Caltrans reports that workers last week placed the �world�s largest cable saddle� atop the new San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge�s self-anchored suspension span (SAS). The tower for the SAS, the signature element of the bridge’s new span, will stand tall at 525 feet. The cable saddle weighs approximately 450 tons, and while it has a rectangular flat base, two sides jut out, according to Caltrans bridge spokesman Bart Ney. “The top is curved to better carry the cable over the top not just once but twice, making it one of the few double cable saddles in bridge construction and the largest
After reviewing more than 100 design concepts from architects, design firms, students, health care companies, and engineering and construction firms from throughout the U.S. and the world, Kaiser Permanente says judges have picked nine finalists in its �Small Hospital, Big Idea� competition. Launched in February, the open design competition called for ideas for a small, eco-conscious, patient- and family-friendly hospital that would foster the collaboration and use of emerging medical technology that is central to care at Kaiser Permanente. The nine finalists are: Aditazz; Ellerbe Becket; Gresham, Smith and Partners; HGA; Lee, Burkhart, Liu; Mazzetti Nash Lipsey Burch; Perkins+Will; SmithGroup;
Following a tour last week of the San Bruno pipeline blast site, which killed eight people and destroyed 38 homes in September, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood says that he�s called on congress to raise the maximum civil penalties against companies committing safety violations, boost the number of safety inspectors, and close the loopholes that allow pipeline owners to evade safety standards. “I’m asking for America’s pipeline owners and operators to take a good, hard look at their lines as part of a top-to-bottom review,” he told reporters and residents. “We want them to replace and repair those lines in
A new group of phased bid packages will be released June 16 for the Rose Bowl Stadium renovation and improvement project in Pasadena. Ground was broken on the three-year, $152-million project in late January and is the largest investment in the history of the 88-year-old iconic structure that will improve public safety, enhance the fan experience, maintain the national historic landmark status of the Rose Bowl Stadium, and develop revenue sources to fund the project and other long-term improvements to the stadium’s facilities, according to its owners, the Rose Bowl Operating Co. Bernards/Barton Malow joint venture is the construction manager
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) awarded a contract to a joint venture of Parsons Brinckerhoff and STV Inc. to provide environmental and preliminary design services for an extension of the Metro Green Line light rail to Los Angeles International Airport. The Green Line LAX extension will link the planned Metro station at Century and Aviation, about 1.5 mi from the airport, with the central terminal area of LAX, by one of three alternatives – an aboveground or underground extension of the Green Line light rail, or an automated people mover. The joint venture, named ConnectLAX, will prepare
The new $35-million West Hollywood Library will not only house a wealth of knowledge and information, but the structure itself will be an open book on contemporary architecture and sustainable design. “Besides being very green, the building features a cacophony of design styles, with everything from faux Tudor to mid-century modern to neo-classical,” says architect Steve Johnson, a principal with MDA Johnson Favaro, Culver City. Set in the heart of eclectic West Hollywood, the endeavor is part of the first phase of a $120-million capital improvement project, which celebrates the 25th anniversary of West Hollywood earning cityhood in 1984. Construction
After years of declines, the construction industry finally added jobs � 5,000 of them � in April, while the industry�s unemployment rate declined slightly to 17.8%, according to an analysis of new federal employment data released this week by the Associated General Contractors of America. “The construction industry may have stopped bleeding jobs, but there is no sign that employment levels are set to bounce back,” says Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “With declines in public sector investments likely to offset increases in some private sector construction activity, we are unlikely to see significant increases in construction employment for
The California High-Speed Rail Authority Board of Directors met this week to consider planning options and route alternatives as well as hear engineering and environmental progress reports from the Bay Area to the Los Angeles Basin. In addition to two Antelope Valley segments near State Route 14 on the Bakersfield-Los Angeles route, the board now also wants to study a previously considered but shelved Grapevine route along Interstate 5. “We’re looking at all factors and all means to get past the Tehachapi Mountains and into the Los Angeles Basin – and if that means we need to give the Grapevine
Caltrans Director Cindy McKim recently joined construction industry professionals for the 2011 Caltrans �Excellence in Partnering� awards, which recognizes contractors who put into action what they learned from the Caltrans� Partnering Program to deliver successful highway projects throughout California. Caltrans provides free training for the construction industry, city and county transportation agencies, consultants, and small businesses who work on Caltrans projects. The training includes practical tools and tips, such as problem solving and dispute resolution. Those who effectively used tools to deliver transportation projects were recognized, according to the department. The gold award winners are: O.C. Jones and Co. and
Granite Construction Co. reports that one of its asphalt concrete and aggregate facilities in Indio is among the first in the nation to use solar energy to generate as much as 75% of its required power. The firm says the clean energy produced on-site is equivalent to providing power for up to 100 homes. The 318kW solar-powered project is designed using Amonix concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) solar power systems. Each of the six systems has dual-axis tracking to maximize the sun’s rays and generate clean energy to operate Granite’s facility. Amonix CPV technology is also powering a Granite facility in Tucson,
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