Madison Concrete

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.

With a stay-at-home order in effect in Greater Philadelphia since March 23 —and the federal government now extending social distancing guidelines through April 30—cultural and entertainment institutions have gotten creative in their efforts to reach homebound audiences and keep business afloat. Perhaps we can learn a thing or two from them as we apply virtual tools to stay connected and productive in our own day-to-day work and lives. A few examples include:

Theatre Horizon has launched “Horizon at Home” virtual programming to keep audiences engaged and artists employed. The free online videos, which include sing-alongs for children, stage makeup tutorials and musical theater dance classes, are available on the theater’s YouTube and Facebook channels.

 Elmwood Park Zoo launched EPZoo2U.com to provide free videos, live streams, games and lessons. The zoo broadcasts “Zoo School Live!” via Facebook every weekday at 11 a.m., during which the zoo’s education team presents a lesson on one of their animals. Viewers can post questions during the live stream. Online “distance learning” sessions are now available for $25.

Each weekday at 3 p.m., The Franklin Institute’s Chief Bioscientist Jayatri Das, PhD, provides a daily update on the COVID-19 virus via Facebook Live.

The Metropolitan Opera is streaming complete performances from the past 14 years on their website and through their mobile app (Met Opera on Demand).

Although not new, Museum of the American Revolution offers digital resources including a virtual field trip, 360-degree virtual museum tour and digital text archives. Check out the upcoming Virtual Spring Break with the Museum event, April 6-17, which will feature at-home crafts, virtual story times, “Artisans at Home” living history demonstrations, live Q&As with museum staff and more.

As for Madison Concrete, we are moving forward taking steps to ensure the health and safety of our valued employees, partners and clients. Let us know how we can help, during this unprecedented time.

1969 was a momentous year. It began on a high note in our region, with Penn State’s dramatic 15-14 win over Kansas in the Orange Bowl on Jan. 1. That summer, Neil Armstrong walked on the moon and the legendary Woodstock music festival debuted. By fall, Madison Concrete Construction opened for business for the very first time, setting us on a journey filled with hard work, sweet success and deep gratitude. Check out our 50 year milestones here.

James Dolente Sr. and his brother founded Madison Concrete with a vision to bring their passion for concrete construction to the Greater Philadelphia region. The brothers, who learned their trade from their father and grandfather, brought with them a strong foundation of construction expertise and a desire for excellence.

As a result, we’ve spent the past half-century honing our processes and developing strong relationships so we can deliver any size project safely, on budget and on time. We’ve invested in extensive research and development, adopting the latest technologies and developing innovative techniques to help us work more efficiently. These efforts have helped Madison Concrete survive several economic downturns over the years—and come out of them thriving! But even as we continuously strive to improve and adapt, we always stay true to our founders’ vision. We concentrate solely on concrete construction. It’s all we do—and no one does it better.

A new generation of the Dolente family is now leading the company, but Jim Sr. remains the visionary who guides the Madison team of professionals today. Thanks to the dedication of our management team and employees, Madison Concrete is considered one of the top pure commercial concrete contractors in the country. We’ve been involved in some amazing projects and had the pleasure of being a significant contributor to Philadelphia’s construction revival in recent years.

We’re pretty proud of what’s been accomplished so far, but even more so, we are thankful for those who have helped propel us forward on our journey. Our people. Our clients. Our project partners. Our vend0rs. We would not be here without your support. Here’s to another 50 years!

Working with general contractor IMC Construction, Madison is nearing substantial completion of our work on the site of this $200 million, 250,000-square-foot medical office building. Our work has consisted of excavation and construction of the foundations along with interior equipment pads.

In Dec., the Laborers’ District Council of Philadelphia and Vicinity broke ground on its new $24 million training and learning center. This new facility will train the next generation of construction craft laborers. Working with general contractor T.N. Ward Company of Ardmore, Penn., Madison has completed the foundation work on this 60,000-square-foot center. We will return to the site to complete the balance of our work after the steel structure work is complete. Read this article to find out more about this training facility in North Philadelphia.

Madison has reached another substantial milestone on this new 80,000-square-foot building which includes four floors of classrooms, group study rooms, research and conference rooms. We have recently completed the structural concrete slab at the first level. This critical element will allow for the remainder of the structural steel building to continue. This project began construction in 2018 and scheduled to be completed in 2020. Find out more about this project here.

An article I recently read about the future of the construction industry grabbed my attention. I found it interesting that although construction employment is strong, a concern exists about who will lead the industry in the coming years, as many construction veterans are facing retirement. The construction industry is currently working with multiple options to bridge the gap to make sure rising leaders are ready and able to take over the reins of leadership. We are fortunate that the concrete industry has a program in place to tap into for new talent with industry-specific knowledge: the Concrete Industry Management (CIM) program. This program is a training ground for our future leaders.

CIM is a unique program. As a first-of-its-kind college degree program for concrete construction in the United States, it ensures the industry has a continuous stream of professionals trained in concrete technology and management. Along with being academically prepared, CIM graduates are exposed to the industry from their first semester in the program. The program offers both a four-year Bachelor of Science degree and a customized MBA in Concrete Industry Management. Introduced in 1996 with just two students, the undergraduate program now includes more than 470 students at Middle Tennessee State University, California State University, Chico, Texas State University and New Jersey Institute of Technology. So far, more than 1,250 students have graduated from CIM programs.

How the industry benefits

This program can bring many advantages to the industry. It’s a true partnership between industry and academia. The curriculum was developed and has evolved to meet the specific needs of the industry. The business-intensive program includes a broad range of courses, from finance, marketing, management and business law. Then, there are the concrete-specific courses, which teach the fundamentals of concrete, properties and testing, concrete construction, operations, concrete sales and more.

The curriculum prepares students to become the industry’s next-generation leaders. In addition to a rigorous academic curriculum, students take part in coordinated research activities that can have lasting effects on the concrete industry. Companies can also use the CIM intern program to fill temporary staffing needs and possibly groom these interns for positions after graduation.

I was excited to read about what the CIM program can do for the future of the concrete industry and I encourage those curious about our industry to pursue this program. Interested in learning more about how the CIM program is helping the concrete industry find our next generation of leaders? Visit their 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. As June is National Safety Month, we wanted to remind everyone to follow these six simple tips to keep your crews safe and cool while 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. Instead, 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 and disposable cups 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. Adding fans or misting fans to both break and work areas also is helpful.

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. Rotate workers in and out of tasks that are more strenuous, exposed to direct sunlight or require protective gear, so no person is subjected to these conditions for long time periods. Also consider earlier start times or evening and night shifts. These methods are especially helpful for new employees and when temperatures first start to rise; it takes about two weeks for the average person to adjust to heat and humidity.

Wear sunscreen, sunglasses

Wear sunglasses or safety glasses that protect the eyes from harmful UV rays and avoid painful sunburns by using a water-resistant sunscreen that is SPF 15 or higher (I recommend higher). Reapply every two hours or more often when sweating.

Training and buddy systems

Regularly train employees on how to recognize the signs of heat stress and prevent as well as treat it. Use the buddy system to ensure co-workers are looking out for each other. Pass out the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) wallet-size Heat Stress First Aid Guide for employees to keep on-hand.

And, finally, 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.

General contractor Alvin H. Butz of Allentown, PA selected Madison for this challenging project for medical device manufacturer, B. Braun. The project includes construction of a 310,000-square-foot building near B. Braun’s manufacturing plant. A second 10,295-square-foot maintenance building with a parking lot for 326 spaces is also part of the project.

Robotic technology has been used for years across all kinds of industries. Now, the construction industry is embracing this technology which offers numerous benefits. Once, the discussion focused on “should robots be used in the construction industry?” Now, the debate has moved to how to best integrate robots, what will their impact have on existing job roles and what new skills need to be acquired as new processes become automated.

What are some of the advantages of using robotic technology in construction? Here are a few:

Improved safety – The use of remotely controlled robots and drones provide an effective way to decrease worksite accidents. For example, using robotic technology to complete certain tasks can help prevent accidents stemming from electrocution or falling equipment. In addition, drones can be used to survey construction zones, providing data to allow workers to safely access areas that may have an increased level of risk.

Improved efficiency – Robots and humans have different strengths and weaknesses and both are necessary for the construction process, but in a different manner. Robotics offers a tremendous amount of precision when it comes to task execution. They can also work longer hours and get the task done faster.

Filling the labor gap – America’s construction industry has been facing a skilled labor shortage for the past several years, resulting in higher costs and longer timelines for both residential and commercial projects. According to a recent report from the Associated General Contractors of America, 79 percent of construction companies want to hire more employees to keep up with demand. With the older generation of construction workers retiring or set to retire in the near future, the industry has had a hard time finding skilled replacements. Robots, in the meantime, may prove to be a valuable alternative to fill the current labor gap facing our industry.

According to Noah Ready-Campbell, founder and CEO of Built Robotics, we don’t have to worry about robots completely taking over construction work. He believes that robots will be beneficial for repetitive (boring) work where precision and consistency is important. Humans, on the other hand, are crucial for controlling and operating the technology as well as improvising and making judgement calls on jobsites.

While more time is needed to determine how these new technologies will affect construction project delivery, there is growing consensus that these advancements are long overdue. Is your team currently benefiting from the use of robotic technology? We’d love to hear about it!