Concrete Contractors in Bessemer, CO

Bessemer is one of the oldest parts of Pueblo, and much of the work concrete contractors do here is replacement and repair rather than first pours. The town's plat was recorded in 1886, after the Colorado Coal and Iron Company surveyed the land in 1882 to house workers for its ironworks. Bessemer voters approved joining Pueblo in March 1894, and it has been a Pueblo neighborhood ever since.

A neighborhood that filled in early

According to its history, Bessemer's population grew from about 4,000 in 1894 to 15,000 by 1905 as the steel works expanded. Then the building slowed. Only 112 new buildings went up in Bessemer between 1961 and 2010. That tells you most homes here are old, and so is a lot of the concrete around them: front walks, porch steps, alley approaches and single-car driveways that may have been patched by several owners.

Old concrete is not automatically bad. Some of it was poured thick and still holds. But we often find:

• Sidewalk panels lifted or dropped at the joints, creating trip edges.
• Steps with crumbling nosings or a gap where they meet the porch.
• Thin driveway strips that have broken into pieces.
• Patches of newer concrete that never bonded to the old.

Flat ground and where the water goes

Bessemer is almost completely flat, rising only slightly toward the south, with Lake Minnequa sitting in a former depression. Flat lots are easy to form on, but they do not drain on their own. When we replace a walk or driveway, we build in a slight slope, usually about a quarter inch per foot, so water moves off the slab and away from the foundation. On a flat site that small slope makes a big difference in how long the concrete lasts, especially with Colorado clays that the state geological survey says can swell when they get wet.

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Repair or replace?

Our first question on any Bessemer job is whether the problem is the concrete or what is under it. A crack with both sides level can usually be cleaned and sealed. A panel that has sunk or tilted means the base has moved, and a patch on top will not stay. In that case we remove the section, rebuild and compact the base, and pour new concrete with dowels or a clean joint so it moves with the slab next to it.

For steps, we often recommend full replacement of the step unit, because skim coats on worn steps tend to delaminate after a few winters.

Alley access and narrow lots

Where a Bessemer lot has alley access, the garage or parking pad often opens onto the alley rather than the street. Alley approaches take a beating from trash trucks and turning cars. We pour these thicker at the entry, with a clean joint where the approach meets the alley surface, so the heavy edge does not crack back into your slab.

Making an older lot work better

Sidewalks and walkways are the most common request: front walks, side paths to the alley and walkways to a detached garage.

Driveways and parking pads off the alley or street, often widened to fit two cars.

Backyard patios to replace dirt or broken pavers, sometimes stamped to look like stone.

Garage and shed slabs where an old floor has cracked and settled.

If the work reaches the public sidewalk or curb, we check with the City of Pueblo about permit requirements first.