Fixing the damaged reinforced-concrete containment building at the long-idled Crystal River-3 nuclear unit in Citrus County, Fla., will cost more than the $1.3 billion originally estimated by Progress Energy Florida and take longer than the utility's original 24- to 30-month estimate. Under a "worst-case scenario," repair costs could skyrocket to more than $3.4 billion and the schedule could balloon to eight years, a consultant to Progress Energy's corporate parent, Duke Energy, said on Sept. 30. Photo courtesy Progress Energy Florida A report by Zapata Engineering, commissioned by Duke Energy, states that the cost to repair the idled Crystal River nuclear
A section of a $22.5-million parking garage project under construction near Miami collapsed without warning on Oct. 10, killing four construction workers. While refusing to speculate on a cause, the project's general contractor vowed to assist federal safety investigators in a "thorough, transparent finding of fact." Photo by Robert Hernandez, courtesy Miami-Dade Fire Rescue The five-story structure at Miami Dade College, estimated to have been 90% complete, suffered a sudden progressive collapse near midday of Oct. 10 Photo by Robert Hernandez, courtesy Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Crews with Miami-Dade Fire Rescue discovered the last buried worker five days after the building
The value of new Florida residential construction contracts surged in August, offsetting significant declines in the other building categories and pushing the state’s overall monthly total to a 13% gain, according to McGraw-Hill Construction. Photo courtesy Suffolk Construction Co. Suffolk Construction Co. recently topped out its 14-story Miami-Dade Children's Courthouse project in Miami. Related Links: Housing, Infrastructure Push Georgia Contracts Higher in August Pace of Florida Contracts Regains Momentum in July According to the company, Florida saw nearly $1.5 billion in new housing contracts commence in August, a 62% gain compared to the same period of a year ago.The state’s
Significant increases in both the residential and nonbuilding categories pushed Georgia’s August total for new construction contracts to an 8% gain compared to the same period of a year ago, says McGraw-Hill Construction. The overall monthly gain resulted in nearly $922.8 million in new contracts. Image courtesy Georgia Dept. of Transportation The Georgia Dept. of Transportation is leading the $1-billion MultiModal Passenger Terminal project, proposed for downtown Atlanta. Related Links: Georgia's Nonresidential Market Wakes Up in July $1B Atlanta Intermodal Project Wins Federal Acceleration The nonbuilding category, which includes infrastructure contracts, saw the greatest improvement, 48%, to tally nearly $202.6
Increases in the value of residential and infrastructure projects overcame a big drop in the nonresidential category, as new North Carolina contracts totaled nearly $1.2 billion in August, a 4% gain compared to the same period of a year ago. Photo courtesy Lord, Aeck & Sargent Lord, Aeck & Sargent was the architect for the recently completed Chidley North Residence Hall project at North Carolina Central University in Durham. Related Links: July Was Rough Month for North Carolina Construction Contracts Rare 'Turbine' Design for Charlotte's I-85/485 Interchange McGraw-Hill Construction estimated the state’s nonresidential contracts at nearly $287.4 million for August,
A series of unexpected events and one wild idea have PSI's new president revving up employees for an aggressive growth campaign via a coast-to-coast bus tour of the Oakbrook Terrace, Ill.-based firm's 100 offices. Photo by Scott Judy Randy Larson, PSI's new president, is fired up about the firm's goal of reaching $500 million in annual revenue within five years. Photo courtesy PSI To ensure Larson traveled in style, PSI rewrapped his personal motor coach with corporate branding. Related Links: PSI's '500 in Five' on Facebook PSI President Hal Branum Dies at Age 69 Behind the wheel of his own
North Carolina State University's high-tech library project, intended to transform collaborative learning, is itself educating its builders on the positive power that information technology has on design and construction. The team creating the $95.2-million NCSU James B. Hunt Jr. Library project in Raleigh met challenges inside and out—from difficulties with the customized curtain wall to a mechanical system rarely used in the Southeast. Related Links: Skanska USA Reboots for a Southeast Rebound ENR Southeast: Projects Collaboration, coupled with a raft of information technology tools, has enabled the team to guide the project toward a happy ending. The 220,000-sq-ft, four-story library
BARKSDALEDavid Barksdale was named senior vice president and general manager of Batson-Cook Co.'s Atlanta office, where he will focus on strategic planning and business development. A 35-year veteran of the company, Barksdale previously served as senior vice president and general manager for the firm's Jacksonville, Fla., office. Related Links: The Southeast's Top 20 Under 40 ENR Southeast's People News Even Spradlin was promoted to senior vice president and general manager for Batson-Cook's Jacksonville office. A 16-year company veteran, Spradlin previously worked as a project executive. WESSINGERAlesia Wessinger was promoted to the position of corporate secretary for Batson-Cook. She previously
This year's Top Specialty Contractors survey revealed that at least some firms working in Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas are starting to experience real, and significant, business growth again. But like the overall economic recovery itself, the fortunes of Southeast specialty contractors are proving to be decidedly mixed. Photo by Ben Tanner Photography; courtesy KHS and S Contractors Improving Conditions? KHS and S handled metal panel work for Marlins Park in Miami, where market conditions are showing signs of improvement. Related Links: 2012 Southeast Top Specialty Contractors Ranking SteelFab: Southeast 'Specialty Contractor of the Year' Some firms are finally finding
Steel fabricator and erector SteelFab Inc. was certainly not immune to the construction industry's dark days of late 2008. At that time, the specialty contractor found itself in much the same panic mode that gripped many others as its project backlog suddenly, and literally, shrank to nothing. Related Links: For Southeast Specialty Firms, Recovery is Proving Hit or Miss 2012 Southeast Top Specialty Contractors Ranking The Charlotte, N.C.-based steel designer, fabricator and erector saw 26 projects mothballed or canceled as the local economy spiraled down in the wake of the nation's banking crisis. Project owners were left with no choice
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