Up, up and away!

Words: Jeff SpeckPump lightweight concrete 54 stories, straight-up, successfully!

Well, that's exactly what Ozinga Chicago, the concrete provider for a 54-story project on Lake Street in Chicago, did. The company used Riverlite® expanded clay lightweight aggregate from Trinity Lightweight and they were pleased. According to Scott Kelly, Ozinga's Assistant Manager of Quality Control, "Everything has gone pretty smoothly and according to specification."

The lightweight concrete used in this project was a Self-Consolidating Concrete (SCC) using a high-range water-reducing admixture and three other chemical admixtures as well as Class C fly ash. Additionally, steel fiber was added at a rate of 35 pounds per cubic yard. The mix design provided concrete that was fluid enough at the pump discharge to spread without vibration.

Have a look at how this Chicago project went together and see how Trinity Lightweight and Ozinga Chicago worked together to make it a success. When you need to pump structural lightweight concrete to great heights to meet strength and fire resistance requirements, I hope you will think of Trinity Lightweight.
Turning Visualization into Opportunity: How Digital Design Tools Are Supporting Today’s Masonry Contractors
April 2026

Today’s homeowners are taking a proactive approach to planning and design. Before reaching out to a contractor, many clients spend hours researching products, comparing materials, and building inspiration boards online. By the time they request a quote,

Smarter Time Tracking on the Jobsite: Introducing Geofence Notifications and Logging in CrewTracks
April 2026

For masonry contractors, time tracking is more than just a payroll task; it’s a key part of managing crews, understanding job costs, and keeping projects running smoothly. Yet many companies still struggle with one common challenge: making sure employees

Outreach Outlook: Building Momentum Across the Southern Region
April 2026

As April arrives, the pace of our outreach and workforce efforts across the Southern Region reaches a new level of intensity. This is the time of year when our programs, partners, and state collaborators all accelerate at once. SkillsUSA competitions are

Marvelous Masonry: Elbphilharmonie
April 2026

Most people know the Elbphilharmonie for its glass façade and dramatic roofline. From a distance, that’s what defines the skyline in Hamburg’s HafenCity district. But for masonry contractors and suppliers, the real story starts at the base.