AGC Keystone 2nd Place Winner: Falling Springs Primary Expansion

The Keeley Construction Industrial Group is proud to have been named as a second-place winner for the 2021 AGC Keystone Awards for their work with Falling Springs Quarry Co. in Dupo, IL. A rock crusher capable of crushing 3,000 tons of rock per hour needed to be built in the quarry.

Dupo, IL | New Construction | December 2019

The Falling Springs team came to Keeley Construction with the need for a new, state-of-the-art rock crusher in their Illinois quarry. This project included installing 2,200 ft. of 48”/60” belt conveyor and pouring 2,324 CY of concrete throughout the construction phase. Keeley was able to accommodate the owner by keeping the quarry fully operational throughout construction, even during the second phase of the project which required working along the quarry’s stockpile which was supplied by a new stacker conveyor.

“This project showcased Keeley’s ability to provide the Power of One between the Civil and Industrial Groups with our self-perform capabilities. Our Civil crew performed all structural concrete work while our Industrial crew performed all structural steel and millwright work. This allowed us to control the project out of the ground and drive the project to a successful completion. While working around an operational plant, this project would not have had the success it did without the Falling Springs quarry’s continued support. The completion of this project increased the quarry’s rock production to better serve the local construction industry and it was an honor for Keeley to be a part of that.”

-Zach Davis, Project Manager

One of the biggest challenges faced by the team during this project was having to work around the existing schedule of the quarry. Other quarry activities were on a full production schedule during the construction of the primary plant. Additionally, the constant freezing and thawing of water coming from the rocks made pouring the 2,324 CY of concrete difficult. However, Keeley’s team worked around these challenges to complete the project and exceed the client’s expectations.

This project had a significant impact on not only the client’s community, but the area’s construction industry as well. The construction of the rock crusher allowed the owner to produce more aggregate to supply the local ready mix and construction industry. Being able to offer ore supplies allows all consumers to give their partners faster service. Apart from this aspect, Keeley was able to accommodate the owners to keep their operations running and ensure that each of their 25 team members could work throughout the duration of the project, allowing them to continue to provide for their families.

Effective communication was vital throughout each phase of this project. Keeley needed to be in continuous communication with multiple teams as the engineering, fabrication, and equipment manufacturers for the rock crusher all worked offsite. Despite not being able to work side by side, there were no issues with the rock crusher and the system was operational on schedule. The owner also continued blasting operations throughout the entire process, requiring constant communication to ensure all team members stayed safe, especially when blasting happened several times per week.

The Keeley Industrial team self-performed 36,000 man hours on this project without a recordable incident. Every team member was bought-in to Keeley’s safety culture and processes. Throughout the project, safety lunches were held regularly to encourage team members to utilize safe practices. Keeley’s learning and development program, KeeleyU, partnered with the safety team to hold educational roadshows onsite, as well. These educational opportunities were offered to all team members and covered various safety topics pertaining to the tasks being completed on a daily basis. This project was required to meet all OSHA and MSHA safety standards, so Keeley underwent three MSHA inspections during construction and the team was given only two non-significant violations, even receiving no violations on one MSHA visit.

Keeley’s Quality Management Program is structured to help team members and subcontractors identify the appropriate requirements to ensure compliance and avoid rework. Keeley strives to complete our work correctly the first time by using a four-step quality plan on every project. The first phase includes a design and document review used to confirm the coordination and constructability of the project. The second phase includes a field review of preliminary work to ensure compliance. The third phase includes ongoing reviews of work and completions inspections such as punch lists. The final phase reviews the rectification of any concerns that arise through the Quality process. Click here to learn more about our Quality Program.