Tips For Building Strong Relationships Between Contractors and Architects

Tips For Building Strong Relationships Between Contractors and Architects On the Job

A healthy relationship between a contractor and architect on a project is associated with benefits. Benefits include:

Helping the project to run smoothly from start to finish
Reducing stress from the project on both parties
Effectively communicating throughout the project
Minimizing (if not avoiding altogether) disagreements
Project efficiency
More work in the future

Unfortunately, there are many ways the relationship between a contractor and an architect can crumble. Miscommunications, differences in priorities, and budgetary issues all put strain on the relationship. Trust us, we’ve seen it all. Not to mention, the risks associated with poor relationships on a job site are immense (and can be costly too)! Risks include:

Time delays
Cost overruns
Job incompletion
Safety of employees and the structure itself
And more…

Your best bet? Use these tips to build strong relationships with the architects on your project. It will pay off in the end–we guarantee it!

1. Recognize each other’s difference in priorities.

When working with a team of people, you can’t assume that everyone has the same priorities as you (although we often do so unintentionally). In reality, each of your team members has different skills, tasks, and priorities in mind.

An architect’s top concerns are with the ideas and design concepts behind a project. A contractor typically prioritizes concerns related to supply chain, labor, and deadlines. Neither has the time nor do they see a need to prioritize the other’s concerns… and therein lies the problem.

TIP: Recognize, understand, and appreciate differences in priorities. When both parties are able to keep what’s important to the other in mind, the relationship will strengthen.

2. Address issues with the budget early on.

Budgetary disputes are many times the reason why a contractor-architect relationship is compromised. When an architect isn’t able to acknowledge that their designs don’t align with a project’s budgetary restraints, it can bring up all sorts of issues throughout the project. Especially when it comes to financial issues, fingers will be pointed and blame will be assigned–it can get ugly.

TIP: It’s crucial that both the contractor and architect get on the same page from the start. Both parties should address any budgetary concerns as early in the process as possible. Work as a team to achieve the best possible end result.

3. Keep lines of communication wide open.

Like any productive relationship, communication is key.

When contractors and architects feel comfortable bringing up and discussing problems, concerns and questions that arise along the way–the relationship prospers.

TIP: As a project leader, you know that open communication is built on honesty and understanding. Be clear when it comes to resources, budget, and capabilities. Remember that negotiation is common (often necessary) on building projects–don’t take it personally. In the end, what matters is the success of the overall project, not your ego.

What’s the point?

Healthy working relationships can be few and far between nowadays. When one is established, both parties and the project benefit greatly (as we previously mentioned). But your efforts to build strong relationships with architects will benefit you personally as well.

Think of it this way: people tend to lean on their strong relationships–on the people they enjoy to work with. That architect you worked hard to establish a relationship with will most likely choose to work with you on (or recommend you for) future projects. You’ll take on a reputation as a dependable, easy to work with and professional contractor–a reputation that WILL pay off.

Strong relationships aren’t just necessary between contractors and architects, they’re necessary across the entire construction industry. We pride ourselves on the relationships we as a concrete supplier have built with our customers, including contractors.

We’re always striving to ease our contractor-supplier relationships. That’s why we created this checklist to help our customers and contractors determine their desired ready mix. We know that delivering anything less than the perfect ready mix would put stress on a contractor or customer and in turn, our relationship with them.

Download our Perfect Ready Mix Checklist. It’s a list of questions to answer about your specific concrete project (project type, size, environmental conditions, and more). With the answers, we’ll be able to supply you with yes, the ready-mix you need.

Concrete Supply Co. 2019-02-28T19:35:20-04:00

Learn More

The Importance of Concrete Mix Design

Why a good ready-mix concrete design is necessary

A good concrete mix design creates the foundation of a sound infrastructure.

Concrete mix design involves a process of preparation in which a mix of ingredients creates the required strength and durability for the concrete structure. Because every ingredient in the mix consists of different properties, it’s not an easy task to create a great concrete mix. It is imperative that all ingredients be tested to determine their physical properties and the bearing capacity of the project location.

The ingredients to be tested: water, fine aggregate (sand), coarse aggregate, cement, chemicals, reinforcement, and soil.

The values of the physical properties obtained after testing will be used as the basis for all concrete mix design considerations. This will ensure the structure will be sound and prevent failure of the mix. It is important to note that the ingredients for the mix might vary from one project location to another, so the physical properties must be tested for the requirements specified for each location.

Types of concrete mix

The two types of concrete mix are normal performance concrete and high-performance concrete, and they’re characterized by their compressive strength:

Normal Performance Concrete

A normal performance concrete mix has a performance strength ranging between 20 and 40 MPa. It is the more used mix of the two. Normal performance concrete has good workability if all of the mix ingredients are in accurate proportions. When freshly mixed, the concrete must be plastic or semi-fluid so that it can be molded.

High-Performance Concrete

A high-performance concrete mix has a performance strength above 40 MPa. The main purpose of using high-performance concrete is to reduce the weight, creep or permeability issues, and to improve the durability of the structure. Like the normal performance concrete mix, this mix must be plastic or semi-fluid when freshly mixed so that it can be molded.

Because high-performance concrete has a high cement content, it is often sticky and hard to be handled and placed. However, this does not cause the cement to bleed, an issue that normal performance concrete might run into.

Factors affecting concrete mix design

Strength and durability of the concrete mix design are dependent upon the following factors:

Grade designation: Concrete’s strength is measured in N/mm2 when subject to test after curing in any curing medium. The choice of concrete grade depends on its usage.

Choice of cement: Cement choice varies depending on usage. The cement should be tested for performance required by their usage before being tested in the design mix.

Choice of aggregate size: Aggregates needed for each mix is dependent upon the physical properties needed for the design. All aggregates must be quality sized before use.

Type of water: Any water used for concrete mix design should be tested before use to ensure it is within the range of water required for concrete. Most all consumable water is good for concrete work, but should still be tested.

Water to cement ratio: The ratio of water to cement should be tested for consistency, initial and final setting, soundness of the cement, workability, slump of the concrete and compacting factor.

Workability: This is the measure of ease of mixing concrete without segregation or bleeding. It mostly depends on the designed slump of the concrete.

Durability: This is the measure of the required strength (N/mm2) of any concrete grade after 28 days of curing. Durability should be control tested on site.

A quality concrete mix design is crucial for successful construction. At Concrete Supply Co., we sleep better at night knowing our end-to-end ready mix concrete solution meets the highest quality performance in concrete, and our integrity in doing so is unparalleled.

We offer a guide to help you find your perfect read mix. If durability and quality are what you’re looking for in a concrete mix, take a look at our guide and we’ll be sure to help you create the best mix for your project.

Concrete Supply Co. 2019-02-11T10:29:36-04:00

Learn More

Material Management: Construction Need-to-Knows

Construction Need-to-Knows for Material Management Success

Material management creates a process for planning, executing, controlling and overseeing all construction activities. Both in the field and in the office. After all, it’s the first step in ensuring that the right materials are available when needed, ordered and delivered at the right time for a reasonable cost.

Likewise, proper material management is a necessary component in improving productivity and cost efficiency. Consequently, construction materials and equipment often make up the bulk of the total cost for a construction project. As a result, this usually amounts to about 70 percent or more of the total cost. That’s why it’s important that they are managed in a way that increases productivity while reducing overall project costs.

Material Management Objectives

As a material manager, your objectives will include:

Efficient materials planning
Purchasing and receiving inventory
Storing and inventory control
Materials supply and distribution
Good supplier and customer relationship
Improved efficiency among the department

Good coordination between employees and departments is necessary to meet these objectives.

Materials Management Functions

As a materials manager, your day-to-day functions will include:

Planning for materials requirements
Purchasing materials
Inventory planning and control
Creating and maintaining the flow and supply of materials
Quality control of materials
Efficiency among the department

The functions of materials management are needed to fulfill your objectives.

Basic Strategies for Improving Construction Project Efficiency

Inventory Organization

Materials that are scattered around the job site or not clearly accounted for. As a result, this leads to a productivity slowdown on the construction site for crews that have to correct these problems. After all, not knowing the exact inventory of your materials or not knowing where they are can lead to over ordering. It’s important to have a system that keeps your materials in a convenient place and delivered on time.

Project Material Planning

Further, it’s important to plan and schedule the delivery of your project materials ahead of time. This way, if the construction crew knows they’ll need certain materials, they will be ordered and delivered on time. Likewise, this decreases the amount of time the crew will have to wait for materials and increases productivity on the site.

Project Material Purchasing

First, select the sources of supply. Second, finalize the terms of the purchase. Next, place purchase order. Then, input your payment and finally, evaluate the supplier and the purchase.

Shipment Planning and Storage

Bulk shipments of materials for different phases of the job, unplanned deliveries and material relocation can drain money and time. Especially when you have to find the items you moved or ordered a while ago. Thus, it’s smart to schedule the materials you’ll need shipped with a specific storage space. You should also be sure to ship materials according to the product manager’s schedule. This way, you’ll know what is being delivered, when and where.

Any significant effort in reducing material costs by management will improve the profitability of the company. As well as productivity and cost efficiency for any given construction project.

Concrete Supply Co. has the material management expertise to provide your construction project with the highest quality concrete products and services.

For more information, contact us on Concrete Supply Co.!

Concrete Supply Co. 2019-02-28T19:38:03-04:00

Learn More

Residential Concrete Trends of 2018

Top Residential Concrete Trends of 2018

Today’s homeowner tends to value a home that is not only visually appealing but is structurally safe. They want a home that will stand the test of time. But at the same time, they want a home that is energy-efficient, low-maintenance, and environmentally friendly.

As a result, the concrete industry is always changing to accommodate those desires with new advancements in technology and techniques.

More and more homeowners are realizing concrete’s potential for beautiful aesthetic and structural capabilities in one, while also being affordable!

We’ve seen a number of concrete trends emerge with residential homeowners this year, both structurally and aesthetically.

Structural Concrete Trends

Resilient Construction with Concrete

In a time where natural disasters seem to be more common (and destructive), residential homeowners are concerned with resilient construction. Standing up to hurricanes, fires, earthquakes, floods and more–concrete is the answer to resilient construction. In 2018 we’re likely to see an increase in concrete use throughout the residential construction industry because of its resiliency. Leading us to our next trend….

Insulated Concrete Form Walls

ICFs, or insulated concrete form walls, are becoming a popular option for residential owners and builders. The growing popularity of ICFs is due to the fact that they make the building process quicker, easier. Additionally, they create a structure that is durable, efficient, and safe.

The process of constructing ICFs involves stacking the dual-sided expanded polystyrene units held together by a high-density polypropylene webbing. Steel reinforcement is locked in to place as the wall is constructed and then filled with high-strength concrete to form a solid wall structure.

ICF walls create a structure that is energy-efficient, fire-resistant, and can withstand flying debris. These walls can handle debris from tornadoes and hurricanes with wind speeds of up to 250 mph. ICF construction is quiet, low maintenance, healthy, and has a lifespan that is significantly longer than traditional building methods. Compared to a wood-framed home, ICF walls provide 20 percent or more in energy savings. As well as 10-30 percent less outside air infiltration and three times less noise and a 4-hour fire rating.

We expect to continue to see the ICF wall system be used throughout the residential and even the commercial construction industry in the future.

Aesthetic Concrete Trends

What was once just a construction material is now a high style decor material for residential homeowners everywhere. There are several advantages to using concrete for decorative purposes:

Few seams and the ability to minimize the appearance of seams with the use of a color matched filler.
Water and stain resistant with the use of a surface sealer.
Infinite color options with integral coloring, staining, or both which gives a homeowner the ability to coordinate or match with any room.
Can be cast in any shape and almost any size.
The ability to create custom edges or replicate designs using molding products.
Can be personalized with unique embedded items like pebbles, recycled glass and, seashells.
The appearance will improve with age. Since concrete is not a static material, it will evolve and acquire character over time.

The trend of using concrete for architectural and decorative purposes on the residential level is flourishing thanks to new products, advanced techniques, and designers promoting the look. Achieving a particular decorative or architectural appearance with concrete typically requires special forms, unique finishes, different ingredients, colors, and other variables. Here’s how people are using concrete within their homes:

Concrete Countertops

Concrete countertops are especially trendy today. The demand for concrete countertops is growing as people learn the advantages of using the material in their kitchens. One of the most appealing factors swaying people towards concrete countertops is how easy they are to maintain!

Decorative Concrete Floors

Also associated with the decorative and architectural concrete trend are decorative concrete floors. A range of pigments, stains, stamps, dies and stencil patterns, glass and friction finishes allow you to create a walkable piece of art that fits any location.

Concrete floors are economical when compared to quarried stone, they’re also strong, require little maintenance, are long lasting, and provide you with a variety of decorative options!

Pool, Patio, and Other Outdoor areas

Generally, people look to cover their outdoor surfaces with a material that is strong and durable yet practical. Decorative concrete can add a fresh and unique look to your pool, patio, or other outdoor areas, which is something everyone is prioritizing this year!

Driveways and large walkways

Compared to gravel and asphalt, concrete is a more expensive material to pave your driveway or large walkways with, but less expensive than brick or cobblestone. The incentive to use concrete? It’s strength, minimum maintenance, cooler surface, and longevity. Concrete is strong by its very nature standing up to heavy loads through its ability to disperse those loads evenly throughout the pavement. Concrete requires little to no maintenance and its high reflectivity means that more of the sun’s incoming radiation is reflected back into the atmosphere, lowering the amount of heat absorbed by the pavement and its surroundings.

While these are the current trends in residential concrete use, one thing is for sure, the full potential of concrete as a material is just being tapped into. Trends will continue to emerge, taking the concrete industry to new places.

From small do-it-yourself projects, retaining walls, driveways, walkways, and outdoor living areas, to major home renovations and new home construction, plus everything in between, we’ve got you and your residential concrete needs covered. Get an estimate for your residential concrete project today.

Keep in mind, no concrete mix is going to work perfectly for every project, that’s why it’s important to understand how to get the perfect mix. We’ve created a checklist of questions that can help guide you to the best mix for your application. Click to download your checklist.

Concrete Supply Co. 2019-01-21T14:21:59-04:00

Learn More