North Carolina's sprawling upgrade of the Interstate 85/485 interchange near Charlotte, N.C., is proving that a bigger design can actually deliver significant cost savings. Image courtesy of STV A rare 'turbine' configuration features sweeping ramps that should be easier to build and maintain than those in standard stacked interchanges. Related Links: Owner of the Year: North Carolina DOT 2011's Southeast Top Starts Ranking Part of the North Carolina Dept. of Transportation's (NCDOT) program to fill the last six-mile gap in the 65-mile I-485 outer loop around Charlotte, the interchange uses a two-level "turbine" configuration rarely found in the U.S. Also
In filing a motion on May 16 for a new trial against HDR Engineering over cracks at its Lithia, Fla., reservoir, Tampa Bay Water attorneys asserted judicial errors involving the exclusion of evidence and the failure to allow a jury site visit of the facility. Related Links: Jury Verdict for HDR Delivers Setback for Tampa Bay Water Slideshow: The Case HDR Made at Trial In a May 17 memo to the utility’s board of directors, Tampa Bay Water general counsel Barrie S. Buenaventura stated: “We believe Tampa Bay Water should be granted a new trial because the jury’s verdict is
A new law signed May 1 by Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) banning state and local governments from hiring firms with business activity in Cuba or Syria has put Odebrecht's Coral Gables office in the spotlight over its work in the Caribbean nation. Image courtesy Odebrecht Odebrecht is the developer and builder for the estimated $800-million Airport City project at Miami International Airport. The Federal Aviation Administration is currently reviewing plans for the mixed-use development. Image courtesy Odebrecht Airport City will include two hotels and office space, along with retail. Odebrecht's responsibilities include financing for the project. No public funding
By building a research laboratory to develop technologies to reduce the earth's carbon footprint, the Georgia Institute of Technology hopes both to help solve a nagging environmental issue and to provide a construction industry model for the production of "no-frills" net-zero energy-use buildings. Related Links: Clemson Architecture Building Schools Contractors in the Art of Net Zero Apple Gets Boost From Sun for iCloud Data Center The $22.4-million Carbon Neutral Energy Solutions Laboratory in Atlanta, targeting completion this fall, will develop technologies aimed at reducing global warming, such as carbon sequestration. From the start, though, the university faced an ironic twist.
E. Richard Capps Jr. was promoted to senior vice president for STV in Charlotte, N.C. Capps will continue as Southeast regional manager for the firm's transportation and infrastructure division. He has more than 20 years of experience in roadway design and construction. Related Links: More Southeast People News ENR Southeast's 'Top 20 Under 40' Also in Charlotte, Mark Robbins was promoted to vice president. He will continue as manager of STV's construction services group for the Southeast transportation and infrastructure division. Robbins has more than 20 years of experience managing bridge and roadway design projects. GAMBLEDerek Gamble was promoted to
A Georgia-based prime contractor with offices in Alabama has defaulted and requested help from its surety for projects in Newnan, Ga., and Shelby County, Ala. Photo from www.newnancentre.com D. Dean & Associates helped celebrate the groundbreaking of the Newnan Convention Center project in Newnan, Ga. Now, the company has apparently defaulted on its work at the project. Related Links: Alabama Contractor Cries Foul After Termination by DOT More ENR Finance News Stories Columbus, Ga.-based D. Dean & Associates Inc. also had an office in Birmingham. Founder and President Danny Dean could not be reached for comment, but his company has
There's a new giant in the No. 1 position of ENR Southeast's annual Top Design Firms ranking this year, and even though it's the firm's first time atop the charts, the company's success is anything but a big surprise. AECOM Technology Corp. soared past its Southeast competition in 2011 by grabbing a big share of the major projects throughout the region. Related Links: Perkins+Will Envisions New Future for Design More Southeast Firms While many other Southeast firms struggled over the past year to eke out a mild increase, or else suffered a decline, AECOM surged, posting a gain of roughly
Designers in the Southeast are continuing to face market uncertainty, but as 2012 unfolds, more of them are starting to see some light at the end of the proverbial tunnel as the region's owners move more project plans off the shelf and into the field. It's not a boom, but architects and engineers seem ready for any kind of improvement. Related Links: Southeast Design Firm of the Year: AECOM Technology Corp. The cause for optimism starts with a look back at the recent past. A year ago, ENR Southeast's Top Design Firms ranking revealed that 2010 revenue had declined again
Reacting to regulators' concerns over new sinkhole activity near Tampa Bay Water's regional reservoir, utility general manager Gerald Seeber has advised the agency board that he is moving to cancel the planned $42-million expansion of the facility. The pending $121-million renovation of the existing 15.5-billion gallon reservoir may still proceed, although the schedule will likely be delayed. Image courtesy Tampa Bay Water A team of Kiewit Infrastructure Group and Gannett Fleming is design-builder of the planned $121-million renovation of Tampa Bay Water's 15.5-billion gallon C.W. "Bill" Young Regional Reservoir. Photo courtesy Tampa Bay Water Tampa Bay Water's $121-million "permanent fix"
The value of contracts in two of South Carolina’s three broad construction categories declined sharply in March, resulting in a 40% overall monthly decline in activity, according to McGraw-Hill Construction, publisher of ENR Southeast. Related Links: Tar Heel State Contracts Kick Up in March Nuclear Project Boosts Georgia Contracts Total Again in March In Florida, March Sees Building Markets Soar, Infrastructure Sour Overall, projects totaling about $462.4 million moved ahead in March. Residential proved the only positive sector for the month, as housing contracts totaled $344.5 million, or 17% better than the previous March.Nonresidential fell 81% in March. This category’s
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