ForConstructionPros.com

Even though a Hausz Concrete superintendent kept the other subcontractors and the general contractor informed about the schedule delays, it was still a difficult situation. "It was tough to keep telling everybody it will be three more days before the slab will be done," Hausz says.

Fortunately for Hausz, no penalties were assessed because of the way the contract had been written. "The contract was pretty lenient," says Hausz. "There were no deadlines for my work. The original contract with the owner had a finish date, but it recognized you can't control acts of God."

By Nov. 28, Hausz Concrete had completed 75 percent of its work on the job. What remained to be done involved sealing the decorative concrete, and doing the acid staining and final finishing of the flatwork. Hausz estimated that, barring further problems, his company would be done with its part of the temple job by the end of 2006.

Special techniques used

Another challenge in placing the slabs was the temple's use of in-floor heating. "We had to be very, very careful while pumping and pouring a 3-in. finished floor over in-floor tubing," Hausz notes. "We needed to be sure not to cut any lines." Because of the special heating system, no saw cut joints were used. "We elected to let the concrete crack naturally because we were acid staining the finish and trying to create a natural look like real stones," he points out. "We were trying to make something unique and cool. Each acid stained floor has its own look. I can never replicate the same floor in another location."

A Copperhead laser screed was used to screed the slabs. "We were pouring on top of Spancrete," Hausz says. "The only way to hold a flat elevation for striking the concrete off was to do it with a laser."