It was an exciting time last summer when Seymour, Conn.-based Haynes Materials was approached by Gulick Associates from New Caanan, Conn. — the construction firm in charge of an Extreme Makeover: Home Edition project in Bridgeport, Conn.
Haynes was contracted to contribute the material and labor for the footings and foundation and for the landscaping of the property. Haynes trucks carried more than 400 tons of stone and 130 cubic yards of specialty concrete to Bridgeport to begin creating the infrastructure of the new house.
"Because the house gets built in under 100 hours total, the foundation needed to be poured in a special way that the house could be built on in less than 10 hours," Patrick Haynes said. "Because of the scope of the project and how fast the project needed to be completed, they needed somebody to supply all of the landscaping materials and all of the stone for underneath the foundation and all of the drainage in the yard."
Haynes was able to mix the concrete and get it poured in just nine hours — a job that usually takes a week. A challenge for Haynes was to compose the right mixture of concrete that would dry and harden in a fraction of the time it typically takes a foundation to be secured. Because concrete is made up of stone, sand, water and cement, and continues to harden over time, Haynes was able to create a concrete mixture using an accelerant that would ensure that the foundation and footings would bear the weight of the home forever.
Other donated materials included topsoil, pavers, mulch, shrubs, plants, a fountain, and a gazebo. Haynes also offered his trucks to haul other materials to the site. About 40 Haynes employees — all volunteers — participated on the project.
