Project Delivery – Civil + Structural Engineer magazine

Ware Malcomb Announces Construction is Complete on The Perry Multifamily Development in Norcross GA

Bree Sikes — Tue, 14 Nov 2023 16:00:00 +0000

ATLANTA – Ware Malcomb, an award-winning international design firm, today announced that construction is complete on The Perry, a new multifamily development located at the intersection of Jimmy Carter and Peachtree Industrial boulevards in Norcross, GA. Ware Malcomb provided interior architecture and design services for the amenity spaces in the 160-unit community.

The new development is located at the gateway to several of metro Atlanta’s thriving submarkets near historic downtown Norcross and is part of a larger redevelopment weaving together offices, shopping, restaurants and apartments. The garden-style, gated property is a project by FIDES Development, an Atlanta-based firm founded in 2020 by industry veterans who bring together more than $5 billion in real estate development and investment experience.

“Our team relished the opportunity to apply our expertise in multifamily design in partnership with FIDES to achieve an innovative communal setting,” said Joe Stryker, Regional Director, Ware Malcomb. “The resident amenities will make a significant impact on the community lifestyle, especially considering the ongoing trend of work-from-home.”

Community amenities at The Perry include a hospitality zone and lounge for hosting guests at the intersection of the entrance with the pool and lobby, featuring custom specialty millwork and equipped with TV’s, sofas and games. Other amenity spaces include a bike room, coworking space, office work rooms, a mail room, pet spa area and a gym.

“Our core design concepts included nature, livability, durability and softness,” said Jamie Case, Director, Interior Architecture & Design for Ware Malcomb’s Atlanta office.

“We developed unique wall coverings with an inviting watercolor look to promote residents’ connection to nature,” said Kourtney Pennycook, Senior Project Manager for Ware Malcomb. “The artwork and photography throughout the public spaces were sourced from local artists bringing a historical and community-focused vibe to the property.”

The team also selected finishes in the units including carpet, counters, cabinet color, and luxury vinyl tile.

Ware Malcomb provides high quality and innovative planning and design services for multifamily, mixed-use and residential developments across the Americas. The communities are designed to meet consumer demand and local market trends. Their vast firm resources coupled with local knowledge and efficient project delivery methods enable them to help their clients develop and construct high quality living environments that maximize long term real estate value. From new developments to conversions, renovations and rebranding projects, their full service multidisciplinary approach creates long-lasting communities.

General contracting services for the project were provided by Fortune-Johnson.

About Ware Malcomb (waremalcomb.com)

Established in 1972, Ware Malcomb is a contemporary and expanding full-service design firm providing professional architecture, planning, interior design, civil engineering, branding and building measurement services to corporate, commercial/residential developer and public/institutional clients throughout the world. With office locations throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico and Brazil, the firm specializes in the design of commercial office, corporate, industrial, science & technology, healthcare, retail, auto, public/institutional facilities and renovation projects. Ware Malcomb is recognized as an Inc. 5000 “Fastest Growing Private Company” and a “Hot Firm” by Zweig Group. The firm is also ranked among the top 30 architecture/engineering firms in Engineering News-Record’s “Top 500 Design Firms” and the top 30 interior design firms in Interior Design magazine’s “Top 100 Giants.” For more information, visit and view Ware Malcomb’s Ware Malcomb’s website at http://www.waremalcomb.com/news/ and brand video at https://www.youtube.com/waremalcomb.

Ware Malcomb Announces Construction is Complete on 4 & 6 Campus Drive at the Arbors at Parsippany Campus

C+S — Fri, 03 Nov 2023 15:00:00 +0000

NEWARK, N.J. – Ware Malcomb, an award-winning international design firm, today announced that construction is complete on 4 and 6 Campus Drive, two of the Class-A office properties within the five-building Arbors at Parsippany in Morris County, NJ. Ware Malcomb provided architecture, interior architecture and design and branding services for the buildings, encompassing 14,629 and 19,253 square feet, respectively.

Situated on a picturesque 60-acre property, The Arbors at Parsippany is surrounded by trees, nature and walking trails, while offering building tenants an extensive list of curated amenities. Ware Malcomb developed the overall campus plan for the site, which is owned by Onyx Equities, a leading New Jersey-based real estate investment and services firm specializing in acquiring and managing commercial properties.

“The spaces offer a blend of amenities, nature-inspired design and functionality,” said Marlyn Zucosky, Regional Director for Ware Malcomb. “Tenants of these buildings will be able to provide a Class-A work environment to employees.”

The enhanced modern campus concept draws in nature and creates a fresh new look for the lobby areas, corridors, conference center, and café. Since the two buildings are mirror images of each other, the focus was creating a holistic design language that carries seamlessly across the two buildings. The team incorporated feature walls with wood paneling and preserved plant variations that visually align, accentuating the buildings’ placement and architecture and allowing them to blend further into one another, capturing a shared outdoor courtyard and reflecting pool.

The first and second floor lobby areas, including the elevators, purposely infuse hospitality elements that encourage interaction and create a special arrival experience with soft seating affording unique vistas of the campus. Upgrades to the ceiling and flooring design exemplify physical connection and highlight natural materials.

The updated amenity list includes a conference center that can be utilized by tenants throughout the campus. The Ware Malcomb team enhanced the conference center design with a training area, private phone rooms, movable and acoustical wall panels, up-to-date AV and technology features, as well as movable furniture to allow the space to work for any intended use.

Renovations to the original cafeteria and eating space were designed with a modern garden-hall feel in mind. Exposure to natural daylighting and variety of seating options gives tenants freedom to use the space as intended; a place to eat, as well as a new place to meet.

Ware Malcomb’s in-house Branding Studio developed a comprehensive exterior and interior signage program for the entire five-building campus to create campus connectivity and support wayfinding. Campus entry monument signs were repurposed to feature a refreshed property brand and establish the nature-inspired visual identity that is woven into the architecture and interior improvements. New campus directionals, building identification, and interior signage are strategically located and designed to feature tenants and highlight campus amenities to activate the campus and complete the experience.

Ware Malcomb’s Interior Architecture & Design Studio creates design solutions to transform interior environments into market relevant, contemporary spaces. Ware Malcomb has completed more than 74 million square feet of office space as landlord architect across North America.

About Ware Malcomb (waremalcomb.com)

Established in 1972, Ware Malcomb is a contemporary and expanding full-service design firm providing professional architecture, planning, interior design, civil engineering, branding and building measurement services to corporate, commercial/residential developer and public/institutional clients throughout the world. With office locations throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico and Brazil, the firm specializes in the design of office, industrial, science & technology, healthcare, multifamily, retail, and public/institutional projects. Ware Malcomb is recognized as an Inc. 5000 fastest-growing private company and a Hot Firm by Zweig Group. The firm is also ranked among the top 15 architecture/engineering firms in Engineering News-Record’s Top 500 Design Firms and the top 25 interior design firms in Interior Design magazine’s Top 100 Giants. For more information, visit waremalcomb.com.

HDR-Designed BRT Project Opens in Vancouver, Washington

C+S — Wed, 11 Oct 2023 14:00:00 +0000

The Clark County Public Transit Benefit Area Authority has officially opened The Vine on Mill Plain, a bus rapid transit line in the Vancouver, Washington, area that was designed by an HDR-led team.

In a Sept. 30 grand opening event sponsored in part by HDR, the community celebrated the opening of its second BRT line. Service began Oct. 1.

The Mill Plain BRT Project is a $50 million project that runs approximately 10 miles along Mill Plain Boulevard between historic downtown Vancouver and the growing Columbia Tech Center in East Vancouver.

HDR has been with C-TRAN every step of the way, from planning through final design, helping C-TRAN to secure Federal Transit Administration Capital Investment Grant funding, and continuing into construction and implementation support.

“It is gratifying to see this project come to life,” said Tom Shook, HDR’s Oregon business development leader, who also led HDR’s design services on the project. “Through our design, we worked to ensure that the project served riders’ needs while staying on budget — and opening early.”

HDR has led many BRT planning, design and implementation projects across the U.S. and beyond. The firm has contributed to South Carolina’s first BRT system, an expansion of the successful Twin Cities BRT, and Albuquerque’s first urban transit system to use a dedicated guideway.

HDR’s experts have a thorough understanding of rapid transit system requirements, operations and administration; in-depth experience with transportation facility and corridor functional definition, site assessment and preliminary design; and a strong background in understanding the impact of transit initiatives on the customer.

About HDR
For over a century, HDR has partnered with clients to shape communities and push the boundaries of what’s possible. Our expertise spans more than 12,000 employees in more than 200 locations around the world — and counting. Our engineering, architecture, environmental and construction services bring an impressive breadth of knowledge to every project. Our optimistic approach to finding innovative solutions defined our past and drives our future.

AREMA Honors Merchants Bridge With Hay Award

C+S — Tue, 10 Oct 2023 18:00:00 +0000

KANSAS CITY, Missouri — The American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association (AREMA) Board and the Dr. William W. Hay Award for Excellence Review Committee have selected the replacement of the Merchants Bridge over the Mississippi River in St. Louis as the winner of the 2023 Dr. William W. Hay Award for Excellence (Hay Award). This award honors innovative railway engineering procedures, projects and products and the individuals who have created and successfully applied them to the railroad industry.

The recently completed Merchants Bridge rebuild serves as a showcase of tightly orchestrated engineering and construction planning to replace the double-track bridge, which was built in 1889. Its three main truss spans of 520 feet each needed replacement, and the unreinforced masonry piers did not provide adequate resistance to vessel impact or seismic loading.

“Years of heavy use had caused serious structural degradation that limited crossings,” says Kevin Eisenbeis, project structural engineer at Burns & McDonnell. “The bridge has now gained decades of service life and is projected to boost the local economy by hundreds of millions of dollars thanks to this rebuild project.”

Burns & McDonnell provided preliminary and final truss design, river pier foundation design, seismic analysis and environmental services for the Merchants Bridge replacement as a subconsultant to Transystems for the owner of the bridge, the Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis. The engineering solution included stabilizing the existing foundations with micropiles and encasing the footings and original masonry piers with concrete. The new truss span design incorporated a ballasted deck system providing an improvement to the original open-deck, rail-on-tie configuration. In addition, the track centers on the new bridge deck were widened from 12 to 15 feet, providing more operational flexibility and improved safety.

The construction plan for the three main truss spans involved a combination of existing span float-out and new span float-in on barges, plus vertical strand jack lifts combined with lateral slide operations using an overhead gantry system. The three new Warren-type truss spans were individually assembled on barges located along the riverbank. Once a truss span was fully assembled and ready for placement, the contractor Walsh Construction had 10 days to remove an old span and replace it with a new one. The sequence began with a 24-hour river traffic closure. During this nearly round-the-clock operation, empty barges were moved into place in the span between the gantry cranes to receive the existing truss span, which was lifted, slid over and then lowered to the awaiting barges below. The sequence was then reversed during a second 24-hour river traffic closure to float-in, lift and slide the new span into position.

The Hay Award adds to a growing list of industry honors for the project, which includes the following:

American Council of Engineering Companies of Missouri (ACECMo) Grand Conceptor
ENR Midwest Regional Best Project
Railway Track & Structures Top Project
Supply & Demand Chain Executive Top Supply Chain Project

The variety of awards reflects the complexity of this project, which required significant coordination to minimize disruptions to rail and river traffic during the three-plus years of construction. Within a few months of the bridge’s completion, an average of 70 trains were crossing the bridge each day, resulting in a 49% increase in rail tonnage to the five Class I railroads that use the bridge.

About Burns & McDonnell

Burns & McDonnell brings together an unmatched team of 13,500 engineers, construction and craft professionals, architects, and more to design and build our critical infrastructure. With an integrated construction and design mindset, we offer full-service capabilities. Founded in 1898 and working from 70 offices globally, Burns & McDonnell is 100% employee-owned. Learn how we are designed to build.

New State-Of-The-Art Patient Building Opens at Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana Medical Center

C+S — Mon, 09 Oct 2023 22:00:00 +0000

Tarzana, CA ― Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana Medical Center has opened its new patient tower, the centerpiece of an extensive and ongoing hospital expansion and modernization plan.

Named for the Donald Friese family in recognition of their $50 million donation to the building’s construction, the five-story 200,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art Friese Family Tower welcomed its first patients on Sunday, Oct. 1, 2023.

“The Friese Family Tower marks the beginning of a new era of health care in the San Fernando Valley,” said Nick Lymberopoulos, chief executive at Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana Medical Center. “When we began construction on this building six years ago, we said we wanted to create a modern, full-service health care campus that could offer Valley residents incredible care incredibly close to home. Today, this vision has become a reality. We are grateful to the team at Cedars-Sinai, our physicians, caregivers, donors, partners, and the community for their collaboration in building this new facility that will help transform the delivery of health care in this region.”

The Friese Family Tower is a keystone of the 50-year-old hospital’s Tarzana Reimagined expansion and renovation project. The new building features 150 spacious, private patient rooms; a new, expanded emergency department that doubles the capacity of the hospital’s former emergency department; a new pharmacy with a pneumatic tubing system; a pediatric unit with a playroom for younger patients and dedicated room for adolescent patients; a cardiovascular unit; and a critical care unit. New technology, including a 512-slice CT scanner, will advance patient care and expand access to the latest diagnostics and treatment.

Created with patient and family needs in mind, the Friese Family Tower also has visitor waiting rooms on all levels and recliners and sleeper sofas in all patient rooms to help families stay close to their loved ones receiving care.

“We are delighted to welcome the community to the Friese Family Tower,” said Thomas M. Priselac, president and CEO of Cedars-Sinai Health System. “Cedars-Sinai and Providence joined together in a shared vision to ensure easy access to the highest quality care for those who live and work in the Valley. This modern facility reflects our commitment to bringing compassionate care, specialty services and advanced treatments closer to home.”

Designed by Perkins&Will and built by McCarthy Building Companies, Inc.(McCarthy), the Friese Family Tower mixes high-tech infrastructure, privacy, comfort and healing space for patients and their loved ones. The nature-oriented design theme and color scheme of soft cool blues elevates the care experience with healing environments, a contemplative garden and original art from Los Angeles area artists.

“The Friese Family Tower brings nature into the heart of the hospital with natural light and views of the healing garden, guiding the way to the emergency department and the new tower elevators,” said Jean Mah, principal at Perkins&Will. “An abstracted curved petals theme is carried throughout the hospital, evoking nature and healing.”

Built to withstand an 8.7 earthquake, the Friese Family Tower is designed to match Silver LEED energy efficiency certification. Its construction required the time and talents of diverse local and national experts including geotechnical professionals, an arborist and an archeologist, as well as a paleontologist and members of local Native American tribes who were called in to assist when historic artifacts were found during the site’s excavation.

“The McCarthy Building Companies team is proud to be part of the Tarzana Reimagined project,” said Erik Chessmore, vice president, operations at McCarthy. “The Friese Family Tower represents a dramatic shift in the health care landscape of our community and serves the catalyst for a brighter future for generations to come.”

Providence and Cedars-Sinai continue to work to raise the bar on clinical excellence and enhance local programs in important areas, including women’s and children’s care, robotic surgery, heart and vascular care, neurosciences, surgical oncology and emergency care. There is much more ahead for Tarzana Reimagined as well, including breaking ground in 2024 on a hybrid surgical suite and an advanced diagnostic and treatment center on the hospital grounds.

Tarzana Hospital opened in 1973, built by the community, which over the decades has continued to support to help continuously advance care.

“We are forever grateful to the Friese family and honored they chose to invest in our community through Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana Medical Center,” said Matthew Rinnert, the hospital foundation’s chief philanthropy officer. “We’re also filled with profound gratitude for 50 years of support from countless donors in our community who have been instrumental in supporting us as we continuously improve upon the care we provide.”

Clear Lake Completes Phases 1-5 of Exploration Green

C+S — Fri, 29 Sep 2023 18:00:00 +0000

Houston, Texas — Clear Lake City Water Authority (CLCWA) has completed all five phases of Exploration Green, a massive 178-acre flood control project in southeast Houston. CLCWA and Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam Inc., (LAN) will celebrate the completion of this monumental work with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Saturday, September 30, 2023, on the project grounds at the intersection of Reseda Drive and Diana Lane.

Exploration Green, named in honor of the community’s local exploration legacy and its proximity to Johnson Space Center, transformed a former golf course into five massive detention ponds that can each hold 100 million gallons of stormwater (the equivalent of 750 Olympic-sized swimming pools.) In addition, Exploration Green will also serve as a nature park comprising 153 acres of natural habitat with wetlands and native grassland areas, 6 miles of hike-and-bike trails, two athletic fields and other amenities.

“We understand the importance of flood control measures and are dedicated to implementing innovative solutions that will contribute to the long-term resilience and safety of the surrounding communities,” according to Kelly Shipley, P.E., Senior Associate LAN.

Clear Lake City Water Authority (CLCWA), the local provider of water, sewage collection and treatment, and storm drainage services, is spearheading the project. Exploration Green Conservancy, Inc., a non-profit organization, is serving as CLCWA’s partner to develop and preserve the project’s green spaces. Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam, Inc. (LAN), a national planning, engineering and program management firm, is the project’s design engineer.

“Exploration Green has performed as designed and has impressively improved flooding conditions for the surrounding Clear Lake community,” said Jennifer Morrow, CLCWA’s general manager.

Building the detention ponds has turned out to be immensely beneficial to the community. During Hurricane Harvey, although only 80 percent of the Phase 1 pond was excavated at the time of the hurricane, it helped detain 100 million gallons of water, protecting at least 150 homes from flooding. The project also protected the community during Tropical Storms Imelda and Beta. Ultimately, now that all five phases are completed, Exploration Green will protect up to 3,000 homes.

“Exploration Green has transformed Clear Lake from a flood-prone community into one of the most flood-resilient communities in Texas,” said Wayne Swafford, P.E., LAN’s president. “In addition, it is creating a healthy, sustainable neighborhood for its residents.”

Ware Malcomb Announces Construction is Complete on New Chicago Office for Janus Henderson Group; Teams with JLL to Achieve LEED Platinum Certification

C+S — Fri, 22 Sep 2023 16:00:00 +0000

CHICAGO – Ware Malcomb, an award-winning international design firm, today announced that construction is complete on a new Chicago office for Janus Henderson Investors, located inside 71 South Wacker Drive, a 48-story high-rise in the heart of the Loop.

Ware Malcomb provided interior architecture and design services for the project. In partnership with JLL, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certification was achieved for the 7,500 square-foot project. Project management and LEED documentation services were provided by JLL. Janus Henderson is a leading global active asset manager with more than 2,000 employees, and offices in 24 cities worldwide. Headquartered in London, the company is listed on the NYSE and the ASX.

Robert Buyle Photography and JC Anderson

“Our team truly delivered a project that represents the Janus Henderson brand and achieved the highest industry standards for sustainable design,” said Mark Schwamel AIA, Director, Interior Architecture & Design, Ware Malcomb. “JLL’s team was exceptional at developing and managing the project; the teamwork made everything on our end seamless.”

The design complements Janus Henderson’s hybrid workforce, with meeting and small break-out spaces, a welcoming reception space, and an open work café and large lounge spaces that promote collaboration within the office. Sustainable and eco-friendly systems and materials are incorporated throughout the office, and they combine to achieve improved occupant comfort and wellness, energy savings and a real, measurable ROI for the client. The office provides 19% energy efficiency savings compared to conventional design. In addition, it allows for 28% water savings by using low-flow plumbing fixtures and 69% of construction waste was diverted from the landfill.

Robert Buyle Photography and JC Anderson

LEED Platinum is the highest level of certification established by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). Projects awarded this level of achievement have integrated rigorous, innovative strategies relative to energy and water efficiency, high indoor environmental and air quality, minimized waste production, environmentally friendly and healthy materials, and more.

General contracting services for the project were provided by J.C. Anderson.

Ware Malcomb’s Interior Architecture & Design Studio creates design solutions to transform interior environments into market relevant, contemporary spaces.

About Ware Malcomb (waremalcomb.com)

Established in 1972, Ware Malcomb is a contemporary and expanding full-service design firm providing professional architecture, planning, interior design, civil engineering, branding and building measurement services to corporate, commercial/residential developer and public/institutional clients throughout the world. With office locations throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico and Brazil, the firm specializes in the design of commercial office, corporate, industrial, science & technology, healthcare, retail, auto, public/institutional facilities and renovation projects. Ware Malcomb is recognized as an Inc. 5000 “Fastest Growing Private Company” and a “Hot Firm” by Zweig Group. The firm is also ranked among the top 30 architecture/engineering firms in Engineering News-Record’s “Top 500 Design Firms” and the top 30 interior design firms in Interior Design magazine’s “Top 100 Giants.” For more information, visit and view Ware Malcomb’s website at http://www.waremalcomb.com/news/ and brand video at https://www.youtube.com/waremalcomb.

NEWLY RELOCATED UNIVERSITY OF BRISTOL DENTAL SCHOOL COMPLETES

C+S — Wed, 20 Sep 2023 22:00:00 +0000

The University of Bristol’s new purpose-designed Dental School has been officially opened by Bristol West MP and Shadow Culture Minister, Thangam Debbonaire.

Global multidisciplinary design practice BDP supported the University of Bristol with a feasibility study to identify a suitable new site for the Dental School and designed the chosen scheme, with contractor, Kier Construction, delivering it.

The £36 million Dental School, which was previously based at Bristol Dental Hospital, has now moved to 1 Trinity Quay, a former office building in the heart of Bristol, enabling the University to increase student places by around 25 percent.

Sustainability is at the heart of the Dental School project. The University prioritised the re-use and retrofit of this existing building over new build, reducing the upfront carbon impact of construction. Traditional, open plan office space with rows of workstations have been transformed into a state-of-the-art teaching and training facility for use by the students, staff and community, who will have access to the free treatment services.

The design features a unique octagonal shaped space, home to a series of dental treatment bays and teaching spaces, with amazing views out onto the surrounding waterfront. Parts of the school are open beyond normal working hours to provide the opportunity for extended time for learning and collaboration. Meanwhile, specially designed rooms for neurodivergent students offer a secluded, soundproofed space for quiet study.

The University is also encouraging green and active travel options to and from the building, including cycling, walking and use of public transport, with accessible parking spaces. Around 50 basement car parking spaces have been replaced with 200 secure cycle spaces for students and staff in the basement, with shower and changing facilities provided at first floor level to promote more sustainable transport options.

Many of the carpet, ceiling tiles and raised access floors have been reused as part of the design approach.

Akshay Khera, architecture director at BDP, said: “This significant project for the University of Bristol is now ready to welcome students, providing a state-of-the-art teaching space within an existing building.

“Not only is the sensitive reuse of an existing space beneficial from a sustainability perspective, but it also provides a unique design opportunity as we were able to draw on quirky features of interest whilst injecting a modern and fresh take.

“The redevelopment also introduces a new lease of life and vibrant university function to this prominent building, bringing activity to this important of part of the city centre throughout the day and evening.”

Architects and interior designers from BDP worked as part of a multidisciplinary team including building services engineers and structural and civil engineers appointed by the University of Bristol.

Ware Malcomb Announces Construction is Complete on Lessen HQ in Scottsdale

C+S — Tue, 19 Sep 2023 20:00:00 +0000

PHOENIX – Ware Malcomb, an award-winning international design firm, today announced that construction is complete on the new downtown Scottsdale headquarters for proptech innovator Lessen, located at 4800 N Scottsdale Rd. Ware Malcomb provided interior architecture and design services for the 25,000 square foot tenant improvement project.

Lessen is a premier provider of tech-enabled, end-to-end renovation, turn, and maintenance services for the single-family and multifamily rental industries. Powered by a proprietary technology suite, Lessen’s local field project managers deploy and oversee a network of vetted service professionals in 40+ markets delivering consistency, quality and speed, at scale.

“Lessen wanted a large space that would be attractive to teammates as they return to an office environment,” said Lynne Orlowski, Director, Interior Architecture & Design for Ware Malcomb. “This office reflects energy, fun and collaboration and exemplifies Lessen’s brand.”

Lessen’s suite is comprised of two half floors joined by an existing interior staircase within Portales Corporate Center, a Class-A office property. Ware Malcomb’s design team created an attention-grabbing space, incorporating Lessen’s brand color scheme to create a spirited interior. The staircase leading down from the main floor to the secondary floor was refurbished and cladded in steel. The project features a speakeasy-style executive lounge area, an inviting bookshelf-lined library space, and a coffee bar. The design incorporates both open as well as enclosed offices, collaboration spaces, a training room, small huddle and phone rooms, and two break rooms.

Specific focus was placed upon the concept of biophilia in the design, as the team incorporated fixed planters in strategic areas around the office. Teknion glass fronts were specified on all the offices, while accent lighting is used throughout.

General contracting services for the project were performed by Stevens Leinweber Construction Inc.

Ware Malcomb’s Interior Architecture & Design Studio creates design solutions to transform interior environments into market relevant, contemporary spaces.

About Ware Malcomb (waremalcomb.com)

Established in 1972, Ware Malcomb is a contemporary and expanding full-service design firm providing professional architecture, planning, interior design, civil engineering, branding and building measurement services to corporate, commercial/residential developer and public/institutional clients throughout the world. With office locations throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico and Brazil, the firm specializes in the design of commercial office, corporate, industrial, science & technology, healthcare, retail, auto, public/institutional facilities and renovation projects. Ware Malcomb is recognized as an Inc. 5000 “Fastest Growing Private Company” and a “Hot Firm” by Zweig Group. The firm is also ranked among the top 30 architecture/engineering firms in Engineering News-Record’s “Top 500 Design Firms” and the top 30 interior design firms in Interior Design magazine’s “Top 100 Giants.” For more information, visit and view Ware Malcomb’s website at http://www.waremalcomb.com/news/ and brand video at https://www.youtube.com/waremalcomb.

Four Detour Bridges from Acrow Installed to Maintain Traffic During I-94 Modernization Project in Michigan

C+S — Tue, 19 Sep 2023 18:00:00 +0000

PARSIPPANY, N.J. (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Acrow, a leading international bridge engineering and supply company, announced today it has designed and supplied four modular steel bridges to carry traffic during major highway construction in Michigan. Acrow’s structures were installed in Battle Creek to minimize inconvenience to travelers during the $160 million, multiyear I-94 Modernization Project, which will replace or repair 17 bridges and resurface 10 miles of the interstate. Because of extremely heavy commuter and commercial traffic on the route, safe, reliable temporary bridges were considered essential to the success of the project.

The project was bid as a joint venture and awarded to Anlaan Corporation and C.A. Hull. Acrow provided two bridges to each of the partners. All four were designed to AASHTO HL-93 loading and all have an asphalt deck surface. The bridges rented to Anlaan measure 230 feet (70.1 m) and 150 feet (45.7 m) in length. The roadway width for the longer two-lane bridge is 30 feet (9.15 m); the shorter bridge is 18 feet (5.49 m) wide. The longer bridge was installed with a full cantilever launch and the other, a crane-assisted launch. Opened in June 2023, it is expected they will be in place until March 2024.

The bridges rented to C.A. Hull are 190 feet (57.9 m) and 150 feet (45.7 m) long. Each has a roadway width of 18 feet (5.49 m). The bridges were installed in the median of I-94 between the existing eastbound and westbound structures, which posed technical challenges, as did the design of earth retention to support the temporary foundations. The structures were opened in June 2023 and are expected to be in place until August 2024.

“Project owners and contractors are increasingly selecting detour bridges over other re-routing methods during construction projects,” said Abbey Smith, Acrow’s Great Lakes Regional Sales Manager. “In addition to making work sites safer, modular detour bridging helps minimize work zone impact on motorists and local businesses and keep projects on or ahead of schedule.”

“In addition to increasing safety and convenience for motorists, these critical infrastructure upgrades are integral to the economic health of the region and play an important role in ensuring our roads and bridges can be rapidly and cost-effectively rehabilitated,” said Mark Joosten, Acrow’s President and COO. “Available for rent or purchase, Acrow’s rugged detour bridges save time and money and enable Accelerated Bridge Construction for priority projects.”

About Acrow
Acrow has been serving the transportation and construction industries for more than 70 years with a wide range of modular steel bridging solutions for permanent, temporary, military and emergency use. Acrow’s extensive international presence includes leadership in the development and implementation of bridge infrastructure projects in over 150 countries across Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe and the Middle East. For more information, please visit www.acrow.com.

WARE MALCOMB ANNOUNCES CONSTRUCTION IS COMPLETE ON INDUSTRIOUS 30 ADELAIDE STREET EAST

C+S — Mon, 11 Sep 2023 14:00:00 +0000

TORONTO – Ware Malcomb, an award-winning international design firm, today announced that construction is complete on Industrious 30 Adelaide St. East, offering dedicated and flexible workspace solutions in the core of Toronto’s financial district. Ware Malcomb provided interior architecture and design services for the 53,632 square-foot project, occupying three floors of an 18-story Class A office building owned by Dream Office REIT.

Photo credit: Philip Castleton

Industrious is a leading workplace provider for companies of all sizes and stages, with a national network of locations in more than 50 cities. Dream is one of Canada’s leading real estate companies, with over $24 billion in assets across North America and Europe.

“30 Adelaide Street East is an understated oasis that members are proud to call their workplace,” said Christina Kolkas, Regional Director for Ware Malcomb. “We collaborated effectively on this project with local Engineering consultants, Quasar and TMP to deliver this project.”

Photo credit: Philip Castleton

Encompassing the 12^th, 14^th and 15^th floors, each level offers members access to customer amenities and conferencing facilities. Spaces for privacy and wellness are strategically located on each floor for customer use. A café lounge with a generous open floor plan on the 12th level and kitchenettes on other floors provide places to relax, unwind and have informal gatherings.

The overall interior spaces reflect the clean, modern and bespoke aesthetics that are hallmarks of the Industrious brand. A muted design palette of white, grays and beige allow accent colors and curated artwork to pop and catch the eye. Natural materials such as woods and stones are balanced with soft fabric wallcoverings and plush carpet flooring. Occasional and built-in booth seating are done in comfortable fabrics and leathers.

General contracting services for the project were provided by Vestacon Limited.

About Ware Malcomb (waremalcomb.com)

Established in 1972, Ware Malcomb is a contemporary and expanding full-service design firm providing professional architecture, planning, interior design, civil engineering, branding and building measurement services to corporate, commercial/residential developer and public/institutional clients throughout the world. With office locations throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico and Brazil, the firm specializes in the design of commercial office, corporate, industrial, science & technology, healthcare, retail, auto, public/institutional facilities and renovation projects. Ware Malcomb is recognized as an Inc. 5000 “Fastest Growing Private Company” and a “Hot Firm” by Zweig Group. The firm is also ranked among the top 30 architecture/engineering firms in Engineering News-Record’s “Top 500 Design Firms” and the top 30 interior design firms in Interior Design magazine’s “Top 100 Giants.” For more information, visit Ware Malcomb’s website at http://www.waremalcomb.com/news/ and brand video at https://www.youtube.com/waremalcomb.

LAND & WATER COMPLETES FIRST EVER DREDGE OF BLENHEIM’S QUEEN POOL IN OVER 100 YEARS

C+S — Mon, 21 Aug 2023 16:00:00 +0000

Land & Water has completed works as part of the largest restoration project that has ever taken place at World Heritage Site, Blenheim Palace.

The leading wet civil engineering firm has dredged 300,000m3 from Queen Pool after 70% of the lake became less than 30cm deep when it should be around two metres. The area is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, which is often relied on for food by a variety of wildlife and so the works undertaken ensured the depth of the lake was increased whilst the eco-system was improved for the local flora and fauna. The dredged material has been relocated to Great Park where a landform has been constructed and trees have been planted to offset the carbon emissions generated.

During the project, Land & Water specifically commissioned several pieces of equipment, which were aptly given names by the public including Clementine and Mallard. Land & Water is well known for its use of long reach excavators, however the team at this project took a different approach and commissioned three semi long reach machines and oversized dredging buckets to enable higher production in the shallower water. A GPS dig system was also used in order to give accurate dig control on the excavator and monitor the working position and progress. As normal, all Land & Water machines have been operated on bio-oil to ensure the environmental safety of the lake.

Charlie Oakes, Project Manager at Land & Water says, “The dredge at Blenheim Palace is one of the most ambitious projects undertaken at the site over the last 300 years and one of the largest ever inland dredging contracts completed in the UK.

“Despite some of the delays caused by the winter weather and archaeological findings of a Saxon mill, we are extremely pleased with how the dredge has gone and to have played our part in such a historic project.

“The methods undertaken were strategically designed to minimise the impact on the Estate as well as the environment and will help ensure that Queen Pool is future proofed to support the rich biodiversity that surrounds the lake as well as mitigating the risk of environmental damage.”

Kelly Whitton, Head of Built Heritage at Blenheim Palace says, “By dredging the lake and returning the profile back to the Capability Brown design, we have saved England’s ‘finest view’.”

“Without these essential works, which form part of our goal to spend over £40m on restoration within 10 years, the Queen Pool would have completely disappeared within 5 years, and we would have lost a critical element of the World Heritage Site, and our SSSI status.”

Over the next year Land & Water will be monitoring the landform in order to establish when it will be reinstated.

M.C. Dean completes Phase 3 expansion at Modular Mission Critical™ campus

C+S — Thu, 17 Aug 2023 17:00:00 +0000

Tysons, Va. – M.C. Dean opened the doors to its newest 168,000-square-foot building on its Modular Mission Critical manufacturing campus in Caroline County, Virginia, during a ribbon cutting ceremony with Governor Glenn Youngkin on Tuesday. With a total campus investment of $83 million to date, this building marks the completion of the company’s five-year $63 million Phase 3 expansion, more than doubling the original commitment to the county and adding more than 500 skilled jobs to the region.

“For nearly 75 years, M.C. Dean has been a steadfast driver of economic development in Virginia,” said Governor Youngkin. “Their continued technical development and expansion in the state mirrors our own commitment to developing rural zones of economic opportunity and the continued growth of our skilled labor force.”

The new facility is located at 12505 Innovation Drive, Ruther Glen, Virginia. The industrial center—known as the Caroline County Center for Innovation and Industry—serves as the home to Modular Mission Critical, M.C. Dean’s manufacturing facility for customizable, fully integrated, tested, and secure modular products for power, communications, security, life safety, mechanical, and automation systems. The expansion increases the company’s manufacturing space to more than 500,000 square feet, enabling increased production capability for customers in the data center, healthcare, manufacturing, transportation, and federal markets.

“Modular delivery is faster, higher quality, and safer, at equal or lower cost,” said Bill Dean, chief executive officer of M.C. Dean. “Our ongoing investment in our Modular Mission Critical manufacturing center enhances our ability to meet increasingly complex client demands while bolstering regional job creation and growth in Virginia’s technology corridor.”

The event also included remarks from Secretary of Commerce and Trade Caren Merrick, and Board of Supervisors Chairman Floyd Thomas, with other regional dignitaries present.

M.C. Dean B-1 Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Video

“M.C. Dean’s expansion in Caroline County has been significant. Our partnership has been extremely productive and the work they deliver is driving innovation in the construction industry at large,” said Floyd Thomas, chairman of the Caroline County Board of Supervisors. “They are now a leading employer in our county, and their presence shows that this area can successfully support high-tech industries and jobs.”

M.C. Dean has made numerous rounds of investment at this location over the past 20 years with the support of Caroline County and the Virginia Economic Development Partnership. Today, the 585-acre site is a cornerstone of the firm’s strategic growth and a model for economic development in partnership with Caroline County. For information on development opportunities within the Caroline County Center for Innovation and Industry, view the Modular Mission Critical CCCII Brochure.

The company is hiring 70 additional employees at the site in the coming months, including facilities maintenance roles, electricians, technicians, security, and production workers. For more information on current job opportunities, visit modularmissioncritical.com/careers.

Final piece of $1.1 billion rebuild of I-75 dedicated

C+S — Tue, 15 Aug 2023 15:00:00 +0000

BOWLING GREEN – A $1.1 billion investment in rebuilding Interstate 75 from Lima to Toledo is wrapping up with the opening of the Michael DiSalle Bridge.

Northbound I-75 traffic will be switched to the new DiSalle Bridge next week, putting the interstate in its final traffic configuration and capping the massive investment project.

“Northwest Ohio is a transportation powerhouse in the state and the main artery is I-75,” said Governor Mike DeWine. “The investment we’ve made here and all along the I-75 corridor, from the Ohio River to the Port of Toledo, is key to Ohio’s local economy and the nation’s economy.”

I-75 is a vital freight route that connects Canada to Miami, Florida. Originally constructed in the 1950s and 1960s, sections of the interstate began reaching capacity in the 1980s. As the infrastructure continued to age, it was clear that additional investment and capacity was needed to keep pace with Ohio’s growing economy.

The first projects began in 2012 and have continued for just over a decade. They include:

Allen County: Reconstruction of just over nine miles of existing pavement on I-75 from Fourth Street to State Route 81, completed in 2016.
Toledo: Rehabilitation of I-75 from I-475 to Dorr Street, completed in 2016.
Hancock and Wood counties: Reconstruction and addition of a third lane of nearly 32 miles of I-75, completed in 2017.

Lucas County: Reconstruction and addition of a third lane on I-75 from Interstate 475 to Interstate 280, completed in 2019.
Hancock County: Reconstruction and addition of a third lane of five miles of I-75, completed in 2020.
Wood and Lucas counties: Reconstruction and addition of a third lane from Wales Road to Dorr Street. The project will complete in fall 2023.

These projects included the reconstruction and redesign of many ramps and bridges; community branding and refreshed entryways into cities and villages throughout the I-75 corridor.

“We extend our appreciation for the patience of the citizens of Ohio who have endured the orange barrels, narrow lanes, slow traffic, dust, and noise of these projects. It is through these inconveniences that we stand here today to celebrate the end result,” said ODOT Director Jack Marchbanks.

Freight traffic on the corridor is expected to increase significantly with the opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge linking Windsor, Ontario and Detroit, Michigan in 2025. Ohio exporters sell more goods to Canada than to our next nine largest foreign markets combined.

“I am proud of the hard work our team at ODOT has put into keeping our transportation network positioned for the future,” said ODOT District 2 Deputy Director Patrick McColley.

“From the designers to the project managers and communications staff, everyone has played a key role in getting us to completion,” said ODOT District 1 Deputy Director Chris Hughes.

Across the state, the I-75 corridor averages more than 68,000 vehicles a day, including 14,400 trucks.

LAND & WATER COMPLETES PROJECT THAT WILL ENHANCE BIODIVERSITY AND FISH MIGRATION AT BISHOP’S HULL GAUGING STATION

C+S — Tue, 08 Aug 2023 19:00:00 +0000

Leading wet civil engineering firm Land & Water, is pleased to announce the successful completion of its transformative project at Bishop’s Hull Gauging Station in Somerset. This project, which commenced in October 2022, aimed to improve the low flow measuring accuracy of the weir, upgrade remote monitoring infrastructure, increase biodiversity, and enhance fish migration in the area.

The project has also created a safe passage for the endangered European eel, enabling them to travel up and over the weir. The development will not only benefit the European eel but also improve the passage for other fish species, such as salmon, trout, and grayling, allowing them to navigate the structure more safely.

The winter months posed unique challenges for the in-channel works, as water levels, weather conditions, and temperatures dictated the pace of the project. However, through continuous monitoring and long-range forecasting, Land & Water successfully mitigated these challenges, ensuring the project’s progress and maintaining efficiency in its scheduling.

Tom Cartmel, Contracts Manager, at Land & Water, said: “We are extremely pleased to have worked on this project alongside the Environment Agency’s Wessex Hydrometry and Telemetry team within the South West as part of our ongoing frameworks contract.

“Although challenges due to weather, ground conditions, and water levels did arise the Land & Water team tackled these with due regard to safety ensuring that quality assurance was met at each key stage of the build.”

Now that the project has been completed, the weir will significantly enhance low-flow measurements, providing crucial data during times of drought. Moreover, the upgraded remote monitoring infrastructure will ensure the river can be effectively and safely monitored during high flows and flood events, effectively future-proofing the site. The project will also have a lasting positive effect on the biodiversity of the River Tone, as it will benefit numerous fish species, creating a more sustainable ecosystem for all.

Land & Water’s dedication to delivering high-quality civil engineering solutions and safeguarding the environment at places where land and water meet has been demonstrated throughout this project.

TREETOP TRAIL RAISES MINNESOTA ZOO TO A NEW LEVEL

C+S — Tue, 08 Aug 2023 13:00:00 +0000

Apple Valley, Minn. — The Minnesota Zoo Treetop Trail, the world’s longest elevated pedestrian loop, is now officially open to the public. The 1.25-mile Treetop Trail takes guests to new heights – up to 32 feet above the ground – as they travel into the trees and gain new perspectives of many Zoo animals, including tigers, moose, bison, and camels. The Treetop Trail will be open year-round for guests to experience Minnesota’s four seasons in all their glory.

Minnesota Lieutenant Governor, Peggy Flanagan, helped kick off the historic grand opening by proclaiming it “Minnesota Zoo Treetop Trail Day” in the state in front of an enthusiastic crowd of nature, animal, and zoo lovers.

“The Minnesota Zoo has always been a special place for our family. By creating new opportunities to get outdoors and encouraging Minnesotans of all ages to take new perspectives, the Treetop Trail is a treasure and a true gift to Minnesotans,” said Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan. “The Treetop Trail takes us one step closer to making Minnesota the best state for kids and families – for generations to come. I’m grateful to everyone who put their time, energy, and care into making this vision a reality.”

In his opening remarks, Minnesota Zoo Director John Frawley proclaimed that the Treetop Trail is a gift for Minnesotans. “The Treetop Trail will provide an accessible and immersive pathway to nature for all ages, abilities, backgrounds, and communities.”

Opening appropriately on World Nature Conservation Day (July 28), the Treetop Trail reaffirms the Minnesota Zoo as a worldwide leader in wildlife conservation and as a trusted nature destination. The Minnesota Zoo opened in 1978 with a mission to connect people, animals, and the natural world to save wildlife.

“For the last 45 years, the Zoo has done a tremendous job connecting people and animals. The Treetop Trail allows us to reimagine the traditional zoo experience and further the connection between people and the natural world,” said Frawley.

The Treetop Trail gives guests year-round access to hundreds of acres of hardwood forest, ponds and marshes, and the diverse wildlife that calls Minnesota home. And, of course, a bird’s eye view for bird watchers. It adds more than 70,000 square feet to the Zoo and includes 22 bump-out overlooks to enhance the viewing experience while walking the trail.

Integrating into the Minnesota Zoo’s original monorail track, which opened in 1979 and was retired in 2013, the Treetop Trail is the ultimate reuse construction project. Planning began in June 2018 and a ceremonial groundbreaking was held in April 2022. “Thanks to the full support from our Boards, legislative and government champions, as well as the philanthropic community, we have secured $39 million in public and private partnership to support our Step Into Nature campaign and this transformational project,” said Frawley.

The Zoo contracted with award-winning Snow Kreilich Architects; engineering firm Buro Happold (known for its work on the High Line in New York City); TEN x TEN Landscape Architecture and Urbanism; and construction partner, PCL. Together, they have been committed to minimizing disruptions to the Zoo’s animals and guests before, during, and after construction of the trail.

McCarthy Completes Pile Drive on Port of Beaumont Main Street Terminal

C+S — Fri, 04 Aug 2023 19:00:00 +0000

McCarthy Building Companies has achieved a major milestone on the Port of Beaumont’s Main Street Terminal 1 project – driving the last concrete pile after a year-long process. The milestone was commemorated with an event on July 13^th attended by officials from the Port of Beaumont, McCarthy employees, and trade partners.

McCarthy’s project scope includes demolition of a collapsed dock structure and construction of a new state-of-the-art general cargo dock with a roll on/roll off terminal. The original dock collapsed in 2012, requiring McCarthy to demolish the entire dock, removing all timber piles and collapsed concrete dock structure that was in water which has zero visibility. McCarthy used an unmanned hydrographic survey vessel to assist in the identification of the underwater dock debris and used divers and cranes to remove all remaining debris.

The new dock is 1,200 feet long and 130 feet wide, with a larger section in the middle measuring 152 feet wide. Its construction consists of 548 concrete piles, cast-in-place concrete caps and beams, pre-case concrete deck panels, and a concrete topping slab. The piles are 30×30 square inches and 90 feet long, with 55 piles measuring 140 feet long. Due to the nature of existing underwater obstructions, multiple piles had to be shifted, requiring probing each time. Piles were driven using a 440 ton crane and barge, D-100 Diesel Hammer, and a 40×40 foot floating steel template. The concrete piles provide a corrosion-resistant foundation for extended resiliency, as well as a final concrete topping slab using synthetic concrete reinforcing fibers. In addition to welded steel wire mesh for added resiliency.

The new fender system includes an energy-absorbing component to reduce loads on the dock, which will extend its useful life. McCarthy self-performed all concrete and pile installation, as well as utility installation including water and sewer.

The Main Street Terminal 1 project is the largest of the 20 projects on the Port of Beaumont’s 2022 Capital Improvement Program. McCarthy began work on the Main Street Terminal in February of 2022, with total completion scheduled for mid-2024. Once complete, the project is expected to increase the port’s general cargo handling capacity by more than 15%.

KAI Breaks Ground on St. Louis Community College’s New $62M Center for Nursing and Health Sciences

C+S — Fri, 04 Aug 2023 18:18:05 +0000

(St. Louis, MO, July 25, 2023) Construction has started on a new $62 million Center for Nursing and Health Sciences at St. Louis Community College’s (STLCC) Florissant Valley campus in Ferguson, Missouri. Minority-owned KAI is the architect and MEP engineer on the state-of-the-art academic building.

A groundbreaking event was held on July 19, with construction expected to be completed by fall 2024. PARIC Corp. is the general contractor on the project.

KAI designed the 100,000-square-foot, four-story building to meet the job training and retaining demands of St. Louis area hospitals and healthcare system. It will be home to the college’s first bachelor’s degree. The building is also designed to achieve a LEED v4 Silver certification, with accessibility and inclusivity being a major focus.

Features of the new facility include:

Indoor and outdoor student gathering spaces
Classrooms expanding capacity for STLCC’s nursing, dental hygiene and radiology technology programs
Simulator labs to prepare students for careers in emergency medical technology and paramedic technology
Classroom space for behavioral health support and deaf communications studies programs to support holistic aspects of healthcare and patients with additional needs

“This state-of-the-art building will enable us to provide an even richer environment for the next generation of front-line healthcare heroes in the St. Louis region,” said Florissant Valley Campus President and Chief Academic Officer Elizabeth Gassel Perkins, Ed.D. “Students who study and learn in this facility will be well prepared to excel as they enter the workforce. Of course, we are most excited that this new building will provide an opportunity for the expansion of programs to the North St. Louis County area.”

The college’s Nursing and Health Sciences program currently attracts over 900 students and is projected to grow significantly, with the college’s current facilities not able to meet anticipated industry growth and technological advances.

“The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the growth rate for registered nurses between 2021 and 2031 will be above average at 6%. It also predicts that more than 200,000 job openings for registered nurses each year will occur over the next decade,” said Rick L. Stevens, M.P.H., F.A.C.H.E., President of Christian Hospital and Northwest Healthcare. “We know there’s a big need right now for registered nurses, but there is a big need also for people in healthcare overall, so it’s a great field to be in.”

In 2019, STLCC completed a new Center for Nursing and Health Sciences building, also designed by KAI, at its Forest Park sister campus. The facility was the college’s first new building in over 20 years. The four-level, 96,000-square-foot learning center sits along Oakland Avenue and was designed to achieve a LEED v4 Silver certification.
KAI’s design team worked closely with the campus’ team of staff, user groups and campus engineering to craft a learning environment focused on cultivating job-ready graduates.

“This new building is historic for the Florissant Valley campus because it will not only serve to fill the dire need for healthcare professionals, but it will also establish the entry point of this campus and serve as a landmark for many generations to come,” said KAI Chairman Michael E. Kennedy, Sr., R.A.

Stantec-designed Coachman Park opens in Downtown Clearwater, Florida

Tue, 11 Jul 2023 17:00:00 +0000

Residents and visitors to Clearwater, Florida, have a new destination to enjoy in their backyard. Coachman Park now welcomes guests to its redeveloped 24-acre urban waterfront. The city held its grand opening for the $84 million project on June 28. Designed by global firm Stantec and constructed by Skanska, the reimagined park gives the community a new engaging space for families and friends to gather, and it will play host to a variety of events and musical performances.

Connecting the waterfront to the rest of the city, a new Civic Gateway Plaza links the park to Downtown Clearwater, while a Bay Walk promenade lets visitors take in views of the Intracoastal Waterway. These connections increase connectivity to Clearwater’s core downtown area and provide walkable pathways to the waterfront. The Civic Gateway Plaza greets park goers to the 525,000 square feet of new park greenspace, and the park amenities invite them to explore the natural beauty of the reimagined Coachman Park. Families and children can enjoy the 10,000-square-foot, ocean-themed playground and cool off in the adjacent splash pad.

The park also includes a special emphasis on the arts. The design intertwines open areas throughout the park that will serve as blank canvases for art installations to showcase creative projects from the community and beyond. The Sound is an outdoor music venue and stage with covered seating for 4,000 people and another 5,000 on the adjacent open lawn that will host year-round performances.

Stantec provided architecture and interior design; landscape architecture; civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineering; coastal resiliency analysis; and construction administration services for the project.

“I’ve traveled all over the world and there is nothing like the new Coachman Park anywhere else! Every time I get to come to the new park, I am amazed at how great the views and amenities are here. We are so lucky to live here and have this public space that can now be the community’s park,” said Clearwater mayor Brian J. Aungst Sr. “No detail was overlooked in the design, and I, for one, am happy to be able to bring my grandkids to enjoy the playground and splashpad. I also know they will be able to bring their kids here in the future since it was designed with resiliency and sustainability in mind. I know this park will be a great place for generations to come.”

The Stantec team designed the park with a focus on its environmental impact. Within 20 years, the park will achieve net zero carbon emissions. Beyond 2043, Stantec predicts the park will become climate positive, meaning it will capture and store more carbon per foot than it releases into the atmosphere. Over its 50-year lifespan, it’s estimated Coachman Park will capture 1,647 tons more carbon than it emits.

Sustainable features incorporated throughout the park include solar panels, electric vehicle charging stations, native landscaping, bioswales for stormwater conveyance, and energy efficient materials. Additionally, to protect the City’s investment, Stantec designed Coachman Park above the current Federal Emergency Management Agency requirements to mitigate flood risk and account for sea level rise.

“Our team is passionate about the value and enjoyment Coachman Park will bring to the community. Having this project in our backyard and seeing it come to life after years of hard work is incredibly rewarding,” said Greg Meyer, Stantec principal and project manager. “We’re grateful to the City of Clearwater and Skanska for their partnership throughout design and construction. We’re all eager for the public to come out and enjoy the reimagined Coachman Park for decades to come.”

Stantec has a long history of providing community development services in the Tampa Bay area. The firm played a key role in bringing Water Street Tampa to life, providing early planning, zoning, and infrastructure studies and design that is helping turn more than 50 acres of parking and warehouses in Downtown Tampa into a sustainable, walkable, urban district.

The Imagine Clearwater project aligns with Stantec’s focus on Coastal Resilience, as outlined in its strategic plan. The firm recently completed designs for the Battery Coastal Resilience Project in Lower Manhattan, which aims to protect against the impacts of sea level rise ensuring the usability of the iconic public space for New York City’s millions of annual visitors and residents. Further, Stantec’s work on the Blue Green Corridors Project in New Orleans, Louisiana, is set to reduce flood risk and encourage neighborhood revitalization.

Learn more about Stantec’s Urban Places practice.

WSP USA Completes Drilling Two Wells at Hydrogen HubDesigned for Curtailed Renewable Energy Use

Tue, 06 Jun 2023 17:00:00 +0000

WSP USA, a leading engineering, environment, and professional services consultancy, has successfully completed drilling operation and mechanical integrity tests for two new cavern wells for the Advanced Clean Energy Storage (ACES) I project in Utah — part of the first phase for the ACES Delta hydrogen hub.

The Advanced Clean Energy Storage I project will convert renewable energy into green hydrogen that can be stored in utility-scale solution mined domal salt caverns. The ACES Delta hydrogen hub controls the only known “Gulf Coast”-style domal-quality salt formation in the western U.S., which contains five existing salt caverns already being used for storing liquid fuels.

Advanced Clean Energy Storage I is a wholly owned subsidiary of ACES Delta, LLC. ACES Delta is a joint venture between Magnum Development and Mitsubishi Power Americas.

WSP was contracted for the designing, drilling and completion of both cavern wells. Beside the drilling operation, WSP was responsible for designing procuring and managing the construction process of the project’s solution mining surface facility to provide water and power to the well sites and will manage the solution mining process until final completion of both caverns.

“Hydrogen underground storage is a key component of the hydrogen economy, which is critical in the effort to decarbonize U.S. power generation,” said Scyller Borglum, underground storage leader for WSP USA. “These underground salt dome caverns will provide a huge reservoir of renewable fuel for power generation, supporting levels of utility scale renewable energy storage that have not been previously possible.”

The drilling operation for each cavern well was completed ahead of schedule, and both cavern wells have successfully passed the mechanical integrity test designated to ensure well integrity prior to the start of the solution mining process.

Upon completion of the solution mining process, the total cavern volume of 9MM barrels-equivalent will be able to store around 300 gigawatt hours of clean and reliable energy in the form of hydrogen.

These will be the fourth and fifth hydrogen-compatible caverns in the U.S., and the salt cavern storage capacity will make it possible to store excess renewable energy produced in the spring when energy demand is low and use it to generate energy in the summer when demand is high.

Creative Composites Group’s FRP Composite Panels Solve Weight Problem For Historic Northampton Street Bridge Rehab Project

Tue, 30 May 2023 16:00:00 +0000

This spring, the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission will complete a two-year rehabilitation project for Northampton Street Bridge. Located between Easton, Pennsylvania and Phillipsburg, New Jersey, the historic cantilever truss bridge is the only three-lane vehicular structure in the commission’s system and the most heavily travelled. A 2018 inspection revealed the need for overhaul with goals to extend the life of the 125-year-old “free bridge” and reduce maintenance. Creative Composites Group’s (CCG) Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) composite molded panels were selected to replace the bridge’s aging sidewalks with wider yet lighter-weight shared use paths.

“The infrastructure industry has adopted FRP as the go-to material for rehabilitation and repair of historic bridges due to their inherent weight restrictions,” says Scott Reeve, business development for CCG. “Concrete combined with current traffic loads is too heavy for a rare bridge design like Northampton. FRP panels are 80 percent lighter than reinforced concrete panels. The design flexibility of FRP allows us to produce a corrosion-resistant, prefabricated cantilever sidewalk that maintains the historic integrity and function of the bridge while extending its life and eliminating maintenance.”

CCG designed the new 10.5-ft.-wide sidewalks to cantilever off the truss structure. Panel dimensions were based on supports with a stringer span of 42 in. The 25-ft.-long panels, at sloped thicknesses of 2.875 in. to 4.125 in., were built to AASHTO H-5 standards for a uniform pedestrian live load of 90 psf and a 10,000 lb. service vehicle load. Pedestrian mid-span deflection was limited to L/500 and vehicle mid-span deflection was limited to L/300. Other parameters included wind uplift loading of 30 psf and an operating temperature range between -40 degrees Fahrenheit and 160 degrees Fahrenheit.

Materials for the FRP panels were sourced in the U.S. Produced at an ISO 9001:2015 compliant facility in Dayton, Ohio, the FRP molded panels were prefabricated to include cover plates at truss cutouts, expansion plates at span ends, molded openings for hatches and lamp post pedestals.

“We’re not taking pieces of fiberglass or plastic lumber and building a sidewalk on a work site,” says Reeve. “We made the decision more than a decade ago to deliver highly engineered, prefabricated products. We do this by spending more time upfront on design coordination with the contractor. The contractor surveys these older bridges and we use that data to provide a product that is dimensionally precise. Prefabrication drives faster installation which reduces the amount of time a bridge has to be closed to traffic. This approach also increases safety for commuters and construction workers. It takes more time during the design phase, but pays off during the construction phase with lower costs and a higher safety factor.”

HENDY COMPLETES INTERIOR ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN FOR WORLD’S SECOND MERCEDES-BENZ CLASSIC CENTER

Wed, 24 May 2023 22:00:00 +0000

LONG BEACH, Calif. – (May 22, 2023) – Hendy, a nationally-recognized interior architectural design firm, today announced the design completion of the world’s second Mercedes-Benz Classic Center, an international destination for the luxury brand’s car enthusiasts. The Long Beach, California-based facility features a staggering 41,500 square feet of workspace, 20,000 square feet of vehicle storage, auto restoration and maintenance areas, a museum-like showroom, processing bay and retail experience. The hangar-sized building was formerly an aircraft production site for aeronautic firm McDonnell Douglas which years later merged with Boeing, a leading supplier of passenger aircraft.

“Designing the U.S.-based home for the heritage arm of a global luxury automotive company is a huge responsibility, particularly when it’s the preeminent Mercedes-Benz brand,” said project lead and Hendy Co-CEO, Carolina Weidler. “Rising to the level of expectation required precise design and meticulous attention to technical detail, ensuring the environment delivers an experience that parallels the exquisite elegance of the brand.”

A Lean Six Sigma Black Belt and director of Hendy’s Science & Technology Studio, Weidler tapped her niche technical expertise and in-depth experience designing high-performance environments for both manufacturing and automotive facilities. The clean and functional workspace consists of modern service bays equipped with the latest technology and hydraulic lifts. The shop area houses all the equipment and supplies required to restore and service classic Mercedes-Benz automobiles, with designated areas for upholsterers to stitch leather seats, painters to color-match historic hues, and metal workers to fashion parts that no longer exist.

The showroom features floor-to-ceiling windows that flood the space with natural light and is outfitted with specialized sensitive LED light fixtures to enhance the showcasing of the vehicles. The Mercedes-Benz brand is incorporated into every facet of the space, with subtle cues in the overhead lighting that echo the famous Mercedes-Benz logo. All flooring, signage and fixtures align clearly with the brand’s luxury aesthetic, and complementary artwork adorns the walls to create an elegant ambiance, including a dramatic abstract frieze that hangs above the reception area.

“The elite architects and designers at Hendy embraced the planning and execution needed to reflect our brand’s signature look and feel, while also designing a highly technical and highly functional environment that is part repair center, part Hall of Fame,” said Michael Kunz of Mercedes-Benz USA. “The showroom immediately immerses people into a signature Mercedes-Benz brand experience, with the same elegance and attention to detail synonymous with our luxury vehicles worldwide.”

Regional San’s monumental wastewater treatment plant expansion project delivered ON schedule and UNDER budget

Wed, 24 May 2023 17:00:00 +0000

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. – The Sacramento region can expect to see big changes related to how wastewater is treated and reused with the completion of Regional San’s $1.7 billion, decade-long expansion. Named the EchoWater Project, the immense upgrade was completed in spring 2023—on schedule and under budget. The result is a safe and reliable supply of treated water for discharge to the Sacramento River, which will also be used for recycled water purposes—like irrigating local agriculture and supporting habitat conservation land.

The expanded tertiary treatment facility is now the second largest treatment plant of its kind in the nation, and the expansion project was among the largest public works projects in the Sacramento region’s history. Regional San treats an average of 135 million gallons of wastewater each day from 1.6 million people throughout Sacramento County and West Sacramento.

“Our upgraded treatment process now removes 99 percent of ammonia and 89 percent of nitrogen from the wastewater,” said Regional San General Manager Christoph Dobson. “The result is cleaner water for discharge to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and a drought-resistant, recycled water source for our Harvest Water project, one of the largest ag water recycling projects in California’s history.”

Regional San will hold a media event marking the completion of the project on Friday, May 19, at the Sacramento Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant near Elk Grove.

About the EchoWater Project

The EchoWater Project began in 2010 when the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board issued new treatment requirements in Regional San’s wastewater discharge permit. The Board took that action to improve water quality and help alleviate ecological problems in the Delta. To ensure effectiveness and cost efficiency, Regional San tested many possible treatment strategies to achieve the new permit requirements. A specific strategy was selected, engineering designs were completed, and construction began. The massive upgrade consisted of 22 individual projects that together used 41,350 tons of steel and more than 225,000 cubic yards of concrete.

The centerpiece of the upgrade was the Biological Nutrient Removal (BNR) Project—the heart of the new treatment process. BNR is a sprawling complex, roughly equivalent in size to 18 football fields, and is responsible for removing 99 percent of ammonia and 89 percent of nitrogen, addressing concerns about possible impacts downstream.

On Schedule, Under Budget

Making the project even more monumental, it came in on schedule and under budget. The original estimate projected costs to be as much as $2.1 billion. Regional San’s commitment to the success of the project and being fiscally responsible helped keep the final cost to about $1.7 billion—drastically reducing the impact to customers’ rates. The project also received nearly $1.6 billion in low-interest financing from the state’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund, which saved ratepayers more than a half-billion dollars in interest costs.

As with all major construction projects, punch list items will wrap up in the coming months.

LAND & WATER COMPLETES WORKS AT ICONIC NATIONAL TRUST PROPERTY

Thu, 18 May 2023 13:00:00 +0000

Leading wet civil engineering firm, Land & Water, has recently completed a restoration project at the iconic National Trust property, Buscot House in Oxfordshire after just six months on site.

The house, which is a visitor attraction whilst also being home to Lord Faringdon, was built in the 18^th century for a local landowner and changed hands in 1889 when the current owner’s great grandfather purchased the property and its grounds. The estate was then enlarged greatly with Harold Peto being commissioned to design the now famous Italianate water gardens.

The Land & Water team has carried out extensive crest embankment protection works to the property’s lake, in response to a reservoir engineering inspection, as well as reinstating a currently redundant ancillary spillway. This important work is in order to preserve the integrity of the waterway.

Lucy Lee, Contracts Manager at Land & Water, said: “This has been an exciting project for us to work on. At Land & Water, we hold collaboration at the core of our values so to be able to nurture our relationship with both the National Trust and Binnies during this job has been a pleasure.

“Safeguarding historical landscapes for the future is something that Land & Water prides itself on and we are proud to be protecting the grounds and legacy of Buscot House.”

Land & Water has successfully worked at many iconic, historical locations across the country including the first dredge of Queen’s Pool at Blenheim Palace within 100 years as well as a project at the iconic home of Polo, Hurlingham Club, London and work on Longleat House.

Aurigo Software Partners with Delaware DOT to Streamline Planning and Delivery of Statewide Capital Program

Mon, 15 May 2023 20:00:00 +0000

Aurigo Software, the leading provider of capital planning and construction management software for infrastructure and private owners, announced it has entered into a multiyear contract with the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) to modernize the planning, funding, and execution of the agency’s Capital Transportation Program. Aurigo’s flagship product suite, Masterworks, will help DelDOT prioritize project requests, manage the use of state and federal funds, and keep track of program performance throughout delivery.

DelDOT manages almost 14,000 roadway lane miles, over 1,750 bridges, and over 300,000 signs, structures, and other assets. The agency also provides major commuter rail, bus, and paratransit public services throughout the state. According to the state’s 2021-2026 transportation plan, DelDOT projects delivery of over $3 billion in capital spending over the next 5 years.

“Transportation agencies are leveraging technology to maximize the impact of their investments for their constituents, “ said Balaji Sreenivasan, CEO and founder of Aurigo Software. “Masterworks will streamline DelDOT’s capital program lifecycle, supporting the agency’s long-range goals of safety, resiliency, and economic vitality. We look forward to the results this partnership will produce for the people of Delaware.”

The new system will allow DelDOT to create capital projects, prioritize them, and estimate their costs. Funding across different sources will be set up and tracked, providing the agency with a robust and flexible way to associate, update, and combine funds on projects when needed. The system will also automate the obligation and reimbursement process for federal funds, integrating with the Federal Highway Administration’s Financial Management Information System (FMIS). What-if analysis of proposed plans will help identify optimal project combinations based on available funding and strategic priority.

Project encumbrances and actual spending will be tracked through integration with the agency’s financial system, Peoplesoft. Cost estimates will be revised as required, allowing DelDOT to accurately forecast program spending in real time. Enterprise-wide dashboards and reports will provide agency executives with the right data to make decisions quickly.

“Considering our significant investment in capital construction projects throughout the state valued at over $600 million annually, DelDOT is pleased to be onboarding Aurigo to help modernize our budget and spend activities around these efforts,” said Todd Reavis, Director of Technology and Innovation, and Lanie Clymer, Director of Finance at DelDOT. “We look forward to utilizing Aurigo’s robust, secure, cloud-hosted solution to meet our growing needs. We find immediate value in this highly configurable platform and believe it will allow us to implement change and scale for the future more efficiently.”

Delaware joins several other states using Aurigo’s Masterworks to modernize their capital programs, including Utah, Massachusetts, and Iowa. The company had its most successful year in its history in 2022 as major public agencies take advantage of funding from the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act passed in November 2021.

Microtunnel for City of Tampa Force Main Makes Successful Breakthrough to Tunnel Shaft

Thu, 11 May 2023 22:00:00 +0000

A large-diameter microtunnel machine, which installed a 72-inch-diameter steel casing pipe a total distance of 3,156 linear feet, completed its final penetration into the receiving pit at Cotanchobee Fort Brooke Park, beside Amalie Arena, on April 21. The microtunnel was installed 65-feet deep under the Ybor Turning Basin, Beneficial Drive Bridge, and Garrison Channel, a Tampa Bay channel located between Harbour Island and the Channelside District. The microtunnel is part of a four-year design-build project that is replacing a 72-year-old pipeline system with a new 54-inch and 48-inch force main.

The project is being led by Kimmins Contracting Corp. The tunneling machine used to carve out the new tunnel is a major part of the massive construction project that required seven months of exacting operation to complete. One end of the tunnel connects to a 25-foot-diameter receiving vertical shaft at Cotanchobee Fort Brooke Park, and the other connects to a 40-foot-diameter vertical shaft on King Road. This microtunnel was completed by Vadnais Trenchless Services Inc.

Kimmins began the design phase of the project in July 2019 and started construction in September 2022 with a team that has included up to 50 workers. The final phase of the project will include a transition to the main pipeline system that ties in the just-completed tunnel at the park to part of the old pipeline system located below Franklin Street and Water Street. This phase is scheduled to be completed by fall 2023.

The completion will mark a major replacement of the 1950s-era force main sewer system between the Krause Pump Station, by the Tampa Convention Center, and the Howard F. Curren Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant, at Port Tampa Bay. The new pipelines will provide a more modern, cost-effective, and reliable wastewater system projected to serve the city of Tampa’s wastewater needs for decades to come.

Swedish Bridge Collapse Overcome with Specialist Salvage and Construction Technique

Wed, 10 May 2023 15:00:01 +0000

When an incident occurred for a Finnish construction company during a bridge launch in Umeå, Sweden, in September 2020, experts from Mammoet were called in to save the bridge and help carry out its construction safely. This helped the construction company to avoid pulling down the bridge, and to salvage most of its original structure.

The bridge was part of a new highway that bypasses the city of Umeå, at the western link over the Umeå River in northern Sweden.

Forming a section of a relief road to alleviate congestion in the city, the bridge is 464 meters long, divided into four spans, and weighs 3,050 tonnes. Its layout is located over a regular bend (800-meter radius) and a downward slope of 2.25%.

The bridge was being constructed using an incremental launching process. The first stage begins with the front section, which is placed on a launching pad at one side and then pulled forward over its supporting piers.

With each new piece that gets connected to the previously launched section, the bridge increases in size and continues to be pulled forward until it reaches the opposite side of the river.

Rafael Martinez, Sales Manager at Mammoet, explains the incident that occurred before Mammoet became involved. “During the second launching stage, the bridge moved forward in an uncontrolled manner for more than 130m. This caused it to rest in an unstable condition. In addition to this, when the bridge dropped, the impact caused serious damage to the sections of the steel deck that were resting on the first two concrete piers. It also caused the bridge to twist out of alignment and the backend to fall from the abutment.”

Mammoet engineers responded quickly, traveling to the site just a few weeks after the incident.

Before their visit, they had already developed and designed a salvage solution using the limited information available about the bridge and the incident.

With further analysis carried out on site, it was determined that the solution they proposed was the optimal one for the job, and so it was implemented. “We proposed to install several temporary shoring towers with hydraulic capacity,” explains Martinez. “This way we could lift the complete bridge and release the load from the concrete piers. It also allowed us to split the bridge into three sections and for the non-damaged portions of the deck to be separated from the damaged ones. The concrete piers supporting the bridge are over 30 meters high. Working at this height is neither easy nor safe. Therefore, we suggested that the most damaged section be cut and pulled back to the launching pad so that repairs could be carried out at ground level.”

Example of a temporary shoring towers with hydraulic capacity

Northern lights above the Umea bridge project

Salvaging the bridge

To achieve this, temporary shoring towers were erected around the two concrete piers to release the bridge and allow for the necessary cuttings and repair operations to happen. A cantilever gantry was also used to lift the back section off the ground and raise it up to the launching level at the abutment, close to the launching pad.

A third tower was added to support the nose of the bridge, a fourth between the abutment and the first pier, and a fifth was used to support the final launching stage of the bridge once the repairs had been completed.

In addition to lifting the bridge, it also needed to be realigned and straightened back to its due geometry. It was completely twisted and moved in all directions because of the incident.

Martinez explains how this was achieved: “On top of each tower we installed a system of hydraulic jacks. These could move the bridge up and down, right and left, and back and forth. The system is computer-controlled, so we had constant, real-time monitoring of all the loadings of the bridge. This meant we could move it in any direction. This was one of the main challenges of the project.”

For normal bridge launches, the jacks have a maximum stroke of around 60 to 70 centimeters. This would not be sufficient in this case. Mammoet Project Manager Elena Muñoz Collado, explains how this challenge was met. “We used a wide range of Mammoet standard launching equipment but had to adapt it for this specific case to create a new solution that combined two different jacking systems. The usual deformations that occur during a typical launch do not require large jack strokes. However, in Umeå we required a jacking system that was able to lift to a height of more than 2 meters. We implemented a common feature of our climbing jacks into the launching bearings jacks. In doing this, we created a jacking system that was able to climb up to the required theoretical height and could be still used as a support for the launching bearings.”

Installing several temporary shoring towers with hydraulic capacity

Rescuing the project

This complex engineering rescue project is not yet fully completed. The bridge is being salvaged and its construction is being completed with Mammoet’s help. “We came on site just three weeks after the incident,” says Martinez. “The client had used a drone to get a better understanding of what had happened and assess the damage. We helped them to get a clear idea of how to tackle the works and rescue the bridge.” Muñoz Collado and her team have also succeeded in creating a brandnew jacking system for bridge launches thanks to this innovative project”.

NEW HEALTH AND MEDICAL BUILDING OPENS AT UNIVERSITY OF WORCESTER

Tue, 09 May 2023 17:08:26 +0000

A new state-of-the-art teaching centre for health and medical students has opened its doors at the University of Worcester.

Named after Elizabeth Garrett Anderson, the first woman to qualify as a physician and surgeon in the UK, the building provides outstanding facilities for the University’s health students as well as becoming the home of the University’s new Three Counties Medical School, which will welcome its first cohort of students this September.

Formerly home to the Worcester News and Berrows Journal, the iconic building, nestled on the banks of the River Severn, has undergone a complete transformation over the past 12 months, from drab concrete to a beautiful golden colour which restores its elegant lines.

Global multi-disciplinary design practice BDP’s civil and structural engineering teams worked on the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Building, with BDP’s landscape architects responsible for the campus masterplan and public realm, which includes a ‘wellness trail’ that will form part of the campus in the future.

Seventy per cent of the embodied carbon of the new health and medical school structure is from pre-existing components from the original printing house. Effective reuse of the existing foundations and frame has secured significant carbon savings when compared to the potential impact a new build structure would have had. Indeed, the preserved elements of the building offered a saving of embodied carbon equivalent to 612 one-way flights from London to New York, or 306 people’s consumption of meat, dairy and beer for a year, or 168 average family cars running for a year, according to a BDP report.

In keeping with the University’s commitment to sustainability, the refurbishment has been completed to outstanding environmental specifications, achieving a Gold SKA environmental rating from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. The gold-coloured inert copper alloy cladding that has been added to the exterior is an efficient, long lasting-material providing a weather tight covering to a thick layer of insulation, making the building inexpensive to heat or to cool depending on the season.

Other key elements of BDP’s engineering approach included the upgrading of the glazing to provide a better performing ‘curtain wall’ with a new glazed entrance way, as well as the replacement of the roof with a lighter version that allowed for the installation of solar PV panels. The overcladding of insulation to the façade, which was previously concrete cased, also improved the energy efficiency of the building.

Erik Dirdal, civil and structural engineering director at global design practice BDP, said: “This project is an excellent example of how careful repurposing and retrofitting of existing buildings can provide state-of-the-art, sustainable and accessible new facilities that, in this case, will educate students for generations to come. By taking this approach, we avoided the need for carbon-intensive demolition work, achieving significant carbon savings when compared to a new build approach, and ensured this iconic building provides a lasting legacy for the university.”

The architects on the project were Glancy Nicholls Architects (GNA) and the M&E designers were CPW. The university’s complete construction partner was Stepnell.

Inside, the space has been transformed with a new atrium, simulated GP consultation rooms, light and spacious social learning spaces and a café with indoor and outdoor seating. The space which once housed the giant printing press is now home to a stunning new anatomy suite with high-tech equipment for students to learn about the human body and perform procedures in a controlled environment. The new facilities complement the existing clinical simulation suite at St John’s Campus.

The introduction of new floors and stairs, with level access, plenty of lifts and spacious toilets ensure the building is inclusive and accessible to all.

Professor Sally Moyle, Pro Vice Chancellor Health and Science, said up to 1,500 health students would be using the new building each week. “These students, studying nursing, medicine, midwifery, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, paramedicine and more will be the backbone of tomorrow’s NHS,” she said. “The University has been investing in high quality health courses for over 20 years because we know just how badly the country needs these graduates.” 

A formal opening ceremony will take place later in the year.

The building forms part of the University’s new Severn Campus for Health, Wellbeing and Inclusive Sport, which has seen the University regenerate a largely derelict riverside industrial estate.

Further exciting developments on the new campus are planned, including the world’s first inclusive cricket centre in partnership with the England and Wales Cricket Board, with BDP’s civil & structural engineering and landscape teams supporting, while a further building for teaching the ever-expanding number of health students at the University is also planned for construction in 2024.

The whole campus is being opened up with new cycle and pedestrian facilities, car parking and 100 electric vehicle points which are all available for public use, as is the café in the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson building.

Western Specialty Contractors Completes Improvements to Stetson University’s Melching Field Stadium in DeLand, Florida

Fri, 28 Apr 2023 16:00:00 +0000

Often referred to as one of the most picturesque and fan-friendly college baseball stadiums in the nation, Western Specialty Contractors – Orlando Branch recently completed improvements to Stetson University’s Melching Field stadium in DeLand, Florida.

Before

Home to the Stetson Hatters, Melching Field opened in 1999 and features a full-service concessions area and bench seating for 2,500 spectators with grass berms for approximately 500 additional fans.

The red brick and stucco stadium demonstrated signs of weathering, as well as wear-and-tear upon the initial evaluation. As a result, Western Specialty Contractors was contracted to perform the following improvements:

Remove previously existing traffic coating
Prepare the delaminated concrete for a new traffic coating
Perform stair tread and riser resurfacing prior to coating application
Install expansion joints
Apply a new Sikalastic pedestrian coating system

Western’s concrete experts faced several challenges on the project, which included removal of the existing urethane coating system. Western used hydro-demolition methods to safely and effectively remove the old system without causing extensive damage to the stadium’s concrete, particularly on its vertical surfaces.

“Stair riser resurfacing was necessary on a variety of different locations, which provided a new challenge for the foreman to properly demonstrate how to properly prepare the concrete surface and apply a feather-grade skim coat on all of the affected areas with efficiency,” said Anthony Santiago, Western Project Manager.

The moisture in the concrete during the project’s rainy season also posed a challenge. With the concrete’s moisture readings averaging 5%, determining when the best time to apply the coating to the concrete surface was a constant battle.

Originally resurfacing all vertical surfaces utilizing a two-component epoxy product under the drastic climate shifts caused outgassing of the material which left bubbles in the finish. Western’s experts determined that utilizing a unique feather-grade, single-component material would maintain the most consistent finish for the project.

After

“Sikadur®-31 is the epoxy product that was initially anticipated to utilize as a concrete finish prior to the urethane coating. Although the product showed promise on resurfacing vertical stair risers, it was not the most effective in a turn-key project,” said Santiago. “The solution was to apply SikaQuick® Smooth Finish bag mix which proved more efficient in installation and turnaround as it virtually provided the same attributes as the epoxy for the intended use. The product transmitted a smooth, consistent look into the urethane coating at vertical sections of the stadium.”

Western’s innovative solution reduced the overall project cost and allowed the team to complete the project on schedule.

Click here to learn more about Western’s stadium restoration services.

Kwame Building Group completes construction on new $3.1 million segment of St. Vincent Greenway

Fri, 28 Apr 2023 13:00:00 +0000

ST. LOUIS, MO – Kwame Building Group (KWAME) has completed construction of a $3.1 million, 0.53-mile segment of Great Rivers Greenway’s St. Vincent Greenway, from Trojan Park to Robert L. Powell Place in Wellston, MO. Work included demolishing existing sidewalks along the route and replacing them with a 10-foot-wide, multi-use paved path. A small pocket park, including a raised platform that overlooks native plantings along the banks of Engelholm Creek, was constructed to replace a vacant lot. A MetroBus stop with improved seating was also added near the MetroLink tracks.

With the project site located in an active urban area, the primary project challenges included maintaining and coordinating access to adjacent businesses as well as ensuring pedestrian and public safety.

As project manager and construction manager, KWAME oversaw a particularly challenging portion of the project, which involved constructing four custom-fabricated concrete pieces—weighing thousands of pounds each—and placing them in Engelholm Creek to form a box culvert and create a tunnel that allows the stream to pass under the road. With the creek flowing under the street at an angle, each piece of concrete was skewed to accommodate the course of the water. The complexity of accurately placing the heavy concrete structures required a crane operator and crew. The greenway runs on top of the culvert via Engelholm Creek Bridge, which was widened as part of the project.

KWAME provided schedule management and construction oversight to minimize project risks and maximize success. KWAME also provided preconstruction services including constructability reviews of architectural drawings, cost estimating and subcontractor bid coordination. Lamar Johnson Collaborative and Lochmueller Group provided design. R.V. Wagner served as the general contractor.

With this new segment, the St. Vincent Greenway now extends north from Trojan Park along Stephen Jones Avenue and west to the intersection of Plymouth and Sutter Avenues. Heading west on Plymouth Avenue, the greenway connects with St. Louis County MET Center, STL VentureWorks and the Wellston MetroLink Station. When complete, the more than seven-mile St. Vincent Greenway will extend from North Hanley MetroLink through the University of Missouri-St. Louis campus all the way to Forest Park. The final two phases include a 1.69-mile segment that starts at the former Eskridge High School site and connects to St. Charles Rock Road and a 0.83-mile segment that connects St. Vincent County Park to the Rock Road Transit Center.

This project was a collaboration between Great Rivers Greenway, the City of Wellston, St. Louis Economic Development Partnership, Bi-State Development Agency of the Missouri-Illinois Metropolitan District and Mysun Charitable Foundation.

KWAME has worked with Great Rivers Greenway on other segments of the St. Vincent Greenway, including the $3.2 million, 1.3-mile trail section that connects north St. Louis County to Forest Park. KWAME has also partnered with Great Rivers Greenway on the CityArchRiver Renovation at the Gateway Arch as well as the recently completed Foundry Trestle Pier Project and is currently working on the entire 10-mile Brickline Greenway, which spans 14 neighborhoods.

The Great Rivers Greenway network of accessible, car-free paths is being developed in three counties to connect St. Louisans with schools, workplaces, neighborhoods, civic and cultural institutions. Since 2000, Great Rivers Greenway has built 135 miles of greenways throughout the region with the goals of connecting diverse communities, providing recreational opportunities and alternative transportation options and increasing access equity to greenspaces.

Bowman Announces Major Infrastructure Openings for theContinuing Build Out of SDSU Mission Valley

Tue, 25 Apr 2023 19:00:00 +0000

Bowman Consulting Group Ltd. (the “Company” or “Bowman”) (NASDAQ: BWMN) announced today the completion of three, new phase one infrastructure milestones at San Diego State University – Mission Valley (SDSU Mission Valley). The company’s wholly owned Project Design Consultants subsidiary (collectively with the Company, “Bowman”), provided civil engineering, land surveying, landscape architecture, grading and improvement plans, permitting, design and construction management on the newly opened features, in addition to site infrastructure design and engineering for the overall master plan.

The newly completed improvements include: (1) the rerouting of San Diego Mission Drive on the northern side of SDSU Mission Valley via the installation of a new roundabout; (2) the opening of a roundabout southeast of the new multi-use Snapdragon Stadium which will connect future residential and retail areas with the site’s planned innovation district; and (3) major multimodal improvements including new ramp accessibility at the Green Line Stadium Trolley Station on site, which connects SDSU Mission Valley to downtown San Diego and out to Santee, including the SDSU campus located in the College Area.

These project components will provide the community with three improved ways of entry into SDSU Mission Valley and Snapdragon Stadium and are critical to the next phase of site development. The development includes mixed-use residential and retail, an innovation district with a mix of research, lab and office space, and the river park, to feature 34-acres of active and passive parks with multi-use fields, biking and pedestrian trails. Bowman continues to provide construction administration services for the river park and as-needed civil engineering support for the build-out of SDSU Mission Valley.

“As our recent projects can attest, we are well into providing the infrastructure needed for the successful development of phase one of SDSU’s master plan,” said Martin Jones, PE, senior project manager at Bowman. “Working with the university, and our construction partners, on this momentous project has employed all facets of our team’s expertise from civil engineering, design and planning to survey and landscape architecture. It’s gratifying to be part of the exciting future of Mission Valley.”

Additional work continues on an at-grade trolley crossing and new road connecting Fenton Parkway to the river park and River Park Road at the southwest corner of the site.

Previously, the firm was the prime consultant with Clark Construction on the development of SDSU’s Snapdragon Stadium managing all civil engineering and landscape design. The new $310 million stadium opened in September 2022.

R.D. OLSON CONSTRUCTION BREAKS GROUND ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN ONTARIO, CALIFORNIA

Thu, 20 Apr 2023 14:00:00 +0000

R.D. Olson Construction, an award-winning general contracting firm in California, today announced that construction is underway on Emporia Housing development in Ontario, California. The 50-unit affordable housing complex is expected to reach completion by mid-Summer 2024.

Located at 310 W. Emporia in a semi-residential neighborhood of Ontario, the $17.8 million, 60,000-square-foot project will be the second phase of the development, with Phase One already completed. The new buildings are slated to be two and three stories in height, with residences offering various layouts including six one-bedroom units, 29 two-bedroom units and 15 three-bedroom units.

Infrastructure improvements include the closing of an existing street, adding an extra layer of safety to the community. Shared amenities include a Tot Lot children’s playground, outdoor pool, community center and convenient parking lots onsite and offsite.

The development will also enhance the neighborhood surrounding it with extensive improvements including underground utilities, added streetlights, all-new sidewalks and street paving. Exterior details include various facade finishes, ornate iron fencing, and gates with artwork paneling. Extra care and expense were invested in minimizing any sound from surrounding traffic with the installation of High STC (sound rating) for windows and exterior doors creating a unique façade, and comfortable homes.

“This is R.D. Olson’s fifth affordable housing project with developer Related California, and we are happy to bring this second phase of the property to life,” said Bill Wilhelm, president, R.D. Olson. “Related California has a long-standing track record of successful developments and are great partners in our work building affordable housing to improve communities.”

With careful advance planning, in the face of supply chain issues, R.D. Olson built in a considerable lead time on the electrical materials delivery in order to remain faithful to their construction schedule. R.D. Olson partnered with Danielian Associates Architects on the project.

HDR to Complete Final Design for $1.5 Billion Port of Long Beach Rail Facility

Mon, 17 Apr 2023 13:00:00 +0000

The Port of Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners has unanimously voted to extend HDR’s contract to create the final design for the $1.567 billion Pier B On-Dock Rail Support Facility through 2027.

The project will create a new on-dock facility to streamline the movement of goods via rail rather than truck. It includes a variety of elements including realignment of major roads, utility relocation and a new locomotive facility. HDR has worked on the Pier B program since the 1990s. In 2019, HDR was selected to provide environmental and preliminary design services for the landside modernization program.

Under the new $102.3 million contract extension, HDR’s services will include preparing final design plans, specifications and estimates as well as program management support services, including integration of advanced project controls, scheduling and estimating.

“This project will reduce congestion and provide solutions for supply chain issues in the region,” said Tom Kim, HDR’s project manager for Pier B. “Working together with our small-business partners, we are eager to assist the Port of Long Beach with organizing and delivering the next phase of this modern, sustainable on-dock rail facility.”

Port of Long Beach, the “Green Port,” is part of the largest port complex in the United States. When finished, the facility will ease congestion and reduce air emissions by shifting port traffic from trucks to rail cars.

The program also advances the Port of Long Beach’s sustainability goals by incorporating electrification capabilities for future locomotive charging in the long-term facility master plan and site improvements.

To further the port’s goals of including small and local businesses, HDR has partnered with 34 subconsultants, including small local businesses.

Rhino Doors nears completion on London Underground’s Bank Station project

Fri, 14 Apr 2023 22:00:00 +0000

Rhino Doors, the UK’s leading manufacturer of high-performance engineered doors, has nearly completed work on a complex £1 million-plus contract on the London Underground network.

The project, which involved designing, manufacturing and installing 20 self-closing fire doors in the cross passages at Bank Station, presented a number of logistical challenges.

“As well as the demands of working at one of London’s busiest interchange stations over a year, we had to deal with several technical challenges,” said Dr Chris Norris, Rhino Doors’ Chief Engineer.

“Site installation had to be carried out within restricted hours, including engineering hours when no trains were running, to ensure the safety of passengers, operational railway and our engineers.”

In addition, the irregular tunnel geometry meant that cladding systems for the door surrounds had to be adapted to fit, while unexpected structural loads meant that doors had to be modified.

“We have had to be responsive to the demands of this installation – it has been very much a bespoke solution,” said Dr Norris.

Working alongside leading engineering and construction contractor, Dragados S.A, Rhino has installed 18 double leaf and 2 single leaf, oversized latchless fire doors which self-close to provide a barrier against smoke and 60 minutes of integrity fire resistance from either side.

The stainless-steel doors, held in the open position by electromagnets, provide protected escape routes and places of refuge for passengers passing through one of London’s busiest interchange stations on the underground network in an emergency.

Stuart Moss, Sales Manager – Major Projects at Rhino Doors, said: “Working closely with the team at Dragados, we’ve been able to meet the challenging performance requirements set.

“We see this project as a testament to the high level of design and manufacturing expertise we provide to the transport sector.”

Bobby Pyne, Agent at Dragados, added: “Tackling the Bank Station Capacity Upgrade project in partnership with Rhino Doors has been demanding, technically challenging, but equally rewarding from start to finish.

“From a challenging sequence of fire testing to the final installation of the doors, it’s rewarding to see this project coming together, and the Rhino team have been great to work with, overcoming challenges that the interfaces with the existing station and new works.”

The Bank Station Capacity Upgrade project, in the heart of London’s financial district, will increase capacity by 40% and include new passenger tunnels, a new southbound running tunnel and a new southbound platform for the Northern Line.

Find out more about Rhino Doors by visiting www.rhinodoors.com

HENDY COMPLETES INTERIOR TRANSFORMATION OF PACIFIC LIFE HEADQUARTERS

Thu, 13 Apr 2023 14:00:00 +0000

Hendy, a nationally-recognized interior architectural design firm, today announced the total interior renovation of the Pacific Life corporate headquarters in Newport Beach, California. Dubbed by employees as, ‘Workplace Transformation 2.0,’ the overhauled space spans multiple floors and embraces the blended workplace of the future with an ecosystem that encourages face-to-face interaction and relationship-building, while fostering collaboration through technology and workspaces that provide flexibility, modularity and seamless mobility for both onsite and remote workers. The modern, yet professional aesthetic appeals to newcomers and veteran talent alike, and was designed to meet the needs of employees now and for years to come.  

“Pacific Life’s ‘Workplace Transformation 2.0’ is a complete glow-up from its previous incarnation,” said Hendy principal, Anna Alm-Grayhek. “The new blended workplace is an employee destination with modern and innovative materials that foster wellness and collaboration, while also creating a highly productive, inviting space that’s equally as beautiful as it is functional and sustainable.” 

The completely reconfigured environment is outfitted with engagement zones, breakout rooms and varied collaboration areas that offer employees different workspaces and meeting options. Individuals needing privacy have adjustable work areas with stations that adapt to personal preference and allow for natural light when desired. As employees move through the office, they have the option of storing personal belongings in day lockers and are kept informed about current events via LED monitor panels located outside every elevator. 

“As we look to further empower our employees and business, it’s important that our workplace offer the necessary design and resources,” said Sarah Balfour, workplace strategy manager, Pacific Life. “Hendy’s design improvements showcase our prioritization of curating culture, relationship-building and collaboration.” 

The space’s design aesthetics reflect the Pacific Life brand with its famed bronze sculpture of a breaching whale and its calf in the atrium, now encircled by colorful custom graphic wallcoverings that mimic the ocean, from sandy bottom to the clearest blue surface. Aquatic colorways also are woven throughout the interior furnishings and textiles, creating the illusion of a swirling ocean.  

Hendy partnered with Howe Bonney & Associates, Howard Building Corporation (HBC), tk1sc, Tangram, Steelcase, Allsteel, Corporate Business Interiors (CBI) and Bentley Mills on the project. 

Acrow Bridge Installed to Support Major Autoroute Reconstruction Project in Québec

Tue, 11 Apr 2023 16:00:00 +0000

Acrow, a leading international bridge engineering and supply company, reported today one of its modular steel bridges, installed at the junction of Autoroutes 520 and 13 in Montréal, is providing access for relocated utilities during the project to reconstruct the Autoroute 520 overpass.

Autoroute 13 is a major north-south freeway in the Montréal urban region and the main link to Ville de Laval, the third-largest city in the province. At the interchange with Autoroute 520, the six-lane route is heavily traveled, making a rapid installation of the temporary structure a priority and Acrow’s modular steel structure an ideal solution.

The Acrow bridge, which was purchased by the Ministère des Transports et de la Mobilité durable (MTMD), is 57.91 meters (190 feet) long with an interior width of 3.96 meters (13 feet) and a wooden deck to allow access for maintenance crews. Assembled and launched in a single weekend with minimal traffic disruption, the bridge will support the utilities for the duration of the overpass reconstruction, which is anticipated to last two years. The bridge will then be disassembled and stored for use on future MTMD projects.

The contractor on the project is Construction Génix, with design engineering through a joint venture consortium between EXP and WSP.

“We are delighted to have been chosen to be a part of this major project to upgrade Québec’s transportation infrastructure,” said Benoit Forget P. Eng, Business Development Manager Québec/New Brunswick at Acrow Canada. “Our modular steel bridges are reliable, cost-effective solutions that can help enable accelerated construction for both planned and emergency projects.”

“The components that make up our Acrow 700XS panel bridging system are extremely versatile,” Gordon Scott, Vice President Business Development and Operations, Acrow Canada said. “Though most often used for vehicle or recreational applications, this project is just one example of many that show Acrow’s easily assembled and installed bridges are adaptable to many different applications.”

Offload & Install of Massive Gas Scrubber at a Refinery

Thu, 06 Apr 2023 13:00:00 +0000

When a roughly 27-meter and 120-metric ton gas scrubber arrived at the ENAP Aconcagua Refinery in Chile, two companies wondered how they would handle their portion of the installation process. Their solution? Both called Engineered Rigging’s office in Santiago, Chile to develop a method for moving the giant gas scrubber.

DSV Global Transport and Logistics (DSV) needed to transport the scrubber to the crude oil refinery, which processes most of the fuels consumed in the Valparaíso region of Chile. Although DSV had a plan for delivering the scrubber, it required assistance determining the best method to offload the enormous device from its transport vehicle and place it in storage. Engineered Rigging identified the Enerpac SBL500 hydraulic gantry system, equipped with the SSU300 hydraulic side shift units, as the ideal equipment for the maneuver.

In late November, Engineered Rigging’s heavy lifting experts mobilized the SBL500 from the Santiago yard. The team assembled the gantry, which features an octagonal boom for added strength and increased capacity and lifting height. Using the gantry’s Intelli-Lift wireless control system, the operator remotely lifted the scrubber from DSV’s specialized transport system and lowered it onto static storage stands. ER’s team then disassembled the gantry and returned with it to Santiago.

“It took us just 4 days to build the gantry, offload the scrubber and deconstruct the gantry for transport back to our yard,” said Arnol Salicetti M., Engineered Rigging’s Director of South America Equipment Rentals & Sales.

Meanwhile, the general contractor, Echeverria Izquierdo Montajes Industriales (EIMISA), had completed its preparations for installing the new equipment within the refinery. It needed to move the scrubber from the storage stands to its permanent location inside the plant. EIMISA chose Engineered Rigging for the final portion of the project.

Three technicians assembled and tested the SBL500 hydraulic gantry, while a crew of four assembled and tested a Goldhofer self-propelled modular transporter (SPMT) provided by ER’s South American partner Tecnogruas. The Engineered Rigging team then hoisted the scrubber from the storage stands and lowered it onto two Goldhofer PST/SL-E six-axle SPMTs, each powered by individual power units. The gantry was then repositioned next to the crane that would place the scrubber in its final site within the plant.

“The ENAP Aconcagua Refinery is a critical component of the Valparaíso region’s fuel infrastructure,” said Salicetti. “Engineered Rigging’s safe and efficient transport of the scrubber helped the refinery keep fuel flowing as it processed up to 104,000 barrels of crude oil per day.”

In a single day, the Engineered Rigging heavy lifting team transported the scrubber nearly 1 kilometer within the refinery. This distance included a delicate 90-degree turn, which required each SPMT and associated power pack unit to operate independently of each other. This type of turn is only possible with the nimble SPMT, which can move forward, backwards and sideways. ER technicians then used the SBL500 hydraulic gantries to offload the scrubber from the SPMTs. The mammoth gas scrubber was moved safely, on budget and in only five days.

For the Aconcagua Refinery project, Engineered Rigging provided the engineered lift plan, equipment operators and equipment rental, including the SBL500 hydraulic gantry with side shift units and two SPMTs. For more information about Engineered Rigging’s equipment rental fleet and capabilities, visit www.EngineeredRigging.com.

UW SOUTH END ZONE CITED IN NATIONAL ENGINEERING COMPETITION

Tue, 28 Mar 2023 21:00:00 +0000

raSmith of Brookfield, Wisc., has earned a National Recognition Award for exemplary engineering achievement in the American Council of Engineering Companies’ (ACEC) 56^th annual Engineering Excellence Awards (EEA) for the structural design of the South End Zone at Camp Randall Stadium at the University of Wisconsin in Madison.

The newly designed space provides a unique area that maximizes the game-day experience for corporate suite sponsors and Badgers fans, while preserving the character of the stadium and nearby historic UW Field House. Features include a premium seating area with a capacity of 2,300 fans, access to indoor and outdoor hospitality clubs, climate-controlled amenities, expanded premium food and beverage offerings, and dedicated restrooms.

The project team tackled the technical challenge of transferring the structural system’s 400,000-lb load, plus the weight of patrons sitting in the South End Zone, without overloading existing column integrity. To establish a connection to the historic UW Field House, a new platform was added that provides views into the building. Expansion joints at both ends of the addition allow for platform movement when temperature changes occur. Completed in nine months, the new South End Zone was ready in time for the start of the Badgers’ 2022 football season.

The project is among 179 EEA entries this year representing engineering excellence from throughout the nation and the world. Judging for the awards program—known industry-wide as the “Academy Awards of the engineering industry”– took place in March and was conducted by a national 27-member panel of built environment leaders, along with experts from government, the media and academia. Award criteria focused on uniqueness and originality, technical innovation, social and economic value, and generating excitement for the engineering profession.

Recognition of all 2023 award winners, including top winners—16 Honor Awards, 8 Grand Awards and the prestigious “Grand Conceptor Award” for the year’s most outstanding overall engineering achievement—will take place at the annual EEA Gala Dinner and Awards Program, a black-tie event to be held Tuesday, June 13, 2023, at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Washington, D.C.

Hill International Awarded Contract to Provide Project Management Support for the Dahiyat Al-Fursan Development by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s National Housing Company

Tue, 28 Mar 2023 19:00:00 +0000

PHILADELPHIA and RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, March 27, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Hill International (Middle East) Ltd., delivering the infrastructure of change, announced today it was selected by the National Housing Company (NHC) of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) to provide Project Management Consultation (PMC) support for the new landmark city of Dahiyat Al-Fursan. Located eastside of Riyadh Airport, work on Al-Fursan is underway and will ultimately develop some 35 million SM. Once complete, Al-Fursan will comprise 50,000 units of suburban homes, apartments, townhouses, educational facilities, commercial buildings, and related infrastructure, along with dedicated green spaces.

Dahiyat Al-Fursan is among the largest of the residential developments currently being developed by NHC and is specifically targeted to meet the needs of today’s Saudi families.

As Project Manager for the development, Hill will provide PMC services to the NHC, managing all of Al-Fursan’s first and second sub-developments and infrastructure packages. This includes program management, cost estimating, schedule management, risk management, contract management, change management, and all related PMC services to help ensure the NHC’s vision for Al-Fursan is realized as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible.

Hill Senior Vice President Dr. Adel Jemah said of the award: “Working with NHC to realize Al-Fursan is both an opportunity and an honor for our KSA team. The NHC’s goals are clear: to help Saudi families own their own homes in desirable, welcoming locations with the services and infrastructure they expect. Hill has a long history of helping our KSA clients achieve ambitious programs and projects, and this will be a proud addition to our portfolio.”

Hill Chief Executive Officer Raouf S. Ghali adds: “NHC is and always will be a core client for our company. We understand their priorities, their preferences, and their processes, and will work hand-in-hand with their team to deliver Al-Fursan as imagined.”

Ware Malcomb Announces Construction is Complete on New Indigo Location at the CF Rideau Centre in Ottawa

Tue, 28 Mar 2023 13:00:00 +0000

Ware Malcomb, an award-winning international design firm, today announced that construction is complete on Indigo Rideau Centre, a new Ottawa flagship retail location for the Canadian-based retailer. Ware Malcomb provided Architect of Record and Engineering services for the two-storey 18,000 square foot project.

One of Canada’s largest retailers, Indigo Books & Music Inc. offers a selection of books, toys, home décor, stationery, and gifts both online and in stores throughout the country. Indigo Rideau Centre expands and reimagines the retailer’s presence in Ottawa as a large-format banner store encompassing a wide variety of offerings.

“We were very pleased to collaborate with Indigo on an innovative new design concept that aligns so strongly with their brand promise,” said Christina Kolkas, Regional Director for Ware Malcomb. “The result is truly a destination retail environment that feels inviting, inspired and curated.”

“Our Ware Malcomb team partnered with Indigo and the whole project team to bring the company’s brand promise ‘Life, On Purpose’ alive through the store design,” said John Holland, Regional Director for Ware Malcomb’s Ottawa office. “We created a two-story space with an open floorplan, which maximizes sightlines to a variety of inspiring fixtures and showcases the merchandise throughout.”

The store’s open design was achieved by removing walls within the space and ensuring structural integrity of two adjoined historic structures. The interior features a clean, neutral colour palette to showcase the diverse selection of merchandise, while a designated kids’ area within the space is delineated by a bold dark blue colour. A light oak surface accented with white and black metals was chosen for the store’s fixturing.

Ware Malcomb’s retail portfolio includes projects for some of the nation’s largest retail chains, as well as for regional retail developments and corporate headquarters. Ware Malcomb’s retail experience includes master planning, architectural, interior and signage design for new buildings and centers, as well as renovation of existing facilities.

General contracting services for the project were provided by Terlin Construction Ltd.

South Carolina’s Catawba River Bypass Project Complete, Opens to Public March 18

Tue, 21 Mar 2023 20:00:00 +0000

Water is flowing down the Long Bypass Reach of the Catawba River in Chester County, S.C. for the first time since 1907, bringing life and voice back to the rolling granite waves that are the historic “Great Falls” of South Carolina. Officials celebrated the completion of the multi-million-dollar Great Falls-Dearborn Diversion Bypass project that has returned water to the Catawba’s 2.25-mile Long Reach for new recreational opportunities and to restore aquatic life and lowland habitat. The area will be open to public for paddling March 18.

The innovative two-channel design enables a minimum flow of water through the diversion dam while also providing an avenue for boater bypass during high-flow recreational releases. Paddlers will now be able to traverse past the Diversion Dam with a similar difficulty grade as the beautiful corridor of Class II-III whitewater below.

“For anyone that cares about the environment and enjoys playing in rivers, this is a significant milestone,” said Scott Shipley, president of S2O Design and Engineering, the firm that led design and construction of the project. “Paddlers are going to come from all over the region to experience the rapids and surf waves of the Catawba’s Long Reach.”

The long bypass reach will receive six 2,940-cfs recreational releases on two Saturdays and four Sundays per month from March 1 to October 31. There will also be a continuous 850-cfs boatable base-flow from February 15 to May 15, and 450cfs the rest of the year.

The project’s 400-foot Main Channel directs most of the flow down 12 feet of drop from the reservoir to the bottom pool. It incorporates three innovative multi-stage drop structures optimized for safe passage and easy surfing at base flows, creating larger, more powerful whitewater features at release flows.

The 1,075-foot Recreation Bypass Channel (known locally as “the paperclip”) is a narrow, winding channel that features nine drop structures that control the rate and intensity of flows through the channel, a recovery pool, an island with gradually sloped sides, and portage trails for boaters to exit the channel if needed. The access channel’s design also incorporates special formations to prevent fish from being trapped at lower flows.

This project was spawned from Duke Energy’s FERC requirements when relicensing the Catawba-Wateree Hydro Project and is part of the utility’s ongoing efforts to further open local lakes and rivers to recreational use.

“This was an innovative approach to a complex challenge, and our team, including Duke Energy and the engineering firm, has done an outstanding job of navigating the numerous engineering, construction, environmental, and regulatory variables,” said Scott Shipley.

Shipley also stressed that while the features in both channels provide opportunities for playing and surfing, this is considered a flow release project and not a traditional whitewater park.

S2O Design commends American Whitewater, which represented paddling interests across the basin during the FERC relicensing process and was responsible for spearheading the effort to open up this reach of the Catawba River to boating.

Western Specialty Contractors Restores/Waterproofs La Cantera Parking Garage in San Antonio, TX

Wed, 08 Mar 2023 22:00:00 +0000

before
during
during
during
after

Western Specialty Contractors – San Antonio Branch recently completed restoration of a credit union campus parking garage in San Antonio, TX.

Located on La Cantera Parkway, the three-story stone and concrete parking garage, built in 2001, is connected to the credit union’s corporate headquarters via a pedestrian bridge.

Western’s work focused on repairing and waterproofing the parking structure’s concrete topping slab which had become weathered and damaged from traffic wear and tear, causing moisture to leak into the parking areas below. Vehicles regularly entering parking garages leave water, oil and muck behind. Salt and de-icers tracked in during the winter months can corrode the structure’s concrete and steel support system. Routine parking garage maintenance and waterproofing can protect against costly, extensive damage that can be disruptive to tenants and prompt safety concerns.

Western’s craftsmen began the project in September 2021 by removing and replacing 2,900 sq. ft. of partial depth concrete on the garage’s roof, followed by removal and replacement of 12,000 lineal ft. of control joint sealant. Crews then applied 32,000 sq. ft. of a 2575 Primerless Traffic Coating System and 42,750 sq. ft. of an EL 750 Elastomeric Wall Coating, both manufactured by Master Builders Solutions and carry a 10-year warranty.

Electrical conduit for the garage’s lighting was run in the topping slab, making the concrete repairs more challenging. Crews took special measures to prevent damaging the conduit, and in some cases a Hilti concrete scanner was utilized to map out the conduit before demo work began. The garage was partially closed during construction.

Western completed the project in March 2022, on time and within budget. Lundy and Franke Engineering, Inc. served as the engineer on the project.

Click for more information about Western’s parking structure maintenance services.

Henderson Engineers Delivers Sustainable Operations for New Terminal at Kansas City International Airport

Wed, 08 Mar 2023 14:00:00 +0000

Kansas City, Mo. — Henderson Engineers, the lead engineer on the New Terminal at Kansas City International Airport (MCI), designed an all-electric power system for airport operations that places the facility at the forefront of sustainability. Spanning just over one million square feet, the newly opened $1.5 billion single terminal is powered by Henderson-designed building systems that are big on energy efficiency and carbon reduction. Those systems contributed to MCI becoming the first and largest LEED v4 GOLD BD+C: NC certified terminal/concourse project in the Midwestern United States and just the second in the entire country.

The all-electric system (a decision by the Kansas City Aviation Department (KCAD) via a joint negotiated strategy with utility firm Evergy, and implemented by Henderson) powers new terminal operations, which features 40 gates and replaced the previous three-terminal format at MCI. Compared to a traditional mixed fuel system that uses natural gas, oil, or coal, the all-electric system is expected to avoid 92% of operational CO₂ emissions by 2050. Evergy provided electric utility infrastructure improvements to help ensure and support KCAD’s move to an all-electric facility. The electricity supply from the grid to MCI is now reliable and redundant, with ample backup, both at utility and facility levels, so it remains functional in case of a disruption.

Henderson, a 100% employee-owned national building system design firm, extended this all-electric approach to airline and passenger services at the direction of KCAD and with agreements with current air carriers. Henderson’s engineering team, in conjunction with input from KCAD and its current air carriers, provided the necessary specification and infrastructure for electric ground service equipment (eGSE) chargers. High speed electric chargers are allocated throughout the facility to power airline eGSE, which services aircraft in various capacities including transporting luggage and serving aircraft.

With the airport’s new 6,219-capacity parking garage, a complement to the oversize vehicle/surface parking, Henderson provided specifications and design for 70 electric vehicle charging stations. Additionally, the Henderson engineering team’s custom-designed electrical infrastructure within the parking garage provided flexibility for the integration of a 510-panel solar array, designed and provided by Good Energy Solutions, LLC and supporting an inductive bus charging system, a first-of-its-kind at a municipal international airport. Much like wireless phone charging, MCI’s fleet of electric buses simply park above inductive charging pads to power up while picking up travelers.

“Because we knew this facility will be in use for at least the next five decades, we were focused on its long-term success and viability,” said James Dietz, principal and aviation practice director at Henderson Engineers. “As aviation continues to adopt sustainable design practices, going all-electric future proofs the project from taking on considerable upgrades down the road. It’s good for the planet, and good for the wallet.”

Led by developer Edgemoor Infrastructure & Real Estate, design-builder Clark | Weitz | Clarkson, and the Kansas City Aviation Department, the new single terminal is the largest infrastructure project in Kansas City’s history, and involved 247 local partners, including more than 133 minority and women-owned businesses. The entire team was made up of over 300 companies.

At the center of comfort within the building is a high-efficiency electric chiller plant, which is the system that provides air conditioning. Typically, chiller plants eject heat via cooling towers in the cooling process, but Henderson’s design includes a heat recovery chiller. Instead of rejecting heat to the atmosphere via the facility’s rooftop cooling towers, the chiller plant recycles that energy within the facility, using it to maintain comfortable indoor temperatures. The system works hand-in-hand with an on-site all-electric boiler plant, a sustainable heating alternative to a gas-fired furnace that is powered by 100% renewable energy from Evergy.

Henderson’s recycling philosophy extends to the New Terminal’s heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, which circulates fresh air while releasing exhaust and building relief air from the building. With the inclusion of energy recovery technology, the building reclaims heat (energy) from exhaust and relief air before ejecting it to atmosphere. Captured energy is then reused within the building’s HVAC system.

“Our focus was to maximize any energy that’s created within the building to its fullest potential so we could help limit MCI’s carbon footprint,” explained Dietz. “The building systems we designed and the resulting LEED Gold certification show that you can deliver a world-class facility without compromising sustainability. Our firm’s vision is to build a better world. We champion sustainable design practices as part of our MEP 2040 commitment as we believe our industry can – and should be – working to make a difference.”

Henderson’s full scope of services for the New Terminal at MCI included acoustics, audio-video, electrical, fire alarm, mechanical, plumbing, and technology as well as fire alarm commissioning.

LAND & WATER ACCOMMODATES COASTER VESSELS AT COLDHARBOUR JETTY AS PART OF A HISTORIC FIRST FOR THE FIRM

Tue, 28 Feb 2023 23:00:00 +0000

Leading wet civil and environmental engineering firm, Land & Water Group, has upgraded Berth 3 at Coldharbour Jetty, on the River Thames, to accommodate coaster vessels, used for short sea shipping, as part of a landmark development for the company.

It is the first time in the Jetty’s history that this type of vessel has been berthed and loaded as part of an ongoing commitment towards supporting cargo deliveries in and out of London. The modifications to the berth were designed by Hewson Consulting and works were undertaken by Land & Water Services. The jetty will be operated by Land & Water Remediation, the environmental services division of Land & Water Group.

Tom Melhuish, Director of Land & Water Remediation, comments, “This is an incredible achievement and one that we are immensely proud of here at Land & Water. The berth upgrade will unlock future supply chains into London whilst harnessing the River Thames as a sustainable transport system.

“Land & Water is passionate about delivering innovative and sustainable logistical solutions that benefit the environment as well as the UK’s infrastructure. I want to thank the Port of London Authority, Hewson Consulting Engineers and M4S Maritime for helping to bring the berth into operation.”

David Allsop, Deputy Harbour Master at the Port of London Authority (PLA), said: “It’s exciting to see the Thames’ potential being utilised to introduce a new export service. This project is another boost for the Thames Vision 2050, which we launched last year, with the aim of maximising the long-term economic, environmental and social potential of the river from Teddington in south west London to the North Sea.”

Coldharbour Jetty is a marine logistics centre for shipping and barging operations, acting as an intermodal transport hub for materials and cargo’s to be imported and exported. It also handles waste spoils from construction works in central London destined for reuse at Land & Water’s Habitat Creation Scheme at Rainham Marshes. The scheme, which Land & Water will be operating until 2040, will see up to eight million tonnes of wet and dry spoil material being used to create an oasis for birds and wildlife whilst encouraging greater areas of greenery along the Thames corridor.

Western Specialty Contractors Installs Concrete Pad for New Packaging Machine at Cleveland’s Tap Packaging + Design

Wed, 22 Feb 2023 13:00:00 +0000

Western Specialty Contractors – Cleveland Branch recently installed a concrete equipment pad to support Tap Packaging + Design’s newest printing machine.

The industrial printing facility has been based in the Cleveland area for nearly 120 years. Located in a 208,000-square-foot modern production facility, Tap offers a variety of equipment and services from graphic and structural design to printing, converting, inventory management and fulfillment.

Western contracted with Tap in August 2022 to install the 13 ft. wide x 33 ft. long, two-foot-thick concrete pad, according to engineering specifications, for a large printing machine that prints beer cases and packaging for other consumer products.

Because the plant operates 24-hours-a-day, Western’s craftsmen utilized an electric mini excavator and other electrical equipment to minimize fumes and noise while digging a trench in the plant’s 5-inch-thick concrete floor for the new pad.

Western’s craftsmen then created a foundation to pour the 5000 psi concrete mix using #6 rebar running both directions every 12 inches, with hook bars at the end of each run to create a pair of rebar mats.

Western completed the project in October 2022, on time and within budget and has plans to install concrete pads at the plant later this year for three additional pieces of machinery.

RED7MARINE SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETES PILING OPERATIONS FOR PORTLAND PORT’S NEW DEEP-WATER BERTH

Fri, 17 Feb 2023 15:00:00 +0000

Since October 2022, Suffolk based Marine Contractor, Red7Marine, has been working on site in Portland, Dorset, carrying out a £3.6M piling scope for Portland Port & Harbour Authority’s new deep-water berth.

Portland Port is a thriving commercial port based at the heart of the Jurassic Coast in Dorset. The port offers a safe, sheltered, and deep harbour for some of the largest cruise ships in the world.

The overall £26M investment for the new deep-water berth will provide a major and significant enhancement to the port’s capabilities. The brand-new deep-water berth being constructed will boast 250m solid berth face, with 12m water depth alongside, capable of handling cruise ships up to 350m long. In addition, Outer Coaling Pier is being extended to produce a 250m solid berth face with 11m water depth.

Red7Marine has been responsible for carrying out the piling contract and has been involved in the project since early in the tender stage working with the Port and its chosen designer. The project consists of a combi-wall which is formed of 136no 1.4m diameter concrete-filled steel tubular piles with sheet pile sections between them coupled together with clutches.

Two jack-up barges have been used throughout the duration of the project, Red7Marine’s 1,000t Haven SeaChallenger and 250t Haven Seariser 4. The SeaChallenger worked along the west wall along the main wall to meet the Seariser which was working in the opposite direction along the Outer Coaling Pier, meeting in the corner to complete the project.

Two bespoke designed piling gates produced by MintMech and fabricated in-house by Red7Marine in its port-side fabrication facility in Ipswich were used throughout the project. All the piles were installed through the piling gate which is a double-level piling gate, the piles were pitched, then put into position using a vibro hammer before they were impact driven until the desired level was reached.

The port has remained operational throughout the project meaning Red7Marine had to manage many logistical challenges and barge moves to accommodate ships entering the port.

The piling operations are now complete, with Knights Brown, the Management Contractor finishing the fill placement, tie rod installation and capping beam construction by March. 58 cruise ships are currently expected to dock in the Port in 2023 with two of the larger ships arriving in May 2023.

Kristen Branford, Managing Director, Red7Marine: “Thanks to Portland Port for the opportunity to deliver this exciting project which will benefit the surrounding areas and industry for years to come.

It has been great working with the Portland Port team once again, having constructed two large dolphins for the cruise berth extension back in 2017 with TMS and CMP Thames.

We look forward to seeing the berth operational in April 2023.”

Alex Hayes, General Manager Landside at Portland Port comments: “This is a key investment for the port and demonstrates our commitment to the continued development of our infrastructure.

This investment is driven by our need to meet the demand for the ever-increasing size of new vessels and with our existing infrastructure ageing, it has been an important time for us to develop these plans.

We are pleased to have successfully delivered this project with our trusted partners at Red7Marine, on time and within programme.”

Xylem and Manchester City Football Club Bring Clean Water Access and Vital Water Education to Communities in Cape Coast, Ghana

Fri, 10 Feb 2023 23:00:00 +0000

Global water technology company Xylem (NYSE: XYL), is excited to launch two new water filtration towers in Cape Coast, Ghana, supporting the Dehia community and Oguaa Football for Hope Centre. Under the guidance of Planet Water Foundation, Xylem employee volunteers joined forces with Manchester City fans, Club legend and ambassador Joleon Lescott and young leaders from Play Soccer Ghana to build the towers on the 1st and 2nd of February 2023. Local leaders and representatives from each of the partners unveiled the new towers, part of a collaboration to solve water issues across Africa.

The event formed part of Xylem Water Heroes Academy, a unique collaboration between Xylem and Manchester City’s global foundation, empowering young leaders in 10 cities around the world to solve local water challenges using the power of football. The two new towers contain water filtration systems which will help provide for the daily drinking needs of 1,800 people, reduce the burden of collecting water, and counter water-borne diseases, keeping children healthier and in school. Before the towers’ arrival, collecting water required a lot of time. Across the world, women and children spend 200 million hours daily carrying water¹. Dehia’s people are not exceptions.

Yet today, young people in the community can reinvest the time saved into their education and local activities such as football training provided by Play Soccer Ghana as part of the Water Heroes Academy programme. During the week, young leaders delivered a football and water education festival for 100 local children at the Football for Hope Centre, supported by Manchester City community coaches and Joleon Lescott. Local kids also enjoyed reading events that debuted Splash, the children’s book character helping kids learn about water security, to the region. Created in Africa by Xylem’s social investment division, Xylem Watermark, Splash brings the message of water’s importance and protection to people across the continent through fun and colourful adventures. Since January 2020, Xylem Water Heroes Academy has supported 75 young leaders in Cape Coast to develop innovative football-based sessions to educate more than 4,000 young people on the importance of water, sanitation and hygiene.

Helping Ghanaians Build Their Futures

Football helps bring communities together and is a powerful vehicle to uplift the health of young people and drive social change.

Joleon Lescott, Manchester City legend, said: “I was honoured to join this visit to Cape Coast in Ghana alongside our partner, Xylem, and our amazing fan volunteers. To see first-hand the impact young leaders are making in their communities through the power of football, and to be able to contribute to the building of the water towers, was an incredible experience.”

The new tower will make a lasting difference to the lives of Cape Coast’s people, says Chetan Mistry, Strategy and Marketing Manager, Xylem Africa:

“We take a lot of inspiration from the positive attitudes and activities of Cape Coast’s people. They work hard to create their futures and also play hard through their passion for football. This tower supports their goals and dreams. At Xylem, we are thrilled to work with Manchester City Football Club and Play Soccer Ghana, and thank our global NGO partner Planet Water for their role in this collaboration. Together, we support people to look after water and make it available for everyone.”

Country Director of Play Soccer Ghana, Franklin Asuo said: “We at Play Soccer Ghana are happy that thousands of people in Cape Coast, particularly school children, will have access to clean water through these towers. We appreciate the commitment of our partners Manchester City, Xylem and Planet Water. There are a lot of talents in Cape Coast. This initiative is an immense contribution to developing such human capital, and to realise more and more children pursuing their passion to the fullest, including football”.

Young Leader Emmanuella added: “I grew up in Dehia and every morning walked for 30 minutes and then queued to fetch clean water before school. This project is helping to change lives. Now children have easier access to clean water as well as vital knowledge on sanitation and hygiene. Having the chance to meet Joleon Lescott and the Manchester City coaches has been very special and given me more inspiration to keep making a positive difference.”

Ware Malcomb Announces Completion of Medline Distribution Center in Grayslake, IL

Tue, 07 Feb 2023 21:00:00 +0000

Ware Malcomb, an award-winning international design firm, today announced the completion of a new Medline distribution center located in Grayslake IL. Ware Malcomb provided architecture, interior design and branding services for the 1,426,800 square foot facility, which is estimated to be the largest medical-grade distribution center in the United States. The final phase of development, a 2,700 square foot office build-out within the facility was recently completed for Medline’s Sterile Procedure Trays Division.

“Medline’s project is a tremendous success story, as it brings new jobs to the Grayslake area and fosters a work atmosphere that embodies our client’s employee-focused culture,” said Cameron Trefry, Principal for Ware Malcomb’s Oak Brook, Chicago, Columbus and Washington D.C. offices.

In the design of the precast concrete panel structure, Medline and Ware Malcomb specifically chose the placement of their walkways and mezzanines to allow direct views of their warehouse operation. This design feature fosters client communication, an understanding of Medline’s business, all while demonstrating the speed and efficiency of its packaging and dispatch functions.

The mezzanine views within the center also showcase a unique self-contained 60,000 square foot automated storage and retrieval system (ASRS) that picks and packages items and places them onto crates, reflecting a growing trend toward automation in warehouse and fulfillment operations.

“We were pleased to collaborate with Medline on a facility with a variety of design innovations, making it a complement to their nearby headquarters and the premier distribution center example for their company,” said Dawn Riegel, Principal for Ware Malcomb’s Oak Brook and Chicago offices.

The new facility includes a main office area, receiving and shipping offices, temperature control room and a white box area for future expansion. Employee-focused amenities include uniquely branded break areas with billiards, foosball tables, specialty furniture, and collaboration space to provide a true respite. The design also incorporates sleep rooms and quiet areas for workers to concentrate or unwind. By designing a space that considers all types of backgrounds and needs, Medline created an inclusive, healthy environment for its workforce.

As the nation’s largest privately held manufacturer and distributor of medical supplies, Medline has a commitment to sustainable operations and requires its facilities to be LEED-certified. The Medline Grayslake project achieved LEED v4 BD+C certification using elements such as efficient plumbing fixtures, natural plant selections for reduced irrigation, enhanced commissioning and energy modeling of the building, on-site recycling program, construction and demolition waste management, and energy metering.

Having worked on more than 70 projects together, the Ware Malcomb and Medline teams collaborated to develop a national prototype for their distribution facilities. Ware Malcomb’s Corporate Accounts program spans a variety of industries including office, industrial, retail, science & technology, restaurant and education across markets. The unique program facilitates the delivery of consistent, integrated design services for clients, with both local, specialized staff and the vast companywide resources across the Americas.

General contracting services for the project were provided by Alston Construction Company.

STV Celebrates Opening of Grand Central Madison, Connecting LIRR to Both Sides of Manhattan for the First Time

Mon, 06 Feb 2023 19:00:00 +0000

NEW YORK CITY – STV, a leading, infrastructure-focused, award-winning professional firm, joined New York City’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and MTA Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) to celebrate the opening of Grand Central Madison, a new 700,000-square-foot terminal and concourse below Grand Central Terminal. The new facility and service is a key part of a long-term plan to expand LIRR capacity and bring commuters from Long Island and Queens directly to the East Side of Manhattan.

STV has played a key role supporting this program since its inception more than 30 years ago, preparing the initial feasibility study and Major Investment Study (MIS) planning for the $11.2 billion project in 1998; as well as serving on the General Engineering Consultant joint venture team that provided tunnel, structures, systems, terminal design and environmental engineering services for this transformative initiative.

“Today marks the conclusion of a project that started for STV more than 30 years ago, but it also is the beginning of Grand Central Madison’s life for millions of travelers,” said Greg Kelly, P.E., president and CEO of STV. “We are so grateful to be a part of this transformative infrastructure program that will improve connectivity in the region for generations to come.”

Grand Central Madison will usher one of the most dramatic updates to LIRR service in a generation, and is the largest single construction program ever undertaken by MTA Capital Construction. The LIRR – North America’s busiest commuter railroad – will now reach both sides of Manhattan for the first time, with trains to both Penn Station and Grand Central Madison. Two new tunnels between Manhattan and Queens will increase train capacity to and from New York City by 50% and improve reliability for customers. Previous studies found that service to the new terminal will save nearly 100,000 commuters more than 30 minutes each day, reduce traffic congestion, and improve air quality.

“STV has had a long-standing relationship with MTA and LIRR that goes back to this project’s very infancy. It’s exciting to see this come to fruition,” said Dominick Servedio, chairman of STV. “This expansion in service is a boon for the region’s economy and is going to make a big difference in many people’s lives.”

The new station has eight tracks and four platforms on two new levels below the existing lower level of Grand Central Terminal. Running alongside Madison Avenue from 43rd Street to 48th Street, Grand Central Madison includes a blend of retail and restaurants, spacious waiting areas, free Wi-Fi, and real-time departure information. The station is fully accessible and features passive wayfinding, new artwork from MTA Arts & Design, and area maps.

Home to 3 million people, Nassau and Suffolk counties has grown dramatically since LIRR’s inception. The opening of Grand Central Madison will allow MTA to run more LIRR trains at peak hours, expanding reverse commuting opportunities between Long Island and New York City. With a 65% increase in reverse-peak weekday trains, along with more trains in the early-morning and late-evening rush hours, new opportunities will be unlocked for tourism, schools, parks and jobs on Long Island.

STV is a leader in the rail transportation industry, building a reputation in transportation infrastructure planning, design and construction management. With specialists in operations planning, funding strategies, vehicle technology, design, economics and construction management, STV offers one cohesive team focusing on seamless project delivery, including design-build and design-build-operate-maintain. The company helps shape projects from initial planning through final design, system startup and operation. For more information about STV, visit www.stvinc.com.

raSmith Leverages Redevelopment Experience and Knowledge to Advance Olympia Fields Mixed-Use Development

Mon, 06 Feb 2023 18:00:00 +0000

BROOKFIELD, Wis. — raSmith, a multi-disciplined civil engineering, landscape architecture, and land surveying firm, continues to support and fulfill the vision of developer Wangard Partners, the City of Oconomowoc, and stakeholders on Olympia Fields, a complex 65-acre redevelopment on the former Olympia Resort property and adjacent parcels. The continued success of this undertaking is most evident in how Wangard’s vision is taking shape. Through Wangard’s leadership and partnership with the City of Oconomowoc, a dynamic mix of residential, commercial, and retail users have found a home at Olympia Fields. The combination of these new developments has created a strong synergy on previously underutilized high-profile properties in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin.

Wangard identified and leveraged raSmith’s breadth of services and experience to overcome significant project
challenges. These included initial complex property ownership and assemblage hurdles; site planning;
construction phasing to allow access and utility service to existing businesses and residents during construction;
assessment and determination of required public infrastructure improvements; and an accelerated project
schedule to hit key project opening dates.

As part of the redevelopment work, a number of environmental concerns throughout the development have been
addressed. These include the removal of petroleum storage tanks, asbestos removal during building demolition,
the addition of bioretention basins to improve stormwater runoff quality, planting of native tree species to replace
dying and diseased non-native varieties, rehabilitating a large pond to address bank erosion and enhance water
quality, replacement of deteriorating stormwater drainage systems, and replacement of aging watermain and
sanitary sewer systems that were originally privately built.

Matt Moroney, president and chief operating officer of Wangard Partners shared, “The team at raSmith has been
instrumental in assisting Wangard and the City of Oconomowoc in overcoming the technical site design and
entitlement challenges unique to the overall Olympia Fields redevelopment project. Their expertise and leadership
on complex technical issues, typical of redevelopment projects, allowed project stakeholders to make key and timely decisions. This ultimately resulted in our ability to maintain overall construction schedules, budgets, and the timely delivery of improvements required by the broad mix of tenants in support of their targeted opening dates.”

raSmith is currently providing site planning, site design, landscape architecture, and surveying services support to
Wangard team members as the development continues to be built out.

WARE MALCOMB ANNOUNCES CONSTRUCTION IS COMPLETE ON NEW HIGH-RISE OFFICE BUILDING AT 2130 VIOLET STREET IN ARTS DISTRICT OF LOS ANGELES

Mon, 30 Jan 2023 15:00:00 +0000

Ware Malcomb, an award-winning international design firm, today announced that construction is complete on a new high-rise creative office building located at 2130 Violet Street in the Arts District of Los Angeles. Ware Malcomb provided architectural design services for the project; Lowe, a Los Angeles-based national real estate investor, developer and manager, developed the project; and Swinerton provided general contracting services.

The nine-story project totals more than 113,000 square feet and is situated along the Los Angeles River. It includes 109,100 square feet of office space, 3,400 square feet of ground-floor retail, four levels of parking for 275 vehicles, outdoor spaces including private terraces, and a 3,000 square foot rooftop deck/lounge with stunning views of the city and mountains. The building incorporates 27,000-square-foot open floorplates, high ceilings, energy efficient building systems and HVAC. The ground-up project included the reuse of an existing site, high-rise construction within small site constraints, and a focus on maximum coverage.

“We’re excited that 2130 Violet Street is the latest addition to Los Angeles’ vibrant Arts District,” said Sergio Valentini, Regional Director for Ware Malcomb. “We worked closely with all project team members involved to bring to fruition this dynamic, mixed-use property, which will transform the local office market.”

“2130 Violet brings a unique office experience to this part of town. The design draws from site forces to develop its forms, capitalizing on Los Angeles’s views while embracing The Arts District’s raw, industrial aesthetic.”

The design and aesthetic of 2130 Violet Street is heavily influenced by the Arts District’s industrial heritage, as evidenced by the exposed concrete and steel detailing. Recessed terraces on the office floors provide indoor-outdoor work and meeting spaces, and operable windows allow private access of fresh air. The building’s retail fronts of steel and glass protrude along Violet Street to welcome pedestrians and permit the building to become part of the urban fabric for both office workers and the general public. On the street level, a “green alley” with pervious pavement technologies, addresses sustainably stormwater and landscaping, and public sidewalks make the property a walkable environment.

FDOT Selects Superior to Revamp Jacksonville’s Arlington Expressway

Thu, 26 Jan 2023 16:00:00 +0000

Superior Construction, an American family-owned infrastructure contractor, has been selected by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) as the preferred contractor to provide significant structural upgrades to State Road 115/Arlington Expressway in Jacksonville. The heavy civil contractor was awarded the $26 million contract to complete improvements to the bustling corridor that would not only extend the life of the aging infrastructure but give the area a much-needed facelift.

The scope of work for the Arlington Expressway project includes milling and resurfacing a seven-mile stretch of SR 115 and adjacent service roads from the Mathews Bridge to the Southside Connector. Before that can be done, Superior will need to address infrastructure concerns FDOT previously identified to prevent future roadway degradation, including replacing bridge drain piping at the University Boulevard overpass and rehabilitating the service road bridge structure.

“Superior has successfully completed similar projects in this area. As always, our crews will work collaboratively with FDOT to minimize impacts to pedestrian and commuter safety,” said Brian McGarity, Superior’s Northeast Florida Division Manager.

In addition to replacing and rehabilitating the existing drainage system, Superior will provide new shoulder treatments and safety enhancements to ensure ADA compliance. The enhanced safety features include replacing the sidewalk, guardrails, signalization and signing, along with lighting improvements.

With a planned total 450-day contract duration, the project will be completed in several phases. Superior intends to begin construction spring of 2023, with completion of the work estimated for the summer of 2024.

WARE MALCOMB ANNOUNCES CONSTRUCTION IS COMPLETE ON BUILDING C AT NATIONAL CAPITAL BUSINESS PARK IN OTTAWA

Thu, 05 Jan 2023 20:00:00 +0000

Ware Malcomb, an award-winning international design firm, today announced that construction is complete on Building C at National Capital Business Park, an industrial campus developed by Avenue 31 and located at 1000 Last Mile Road in Ottawa, Ontario. Ware Malcomb provided the architecture, interior design and branding services for the 145,000 square foot industrial facility.

This is the first of seven speculative buildings in the industrial park. The building is designed to accommodate multiple tenants with each exterior entry featuring a distinctive ACM color to create a sense of identity. The building features 32’ clear heights and has an overall sleek modern design with full pre-cast dock area including fenced outdoor storage.

“This project was built on one of the most prominent undeveloped industrial pieces of land in Ottawa,” said Frank Di Roma, Principal, Ware Malcomb. “This building is a leader in the Ottawa market because of the clear heights, optimum base sizing and the use of new building materials. We are proud to be part of a substantial effort and to have worked closely with Avenue 31 to achieve their goals. We look forward to the next phases of design and development.”

The steel structure incorporates insulated metal panels, aluminum composite material and precast concrete. Exterior landscaping includes rainwater infiltration areas with a pond and stormwater design to reduce runoff and downstream erosion. Electric vehicle spaces, a light-colored roof that can receive solar panels and bird-safe glass round out the building’s environmentally conscious exterior. The exterior incorporates bright accent colors from the National Capital Business Park logo which creates a vibrant aesthetic in branding and signage to complement their overall marketing strategy.

The building is the first of eight planned for buildout over the next five to seven years, the total of which will comprise more than 1,300,000 square feet of Class A industrial space. Strategically located at exit 109 on Highway 417 at Hunt Club Road in Ottawa, Building C sits on 11 acres of a total of 99 acres of land zoned heavy industrial and leased on a long-term basis from the National Capital Commission. There are also two other buildings in the industrial park that are currently nearing completion, including Building A2 and B, offering approximately 132,000 and 166,000 square feet of space.

General contracting services for the project were provided by VCL Construction.

STV Celebrates Official Opening of Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s Green Line Extension to Medford/Tufts

Thu, 29 Dec 2022 20:00:00 +0000

BOSTON – STV, a leader in engineering, architectural, planning, and program and construction management services joined the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) to celebrate the opening of the Green Line Extension (GLX) at the Medford/Tufts terminus. STV served as the lead designer for GLX, as part of the design-build team led by Fluor Corporation/Middlesex Corporation/Herzog Contracting Corp/Balfour Beatty joint venture – GLX Constructors.

The new, $2.3 billion extension to Medford adds five new stations to the Green Line, while the first portion of the project, the Green Line spur to Union Square, opened in March 2022. The entire joint venture included seven stations, six bridges, three substations, a viaduct with 50 spans, miles of retaining walls, and a community path with a pedestrian bridge, in addition to laying new rail.

The official opening of the extension to Medford, held at the Joyce Cummings Center at Tufts University, was attended by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation’s secretary, Jamey Tesler; the MBTA General Manager, Steve Poftak; as well as federal, state, and local officials; and community partners.

STV was represented at the event by Andrew Bradshaw, P.E. and deputy project manager; Sawis Cao, AIA and senior architect; David Gonsalves, engineering specialist; Madison King, P.E., associate and engineer; Michael Camoscio, P.E., LEED AP BD+, senior associate and senior engineer; and Preethi Sreeraj, P.E., LEED® AP BD+C, ENV SP, and engineering director; Nikola Nikolov, P.E., associate and senior engineer; Brian Skala, engineering specialist; and others who attended the ceremony. The official opening was also attended by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation’s secretary, Jamey Tesler; the MBTA General Manager, Steve Poftak; as well as federal, state, and local officials; and community partners.

“As a lifelong resident of Massachusetts, I’m proud to have been part of this project: bringing reliable public transit service to areas that were previously underserved, while increasing economic opportunities and environmental benefits to the community.”

The GLX is expected to reduce 26,000 vehicle miles travelled in the region daily, thereby improving air quality and reducing automobile congestion in the commonwealth. Daily ridership at the seven new GLX stations is expected to reach 45,000 by 2030.

In addition to GLX, STV has a long-standing history of serving passenger transportation systems in Massachusetts including the Greenbush Line Rail Restoration and the Silver Line Courthouse Station and Tunnel. Throughout Boston, the firm has worked on such iconic projects as the Longfellow Bridge Rehabilitation Design-Build, serving as lead designer, and the massive Central Artery/Tunnel (CA/T) or “Big Dig” project.

Polyglass ADESO® Self-Adhered Membranes Installed on Historic Home in North Carolina

Fri, 16 Dec 2022 23:00:00 +0000

Based in Raleigh, NC, RiCal Construction is a noted residential and commercial construction contractor that has provided exterior roofing, repair, and siding installation and replacement services for more than 30 years. When contracted to replace the roof on a portion of the historic Flora MacDonald College building in Red Springs, RiCal opted for a Polyglass multi-ply SBS roofing system. The project was RiCal’s first one with Polyglass.

About Flora MacDonald College

The Flora MacDonald College building traces its origins to the 1890s when it first served as a Presbyterian seminary and later became one of the earliest women’s colleges in the South. The current historic neoclassical building has changed names numerous times since its construction in the early 1900s, but it has always served as an educational facility. The Flora MacDonald Campus is now home to Highlander Academy, a private school for Pre-K to 12th Grade students.

Project Background & Challenges

RiCal was tasked with a complete tear-off and re-roof of the kitchen area of the building – a project scope of 3000 sq. ft. As the building was more than 108 years old, securing the roof to the old walls while preserving the building’s historical integrity posed the most significant issue.

Polyglass’ self-adhered roofing products and liquid flashing proved to be highly effective in solving this challenge and made the task easier to accomplish. After tearing off the old roof covering, the RiCal team laid down a dual SBS membrane over the plywood substrate using Polyglass Elastoflex SA V Plus for the base layer and Elastoflex SA P FR for the cap sheet. Both products utilize a patented ADESO® dual-compound self-adhered technology for easy application without needing torches, asphalt, or other adhesives. The team then sealed the roof features and penetrations using PolyBrite® Reinforcing Polyester and PolyFlash® 1C liquid flashing.

Product Spotlight:

PG Elastoflex SA V Plus: A premium grade elastomeric base sheet designed for low-slope roofs, combining a top layer of true SBS asphalt and a self-adhered bottom layer reinforced with a fiberglass mat for increased strength and stability.
PG Elastoflex SA P FR: A self-adhered SBS cap layer with fire-retardant additives, designed with a non-woven polyester reinforcement that combines flexibility with superior tear and puncture resistance.
PG Polyflash 1C: A white liquid flashing compound made from moisture-cure silane-modified polyurethane, offering superior waterproofing protection around walls, vents, and other roofing penetrations.
PolyBrite Reinforcing Polyester: A flexible and white stitch-bonded polyester fabric that reinforces cold-process roofing systems and elastomerics.

Polyglass has a superior range of self-adhered roofing products for low-slope roof restorations. Contact us today to discuss your commercial or residential roofing needs.

WARE MALCOMB ANNOUNCES CONSTRUCTION IS COMPLETE ON CANADA’S FIRST MULTI-STOREY DISTRIBUTION CENTRE IN BURNABY, BRITISH COLUMBIA

Wed, 14 Dec 2022 13:00:00 +0000

Ware Malcomb has announced that construction is complete on Oxford Properties Group’s multi-storey distribution centre, a multi-storey industrial facility located at 8351 Fraser Reach Court, in Burnaby, British Columbia. The project, the latest addition to Riverbend Business Park, is Canada’s first major multi-storey industrial project. Ware Malcomb served as the Architect of Record for the project.

With proximity to urban areas of Greater Vancouver, the multi-storey distribution centre provides infrastructure for last-mile delivery in a world where consumers have come to expect next-day and same-day delivery. Located near the intersection of Marine Way and Highway 91A in Burnaby, it is ideally situated for attracting labor and serving Vancouver citizens. Experience a quick tour of the project in this flythrough video.

“The Greater Vancouver Area is one of the world’s most land-constrained industrial markets, and demand for industrial space outpaces supply, thanks to the rise in e-commerce,” said Frank Di Roma, Principal, Ware Malcomb. “We were pleased to solve considerable logistical and code-related challenges with this new building type and arrive at a design that maximizes industrial floor space. This impressive building is the first large-scale multistory distribution centre concept in Canada.”

The multi-storey distribution centre is located on a 23.45-acre site and has a ground floor of 437,000 square feet with 32-foot clear heights. The second story, accessible to full-size transport trailers via a long service ramp, consists of 270,000 square feet, 28-foot clear heights and a 130-foot truck court where trucks can circulate. The heated exterior ramp allows for 53-foot trailers to make deliveries. Assorted mechanical rooms, a leasing office and storage space are located below the ramp. Loading docks are constructed of precast concrete and the office areas are made of insulated metal panels.

The building can provide a single tenant with 707,000 square feet of contiguous space. Alternatively, its two floors can be operated and occupied independently and further demised to accommodate multiple tenants as small as 70,000 square feet. Several main entrances allow for flexible demising.

Construction of the building is significant for the 65-acre Riverbend Business Park. The site, which used to be home to a paperboard milling operation and a 14-acre landfill, was purchased by Oxford Properties Group in 2011. Today, buildings on the site comprise more than 1.3 million square feet and are LEED certified. Oxford’s environmentally conscious approach to the redevelopment of the brownfield site earned it the 2019 City of Burnaby Environmental Award.

Christopher Bozyk Architects Ltd. served as the Design Architect and Ledcor Construction Ltd. served as the General Contractor for the project. Oxford Properties Group and its portfolio companies manage approximately $82 billion (Canadian) of commercial real estate across the globe and its portfolio includes industrial, office, multifamily, retail, life sciences, hotels and credit.

Ware Malcomb is an industry leader in multistory industrial design. In 2017, the firm developed a multi-storey design prototype which created a new commercial asset class of building that addresses challenges felt by both everyday consumers and e-commerce industry mavens. The firm’s multi-storey design focuses on facilitating industrial development in highly sought-after/land-constrained locations by building vertically to significantly increase rentable area without expanding the building footprint. Ware Malcomb has over six multi-storey projects under construction, six going through entitlements and has designed over 150 multi-storey sites/test fits in major markets across the Americas.

Medaro Mining Continues Progress in Quebec with the Completion of Work Program on its Darlin Lithium Property

Mon, 12 Dec 2022 13:00:00 +0000

Medaro Mining Corp. (CSE: MEDA) (“Medaro” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce the completion of Phase 1 exploration fieldwork program (the “Program”) on its Darlin Lithium Property (the “Property”) located in Val-d’Or, Quebec, Canada. The work included airborne and ground geophysical surveys, soil and rock sampling, and diamond drilling.

Program Description
The Program was comprised of soil and rock sampling and geological mapping, aimed at sampling, mapping and identifying a group of pegmatites for their potential to host lithium mineralization. 21.83-line kilometres of ground magnetic and VLF geophysical survey was also completed as part of this work program. A high-resolution helicopter borne magnetic geophysical survey was also flown on combined Darlin and Rapide properties claims which will be reported separately in detail.

A total of eight diamond drill holes were drilled with a cumulative drilling of 1,286 metres NQ size core, out which two holes were abandoned at shallow depths of 27m and 33m respectively due to difficult ground conditions. The drill holes intersected several pegmatites with varying widths and lithologies. All exploration data is being compiled and will be reported as soon as available.

All rock, soil and drill core samples were bagged and tagged using best practices and were delivered to Activation Laboratories (“ACTLABS”), Ancaster, Ontario for sample preparation and analyses using laboratories code Ultratrace 7. Drill core was logged and sampled at a core shack facility located in St-Dominique du Rosaire.

Michael Mulberry, CEO of Medaro stated that, “The recent, successful option of the Superb Lake property in Ontario enables Medaro to focus its exploration efforts solely in the province of Quebec and streamlines the company’s efforts. Being able to easily move from property to property and use centralized equipment makes Medaro more efficient and assists with timely mobilization and completion of exploration work in the future. I commend efforts of our exploration team to successfully complete the work program on Darlin in a timely manner. The results will help the Company to plan 2023 work program for moving the project forward”.

South Korea’s Geoview executes Equinor’s floating offshore wind farm project in Ulsan

Fri, 09 Dec 2022 13:00:00 +0000

South Korea’s ocean exploration company Geoview successfully completed the marine geophysical exploration for the floating offshore wind farm in Ulsan.

In the first half of 2022, Geoview won an ocean exploration project from Equinor, a Norwegian national energy company, for the first time as a Korean company.

Geoview conducted and completed the project solely, earning the reputation that their technologies can compete against the global companies in Europe at a similar level.

Geoview, founded in 2005, has conducted numerous ocean exploration projects through which they acknowledge the importance of meeting the global standards. Subsequently, the company made aggressive investments in R&D and equipment.

In 2019, Geoview conducted an exploration task on the area where NGCP’s underwater cables were to be installed in the Philippines. In 2021, the company conducted geophysical and geotechnical survey on the 90km route between Wando and the Jeju Island in Korea. Recognized for its technologies in the field, the company has been receiving many inquiries for the eighty nine offshore wind farm projects that are in progress in Korea.

Geoview conducted the NGCP project in partnership with a local company MJAS. MJAS provided an exploration vessel and surveyor while Geoview dispatched exploration equipment and technical personnel. In the process, Geoview was able to pass on its high-level exploration techniques to MJAS. The two companies has been maintaining a close relationship ever since and are now preparing for the next project together.

Leveraging the joint project experience in the Philippines, Geoview is planning a “Grow Together” business model which promotes shared growths with local companies in the Southeast Asian countries from 2023.

Hyundo Kim, the CEO of Geoview, is looking for more business opportunities with interested companies with a vision to make a multinational ocean exploration group based in East Asia and Southeast Asia that can compete against the global ocean exploration companies in a few years by accumulating various technologies and experiences; and creating an industrial ecosystem to build upon seamless partnerships.

Hoist & Winch elevates success of large construction project

Mon, 05 Dec 2022 23:00:00 +0000

Concrete ceiling mounted 7.5t swl lifting beam and manual chain hoist recently installed by Hoist & Winch Ltd into the basement energy room of a large new tower block.
Beam section being raised to high level.
The lifting beam fully raised and joined.
The lifting beam fully raised and undertaking load testing.
A vital part of the project was the installation line of the lifting beam being marked out while working from scissor lifts.
The installation was within the basement energy room of a large new tower block, part of a large-scale prestigious regeneration project providing 5500 sustainable new homes in North London.

Hoist & Winch Ltd has recently completed a challenging project for one of the UK’s biggest construction companies involved in large-scale new home development projects. Faced with a demanding and highly technical brief, Hoist & Winch rose to the task, providing a turnkey lifting system solution to ensure complete success for its client.

The requirement was to install a concrete ceiling mounted 7.5t swl (safe working load) lifting beam and manual chain hoist into the basement energy room of a large new tower block. This development is part of a large-scale prestigious regeneration project providing 5500 sustainable new homes in North London.

At the design stage, following formal tender and contract award, Hoist & Winch set about identifying the optimal solution. Due to restricted access into the basement area, the company decided to utilise a two-piece lifting beam design with an overall length of 7m. To join the two lifting beam sections, Hoist & Winch designed a central splice joint of bolted construction with a reinforced bottom beam flange.

In order to spread the lifting loads over a greater area of the concrete ceiling slab it was decided to mount the lifting beam via four intermediate cross members, each having a four-bolt/anchor fix into the concrete ceiling at both ends. Featuring a robust bolted construction design it was possible to deliver the lifting beam to site in fully dismantled form for ease of transportation and access.

M24 resin anchors with an embedment of 255 mm into the 400 mm deep reinforced concrete slab fixed the intermediate cross members directly to the ceiling for maximum security.

For approval by engineers at the main contractor, Hoist & Winch submitted design drawings and calculations for the structural design of the lifting beam and loading of the resin-type ceiling anchors.

With the design approved, Hoist & Winch could progress to manufacturing, followed by delivery to site. Using building column positions as datum points, the installation line of the lifting beam was marked out while working from scissor lifts and an aluminium scaffold tower located on the upper mezzanine floor. A surveyor’s laser line initially identified the correct lifting beam position, prior to overlaying with red chalk to ensure accuracy for the duration of the installation work.

Raising the two lifting beam sections into position required the installation of eight 1t swl hand chain blocks, with each one suspended from M16 swivel eye bolts supported from flush-mounted anchored resin inserts drilled into the concrete ceiling slab.

Following sample pull load testing, Hoist & Winch raised each lifting beam section into position using four 1t swl hand chain blocks. To raise the lifting beams to the full height and clamp them hard against the concrete ceiling slab ready for drilling, the company used two special lifting rigs per beam section.

The first lifting beam section manoeuvred into position also included the 7.5t swl hand chain block, which was rolled on to the lifting beam at low level using a 1t swl hand chain block temporarily suspended from local steelwork. Once both lifting beams were in position, Hoist & Winch joined the two lifting beam sections using the aforementioned bolted splice plate.

Next, the company undertook ceiling slab drilling operations and resin anchor installation for all 32 ceiling anchor points after very carefully cleaning each hole with a special heavy-duty internal brush and suction pump. Following the specified resin curing time, Hoist & Winch could tighten each anchor bolt to the required torque levels.

The final installation and test operation was LOLER (Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations) inspection of the lifting beam and manual chain hoist unit. This activity included dynamic load testing of the entire runway beam length with a 7.5t skid-mounted test load followed by 125% static proof load test in accordance with BS 2853 2011.

“Working as a subcontractor for the company supplying and installing the plant and services in the basement energy room, we delivered an entire turnkey lifting system solution,” states Andy Allen, Director of Hoist & Winch Ltd. “At completion we provided the client with an overall project records and documentation package, before clearing all site equipment and undertaking customer handover. This project is just one of many exemplifying the meticulous, competent and professional approach that Hoist & Winch customers can expect from our highly knowledgeable team.”

Visit www.hoistandwinch.co.uk for further information and to view recent case studies.

Pier B Rail Facility Project Meeting Set for Dec. 7

Wed, 30 Nov 2022 18:00:00 +0000

The Pier B On-Dock Rail Support Facility project team will update the public on the status of the Port of Long Beach project during a virtual community meeting at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 7.

Click here to register. You can join this virtual meeting from a computer, phone and other mobile device. A recording of the meeting will be posted at www.polb.com/PierB for those unable to participate. Requests for translation must be received by Friday, Dec. 2. Contact Veronica Quezada at (562) 233-7980 or veronica.quezada@polb.com for translation or assistance registering for the event. Comuníquese con Veronica Quezada al (562) 233-7980 o veronica.quezada@polb.com antes del viernes 2 de diciembre para obtener servicios de interpretación o asistencia con el registro.

The planned Pier B On-Dock Rail Support Facility is the centerpiece of the Port of Long Beach’s rail capital improvement program. It will shift more cargo to “on-dock rail,” where containers are taken to and from marine terminals by trains. Moving cargo by on-dock rail is cleaner and more efficient, as it reduces truck traffic. No cargo trucks would visit the facility. Instead, smaller train segments would be brought to the facility and joined together into a full-sized train.

The first project, the Locomotive Facility, is scheduled to be completed in 2025, creating a functional 10,000-foot-long track. Additional tracks will be added as the construction phases progress. Completion of the entire project is expected in 2032. View the project fact sheet and more information at the project page.

The Port of Long Beach is one of the world’s premier seaports, a gateway for trans-Pacific trade and a trailblazer in goods movement and environmental stewardship. As the second-busiest container seaport in the United States, the Port handles trade valued at more than $200 billion annually and supports 2.6 million trade-related jobs across the nation, including 575,000 in Southern California.

STV Begins Work on East Side Coastal Resiliency Project in Manhattan

Mon, 28 Nov 2022 21:00:00 +0000

NEW YORK – STV, a leader in engineering, architectural, planning and program and construction management services, announced today that it has signed a contract with the New York City Department of Design and Construction (NYCDDC) for the third phase of the East Side Coastal Resiliency (ESCR) project – a multi-year initiative to reduce flood risks to property, landscapes, businesses and infrastructure while also improving open spaces along the waterfront of the East Side of Manhattan.

As part of its scope of work, STV will provide Resident Engineering Inspection (REI) services for the project to help optimize existing drainage and adding new drainage. The team will also investigate potential street and sidewalk closures, detours and temporary watermain shutoffs.

“Being entrusted with this critical infrastructure work on behalf of the NYCDDC speaks to STV’s knowledge and skills,” said Will Flores, STV senior vice president and project executive. “We are excited to work on such an important project that will impact the resiliency of this great city for generations to come.”

The ESCR project includes a combination of raised parkland, floodwalls and floodgates which will be added to the 2.4 miles of existing waterfront. The third phase includes extensive sewer infrastructure work to protect against heavy rainfall and saltwater flooding.

STV’s full-service team is a resilience industry leader, supporting clients’ to mitigate risk, prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters or chronic stresses in a holistic manner. Amid the cultural shift towards resilience thinking, STV provides adaptable and innovative solutions that respond to and mitigate future challenges communities face. Throughout the New York metropolitan area, the firm has supported resilience projects such as Hoboken Ferry Terminal and Yard Resilience Upgrades, Central Railroad of New Jersey’s (CRRNJ) Terminal Restoration and Flood Resilience and Coney Island Yard Complex Flood Mitigation.

For more information about STV, visit www.stvinc.com.

Columbia, S.C. Review Board approves Stantec-designed Finlay Park revitalization project

Fri, 25 Nov 2022 23:00:00 +0000

Leading global design firm, Stantec has received approval from Columbia, South Carolina’s City’s Design/Development Review Commission for the revitalization project of Finlay Park, one of Columbia’s largest and most notable public parks. Stantec serves as the prime consultant on the project having led the 2015 master plan and provides overall project management and landscape architecture design.

Revitalization efforts will retain the iconic Spiral Fountain and will feature a cascading waterfall to a newly renovated central pond which will be naturalized with gentle sloping littoral shelves to promote visitor safety. New supporting facilities include a new events stage and lawn, restrooms, splash pad, strolling gardens, bouldering walls and plaza overlook that captures vistas of the skyline of Downtown Columbia.

“The new visionary renovations to Finlay Park will enhance the quality of life of downtown Columbia, while also attracting new business and investors to the region,” said Assistant City Manager Henry Simons. “Columbia citizens have been waiting for Finlay Park’s revitalization, and we are excited about the connectivity and recreational engagement this will bring to our Main and Gervais Street and Vista corridor, and our entire growing downtown population.”

“Collaborating with Stantec and the entire design team has been crucial in evolving the community-driven goals of our masterplan,” added Todd Martin, Parks Planner and Landscape Architect for the city of Columbia. “The revitalized park will offer innovative programming for the community to enjoy in a safe, beautiful and sustainable park setting.”

Finlay Park opened in its current form in 1991 and long served as a centerpiece for recreation, events, and family gatherings. The redesign of Finlay Park respects the original goals and objectives of revered southern landscape architect Robert Marvin while improving accessibility to all amenities and addressing safety concerns that currently exist in the park. The new Finlay Park will provide better links to each destination, creating a park-in-motion for the community. This design will improve circulation and engage users through a series of diverse interconnected spaces while increasing accessibility, safety, and visibility with the aim to renew daily interest for outdoor leisure.

“Parks play a vital role in keeping communities healthy and active,” said Stantec Project Manager Jenny Horne. “Once complete, the revitalized Finlay Park will give Columbia residents and visitors alike a place to connect, relax, and play for many years to come.”

Stantec’s partners in the revitalization of Finlay Park include Civitas, Inc, a nationally recognized landscape architecture firm specializing in park planning and design, local architecture firm LS3P, Chao and Associates to provide site structural and site engineering, W.P. Law for aquatics and water feature design, and Buford Goff & Associates for engineering design services.

“We are proud to share that the revitalization of Finlay Park respects the original goals and objectives of revered South Carolina landscape architect Robert Marvin,” said Heather Mizer from Civitas. “The newly-designed park will aim to provide better links to each destination, creating a park-in-motion for the community.”

The city intends to break ground on the project by spring of 2023.

Orion Group Holdings Completes rebuild of commissioned Dredge ‘Lavaca’

Thu, 24 Nov 2022 18:00:00 +0000

Orion Group Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: ORN) (the “Company”), a leading specialty construction company, completed a 15 month rebuild of the recently commissioned Dredge Lavaca. Advancements to the dredge’s ladder, accommodations, and operating systems were made to continue to provide exceptional dredging service to its clients and industry partners in both the public and private sectors along the Gulf Coast. The Lavaca is scheduled to begin work mid-November 2022 on a newly awarded contract for the Port of Corpus Christi and will take part in the continued maintenance of waterways, deepening and widening projects for years to come throughout the Gulf Coast. The design of the dredge, including its modular quarters, walkways, access and egress points, ventilation, handrail & fendering systems have all been engineered specifically with an emphasis on safety. Design improvements to the crew accommodations reduced noise and vibrations during dredging operations and provide a reprieve for the crew during their rest periods. The open-concept lever room allows for the leverman to monitor and control all dredging systems from a specially designed control station with touchscreen displays and floor-to-ceiling windows that provide a 180-degree field of view. Tier III diesel-electric engines and electric winches is another step forward for the Company to continue our commitment to protecting the environment by preventing potential spills and reducing NOx emissions within our operating areas. Orion’s commitment to Safety and “Target Zero” is also instilled into our vetted contractors, and is reflected indirectly in this project, as the project surpassed 65,000 manhours without any lost time incidents or recordable injuries.

McCarthy Completes Cancer Center at CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Tyler

Wed, 23 Nov 2022 18:00:00 +0000

McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. has completed construction of the Northeast Texas Cancer and Research Institute in Tyler, Texas. A Cottonwood Development project, the 85,000-square-foot research facility is located on the CHRISTUS® Trinity Mother Frances – Tyler campus and will now provide outpatient care to surrounding communities. To celebrate the completion, CHRISTUS® Trinity Mother Frances held a ribbon cutting & blessing ceremony for their tenant spaces, attended by CHRISTUS® leadership, local, state, and federal officials, and clergy members. McCarthy broke ground on the project in May 2021.

The Northeast Texas Cancer and Research Institute consists of specialized areas for Texas Oncology, Tyler’s largest oncology provider, including 34,500 square feet of clinic space for medical, radiation and gynecologic oncology services. Nearly 3,000 square feet is dedicated to research facilities, including three linear accelerators for radiation therapy, 52 chemotherapy infusion stations – with six allotted to research – and four private rooms. The facility also contains a pharmacy and lab services, as well as a patient exercise area.

CHRISTUS® Health features a 7,500-square-foot advanced imaging center with 3T MRI, PET/CT, CT, X-Ray, ultrasound, nuclear medicine and more. An additional 10,000 square feet of clinic space supports the surgical oncology programs of Louise Herrington Cancer Center, an inpatient facility located within The Bradley-Thompson Tower on the CHRISTUS® Trinity Mother Frances – Tyler campus, providing advanced, inpatient care for complex cancer patients.

McCarthy’s work included a 620-car six-story parking garage.

“We’re thrilled to have completed such a meaningful project that will bring life-changing care to the community,” said Martin Montgomery, project superintendent for McCarthy. “This was a challenging project in multiple ways. Between the linear accelerators, multiple pieces of advanced imaging equipment from multiple vendors, and coordinating the requirements of two different healthcare providers that need to work together seamlessly to provide top-notch care, we’re excited to celebrate the opening of this facility.”

McCarthy self-performed earthwork for the Cancer Center and installed all underground MEP components for the tenant spaces ahead of schedule and before the final design was completed, despite ongoing supply chain and labor shortage challenges. This allowed McCarthy, who also self-performed concrete for the Cancer Center and the Linear Accelerator Vaults, to pour the slabs-on-grade on schedule. McCarthy had two mass concrete placements in August 2021, totaling over 2,200 CY of concrete for the Linear Accelerator vaults, which feature 6-foot-thick walls and a 6-foot-thick lid, constructed of high-density concrete. Adhering to mass concrete principles, this required the use of liquid nitrogen in the concrete mix. These vault walls were poured monolithically in a continuous pour in order not to have any joints for radiation to leak through. Faced with a construction timeline amidst soaring Texas summer temperatures, McCarthy replaced all the water in the concrete mixers with ice to bring the temperature of the concrete down below 75 degrees at point of placement.

McCarthy’s extensive portfolio of health care projects makes it ideally suited to take on health care projects of any size or complexity. In addition to the Northeast Texas Cancer and Research Institute, some of McCarthy’s health care projects include the Parkland Moody Center for Breast Health in Dallas, CHRISTUS Spohn in Corpus Christi, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Alkek Hospital Expansion in Houston, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center The Pavilion expansion in Houston, the Children’s Health Plano Campus, Specialty Center II, and the Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center Replacement at Fort Hood, Texas by Balfour Beatty | McCarthy joint venture.

Improve Alternative Delivery Procurement with a Holistic Long-Term Strategy

Thu, 17 Nov 2022 18:00:00 +0000

When infrastructure owners embark on major transportation projects, a successful procurement can be a difficult early milestone to reach, particularly when navigating an alternative delivery process. Preparing for success begins with a holistic view that looks beyond initial award value to consider the likely final tally. It also relies on developing the right understanding of delivery method options and their benefits for each specific project.

In the latest from HDR’s Experts Talk interview series, Doug Jackson, P.E., shares how to better measure the success of procurement, explains current challenges in alternative delivery and discusses how improved risk management is changing the project delivery landscape.

A principal program manager with more than 25 years of transportation industry experience, Jackson has led major, complex infrastructure projects for rail, highways and transit, from concept development through design and construction and into operation. Currently he is serving as the principal program manager for the CA$10.9 billion Ontario Line transit project in Toronto.

“As owners embark on more complex mega-programs that can involve many interconnected projects, procurement requires new thinking,” Jackson said, “including an openness to delivery methods that can better handle the complexity without leading to delays and overruns.”

Jackson explains how owners can improve their procurement strategy to better achieve long-term goals, discusses how progressive delivery models are “game changers for the industry” and shares why some owners are seeing declining interest in fixed-price contracting.

Read the whole interview, “Benchmarks for Success in Alternative Delivery Procurement.”

HDR’s Experts Talk interview series shines a light on various aspects of transportation infrastructure design and delivery. Each subject matter expert offers unique expertise and insights about new and ongoing trends, emerging technologies and the human side of infrastructure.

About HDR
For over a century, HDR has partnered with clients to shape communities and push the boundaries of what’s possible. Our expertise spans more than 11,000 employees in more than 200 locations around the world — and counting. Our engineering, architecture, environmental and construction services bring an impressive breadth of knowledge to every project. Our optimistic approach to finding innovative solutions defined our past and drives our future.

Cooper Robertson Completes Major Academic Hub for Missouri’s Fast-Growing Drury University

Fri, 11 Nov 2022 19:00:00 +0000

The architecture and urban design firm Cooper Robertson has announced the completion of the C.H. “Chub” O’Reilly Enterprise Center, a major new academic building on the growing campus of Drury University in Springfield, Missouri.

Designed by Cooper Robertson in collaboration with Trivers, the $27 million, 67,348-square-foot O’Reilly Enterprise Center includes new academic and related space for Drury’s business, international affairs, political science, mathematics, and computer science programs. Conceived as a campus hub, it also delivers high-tech student collaboration areas, facilities for guidance services, an executive conference center, and social spaces with foodservice offerings for both students and the surrounding community. A recent ribbon-cutting ceremony for this major new campus expansion was attended by university leaders, members of the design team, and key community stakeholders including Springfield Mayor Ken McClure.

Notably, the Enterprise Center is Drury’s first new building in more than two decades. It is also the first capital project resulting from the university’s successful 2018 master plan, created by Cooper Robertson. The new academic center plays an important role in accommodating growth at the rapidly expanding institution, which welcomes its largest-ever incoming class this fall.

“The C.H. ‘Chub’ O’Reilly Enterprise Center is a crucial step forward in realizing the vision outlined in our master plan,” says Drury president Dr. J. Timothy Cloyd. “With its vibrant mix of uses and prominent campus location, this facility embodies Drury’s emphasis on entrepreneurship, innovation, and interdisciplinary learning, and reflects the master plan’s commitment to strategic moves that address the needs of students in a rapidly changing world. It’s a transformational project for Drury.”

Designing for Context and Community Connection

Cooper Robertson’s design vision for the Enterprise Center builds on several key goals from the master plan. Located at a highly visible intersection where the campus meets larger Springfield, the three-story structure replaces a surface parking lot and helps to more tightly weave Drury University into the fabric of its surrounding neighborhood — a move identified as a priority by students, faculty, and Springfield residents alike during the planning process, and an increasingly important trend on campuses nationwide.

With its masonry façade and traditional architectural language, the exterior of the building is contextual in its setting, forming a strong visual connection between Drury’s campus and adjacent city landmarks holding important roles in the community, including a Carnegie library, Springfield City Hall, the historic Stone Chapel, and historic AME and Baptist churches.

State-of-the-Art Education and Programming

The Enterprise Center’s mixed-use program also embraces the master plan focus on serving both students and the greater Springfield community with critical 21^st-century learning and engagement opportunities. Key elements include nearly a dozen collaborative, interdisciplinary, and high-tech educational spaces such as design, data analytics and cybersecurity labs, along with a trading floor.

The facility also incorporates an 11,000-square-foot Center for Executive Education attached to the main building by arcaded loggias. This 477-seat conference center and flexible event space dramatically expands the university’s ability to offer its longstanding workshops for local small businesses, as well as its capacity to host talks and other live performances. According to Drury leadership, it will be used extensively by the entire student body, as well as by community groups and other local organizations.

“The C.H. “Chub” O’Reilly Enterprise Center is true to the underpinnings of the master plan that envisioned it,” says Cooper Robertson partner John Kirk, AIA, a leader in the firm’s higher-education practice. “This is a state-of-the-art facility for Drury and the wider community, and it reflects the university’s forward-thinking mission of creating the environment and opportunity for highly interactive, intimate, and engaged experiential learning.”

“The Trivers team was proud to collaborate with Cooper Robertson by contributing our expertise on modern active learning environments and student study spaces to the design of the C.H. ‘Chub’ O’Reilly Enterprise Center,” said Ashley Hoolihan, AIA, Trivers project manager and associate. “Our vast experience in technical detailing, construction administration and observation led to a smooth partnership between Drury, the design team, and contractor Nabholz Construction throughout the course of the project.”

Noted internationally for its campus planning and higher education expertise, Cooper Robertson is currently engaged in strategic planning and design work at institutions of varying profiles nationwide, including the University of Maryland, College Park, The George Washington University in Washington, D.C., Longwood University in Virginia, the Pratt Institute’s campus at the Munson-Williams-Proctor Art Institute in Utica, New York, and other campuses in Nassau, Bahamas. The firm has also developed long term plans, and designed buildings, for Ohio State, the University of North Carolina, Cal Tech, Yale University, Hunter College, Georgetown, the Duke University Medical School, and many more.

Sparrows Group expands Africa presence following contract award for Tullow in Ghana

Thu, 10 Nov 2022 23:00:00 +0000

Sparrows Group (Sparrows), the engineering and maintenance services specialist for the global energy and industrial sectors, has secured a two-year contract to provide crane maintenance services onboard Tullow Oil’s FPSO Kwame Nkrumah (KNK) in Ghana.

The win follows a previous contract announcement in Angola earlier this year and expands Sparrows’ existing presence in the Africa region while being backed by over 45 years of global experience. Sparrows will be responsible for maintenance, performance, and reliability of the main deck cranes installed and in operation onboard the FPSO KNK, as well as the delivery of deck technicians and core specialists. In addition, the organisation will oversee the project management, troubleshooting, equipment changeouts, and technical engineering support related to the crane maintenance services. Sparrows will also provide certification of cranes, lifting equipment, hoists and winches, and rigging loft inventory management services.

Stewart Mitchell, Chief Executive Officer at Sparrows, said: “With over three decades of experience working in Africa, we’re delighted to be applying that knowledge and expertise on a new asset in the region. Africa currently presents a lot of exciting opportunities and is a major player in the energy space, so gaining a further foothold and expanding our in-country experience here is key to Sparrows’ growth, as well as demonstrating our commitment to the region.”

In addition to work secured in Ghana and Angola, Sparrows has recently been awarded an operations and maintenance project on a newly converted Mobile Offshore Production Unit (MOPU) offshore Gabon.

Sparrows currently has operations in several African countries including Angola, Ghana, Congo, Gabon, Senegal, Mauritania, Equatorial Guinea, Nigeria, and South Africa, and employs over 100 people across the continent.

Corecon Now Offers OCR with Document AI Functionality to Quickly Convert Vendor Invoices to Bills

Mon, 17 Oct 2022 13:00:47 +0000

Corecon Technologies, Inc., a leading provider of cloud-based estimating, project management and job-cost construction software, now offers OCR functionality as part of Corecon’s Procurement Module. For use by Corecon subscribers, as well as outside team members via Corecon’s TeamLink Portal, this new tool quickly extracts text from an invoice received in a PDF, PNG or JPEG format and converts it to a draft bill.

“Construction is a fast-paced industry, where every minute counts,” says Mid-Atlantic Building Services Office Manager Shawn Peterson. “Our company offers construction services to building owners and property managers in Hampton Roads, requiring manual data entry of approximately 200 vendor invoices per month into Corecon. The new OCR with document AI tool will streamline our accounting process, saving considerable time which we can devote to other processes.”

Taking typical OCR to the next level, this new tool uses artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze the invoice format and identifies fields on the form such as invoice number, supplier and line items. It also uses machine learning to detect patterns in the invoice related to a previously scanned document, making it easier to use in the future.

If a purchase order (PO) is referenced on the scanned document, Corecon has built-in workflow logic to show the PO to Bill Wizard so that the finalized bill will be linked back to the original PO. In addition, any missing information that may be required by Corecon, such as cost code references on line items, can be updated prior to finalizing the bill.

“We are always searching for ways to increase efficiency in construction operations, and this new feature is a tremendous timesaver,” says Corecon Technologies President Norman Wendl. “It is not uncommon for a construction company to have at least 100 vendor invoices per month requiring manual data entry into Corecon, especially if they self-perform work and have a lot of material-related transactions. With this new add-on tool, vendor invoices can be converted to bills almost instantaneously, saving considerable time, minimizing mistakes and eliminating duplicate data entry.

Existing Corecon subscribers can take advantage of the OCR with document AI add-on immediately, and pricing is based on the number of scans:

< 20 Scans / Month = $5/mo.
< 50 Scans / Month = $10/mo.
< 100 Scans / Month = $18/mo.
< 200 Scans / Month = $35/mo.
< 500 Scans / Month = $85/mo.
< 1000 Scans / Month = $150/mo.
< 1500 Scans / Month = $225/mo.
< 2000 Scans / Month = $300/mo.

About Corecon Technologies

Corecon Technologies provides construction estimating and project management software solutions for general contractors, subcontractors, homebuilders, developers, and engineering firms. Corecon’s construction software suite has received numerous industry awards and utilizes the latest cloud technologies to provide constant connectivity anywhere, anytime so firms can make quick and informed decisions whether using a notebook, tablet or smartphone. The firm is the only company with a cloud-based construction software on the market that provides business development, estimating, document control, contract administration, job cost control, scheduling and collaboration functionality, as well as integration options to popular accounting systems such as Intuit QuickBooks, Sage 50, SAP Business One® or Xero. Based in Huntington Beach, Calif., USA, the company was founded more than a decade ago by construction industry experts who seek to design software with cost-effective, user-friendly tools to ensure successful project delivery.

STV Celebrates Opening of Platt Technical High School in Milford, CT

Thu, 13 Oct 2022 22:00:51 +0000

STV joined in a ribbon cutting ceremony at the new Platt Technical High School facility in Milford, CT.

STV was hired by KBE, the construction administrator for the State of Connecticut’s Department of Construction Services, to provide move management and FF&E services for the new building. Services included meeting with end users to review and develop specifications for furniture, fixtures and equipment in all classrooms, laboratories and administrative areas throughout the new school.

Pictured L to R:

Matthew Peacock, KBE Project Manager
Bob Piacentini, KBE Project Superintendent
Toni Phillips, LEED, KBE Senior Project Engineer
Harshita Adapala, STV Assistant Project Manager

In Coal Country, Innovative Plan to ‘Build Back Better’ (WXY, Edward Tucker Architects, SB Friedman)

Mon, 10 Oct 2022 14:00:37 +0000

An innovative plan has been unveiled as part of a raft of initiatives in economically distressed Appalachian coalfield communities to both spur new jobs and create new development, much of it focused on renewable energy.

Designed by WXY architecture + urban design and Edward Tucker Architects along with SB Friedman for the community-based group Coalfield Development, leader of the new ACT Now Coalition in southern West Virginia, the plan promises to revitalize a long-closed and badly polluted factory into a hub for solar logistics and job training run by Solar Holler.

The Black Diamond project is just one of eight new projects advanced by Coalfield Development through the ACT Now Coalition, short for the Appalachian Climate Technologies Coalition. “The ACT Now region of southern WV is recognized by the U.S. Intergovernmental Council on Energy Communities as the most economically distressed and coal-impacted area in America,” according to the community-based nonprofit.

WXY’s director of urban design, David Vega-Barachowitz, describes the reimagining of the Black Diamond Factory site in Wayne County, W.V., to create the new Black Diamond Hub for Sustainable Economic Development. “The redevelopment plan includes a headquarters for expanding solar companies, recycling and reuse businesses, and bio-based manufacturing,” he explains. “We applaud Coalfield Development’s bold vision for the future of this site as a way to unlock investment in West Virginia and advance the new energy economy.”

Last month, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced the Black Diamond Factory project among $62.8 million total in new grant investments for West Virginia led by ACT Now Coalition, hailed by experts as “one of largest investments in climate technology ever for the state.”

Huntington-based Edward Tucker Architects and WXY worked with Coalfield to develop a conceptual plan and design for the Black Diamond property, partnering with GAI Consultants, and SB Friedman Development Advisors. Images and ideas for the transformation brought the grant proposal to life.

The ACT Now Coalition is one of only 21 winners nationwide in the highly competitive “Build Back Better Regional Challenge,” a $1 billion national initiative organized by U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA). The national challenge “aims to boost economic recovery from the pandemic and rebuild American communities, including those grappling with decades of disinvestment,” says EDA. Visit https://eda.gov/arpa/build-back-better/ for more details.

Mock chimney demolition project granted planning approval

Mon, 10 Oct 2022 13:00:00 +0000

PLANNING permission has been granted for a project which will be a key step in preparing for the next stage in the demolition of the iconic Pile 1 chimney at Sellafield.

Copeland Borough Council has approved plans from a collaboration of Cumbrian companies to construct a mock chimney structure to be used for demonstrating the use of an innovative demolition platform, which will be used to complete the demolition of the Pile 1 chimney in coming years.

The project is being led by ADAPT, a joint venture consisting of companies Altrad Babcock, Atkins and Orano, and they will be assisted by engineering firm Forth and other local companies to complete the essential trial run to ensure the demolition can be carried out safely, and effectively.

Sketches of the Hydraulic SPIDA machine set to be used to demolish an iconic chimney at Sellafield.

The work, to be carried out at Forth’s base in Leconfield Industrial Estate in Cleator Moor, will see a replica of the chimney constructed by DSD at the same circumference of 15m, but only 7m in height, and then demolished making use of a new SPIDA hydraulic platform designed by ADAPT and fabricated by Glasgow company Cairnhill Structures.

The trial run is standard procedure within the nuclear industry and is deemed necessary to ensure working practices are safe and sustainable ahead of any demolition work on an active, potentially hazardous, site.

During the trial, it is anticipated the project will create many new job opportunities in Cumbria with up to 30 people required on site each day.

Graham Cartwright, the projects director at Forth, said: “We are delighted to get the green light for this vital project as it will prove that the talent we have here in Cumbria can carry out such major operations.

“It’s important that this work is carried out in advance of the actual decommissioning of the Pile 1 chimney, and we’re looking forward to getting underway with the project.”

Paul Terry, Project Director for ADAPT said: “As a collective, we are very keen to keep jobs and work in the area and use local resources where we can. We are pleased to be able to make use of an unused area of Leconfield Industrial Estate.

“Demolishing the Pile 1 chimney at Sellafield will be a landmark moment for Cumbria, and we need to ensure that we have everything in place and in working order ahead of such a major project.”

Newforma Announces New Study “Finding Common Ground: The Future of Project Information Management”

Fri, 07 Oct 2022 19:00:10 +0000

Newforma, provider of Project Information Management (PIM) software for architects, engineers, contractors, and owners (AECO) worldwide, announces the release of its new thought leadership study, “Finding Common Ground: The Future of Project Information Management.”

The primary focus of this year’s research is to examine the pain points of sharing information across external firm boundaries and exchanges of information at critical points in the project life cycle, including the design process and the handoff from design to construction. By identifying where information bottlenecks in key workflow processes are occurring, project teams can focus improvement efforts on the areas that have the greatest impact to the project and the firm.

The research is comprised of two components: a survey conducted anonymously by the Dodge Data Network with respondents from 327 U.S. design and construction professionals, including 184 architects, 51 engineers, and 92 contractors. In addition, a closed-session roundtable panel was hosted by Newforma and the Construction Progress Coalition and included participants from Hargrove Engineering, HDR, Mortenson, RS&H, and The Walsh Group.

Findings from this year’s study highlight the major challenges faced by most firms, including 69% of respondents who say they cannot find the information needed to make informed decisions. However, survey results also reveal that project decisions are tracked through email and meeting minutes, and a lack of standard processes creates inconsistencies across projects. These may be contributing factors to issues with difficulty finding project information.

Two-thirds of respondents ranked collaboration and sharing project information with external team members as a major challenge. Almost half of respondents (47%) cite human error as the biggest challenge to effectively collaborating across project stakeholders. Errors commonly occur when data is manually entered across different platforms. In addition, information communicated primarily through email is subject to human error. As a result, over half (54%) of architects and engineers, and 61% of contractors commonly receive incomplete information.

We asked survey respondents how this year’s increase in workforce volatility impacts their ability to manage project information. The majority (68%) say that new staff members joining a project team will need to learn new processes and systems, with architects being most impacted by this factor (77%). In addition, errors occurring due to missing or inaccurate project information is also a factor that is particularly impacting many contractors (58%). As new team members ramp up on a project, training may not be provided, which can result in an increase in errors.

The panel insights combined with the survey results from this year’s study may help project teams benchmark their processes for collaborating and sharing information with the common goal of delivering excellent projects.

Assignar Kicks Off Expansion Plans with Launch into the UK Construction Market

Wed, 05 Oct 2022 14:00:24 +0000

Success in Australia Prompts Leading Construction Technology Provider to Expand Footprint to Europe

Assignar, the global leader in cloud-based construction operations software, today announces the expansion of its business operations into the United Kingdom. Assignar’s initial expansion will target the heavy civil, excavation, demolition and rail sectors.

The company is designed to bring all construction operations under a single view, making it particularly effective for highly regulated verticals. The platform allows contractors to remain compliant and safe in their operations with real-time visibility and communications across multiple projects.

“Assignar was designed from a boots-on-the-ground perspective because it’s the solution I needed for my contracting company,” explains Assignar CEO Sean McCreanor. “Contractors don’t need a hands-off management system. They need a tool they can take into the field that solves for common operational problems. And that’s what Assignar is purposefully designed to do.”

Construction in the UK has experienced impressive growth in recent years, and experts predict the industry to grow an additional 14% in 2022 alone. Additionally, the recent passing of the National Infrastructure and Construction Pipeline will funnel an additional £650 billion into the industry over the next ten years.

In recent years, the software provider has partnered with numerous UK-based contracting companies for their operations in Australia. Continued success with these clients, along with strong similarities between the nations’ construction markets, made this expansion a natural next step. The company aims to get a sample size of UK customers by the end of 2022 and will expand the team from there.

“It’s really exciting to be on the ground as we begin to expand our presence in the country and look to bring improved operations to the construction industry,” said Mark Milner, a Senior Account Executive at Assignar. “I’ve been reaching out to local contractors and people from my time working as a civil engineer. They’ve responded with a lot of excitement, especially in the traffic management and highway sectors. From my own experience, I know the UK market is more than ready for the tools offered in the Assignar platform.”

“London is a fantastic place to scale a global tech business,” said Laura Citron, CEO of London & Partners. “That’s why we’re delighted to welcome Assignar to London this October and are thrilled they have chosen to grow their team and operations in our thriving ecosystem. I look forward to seeing how Assignar will continue to go from strength to strength in providing safety and compliance for the UK’s construction sector.”

To learn more about how Assignar is providing tools that drive productivity, profitability and innovation for self-perform general and subcontractors, visit www.assignar.com.

HP Revolutionizes Construction Layout Process With New SitePrint Robotic Solution

Wed, 05 Oct 2022 13:00:21 +0000

HP SitePrint gives construction professionals as much as ten times the productivity of manual layout techniques

HP Inc. has today announced HP SitePrint, a robotic solution that prints the most complex construction site layouts with pinpoint accuracy, in a fraction of the time it takes manually – improving productivity by as much as ten times. HP SitePrint will be available to customers in North America through an Early Access Program, starting September 2022.

At $11.4 trillion, the construction sector represents 13 percent of the world’s GDP and shows a steady growth of 3.5% CAGR.²Despite this, the industry faces challenges in productivity and human resourcing. While labor productivity in manufacturing has grown an average 3.6 percent a year over the past two decades, the construction sector has only seen a 1 percent increase over the same time period, according to McKinsey.³

“Technology adoption and increased digitization can help construction firms realize productivity gains,” said Daniel Martínez, VP and General Manager, HP Large Format Printing. “HP has played a key role in bridging digital and physical worlds with print solutions for architects and engineers over the last thirty years. With HP SitePrint, we’re making it faster and easier than ever for construction professionals to bring an idea to life on site, while also providing layout accuracy and reducing costs derived from reworks.”

Ground-breaking performance and accuracy

HP SitePrint is an end-to-end, easy-to-use suite of technologies designed to automate the site layout process, consisting of:

A rugged and autonomous robotic device designed to operate in the conditions of the construction site. Light and compact, it is very transportable, including a hard case that fits all the solution components
Cloud tools to submit and prepare jobs to be printed, manage the fleet and track usage
A touch screen tablet for remote control and configuration
A portfolio of inks for different surfaces, environmental conditions, and durability requirements

Designed for autonomous operation, including obstacle avoidance, HP SitePrint can improve the productivity of the site layout process. It can print lines and complex objects with pinpoint accuracy and consistent repeatability, while text printing capabilities bring additional data from the digital model to the construction site, improving communication between construction professionals.

“The existing manual layout process can be slow and labor intensive. Despite being done by specialists, there is always the risk of human error, which can result in costly reworks,” said Albert Zulps, Director of Emerging Technology at Skanska – a global construction and development company currently utilizing HP SitePrint on two prominent US projects. “Layout experts are a scarce resource who add a lot of value in terms of planning and strategy, but often end up dedicating most of their time to manual execution. HP SitePrint lets us do more with less, helping reduce schedules thanks to a much faster layout process, and allowing senior operators to focus on other critical activities like quality control.”

Working with market leaders

The precise positioning and navigation of HP SitePrint on the job site are achieved by linking to a Robotic Total Station.

HP and Leica Geosystems, part of Hexagon, have collaborated to integrate HP SitePrint with the Leica TS16 and Leica iCON iCR80 Robotic Total Stations to provide high performance and a unique user experience.

HP and Topcon are collaborating to integrate HP SitePrint with the Topcon Layout Navigator and GT Robotic Total Stations.

HP will continue working to integrate HP SitePrint with key solutions in the market.

Early Access Program

Through over 80 pilot projects to date globally, HP SitePrint has been rigorously tested across multiple environments – including residential, parking, airport, and hospital projects. As part of the Early Access Program, HP SitePrint will be available to customers in North America starting in September 2022. The final product and wider commercial launch are planned for 2023.

More information about HP SitePrint and the Early Access Program can be found at https://www.hp.com/us-en/printers/site-print/layout-robot.html or the HP Construction Services LinkedIn page. HP will also be running demonstrations of HP SitePrint at the Autodesk University event, September 27-29^th, Room 268. Register your interest in a demo here.

BESIX: first stone is laid on global biopharmaceutical company UCB’s new development and manufacturing facility in Belgium

Tue, 04 Oct 2022 20:00:57 +0000

On 28 September, the construction of the Genesis facilities was officially launched by Client UCB, the Brussels-based global biopharmaceutical company, in the presence of Willy Borsus, Vice-President and Minister of Economy, External Commerce, Research and Innovation of the Walloon Region.

UCB awarded BESIX the contract to build these new facilities in Braine l’Alleud, Belgium, last March and the building is expected to be operational in 2024.

The 17,000 m² facilities being built by BESIX are designed to accommodate particularly innovative services and comply with highest environmental standards. They will house cutting-edge laboratories and development facilities, production areas, and office spaces. One of its special features is also the flexibility of the building, with the possibility of easily reconfiguring the interior spaces.

The new facilities are part of UCB’s wider strategic development plan to provide Gene Therapy capabilities, including laboratories and production facilities, at its Braine l’Alleud site. This new biotechnology facility, one of the largest and most modern in Belgium, is being built to support the company’s growth and prepare for the launch and long-term supply of future drugs currently in clinical development.

The Genesis building for UCB illustrates once more BESIX’s expertise in the building of state-of-the-art facilities for the pharmaceutical sector. BESIX has currently several other major pharmaceutical projects in its portfolio, as for example: the construction by affiliate Vanhout of a new production facility and warehouse for CAR T-cell therapy cancer treatment on behalf of a global pharmaceutical player in Zwijnaarde (Belgium) and the construction and commissioning of a new AU$800m large scale vaccine and anti-venom manufacturing facility in Melbourne (Australia) on behalf of one of the world’s largest influenza vaccine companies, by affiliate BESIX Watpac.

Alexandre Duthoit, Project Manager BESIX: “We are extremely proud that UCB has entrusted us with this complex project. We opted for methods that meet the company’s priorities, combining the required high quality with a fast construction process, based on the use of prefabricated concrete elements, and of course high safety measures. UCB can count on BESIX’s expertise, particularly in the construction of demanding buildings adapted to high-tech activities, to deliver the new facilities according to its expectations. We are very happy also to be contributing in our concrete way to UCB’s commitment to continuous innovation and laying a foundation for future success in gene therapy.”

McCarthy Begins Mobilization of Construction Workforce and Hiring for Leeward Renewable Energy’s 200 MW Horizon Solar Project in Texas

Thu, 29 Sep 2022 18:00:05 +0000

Project will have a peak on-site construction workforce of 300, creating new jobs in Frio County

McCarthy Building Companies has contracted with Leeward Renewable Energy (LRE) as the Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) Contractor for a utility-scale solar farm in Pearsall, Texas located approximately an hour southwest of San Antonio. McCarthy is responsible for the design, procurement, construction, and commissioning of the 200-megawatt (MWac) facility.

McCarthy’s Renewable Energy & Storage team is currently hiring approximately 150 more new craft workers to construct the Horizon Solar project, with new crews starting work in October. The project will have 300 construction workers on-site at peak construction. The majority of the workers will be recruited from the local area and the military veteran community. Area residents and military veterans interested in working on the solar project should visit www.McCarthy.com/careers/search, and select the city where the project is located to find job postings for positions ranging from entry level to experienced, including laborer, operator, crew lead, electrician and journeyman electrician. McCarthy will train workers seeking utility-scale solar construction experience.

McCarthy’s focus on hiring veterans led the company to create a veteran recruitment program with Adaptive Construction Solutions (ACS). Through the ACS program, McCarthy trains each apprentice via a combination of safety, on-the-job instruction, mentorship, and technical education. The program curriculum is designed to help veterans understand and develop the skills and knowledge essential to be successful on construction projects, supporting McCarthy’s national craft workforce training initiative.

“We are grateful to be part of bringing clean energy and jobs to Texas communities,” said Scott Canada, executive vice president of McCarthy’s Renewable Energy & Storage team. “With utility-scale solar construction jobs on the rise in Texas and around the country, we are continually working to help local skilled craft workers and veterans join our solar project teams and receive the training needed to develop rewarding careers in the growing renewable energy sector.”

The project will provide reliable, renewable energy and offset the equivalent emissions of more than 40,000 average Texas households. Horizon Solar will include solar components from leading American-based companies, including solar modules from First Solar and smart solar tracker solutions from NexTracker. The project is expected to reach commercial operation by the fourth quarter of 2023, with LRE continuing to own and operate the facility.

Sam Mangrum, LRE’s SVP of Project Execution commented, “Responsible development is a key tenet of LRE, which includes construction safety as well as giving back to the local communities by creating jobs and generating significant economic benefits. McCarthy has consistently embodied those ideals and we look forward to the successful completion of the Horizon project.”

McCarthy’s Renewable Energy and Storage group has built or is currently constructing nearly 80 utility-scale solar energy projects, delivering a combined capacity of more than 8.8 gigawatts (GW) of clean energy production and over 775 MW of energy storage since 2010. Nationally, McCarthy provides EPC services on utility-scale solar projects for private solar developers and utilities, helping them deliver cost-effective clean energy to the communities they serve.

Expertise in Sustainable Mass Timber Strategies: Buro Happold’s Paul Richardson and Yasmin Rehmanjee

Wed, 28 Sep 2022 22:00:20 +0000

Now that the International Building Code allows mass timber construction up to 18 stories tall, developers and architects in many U.S. jurisdictions are considering building big — with wood structures. A key reason is that life-cycle assessments of timber structures show vastly reduced embodied carbon, which directly impacts global warming

In one case – a new academic building for a major university – structures designer Buro Happold determined that a timber option would slash embodied carbon by more than half as compared to a comparable concrete structure.

“Mass timber offers newly viable options to significantly reduce embodied carbon in large-scale building projects,” says Paul Richardson, principal at Buro Happold and leader of the structural engineering team in their Boston office “By sourcing natural materials and building effectively, we’re making a powerful case for building to fulfill the ambitious visions of our clients while minimizing environmental impacts.”

Timber structure suppliers are similar to steel fabricators, says Richardson: They produce shop drawings and calculations, procure materials, and fabricate and ship them to the project site in coordination with the construction team. What’s different? The wood species, sizes, layups and connections are unlike steel detailing, and calculations demand experience and knowledge. That’s why Buro Happold advocates for early design assist services with a carefully written request for proposals, or RFP.

New Timber Projects

Done well, the results are both sustainable and beautiful. Richardson points to a number of recent institutional works involving Buro Happold’s structures team, led by women including partner Yasmin Rehmanjee in New York, and principal Suzanne Provanzana in Chicago, as well as principal Stephen Curtis in New York.

The latest examples include the new Recreation and Wellness Center at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut and their ongoing work on Amy Gutmann Hall at the University of Pennsylvania, notably the first mass timber structure in Philadelphia.

For Amy Gutmann Hall, Buro Happold is collaborating with the university and its architecture team of Lake|Flato and KSS Architects to create the new 116,000-square-foot building, consulting on structures, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineering, as well as lighting systems. Designed as an active, data-driven innovation center of six stories and incorporating novel bio-inspired computing paradigms and social science laboratories, the six-story project will also be among the tallest mass timber structures in the wider Pennsylvania region.

" class="CToWUd a6T" style="cursor: pointer; outline: 0px;" tabindex="0" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0?ui=2&ik=7c46dd4e8a&attid=0.1&permmsgid=msg-f:1745133444015689384&th=1837f59f08358ea8&view=fimg&fur=ip&sz=s0-l75-ft&attbid=ANGjdJ8Vyafp52Vwfnzwd_g3yjZgNvAlEDmM1kkHb0KXfsIWmcvxMPFu7ELz5rNXOxoPB7VOq06LquMcgjntZpqHMHIFMZRnWVNggPLHmWZA39f79BYqaZj2-DN5s2s&disp=emb&realattid=1837f59af4a5b006a1" alt="image002.jpg" border="0" data-image-whitelisted="" data-bit="iit" />

For Quinnipiac University’s Mount Carmel Campus in Hamden, Conn., the new health-centered multipurpose facility is designed with extensive recreational facilities, an updated wellness center, several fitness studios and outdoor terraces with a retractable wall opening to the exterior space. A key consideration in the project’s design — bringing the outdoors in and connecting surrounding natural areas — is considered essential to well-being. In line with this goal, the project is designed to achieve LEED Gold certification, including its incorporation of mass timber in an innovative structural design.

Climate Leadership & Timber

Buro Happold’s focus on mass timber is further demonstrated in its recent presentations, given to select audiences nationally, on “Mass Timber and Reducing Embodied Carbon.” Also of note is their upcoming white paper on sustainability in the aviation sector, with a central case study in the firm’s research: an unusually large-scale mass timber structure at the Portland International Airport. Through design work and field study, Buro Happold illustrates and advocates for the benefits of vertically integrated sourcing, design-assist delivery, and sustainable sourcing of natural materials.

While the production and implementation of structures made with steel and concrete emit carbon at high levels, mass timber represents significant amounts of captured carbon and can be used either exclusively or in combination with these more traditional mediums. By opting for mass timber over traditional systems, the engineering team can commit to maximum sustainability from the onset of a project. That has been a key motivation for Buro Happold’s decade-plus of work investigating design approaches for engineered wood materials including cross-laminated timber (CLT) and glue-laminated timber (glulam).

“Innovation in this area is one of the most effective tools available to continually reduce embodied carbon, and work toward a better built environment that is sustainable in every step from construction to operations to its longest-term impact on the climate,” adds Richardson.

" class="CToWUd a6T" style="cursor: pointer; outline: 0px;" tabindex="0" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0?ui=2&ik=7c46dd4e8a&attid=0.2&permmsgid=msg-f:1745133444015689384&th=1837f59f08358ea8&view=fimg&fur=ip&sz=s0-l75-ft&attbid=ANGjdJ8W7CH0xy6sItFQjF8aKgThmVJwhgR3tf4v1hTx0GArUe0eccreDUfskhaPeowll7pm_8mJU5x1mEXPlT4a1lqYgkjdHNx_yCcfMIWwd7bKhoGyeJvYlwFktNw&disp=emb&realattid=1837f59af4a6917eb2" alt="image003.jpg" border="0" data-image-whitelisted="" data-bit="iit" />

InEight’s focus on standardization and benchmarking in software Innovations Update drive increased efficiencies and improved project confidence

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 22:00:49 +0000

Latest developments to InEight’s construction project management platform introduce new design management and benchmarking practices, improving consistency and standardization across projects.

InEight Inc., a global leader in construction project management software, has today announced its latest software innovations, including new process standardizations across scope, design and resource management, as well as new progress tracking features and the ability to create benchmark-validated estimates and schedules. The update also refines InEight’s mobile app to facilitate immediate access to real-time information whether in the office, in the field, or on the go. Altogether the updates will improve project visibility, creating new opportunities for efficiencies while elevating team performance and increasing project certainty, including for design build and alternative delivery projects.

“To fully unlock the benefit of the industry’s ever-increasing access to data, we need greater standardization and better benchmarking tools,” said Brad Barth, Chief Product Officer at InEight. “Our latest updates focus on just that – creating new ways to generate actionable insights that will significantly improve on-time and on-budget performance.”

Increased real-time visibility of evolving design quantities and delivery dates, alongside easier tracking of progress against design scope will allow users to better manage resources, work plans, budgets, forecasts, schedules and procurement. These enhancements to InEight Design Management solution will improve the consistency of project delivery while standardizing the completion of design work.

InEight’s latest update to its benchmarking functionality will allow users to create benchmark-validated estimates and schedules using templates, resources and cost and assembly libraries. Users will be able to mine historical projects to compare as-estimated and as-built data points as well as evaluate estimates and schedules against high- and low- historic averages in a visually digestible graphs and consensus views.

The enhancements will also improve the functionality and user experience of InEight’s mobile app. With improved notifications, and progress and productivity tracking functionalities, mobile users can remain an active part of the project, anywhere, anytime. Mobile users will be able to immediately log issues, changes or requests for information directly in the app, as well as review up-to-date project data and metrics in a single dashboard without the need for a computer. Data updated in the app will be immediately accessible in the system so everyone, in the field or office, can be on the same page.

For more information about InEight’s quarterly innovations, visit: InEight Innovations

PROTECTING ENVIRONMENT WINS WAREHOUSE PROJECT OF YEAR FROM PLASTICS PIPE INSTITUTE

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 21:00:45 +0000

Miles of HDPE Pipe Used for Underground Stormwater Control System

To protect the environment of this area on the Pennsylvania/Maryland border, a new warehouse facility with a 1.5 million square foot building elected to use not one but five large underground stormwater storage units. The need for the watertight system that would be under the loading and parking areas was due to karst topography and the created impervious area of some 83 acres. One of the largest buildings and sites in Franklin County, the project used more than 17 miles of large diameter, corrugated high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe to construct the five large underground detention beds, one of which has 24,500 ft (4.64 miles) of 60-inch diameter pipe. It was named Project of the Year by the Drainage Division of the Plastics Pipe Institute, Inc. (PPI), the major North American trade association representing the plastic pipe industry.

“The size and scope of the project along with the high visibility of using HDPE pipe and its features and benefits are among the many reasons that this earned the Project of the Year honor,” explained David M. Fink, PPI president. “The project shows how the use of HDPE pipe can protect the environment, lower greenhouse gas emissions by reducing the number of truck loads as a result of nesting the light weight pipe. Plus, the pipe can be installed quickly with minimum crew and without heavy machinery while providing the owner with a lower installed cost versus other types of pipe or structures. There is also the fact that HDPE pipe can be made using a high amount of post-consumer recycled HDPE material, taking single use HDPE bottles, for example, and turning them into pipe that will last for generations”

The site civil engineer, Bohler, (Chalfont, PA) considered other materials, such as corrugated metal pipe (CMP) and precast chambers. Even though CMP could handle the deep burial depths that could reach 22 feet, the Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. (ADS) (NYSE: WMS) N-12^® HDPE pipe from 36 to 60 inches in diameter with the proper backfill was selected by Bohler primarily for its long service life. Depending on depth, the backfill consisted of Compacted Class I, Flowable Fill Concrete, or reinforced steel concrete encasement.

The largest of five retention beds was constructed from 24,500 ft (4.64 miles) of 60-inch diameter corrugated HDPE pipe. Photo shows the bed 50 percent completed.

For the riser/inspection ports, 179 twelve-inch ADS Nyloplast^® traffic-rated Inline Drain units were installed plus 119 ADS FlexStorm^® 2×4 SS Pure FTC (full trash capture) units provided environmental water quality protection.

“We wanted to not only meet but exceed updated Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection specifications,” stated Will Jager, EIT, assistant project manager for Bohler. “So, it was important that the system be watertight, and provide the ability to take care of total suspended solids.”

This project’s five large retention beds used more than 17 miles of ADS N-12 AASHTO pipe, as well as 862 fittings, gaskets.

“During just the past two years there has been a virtual explosion of new warehouse distribution centers being built,” said Daniel Currence, P.E., director of engineering for PPI’s Drainage Division. “The common thread in all these projects is the desire by the building owners and developers to include stormwater management systems that protect the environment. In Greencastle, the five retention beds can hold about 1.5 million gallons of water that will have a controlled output rate after being treated to remove total suspended solids and other pollutants. As this is probably the largest single-project use of corrugated HDPE pipe for stormwater management – one bed had 24,500 ft (4.64 miles) of 60-inch diameter pipe – the solution of using the HDPE pipe with its cost and time benefits magnify the versatility, strength, flexibility and long-life of the pipe.The key was the HDPE pipe that could be deeply buried, provided a very favorable installed cost and is rated to last at least a hundred years.”

The ADS N-12 dual-walled corrugated HDPE pipe is certified to meet CAN/CSA Standard B182.8, BNQ 3624-120 plus AASHTO Load Resistance Factor Design (LRFD) specifications The ADS N-12 pipe has a smooth inner wall to provide optimum hydraulic flow. Its structural strength from a corrugated outside will support H-25 live loads with 12 inches of minimum cover for most pipe diameters. Sections are joined together using the pipe’s watertight integral bell and spigot with a factory-installed gasket. The pipe requires no extra couplers to install. The watertight connection between sections at 10.8 psi meets or exceeds the ASTM 3212 lab test and the ASTM F2487 infiltration/exfiltration field test, conforming to Environmental Protection Agency guidelines.

ADS N-12 pipe meets the requirements for Type S pipe under the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) specifications M 252 and M 294. It can be specified for culverts, cross drains, storm sewers and other types of new and rehab projects.

“This is a sustainable solution that not only takes care of runoff but also makes use of recycled plastic in the manufacturing of the HDPE pipe,” Currence continued. “Corrugated HDPE pipe has the least environmental burden compared to other commonly used pipe for stormwater drainage and culvert applications. This was the conclusion of a life-cycle assessment study conducted Franklin & Associates. They investigated reinforced concrete, corrugated steel, PVC, and two types of corrugated HDPE pipe. HDPE pipe made with virgin resin and HDPE pipe made with recycled content were found to have the best overall sustainability rating.”

ADS is the largest plastic recycling company in North America using more than half a billion pounds of post-consumer plastic every year.

“The success of the project completed during the third quarter of 2021, shows the ability of HDPE pipe to provide a watertight retention system that is both cost effective and a superior, sustainable replacement for precast vaults, CMP and RCP systems,” Currence offered.

Additional information can be found at www.plasticpipe.org and www.plasticpipe.org/drainage.

Accelerate Maryland Partners Selects Tutor Perini Led Team as the Design and Construction Contractor for Phase 1 South of the New American Legion Bridge I-270 Traffic Relief Plan

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 17:00:41 +0000

Predevelopment and design work advance for regional High Occupancy Toll Lanes Public-Private Partnership (P3) project

After a competitive procurement process, Accelerate Maryland Partners LLC (AM Partners) selected Tutor Perini (NYSE: TPC) as the design and construction (D&C) contractor for Phase 1 South of Maryland’s New American Legion Bridge I-270 Traffic Relief Plan. The Tutor Perini team includes O&G Industries, Lunda Construction and Parsons Corporation (NYSE: PSN).

Together with AM Partners, these joint venture teams bring 50 years of combined experience delivering complex transportation projects across the National Capital Region with more than one billion dollars subcontracted to small, disadvantaged, minority-, women-, and veteran-owned businesses in the region alone.

The Tutor Perini team will work alongside AM Partners to drive value and efficiencies in the project’s design, pricing, and delivery prior to submission of a committed section proposal and execution of the D&C Contract.

“A project of this scale demands a strong team with the track record to collaborate and innovate,” said Pierce Coffee, president of Transurban North America. “We are confident the Tutor Perini team is the right partner to optimize the project as we work together to continue designing one of the largest public-private transportation projects in the nation to keep Maryland’s travelers and its economy moving.”

The New American Legion Bridge I-270 Traffic Relief Plan is expected to deliver critical congestion relief by replacing and expanding the American Legion Bridge connecting Maryland and Virginia while providing opportunities for new multi-modal travel options on two of the nation’s busiest interstate highways. Phase 1 South is expected to reduce system wide delays by up to 38% during peak travel periods and reduce congestion-related delays on local roads by 4.8% daily. The Public-Private Partnership provides new investments in transportation options for transit, car-poolers, and bicycles and pedestrians which do not exist today.

The New American Legion Bridge I-270 Traffic Relief Plan is estimated to generate $12.6 billion in construction-related economic activity, support 43,400 job-years of employment (a job-year is one job lasting for one year) and boost regional labor income by more than $3.3 billion, based on a 2022 assessment report conducted by the Center for Regional Analysis at George Mason University.

“Tutor Perini is proud to partner with AM Partners and the Maryland Department of Transportation to advance a project that maximizes travel benefits and long-term economic value, while minimizing impacts to the communities of the I-495 and I-270 corridors,” said Ronald Tutor, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Tutor Perini. “We bring a strong record of meeting or exceeding project participation goals for disadvantaged businesses and bring to bear the strength of our union and non-union contracting partners to put people to work.”

The approval of the Record of Decision (ROD) by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), and the selection of a D&C contractor, are important milestones along the approvals pathway to advance this critical transportation project for Maryland.

Tutor Perini was selected by AM Partners to advance work for Phase 1 South A and Phase 1 South B. Phase 1 South A consists of I-495 from the vicinity of the George Washington Memorial Parkway to I-270. Phase 1 South B extends from I-270 at I-495 to I-370. Tutor Perini’s team includes O&G Industries (for Phase 1 South A), Lunda Construction (for Phase 1 South B), as well as Parsons Corporation as the lead designer for both Phase 1 South A and B components.

Commenting on behalf of Maryland Transportation Builders and Materials Association (MTBMA), Michael Sakata, President, and CEO said, “MTBMA supports the infrastructure improvements associated with this project that will deliver much-needed congestion relief and a new American Legion Bridge to travelers across the region. Boosting Maryland’s economic competitiveness in the region is imperative as is ensuring a fair, open, and competitive procurement process that is inclusive of all our members (union, open shop, veteran, small, woman, disadvantaged, and minority-owned businesses.)”

Commenting on behalf of Laborers Union LU11, Dennis L. Martire, LIUNA Vice President and Mid-Atlantic Regional Manager said, “We are proud of our partnership with Tutor Perini, and we are excited to continue our partnership on the American Legion Bridge. I attribute the longevity of our partnership to our shared commitment to quality and safety. Together with Tutor Perini, we have created good, local jobs that bring workers into the middle class, and we look forward to doing that again on this critical project.”

Grand Reopening Celebration Marks Completion of New Merchants Bridge

Thu, 22 Sep 2022 14:00:26 +0000

Delivery of region’s highest priority infrastructure project will double volume of freight that can move through middle America

The 133-year-old Merchants Bridge celebrated its official grand reopening September 15, following the completion of a landmark $222 million project to replace the vital artery that links Missouri and Illinois near downtown St. Louis. Dating back to the 1890s, the Merchants Bridge serves six Class I railroads and Amtrak as a bridge crossing across the Mississippi River at St. Louis, and replacement of the structure has been the bi-state St. Louis region’s top freight infrastructure priority since 2016.

The event marked the culmination of almost a decade of planning and advocacy and four years of reconstruction to modernize this critical infrastructure over the Mississippi River, which is one of the nation’s primary east-west rail corridors serving one of America’s largest rail hubs by car interchange volume and gross tonnage. This project will double the capacity on the bridge, so it can facilitate two freight trains at the same time and move freight faster, more cost effectively and more reliably, providing a viable alternative to larger congested rail hubs like Chicago.

Elected officials and transportation leaders from Illinois and Missouri gathered with representatives from Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis (TRRA), Bi-State Development/St. Louis Regional Freightway, Bank of America St. Louis and Walsh Construction for the celebration, which was attended by approximately 150 invited guests. U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO) and Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Administrator Amit Bose were unable to attend but sent their congratulations in the form of a video message shared during the official program.

“By renovating the Merchants Bridge, the Terminal Railroad Association has brought it into the 21st century so it can remain a significant part of our freight network,” said U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL). “The newly reconstructed bridge will move freight faster, reduce delays for motorist and emergency vehicles, and provide reliability for Amtrak passengers. I’ll keep working to bring federal dollars back home to Illinois to support more infrastructure projects.”

“The improvements made to the Merchants Bridge will further strengthen the St. Louis region’s critical role in moving goods around the country,” said U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO). “Missouri’s location is one of our greatest economic advantages. The Mississippi River Valley is the biggest piece of contiguous farmland in the world and our state is where the nation’s major waterways, highways, and railways come together. I was proud to advocate for the investment necessary to improve this historic bridge and double its freight capacity. I congratulate all of the local leaders and stakeholders who were instrumental in getting this project done and look forward to seeing its positive impact on the region for decades to come.”

“Merchant’s Bridge is a vital link for freight and passenger rail in St. Louis and Illinois and beyond, and this reopening is a shining example of how the private sector, States, and the federal government can work together to deliver impactful projects,” said FRA Administrator Amit Bose. “FRA will support many more projects like the Merchant’s Bridge, and thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we’re going to keep investing in faster, safer, and more accessible rail infrastructure.”

Freight infrastructure needs and supply chain challenges have been top of mind in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, but TRRA’s work to deliver this project began long before the pandemic disrupted global supply chains in ways never before seen.

“In our 133-year history, TRRA had never previously built a bridge, but we were looking to the future and the growth in freight volumes expected in the next 30 years and knew that replacing the Merchants Bridge and adding the needed capacity would be essential for us to capture some of that increased volume and solidify the region’s positioning as global freight hub,” said Asim Raza, Chief Legal Officer, Director of Corporate Affairs for Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis, which owns the bridge. “Our collaboration with the St. Louis Regional Freightway to position this project as the region’s #1 infrastructure project priority helped garner the national attention needed to secure federal funding, and today’s celebration is a signature moment to highlight the success of the bi-state, bi-partisan, public-private partnership that made this project possible.”

The Merchants Bridge required reconstruction due to speed, clearance and load restrictions. Not replacing the Merchants Bridge would have resulted in rail traffic being rerouted out of the bi-state St. Louis region, potentially limiting shipping options for area rail-reliant businesses, increasing costs and lost jobs, and adding stress to an already over-burdened U.S. supply chain network.

“Illinois is the transportation hub of North America, with the Metro East at the center of a robust multimodal network that’s crucial to the country’s mobility, supply chain and freight activity,” said Illinois Transportation Secretary Omer Osman. “Under Gov. Pritzker, we have been reinvesting in this critical asset in Illinois, creating and retaining jobs while keeping the state and the region competitive in the global marketplace. The new Merchants Bridge not only fixes an existing problem, but sets the stage for continued economic opportunity in the Metro East for generations to come.”

“Rebuilding this bridge was a must for Missouri and the nation. With Missouri’s central location and St Louis’ status as one of the nation’s largest rail terminals by interchange and volume, Americans depend upon this connection,” said Jerica Holtsclaw, Director of Multimodal Operations for the Missouri Department of Transportation. “This crucial crossing is vital to Missouri farmers and businesses providing access to markets and connecting them to the global economy.”

The added capacity of the new bridge will help reduce the frequency of mile-long blockages along the St. Louis Riverfront and address one of the chokepoints in the nation’s supply chain network, positioning the St. Louis region to accommodate growing freight demands.

“Replacement of the 132-year-old Merchants Bridge was essential to strengthen our region as a world-class freight hub benefitting all modes of transportation, and to improve the nation’s freight network and support future competitiveness and growth. We salute TRRA and the various partners who helped to deliver the region’s highest priority freight infrastructure project and believe this project demonstrates just how much we can accomplish as a region when we work together,” said Mary Lamie, Executive Vice President – Multi Modal Enterprises at Bi-State Development. Bi-State Development launched the St. Louis Regional Freightway in 2014 with a key goal of advancing infrastructure projects that support the movement of freight through the bi-state St. Louis region.

The Merchants Bridge also serves Amtrak and is a main component of the Chicago to St. Louis high-speed rail corridor. The ability to utilize both the eastbound and westbound tracks at the same time upon completion will be an advantage during delays on the route, helping to increase average Amtrak speeds through the downtown St. Louis portion of the trip. Prior to the reconstruction, only one train could cross the bridge at a time due to weight restrictions.

“Our railways serve as a key connector between St. Louis and other regions for travel and commerce,” said St. Louis Mayor Tishaura O. Jones. “I am glad to see this modernized project finally come to completion so we can welcome more visitors into St. Louis.”

“Today, we celebrate the public-private partnership that has delivered this magnificent new bridge. It is a structure built to meet projected future freight and passenger rail demand. It is critical for continued economic growth in our region,” said Tyrone Echols, Mayor of the City of Venice, Illinois.

The overall project included the removal and replacement of the three river-span trusses, seismically retrofitting the existing river piers, and improving the east approach. As a design-bid-build project, led by General Contractor Walsh Construction, reconstruction of the bridge used innovative project delivery methods that have improved safety and speeded completion while limiting bridge and river traffic outages. Through careful planning and coordination, the project team was able to limit the number of days of rail outages to just 30 days over the four years of the project. TranSystems and Burns & McDonnell served as the lead project engineers, while the steel was fabricated by Veritas Steel in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

“Walsh Construction is proud to work with TRRA and our project partners to unveil the latest renewal of American infrastructure – Merchants Bridge; a revived, high-quality and sustainable connection that is ready to accept freight and commuter rail traffic simultaneously,” said Matt Walsh, co-chairman at The Walsh Group. “The men and women of this project have delivered an engineering marvel; from retrofitting the existing piers to installing three nine-million pound trusses, all while adhering to the highest standards of safety and quality.”

In 2020, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) awarded TRRA a $21.45 million Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) grant toward replacement of the Merchants Bridge. TRRA is providing 90% of the construction costs, making this project a model for public-private partnerships. The construction financing was secured through Bank of America.

“Throughout our 175-year history in St. Louis, Bank of America has been honored to play a role in so many initiatives critical to the success of St. Louis. The new Merchants Bridge is another example which showcases the success that results from collaboration among so many entities,” said Marilyn Bush, President, Bank of America St. Louis. “We’re excited to see the positive impact this will have on St. Louis and the supply chain needs across the country.”

TRRA President Brent Wood highlighted the importance of the Merchants Bridge to the regional and national supply chains and shared insight on the regional economic impact of the project to replace it.

“This project supported 1,100 construction-related prevailing wage jobs as the work progressed over the past four years to deliver a new structure with increased national rail and multi-modal capacity, resilience and redundancy, and the economic benefits of this new bridge will be both immediate and long lasting,” said Wood. “Just as important, we estimate TRRA’s economic impact in the region will almost double, as we generate more than $456 million in local economic activity over a 20-year period.”

TRRA further anticipates the region will see more than $370 million in operational savings from reductions in delays, rerouting and operations and maintenance. Even as TRRA celebrates the conclusion of its first major infrastructure project, the organization is already working on an additional expansion of its operations in the bi-state St. Louis region. The planned $52 million St. Louis Multi-Modal Freight Yard Expansion at Madison Yard (IL) will expand railcar capacity by approximately 1,500 cars, further strengthening the region’s rail freight and supply chain networks.

LAND & WATER STARTS WORKS AT ICONIC NATIONAL TRUST PROPERTY

Wed, 21 Sep 2022 17:00:40 +0000

Leading wet civil engineering firm Land & Water is set to start work at the iconic National Trust property, Buscot House in Oxfordshire, this month.

The house, which is open to visitors whilst also being home to Lord Faringdon, was built in the 18^th century for a local landowner and changed hands in 1889 when the current owners Great Grandfather purchased the property and its grounds. The estate was then enlarged greatly with Harold Peto being commissioned to design the now famous Italianate water gardens.

Land & Water will be carrying out crest embankment protection works to the property’s lake, in response to a reservoir engineering inspection, as well as reinstating a currently redundant ancillary spillway. This is important work in order to preserve the integrity of the waterway. The project, which is worth over £400,000, is estimated to be completed by the end of this year.

Lucy Lee, Contracts Manager at Land & Water, said: “We are excited to start this project in conjunction with Binnies. It is a very notable project for us and we are proud to nurture our relationship with the National Trust.

“Safeguarding historical landscapes for the future is something that Land & Water prides itself on. We are very much looking forward to protecting the lake that lies within the grounds of Buscot House.”

Land & Water has successfully worked at many iconic, historical locations across the country including the first dredge of Queen’s Pool at Blenheim Palace within 100 years, which is part of wider restoration works as well as a project at the iconic home of Polo, Hurlingham Club, London.

Board Approves Port of Long Beach Dredging Projects

Tue, 20 Sep 2022 12:00:40 +0000

Deepening will improve navigation, ease emissions, boost safety

A critical channel deepening project that will help move cargo more efficiently to and from the U.S. advanced Monday after the Long Beach Harbor Commission concluded an extensive environmental review process and greenlit the endeavor.

The work will also allow the Port to welcome newer, cleaner, and more efficient cargo vessels. The Port of Long Beach and the federal government will share the costs, estimated at almost $170 million. The Port’s portion is estimated at $109 million.

“By improving navigation in Long Beach Harbor, goods will speed faster around the supply chain, yielding enormous economic benefits for our city, region, and the nation,” said Harbor Commission President Sharon L. Weissman. “At the same time, it will make operations safer and help lessen environmental impacts on our community.”

“We already accommodate some of the largest ships in the world here,” said Port of Long Beach Executive Director Mario Cordero. “Deepening and improving our waterways will give these vessels more room to maneuver, and to do so more efficiently by taking on more containers, reducing the number of ship calls and associated emissions.”

Among other features, the project includes deepening the Long Beach Approach Channel from 76 feet to 80 feet deep, easing turning bends in the Main Channel to deepen a wider area to 76 feet, deepening parts of the West Basin from 50 to 55 feet, constructing an approach channel and turning basin to Pier J South with a depth of 55 feet, improving the breakwaters at the entrance to Pier J, and depositing dredged material in nearshore sites for refuse or in federally approved ocean disposal sites.

Last October, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers concluded a multi-year federal study that showed deepening and widening channels in the harbor would lead to improved vessel navigation, safety, and national economic benefits of almost $21 million annually. In July, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issued a Record of Decision concluding the federal environmental review process for the project. The important milestone opens the way for projects to compete for federal funding. An environmental impact report the Commission approved Monday is available at www.polb.com/ceqa.

The Port of Long Beach is one of the world’s premier seaports, a gateway for trans-Pacific trade and a trailblazer in goods movement and environmental stewardship. With 175 shipping lines connecting Long Beach to 217 seaports, the Port handles $200 billion in trade annually, supporting more than 575,000 Southern California jobs.

Port of Long Beach Previews Path to Zero Emissions

Mon, 19 Sep 2022 21:00:46 +0000

4 Gen Logistics unveils equipment for a zero-emissions truck fleet by 2025

The Port of Long Beach and its industry partners showed Tuesday how one port trucking company is converting to a full zero-emissions trucking fleet three years from now, a full decade before the 2035 zero-emissions goal set by the Clean Air Action Plan.

The announcement was made at 4 Gen Logistics in the Port of Long Beach, where Electrify America will install 60 public charging stations by the end of 2023 to serve its own fleet of electric trucks, as well as other companies’ trucks. 4 Gen will also purchase 41 Volvo and 20 Kenworth electric heavy-duty trucks, with plans eventually calling for a 100-vehicle zero emissions fleet. In addition, 4 Gen’s site in Rialto will host 30 charging stations. Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia, Port officials, and representatives from Volvo, Kenworth, Electrify America, the South Coast Air Quality Management District, the California Air Resources Board, and CALSTART gathered to celebrate the company’s plans.

Standing near a model charging station and zero-emissions, heavy-duty electric trucks, Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia noted the changeover to cleaner trucks at the nation’s largest seaport complex will be supported by the Clean Truck Fund rate, which is expected to generate $90 million in its first year, or $45 million each for the Port of Long Beach and Port of Los Angeles.

“The Clean Truck Fund rate has been a huge step forward as we transition to a zero-emissions trucking fleet by 2035,” Garcia said. “It’s exciting to see this kind of true zero-emission technology be put into operation at our Port and help to improve air quality across our region.”

Port of Long Beach Executive Director Mario Cordero noted the progress being made by the Port in the quest for zero emissions. For example, about $70 million in grant funding has been secured to support $150 million in demonstration projects that are deploying zero-emissions and near zero-emissions cargo handling equipment and trucks at Port of Long Beach terminals and on the roads of Southern California.

“Together, let’s transform this industry and show the world it’s possible to eliminate the emissions that are harming health and heating up the planet,” Cordero said. “And let us lead by example.”

“We are continuing a mission begun by the Harbor Commission and Port staff in 2005, when the Green Port Policy was adopted,” said Long Beach Harbor Commission President Sharon L. Weissman. “The future is zero emissions, and alongside partners such as 4 Gen Logistics, Electrify America, Volvo and Kenworth, we are going to lead the industry there.”

The Port of Long Beach has set an industry-leading goal to achieve zero-emissions drayage trucking by 2035. Collection of the Clean Truck Fund rate began on April 1, 2022. Cargo owners are paying up to $20 per loaded container hauled by drayage trucks in and out of the container terminals. Exemptions from the rate are provided for loaded containers hauled by zero-emissions trucks, and under limited circumstances, by low-nitrogen oxide trucks. Each port’s tariff requires payment of the CTF rate by cargo owners or their authorized agents, and includes a provision prohibiting payment by drayage trucks or operators.

Phasing out older, more polluting trucks has been key to clean air gains the San Pedro Bay ports have made since the original Clean Truck programs were launched in 2008. Diesel emissions from trucks have been cut by as much as 97% compared to 2005 levels.

Learn more about the Port of Long Beach’s environmental programs at www.polb.com/environment.

Hill International to Deliver Project Management Services for the Development of a New High-End, Office Complex in Athens, Greece

Mon, 19 Sep 2022 16:00:45 +0000

Hill International (NYSE:HIL), delivering the infrastructure of change, announced today it was selected by Noval Property, the second-largest Real Estate Investment Company (REIC) in Greece and Brook Lane Capital, a private equity firm, to deliver construction and project management services including design management and review, cost consulting, construction procurement, and construction supervision services, among others, for a 56,000 SM high-end office complex in Athens, Greece.

The project is located on a 16,000 SM plot, located in the Maroussi area on a former Kodak property, and involves the construction of an office complex of four, five-story buildings (including mezzanines) comprising offices and commercial spaces with three basements for 600-space parking lots and auxiliary uses. The development is also expected to include 6,400 SM surrounding landscaped areas and 3,200 SM of landscaping for public use.

Designed by the renowned UK-based architectural firm Foster and Partners (as Lead Design Architect), in collaboration with several Greek design firms, the project aims to achieve a minimum LEED Gold certification and a rank at the highest energy efficiency category available from the Greek Regulation for Buildings Energy Efficiency (KENAK A+).

Manolis Sigalas, Hill First Vice President & Managing Director Southern Europe, said of the award: “Athens is an exciting market filled with world-class developments and is in much need of quality office space to accommodate surging demand from international blue-chip tenants and local businesses. This project is sure to stand out among the city’s many new attractions and destinations given our client’s vision, the creativity of the design team, and the potential of the site in the Maroussi area.”

Hill International CEO Raouf Ghali added: “Mixed-use developments present a unique set of challenges, especially when built in a bustling urban area, but Hill excels in realizing these high-profile projects as envisioned. We have a distinctive operational presence in Greece and I’m looking forward to seeing our team leverage Hill’s best practices to realize this latest landmark project.”

A Water Engineering Legend Arises from Loch Ness

Wed, 07 Sep 2022 21:00:16 +0000

This month, a new water treatment plant and distribution network comes into operation in the Loch Ness region. Since the project began in 2018, it has stretched the problem-solving abilities of its engineers, innovated UK-firsts, crossed international teams, and garnered several industry awards for the solutions forged during its construction.

Credit: Scottish Water

The project was led by ESD Joint Venture, which brings together Galliford Try, MWH Treatment and Binnies, on behalf of client Scottish Water. The objective was to secure the long-term supply of clear, fresh and great-tasting drinking water to the bustling communities of Fort Augustus and Glenmoriston, with capacity to meet significant peaks in demand during the tourist season.

The four-year project, one of the biggest drinking water investments made by Scottish Water in recent years, involved some unique engineering challenges. In constructing a new treatment works, ESD also had to create a new intake system from Loch Ness and then create a distribution system to connect two previously separate water supply areas. This includes creation of two service reservoirs – one on high ground north of Fort Augustus; and one which re-uses part of Invermoriston’s previous Water Treatment Works to provide improved resilience to the area.

A core challenge was that the route of the connecting pipework had to follow a 10km section of the famous Great Glen Way. This was the only viable option on the steep slopes above Loch Ness, avoiding major disruption either to the A82 trunk road or to woodland habitat.

Credit: Scottish Water

Within Fort Augustus, a new water main crossing also had to be achieved beneath the River Oich and the 200-year-old Caledonian Canal, one of the Highlands most popular visitor attractions and a Scheduled Ancient Monument. This work had to navigate unique topography and ground conditions, both natural and man-made, while safeguarding both the structure of the Canal and the local environment.

Underwater engineering innovation

Two major complications arose during the underwater phases of work. The new intake system required the installation of a 75m pipeline on the floor of Loch Ness, Scotland’s (and the UK’s) largest freshwater loch, within the dramatic landscape and distinctive ecology created by the Great Glen Fault.

To avoid using concrete, a novel approach for anchoring the pipe in place was developed instead, using mesh bags filled with rocks as the main structure to secure the water intake. Disruption to the loch was further minimised by assembling the pipes on land and then floating them into place using a ballast and concrete collars for positioning.

The team also deployed a silt curtain technology to protect the sensitive underwater environment by containing turbidity during the construction process. They won a Silver Scottish Green Apple Award in 2020 as well as an international Green Apple Award for their environmental management.

Another task was to use horizontal directional drilling and pipe borings for the 350 metres of distribution pipes that would run under the River Oich and the Caledonian Canal. Soon after drilling began, engineers noticed a loss of drilling fluid (which maintains the drill’s stability and transports cuttings to the surface), indicating that the drill had encountered voids in the rubble used by the Canal’s 19th century builders.

An alternative solution for the Canal was developed utilising a pioneering hammer-driven auger bore technology sourced by Nicol of Skene from Finnish company Geonex. The solution offered enhanced ability to deal with variations in ground conditions, suitability for crossing beneath water courses with only minimal separation, and speed of set up. This was the first time this approach had been used on a Scottish engineering project and the crossing length exceeded the normal limit for the technology.

Efficiencies and improvements gained

Working to restricted windows around the tourist season and salmon migration cycle, the team had to find significant operational efficiencies as the project progressed. One approach was to shift assembly of the treatment plant offsite to sub-contractor RSE’s factory in Muir of Ord, where the 12 modules for the building were designed, fabricated, assembled, tested and pre-commissioned. Only 15% of the total project hours were spent onsite, which greatly improved the cost, health and safety and carbon performance of the project.

The new water treatment works, which has just gone into supply, use nano-filtration membrane technology – a process ideally suited to the removal of organic matter that uses fewer chemicals, and generally has a lower carbon footprint. It also uses chloramination rather than chlorination. This process is increasingly common in Scotland and provides greater residual disinfection in the distribution system in addition to improving the taste of the water.

Wendy Cooper, Chief Operating Officer, ESD, commented: “The Loch Ness project has encountered many challenges along the way, but the team has managed to achieve excellence in delivery – and in a way that is sustainable and sensitive to the outstanding natural landscape and the local communities. This is all down to the combined efforts of the Scottish Water team, ESD, key supplier RSE, and local supply chain companies, including many from the Highland region.”

Mark Dickson, Director of Capital Investment, Scottish Water, added: “A mix of new technologies, digital approaches and ingenuity have driven this project and enabled it to overcome some significant challenges. By working closely with the Highland Council, local businesses and communities, we hope that we have left a positive legacy, both in terms of what has been built and the way it has been achieved. Most importantly, we have enabled customers to be supplied with clear, fresh and great-tasting drinking water on a sustainable basis for decades to come.”

STV Leading Construction Management of Vital Portal North Bridge

Wed, 07 Sep 2022 14:00:06 +0000

Milestone project will improve capacity and increase speed

SECAUCUS, N.J. – STV, a leader in engineering, architectural, and program and construction management services, celebrated a critical funding agreement recently reached for the first phase of Amtrak’s historic Gateway Program.

The program, dedicated to advancing and upgrading passenger and freight rail access in New York and New Jersey, includes funding for the $1.56 billion replacement of the 112-year-old Portal Bridge, for which STV, in a joint venture, is providing construction management and inspection services. Construction on the project began in April of this year.

The structure will be replaced with a new, two-track, high-level, fixed-span bridge that will rise 50 feet over the Hackensack River in New Jersey, allowing marine traffic to pass underneath without interrupting rail traffic.

Portal North Bridge

“The bridge is located within a 2.4-mile corridor, serving two of the most active passenger rail lines in North America: NJ TRANSIT and Amtrak,” said Jim Takacs, P.E., CCM, STV senior associate and deputy project manager. “This project requires complex construction management, phasing and staging to maintain active rail service while the bridge replacement is underway, and STV is thrilled that this agreement will allow us to continue our work on this essential project for the community.”

Since the Portal Bridge was originally constructed in 1910, it has become the busiest rail span in the entire Western Hemisphere. At peak usage, more than 450 trains pass over the bridge every day carrying more than 200,000 Amtrak and NJ TRANSIT customers according to the Federal Transit Administration.

STV has provided engineering, design and other professional services for the rail industry for more than 40 years. The firm’s bridge capabilities include coastal bridges as well as bridge widenings and replacement projects for fixed, movable, long-span and viaduct structures. The firm has worked on such iconic structures as the Longfellow Bridge in Massachusetts and the Grand Avenue Bridge in Connecticut. The firm has also supported a broad range of rail and transit initiatives that has earned it a reputation as a leader in transportation infrastructure planning, design and construction management.

For more information about STV, visit www.stvinc.com.

Hill International to Provide Project Management and Supervision Consultancy Services for the International Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Research and Therapeutic Center in Egypt

Tue, 06 Sep 2022 22:00:22 +0000

Hill International (NYSE:HIL), delivering the infrastructure of change, announced today it was selected by Egypt’s Ministry of Defense to provide project management and supervision consultancy services for the International Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Research and Therapeutic Center project. The project represents the latest effort of the Egyptian Armed forces to enrich the country’s healthcare sector.

The project consists of three components: a research facility, an animal welfare facility, and a bioreactor facility. In cooperation with academic, industrial, governmental, and non-governmental institutions, Center staff will use these new facilities to conduct basic and preclinical studies as well as clinical trials with stem cells. Ultimately, the project will leverage the therapeutic potential of stem cells to develop cellular therapies, tissues, and organs to advance regenerative medicine and promote health and welfare in Egypt and around the world.

Hill Senior Vice President and Managing Director for Africa Waleed Abdel-Fattah says: “The International Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Research and Therapeutic Center will require the latest in building systems and medical technology. Our team has helped to manage cutting-edge healthcare research and hospital facilities across the region, and we will use our expertise to make certain the new Center is realized as planned.”

“This project represents a great step for the country,” adds Hill Chief Executive Officer Raouf Ghali. “It will benefit Egyptians by advancing healthcare for all, continue the country’s growth trajectory, and position Egypt to make contributions of global significance to stem cell research. Hill is proud to add such an impactful project to our portfolio in the country.”

About Hill International

Hill International, with more than 3,200 professionals in over 100 offices worldwide, provides program management, project management, construction management, project management oversight, construction claims, dispute resolution, advisory, facilities management, and other consulting services to clients in a variety of market sectors. Engineering News-Record magazine recently ranked Hill as one of the largest construction management firms in the United States. For more information on Hill, please visit our website at www.hillintl.com.

Maintaining pressure in the field

Wed, 31 Aug 2022 15:00:41 +0000

New FPSO vessel heading to Brazil equipped with advanced Sulzer pumps

An increase in demand for oil and gas has hailed the resumption of projects to deliver more floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessels. Recent announcements have included the first round of tenders for equipment destined for the Parque das Baleias (Whale Park) FPSO, a process that has seen the water injection pumps being awarded to Sulzer.

Due to be located 77 km offshore from Espirito Santo, Brazil, the Whale Park FPSO will operate in 1’400 m deep waters, processing 100’000 barrels of oil and 5 million cubic meters of natural gas per day. The project is expected to have an ambitious delivery time with first oil on deck targeted by 2024. As the leading supplier of water injection pumps for this application, Sulzer has the facilities and expertise to deliver these key assets to the project and help realize this timeline.

Sulzer has a long-standing relationship with the engineering procurement and construction (EPC) company, which appreciates the efficiency and reliability of Sulzer’s pumps. In this case, Sulzer will be supplying four packaged pump sets, which include a 9.7 MW motor, the 8-stage HPcp pump and all the auxiliary equipment required for the challenging offshore environment.

Steve Jackson – Head of Global FPSO Market for Sulzer, comments: “As the leading supplier of water injection pumps to this market, Sulzer has a reputation for delivering high-quality pump packages that deliver long-term reliability and efficiency. Our product range includes many other applications on these vessels and we are well-positioned to provide engineered solutions to support FPSOs.”

Sulzer will be supplying four packaged pump sets, which include a 9.7 MW motor, the 8-stage HPcp pump and all the auxiliary equipment required for the challenging offshore environment.

About Sulzer:

Sulzer is a global leader in fluid engineering. We specialize in pumping, agitation, mixing, separation and application technologies for fluids of all types. Our customers benefit from our commitment to innovation, performance and quality and from our responsive network of 180 world-class production facilities and service centers across the globe. Sulzer has been headquartered in Winterthur, Switzerland, since 1834. In 2021, our 13’800 employees delivered revenues of CHF 3.2 billion. Our shares are traded on the SIX Swiss Exchange (SIX: SUN). www.sulzer.com. The Flow Equipment division specializes in pumping solutions specifically engineered for the processes of our customers. We provide pumps, agitators, compressors, grinders, screens and filters developed through intensive research and development in fluid dynamics and advanced materials. We are a market leader in pumping solutions for water, oil and gas, power, chemicals and most industrial segments.

www.sulzer.com

AISI STANDARDS COUNCIL SEEKS PROPOSALS FOR SMALL PROJECTS AND FELLOWSHIPS TO BE AWARDED IN 2023

Tue, 30 Aug 2022 18:00:12 +0000

Proposals must be submitted to AISI by October 15, 2022

The American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) Standards Council is seeking research proposals for its 2023 Small Project/Fellowship Program. Launched in 2014, AISI’s Small Project/Fellowship Program identifies and provides funding for research projects that will significantly impact the reliability, performance and cost-competitiveness of cold-formed steel (CFS) products. The program provides a streamlined mechanism for AISI’s standards development committees (the Committee on Specifications and the Committee on Framing Standards), industry stakeholders, academics and students to collaborate on relatively short-term, highly focused and mutually beneficial projects.

The small project and fellowship requests should be developed and submitted by a project team that includes a student (if known at the time of submittal), an academic advisor from the student’s academic institution and an industry advisor. Either the academic advisor or industry advisor must be a member of the relevant AISI standards developing committee. Project selections are based on several factors, including: 1) the potential for long-term impact on the industry, 2) steel industry engagement and co-funding, and 3) results for the AISI standards development committees, the student, and the academic institution.

AISI funding is limited to $10,000 on small projects, which include stated deliverables; and $6,000 on individual fellowships, which do not include overhead expenses. AISI anticipates funding three to six projects in 2023. Project ideas may be generated by the AISI standards developing committee, industry advisor, academic advisor or student. A list of potential project ideas is available from Helen Chen, manager of AISI Construction Standards Development, who can be reached at hchen@steel.org.

Proposals for the 2023 Small Project/Fellowship Program are due to AISI by October 15, 2022. Requests should be submitted via e-mail to Jay Larson, secretary of the AISI Standards Council, at jlarson@steel.org. Winning projects will be determined and announced by the AISI Standards Council by January 15, 2023.

AISI’s Standards Council initiates cold-formed steel standards development projects and maintains accreditation by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). AISI has a long history of supporting academic research in pursuit of its standards development objectives. These efforts have generally been driven by the AISI standards developing committees and focused on stakeholder objectives. AISI understands that the effective engagement of academics and students is mutually beneficial and often yields maximum benefits for the industry.

Safe Site Check In Brings Digital Transformation to Construction Workforce Management

Tue, 03 May 2022 21:00:57 +0000

New features in Jobsite Management Platform reduce construction labor gap and lower risks for general contractors

SAN FRANCISCO – The Safe Site Check In jobsite management platform’s newest features address three of the biggest challenges facing the construction industry. The first challenge is the skilled worker shortage. According to the Associated General Contractors of America, 89% of contractors are having a difficult time finding qualified workers to hire, therefore impacting the time and cost of building. The second challenge is ensuring maximum productivity and profitability on each job site without compromising safety. And the third challenge is addressing the industry’s digital transformation with technology that is easy to use and delivers rapid improvements in efficiency and productivity.

Safe Site Check In Workforce features:

Worker Profiles: Site supervisors can now know the skills, certifications, safety training, licenses, and completed projects of every worker on their jobsite. Skilled tradespeople have the opportunity to showcase their expertise by completing their profile, which is linked to Safe Site Check In jobsite data. Profile data can be used to better enforce safety procedures and ensure compliance.

Verifiable digital check-in data: Workers, subcontractors and visitors can digitally confirm they have read and understand jobsite requirements, watched training videos, attended safety talks, or agree to any additional waivers or compliance forms required at a site.

Reduced risk of litigation: To mitigate legal risks, general contractors can customize the questions workers, subcontractors and visitors are asked on the jobsite, can view and audit the responses, and have a digital record in the event of an incident or investigation.

Integration with project management platforms: Safe Site Check In eliminates time consuming data entry on the jobsite. The check in data includes workers and subcontractors, their location and assignment. This information is crowdsourced to quickly populate the daily log and can be easily uploaded into project management platforms including Procore.

“The construction industry was disrupted by the pandemic, supply chain issues, and the labor shortage. And yet the demand for commercial and residential projects remains high,” said Amanda Joinson, director of marketing and administration, Phelps Construction Group. “The only way to keep up is through the use of digital transformation products like Safe Site Check In. It allows us to identify and proactively address unnecessary admin and labor costs while protecting our clients, projects, and business.”

To use Safe Site Check In Workforce, general contractors go to the Safe Site Check In website to select the Advanced Edition and within minutes can quickly set up a QR-coded check-in site. When construction workers and subcontractors arrive at a jobsite, they check in and create or update their profiles including work history, certifications, areas of expertise, and recent safety training. Member profiles are available to companies registered in the Safe Site Check In Company Network. For workers that have completed projects that use Safe Site Check In, insight from each project can be used to augment a worker’s profile.

“The construction labor shortage has been a decades-long challenge. Along with general contractors striving to meet client demands using a skilled workforce, they are also faced with ensuring the next generation of workers are properly trained,” said David Ward, CEO, Safe Site Check In. “With Safe Site Check In Workforce, construction firms have a way to address those issues by aligning workers and subcontractors with project needs and easily identify where they need to close skills gaps.”

Construction firms of all sizes rely on Safe Site Check In’s QR-code based digital check in app and jobsite management platform. It streamlines and digitizes the jobsite check-in process, provides insight and digital records of who is or was on a jobsite, the location of the site, and the worker’s assignment. Also, site supervisors can broadcast alerts and workers can easily upload images and text showing the status of each project.

Safe Site Check In data, analytics and reports can be used for compliance, payroll, verifying attendance, and analyzing project and performance trends. When integrated with a project management platform, Safe Site Check In data bridges the gap between jobsite performance and project profitability.

Safe Site Check In has been used by more than 100,000 construction workers and jobsite visitors at over 150 companies in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom. Customers save an average of $2.55 each time a worker or subcontractor checks in to a jobsite digitally vs paper.

Resources for Women in Construction

Thu, 28 Apr 2022 13:00:52 +0000

As women continue to enter skilled trades as a career choice, we’re seeing more female-owned businesses and organizations emerge. But how do these new women-run companies get started? What resources are available to help them succeed?

There are many great resources available to help women who want to enter these industries, including apprenticeships, classes, certifications, associations, books and blogs.

This guide will provide you with valuable information and inspiration as you prepare for your career in the skilled trades.

What Are Skilled Trades?

Skilled trades are those that require a high level of education and training. There are many kinds of skilled trades, including carpentry, plumbing, electrical, masonry, roofing, HVAC and painting. Each of these trades requires its own skill set, knowledge and certifications. Many skilled trades require a vocational school certificate or degree, and some may require a bachelor’s degree. It’s important to know what each trade requires before you work as a professional contractor. While there are multiple categories of skilled trades, this resource will focus on construction trades.

Residential Construction Job Market

Demand for residential construction is booming nationwide. Companies are having a difficult time trying to keep up with residential construction leads and need skilled workers to help with the demand. According to a recent estimate, the demand for construction workers is expected to rise by 1.3 million over the next few years.

Recent census data shows that spending on residential construction has continued to grow year over year. With COVID-19, more companies are adopting a remote or hybrid approach for their employees. This leads the employees to hire contractors for home improvement projects to help make their home a nice place to work. This has fueled the industry, which has seen amazing growth over the past few years.

Gender Gap

While many people think that construction jobs are only for men, that is simply not true. Over the past 30 years, the number of women employed in construction have grown significantly. However, it is still an industry dominated by men, as women account for only 9% of the construction workforce.

Similar to other industries, pay gaps exist, but the gap is considerably less in construction than in some other fields.
According to the National Association of Women In Construction:

44% of construction women are in professional or management roles
21% of construction women are in service-related roles
There was a 64% increase in construction women working as maintenance painters between 2014 and 2019
There was a 50% increase in female construction laborers between 2014 and 2019
13% of construction firms are owned by women
9% of female-owned construction firms are currently grossing more than half a million dollars in annual revenue.

As demand soars, more jobs are being created in the construction industry, and more opportunities are available for women in the industry than ever before. The resources below can help augment those opportunities.

Apprenticeship and Trade School Resources

An apprenticeship is a formal training program where a person learns a trade while being supervised by a professional; it is often a paid position that leads to full-time work. Some companies also offer unpaid internships that don’t typically lead to a full-time position.

A trade school is a place where people who want to become skilled tradespeople attend classes to learn new skills. Trade schools are often referred to as vocational schools.

Trade schools teach students practical skills such as carpentry, plumbing, welding, electrical wiring and other useful skills, such as utilizing construction CRM software. They also provide hands-on training so students can gain real-world experience.

Landing an apprenticeship and attending a trade school are great ways for women to gain real-world experience, build valuable connections in the industry and start their career path to any skilled trade. They provide hands-on experience and teach soft skills such as communication, leadership, problem solving and teamwork. .

Many resources for apprenticeships and trade school programs are available. Some of the programs are government-funded, some are offered by private companies and others are offered free by nonprofit organizations. In addition, there are online courses offered by universities and colleges. Several resources for apprenticeships are listed below.

Online Educational Resources

There are many resources available for women interested in entering the construction industry. These include online courses, blogs, articles, books and other publications.

Grants and Scholarships

There are scholarship and grant opportunities available for women in the skilled trades. Below are some resources to help you find popular grants and scholarships.

Skilled Trade Certification and Contractor Licensing

If you want to become a licensed contractor, you’ll need a license from either the state or local government. Depending on where you live, this might mean passing a test administered by the state board of contractors or taking a course at a community college. The resources below can help you find the right program and help you learn more about contractor licensing.

Associations, Conferences and Other Events

There are multiple associations, conferences and events for women in the skilled trades. There are also many online resources, including websites and social media groups. Some of these resources are listed below.

Resources From Houzz

Evans General Contractors Adopts Autodesk Construction Cloud to Enhance Project Delivery and Maximize Team Coordination

Wed, 20 Apr 2022 14:00:24 +0000

International design-build, general contracting and construction management firm makes Autodesk Construction Cloud a cornerstone of the company’s growth

San Francisco, Calif. – Autodesk, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK) announced Evans General Contractors, an international design-build contracting firm headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, is adopting Autodesk Construction Cloud and incorporating the powerful construction management platform into its standard operating procedures (SOP). Teams across Evans will be using Autodesk Construction Cloud to onboard new employees quickly and easily, maximize coordination across project stakeholders and minimize errors on projects.

With offices across the Southeastern U.S. and in Germany, Evans manages more than 50 projects annually and brings in over $1.2 billion in annual revenues. To meet growing demand across its expanding markets, which include manufacturing, life sciences, healthcare, corporate environments, food and beverage, and distribution and logistics, Evans has significantly increased the size of its team in recent years. With this growth, the organization needed to establish an SOP with robust technologies to enhance project management, team collaboration and quality of service, all while rapidly onboarding new team members.

“Our teams work on incredibly intricate projects that require painstaking coordination, clear communication and seamless collaboration across each workflow,” said Jeff Jepson, executive vice president and chief operating officer, Evans General Contractors. “With our volume of work increasing, we need a construction management platform that effectively connects our teams and data and is easy to use so we can quickly deploy it across our growing teams and projects. Autodesk Build scales with us so we can maintain and enhance our quality of service with cloud-based project management, ensuring everyone has access to the information they need when they need it, to remain in sync and minimize issues.”

Evans adopted Autodesk Build, a unified construction management and field collaboration solution in Autodesk Construction Cloud, after successfully using PlanGrid across its projects. Autodesk Build’s desktop and mobile applications maintain the ease of deployment, adoption and use found in the original PlanGrid solution, so Evans can quickly ramp up new employees and projects as part of its SOP while minimizing the technology learning curve. Autodesk Build’s radical simplicity enables Evans’ teams to immediately collaborate and maintain a high level of coordination to minimize mistakes and rework on their complex projects.

Evans’ migration to Autodesk Build also gives the team access to Autodesk Docs, which encompasses the common data environment for Autodesk Construction Cloud and powers robust analytics capabilities, so the firm’s teams can keep project information in one place and make data-driven decisions that further minimize project risks. The common data environment can also be seamlessly linked with hundreds of other technology solutions in Autodesk Construction Cloud’s integration partner ecosystem, enabling Evans to further connect its people and data across workflows from preconstruction through closeout.

Evans is also adopting Autodesk Takeoff, BuildingConnected and TradeTapp to connect its preconstruction teams and data to subsequent building workflows and further enhance project coordination and delivery.

“Every construction project has its own unique challenges and for teams working on particularly detailed projects such as the micro-labs, cleanrooms, manufacturing plants and automated logistics facilities that Evans builds, the complexities can exponentially increase,” said Brandon Lacourciere, senior director of customer success, Autodesk Construction Solutions. “We built the Autodesk platform to simplify the way our customers work, standardize collaborative processes and empower data-driven decision making. We look forward to continuing our partnership with Evans as they innovate and grow their business.”

IDTechEx Discuss Solving the Challenges of Mobile Construction Machine Electrification

Tue, 12 Apr 2022 17:00:00 +0000

Manufacturers in the $200 billion construction equipment market are facing a complex challenge. They must greatly reduce their dependence on diesel fuel, which is the lifeblood of their mobile machinery, and move to lower emission technologies. At the same time, they must continue to supply the performance their customers expect, whilst ensuring that the total cost of ownership (TCO) makes the adoption of these cleaner machines viable. Electrification will undoubtedly play an important role in enabling construction firms to deliver on their environmental targets and IDTechEx’s new report “Electric Vehicles in Construction 2022-2042” provides a comprehensive assessment of current progress in this emerging sector, with case study detail and background on key enabling technologies.

To undertake the same tasks as equivalent diesel machines, powertrain elements in electric construction vehicles need to be sized to deliver the same performance. This requires the motor and battery specification to be correctly dimensioned. Therefore, the key to the deployment of electric machines is understanding their typical daily duty cycle power and energy demands. As the construction industry employs an array of different off-road mobile machines, the maximum motor power requirement varies widely depending on the application and size of machine. Likewise, the total daily energy requirement is governed by the use case for the machine, with some duty cycles needing only sporadic operation during the day, whilst other machines run near continuously. Modular systems are required to optimize electric machine performance and cost.

Electric Excavator Motor Size vs Combustion Engine Excavators. Source: IDTechEx – “Electric Vehicles in Construction 2022-2042”

Most manufacturers, especially in the US and Europe, have focused their initial electrification development work on compact construction machines, whose small size and relatively light-duty cycle requirements, mean a typical 8-hour workday can be met with a practical size of Li-ion battery (<50 kWh) and electric motor (<20 kW). Several potential avenues for charging these machines are being explored, including large battery solutions, which can deliver a full workday without recharging, smaller batteries with opportunity fast charging during the workday, tethered cable operation, and battery swapping. The optimal battery size for each machine will need to balance factors including the high cost of off-road battery packs, the impact of fast charging on battery life, the availability of a steady electricity supply, and the cost of installing charging infrastructure on worksites.

Whilst small machines are the natural starting point for electrification in this market, it is the heavier construction machines that contribute the most to the sector’s CO2 emissions. It is vital that OEMs also deliver zero-emission solutions for these larger vehicles. The problem lies in the fact that machines such as large excavators can demand 75+ kWh of energy per hour of operation. This means installing a huge battery where a continuous 8-hour shift is demanded. With current heavy-duty off-road Li-ion battery pack prices in the order of $600+ per kWh, these enormous batteries come at a cost that greatly hinders the TCO viability.

Charging strategy for bigger machines will be key to reducing the requirement for installed battery capacity. Different approaches are being explored, for instance, many Chinese OEMs have opted for a dual gun DC fast charging method, which can add 300 kWh in a lunch break, while Dutch cleantech engineering firm Urban Mobility Systems have developed a battery swapping system utilizing three 130 kWh battery modules. The UMS system has been tested in large Doosan and Hyundai excavators.

Improving powertrain efficiency will also be crucial. Almost all current electric construction machines have replaced the diesel engine with batteries and electric motors but still employ a standard hydraulic system, which can be as little as 30% efficient. To tackle this companies like Danfoss are developing digital hydraulic technology that improves powertrain efficiency, reducing energy consumption, with the result that a smaller battery can be used to deliver the same days’ work.

The end goal for electric construction machines is all-electric systems, entirely replacing hydraulics and in their place using electric actuators and drive motors. Doosan Bobcat launched an all-electric track loader the T7X at CES 2022. Developed with Viridi Parente and Moog, the efficiency improvement of the all-electric system allows use of a 62 kWh battery where, had the vehicle employed hydraulics, the battery would have needed to have a capacity of more than 300 kWh to deliver the same endurance. Further development work in the next decade is needed to see all-electric systems deployed more widely. Electric actuators are currently expensive, and they are not yet able to meet the demands of larger construction machines.

Innovation is required to deliver electrification across this challenging sector, and forward-thinking companies are already committing effort and resources to meeting these challenges. IDTechEx forecast that the electric share of the construction vehicle market will be worth more than $100 billion per year by 2042.

To learn more, IDTechEx’s new report “Electric Vehicles in Construction 2022-2042” analyses ongoing electrification work over the range of construction machine types, including excavators, wheel loaders, cranes, and telehandlers. The report provides IDTechEx’s independent 20-year outlook for the electric construction vehicle market, with forecasts for sales, battery demand, and market revenue, by machine type, and separate regional forecasts for Europe, China, and the US.

The Electric Vehicles in Construction report is part of IDTechEx’s broader mobility research portfolio, tracking the adoption of electric vehicles, battery trends, autonomy, and demand across land, sea, and air. Find out more at https://www.IDTechEx.com/en/research/future-mobility-subscription.

Caterpillar launches bigger, more competitive 2022/23 Global Operator Challenge, giving operators a chance to take on the world

Mon, 11 Apr 2022 18:00:03 +0000

The 3-Round contest, which identifies the world’s best machine operator, will incorporate a wider range of construction machines, take place in nearly 40 countries

Caterpillar Inc. invites machine operators around the globe to take on the world in the 2022/2023 Global Operator Challenge. The challenge tests the skills and precision of equipment operators as they prove their excellence in operating Cat^® machinery and their ability to master any piece of construction equipment safely and efficiently.

“More than 80 Cat dealers will host local, one-of-a-kind competitions, celebrating equipment operators and enabling them to showcase their exceptional skills in fun and dynamic ways,” said Tony Fassino, group president, Construction Industries, Caterpillar Inc. “Whether their expertise lies in digging a trench, moving aggregates, or managing demolition, our Global Operator Challenge will be demanding for even the most experienced operators. We can’t wait to see what they can do with our machines.”

Sixty-seven Cat dealers hosted local competitions in the 2019/2020 challenge, and operators from 30 countries participated. The 2022/2023 competition will be Caterpillar’s largest construction industry event of its kind.

Calling all operators

The first round of the Global Operator Challenge consists of local qualifiers, hosted by Cat dealers starting in March and running through September 2022. To make this year’s competition even more challenging, Caterpillar has added the requirement that every event must feature three different challenges on three separate pieces of equipment. Therefore, operators must master a broad assortment of equipment to qualify for the next round.

Those who qualify in the local dealer events will then move onto regional semi-final competitions in October 2022. Nine finalists will emerge from the regional semifinals and participate in the global finals competition in Caterpillar’s outdoor Festival Grounds exhibit F4455 during CONEXPO-CON/AGG in Las Vegas, March 2023. The winner of the competition will receive an all-expense-paid trip for two to one Caterpillar facility worldwide.

Commenting on being crowned the 2019/2020 Global Operator Challenge champion, Jaus Neigum, owner of Industrial Backhoe Ltd. in Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada, said: “I’ve been operating Cat machines for more than 15 years. Having the opportunity to demonstrate my skills and compete against peers from around the world was one of the most rewarding experiences in my career. If you’re an operator of heavy equipment, this is a contest you don’t want to miss. And, if you’re a business owner like me and my partners, I encourage you to put forward your best operators, because this competition is going to be even bigger and better than the last one.”

During each portion of the Global Operator Challenge, participants execute a variety of tasks, such as digging a trench, loading a precise amount of dirt, and hauling or maneuvering the equipment through a variety of obstacles. Scoring is based on the operator’s skills, efficiency, as well as his or her competence in using integrated technology to enhance the machine’s performance.

Cat next generation machines will allow these operators to take advantage of available technologies to complete the challenges, such as Cat Payload, Grade and Command. Other features like Cat Grade Assist, rear view cameras, return to dig and return to carry will also aid the operators in completing the challenges.

For more information about the Global Operator Challenge or to express interest in participating in the competition, please visit www.cat.com/operatorchallenge.

USACE Partners With Gordian to Provide Updated RSMeans data to TRACES Construction Estimating Software for DOD

Fri, 08 Apr 2022 18:00:45 +0000

Greenville, SC (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Gordian, the leading provider of facility and construction cost data, cloud-based software and expertise, announced the release of customized, up to date RSMeans data to inform the Tri-Service Automated Cost Engineering System (TRACES) for the Department of Defense user community under a contract with the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE).

“This is a truly collaborative effort between the USACE and Gordian’s cost engineers,” says Bryan Walter, Vice President and General Manager of Federal Solutions. “Given the challenges of budgeting for large construction projects, especially in a volatile inflationary market, it is critical that the cost data inputs be kept up to date. The USACE identified the importance of accurate cost data and took initiative to partner with the right private-sector partner to inform a tailored solution to solve that need.”

TRACES consists of a suite of applications used by USACE and other military cost engineers in support of military, civil works, hazardous and radioactive toxic waste, and other projects worldwide. The USACE’s partnership with Gordian will address data latency issues and enable the DOD community to generate more accurate estimates and legislative budgets for construction projects.

The DOD-specific cost dataset is available to users of TRACES’s estimating tool, Micro-Computer Aided Cost Estimating System Second Generation (MII) and will also be available directly from Gordian for purchase by architecture, engineering, and construction firms that use MII to support DOD construction.

The DOD and other civilian Federal government agencies rely on TRACES to prepare, analyze, review and maintain all types of cost estimates and schedules. By integrating RSMeans data from Gordian into TRACES MII application, users benefit from North America’s most trusted construction cost database for material, labor, equipment and productivity rates.

Bryan adds, “We are thrilled to be part of the TRACES evolution and are embracing the opportunity to work with industry and government partners to continuously improve and enhance our data to meet the needs of the DOD cost engineering community.”

Contact a dedicated Gordian inside sales representative at 1-888-341-9828 for more information.

Sparrows Group secures offshore crane operations and maintenance contract in Angola

Thu, 07 Apr 2022 18:00:06 +0000

Aberdeen, UK: Sparrows Group (Sparrows), the engineering and maintenance services specialist for the global energy and industrial sectors, has secured a three-year contract to provide crane operations and maintenance services offshore Luanda, Angola. The agreement covers 10 pedestal cranes and six line and rescue craft boats across the field’s four assets.

Having held the contract since 2005, Sparrows will continue to manage the operation, inspection, load testing, structural repairs, major and general maintenance of the cranes, as well as the delivery of highly skilled crane operators, technicians, and core specialists. In addition, the organisation will be responsible for project management, troubleshooting, equipment changeouts and technical engineering support. All refurbishment and repair work scopes will be undertaken at Sparrows’ facility in Luanda.

Stewart Mitchell, Chief Executive Officer at Sparrows, said: “We’ve worked in Africa for over three decades and the region continues to be an integral part of our global growth strategy. So much so that we invested in a new workshop, office space and training facilities in 2020 which has allowed us to continue delivering in-country equipment repairs and refurbishments for our customers as well as providing local skills development.

“This contract win is testament to the dedication of our Africa team who have worked diligently to overcome complex travel restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We’re delighted to continue the excellent collaborative and trusted client relationship which has prospered over several years.”

Sparrows currently employs over 100 technicians and experts in its Africa team, including in-country and based at its HQ in Aberdeen, which is supported by a global workforce across over 20 facilities worldwide.

McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. Honored with 2022 AGC Build America Award

Thu, 07 Apr 2022 15:00:20 +0000

HOUSTON – McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. has been awarded Association of General Contractors’ (AGC) 2022 Construction Risk Partners Build America Award, in the Building New or Renovation category. McCarthy was honored for the firm’s work on the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH) Nancy and Rich Kinder Building. The Build America awards honor AGC members who build the nation’s most impressive construction projects ranging across the building, highway and transportation, utility infrastructure, and federal and heavy divisions. The awards are considered among the most prestigious in the United States construction industry.

Completed in late 2020, the MFAH’s Kinder Building, a 243,632-square-foot exhibition building housing modern and contemporary art, at Texas’ oldest museum was the largest cultural project in North America. The Kinder Building features three floors of galleries that circle a three-story central atrium, a 225-seat theater, full kitchen, street-level café, restaurant overlooking the sculpture garden, a 115-space underground parking garage, and two pedestrian tunnels with art exhibits that connect the other buildings across the MFAH campus.

With the many architectural intricacies, the construction of the Kinder Building project was incredibly complex. The exterior façade was designed to be translucent and transparent, covered by approximately 1,100 semicircular glass tubes, 30 inches in diameter. The glass tubes are referred to as the “cool jacket” attached to a concrete wall, supported by a catwalk system to allow maintenance and cleaning. Another feature includes the “billowing clouds of Texas” roof, with concave individual pieces forming scallops, and within the scallops are clerestory windows to provide natural light to the third-floor galleries and the atrium. There are 23 different roof structures, giving the roof a scalloped look with complex concave sections. The steel for the roof was custom-built, with no two beams the same, reflecting the different curves in the ceiling and roof.

“The Kinder Building is truly a piece of art itself. The project team went to great lengths to ensure the highest level of execution and quality of materials for this project, including several unique design elements requiring an innovative approach,” said McCarthy Houston Division President, Jim Stevenson.

”We are very pleased to be recognized for our hard work and dedication to construction excellence on such a challenging world-class project.”

The Kinder building has become an iconic landmark in the museum district of Houston and has been recognized across the globe for its unique architecture and construction techniques. McCarthy worked closely with the design team, Steven Holl Architects, from the project’s inception to ensure the vision of the museum came to life. McCarthy utilized innovative technologies to construct models and plan for the unique challenges, features, and materials. McCarthy incorporated several technological advances into the project, including leveraging the design team’s Architectural Rhino 3D model of the geometric roof structure.

In addition to the AGC Build America Award, the Kinder Building has received numerous construction and architecture awards, including: 2021 ENR TX/LA Regional Best Project, ENR TX/LA Project of the Year, ENR Best of the Best project in the cultural/worship category, 2021 Houston Business Journal Landmark Award for Community Impact, 2021 Texas Society of Architects Design Award, 2021 AZ Award Finalist 2020 Architectural Digest, Most Anticipated Building of the Year, 2020 Vanceva World of Color Awards – Exterior Category Winner, and 2020 Azure Magazine Top 10 Architecture Projects of the Year

McCarthy also served as the construction manager at-risk for phase one of MFAH’s expansion. This phase included the new 102,500 square-foot Glassell School of Art, which also won awards including 2018 ASA Excellence in Construction Awards (Project of the Year over $25 million), 2019 ENR Regional Best Project – specialty construction category, 2019 HBJ Landmark Award – special project category, and 2016 HBJ Deal of the Year – Hospitality & Tourism.

McCarthy has a long-standing history of building complex, architecturally significant projects in the entertainment and arts industry. In addition to the MFAH, McCarthy’s Texas portfolio of entertainment and institutional projects includes the award-winning Glassell School of Art, the Kinder High School for Visual and Performing Arts, and the Holocaust Museum Houston, as well as the AT&T Performing Arts Center Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre in Dallas, Dallas’ Klyde Warren Park located over Woodall Rogers Freeway and the Dallas City Performance Hall, among others.

A video discussing the construction of MFAH’s Kinder Building can be found here.

RedTeam names Steven Tripp Vice President of Marketing

Tue, 05 Apr 2022 19:00:53 +0000

Tripp brings more than 20 years of marketing experience across a variety of industries to the rapidly growing construction technology provider

ORLANDO, Fla. — RedTeam Software, a leading construction management software platform provider, named Steven Tripp Vice President of Marketing.

Tripp, an accomplished marketing executive with more than 20 years of experience in a variety of industries, joins RedTeam to support the company’s ongoing commitment to deliver a comprehensive suite of premier construction management platforms.

“Working for a construction material supplier and a contractor, I’ve seen the problems contractors face each day. RedTeam excites me because I can help contractors tackle problems like labor shortages, construction waste, and managing subcontractors,” Tripp said. “RedTeam’s suite of construction management and collaboration platforms make a meaningful difference in reducing those headaches. I’m excited to help bring these tools to more contractors.”

Tripp, a graduate of the University of Massachusetts Amherst, has a proven track record of developing and executing groundbreaking strategies to drive growth in revenue, sales, and engagement. During his career in the materials, energy, and finance sectors, Tripp’s campaigns have led multiple companies to triple-digit growth.

“Steve’s deep expertise and vision are perfectly suited for RedTeam as we build on our recent growth and deliver one of the most robust suites of construction technology solutions,” said Jim Atkinson, CEO of RedTeam Software. “Steve’s success over the years demonstrates that he has the right combination of experience, leadership, and drive to help us steer RedTeam through this exciting chapter and meet the challenges and opportunities on the horizon.”

Tripp’s appointment follows the addition of Atkinson and COO Andy West to the company’s leadership team in 2021.

RedTeam also recently announced the acquisition of Paskr, a leading cloud-based construction management solution for small to mid-size contractors, and Fieldlens, a mobile plan markup tool for contractors that provides visibility and communication throughout the entire project chain. The RedTeam suite now features products ranging from field-management software to enterprise-level workflow and management solutions, including the flagship RedTeam platform.

Inc. recently included RedTeam Software in the Inc. 5000 list of fastest growing companies in the United States, with 160% growth over three years. More than 1,000 general contractors and over 100,000 users manage a collective $25 billion of commercial construction work with RedTeam.

For more information, visit https://www.redteam.com.

Webcor and Reaume Richardson Form Strategic Alliance to Expand General Contracting Services in Southern California

Mon, 04 Apr 2022 18:00:29 +0000

Webcor and Reaume Richardson are pleased to announce a strategic alliance to provide general contracting and construction management services for a variety of projects across the Southern California area.

LOS ANGELES (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Webcor and Reaume Richardson are pleased to announce a strategic alliance to provide general contracting and construction management services for a variety of projects across the Southern California area.The strategic alliance combines Reaume Richardson’s long-standing history and client relationships in the Los Angeles adaptive reuse market with the large-scale resources of Webcor. This alliance will allow Reaume Richardson to serve their clients with ground-up projects in the $100M+ range and for Webcor to leverage the historic, adaptive reuse acumen of the Reaume Richardson team.

“We have amazing client relationships built from 20+ years of work in downtown LA and beyond,” says Bryson Reaume, founder and CEO of Reaume Richardson. “We are excited to collaborate with Webcor, an industry leader with a great reputation, as our company and projects continue to grow. The respective strengths of both companies can only improve as we work together to take on projects of all sizes.”

“We are thrilled with our newly developed relationship with Reaume Richardson,” says Gust Soteropulos, senior vice president and general manager of Webcor’s Los Angeles operations. “The unique energy and innovation of both companies are sure to disrupt the construction industry in short order.”

Project Delivery – Civil + Structural Engineer magazine

Ware Malcomb Announces Construction is Complete on The Perry Multifamily Development in Norcross GA

Ware Malcomb Announces Construction is Complete on 4 & 6 Campus Drive at the Arbors at Parsippany Campus

HDR-Designed BRT Project Opens in Vancouver, Washington

AREMA Honors Merchants Bridge With Hay Award

About Burns & McDonnell

New State-Of-The-Art Patient Building Opens at Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana Medical Center

Clear Lake Completes Phases 1-5 of Exploration Green

Ware Malcomb Announces Construction is Complete on New Chicago Office for Janus Henderson Group; Teams with JLL to Achieve LEED Platinum Certification

NEWLY RELOCATED UNIVERSITY OF BRISTOL DENTAL SCHOOL COMPLETES

Ware Malcomb Announces Construction is Complete on Lessen HQ in Scottsdale

Four Detour Bridges from Acrow Installed to Maintain Traffic During I-94 Modernization Project in Michigan

WARE MALCOMB ANNOUNCES CONSTRUCTION IS COMPLETE ON INDUSTRIOUS 30 ADELAIDE STREET EAST

LAND & WATER COMPLETES FIRST EVER DREDGE OF BLENHEIM’S QUEEN POOL IN OVER 100 YEARS

M.C. Dean completes Phase 3 expansion at Modular Mission Critical™ campus

Final piece of $1.1 billion rebuild of I-75 dedicated

LAND & WATER COMPLETES PROJECT THAT WILL ENHANCE BIODIVERSITY AND FISH MIGRATION AT BISHOP’S HULL GAUGING STATION

TREETOP TRAIL RAISES MINNESOTA ZOO TO A NEW LEVEL

McCarthy Completes Pile Drive on Port of Beaumont Main Street Terminal

KAI Breaks Ground on St. Louis Community College’s New $62M Center for Nursing and Health Sciences

Stantec-designed Coachman Park opens in Downtown Clearwater, Florida

WSP USA Completes Drilling Two Wells at Hydrogen HubDesigned for Curtailed Renewable Energy Use

Creative Composites Group’s FRP Composite Panels Solve Weight Problem For Historic Northampton Street Bridge Rehab Project

HENDY COMPLETES INTERIOR ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN FOR WORLD’S SECOND MERCEDES-BENZ CLASSIC CENTER

Regional San’s monumental wastewater treatment plant expansion project delivered ON schedule and UNDER budget

LAND & WATER COMPLETES WORKS AT ICONIC NATIONAL TRUST PROPERTY

Aurigo Software Partners with Delaware DOT to Streamline Planning and Delivery of Statewide Capital Program

Microtunnel for City of Tampa Force Main Makes Successful Breakthrough to Tunnel Shaft

Swedish Bridge Collapse Overcome with Specialist Salvage and Construction Technique

NEW HEALTH AND MEDICAL BUILDING OPENS AT UNIVERSITY OF WORCESTER

Western Specialty Contractors Completes Improvements to Stetson University’s Melching Field Stadium in DeLand, Florida

Kwame Building Group completes construction on new $3.1 million segment of St. Vincent Greenway

Bowman Announces Major Infrastructure Openings for theContinuing Build Out of SDSU Mission Valley

R.D. OLSON CONSTRUCTION BREAKS GROUND ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN ONTARIO, CALIFORNIA

HDR to Complete Final Design for $1.5 Billion Port of Long Beach Rail Facility

Rhino Doors nears completion on London Underground’s Bank Station project

HENDY COMPLETES INTERIOR TRANSFORMATION OF PACIFIC LIFE HEADQUARTERS

Acrow Bridge Installed to Support Major Autoroute Reconstruction Project in Québec

Offload & Install of Massive Gas Scrubber at a Refinery

UW SOUTH END ZONE CITED IN NATIONAL ENGINEERING COMPETITION

Hill International Awarded Contract to Provide Project Management Support for the Dahiyat Al-Fursan Development by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s National Housing Company

Ware Malcomb Announces Construction is Complete on New Indigo Location at the CF Rideau Centre in Ottawa

South Carolina’s Catawba River Bypass Project Complete, Opens to Public March 18

Western Specialty Contractors Restores/Waterproofs La Cantera Parking Garage in San Antonio, TX

Henderson Engineers Delivers Sustainable Operations for New Terminal at Kansas City International Airport

LAND & WATER ACCOMMODATES COASTER VESSELS AT COLDHARBOUR JETTY AS PART OF A HISTORIC FIRST FOR THE FIRM

Western Specialty Contractors Installs Concrete Pad for New Packaging Machine at Cleveland’s Tap Packaging + Design

RED7MARINE SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETES PILING OPERATIONS FOR PORTLAND PORT’S NEW DEEP-WATER BERTH

Xylem and Manchester City Football Club Bring Clean Water Access and Vital Water Education to Communities in Cape Coast, Ghana

Ware Malcomb Announces Completion of Medline Distribution Center in Grayslake, IL

STV Celebrates Opening of Grand Central Madison, Connecting LIRR to Both Sides of Manhattan for the First Time

raSmith Leverages Redevelopment Experience and Knowledge to Advance Olympia Fields Mixed-Use Development

WARE MALCOMB ANNOUNCES CONSTRUCTION IS COMPLETE ON NEW HIGH-RISE OFFICE BUILDING AT 2130 VIOLET STREET IN ARTS DISTRICT OF LOS ANGELES

FDOT Selects Superior to Revamp Jacksonville’s Arlington Expressway

WARE MALCOMB ANNOUNCES CONSTRUCTION IS COMPLETE ON BUILDING C AT NATIONAL CAPITAL BUSINESS PARK IN OTTAWA

STV Celebrates Official Opening of Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s Green Line Extension to Medford/Tufts

Polyglass ADESO® Self-Adhered Membranes Installed on Historic Home in North Carolina

WARE MALCOMB ANNOUNCES CONSTRUCTION IS COMPLETE ON CANADA’S FIRST MULTI-STOREY DISTRIBUTION CENTRE IN BURNABY, BRITISH COLUMBIA

Medaro Mining Continues Progress in Quebec with the Completion of Work Program on its Darlin Lithium Property

South Korea’s Geoview executes Equinor’s floating offshore wind farm project in Ulsan

Hoist & Winch elevates success of large construction project￼

Pier B Rail Facility Project Meeting Set for Dec. 7

STV Begins Work on East Side Coastal Resiliency Project in Manhattan

Columbia, S.C. Review Board approves Stantec-designed Finlay Park revitalization project

Orion Group Holdings Completes rebuild of commissioned Dredge ‘Lavaca’

McCarthy Completes Cancer Center at CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Tyler

Improve Alternative Delivery Procurement with a Holistic Long-Term Strategy

Cooper Robertson Completes Major Academic Hub for Missouri’s Fast-Growing Drury University

Sparrows Group expands Africa presence following contract award for Tullow in Ghana

Corecon Now Offers OCR with Document AI Functionality to Quickly Convert Vendor Invoices to Bills

STV Celebrates Opening of Platt Technical High School in Milford, CT

In Coal Country, Innovative Plan to ‘Build Back Better’ (WXY, Edward Tucker Architects, SB Friedman)

Mock chimney demolition project granted planning approval

Newforma Announces New Study “Finding Common Ground: The Future of Project Information Management”

Assignar Kicks Off Expansion Plans with Launch into the UK Construction Market

HP Revolutionizes Construction Layout Process With New SitePrint Robotic Solution

HP SitePrint gives construction professionals as much as ten times the productivity of manual layout techniques

BESIX: first stone is laid on global biopharmaceutical company UCB’s new development and manufacturing facility in Belgium

McCarthy Begins Mobilization of Construction Workforce and Hiring for Leeward Renewable Energy’s 200 MW Horizon Solar Project in Texas

Expertise in Sustainable Mass Timber Strategies: Buro Happold’s Paul Richardson and Yasmin Rehmanjee

Hoist & Winch elevates success of large construction project