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SPEED FAB-CRETE CHOSEN TO BUILD MORE SCHOOL FACILITIES IN NORTH TEXAS

Speed Fab-Crete General Contractor has been chosen to build new and expanded facilities for Rio Vista Independent School District, south of Fort Worth.

Speed Fab-Crete was awarded a $3,540,000 contract for major classroom additions to Rio Vista's high school and a freestanding technology building. The facilities will be completed by next summer.

The 14,789-square-foot classroom addition will contain a spacious band hall, with a graphic of the school's mascot in the main floor, practice rooms and computer and science laboratories. The 8,125-square-foot technology building will house wood and metal shops with a 2-ton overhead crane serving both areas.

CITY OF FATE, TEXAS, CHOOSES SPED FAB-CRETE FOR ITS DESIGN BUILD & PRECAST CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION

The Fate, Texas, City Council has approved a design-build contract with Speed Fab-Crete for a $1,610,000 fire station. The growing town is in Rockwall County, east of Dallas, off Interstate-30.

The new two-story building, served by volunteer firemen, will be 9,200-square-feet in downtown Fate on a restricted site, previously occupied by the city's old fire station, which was a metal building. Completion is planned for next January.

The exterior design, by Callahan & Freeman Architects, will have a nostalgic appearance to showcase Fate's past history. The facility will be a combination of brick and cast stone arches over Speed Fab-Crete's precast concrete wall panels. The first floor will have four large bays for fire fighting vehicles, offices, and storage rooms. The second floor will contain living quarters, a kitchen and training and day rooms. Adjacent to the second floor will be an outdoor gathering area.

Design-Build is a contractual method by which architectural, engineering and construction services are performed under a single contract with the owner.

Considered faster and less costly, Design-Build allows early involvement of subcontractors for realistic discussions about cost estimating and accuracy in the project's scheduling.

Speed Fab-Crete has produced the concrete wall system for 60 years as an option to owners who use the company as a general contractor. When the building components are joined in a total precast concrete system, construction time is reduced without sacrificing quality and the durability of the structure is longer lasting.

The manufacturing facility has plant certifications from both the Architectural Precast and National Precast Concrete Associations.

Creation of a one-of-a-kind deck park over busy Woodall Rogers Freeway, also known as Spur 366, in downtown Dallas, Texas, will include unusual precast concrete "trench panels" made by Speed Fab-Crete and resembling large planter boxes.

The Fort Worth, Texas-based company will produce more than 900 custom-made precast concrete sections, totaling 8,300-lineal-feet, to help form 5-acres of green deck space above the freeway. The park will occupy three blocks, providing a new pedestrian link between downtown Dallas and Uptown.

Most of Speed Fab-Crete's contract will be for more than 6,500-lineal-feet of the 9'x10' so-called "trench panels." This most common panel component for the job will be fabricated with 1,434 pounds of steel reinforcing bar (rebar) of number 4, 5 and 8 diameters. Once concrete is poured into the form, each panel will weigh about 16,000 pounds for delivery to the project site.

When installed, the U-shaped "trench panels" will be supported on prestressed, concrete, box beam ledges of the huge freeway deck. The special sections essentially will take on the appearance of elevated planter boxes four feet below deck level. The openings will be prepped with a foam void to lesson the panels' final weight. Each trench then will be filled with 212 yards of soil to enrich a variety of 3,200 plants, shrubs and trees as landscaping features and carry utilities planned for the elevated park.

Archer Western Contractors, LTD of Arlington chose Speed Fab-Crete to fabricate, pour and deliver the trench panels from its manufacturing plant in Kennedale, Texas. The facility holds plant certifications from the National Precast Concrete and Architectural Precast Associations. Speed Fab-Crete commissioned Hamilton Form of Fort Worth to produce special forms for pouring the trench panels.

The deck park is slated to open in 2012, providing greenery and visitor attractions in the middle of a concrete jungle in downtown Dallas.

Speed Fab-Crete has added to its credentials as a Fort Worth, Texas-based precast concrete producer by recent acceptance as a member of the National Precast Concrete Association (NPCA) and its certification of the firm's plant.

NPCA is a trade and certification organization, founded in 1965, to represent manufacturers of plant produced, precast concrete products and companies which provide equipment, supplies and services to make such products.

Speed Fab-Crete is the oldest, continually operating precast concrete products manufacturer in the Southwest. The plant certification is national recognition of a precast concrete business, which achieves a high degree of excellence in facilities, production, processes and quality control operations.

Speed Fab-Crete's Vice-President of Plant Operations, Carl Hall, said, "Such plant certifications give extra value and benefit to building customers without adding to the cost of the job." He noted, "NCPA is another elite group of industry leaders who promote use of precast concrete to project specifiers, engineers, developers, Department of Transportation officials and other public work officials." Hall added, "For the customer, selecting a supplier from NCPA's membership assures the highest quality of precast concrete in North America."

Another organization of precast companies, the Architectural Precast Association (APA), also certifies Speed Fab-Crete's plant. APA's members assure that architectural building products faithfully reflect plans by the architect.

Speed Fab-Crete also performs as a general contractor. Its plant is capable of fabricating and pouring a variety of precast concrete units, including walls for a building's exterior, modular arched bridges for public and private applications, highway retaining walls, monument signs, recreational tables and benches, and parking lot wheel stops. The bridges and retaining walls meet TXDOT specifications.

Tom Durant's Classic Family of North Texas Dealerships has picked Speed Fab-Crete again for a major parts building addition to one of his facilities in Grapevine, Texas.

Speed Fab-Crete will use its structurally loadbearing, precast concrete wall panel system to add a 14,000-square-foot, two story building to the existing parts distribution center for Classic of Grapevine. The expansion will provide added inventory space, offices and a parts "will call" area. The project is at 2501 William D. Tate.

The 6-inch-thick concrete walls will be finished in rock aggregate to match the existing structure at Durant's Hummer dealership, built by Speed Fab-Crete in 2003.

Speed Fab-Crete built Durant's original six-building complex for Classic Chevrolet in Grapevine in 1992. The contractor has built a variety of other dealerships for Durant, along with storefront makeovers, in Grapevine, Arlington, Denton, and Granbury, Texas.

Speed Fab-Crete's precast concrete wall panel building system, which is produced at the company's Fort Worth manufacturing plant, is being used to help create new car dealerships for BMW and Mini of Dallas.

Hodgen Construction and Development Group, of Weston, Florida, is the project's general contractor and project manager. It awarded Speed Fab-Crete several work elements as a subcontractor.

Speed Fab-Crete's participation includes fabrication and erection of structural steel, production and erection of the firm's concrete walls to form the exterior of the expanded buildings, and other concrete work.

The project will create a new 9,000-square-foot, two story showroom for the Mini dealership and create 53 service bays as part of a 37,000-square-foot building expansion for BMW of Dallas. The businesses, owned by AutoNation, are located at 6200 Lemmon Avenue in Dallas. The site was formerly occupied by another dealership.

Speed Fab-crete's manufacturing facility is a certified plant by the Architectural Precast Association. The plant is the oldest, continually operating precast concrete products manufacturer in the Southwest.

The President of Speed Fab-Crete Design-Build General Contractors, David Bloxom, has been elected to the national Design-Build Certification Board of the Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA).

The Institute is a national organization, which educates and promotes "design-build" as a contract delivery system for construction projects. "Design-build" is a method of single contracting by which one company performs architectural, engineering and construction services for the owner of a building.

Accredited as a Designated Design-Build Professional, Bloxom will serve three years on the Design-Build Certification Board, composed of nine directors. The panel oversees the organization's education and certification program for individuals and practitioners of design-build.

The certification program recognizes professionals in the construction industry who possess a high level of expertise in using "design-build" as the contract method for designing and building facilities. The program encompasses coursework, final examination and required continuing education.

Bloxom recently completed a two-year term as President of DBIA's Southwest Region, based in Austin. Speed Fab-Crete is the original design-builder in Texas and is completing 60 years in construction as a Fort Worth general contractor. Bloxom joined Speed Fab-Crete in 1974 after completing his Master of Arts degree at the University of Chicago. He has been President of the company since 1986.

Speed Fab-Crete General Contractors has been awarded two projects for facility improvements at Wills Point Independent School District, northeast of Dallas. Completion is scheduled next May.

The new facilities will be an 11 classroom addition, with 18,150-square-feet, to the district's primary school and a 7,100-square-foot field house for the high school.

The field house will be located adjacent to a tennis court complex. It will contain a training room, weight room, offices and a concession stand for the district's successful tennis program.

SFC Bridge Systems™, a division of Speed Fab-Crete Corporation, designs, manufactures and assists in the installation of 3-sided concrete arch bridge systems. These clear span, environmentally friendly arch structures are economical, durable and virtually maintenance free. Typical uses are roadway stream crossings, pedestrian walkways and tunnels. Stop by and see the "Strength of the Arch".

Speed Fab-Crete is now marketing a new division called SFC Bridge Systems.

Previously, Speed Fab-Crete only fabricated, poured and shipped arched-shaped concrete bridges for a variety of uses. Now, we have extended our services to sell, produce and assist in installation of the units. The arched concrete sections are available in a series of modular systems with variable heights and lengths determined by the number of units placed end-to-end.

Without special permit, Speed Fab-Crete can ship on flatbed trucks sizes up to 12 feet wide and spanning 48 feet. Aside from use on roads, streets and some highways, these products can be used as pedestrian bridges in subdivisions and gated communities, on golf courses, and around lake marinas, in almost all applications where spanning a stream, creek, pond or other body of water is needed.

• Speed Fab-Crete plant produced for faster installation
• Total set-in-place construction
• Modular systems from 12 to 48 feet
• Backfilling can begin immediately
• Easily enhanced with architectural treatments
• Meets Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT) specifications

Jeff Harwell is our point man for this operation. His cell phone is 214-717-1773

Speed Fab-Crete Design-Build General Contractors completed construction of the Dale Keeling Field House for Everman ISD in 2009.

The field house was one of multiple projects performed by Speed Fab-Crete for the school district during a five year period ending in 2010. The 24,100-square-foot complex contains athletic facilities for the school district's 9th grade, junior varsity and varsity football teams. The building includes locker rooms, showers, equipment, film and laundry rooms, and offices for coaches.

The building is named in honor of Dale Keeling, the district's Director of Athletics and head football coach, which he has held for more than a decade.

Fort Worth-based Callahan & Freeman Architects designed the angular shaped facility. The unusual shape maximized available space on the project site, which is in an end zone of the football field. Multiple windows in the coaches' offices and player weight rooms face out onto a curved track bordering the field.

The exterior of the field house was built with Speed Fab-Crete's precast concrete walls. Their finish combines limestone rock aggregate with a partial veneer of two different-colored bricks. The esthetics ensured campus continuity with existing school buildings.

SIX & Mango Company, which specializes in sales, service and rental of construction equipment, has opened a new retail outlet in 2008 in Grand Prairie, Texas. Speed Fab-Crete Design-Build General Contractors, using its precast concrete wall system, built the facility.

The 17,000-square-foot building contains an equipment showroom, a product display area, parts department, sales and administrative offices, service work bays and a mezzanine for pallet storage of products.

Another Frank Kent Motor Company dealership has opened in Fort Worth,Texas built again with Speed Fab-Crete's precast concrete walls in 2008. In 2010, the building was sold to Randy Hiley Buick-GMC. Hiley also opened a new adjacent Subaru franchise in Kent's former Hummer facility, built by Speed Fab-Crete.

Performing as design-builder, Speed Fab-Crete used its plant-made concrete wall panel building system in construction of the Frank Kent Buick-Pontiac-GMC dealership at 3535 W. Loop 820 South.

The 15,452-square-foot facility incorporates the latest Buick, Pontiac and GMC "national branding" by architectural design and use of the automakers' logo themes. Designed by Callahan & Freeman Architects, the building contains a spacious 3,600-square-foot showroom, a drive-thru, three-work bay service department, sales offices and a customer lounge with children's play area.

The century old First United Methodist Church in Glen Rose, Texas opened its newly renovated sanctuary by Speed Fab-Crete General Contractors. The historical church began in1885 and the existing sanctuary was erected in 1916.

The major remodeling and expansion project also involved converting another existing building into classrooms and restrooms to create a fellowship hall adjacent to the sanctuary. The sanctuary's seating capacity was increased to 317 worshippers.

Callahan & Freeman Architects, also based in Fort Worth, directed the renovations and additions for the church. During recent construction, special measures were taken to protect and repair numerous stain glass windows of the sanctuary, which depict, in Gothic design, events in the life of Christ. Ten new stain glass windows also were added.

Other building improvements included: replacement of the air conditioning and heating system; replacement of the roof; enhancement of the audio-visual capabilities; upgrading of the lighting system and adding insulation and gypboard to the current 93-year-old interior stone walls.

The old exterior walls of both buildings are native stone of 24-inch thickness. A second floor was removed to create a more spacious ambience in the sanctuary.

During the project, workmen uncovered three chimneys, one which served a fireplace. The other chimneys were smaller and presumably carried smoke from pot belly stoves, used to warm the sanctuary.