This 550,000-sq-ft LEED Gold conference center features two of the largest pillar-free ballrooms in North America, each encompassing 110,000 sq ft and featuring clear-span trusses. Additional amenities include more than 300,000 sq ft of flexible meeting space, 100-plus break-out rooms and six state-of-the-art boardrooms. In all, the complex can accommodate 10,000 visitors.

The 18-month construction schedule was accelerated to 15 months due to a permitting delay, requiring sitework to be done 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The time constraints required continual communication among the project team to coordinate schedules and ensure tasks were completed as safely and efficiently as possible.

Ten large trusses, each weighing 275 tons and measuring 315 ft long, were prefabricated in Utah. With no means of safely transporting materials that size, the project team elected to cut each truss into 10 pieces. When the pieces arrived on site, reassembly required 2,000 bolts per truss, each bolt larger than 2 in. in diameter.

Although originally targeting LEED Silver certification, the project achieved LEED Gold due to several measures implemented by the team, including energy-efficient mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems. Crews recycled nearly 94% of project waste. In addition, the contractor developed a program to monitor and minimize the impact of sitework on indoor air quality and shield HVAC ductwork from construction dust.

The sheer size of the project required a safety program of equal measure. Over the course of 1.7 million worker hours, the project team logged just six recordables and zero lost-time incidents. Crews identified hazards before construction, such as heavy steel lifts with multiple cranes. The safety program included premobilization meetings with subcontractors, morning safety huddles and site orientations and a safety champions program, which recognized workers who went above and beyond to keep themselves and their colleagues safe.

Back to Annual Awards Honor a Diverse Array of Projects