Austin, Texas residents are banding together to fight concrete pouring hours on a downtown project. These residents have filed a variety of noise complaints against construction crews who are pouring concrete after 2 AM. The city, after receiving the complaints, put a temporary ban in place forbidding the contractors from pouring concrete after that hour but it expires on March 31, 2015.
Austin already bans concrete from being poured during rush hour and morning hours. However, they’re hesitant to put a ban in place any earlier than 2 AM. Residents are asking them to start the ban at 10 PM but developers are fighting this time frame, because it could put several key projects on delay. Residents and the developers, along with construction crews, are trying to find a compromise that doesn’t cost them more to get a project done and respect the residents that live in the area.
This is a common issue not just in the concrete industry but in all construction fields. Since cities set their own regulations on when construction and noise can take place, it varies across the country. When crews run behind, they do what they can to catch up, and that includes working late into the night and overnight. This can cause all sorts of issues for different projects, especially ones that take place in city limits like a downtown area.
While residents understand the price they pay for living in an area of urban development, construction companies and developers don’t always play by the rules. This is why communities are banding together and trying to work out a compromise before things get ugly. Unfortunately, if developers and construction teams worked with the community from the get go, these problems could often be resolved before they become a problem.
