When Kitchell’s Phoenix Children’s Hospital team poured concrete on metal decks at the new patient tower, they weren’t just looking to finish a job, but rather, to finish a job that might be noticed around the world, and the world took note.

At the recent World of Concrete conference in Las Vegas, Kitchell received a Golden Trowel award, the most prestigious and sought-after award in the concrete flooring industry, given out each year to recognize contractors for the placement of the flattest and most level concrete floor slabs in the world.

“In early 2009, a group of us set a goal to win a Golden Trowel for the concrete slab on metal decks at the PCH – New Patient Tower,” said Kitchell Senior Project Manager Andy Kromann. “Winning this award is a testament to the value of pre-planning and collaboration between multiple parties from the office and in the field to achieve a successful and quality result.”

Now in its third decade, Golden Trowels are coveted by those in the business, and winning entries are widely admired. Eldon Tripping, one of the world’s foremost experts on elevated slabs, reviewed the data from Phoenix Children’s Hospital’s winning entry and noted “They are the most level suspended slabs I’ve seen on one project.”

Kitchell’s win was in the category of Elevation Tolerance – Random Traffic. This means that the surface of the slab fits within a very narrow horizontal envelope and that points on the slab surface were very close (+/-) to a specified elevation. To be specific, 95 percent of a total of 22,446 elevation points sampled were within plus or minus 3/8 inches of the elevation specified. This is a specification requirement that is not seen on very many projects and provides for an even greater degree of accuracy in the placing and finishing of the concrete.