In "The Edge of Risk: Navigating the Evolution of a Captive Insurance Program in Construction," Webcor's own senior director of Insurance & Risk Management, Andy Stoelting, shares the history of Paramount’s development as a Hawaii-domiciled captive i
Paramount Insurance is at it again, this time as the featured content in the monthly podcast sponsored by the International Risk Management Institute (IRMI), a primary source for insurance information in the U.S. and other off-shore captive domiciles.
In "The Edge of Risk: Navigating the Evolution of a Captive Insurance Program in Construction," Webcor's own senior director of Insurance & Risk Management, Andy Stoelting, shares the history of Paramount’s development as a Hawaii-domiciled captive insurance company and its transformation from a single-parent captive to a sponsored captive with a protected cell.
“The podcast was a real ‘rip and read’ with off-the-cuff answers to a handful of planted questions,” says Andy.
The appearance resulted from a conversation with the podcast host, an IRMI executive, at an event Andy attended based on his IRMI volunteer activities.
Check out the half-hour podcast episode here.
(Note: The image was created with the generative AI graphics tool Midjourney.)
Webcor Concrete is taking bold steps to reduce the carbon footprint of its projects by experimenting with innovative, low-carbon concrete alternatives to traditional Portland Cement, a significant contributor to global carbon emissions.
Webcor Concrete is taking bold steps to reduce the carbon footprint of its projects by experimenting with innovative, low-carbon concrete alternatives to traditional Portland Cement, a significant contributor to global carbon emissions.
Traditional Portland Cement accounts for approximately 8 percent of global CO₂ emissions due to the chemical processes and high heat required in production. As part of Webcor's decarbonization initiative, Webcor Concrete has been actively testing novel materials that could dramatically reduce this environmental impact while maintaining structural integrity and workability.
The Webcor Concrete team recently reached a significant milestone at the UC Berkeley Student Housing #2, successfully pouring nine cubic yards of innovative C-Crete material through a 47-meter pump for a mud slab application.
C-Crete is a groundbreaking technology that uses zero Portland Cement. Instead, it employs a geopolymer process that works with different ores and blast furnace slag.
Christophe Allard-Moreau, project manager for Webcor Concrete, explains: "C-Crete is a sustainable concrete option that uses zero Portland Cement and even captures carbon dioxide during its curing process, helping to reduce the carbon footprint of construction."
According to Eric Peterson, Director of Webcor Concrete, "C-Crete was founded by Dr. Rouzbeh Savary based on his PhD work at MIT. What interests me about his company is that it won't depend on slag, which has a limited supply, once it can scale operations. He's already proven in lab settings the ability to use other calcium silicate ores."
While the initial pour experienced slower setting times than anticipated due to an abundance of caution with hydration stabilizers, the experiment provides valuable insights for future applications. The concrete achieves strengths over 5,000 psi, demonstrating its potential as a viable alternative for many applications.
David Bischoff, senior project manager for Webcor Concrete, oversaw another experimental concrete pour at UC Berkeley's Substation 8 project. This pour used Fortera, another cement substitute under development. The project team, including Superintendent Barret Neumayr and Project Engineer Nickolas Borov, spearheaded this effort. The team is planning another placement of the Fortera mix in the first two weeks of April.
Currently, Fortera functions primarily as a powdered limestone filler, and work is ongoing to develop more reactive properties. According to testing conducted by Vulcan Materials Company, optimized performance occurs at 12 percent Portland Cement replacement, resulting in higher early-age strength, lower shrinkage, and equivalent set times in standard low-carbon mixes.
Eric Peterson emphasizes the importance of field testing: "It's important to understand that Fortera is still in its early stages. Currently, it's functioning primarily as a powdered limestone filler with very little reactivity. While their testing shows promising results at 12-percent replacement levels, we're participating in these field tests because companies developing new materials must get real-world feedback. This collaboration helps advance the technology and gives Webcor firsthand knowledge of which sustainable materials are ready for specific applications and when they might be viable for general use."
In Southern California, the Webcor Concrete team has successfully trialed Limestone Calcined Clay Cement (LC3) at its Grandview project, where Webcor Concrete subcontracts for United Builders. LC3 was used for concrete pads and curbs.
Kyle Vasa Bertolucci, Webcor Concrete project director in Southern California, reports that this mix demonstrated a 19-percent lower Global Warming Potential (GWP) than an equivalent Portland mix.
"Feedback was pretty good. It placed fine, finished all right, with a slightly different beige-grey color that the place-and-finish team could identify."
While LC3 is not new globally—many parts of the world already use it—it represents a new entry into the California market. The trial was conducted in partnership with National Concrete, our ready-mix supplier.
"Ultimately, our real goal is to further testing and validation that it's a durable mix and convince suppliers like National to dedicate silo space to lower GWP cements," Bertolucci explains. "This was only a 4,000 psi mix—we're still working on seeing how it performs with higher-strength applications of 8,000-10,000 psi."
These trials represent Webcor's commitment to environmental responsibility and innovation in construction. By actively testing emerging low-carbon technologies, we position ourselves at the forefront of sustainable building practices while gathering critical data that will inform future projects and aid in developing these essential alternatives.
The Low Carbon Concrete Working Group established by Owen Brizgys is a critical part of this effort. This group is instrumental in providing insights for new and potential projects and ensures Webcor remains updated on emerging sustainable solutions.
As one of our decarbonization working group's primary goals, these experiments with novel materials help us determine what can be safely incorporated into projects with stretch goals for low carbon footprints. Through continued testing and partnership with suppliers and technology developers, Webcor continues to lead the industry toward a more sustainable future.
When in-person events re-emerged in 2022, Safety Director Mario Rodriguez jumped right back into joining as many construction safety conferences as he could.
When in-person events re-emerged in 2022, Safety Director Mario Rodriguez jumped right back into joining as many construction safety conferences as he could. Among other things, COVID had thrown a major wrench in industry events—his primary method of benchmarking Webcor’s safety program, culture, and best practices. He was ready to dive back into the world of safety roundtables and seminars and see how Webcor stacked up to its competitors.
With each event he attended, it became increasingly clear that he didn’t need to worry about Webcor falling behind. In fact, Webcor’s safety concepts and practices—particularly our safety culture, in-house trainings, and technology (Webcor SAFE)— easily surpassed those of other general contractors.
It got him thinking—why don’t we tout Webcor’s best-in-class safety program the way we do our building practices?
“We talk a lot about Webcor’s innovations as a builder—our three-day concrete floor cycle, design-build expertise, growing mass timber experience, and One Webcor approach,” Mario says. “One of my goals these last couple years has been to similarly position Webcor’s safety program as a model for the industry. We’re always seeking and pushing the envelope when it comes to building and performing safely.”
To better amplify Webcor’s safety program and accomplishments, Mario and Dept. Support Manager Emily Schmitt submitted Webcor’s phenomenal safety professionals and safety record for a dozen industry awards last year, nearly half of which they won.
“All of our team members perform at a top-tier level, so choosing just a few people and projects to nominate is always difficult,” Mario says. “I’m so proud of everyone on our team for embracing our safety program and Speaking Up for Safety every single day.”
Webcor and Webcor Craft each won the Safety Excellence Award based on their outstanding safety statistics.
Safety Managers Mario Saenz and Kendall Cantave and Safety Coordinator Ty’Asia Reynolds were each honored for their transformative impact on field teams’ safety culture. Their commitment to active caring has ignited genuine connections with field professionals, empowering them to Speak Up for Safety no matter the circumstances and consistently prioritize safe building practices and psychological safety.
The MWH/Webcor safety team at the Biosolids Digester Facilities Project (BDFP) won this award based on their excellent safety record: zero fatalities in 2023 and a lost workday case incident rate equal to or less than 50 percent of the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) rating for their reported North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code in 2023.
“It’s a tremendous honor to have our efforts acknowledged by a nationally respected organization like NSC,” says MWH Health & Safety Manager Jorge Torres. “It’s something tangible that will keep us striving to do even better, be better, and reach for excellence each year—when we describe our safety culture at orientations, we can point to the award and explain how everyone’s efforts contributed to it. Together, we can achieve great things when we care for one another and look out for the next person.”
Although we didn’t win first place, Webcor placed in the top three general contractors for this AGC of California award honoring GCs across the state with outstanding safety programs.
“This prestigious award was a huge opportunity to get Webcor’s name out there,” Emily says. “Placing in the top three was a major win that proved we go above and beyond typical industry standards to keep our workforce safe.”
San Jose State University (SJSU) was awarded a certificate of recognition for its safety performance at the Spartan Athletics Center (SAC). According to former Webcorian Adam Bird, the SAC was the safest project by incidents per personnel hours worked.
From hosting in-house trainings to fostering a culture of active caring that permeates each job site, Safety team members have gone above and beyond to embed physical/psychological safety in Webcor’s culture:
