Philadelphia. Working with Gilbane Building Co., Madison started foundation work on this 19-story, post-tensioned concrete structure during the spring of 2022. Within the next few weeks, we will be completing the concrete structure and begin to demobilize from the site.

A recent article in Philadelphia YIMBY includes a multitude of current project photos.

With an opening date planned for the 2023-24 school year, the hundreds of apartments that the building adds to the neighborhood will considerably lessen the local housing scarcity and serve the numerous universities in the vicinity.

As we enter 2023, we are fortunate to be working on a multitude of great projects in the greater Philadelphia area. So, what has our team been up to over the past few months? In a word…LOTS!

CLOSE TO THE TOP!

• Madison Concrete’s superstructure work on the new 20-story, multi-family building at 123 South 12th Street in the Washington Square West neighborhood is now complete and turned over to the other trades. The 371,000-square-foot project includes 399 residential spaces, 94 underground parking spaces and ground-level retail. Want to see the live webcam of the project? Click on Clemens Construction website.
• We have topped out and started removing material and equipment from the JFK West tower at Schuylkill Yards project. The mixed-use tower at 3025 John F. Kennedy Blvd. provides 200,000 square feet of office space with a dedicated amenity floor.
• In addition, the Madison crews are working on the 15^th level of The Standard at Philadelphia, a 19-story, post-tensioned concrete structure. Adjacent to both campuses of the University of Pennsylvania and Drexel University, the units will include high-end and will be open to residents during the fall of 2023.

MOVING RIGHT ALONG!

• Footings are complete and we are working on the foundation walls at the University of Pennsylvania’s Amy Gutmann Hall. Serving as the home of all data science academic and research programs, this 115,000-square- foot building will house labs, classrooms, and research centers.
• In February, the Madison team will begin slab pours at University of Pennsylvania’s Vagelos Laboratory for Energy Science and Technology (VLEST) at the University of Pennsylvania. This project, expected to be completed in 2024, will be a model of low-energy laboratory design. It will house high-performance optics labs, fume-intensive chemistry labs, a nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer suite with helium recovery and more.
• At 204 South 12th Street in Washington Square West, Madison teams are working on the foundation walls and structural concrete levels of the 32-story tower. The building will feature 378 residential units as well as 96 parking spaces. In total, the building will hold 401,870 square feet of space.
• Walkable to Philadelphia’s popular Rittenhouse Square neighborhood, 1620 Sansom Street in Center City offers 254 luxury rental spaces and a 12,000-square-foot rooftop garden terrace. . Previously home to an aging parking garage, we are working a three-day cycle on elevated floors – currently on level 16 of the 27-story structure.
• With a collection of more than 97,000 works, the Princeton University Art Museum is one of the world’s leading university art museums. Our teams are currently continuing work on concrete floors in the Grand Hall as well as sandblasting more than 60,000 square feet of concrete walls. The combined concrete and steel structure with exposed architectural concrete is expected to open in late 2024.

GETTING READY TO ROLL!

• Madison is collaborating with HSC Builders & Construction Managers, WRNS Studios and Thornton Tomasetti on Princeton University’s University Health Services (UHS) Building. We are expecting to start foundation work on the hybrid mass timber and steel structure in mid-February. Construction is expected to be completed in 2024.

Madison is excited to watch these and all of our projects come to completion. If you are planning a project, let us know how we can use our experience and expertise to assist you!

Throughout the 53-year history of Madison Concrete Construction, our ownership, the Dolente family, has generously supported many local organizations and charities. Through both The Dolente Foundation and the donation of labor, materials and equipment, the Dolente family has always endeavored to give back to the community, in addition to stressing the importance of family. This has always resonated with me throughout my career with Madison. In 2022 alone, their support has extended to such varied entities including:

Cornerstone Christian Academy – This faith-based school in southwest Philadelphia has been inspiring hope in children since 1988. Their success is evidenced by the fact that 95 percent of their graduates earn a high school diploma in four years and 65 percent go on to pursue post-secondary education. Visit their website to find out more.

Lankenau Medical Center – As a longtime teaching and research hospital, Lankenau Medical Center is committed to maintaining high-level expertise across all clinical areas—from primary care and disease prevention to medical and surgical management of all diseases and disorders. Its surgeons, medical doctors, nurses, researchers and other clinicians are consistently recognized for providing outstanding care. Find out more by visiting their website.

Cannonball Kids’ cancer Foundation (CKc) – Cancer is the number one killer by disease of children. At Cannonball Kids’ cancer (CKc), they are passionate about changing this statistic. CKc’s mission is to fund innovative and accessible research for children fighting cancer to provide better treatments and quality of life, and to educate for change. Their rigorous, relationship-based, invite-only grants process ensures that 92 percent of CKc-funded trials are first-of-their-kind in the US. Find out more about CKc by visiting their website.

Sisters of Mercy – The Sisters of Mercy is an international community of Roman Catholic women who dedicate their lives to others and take vows of poverty, chastity, obedience and service. The Sisters of Mercy envision a just world for people who are economically poor, sick and uneducated and ,with more than 2,000 sisters in the Americas, they strive to make a difference in the lives of those in need in North, South and Central America, the Caribbean, Guam and the Philippines. Find out more about the Sisters and their mission here.

Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) – The mission of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) is to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. As a global leader in the fight to cure blood cancer, LLS is the largest nonprofit dedicated to creating a world without blood cancers. Since 1949, LLS has invested nearly $1.5 billion in groundbreaking research, pioneering many of today’s most innovative approaches. Visit their website to find out more about the work of LLS.

At Madison Concrete, every project we work on is something we commit to as a means to further develop and support our communities. I am very proud of Madison for their sincere commitment to community involvement. My heartfelt gratitude goes out the Dolente family for continuing to place a high value on family and community.

As we move into fall, Madison Concrete is continuing superstructure work on the new 20-story, multi-family building at 123 South 12th Street in the Washington Square West neighborhood. The 371,000-square-foot project will include 399 residential spaces, 94 underground parking spaces and ground-level retail.

On Monday, Aug. 22, we made our first pour on the 8th floor and are on track to hit our four-day cycle on the typical floors.

In addition to Madison, the project team includes:

Contractor: Clemens Construction Co.

Owner:       Greystar Development

Architect:    BLT Architects & Studios Architecture

Structural Engineer: The Harman Group

Want to see the live webcam of the project? Click on Clemens Construction website.

Summer means many things to us here at Madison: more jobs, more fun and more employees exposed to the sun, heat and humidity. We want to ensure our employees return home safely… without a detour to the hospital due to heat-related illness. With virtually all of the United States experiencing above-normal temperatures over the past weeks, we wanted to remind everyone to follow these simple tips to keep your crews safe and cool on the job during these warm, summer months.

Drink more water, not caffeine! 

Hydration is key to avoiding heat stress. Avoid caffeinated and sugary drinks that can lead to dehydration. Encourage your team to drink small amounts of water often, even when not thirsty. One cup every 15 to 20 minutes should be sufficient. Provide cool drinking water in convenient locations.

Take breaks in the shade

Provide air-conditioned or shaded break areas close to the work area and enforce rest breaks. A temporary shelter can be a trailer, tent, parking garage or under the shade of trees or buildings.

Wear light-colored, lightweight clothing

Provide light-colored hard hats with brims that shade the face and encourage workers to wear breathable (cotton), light-colored and loose-fitting clothing. Long sleeves are better than short. Personal cooling apparel also can help, such as cooling vests with pockets for cold packs and either cooling or water-dampened bandanas, towels and other gear.

Adjust schedules

Whenever possible, save the “heavy lifting” for the cooler morning hours. And where possible, set up shade canopies over work areas exposed to direct sunlight. Also consider earlier start times or evening and night shifts.

To help determine when the above tactics are needed, download OSHA’s Heat Safety Tool app, which allows anyone to calculate the heat index for a jobsite and the risk level for outdoor workers. And to learn more about staying safe and cool on the jobsite, check out OSHA’s Water. Rest. Shade. (#WaterRestShade) campaign.