Highland Park, Pittsburgh’s water reservoir is 4,700’ (1,433m) in circumference and last winter the concrete wall surrounding it was in disrepair. Bazella Group Concrete & Masonry was contracted to tear out and replace 1,500’ (457m) of the wall. But after studying the project, company president Justin Bazella approached the general contractor with the idea of slipforming the job and for the same cost proposed that Bazella Group tear out and replace all 4,700 feet (1,433m). In doing so they were able to give the city three times the work they would’ve gotten had the work been done by hand. The job didn’t come without its challenges.
“It was very tight. We only had 12’ (3.7m) from the curb to the barrier fence around the jobsite. Once we ran string under the machine it went real well. We were able to suck the mold in real tight and it went great. We were slipping 8-yard trucks in about 20 minutes – it was a big mold” explained Bazella. Concrete delivery was also a challenge. “We had to back the trucks up to the entrance and back them all the way around the lake to start so it took 20 minutes just to get the truck to where we were working.” Due to that delay Bazella ran a 2% retarder in the concrete. The retarder, along with cool February winter temperatures kept the concrete from getting too hot. The curb’s design included tricky keyways so they built a finishing tool to match the profile. Hinged on top, it would fold up like bat wings and could be placed where needed and refolded. As a base for the pour, Bazella slipped over the original 1879 4’ to 8’ (1.2 to 2.4 m) long, 4” (10cm) thick sandstone slabs.
In reflecting on the job, Bazella spoke about the savings of using his 5700-C rather than doing it by hand, saying, “We had figured six weeks doing the removal and hand-set repairs. We ended up doing the entire lake. Instead of 1,500’(457m) we did 4,700 (1,433m), in seven weeks with all new wall in the same budget. It was really thinking outside the box. That’s one of the secrets to our success.”
Bazella relies heavily on Power Curbers Regional Service Manager Carlos Maldonado for support, relaying “My brother-in-law and machine operator absolutely loves Carlos. He picks him up and gets him straightened out any time he has a question. He’s been real good for us out here. I can’t see going anywhere else. Power Curbers has worked great for us so why rock the boat?”
Bazella Group Concrete & Masonry, is part of the Bazella Group, a conglomerate of companies performing all aspects of commercial concrete construction. Bazella Group has been in business for 15 years, but the Bazella name has been stamped in concrete for over 40 years. Justin’s father, John, learned the trade by building airstrip and housing in the 1960’s while serving in the U.S. Army in Vietnam. He taught Justin and his brother John the art of hard work at an early age, instilling in them a drive for excellence. The company has used Power Curbers machinery since 2007. The increase in speed and efficiency on their jobsites led to being offered complete concrete packages by their customers. Today Bazella has offices in Allentown and Pittsburgh, covering all of PA, NJ, and DE. Each location operates a Power Curber and has multiple crews dedicated to curb and sitework.
