Madison Concrete

This month, we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the establishment of June as National Safety Month. In 1996, the National Safety Council (NSC) began this annual observance to increase awareness of the leading safety and health risks to decrease the number of unintentional injuries and deaths in the United States. According to the NSC, in 2019, the U.S. saw 5,333 fatal workplace injuries – the highest number since 2007.

To promote a culture of safe workplace practices, the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA) has established the Think First campaign, which is an investment in the safety of the concrete industry workforce.

The top 10 Think First NRMCA Safety Practices include:

Listen
Communicate
Sober working is safe working
Always wear your seatbelt
Make your first move forward
Know the hazards before starting a task
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) only works when used
Always use 3 points of contact
Shortcuts are dangerous
Stay alert and focused

In addition, NRMCA provides handy one-page information sheets on various safety topics including:

Cement Burns
Portable Ladders
Mixer Trucks and Backing Accident Prevention
Hard Hats
Lifting Safety

Visit the Think First Safety web page for many more safety resources.

At Madison Concrete Construction, safety has always been the foundation of our culture. Since 1969, Madison has led the concrete construction industry in safety. By incorporating safety procedures into everything we do, 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.

How does your organization approach safety on your projects? We’d love to share our experiences as well as learn from your successes. This type of collaboration will benefit the overall health of our industry.

We all know that Memorial Day is an American holiday observed on the last Monday of May, honoring the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. And we know that this year, Memorial Day is today, May 31. But how many of us know the history of Memorial Day?

It all began in May 1868 when General John A. Logan, a leader of an organization for Northern Civil War veterans called for a nationwide day of remembrance. He called this day “Decoration Day,” which was held on May 30 and entailed decorating the graves of soldiers who died in defense of their country. General James Garfield made a speech at Arlington National Cemetery to honor the fallen soldiers of the Civil War.

Decoration Day later became known as Memorial Day as the holiday evolved to honor American military personnel who died in all wars, including World Wars I and II, the Vietnam War, the Korean War and the wars fought in Iraq and Afghanistan.

For decades, Memorial Day continued to be observed on May 30, the date originally selected for the first Decoration Day. However, in 1968 Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which established Memorial Day as the last Monday in May to allow for a three-day weekend for federal employees. The change went into effect in 1971.

Today, we praise the men and women who sacrificed their lives in the name of our country. Their selfless devotion, outstanding courage and honor should inspire us to make their sacrifice meaningful.

We are proud to share an email we received from the corporate safety director at L.F. Driscoll Construction regarding the quality of the safety performance of our superintendent Joe McCormick at the PennVirtua Proton Therapy Vault project.

Gentlemen, I really want to give a shout out to Joe at Virtua Proton.  From the very first day he arrived on the site – before mobilization, he acted like he OWNED the site.  I would come for an inspection or an audit, Joe acted like he was THE jobsite superintendent. He walked me around, showed me all of his work, explaining what had been happening and why.   I think I only had one or two findings in several months of audits.  One was an irregular step in height and the other was a damaged electrical cord.  Everyone was always tied off or fall protected.  As I watched him interact with his workforce, he was polite, direct and insistent.  Clearly his men respect him and he respects them.  He is an incredible leader, leading by example.  Clearly, Joe is an incredible asset to Madison and I applaud you all for giving him the support and room to be the leader he has become on the job. Joe makes Madison a better company.

With the new year upon us, we look forward to the opportunities 2021 will bring. With that, we were happy to (virtually) attend the General Building Contractors Association (GBCA) 2021 Annual Meeting on Monday, Jan. 25 to reflect on and celebrate what was accomplished in 2020 and look ahead at 2021.

Philadelphia Business Journal’s Natalie Kostelni opened the meeting by providing a synopsis of Philadelphia’s construction market. She reported that while the demand for warehouse and distribution and outdoor spaces is up (with 25,000 million square feet planned for warehouse and distribution construction), the demand for traditional office space is down. The bright spot, however, is the demand for office and laboratory space for life science firms. The combination office/lab spaces are in high demand but are short in supply.

GBCA President and CEO Benjamin Connors provided a recap of the pandemic shutdown and discussed GBCA’s focus to work with industry leaders to promote a more diverse and inclusive workforce. Connors also introduced the GBCA’s officers and board of directors, which includes Madison’s president Jim Dolente, Jr.

Immediate Past Chairman of the Board Joseph Clearkin discussed how the unprecedented collaboration among project owners, general contractors, subcontractors and suppliers to develop realistic safety protocols and procedures allowed the construction industry to endure the pandemic while strengthening ties with labor unions. He also highlighted how GBCA promoted COVID-19 safety protocols through Toolbox Talks which were shared nationally by OSHA and the Mask-Up Philly campaign which urged everyone in the construction industry to do their part to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and keep the industry working.

Cultivating the next generation of leaders in the construction industry was the topic of incoming GBCA Chairman Michael Armento’s presentation. Armento, who has served on the board since 2012, noted that GBCA is focused on workforce development with strong education and advocacy programs, including college tuition reimbursement and working directly with junior high and high schools. He indicated that GBCA’s Construction Leadership Council, an organization of all young leaders in member companies, is a bright spot in developing young leaders in the industry.

As we begin the new year, we look forward to working with you on your next project!

As 2020 comes to a close, the spread of COVID-19 continues to place multiple obstacles to the commercial construction industry. Despite the ongoing challenges presented by the pandemic, Madison is thankful that, not only have we been able to continue working productively, but we are also fortunate to have built a backlog of work for 2021. These projects include:

Ongoing or substantially complete projects

Riddle Hospital Expansion – This $327 million campus modernization project will include a new patient pavilion and renovations to existing care units and support areas. Madison is working with general contractor P. Agnes on this two-phase project.

PennVirtua Proton Therapy Vault – In partnership with Penn Medicine, this new two-story proton therapy center in Vorhees, NJ is scheduled to open in early 2022. The new $35 million center, which will allow cancer patients to undergo cutting edge proton therapy, will be the first and only proton therapy center in South Jersey. Madison is working with general contractor LF Driscoll.

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), King of Prussia Inpatient Building – This 272,000-square-foot expansion for the CHOP in King of Prussia, which includes 52 beds, a 24/7, 20-bay emergency department, operating room suite and more, began construction in Sept. 2019. For this project, Madison is working with general contractor Skanska.

 Merck & Company Building 63, West Point, PA – Madison is working with Integrated Project Services, LLC (IPS) on this project.

Philadelphia Naval Yard (multiple projects) – Madison is currently working with general contractor Whiting-Turner on multiple projects at the Navy Yard in Philadelphia.

New projects awarded/starting soon

2222 Market Street – This 19-story new office tower is located in the heart of Philadelphia’s central business district and will serve as the new founding office for one of Philadelphia’s leading law firms Morgan Lewis & Bockius. Madison is working with general contractor IMC Construction.

Jefferson Health Specialty Care Pavilion – This 19-story medical building is located in Center City. The new 462,000-square-foot facility will feature more than 300 exam rooms, 10 operating rooms, six endoscopy rooms, three levels of underground parking and more. For this project, Madison is also working with LF Driscoll and Hunter Roberts in a joint venture.

LVL North Apartments – Pronounced Level North, this 410-apartment project at Broad and Spring Garden Streets in Philadelphia features 9 stories with two below grade for 288 parking spaces, 110,000 square feet of commercial space and apartments on floors three through seven. Madison is working with general contractor Clemens Construction on this project.

1701 Race Street Apartments – Located on the corner of 17^th and Race Streets, this new 23-story tower will feature 3,000 square feet of retail space on the first floor as well as 273 luxury rental units. Madison is working with Hunter Roberts Construction Group on this project.

“Cold” Man Winter will soon be returning to the Northeast bringing seasonably cold, wet weather capped by a blizzard in February. At least, that’s what the Farmer’s Almanac says. If the prediction pans out, we’re facing a cold, icy winter. When the temps drop to 40 degrees Fahrenheit and lower, placing concrete can be challenging. Concrete sets slowly during cooler temperatures, and if freshly placed concrete freezes before reaching a minimum strength of 500 psi, it could lose up to half of its ultimate strength.

But not all winter construction is lost. Concrete can be placed as long as precautions are taken to keep it from freezing while still fresh. The goal is to keep concrete at a minimum temperature of 50 degrees Fahrenheit until it reaches 500 psi. At this point, it can handle the cold on its own.

The following are a few tips for cold-weather concreting:

• Talk to your ready-mix producer! Mix designs can be adjusted to include increased cement content, chemical admixtures that accelerate set time and air-entrainment admixtures that reduce bleeding, which helps with freeze-thaw. It’s also best to place concrete at the lowest practical slump.
• Heat one or more of the concrete materials (water and aggregates-NOT cement). Again, this is handled by the ready-mix producer.
• Use concrete pumps to speed the placement of concrete.
• Use plastic sheeting or insulating blankets during curing to prevent heat and moisture from escaping concrete. Triple-layer protection is needed at all corners and edges.
• In more severe weather, use windbreaks, enclosures (tents) or supplementary heat (i.e., heaters). Ground heaters may also be needed to thaw frozen ground before pouring.
• Spray concrete with solvent-based curing compounds or cure-and-seal chemicals to avoid freezing.
• Leave forms in place as long as possible to help distribute heat more evenly and prevent drying of the concrete.
• Remove heat slowly to prevent concrete from cooling too quickly and cracking. Try loosening forms while concrete is still covered, gradually decreasing the heat inside an enclosure, or turning off the heat and allowing the enclosure to slowly equilibrate to ambient temperature. Massive structures may require several days or even weeks of gradual cooling.

Let us know how we can use our experience to help you ensure a successful project during cold-weather conditions.

Earlier this month, I was saddened to wake up to text messages from my brother regarding the death of J. Russell Cullen, Jr. I credit (blame?) my brother for helping me get into the construction industry. My college summers (late 1980s) and early career were spent at Nason and Cullen, Inc., general contractors, when Russ Cullen was the president of the company.

Upon hearing the news, it was hard to not have my mind flood with memories of my time working at Nason and Cullen. They were a large presence in the Philadelphia construction market at that time, and I am proud to have worked with and learned from some of the brightest and best construction professionals in the industry. Aside from technical construction knowledge, the people that I worked with at that time taught me lessons that I still use today in my profession as an estimator for Madison.

Here are some of those lessons:

• Opportunity is all that any of us can ask for and in my case, it was Nason and Cullen giving a college kid with no prior construction experience a chance to learn. Having someone give you that first opportunity is a benefit that not everyone gets.
• Continuing with trust – and my favorite Russ Cullen story, which occurred the first week of my first summer at Nason and Cullen, having just finished my freshman year of college. I was entrusted with driving Mr. Cullen’s brand-new Mercedes, with 81 miles on it, to get his cell phone installed (who remembers those days??). In a torrential downpour, I managed to white-knuckle my way to the shop, get the phone installed, and get back to the office without a scratch. My first big challenge completed; I was ready to take on more responsibility!
• Finally, making the best of adversity. My time with Nason and Cullen included working with a relatively young concrete contractor – Madison Construction – who was our subcontractor on two projects for which I was an assistant project manager. When the economy hit tough times in the early 1990s, the connections that I made with people at Madison led to them hiring me. I have now worked at Madison as both a project manager and an estimator for almost 27 years.

My personal condolences go out to the Cullen family, as does my appreciation for the opportunity that was given to me those years ago.

Summer means many things to us here at Madison: more constructive activity, more fun and more employees exposed to the sun, heat and humidity. And about this time every year, we like to share a message with tips on how to keep your crews safe and cool on the job during these warm summer months. In addition to making sure our teams stay hydrated, take lots of breaks, wear lightweight clothing, we have another factor to contend with this year – face masks.

Beginning June 11, Philadelphia’s mayor authorized work to continue considering appropriate precautions are taken. One of these precautions is the use of face coverings. Here are some best practices for wearing face masks in hot weather.

Choose a lightweight material

Wearing a mask can be hot, so it’s important to choose a breathable fabric like those made from 100% cotton. While cotton does not pull moisture away from the skin, its more breathable and likely more comfortable in the heat.

Fit is important

Masks should be snug on your face, but not too tight. A tight-fitting mask will be uncomfortable and make it harder to breathe. Check out different styles of masks to see which one works the best for you. A tie mask may be more comfortable than one with elastic straps that go around the ears which can be irritating.

Have more than one

According to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, masks should not be worn after they become damp or wet. Bring additional masks so you can swap them out if one gets too dirty or sweaty. Remove your mask in an area without other people and, if possible, wash your hands before putting on a clean mask. If hand washing is not possible, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

These and other tips can be found in a recent article by The Philadelphia Inquirer.

To read about other tips for staying safe and cool on the jobsite, check out OSHA’s Water. Rest. Shade. (#WaterRestShade) campaign.

Safety has always been a cornerstone of the Madison Concrete Construction culture, but we could have never imagined the need to add an infection and risk control plan to our safety program. However, given the impact that COVID-19 has had on our communities, that is exactly what we did. Building on our proven approach to safety on the jobsite, this new plan incorporates guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Association of General Contractors (AGC).

Utilizing OSHA’s Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19, Madison has determined that our occupational risk of exposure to COVID-19 falls within these two categories: Lower Exposure Risk and Medium Exposure Risk. With this identified, we developed protocols to address the COVID-19 hazard including

• Wearing an N95 mask or cloth face covering in public settings and while on job sites when outside of equipment cabs and when in any proximity to other personnel.
• Handwashing or use of hand sanitizer when soap and water is not readily available.
• Cleaning and disinfecting high touch areas daily.
• For office personnel, work from home when possible.
• Scheduling and sequencing work to allow for social distancing of at least 6 feet when possible.
• Avoid sharing personal protection equipment (PPE), tools, pens, iPads, laptops, hand-held radios.

Constant and open communication is key to the success of this program. On May 1, we held a company-wide conference call to review the COVID-19 infection and risk control plan. These conference calls continue each Friday so our team can share jobsite experiences from the past week. Discussions include what is and is not working, the need to change any protocols, equipment needs, safety practices of other contractors on the job, and more. These virtual meetings have been a very informative and useful exchange of information.

Last week, Gov. Tom Wolf announced plans to move all Pennsylvania to the yellow phase of reopening, which allows for businesses to reopen with social distancing and other health and safety guidelines in place. At Madison Concrete, we will continue to monitor the impact of this transition and modify our protocols accordingly.

Contact us if you have any questions about the precautions Madison is taking against COVID-19, how your projects may be impacted or how our firm can assist you throughout this situation.

Although associations have always existed to help us advance our industry, teach us the latest trends and provide a network of colleagues, their role in current times may be more important than ever. In addition to opening doors and providing a variety of opportunities to help us grow both personally and professionally, in today’s unprecedented times, they are stepping in to provide many needed resources.

Through continuing education classes and webinars, as well as online tools and resources, associations are helping provide immediate and impactful benefits and services to their members. To this end, we assembled a list of resources available from some of our valued associations:

• American Concrete Institute (ACI) offers online certification training programs as well as digital on-demand access to ACI content.
• American Society of Concrete Contractors (ASCC) is currently offering a number of webinars throughout May, June and July.
• Associated Pennsylvania Constructors (APC) provides educational offerings such as Weekly Online Updates and the APC Speaker Series to their members.
• General Building Contractors Associations (GBCA) offers members workforce development and educational programs. Visit their Upcoming Events page to see topics they will be covering.

Madison is also very active in the Mid-Atlantic Safety Council and Subcontractors Association of Delaware Valley. We encourage you to reach out to these two organizations directly to see if they are offering online resources!

With everyone taking a hard look at expenses right now, it is key to use the resources available through your local, state and national associations. Now is a great time to take advantage of your membership dues and reconnect with your associations. Need help deciding how you can make the most of your association membership? Reach out to their membership department with your questions.