The big pour
Published 3:07 am Friday, April 2, 2010
At 12 a.m. today, Fri., April 2, about 30 people at the construction site of the new SaeHaeSung facility in the Andalusia Industrial Park watched and waited.
When Couch Concrete trucks began pulling into the park, the waiting was over and the work began. Employees of S & M Concrete expected to pour concrete until daylight or later, and the finishing work was expected to be done by noon today.
Concrete pump trucks were set up on either side of what will be a 72,000 square foot building for SaeHaeSung. The trucks were used to pump approximately 1,200 yards of concrete.
And they were hungry pumps. It took a truckload of concrete to prime the giant pump, and there were two concrete trucks “feeding” the pump trucks throughout the night.
Chris Turner of Phenix City and an owner of A.J. Concrete Pumping stayed near one of the trucks, wearing a giant remote control device strapped to him. The remote controls the flow and placement of the concrete, he explained.
Andy Wiggins, director of planning and development for the City of Andalusia, explained that concrete companies like midnight pours for a couple of reasons.
“First, there’s no traffic, so it’s easier to keep the trucks moving in and out,” he said. “And the concrete sets up slower, so it’s easier to correct it if you have a problem.”
The 72,000 square-foot facility will become the new home of the industry, which will add 100 additional jobs after it occupies the building.
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