Colorado & WyomingThe National Center for Atmospheric Research has selected Denver’s Saunders Construction Inc. for construction management and general contracting services at the NCAR-Wyoming Supercomputing Center project in Cheyenne. Saunders will provide preconstruction and, potentially, construction services for the $66-million, 150,000-sq-ft building. The project award was made following a competitive selection process. Tom Pirog recently joined Pinkard Construction Co. of Lakewood’s business development team. In his business development role at Pinkard, Pirog will work with Vice President Jim Mellor to build new and repeat business opportunities, assist in formulating business development strategies, and maintain and grow Pinkard’s loyal client base.
Design is nearly complete on the Sego Lily School in Murray, Utah. Rendering courtesy of Gorilla Design The Sego Lily School in Murray, Utah, will host a number of green features and will seek LEED-Platinum certification when complete. The new school, designed by Gorilla Design and Envision Electrical Engineering of Salt Lake City, will offer a number of green features, from native landscaping and low-water use fixtures to a solar array on the roof of the learning spaces. Other green space includes a nature and vegetable garden with a greenhouse, a green roof to reduce energy use and an interior
A second project to widen U.S. 60 (Grand Avenue), this time between 99th Ave. and Loop 303 in the northwest Valley, started in January. Crews will widen Grand by adding third lanes in each direction, along with intersection improvements to help with traffic flow. The $18-million project, funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, is being built by Markham Contracting Co. Inc. of Phoenix and is scheduled for completion in fall 2011. The project was originally estimated to cost $45 million, but competitive bidding lowered the actual cost, freeing funds for use on other highway improvements in
United Construction, a prominent Nevada general contractor, recently shuttered its 21-year-old Las Vegas division in response to the deepening recession. The Reno-based company notified employees of the decision on Feb. 10. United's local offices had been located at 5130 S. Valley View Blvd., Suite 100, in Las Vegas. The three remaining division staff members were laid off. Photo: United Construction United won best industrial project in Southwest Contractor�s Best of 2007 awards for this warehouse inside the ProLogis Park North master-planned business complex in North Las Vegas. �It was a surprise move, although we had been biting our nails for
Four Intermountain firms involved in a variety of construction disciplines have had to reinvent themselves in some manner. Some have seen more dramatic changes than others, yet each firm has worked hard in its own way to adapt to those changes. Owyhee Construction, Idaho Joe McClure is president of Owyhee Construction, an Idaho underground utility company in business since 1977. McClure says that Owyhee has downsized its equipment fleet as well as field staff from 80 employees to about 25. They have also expanded their work-search area. “We used to look for work about 100 miles out. Now we are
About 55,000 people�a 16% yearly decline and the event�s lowest turnout since its 2007 peak of about 92,000�attended the annual exhibition held on Feb. 2-5. However, the thin crowd�s mood was more upbeat this year, visitors said, and exhibitors were selling more, too�a sign that the economic slump may be near the end. Photo: Tudor Van Hampton Fast-handed masons competed for more than $100,000 in cash and prizes in front of 4,000 spectators on Feb. 3 at the World of Concrete. Photo: Tony Illia Booth spaces shrunk this year, allowing smaller exhibitors to become more visible. Related Links: Stimulus to
Cement consumption will rise by 5.2% this year, aided by federal stimulus spending, according to Portland Cement Association�s chief economist, Ed Sullivan. He gave a 2010-14 forecast on Feb. 2 at the World of Concrete show in Las Vegas. Slide Show Photo courtesy of Hanley Wood. Chris Swanson of Rescue, Calif., demonstrates his artistry skills with decorative concrete by using acid etching and staining techniques to depict a unique cross design on a 10-ft by 10-ft slab. Related Links: Moods and Masons Rise At Annual Concrete Show Last year�s administrative delays releasing American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds will result
Voters in Bernalillo County, N.M. handily approved a total of $617 million in school construction funding during a special mill levy and general obligation bond election Feb. 2nd. Rendering: Claudio Vigil Architects The $24-million Food and Nutrition Services Building will be the first to be funded by the APS bond passage. The mill levy’s 68.3% ‘yes’ vote continues existing property taxes through 2015 while $225 million in general obligation bonds received 72.1% approval. “The focus with this money will be on renewal and renovation of our older schools,” says Karen Alarid, AIA, executive director of capital operations and director of
In its final report on the collapse of the Dallas Cowboy�s practice facility that injured 12 people, the National Institute of Standards and Technology recommends owners of other fabric-covered, tubular-steel-framed structures have their buildings evaluated. Photo: put photo credit here Summit Structures designed the University of New Mexico Indoor Practice Facility Photo: UNM Photo: UNM Chavez-Grieves Consulting Engineers, Albuquerque, which completed a report for the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, about its indoor practice facility, found that wind pressure could enter the steel-and-fabric building through openings in the structure and not escape. This would overstress the training facility. In addition,
Plans for a Southern Nevada national nuclear waste repository are all but kaput. The U.S. Energy Dept. said Feb. 1 it will withdraw its Nuclear Regulatory Commission application within 30 days. The move comes after DOE spent nearly three decades and $38 billion on waste repository tests and studies at Yucca Mountain, 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas. The agency planned to store up to 77,000 tons of radioactive waste there from 80 sites in 35 states. Spent utility fuel and high-level defense waste would be placed in specially engineered containers housed inside a network of tunnels built deep within
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