Building a Better Community

We know that building a better community takes far more than a capable construction team. It also takes a willingness to pitch in and give back to the people and projects that are changing Utah for the better. That’s why service is a key part of our company’s mission.

Supporting Local Communities in Utah | Judson Construction Company

For us, this means we eagerly support the causes our team members care about most and say “yes” as much as possible. As a result, our impact ranges from supporting national cancer research to donating to area youth baseball teams.

Below, see just some of the ways our team has given back this past year.

The Local Causes We’re Proud to Support:

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Utah

Judson Construction Company began sponsoring Big Brothers Big Sisters of Utah in 2007. We have a personal connection with this group as our president, Matt JUDSON, was a Big Brother himself from 2006 until 2012. Matt saw firsthand the overwhelmingly positive impact this program had on his Little Brother, so we’re proud to continue supporting their mission.

Through one-on-one mentoring of disadvantaged children, Big Brothers Big Sisters helps change the trajectory of kids and teens in Utah. Their impact is impressive: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Utah has matched over 1600 local children with positive mentors. 

The Judson Construction Company team supports Big Brothers Big Sisters of Utah events, including, annual fundraisers like bowling events, golf tournaments, and their Chef & Child event. If you want to get involved, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Utah is always looking for good mentors, especially Big Brothers. Learn more here.

Construction Vs. Cancer

For the second year in a row, Judson Construction Company sponsored Construction Vs. Cancer’s “Big Dig” event. The Big Dig is a fun, fair-like event where children undergoing cancer treatment get an opportunity to operate heavy equipment like excavators, bulldozers, dump trucks, and more. At the end of the day, each child takes home a swag bag full of construction toys.

The Big Dig is a national event run by the American Cancer Society. It moves from city to city throughout the country. This year, the Utah Big Dig was on September 10.

We love lending our expertise to this event; along with donating to the cause, some of our team members bring JUDSON equipment and help kids experience what it’s like to operate our machines from the driver’s seat. When it comes to our service initiatives, this event is certainly one of the most fun and the most memorable. For more information about the Big Dig, visit their website.

Tee It Up Foundation for Cancer Research

Judson Construction Company donates both financial support and time to the Tee It Up Foundation golf tournaments and silent auctions held each June. Played at the Jeremy Ranch Golf and Country Club in Park City, this event is one of North Utah’s most successful for raising funds for cancer research. 

This is a cause close to many of our team members’ hearts, including the JUDSON family. Judson Construction Company Chairman and Founder, Guy JUDSON, is a survivor of Stage 4 cancer who beat the odds thanks to the life-saving treatments from the Huntsman Cancer Institute. Our annual support is a way of showing our gratitude for the impact cancer treatment has on so many lives. To see how you can get involved, visit their website.

Utah Food Bank

No person in our Utah community should go hungry. That’s why we support the Utah Food Bank in its mission to end food insecurity in our state. Last year alone, the Utah Food Bank distributed more than 50 million meals to hungry Utahns across the state, many of them children. Through monetary and in-kind donations, we help keep their shelves stocked. For more information, visit their website. 

Local Youth Organizations We’re Proud To Support:

Various High School Sports Programs in Utah

Judson Construction Company supports several local youth sports teams and clubs. We provide financial support through donations, promotional banners, or event sponsorship. For example, this year, we sponsored a girls wrestling event for the Navajo Nation in Page, Arizona. We also sponsored the belt buckles awarded at a local 4-H youth rodeo event.

Many of our team members’ children participate in the activities we sponsor. They include several sports teams, a few high school cheerleading squads, and more. We support the following teams and clubs that our team members have personal connections to:

• Corner Canyon Baseball 
• Corner Canyon Softball 
• Grantsville Softball
• Cottonwood High School Soccer

Utah Freakz Softball Scrimmage & BBQ

The Utah Freakz softball program, a fastpitch softball program for girls in Utah, hosted its second annual softball scrimmage and barbecue in support of the Down Syndrome Foundation. The program invites local individuals with Downs Syndrome to play in a fast-paced, fun game of softball with the Utah Freakz players acting as mentors, coaches, and cheerleaders throughout the night.

Along with a few other key donors, Judson Construction Company was able to provide a rented field and full barbecue spread for close to 350 people! It was a special night; the players showed pure joy in how they played the game and quickly developed a very special bond with all the girls that came to coach and support them.

This is now an annual event that our Judson Construction Company team is looking forward to supporting next year, too. To learn more, visit the Utah Down Syndrome Foundation website.

We Build Better Communities, One Project & Cause at a Time

At Judson Construction Company, we are proud to be building a legacy that extends beyond our job sites. By keeping service at the heart of our organization, we’re making Utah a better place to live for our team and our customers. 

If this is a mission you believe in too, view our current job openings and consider becoming a part of our team.

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This modern space in Draper, custom-designed for our team, makes collaboration, communication, and commitment to our craft easier and more inspiring than ever. Here’s a look inside our new space, to help you see what working at Judson Construction Company is really like. 

THE BACKSTORY

Our new digs mean more when you know where we came from. Judson Construction Company was started in 1986 by Guy JUDSON. During the early years of business when the team was lean, an office space wasn’t a priority. In fact, our company kept costs low and convenience high by working at Guy’s house for many years. It may not have been glamorous, but at the time, it was all we needed.

While it was cost-efficient, our lack of office space wasn’t something we could sustain if we wanted to scale. So, in 2009, we decided to build our first building in Sandy. Over the next 10 years, business grew. As our staff expanded, we quickly filled each office; conference rooms had become offices and space was at a premium. By 2018, our team was feeling the growing pains and we saw the need to start planning another move. 

In 2018, we relocated our equipment yard to an 8-acre property in Salt Lake City to make space in Draper for the future home of JUDSON’s new, larger, office space. Then, the planning began.

CUSTOM DESIGNED JUST FOR US

When it came time to decide what our new office would look like, we knew we wanted to be involved. We didn’t want just any cookie-cutter office space. We also didn’t want to rush into another building that wouldn’t serve us long-term. 

So, we took our time and put thought into every decision. We listened to employee feedback to make the space reflect our culture, team, and day-to-day work. A close partnership with AJC Architects out of Salt Lake City was critical to this design; they were able to translate our ideas into practical interior spaces. Over the course of a year, we fine-tuned the layout, features, and finishes of the space.

A SHOWCASE OF OUR WORK

As an industrial and infrastructure general contractor that fulfills design plans day in and day out, the construction of our own space was a rare opportunity to take the reigns and be creative. We incorporated many of the design or structural elements we construct for our clients. Exposed concrete, steel, and other highly durable building materials reflect our industrial niche and give our space a modern aesthetic.

We’re proud to say that Judson Construction Company crews performed all the site utility work, grading, concrete work, and steel erection as the building took shape in the summer of 2020. Our own team made the building possible, and we experience our commitment to quality every day when we walk through the doors. 

FEATURES

Our office stays busy throughout the week, buzzing with team meetings, trainings, group hangouts at lunch, and celebrations of project wins. It’s a place we feel comfortable in, knowing it’s our home for the long-haul; we made sure to build it large enough to adapt with us as we grow over the coming years. Here are just a few of the features that make our office a great place to work:

Private Offices

While an open office is trendy, it wasn’t what our team wanted. Here, everyone has their own private office. Most are outfitted with a large A/V display that makes it easy to present, brainstorm, and discuss as a group. And since our building was built with room to spare, we have additional huddle rooms where employees from different departments or teams can huddle together to work through projects more efficiently. 

War Rooms & Training Center

The “war room” is like the command center of our office. As our largest conference room, with room for 15-20 people, it is used daily. Professional A/V design makes meetings more efficient and valuable; a large projector screen and four digital displays deliver seamless, professional presentations and intuitive tech integrations to every discussion.

Similarly, the field “war room” gives our superintendents and field supervisors space to plan and manage our boots on the ground work. A physical tracking system (including each staff member’s photo and name) can be moved along magnetic walls to give them a hands-on process for strategizing projects and mitigating resource issues. 

Our large field training center in the building acts as an in-house educational center. Outfitted with computer stations, it helps us easily maintain and improve our commitment to certifications and education for field staff. 

Gong

We’ve always celebrated when someone lands a project, but for the new office, we wanted to up our game. Our 30 inch gong puts our old bid bell to shame. Now, when someone receives news that a bid was accepted, they run to ring the gong to alert the whole office. It’s a great way to celebrate our wins together as we go — and create a little friendly competition in the process.

Employee Recreation Addition

Soon after the building was completed, we repurposed an underused warehouse to give our employees recreation and fitness space on-site.

Physical health is something we have always supported with our employees. So in addition to paying for their gym memberships, we wanted to convert the warehouse space into a CrossFit style gym. We outfitted the space with Rogue equipment purchased from a local gym and now an employee-led fitness program is available to any employee free of charge. We even added batting cages that our employees and their families take advantage of during the winter months

Plans are currently in the works to convert the warehouse rooftop into a patio where employees can gather when the weather is nice. With a BBQ area and yard games, it’ll be an escape from the office with great mountain views. 

Kitchen & Common Area

Our old office kitchen was tiny and strictly functional. We knew we wanted to change that. 

Our new kitchen and break area is open and spacious with stainless steel appliances and sleek quartz countertops. It’s now the go-to spot for gathering during lunch or breakfast. We keep it stocked with coffee, drinks, and snacks and ESPN is always playing on TVs in the background. 

LOVE OUR SPACE? THERE’S ROOM ON OUR TEAM

Our new building is proof that an office is about more than having desk space. Its value is in improving how our team works by giving them the space and resources they need to connect and problem solve whenever or however they need. Our new space makes our company a better place to work and which also improves the quality of our work. 

If you’re looking for a career in engineering and construction management in Utah (with all the perks listed here and more), take a look at our open positions to see if our new office can be yours, too. 

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Pouring a Concrete Foundation | Judson Construction Company

Concrete cures through a hydration process, therefore, weather can adversely affect your concrete pour. This is why many projects are delayed due to rainstorms. However, did you know that your concrete pour can also be affected by extremely hot or cold weather too? If you are planning an industrial concrete construction project, Judson Construction Company offers these tips for working with concrete in any weather.

Pouring Concrete In Cold Weather

If you are pouring an industrial concrete construction project in cold weather, defined by the American Concrete Institute below 40 degrees Fahrenheit, your concrete could shrink and crack during freeze and thaws. 

To pour concrete during colder weather, do the following:

• Don’t pour on frozen ground. Remove snow and ice and expose the ground to the early morning sun to warm it up. 
• Make sure that any items that will be embedded in the concrete are above freezing. Don’t allow concrete to come into contact with items that are below freezing, such as rebar.
• Schedule your pour early in the morning and use a quick-set product in the concrete to speed up curing times. 
• Use the right water-to-mix ratio. Too much water in your mixture or not enough will create problems during the curing stage. If the water in the mixture freezes, it could cause the concrete to weaken and crack.
• Use a heated mix.
• Use concrete curing blankets for at least three days, or set up a heated enclosure.

Pouring Concrete In Hot Weather

On the surface, it appears that pouring concrete in hot weather is ideal, but that’s not always so. Hot weather industrial concrete construction pours are affected by the humidity levels. Too dry, and concrete will cure too quickly and will not set correctly. This can cause weak concrete since hydration is what strengthens concrete. 

Hot weather over 90 degrees Fahrenheit or high humidity can affect the pH levels in concrete and weaken the concrete. It may also increase microbial growth in the concrete. Mold and microbes could affect the safety of the people in the building or area. 

To pour concrete during hot weather, do the following:

• Use large aggregates or hot weather admixtures like plastic additives to increase setting times so the concrete is stronger
• Use an industrial chiller, or request chilled water to mix your concrete
• Pour during cooler hours of the day. Avoid the late afternoon after the site has been baking in the sun all day. Pour in the evening and allow the concrete to set overnight
• Don’t overmix
• Spray down the subgrade or any forms
• Work quickly to get the concrete down and formed

Other Tips For Your Industrial Concrete Construction Project

When possible, avoid pouring concrete during rainstorms or other inclement weather. If you cannot delay a project any longer, try shielding the site and use industrial-grade machines to dry out the area. Make sure you have appropriate drainage and divert rainwater or snow away from the site. Avoid mixing additional water into your concrete mixture.

Finally, hire a reputable industrial concrete construction company that is experienced in concrete construction in your area and is familiar with weather patterns. Judson Construction Company services the Northwestern area and other states. We have field offices with highly trained construction teams in the following areas:

• Arizona
• California
• Colorado
• Idaho
• Montana
• Nevada
• New Mexico
• Utah
• Wyoming

If you have any questions about how to schedule and plan your next industrial concrete construction project, contact Judson Construction Company or call us at (409) 303-4200. We can help advise your next concrete pour and schedule your project during any season, regardless of the weather conditions. 

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Mistakes in excavation and embankment during construction can lead to costly and hazardous conditions, including broken pipe and utility lines, sinkholes, cracked foundations, improperly set footings, and more. This step of construction is so critical to the entire operation’s success that it takes an entire dedicated, experienced team to execute properly.

Whether the contract involves moving thousands of cubic yards of material, or just a few smaller excavations, the excavation company you select should have specialists who analyze the site for soil composition, field measurements, and local environmental concerns.

Here are just a few ways that Judson Construction Company identifies and guards against potential mistakes in earthwork and excavation construction.

Protect Pipe and Utility Lines

Buried pipes, sewer laterals, and utility lines can represent a grave hazard to both the environment and workers if broken. Underground lines are broken every six minutes in the United States due to improper planning before digging with nearly 450,000 incidents recorded in 2019 alone.

When a line is broken, construction must stop, authorities must be notified, and usually, an investigation occurs. These can lead to costly and expensive delays. And in worst-case scenarios, these accidents can lead to injuries and deaths.

Professional excavation construction companies know that they must arrange for a proper survey of all public utilities. Gas lines, water lines, oil lines, sewer pipes, and electrical lines should be mapped, marked with a color code, and properly protected during any excavation project. 

However, these are not the only subterranean hazards that can cause problems during excavation. A complete analysis of the site can identify any potential problems and proper planning can go a long way in preventing any accidents. 

Some common mistakes when excavating near pipe and utility lines include:

• Not conducting a full survey
• Failing to account for other subterranean conditions and hazards including buried rocks, water tables, or other issues.
• Driving heavy machinery over the top of lines
• Improper soil compaction
• Not being OSHA trained or compliant

Our team ensures proper excavation by surveying the site, conducting soil analysis, working closely with local utilities and municipalities to comply with local regulations, and by assigning a project coordinator that inspects the site daily.

Site Preparation

Before construction begins, the site must be physically walked in addition to doing surveys and terrain maps. This will give the excavation company an idea of the type of vegetation they will encounter, existing structures that need to be removed, any environmental hazards that might be present, and other issues that need to be resolved before the project begins.

Next, a complete survey of the land must be done. 

These geophysical surveys will give the excavation construction team the plan for where the building or road will be placed and how the land must be graded to accommodate the structure.

For some buildings or roads, cuts and embankments must be formed and the area leveled. During this part of the construction process, surveyors will mark the area and provide a guided plan to the project engineer. 

Improper planning or mistakes at this phase could lead to construction delays and other job site hazards. 

Finally, the soil must be analyzed with attention to soil swell and shrinkage factors. This leads us to the next phase.

Soil Testing & Analysis

This phase of site preparation is soil analysis.

Soil engineers will drill for core samples to get an accurate reading of the subterranean conditions and to understand the soil’s composition. Mistakes at this stage of the process can lead to:

• Building failure
• Soil collapse
• Hazardous job conditions
• Trench collapse during trench excavation

To get an accurate reading of the site, a soil engineer will conduct the following tests:

• Moisture content test
• Atterberg limits tests
• The specific gravity of soil
• The dry density of soil
• Compaction (Proctor’s) test

Earthwork Excavation and Compaction

Once all of the factors are known, the project manager can draft a plan of how to proceed with the project. Heavy machinery will be mobilized and the earthwork scope will begin.  Our team will actively survey the site daily.

To get a bid on your next earthwork and excavation project, call us at Judson Construction Company or learn more about our excavation construction process. 

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