McCarthy Building Cos. Inc. of Newport Beach recently topped off the structural steel on CHOC Children’s new patient care tower. Currently on schedule for construction completion in December 2012, the $563-million expansion is located on the south side of the existing CHOC Children’s hospital site in Orange. Over the last six months, construction workers used a 196-ft-tall Liebherr tower crane with a reach of 276 ft to install 5,805 pieces of structural steel creating the frame for the new tower. The project team celebrated the placement of the last structural steel beam with a barbecue lunch for the project’s construction
After seven long years in development, Sacramento Mutual Housing Association broke ground last month on its latest development, Mutual Housing at The Highlands, which will house, when completed in mid-2011, the chronically homeless. On the project team are Sunseri Construction of Chico, the general contractor; Cunningham Engineering in Davis; and Sacramento-based Cynthia Easton Architects. Mutual Housing at The Highlands is located on a 3.5-acre parcel in the McClellan Redevelopment Area in North Highlands. The apartment community will have a total of 90 apartments, including 66 with supportive services that will be reserved for persons who are currently homeless. The breakdown
The San Diego and Imperial Counties Chapter of the American Public Works Association recently named the domusstudio architecture-designed Encinitas Fire Station No. 3 as its Project of the Year. The new fire station No. 3 was built by the city of Encinitas to replace the older station on the same site. The project involved demolishing the existing station while continuing to house and allow 24/7 access for firefighter personnel and equipment from a temporary trailer on the site. Project planning included public participation to ensure the project design and plan met nearby residents’ approval. A Web page was also created
A 30-ft, scale-model steel bridge was rocked and shaken on an earthquake simulator at the University of California, Berkeley last week to demonstrate a new bridge design that Berkeley engineers say can better resist significant damage and improve transportation safety in the event of large earthquakes. In a series of simulated quakes, which ranged from moderate to severe, the bridge trembled, shook and rocked violently— but the deck stayed intact and settled back on its supports after each event. “What we’re doing today is looking at some new technology that we think will be very good for California,” says Steve
Sustainable Sites Initiative (SITES) has selected pilot projects to test a national rating system for sustainable landscape design, construction and maintenance. 2001 Market Street The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History & Culture, New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward Sustainable Infrastructure Project and the Indianapolis Super Bowl Village join more than 150 others that include educational centers, transportation corridors, industrial complexes and private residences in employing cutting-edge guidelines and performance benchmarks outlined in the SITES Rating System. California is represented by 21 projects. Launched in 2005, SITES represents a partnership of the American Society of Landscape Architects, the Lady Bird
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