The Hard Copy - Hardman Construction Newsletter

WELCOME to the first edition of the rebooted Hardman Construction newsletter! It is our hope you find this newsletter an interesting and fun way to stay connected with all the happenings at Hardman Construction. Our intention is to share the great Hardman stories and celebrate our fantastic employees.

So, sit back, read, and enjoy!

Letter from Todd

We had quite a busy summer. At points it felt like jobs were starting and ending so quickly, it was hard to tell if we were coming or going. We know the constant change and long hours can be taxing on everyone, but we are truly grateful and lucky to have each one of you as part of the Hardman team. Some highlights from the summer included:

Welcoming several new journeymen, apprentices, and interns to our team
Forming new partnerships with great contractors
Completing the summer with zero recordable accidents
Implementing new technologies

Our work took us all over Michigan and northern Indiana this summer. We drove over 190 piles in the Upper Peninsula; drilled 130+ foot deep augercast piles in Royal Oak; finished up the MDOT bridge in Dowagiac; continued our work in Detroit at the Hudson's project; worked at numerous locations on the University of Michigan, University of Notre Dame, and Michigan State University campuses; and many other great projects. While some of our projects were met with an occasional struggle, it is reassuring to know we were able to work through them together to provide the highest quality workmanship.

As we look to the rest of 2018 we can expect another successful fall and look forward to celebrating our successes together.

Todd Schrader

President

What we were up to this summer...

What does it take to drill 200 augercast piles 130 feet below grade? Two cranes with over 150 foot of boom each, over 2,800 cubic yards of grout, and a crew with a whole lot of patience.

The Griffin is being developed as a mixed-use retail and apartment complex on Woodward Avenue off I-696 in Royal Oak, with a completion date slated for mid-2020. The final project is expected to have 245 luxury apartments over first-floor retail space. The site started as a vacant lot on 4.4 acres of undeveloped space and like most of our other jobs, we were one of the first contractors on site.

This project ended up holding a couple of firsts for us. The 130 foot piles were the longest augercast piles we've installed to date, which required utilizing the heaviest crane with the longest length of boom we've ever used on an augercast job. From start to finish the crew was at the site for eight weeks.

One of our greatest strengths as a company is the ability of our team in the field to not only work extremely hard, but to also work smart and solve problems. Not long after drilling and filling the first pile the crew found they needed to change their approach. The ground at the site ended up having a loose sand component which sat on top of hard clay. When drilling the piles the grout was easily contained in the clay portion of the soil, but once the auger hit the sand the grout ballooned out.

The soil issues coupled with the hot, humid weather everyone experienced in the field this summer are not ideal conditions for drilling augercast piles. During the first two weeks a normal day consisted of drilling 6 piles. However, by adjusting the drilling method to utilize air through the different soils, productivity increased and the crew ended up averaging 9 ½ piles per day over the last 15 days of production. Even with the challenging soil and unknown issues that can come with most firsts, the job was completed on time.

A huge thanks to everyone who kept “keeping on” not only at The Griffin, but at all of our sites this summer. We appreciate all of you!

Check it Out!

We wrapped up one of our MDOT bridge projects this summer. The project included:

Removal and restoration of a historical bridge on M-86 over Prairie River
Constructing a new bridge at the M-86 location
Transferring and relocating the restored historical bridge in Niles over the Dowagiac River

Fun fact: The historical bridge is the only camelback pony truss bridge left on the state trunkline system in Michigan. It was first installed on Telegraph Rd. over the Rogue River in Wayne County in 1923 before being moved to its previous location sometime between 1938-1939.

We had numerous employees who worked diligently on the project from start to finish. We couldn't be happier with the end result. Great work everyone!

Before restoration

During production

After final completion and restoration

Employee Spotlight: Brandi Behm

Hardman Construction has the best employees and when other contractors and developers notice, we can’t help but brag!

Brandi Behm has worked with Hardman Construction since 2000. She started as a carpenter in MDOT’s “On the Job Training” program, working her way up to superintendent. While Brandi was running the Studio Park Development job in downtown Grand Rapids this summer, she was interviewed by Olson Loeks Development Company.

Way to go, Brandi!

View Brandi's Interview Here

Many thanks!

Toward the end of summer we completed a job at Hemlock Semiconductor, installing micropiles. We worked under Johnson Contracting and they had this to say about our crew:

"Marty, want to take this opportunity to thank you for all that Tom has done on this job. He really led the charge and this could have never been done without him. We appreciate all the efforts that he made and the ability for both of our crews to come together and make this job a success.

You have a very experienced crew with a very good leader and have shined, on a very tough job. Please take a moment and convey our appreciation to Tom, and I certainly have and will again with your crew. Thanks again Marty!"

Special thanks to everyone who worked at Hemlock and helped make the project a success!

Safety First!

Hardman Construction was recently awarded the Risk Control Award by Archway Captive Insurance Company. The award was given for demonstrating effective safety programs and engaging in efficient loss prevention activities.

Working safely is our top priority and requires participation from EVERYONE on the job site. Kudos to the entire Hardman team!

Have an idea or something to share?

We want to hear your stories and help celebrate your milestones!

Contact Jami at jami@hardmanconstruction.com or (231) 845-1236.

#hardmantough