October 25, 2018
On the rise
United Quality Elevator taking shape
By Jerry W. Kram
It will only take a week, but Parshall’s skyline will be forever changed.
That’s how long it will take to finish the concrete shell of the new United Quality elevator in Parshall. Jeff Vigen, owner of Vigen Construction of Grand Forks, said a few weeks ago he had some doubts about how smoothly the process would go because of the early winter storm that passed through the state. Since then, however, the area has been blessed with nice fall weather.
“Weather and labor are our two biggest challenges,” Vigen said. “This part of the project will only take a week, but we have been getting ready for it for four months. All the hard work was done ahead of time.”
Vigen said that a third of the elevator project is underground. Getting the foundations and other infrastructure ready and building the form that is shaping the elevator were the main parts of the project. Once the form was finished, the project has been a lot like pouring cake batter into a pan.
While the concrete structure will soar more than 150 feet in the air, the actual form shaping the building is only 42 inches tall. It is raised at a speed of 10 inches per hour. The concrete mix Vigen uses cures enough in just four hours to hold its shape and support the weight above it.
“The concrete is still wet enough to finish on the outside,” Vigen said. “Three are steel pipes inside the walls that we are climbing so the concrete is really just there to stiffen up the pipes.”
That’s how long it will take to finish the concrete shell of the new United Quality elevator in Parshall. Jeff Vigen, owner of Vigen Construction of Grand Forks, said a few weeks ago he had some doubts about how smoothly the process would go because of the early winter storm that passed through the state. Since then, however, the area has been blessed with nice fall weather.
“Weather and labor are our two biggest challenges,” Vigen said. “This part of the project will only take a week, but we have been getting ready for it for four months. All the hard work was done ahead of time.”
Vigen said that a third of the elevator project is underground. Getting the foundations and other infrastructure ready and building the form that is shaping the elevator were the main parts of the project. Once the form was finished, the project has been a lot like pouring cake batter into a pan.
While the concrete structure will soar more than 150 feet in the air, the actual form shaping the building is only 42 inches tall. It is raised at a speed of 10 inches per hour. The concrete mix Vigen uses cures enough in just four hours to hold its shape and support the weight above it.
“The concrete is still wet enough to finish on the outside,” Vigen said. “Three are steel pipes inside the walls that we are climbing so the concrete is really just there to stiffen up the pipes.”
