We hope you've liked catching up on all things Hardman Construction so far! Be on the lookout for continued updates, stories, and (of course) photos. Enjoy! Letter from Todd We made it through what always seems to be the most challenging part of the year while working construction in Michigan--winter. Thank you to everyone who battled through the brutal weather February brought. I know it wasn't an easy task by any stretch, but we all appreciate the hard work and dedication each of you show! Even with unfavorable weather conditions, the first few months of the year had many successes. Some highlights include: Zero recordable accidents Numerous successful projects all over Michigan Adding new employees to our team Installing our company's second ever secant wall Nearly 50 team members receiving or renewing their CPR certification The rest of 2019 is shaping up to be a busy and productive year. We are looking forward to our continued success with our current team members and welcoming new faces!

Todd Schrader President

Earth Retention Systems in St. Joseph

One of the best parts of working in the geotechnical world of construction is the unique and challenging projects we build. Our job in St. Joseph was one of those jobs.   The City of St. Joseph formed a multi-year strategic plan for updating its drinking water system. One of the first phases of the plan includes creation of a new pump station, which will pump water to be filtrated for safe consumption. Our portion of the work happened during this phase. A drilled H-pile and wood lagging wall spans 180 lineal feet with a 24 foot cut. Within the barrier of the lagged wall, a secant wall was also constructed.   Secant walls are a type of earth retention system that creates a water tight barrier. This is accomplished by drilling overlapped concrete piles, with a reinforcing steel beam placed in every other pile. A treme seal is then poured at the bottom of the wall, ensuring no groundwater can enter the area. The secant wall for this project ended up being 45' x 15', 25' feet deep, and included a 5' treme seal. The total project ended up lasting approximately 3.5 months and was done in two phases, each wall type being one of the phases.   Being less than 100 feet from Lake Michigan gave the crew some pretty great views while working, but the close proximity to the lake also ended up throwing them some major challenges. First, the bottom depth of the secant wall was drilled to 15' below Lake Michigan water elevation. The drilled depth coupled with the close proximity to a large body of water made for constant water issues on the job site. The ground water problem is the main reason the secant wall was installed versus other earth retention systems. Additionally, the job ran from November-February. The brutal cold and gales off Lake Michigan made for some very harsh working conditions. Even with unfavorable conditions and tight timeline, the crew overcame them and produced high quality products.   The project was another successful secant wall installation for the HCI team. Successfully implementing techniques and technology is not only rewarding, but it is also exciting to expand the scope of work and open potential new markets for Hardman Construction.   Kudos to our crews who met the challenge head-on with a positive "can-do" attitude!

Secant wall before final excavation and treme pour was complete.

Secant wall forms being placed for drilling One portion of the large permanent lagged wall.

Check it Out! Sometimes we are called specifically by other contractors to perform work in an emergency situation. The Colerain Compressor Station job in Dillonvale, OH was one of these situations. In late October, 2018 United Piping, Inc. contacted Hardman to assist with this job. There had been a couple of previous safety issues that had occurred on the site and UPI needed someone immediately.   The Colerain Compressor Station moves natural gas along a pipeline in southeastern Ohio and West Virginia. Our scope of work included installing approximately 80 micropiles and 50 push piles to stabilize the huge pipelines that tie into the building.   The compressor station was built on an old coal mine that was back filled with rocks, cobbles, and boulders. During the construction of the pipeline it was discovered that the old mine wasn’t properly compacted prior to the construction of the compressor station. One of the major challenges with the job was the unknown ground conditions. In one instance a column holding one of the pipelines that enters the station had dropped more than 19". However, the crew worked through the challenges and completed the job safely and to the satisfaction of all involved.   The job ended up being an excellent teaching and learning experience for our new drilling operators and the entire crew. We are slated to head back to Colerain in June for 3-4 weeks to install some additional piles.   Being able to work safely and efficiently is of utmost importance to everyone at Hardman Construction. Thanks to all of our crews who do exactly that!

Many thanks! When other contractors recognize the hardwork and professionalism of our team, we can't help but share! To say our job at McLaren Hospital in Petoskey had some challenging conditions is an understatement. However, our team worked tirelessly through the winter at the site. The Christman Company summed it up pretty well: "I also want to say we all appreciate the men working here, and Rusty, for the way they always showed and worked through some very nasty weather all winter. It’s never easy when you’re pushed into those conditions. Rusty did a great job working with everyone and leading the guys through some trying times. Thanks again." Your work at Petoskey and at all of our jobsites never goes unnoticed. We appreciate each and every one of our team members! Safety First! Hardman Construction was recently awarded a 2018 Michigan Outstanding Safety Performance Award for Specialty Contractor Gold Award at the AGC of Michigan's Annual Meeting. The Gold Award is presented to contractors who achieved zero incident and accident rate for the year. Working safely is our top priority and requires participation from EVERYONE on the job site. Great job to the entire Hardman team!

MDOT Progress in Petoskey

DID YOU KNOW... ...last quarter there was a week that celebrated women in construction? Brandi Behm started with HCI as an apprentice and has worked her way into a superintendent position. Here's her take on working in the construction industry. "I never thought I would be in construction growing up, but then a family member thought I should join the carpenters apprenticeship program--said it would be good career, pay, and insurance. I was 22 and I figured I had nothing to lose. I ended up liking it and here I still am 19 years later. One of the best parts about working in construction is being able to work outside and working in new places all the time. I also use many of the skills I have learned when I'm working on projects at home. Many of the things I've learned along the way were brand new to me. I never worked on cars or things like that growing up, and neither did my dad. Fixing some of the equipment or trying to diagnose it can be hard, but I've become much better at it over time. The pay and benefits are also great! The advice I would give anyone entering the construction field is just work hard and if you don't quite understand something ask. Everyone will help if you are willing to learn." 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. FOLLOW US #hardmantough #teamhardman ‌ ‌