Matt Conte to Speak at DFI SuperPile ’18 Conference in New York

by Conte Company

Matt Conte, Principal at Conte Company and Jim Davis, Project Engineer at GZA will be speaking at this year’s DFI SuperPile ’18 Piling Design & Construction Conference to discuss emerging pile technologies and the future of geotechnical engineering. The two will delve into results from a recent test of the new Hubbell-Chance® Drivecast® Displacement Pile, which promises to upend the deep foundation industry. This presentation will take place on Friday at 12pm.

View Conference Details & Buy Tickets

Please join us for the biggest piling design and construction conference of the year.

The Drivecast™ Displacement Pile is Revolutionizing Deep Foundation Systems

by Matt Conte

Conte Company helped create the Hubbell-Chance displacement pile product known as Drivecast™.

If you haven’t considered grout displacement piles for your project, you really should. There are many benefits to using such a system and more testing and performance data is produced each-and-every day. Here’s a little background on the product and how it performs, which explains why we’re so excited to tell you about it.

This patented grouted displacement pile was designed to be used in high side friction and end bearing applications. This combination of load carrying capacity allows the pile to be used in most soil conditions and load requirements. The added rigidity and larger grout shaft resist buckling and high lateral loads, where segmental piles systems wouldn’t normally be considered. Since each coupling joint is completely encased in grout, the finish pile acts as one solid piece in the soil.

During early Spring of 2018, Conte Company performed a load testing program that compared Drivecast piles to traditional driven and helical piles. (8) different piles were installed within the same site, to a similar depth. These piles were all tested in compression and lateral resistance. We even used a tell-tale testing method on one of the Drivecast piles—which is a method for isolating the side friction from the end bearing resistance of a pile. The results were extremely interesting and educational.

  • The (3) different Drivecast size piles outperformed the (3) driven piles and (2) helical piles in compression
  • Two of the Drivecast piles were laterally tested during a week of torrential rainstorms and they still held respectable numbers
  • The RS4500DC pile achieved the largest of the group at over 20 kips

With the help of GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc., the results of all the testing were cataloged and evaluated. You can download the full report here. We would like to extend our deepest gratitude to King Industries, Inc. for offering the use of their property for the testing location. We would also like to give a special thanks to Gary and Charlie Wetmore at G&C Marine for bringing out their new blow hammer to help with the driven pile installation!

If you’d like to learn more about Drivecast

Send us a message give us a call at (203) 853-2400. We’re happy to tell you all about it.

You can also watch our promo video here:

Introducing Drivecast™ The Next Generation of Pile Foundation 

by Conte Company

Introducing Drivecast - A Revolutionary Screw Displacement Pile for Stronger Foundations

Drivecast™ is a highly innovative anchoring solution which can provide tremendous support for heavy loads. This brand-new technology uses a unique soil displacement methodology to advance a pile into the ground via rotation. Each pile section consists of a centralized shaft made of structural steel, while displacement assemblies are attached at regular intervals from the head.

Conte Company helped Hubbell-Chance® with the design and development of this revolutionary new pile, and the end result is unlike any other deep foundation system we’ve ever seen before. By coupling the simplicity of helical piles with the stability of displacement piles, we’ve come up with a better solution for some of the trickiest deep foundation projects.

Advantages of the Drivecast System

There are a number of advantages offered by the Drivecast system which make it very appealing from the standpoint of being cost-effective, being better adapted to specialized site requirements, and for providing maximum support as an anchoring solution.

  • higher capacity, smaller steel components
  • 3.5″ pipe shaft tested to provide over 100 tons
  • can be extended by simple bolted joint connections
  • grouted shaft offers corrosion resistance
  • increased buckling and lateral strength with larger grout shafts
  • proven to achieve higher capacities with shorter lengths
  • installation is less expensive because it can be accomplished by smaller crews
  • drilling costs less than Augercast but is more productive
  • no pre-drilling is necessary
  • there are no spoils, and no expensive trucking of spoil material off-site
  • ideal for usage in low-access, low-clearance situations
  • requires smaller, non-specialized equipment
  • minimal site disturbance and vibration

When you have limited access, Drivecast is a great solution

Because it can be installed using only small, standardized equipment, it can be used in areas which have limited access and clearance, and there is virtually no vibration or spoils which result from the process. Only a small crew is necessary to fully implement the Drivecast screw displacement pile, and this adds to its appeal as a system which offers minimal site disturbance. Its ease of installation coupled with high-performance anchoring, make this the most exciting pile installation product to come along in recent years.

Already, Drivecast screw displacement piles have been shown to be very effective in such applications as:

  • new construction
  • heavy highway projects
  • commercial or industrial buildings
  • bridges and abutments
  • sports field lighting
  • seawalls and secant walls
  • pipelines, sewers, and tank reservoirs
  • mid-rise foundations
  • highway lighting
  • underpinning

Whenever greater capacity might be required on a project, or where soil quality makes reliability an absolute must, Drivecast screw displacement piles will provide the optimal solution.

How it Works

The pile itself is advanced into the soil by downward pressure, at a rotation speed of between 5 and 20 RPMs, with both pressure and rotation levels determined by the character of the soil encountered at a drilling site. As the hydraulic drive-head progresses, and successive pile extensions are installed, a cylindrical void is created, into which gravity-fed cement grout is poured.

The grout is maintained in a surface-level reservoir and is prepared at the time of drilling. Drivecast piles are thus implemented in sections until the desired depth has been achieved. The result is a stable, high capacity, grouted displacement pile, with a steel core capable of anchoring virtually any kind of foundation.

Versatility of Application

Drivecast screw displacement pile installation is especially well adapted for situations where increased capacity is indicated, or in corrosive environments threaten deterioration of the piles. Because the gravity-fed cement grout surrounds the bore shaft as drilling occurs, a first level of protection is provided, and if soil conditions are particularly corrosive, a hot-dip galvanized coating can be applied to establish a second line of defense against corrosion. Due to its usage of smaller, standardized equipment, it has a very compact installation process, making it ideal for sites where there might be low clearance, low overhead conditions, or restrictions on site disturbance.

Want more Information?

Download the Official Drivecast™ Brochure

Watch the video of Drivecast™ in Action:

Growing a Small Construction Company with a Quality Product and Valuable Partners

by Catherine Stone

Ask Conte Company how they grew their small construction company into one of the leading installers of helical piles in the Northeast, and you’ll always get the same answer. Deep roots in the community, powerful innovation… and their incredible team.

A big part of Conte’s great team are the valued strategic partnerships they’ve built over the years. In particular, Hubbell-Chance®, Caterpillar®, Earth Anchoring Suppliers and H.O. Penn top the list. These legendary companies have formed a team that supports Conte with timely innovation, fantastic customer service and loyal friendship.

Hubbell-Chance: The strongest, longest-lasting piles on earth

Since 2007, Conte has grown its helical pile work steadily from a small construction company, and is now the foremost installer of Chance helical piers in New England. This newer type of business specializes in design-build installation of helical pile foundations, which are steel screw-in ground anchored systems used for building and repairing deep foundations. This geotechnical/structural work is led by third-generation, Matt Conte, who received an engineering degree from Syracuse University.

“With the type of industrial work that we do, a driven pile or a vibratory pile is not allowed. The helical pile system is not as cumbersome on a site that’s more sensitive because it’s just screwed into the ground with very small equipment. And the soils in the northeast actually work pretty well with the helical pile system.”

Conte is often the first choice of general contractors in need of helical piles for deep foundations, because few have the expertise and partnership support of a great company like Chance.

Caterpillar: Equipment that gets the job done… day-after-day

Many foundation jobs require equipment that must fit into very small spaces. And, while Chance helical piles are the best in the industry, they might never get drilled into the ground if it weren’t for Caterpillar machines.

Caterpillar has a tremendous selection of small equipment that keeps Conte Company working in places that other small construction companies dare not go! For example, Conte uses the versatile Cat®314C Small Excavator to bore into the soil and drive the helical piles deep underground.

“We own nothing but Cat equipment in all different shapes and sizes. All our machines are equipped with quick couplers, which make switching attachments easy. Each machine is able to operate with the various attachments, which is one thing we’ve always liked about Caterpillar—with our backhoe and wheel loader the attachments work on all the machines. And all three of our mini excavators can use the same attachments.”

Today, Matt’s brother Anthony Conte, who heads up many of the specialty site work projects, says that the interchangeability of Cat attachments increases versatility for his entire fleet. They can now do more with less and that’s huge when it comes to foundation work.

“We’re always working in rock or poor soil conditions. So having equipment with versatile attachments—whether it be a hammer, a pile driver, an auger, or a different style bucket—it helps us perform our work that much faster and more effectively.”

Matt and Anthony also admire the sheer power of their Cat machines, which are really handy for lifting heavy equipment and boring large diameter piles.

“The smaller equipment is stronger and it can lift a bigger pile driver. We can now use a three-ton, where maybe with another brand we would have to use a four-ton pile driver—and there’s a big difference between those two size-wise when you’re going underneath a building or going inside a garage or a basement. This makes it a lot easier for mobilization, and it’s a much smaller piece of equipment to bring on the job site, and that’s why Caterpillar has been great for us.”

Earth Anchoring Suppliers: Always there for anything we need

Conte Company has been working with EAS for years. As exclusive distributors for Chance Helical Pile in the Northeast, their team has an extensive knowledge and understanding of deep foundations and helical pier products, that goes well beyond their competitors.

“They really do have some of the best prices in the industry, and they’re always willing to work with us on the cost. Of course we’re one of their best customers, but they always treat us like the only one they have.”

When your business consists of installing helical piles, it’s really important to have a good relationship with your pile supplier. EAS always gets back to us fast with material quotes, they almost always have exactly what we need in-stock.

“EAS brings the piles where and when we need it… We barely even have to think about delivery anymore.”

It’s no coincidence that Conte Company shares a similar service area with Earth Anchoring Suppliers. We have a common interest in developing long term relationships with our customers and we both understand that providing a superior product, at a great price, is the best way to do that. Once you can provide that consistently, everything else… the mutual respect and the loyalty fall in line. EAS has been an incredibly valuable partner over the years, and we expect many more to come.

H.O. Penn: Conte Company’s exclusive distributor for Caterpillar machinery

Patriarch, Jim Conte, made his first purchase of Cat equipment for his small construction company in 1990 when he was starting a new project that required more powerful machinery. “At that point, it seemed like a good idea to start fresh with new equipment and we gave it a shot,” he says. “And we haven’t left since.”

“Whether it’s a rental we have from H.O. Penn or a piece of equipment that we own, we never have a problem with Cat machines.”

It’s true that if you take care of ’em, Cat machines will last a long, long time. But none of that matters without sheer power. By renting a Cat machine as opposed to another brand, Conte is able to lift a 400-pound pile driver with a two-ton machine, with plenty of power left over to drive the piles. “To have that ability with a smaller machine is a real advantage for us.”

H.O. Penn has been an incredible partner over the years. Even when a small construction company like Conte isn’t quite ready to purchase, they will always offer a temporary solution.

“They’ve always worked with us to come up with a solution, and 99 percent of the time, we end up purchasing the equipment anyway.”

Adds Anthony, “You’re not going to beat the relationship that we have with H.O. Penn. They really stay on an even keel, whether it involves purchasing equipment, service, parts—there’s never an issue, and they are always there for us no matter what we need.”

From a Small Construction COmpany, To all of our Valued partners

Conte Company wouldn’t be where it is today without our strategic partners like Chance, Caterpillar, H.O. Penn, and the dozens of other companies we work with every single day. Every single one helps us create a better product, which leads to happy customers.

“So to all of our incredible partners, Thank You!”

– The Conte Family

In case you missed it, Conte Company was featured in Caterpillar’s Industry Magazine…


Read the Article

Want to join the Conte Company Team? We’re always looking for great new strategic partners.

Contact us today!

Conte Company is Blue Book’s Featured Contractor of 2017

by Catherine Stone

A Helical Pile Family - Conte Company in Connecticut

Conte Co. makes the cover of Blue Book!

Conte Company has made the cover of the latest edition of “The Who’s Who” (Eastern MA and Southern NH region), published by The Blue Book, and it’s a great read.

In the article, Blue Book explores how embracing a solid philosophy of innovation can help bring you success and business growth as exemplified by Conte Company.

It’s an honor to be Blue Book’s Featured Contractor

Ask anyone in the construction industry which business network has been the most influential for their own business growth, and the same answer will pop up again and again. The Blue Book.

There is strength in numbers. With so many participating contractors under one roof, you can imagine the influence Blue Book wields. They are simply the best go-to source for industry professionals to find quality contractors.

 

We at Conte Company always use Blue Book to find the resources we need. Now that we have been featured on the cover, and in a four-page article complete with glossy photos of our team at work, we are humbly reminded that roots count. This is a summary of our story.

Conte Company: Deep Roots & Powerful Innovation

Almost 70 years ago, Conte Company was founded in Norwalk CT. One generation later, James Conte took over the operations and recognized that big changes were coming down the pike very quickly. He sensed, before many others, that the gap between design and construction was closing and earned himself an architectural degree to accommodate this new way of thinking. He was unafraid of adapting to new technology, and fully embraced the changing landscape of the industry.

Today, Matt, Anthony and Michael are third-generation Contes. They manage the day to day activities of Conte Company in the same building their grandfather built, but also keep sharp eyes on the changing opportunities within their industry.

Always mindful of the legacy passed down by the earlier generations, they have now restructured the company to take advantage of their combined strengths, skills and education.

Just as James expanded what his father did into more commercial work, these three brothers have created a new division, focused on concrete/ geotechnical work and specialty site work.

Today, Conte Company is focused on the future of Helical Pile technology

Matt Conte earned his engineering degree at Syracuse University where he connected with a professor focused on the development of the relatively new helical pile technology.

Matt graduated from Syracuse University with civil engineering and construction management degrees and a firsthand education in helical piles. One of his professors was a helical pile pioneer, having developed the design and engineering for the system, and Matt was eager to offer these services to Conte Co. clients.

Today, the strong partnerships Conte Company has forged with CHANCE• and Hubbel Power Systems Inc. are direct outgrowths of that early, mentoring relationship. Matt saw piles as the future and introduced the fledgling, helical pile technology to their own customers starting in 2007.

Helical pile foundations are quickly becoming an economical and tremendously reliable alternative to traditional pile foundations. Helical piles can be used in a wide variety of applications and have garnered wide appeal throughout the commercial construction industry. In particular, they are often chosen for jobs where accessibility is limited or an existing structure could be damaged by big machinery or violent pile installation techniques.

Not only are they continuously finding new applications for helical pile use, but because helical piles are so strong and versatile, they are starting to replace some of the older and more cumbersome technologies previously used for deep foundation work.

As Conte Company has become more and more familiar with helical pile foundation systems, they have also expanded the ways in which they’re used. Few companies have innovated the way Conte Company has because they have the agility and the drive of a small family company.

“We like to find the work that no one wants because they didn’t take the time to think and problem-solve. This gives us the ability to work closely with our clients and adapt our abilities to meet their needs. With our commitment to technology evident, clearly we are ready to problem-solve, and if some aspect of a technology doesn’t quite work, we are going to work to create a better one.”

As a matter of fact, helical piles have so much potential, that Conte Company has and continues to invent and develop concepts that physically improve the capabilities of existing technologies. For example, Conte Company has been working with Hubbel Power Systems Inc. on their DRIVECAST™ helical pile system, which uses soil displacement to maximize grouting and speed up installation.

As our client list continues to grow, so does our experience, as many of our well-known clients will attest…

You can see some of our work in our helical pile project photo gallery and includes some of the work we’ve done at Logan International Airport, for JetBlue in Boston, MA; the U.S. Navy submarine base in Groton, CT.;  Eversource Energy; Keolis Commuter Services; The Dow Chemical Co.; and many, many other high-profile and highly delicate foundation projects around New England.

 

Read the Full Story in the Magazine

 

Schedule a Consultation with Conte Co Today

What’s New with Conte Company in 2017

by Conte Company

Conte Company Helical Pile Foundation Services 2017

As Conte Company has grown over the years, we’ve been fortunate to work on a variety of jobs for an ever-increasing list of great clients. We’ve honed our craft to become leaders in the deep foundation industry and treat every project with the personal attention you’d expect from a family owned company.

Here’s what’s going on with Conte Company in 2017…

We Have a New Website

Today, we’re excited to announce that we (finally) have a new website! Our goal is to not only showcase our expertise as geotechnical contractors, but to educate industry professionals on the value, viability and wide-ranging application of helical pile technologies.

Over the coming months and years, we’ll be producing a variety of materials, to address some of the major questions and challenges that our colleagues and clients may have.

So, please check out our brand-new website and be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to stay up to date on our latest publications.

Visit ConteCompany.com

We Are the #1 Installer of CHANCE® Helical Piles in New England

As an exclusive partner of HUBBELL-CHANCE®, we have access to the highest-quality helical piles in the world. Through this partnership and our vast experience installing helical pile foundations, we’re able to provide the most competitive bids on the best products around.

From standard, commercial and industrial projects to custom fabrication and design-build services, we can provide helical pile foundation solutions for just about any job.

Learn about our helical piles and their endless applications

We’re Expanding

We’re always taking on different types of projects, from the biggest geotechnical foundation jobs to small, residential foundation repairs. In the last year, we’ve done all sorts of projects around New England and throughout the country. We’re experts in safely constructing support for elevated structures, underpinnings and marine/wetland construction. Experience matters!

Check out all the types of foundations we build

We Continue to Provide Great Service

For projects big, small, residential or commercial, our only goal is to provide a hands-on approach to every one of our clients. We take great pride in our high level of service, our unmatched safety record, and our commitment to providing successful projects on time and under budget.

Learn more about Conte Company

We’ve Done a Lot of Projects

Take a look at what we’ve accomplished in our helical pile project photo gallery. Schools, bridges, airports, hospitals, industrial plants, infrastructure and so much more are on display. See our expert crews on-the-job and hard at work. Get an idea of how helical piles are installed and see the attention-to-detail that goes into every foundation we build. Our extensive experience results in the longest-lasting foundations in the industry.

View the photos