(Background) “Crystal Ridge” project Reche Canyon. |
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For the past 20 years, Martinez Construction Concrete Contractor Inc. has been serving Southern California’s residential and light industrial construction industry, placing concrete foundations, slabs, flatwork, curb and gutter and custom stamp and color. As the economy has taken a downturn and the housing market has reacted, Martinez Construction has had its eye on adding products and services to diversify what it offers to customers.
With that in mind, company representatives attended the 2006 World of Concrete trade show in order to research curb and gutter—or slipform paver—machines. They purchased a Gomaco GT-3600 Slipform Paver in January 2006, which was delivered last July. According to Gomaco’s website, the three-track GT-3600 is a “multi-application trimmer/slipform paver,” with applications that include, “curb and gutter, tight radius & cul-de-sacs, safety barrier & bridge parapet, and sidewalk/recreational paths & flat slabs up to 10 feet wide.”
According to Danny Brison, Vice President of Martinez Construction, because the company’s employees are on a learning curve with the new machine, they have been picking the projects to use the equipment on.
“The guys from Terry Equipment (from whom they purchased the machine) have worked with us to train our operators,” Danny says. “Terry Equipment has responded to all the things I’ve needed related to the GT-3600. They’ve even come out to the jobs to work through issues.”
Although Martinez Construction had been doing curb and gutter work for years, they’d been doing it by hand. The GT-3600 will enable the company to pursue another product area. Along with the operator and the chute man, there are 9 to 10 employees on one of Martinez’s curb and gutter crews.
“The first thing that goes on in a residential development after the grading is the curbs and gutters,” Danny explains. “We’d like to pick up that work so that we’re in the developers mindset from the beginning of the project. Then we can complete the slabs and flatwork, too.”
Martinez Construction will also be able to use the GT-3600 on bigger commercial projects. |
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The company, whose headquarters are in Riverside, works throughout Southern California, from Los Angeles to the Mexican border, and into the Imperial Valley. They recently completed a project in Murrieta for Pacific Scene Homes, Ventanas at Morgan Hill. For a period of six months, the company placed the foundations and slabs in two phases for 75 houses. For each of the custom homes, the Martinez crews placed 150-200 yards of concrete. A typical home foundation/slab requires 30-50 yards of concrete.
Martinez uses the post-tension method for placing the foundations and slabs. Once the site is graded, post-tension cables are placed in a criss-cross pattern across the site. The footings and slab are then poured in a monolithic pour. Once the concrete achieves strength, the cables are stressed and the ends burned off. The process produces a floating slab that moves as one piece. Danny believes this is the best system for Southern California because there is no seam between the footings and the slab where water can enter. It is also a good design to counteract the effect of earthquakes on the foundation.
Normally, Martinez Construction can complete the footings and slab for five to six houses each day. It takes about two-and-a-half weeks to complete a house foundation, from trench to completed slab. Because the houses in Ventanas are larger, Martinez Construction ran a bigger crew than usual. They normally have 18-22 employees on a residential project. |
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(Right) Terry Equipment offers up their expertise with setting up our new machine.
(Below) “Ventanas” project Temecula.
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Martinez Construction employs 200 people and averages seven residential jobs, three flatwork projects and one curb and gutter project at any one time.
Danny says that the impact of the economy on residential development shows up in the number of houses a developer releases for building at any one time. Several years ago, builders would release 15 to 20 houses at a time for construction, Danny says. Now, it is more like five to six houses at a time.
“The building phases are smaller and are not happening as often,” he continues.
As the housing market has softened, Martinez Construction has begun working on more commercial projects, such as apartment complexes. The company has also recently started completing work in Arizona and plans to move into Nevada as well. Martinez Construction recently completed the slab for a new church, designed with stadium seating, in Yuma, Arizona.
“There was some fine detail work in that project and it came out really nice,” Danny says. “The customer was really pleased.”
Danny believes that quality work and pride in themselves is what sets Martinez Construction apart from other concrete contractors.
“We do a production job fast, but we have quality people who do quality work,” Danny comments. “We plan on being in the business for many years, so we’re not looking on making a fast buck and getting out.” |
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The company’s construction services include on-site supervision, budget control, schedule control, safety management and quality control. They work closely with the owners, architects, developers and planners well before ground is broken.
The company began 20 years ago when Dave Martinez, President, decided to go into business on his own. Through the ensuing ten years, Dave brought on his brother, Alex Martinez, Vice President, and friends Jose Sanchez, Vice President and Danny. The four men had worked with each other through the years when they were with other companies.
Martinez Construction stresses safety with all of its employees. They hand out monthly safety awards to both supervisors and men in the field, and they have a safety officer who visits each job. Danny says that Martinez was one of the first concrete construction companies doing residential work to enforce a hardhat policy—where every employee was expected to wear his hard hat on the job. The outcome has been an outstanding safety record.
For more information look online at www.martinezconstruction.com or call (951) 778-0698. Cc |
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(Above) The homes at the “Ventanas” project averaged 200 yards of concrete per house.
(Left) Post tension cable system at the “Ventanas”. |
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