Client Spotlight: Lithko Contracting

PS=Ø®: The PS=Ø® system was used on three floors for two different conditions that eliminated traditional pour strips: slab-to-basement wall connections, a total of 1,680 LF on two levels, and slab-to-slab connections, a total of 445 LF on three levels.

PS=Ø® On the Rise

As an emerging technology in the post-tensioned (PT) and reinforced concrete (RC) industry, the PS=Ø® system is gaining traction with major industry players, and for good reason. The mechanical reinforcement splice system eliminates the need for traditional pour strips and backshoring and allows for transverse or longitudinal movement.

The best part of our job at PS=Ø® isn’t saving contractors time, money, and headaches. Our favorite part is knowing how satisfied customers are, with how our innovative system worked for them, and knowing that they will never use a traditional pour strip again. Lithko Contracting, a long-time client shares their experience using PS=Ø®: 

Lithko Contracting: Getting Ahead of Schedule

One of the largest concrete contractors in the United States, Lithko Contracting places millions of square feet per year of slabs, tilt-up, and precast concrete. Their experience and commitment to excellence has earned them the #2 ranking on ENR’s Top Concrete Contractor list for the past four years. 

Lithko was the concrete contractor on the Cook Children’s Medical Center’s Parking Garage. The 10-story, PT structure houses 850 parking spaces for families, patients, and physicians, and the extra space allows for relocation of valet services currently serving the existing Dodson building (also on the Cook Children’s campus). Overseeing the project was Project Coordinator, Jesus Villarreal. We sat down with Jesus and asked him for some insight into the project, and how the PS=Ø® system worked for them.

Can you tell us a little about you and your company? 

I’ve worked for Lithko Contracting for several years. Lithko is the second largest concrete contractor in the nation. We place more than 40 million square feet per year of slabs, tilt-up, and precast concrete. 

Aside from the parking garage project, I worked on the Linbek Dodson clinic expansion, which is on the same campus as Cooks Medical Center. 

Can you share a little more about this project? 

Our company was tasked with pouring concrete for the Cook Children’s Medical Center Parking Garage in Fort Worth, Texas. We needed to build ten floors of a parking garage, and three of the levels required pour strips. This was a large project that would take a lot of time, with multiple pour strip conditions to contend with.

How did you hear about PS=Ø®? 

Knowing how big the project was, we were trying to shave days off our schedule, so we started asking around. We reached out to Suncoast, our post-tension supplier for ideas. They put us in touch with the people at PS=Ø®.

Was the PS=Ø® system included in the initial design of the project, or was it brought in later to improve the schedule? 

We were in the estimating phase, pre-construction, when we pulled in the system. That said, it’s definitely something we could have pulled in later. If we were in the middle of a project, the PS=Ø® coupler is the type of system that can be worked-in last-minute with very little redesign. 

Did implementing the PS=Ø® system require any redesign? 

In this case, yes, however, we were already in the estimating phase, so all we had to do was get the engineer to sign off on a few things. It was as simple as adding rebar in some areas. 

The PS=Ø® engineers were instrumental in the process and they worked with our structural engineers directly. There were multiple pre-construction meetings with the design and construction teams that were as simple as, “Let’s just get on a call. We’ll have all the players get on a computer screen to walk through everything.”