Aesthetic Versatility: Limitless Colors, Forms & Textures

Precast concrete allows designers to create a wide range of aesthetic effects and integrate a diverse array of facade elements into a single precast concrete pane.

Color, Form & Texture Versatility
Precast concrete allows an infinite combination of colors and textures through the use of form liners, aggregates, pigmentation, and various finishing techniques such as acid etching and abrasive blasting. Designers can create intricate bullnose, reveal and custom castings. Traditional veneer materials (brick, stone, tile) can be embedded into precast panels utilizing their natural beauty, while gaining the many high-performance benefits of precast concrete.

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Facade Integration
Precast solves the problem of needing multiple products and trades to create a facade with different elements such as a base wall, window surrounds, coining, beltlines, and pediments. All those elements and more can be created in a single precast concrete panel, eliminating the need for frequent expansion joints and slip joints to account for different movement, as well as flashing and other moisture management components.

Historic Context
Precast provides an affordable way to provide historic facade elements on even low-budget structures. Precast producers can mimic stone and brick to provide historical context on a budget.

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Mid-States recognized as one of the safest companies in the nation

Mid-States Concrete Industries' plant has been formally awarded SHARP designation by the United States Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

The Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program is awarded to only the safest companies in our nation. The program recognizes small business employers who have used OSHA’s On-site Consultation Program services and operate an exemplary injury and illness prevention program. Acceptance into SHARP is an achievement of status that singles Mid-States out as a model for work site safety and health.

The vision statement of Mid-States Concrete is: We are going to change the world by being the safest and most innovative precast building company.

“We are actually doing what our vision wants us to do,” said Mike Wolff, vice president of safety and operations. “We are a (safety) model for our nation, through SHARP.”

Mid-States began its journey towards SHARP in 2010 after experiencing a major accident on site. Since joining the On-site Consultation Program, Mid-States has undergone one-to-two OSHA audits annually. It all started with learning the OSHA rules and training, training, training. The company now has an employee safety committee, union safety officers and trainers that help with safety. Now, the employees own it when it comes to safety.

“It truly has been a journey,” Wolff said. “It wasn’t something that happened overnight… and the journey doesn’t end.”

Although Mid-States is certified for two years, Wolff still plans to invite OSHA in to conduct safety audits. The company will need to continue to improve and implement safety programs to continue its SHARP designation.

While the plant is SHARP designated, Mid-States next step is getting its field installation SHARP certified. From there, the company will be aiming for VPP (Voluntary Protection Programs) status, which recognizes employers and workers in the private industry and federal agencies who have implemented effective safety and health management systems and maintain injury and illness rates below national Bureau of Labor Statistics averages for their respective industries.

Since partnering with OSHA, OSHA recordable incidents have dropped by about 80 percent at Mid-States. Plus, the company has seen a significant reduction in its workers compensation incidents. According to Wolff, “having a safe workplace does pay.”

“We do it because we care about our employees,” Wolff said. “We want them to go home in the same condition they arrived, every day.”

Mid-States joins only 34 other companies in Illinois to achieve such designation. Additionally, only seven companies in Wisconsin and eight companies in Iowa have achieved SHARP designation.

Team member plays offense in area hockey league

Prior to July, Ian Lewellin hadn’t hit the ice in 22 years.

Lewellin, who has been with Mid-States since Feb. 2001 and is currently part of the preconstruction team, joined the Janesville Summer Hockey League after a bit of good-natured peer pressure. He also sits on the board of Janesville Youth Hockey.

“It was awesome,” he said of getting out on the ice again. “It was fun, but you realize quickly how out of shape you are, even if you think you are in shape.”

Lewellin mostly played offense, which is what he played in high school. The toughest part, he said, was sucking wind, as he was out on the ice every two minutes. Since the summer league was short – just eight games played in July and August – the team pretty much just showed up and played the games. There was no practice schedule.

“It was good to get back out and play again,” Lewellin said.

Lewellin’s family was able to come out for a couple games, including his 11-year-old son Owin, who also plays hockey. Usually, Lewellin will attend Owin’s games and provide some coaching from the stands. With Lewellin on the ice, his son went ahead and took on that coaching role for him. It was definitely interesting for him to experience that coaching from the other side.

Lewellin was the last one on his team to score a goal this season, but that score happened to come at exactly the right moment. It was in the last two minutes of the team’s very last game that season, and it ended up winning the game. He had such an amazing time, Lewellin signed on for the Janesville Winter Hockey League. It includes 30 games from mid-October through April.

“I’m looking forward to getting in better hockey shape,” Lewellin laughed, though the season will make for some late nights. Games are scheduled for 9:45 pm and 10:15 pm start times at the Janesville Ice Arena.

Interested in joining the Janesville Hockey League? Ask Lewellin for more information.  Janesville Hockey is a co-ed league, open to anyone 18-years-old and older, and you’ll need to have your own gear. Lewellin said he owes his wife, Jen, big thanks for hooking him up with all the gear he needed. It was a gift for his big 4-0 birthday.

Hockey isn’t the only sport that has struck the fancy of Lewellin though. While he loves hockey – he said it’s full of action and excitement – he is also passionate about baseball. He grew up playing the sport and played until about five years ago. He even pitched for Madison Area Technical College’s team, helping them win their second and third consecutive National Junior College Athletic Association baseball championships.

Lewellin has already come out of hockey retirement, maybe he’ll come out of baseball retirement next?

Mid-States works on tallest building yet

Rendering courtesy of Hirsch Associates.

Mid-States Concrete is a proud partner of Wicker Park Connection, 1640 W. Division St., in Chicago.

The 15-story tower will have hollowcore flooring for levels two through 15, plus a hollowcore roof, making 15 levels of hollowcore. It is the tallest building Mid-States has ever worked on. The project also features about 5,400 square feet of wall panels.

The tower will feature 140 residential units, 52 parking spaces and new retail space. Mid-States will erect about 137,093-square-feet of 8" and 10" hollowcore slabs and balcony slabs, as well as wall panels. Wicker Park Connection will be the neighborhood's second tallest building.

Mid-States worked with Linn-Mathes Inc. General Contractors and Builders on this project.  Hirsch Associates is the architect of the building and Centrum Partners is the developer.

Thin brick with precast wall panels

Clay product-faced precast concrete gives architects the flexibility to combine the pleasing visual appearance of traditional clay products with the strength, versatility, and economy of precast concrete. Among the types of materials that can be embedded in the precast is thin brick. Thin brick can cover the entire exposed panel surface or only part of the concrete face, creating accents.

The brick appearance is created by using a brick form liner to hold the thin brick in place while the concrete is cast. The embedded thin brick, once cleaned, will give the final appearance of a traditionally laid, full brick wall.

Mid-States has provided precast for many projects requiring thin brick, like Glenview Village Hall in Glenview, Illinois, pictured above. This was an addition to the existing Glenview Police Department, so thin brick was used to match the existing building.

If you are interested in thin brick for your next project, contact us today.