Bluestone Construction, Inc.

Behold.

2011-12-03T14:59:00.002-06:00

Bluestone Bobcats near beautiful Bowbells, ND.

DOZE'nt This Look Fun

2011-11-16T23:13:00.001-06:00

Gravel is being hauled and dumped on site [StoneBridge Farms development, Minot].

These pictures were taken shortly before the first snow storm of the season hit Minot. We are still working towards our goal of finishing the road preparation by the first of December, and we are well on our way!

October Storm

2011-10-13T21:53:00.000-05:00

Bluestone began work on a a development on Minot's north hill today, despite a chilly, wet fall day.

Impressive weather for this time of year in North Dakota!

Apartment Parking Lot

2011-10-05T23:24:00.000-05:00

Photos: Bluestone in southeast Minot grading a parking lot for some new apartment buildings.

Great Grading

2011-10-04T23:13:00.000-05:00

Another project we were working on this week involved site work for some mini storage units in Minot.

Burnin' the Midnight Oil... Errr... Light Plant

2011-10-04T23:05:00.000-05:00

Sometimes, there is just not time enough in the day.

Enter light plants.

Problem solved.

Kevin is working away at a foundation for a new house in Minot.

Survivor

2011-10-04T22:58:00.000-05:00

Last week we worked on a home in northwest Minot that survived the flood.

The basement, however, did not fare so well.

Housemovers lifted the house off it's bowed and cracked foundation walls and placed it aside to let Bluestone do some necessary work.

First, we tore out all of the walls with the excavator.

Next, we stacked ICF (Insulated Concrete Form) walls and poured concrete.

It was a tight spot, but as you can see; the concrete pump is shown here pumping concrete into the forms.

Next the home will be placed back on it's new foundation and we have a situation that is much improved: a foundation much better and stronger than before.

Big and Bigger

2011-09-22T08:12:00.000-05:00

There is all kinds of power on site for digging a foundation near Minot today.

Pictured below is a culvert for a detention pond for our project at the US/Canadian Port near Antler, ND.

Fall is in the air; and we are glad to be wrapping up several projects.

Man Down!

2011-09-13T22:52:00.001-05:00

And by "man" I mean "excavator."

I am proud to report that the operator is fine, the excavator is up and running, and we are all better because of the experience.

Sneaky Sunday Snapshots

2011-09-04T13:38:00.000-05:00

Sneaky. Because I [Bluestone's blogger] "snuck" on site. With the help of my favorite Bluestone flagger, Joyce.

Sunday. Because it's Sunday. And for now, getting dressed for Sunday is more likely to involve a hardhat and some ANSI safety lime green than nice slacks and a dress shirt.

The levees in Minot are disappearing. In the snapshot below, you see just one of many trucks circulating through to be loaded up with clay near Minot's North broadway Subway.

Happy Sunday!

Loadin', Haulin', & Cleanin'

2011-08-20T23:40:00.001-05:00

The men at Bluestone Construction have been rising early and working long days and into the nights; eating lunch on the fly and working right on through the weekends.

We estimate that we have removed approximately 1000 truck loads of clay from the huge levees in and around Ward County. This amounts to about 12,000 yards of clay. This being only day 8 of the project-- we are moving a lot of dirt!

In the photograph below, Bluestone operator Dustin Vogel is working hard to keep trucks running.

It is a nice feeling to see the streets in our community restored.

A water truck cleans off the dirty street. When we are done, the streets look as good as new... something that was hard to imagine just a month ago.

Minot, Tear Down These Levees!

2011-08-17T22:14:00.002-05:00

Bluestone was has been hard at it since we were given the go-ahead last Friday to start taking down levees in Minot, Burlington, and Sawyer.

Crews worked right on through the weekend; additional staff and equipment has been brought on to help accomodate the workload.

Photo: Dustin operating the excavator while Austin works in the Bobcat skidder.

Building into a Hillside

2011-08-15T23:12:00.000-05:00

A project we are working on in Minot involves cutting away part of a hillside and building a shop foundation for the resident.

The resident's lot dictated that the shop needed to be built into the hillside, making a traditional wood foundation unsuitable. Insulating concrete forms are the perfect solution for a case like this.

The photos below show Bluestone employees David and Austin slaving away at what will be the shop's footings.

Day One: Ward County Dike Removal

2011-08-13T21:09:00.002-05:00

[photo: Leif Anderson approaches his bulldozer at the disposal site in Burlington, ND. Dustin Vogel ran the wheel loader at the levee removal site loading trucks throughout the day.]

Bluestone Construction, Inc. is the lead subcontractor for Ceres Environmental on a large emergency levee removal project for the US Army Corps of Engineers. We are responsible for 20% of the entire contract.

Our duties include loading up clay from the levees, hauling it to designated stockpile sites, and reclaiming those sites. Removing and disposing of sandbags is also part of the contract.

Pouring Forms

2011-08-04T14:08:00.002-05:00

The concrete pump has arrived and concrete is flowing into our freshly-formed up walls as we speak.

The pour went smoothly. A building will be moved on the walls in a few weeks.

Stacking Forms

2011-08-03T14:10:00.001-05:00

August 3rd, 2011; Crosby, ND:

Forms are being stacked for the basement walls of an office building.

There are many advantages to ICF basements. With ICF basements, the concrete is not exposed to the interior or exterior of the basement wall. The EPS panels on each side of the concrete insulate the basement walls and create a barrier. Basements built with ICFs are much more comfortable and feel like the upper levels, creating more truly livable and valuable space. With proper waterproofing and installation, ICFs create warm, dry basements for years to come. While an entire ICF struture is preferable, ICF basements can serve as the foundation and livable space for a stick-built or manufactured home.

Click HERE to read a bit more about why we choose to use BuildBlock forms. We really feel they are the best insulated concrete forms available on the market. We have been a dealer, distributor, and installer for BuildBlock for the last three years.

Minot Flood Clean-Up

2011-08-01T13:42:00.002-05:00

Minot's Dakota Agronomy is scrambling to get back to normal as dike removal is underway.

Bluestone Construction has an excavator, two trucks, and a wheel loader on site loading and hauling away tons by ton of clay from the massive dikes situated around the fertilizer elevators.

Office Foundation

2011-07-28T14:42:00.001-05:00

Bluestone's mini-excavator and wheel loader can be seen today working on digging out for a foundation for an office building.

Apartment Buildling Lot

2011-07-27T23:14:00.000-05:00

Our portion of this job is complete; the site work for an apartment building in Williston, North Dakota.

The concrete pour underway; subbed out.

Noonan is Looking Snazzy.

2011-07-27T23:04:00.000-05:00

Photo: The curb machine is being mobilized out in order to make way for more striping.

Things are looking good... snazzy in fact; and wrapping up at the Noonan border.

Working on a Lot

2011-07-27T22:51:00.000-05:00

A large truck maintenance and parking lot is coming along nicely for a customer in Crosby, North Dakota.

Along with the scope of the site work involved in preparing the gravel parking lot, Bluestone is currently working on preparing a shop floor for a concrete pour, putting a basement in for an office, installing a septic system and bringing water to the site.

Bluestone Goes Green

2011-07-27T22:32:00.000-05:00

Impressive set of solar panels near the Noonan, ND:

This photograph taken by Leif Anderson shows the newly installed solar panels at the Noonan port of entry. Bluestone Construction's role in this particular portion of the project involved drilling holes and grading around the panels, as well as trenching in the transmission lines.

The panels act as a supplemental power for the port. The grid is large enough to power an average-sized residential house, providing ample sunlight.

We Dig Geothermal Systems

2011-07-22T11:15:00.000-05:00

Yes, literally and figurativly speaking; we "dig" geothermal heating and cooling systems.

Photo is of employee Dustin digging in a geothermal system for an ongoing port of entry project near Antler, North Dakota.

The "Main" Issue

2011-07-22T11:00:00.000-05:00

The "main" issue in Crosby, ND a few weeks ago was a sewer main break.

Bluestone Construction was called to the scene when the local contractor's backhoe failed to reach the line. It turns out the break was 18 feet under the earth!

Site Work

2011-07-21T00:26:00.000-05:00

Bluestone loader and excavator at work near Crosby, North Dakota. July 15th, 2011.

Flood Fight 2011

2011-07-20T23:44:00.000-05:00

The end of June 2011 has been a very difficult time for our local community of Minot, North Dakota. We were able to use our equipment in the participation for helping our town prepare for a flood, although nothing could really prepare Minot for the scale of the devestation that was ahead.

The National Guard waved trucks through traffic lights. Any equipment helping in the flood fight was given absolute priority as everyone was working around the clock to get dikes built.

Bluestone crew building dike around a school. The flood resulted in the loss of three important schools, resulting in the displacement of around 1,000 school children.

Working throughout the night and into the morning. Photograph taken by Jon Roise who was driving truck in long shifts.

Our truck ran day and night, nonstop, for 3 days.

Loading clay.

The trucks were all filthy from long hours of hauling.

River levels climbing; here is water seeping onto the streets around 3 am.

After the river crested. June 26th 2011. Arial photographs taken by Leif Anderson. Pilot Dave Roise, who himself had a home destroyed in the flooded area below.

Little was spared; much was lost.

We are very fortunate to live and have a shop on high ground. Many of our friends are not so lucky. Minot has a very long and difficult path to recovery. We look forward to playing a part in rebuilding our community.

Catch-Up

2010-11-05T14:35:00.000-05:00

You might say we've been too busy to blog this summer. Leif, Dustin, and Dave have spent their summer and fall out in the field, so to speak.

Here is a picture of our equipment line-up at the Noonan, ND port jobsite:

And in the Bluestone office, 4 people are busy at work making phone calls, filing paperwork, paying bills, and completing those darn mandatory government payroll reports. Did I mention only one of them is over the age of 3? Hence the lack of blogposts.

Though to be fair, the younger ones do sport some cool Bluestone paraphernalia:

So, what is going on here in Bluestone-land?

We are finishing up the port jobs that have taken us the majority of the summer and fall to complete. We had the demo, dirt-work, and excavating portions of the jobs.

Here is the Bluestone excavator installing some pipe on one of the port jobsites.

And of course, since this picture was taken around July... there has been much that has not been mentioned in this blog post. More to follow!

And the Work Begins

2010-05-02T00:01:00.000-05:00

Last week we started a nice big demolition and dirt-work project near the Noonan, ND border.

It rained all day, but the progress has begun!

Pictured: Leif makes his first scraper pass.

Gearing Up For Spring...

2010-05-01T23:49:00.000-05:00

The team at Bluestone Construction is gearing up for our spring projects. We welcome a couple new pieces of machinery to our fleet, which include a wheel loader & an excavator. The bulk of our work this year is excavating and dirt work projects.

A World-Class Landscaping Project

2009-08-16T13:50:00.000-05:00

"Am I really in North Dakota?"

A question you may ask yourself upon visiting the Aafedt residence in Williston, North Dakota.

Our client is a successful business woman who wanted a break from her hectic business life. The resulting landscape is a resort-like atmosphere with a spectacular blend of earth, water, air, and fire. Her choice in decor and plant-life is inspired by her love for the Hawaiian islands and travels.

Special features include:

Full-surround beautiful block and vinyl fence
Putting Green
Basketball Court
Pool with fiber-optic lighting and spectacular deck-jet fountains
Pondless waterfall
Outdoor fireplace
Firepit
Two remote-controlled fire bowls

We are pleased with the outcome of the project and delighted to have been involved.

Federal Footings!

2009-07-26T15:17:00.000-05:00

Site work and footings for a 4100 square foot shop building for the US Fish & Wildlife Service in Crosby, ND.

Fourteen pier locations comlicates the layout of the project, but the job is going great and the walls will be going up this week.

Busy Days of Summer

2009-06-26T22:01:00.000-05:00

Summer is here, and we are happy to be staying busy and have some great projects going on. We have been installing a lot of ICF (Insulated Concrete Form) block for basements and even some entire homes. ICF is a great option for people who want to build a smart, efficient house.

We are pleased to have Gary and Darrell head up our concrete crew. They come to us from Detroit Lakes, Michigan and offer a lot of experience and expertise in all things concrete. We are happy to have them join our team.

Heres a project that we've been working on, belonging to Kent and Sarah Weishaar of Minot. The entire house up to the rafters is ICF. The two guys pictured are our awesome ICF installation crew, Kevin and Nick.