The Right Pump

Leading the construction of the new buildings, stage expansion, and upgraded amenities is Costello Construction, also located in Columbia. The commercial contractor prides itself on self-performing 30 percent of its projects, using its impressive fleet of heavy equipment. "We have worked with this pumper for years and prize their expertise and equipment," explains Paul Kraft, the contractor's project manager. A recent low-overhead pour showcased the importance of using the right pump for the job.

"There were several small pours for the foundation slabs at the top of the amphitheater's new covered seating," according to Kraft. "At first, we were assembling and dragging a system over the forms and pumping with a conventional pump located outside of the structure." When a larger pour of 2,000 square feet presented itself, Andrews brought their Schwing S 31 XT to the project.

It Runs in the Family

Danny Andrews, president of the company and a second-generation owner, is the son of Dennis Andrews, founder of the company and an ACPA past-president. Pioneer and Lifetime Achievement Award winner. The elder Andrews embraced the concept of a specialized boom pump by discussing it with Friedrich Schwing in the mid-1990s. "My point was we needed an indoor boom, but it also needed to be able to do longer boom work. I thought they could provide a longer boom to switch out on the smaller boom pumps, but instead they came up with the brilliant telescoping boom," Dennis says. The pumper purchased one of the very first ones sold in 2001.

"The first 31 was before my time," explains Danny, who joined the firm in 2006 and worked his way up to his present position. The company recently traded their 16-year old Schwing 31 XT in for a new one, which is their third machine of its type.

Efficiency, Proficiency

"Our finishers were glad to see it show up," states Kraft. "It eliminates any form of reinforcing damage by keeping the end hose out of the pour and just makes the work so much more efficient." The pump performs so well in low-overhead conditions by unfolding its five-section Telescopic Double Z boom in only 18' 8" of space. With 278 degrees of articulation on the top section and 268 degrees on the fourth section, it offers excellent maneuverability. Its overall horizontal reach is 86' 11".

"The operator was excellent," according to Kraft. "He was able to keep the end hose at just the right height and stay ahead of the finishers." The pumper rotates the operators, so they can perform on any of the company's 18 boom pumps, up to 47 meters.

"Our operator on the project, Hector Diaz, is a 10-year employee who has been on the 31 for about five years," explains Andrews. "He likes being assigned to that pump because it is so popular with our customers. It works regularly in low overhead situations, pumping to mezzanines, under overpasses and on repair projects."

The Merriweather project also includes new buildings that will house offices. "We had to pump a stairway on the second level, and we tried using our crane and bucket without much luck near the end of the day," explains Kraft. "Within twenty minutes of our call to Andrews, the 31-meter showed up and maneuvered up and over a retaining wall and around a light pole to place the concrete in no time. Their customer service is outstanding."

Reputation Matters

Costello's experience with the pumper aligns with the concrete pumpers' overall goals – safety and customer service. "Our reputation has been acquired by our dependable performance and willingness to respond when needed," according to Andrews. “We believe the best customer service can only be provided if our employees understand and practice our values on the job site.”

The company’s philosophy helps explain why Hector Diaz was chosen as ACPA’s Operator of the Year for 2016. “We make an effort to ensure that our team will make the pumping experi-ence seamless,” adds Andrews. “We can only be successful if our customers are successful.”

A Home to Music

After 50 years of featuring musicians including Yes, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and the Grateful Dead, the Merriweather Post Pavilion is poised to rock for the next 50 years with the new updates. The expansive backstage area now includes offices, a conference room, and a multipurpose area with a balcony that overlooks an Artists’ Lounge, complete with an outdoor pool and deck area.

"We're jumping from the 1960s to the 2020s," said Brad Canfield, Merriweather vice president of operations. “The building is 50 years old, so we didn’t want to make it feel too new. A lot of the venues now are just made of big cinder blocks, so we wanted Merriweather to be welcoming, and make it feel like home.”

Nestled in 40 acres of forest between Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, the venue still echoes from the Who and Led Zep-pelin, who played there in the 70s.

Specs:

• Owner: Downtown Columbia Arts and Culture Commission—Columbia, Maryland
  
• Contractor: Costello Construction—Columbia, Maryland
  
• Architect: JP2 Architects—Baltimore, Maryland
  
• Pumping Contractor: Andrews Equipment Company—Jessup, Maryland
  
• Pumping Equipment: Schwing S 31 XT and S 47 SX truck-mounted concrete pumps with placing booms.