For decades, traffic congestion in the southern Utah city of St. George was limited to St. George Boulevard, which would swell with traffic during the spring and summer as tourists and retirees crowded into the area to enjoy its temperate climate and nearby national parks. Photo courtesy of UDOT The Dixie Drive Interchange will relieve congestion on I-15 through St. George, Utah. From 2000 to 2005, St. George was the fastest-growing metropolitan region in the U.S., according to census data, and traffic congestion was becoming a regular occurrence. During the height of the population boom in this city about 100
SnapShot August 29, 2011 Submitted By: Jackie Shumaker Denver Work continues on Denver’s $30-million Clyfford Still Museum. “Each construction site is a symphony of texture and patterns,” explains photographer Jackie Shumaker. “Among the chaos, I quickly zoom in on the simplicity of those elements to craft bold images.” The worker in the photo is applying ChemRex Concrete Floor Primer, a BASF product that manages moisture-vapor emissions in concrete slabs. Photographer: Jackie Shumaker
On The Scene August 29, 2011 U.S. Dept. of Housing Residents of Denver�s Lincoln Park neighborhood celebrated earlier this summer after the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development awarded $22 million in HOPE VI grant funding to the Denver Housing Authority to revitalize South Lincoln’s public housing. The first phase will be completed in December, but the new grant allows DHA to move forward with design and construction of future phases. Above, Sen. Michael Bennet (left) and DHA Executive Director Ismael Guerrero (right) accept the HOPE VI check from Rick Garcia, HUD regional administrator (center). At left, designers from
Following a drop of almost a full point in June, the Architecture Billings Index (ABI) fell again by more than a point in July. As a leading economic indicator of construction activity, the ABI reflects the approximate nine- to 12-month lag time between architecture billings and construction spending. The American Institute of Architects reported the July ABI score was 45.1—the steepest decline in billings since February 2010— after a reading of 46.3 the previous month. This score reflects a continued decrease in demand for design services (any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings).The new projects inquiry index
The Metro Wastewater Reclamation District in Denver broke ground for its new $475-million Northern Treatment Plant on Aug. 17 at the new plant site north of Brighton, Colo. Courtesy of Metro Wastewater District Groundbreaking for the new $475-million Northern Treatment Plant took place on August 17. The NTP marks the first satellite treatment facility the Metro District has undertaken, coinciding with its 50th anniversary. “The NTP is Metro’s logical next step in its 50 years of progress. The facility is needed to support communities in the northern metropolitan region because existing facilities will soon reach their capacity,” said Metro District Manager
MGM Resorts International intends to implode Foster + Partners’ unfinished Harmon Hotel due to “serious structural defects” and “public safety concerns,” the company announced on August 15. The news comes a month after the release of a report claiming the Las Vegas building was beyond repair. Image by Bill Hughes MGM hopes to demolish the 28-story hotel. Demolition is not a sure bet, however. County officials have to approve the demolition plans. Plus, MGM would have to get a Clark County district court to overturn an order that prohibits the company from touching the Harmon while civil litigation continues between
The August 20 grand opening of the new Walking Mountains Science Center in Avon offers visitors a glimpse at a special place that teaches kids about outdoor science—through the vantage point of a green lens. Courtesy of R.A. Nelson The new Walking Mountains Science Center in Avon has sustainable features throughout, including these solar shades on the windows. The center itself is a lesson in sustainability. The building offers energy consumption that’s cut in half, an environmental footprint that creates minimal impact on the local ecosystem and serves as an industry model for environmentally friendly construction practices.The green education center,
Las Vegas is crowded with performers, but few are as huge as Big Stan. Thought to be the world's largest truck-mounted drill, Big Stan is flexing its muscles south of the Strip on a $252.5-million, 7-mile-long widening of Interstate 15.Big Stan's tall stance originally sprang from deep roots. The 250,000-lb, 93-ft-high boring behemoth was built in 1986 by Anderson Drilling, Lakeside, Calif., now a part of London-based Keller Group PLC. The mega-machine, which cost $1.5 million to construct, is named after 6-ft, 3-in.-tall Stan Anderson, who retired as company president in 2006.It didn't take long to realize that what you
Denver’s GE Johnson Construction Co. is well under way with the transformation of the César E. Chávez Memorial Building in Denver into a state-of-the-art, high-performing green building—one with an entirely new skin over its 1982 bones. Courtesy of GE Johnson Construction/Tryba Architects Approximately 50% of the buildings temporary barrier walls have been installed, allowing for exterior skin demolition on the north side of the building, with crews moving from east to west. Courtesy of GE Johnson Construction/Tryba Architects The new facade is comprised of prefabricated, 15-ft-wide, two-tone aluminum panels that meet new federal standards for waterproofing, energy efficiency and blast
The Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index®, which had declined in June, improved slightly in July. The index now stands at 59.5 (1985=100), up from 57.6 in June. The Present Situation Index decreased to 35.7 from 36.6. The Expectations Index rose to 75.4 from 71.6 last month. The monthly Consumer Confidence Survey®, based on a probability-design random sample, is conducted for The Conference Board by The Nielsen Co., a leading global provider of information and analytics around what consumers buy and watch. The cutoff date for July’s preliminary results was July 14.“Consumer confidence posted a modest gain in July, the result
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