SnapShot October 17, 2011 Submitted By: Hobas Pipe USA,Houston A crew works on the $124-million, 32-mile Southwest Bexar Sewer Pipeline owned by San Antonio Water System. Currently under construction, Segment 1 consists of 33,000 ft of 30-in. to 96-in. centrifugally cast, fiberglass-reinforced polymer mortar pipe manufactured by Hobas Pipe USA. Construction began in late 2010. The entire pipeline is expected to enter service by late 2013. The photo was shot with a Canon PowerShot S3 IS at f/4 and 1/1000 sec. Photographer: Tim Sink Submitted By: Austin Industries Dallas A 3,400-lb capacity suction cup lift moves a pre-glazed glass unit at
On The Scene October 17, 2011 Hearts and Hammers HEARTS AND HAMMERS DALlAS, a nonprofit agency dedicated to refurbishing homes for low-income residents, celebrates its 25th anniversary in North Thxas this year. During the last 22 years, Turner Construction employees have dedicated nearly 10,000 hours to the Hearts and Hammers cause.On Sept. 17, employees began working on three homes in the Dallas Love Field neighborhood, donating labor and building materials. Pictured above is one of the homes that crews of Turrner employees and volunteers helped repair. At left, Turner employee Brian Chester paints a house that belongs to an elderly
Three years into the economic downturn, many specialty contractors aren't sure what to make of today's market, much less where it is headed. Although the construction industry has weathered its fair share of cycles over the years, top brass at the region's largest firms have never been through a down period that lasted quite this long. This is new territory, even for the industry's most-seasoned executives. With private dollars still squeezed and public money running low, there is no clear path to long-term recovery, says Harold MacDowell, CEO of TDIndustries, Dallas.“It's a muddle-through economy,” he says. “It's going to be
SnapShot August 15, 2011 Submitted By: Flatiron Corp., Firestone, Colo. The John James Audubon Bridge, designed and built by Flatiron Corp. and opened in May across the Mississippi River in Louisiana, is the longest cable-stayed bridge in North America. The $348-million project, built for the Louisiana Dept. of Transportation and Development, joins the parishes of Pointe Coupee and West Feliciana in south central Louisiana. “As a photographer, I’m drawn to patterns of light,” says photographer Joe Dunn of Joe Dunn Arts. “The beauty of the architecture and the form of the bridge is awe-inspiring, and I wanted to show that.” Dunn
STEELESundt Construction has named Bill Steele as manager of preconstruction services in the firm's Texas district. His responsibilities include managing preconstruction efforts and estimating local and state projects. During his nine years with Sundt, Steele served as senior estimator and preconstruction project manager at the company's headquarters prior to joining its San Antonio office. Sundt Construction also named Dustin Murphy as a project engineer. He has been with the company since 2007, responsible for project procurement, forecasting, contracts, scheduling and estimating.Sundt Construction also hired Steve Byrne as a project manager in its Texas district. He will serve as the contractor's
The heavily traveled Interstate-35 corridor is infamous for areas of congestion; fortunately, for motorists and contractors, significant highway funding is speeding along to bring needed relief. Under current plans, the Texas Dept. of Transportation (TxDOT) is investing more than $1 billion to widen the interstate—with more than a half billion in work under way and nearly $400 million in projects scheduled to bid this fall. The agency, which has at least another $500 million in additional work on the horizon and more in planning, has launched unprecedented outreach programs to shape the future expansion of the corridor. After nearly five
GUTIERREZ Joel Gutierrez , chief financial officer of recycling and demolition firm Cherry, Houston, was recently honored as a recipient of the Houston Business Journal’s 2011 Best CFO of the Year Awards. Recognized in the emerging private company category, he was cited for helping the firm improve profit margins and for taking advantage of approximately $2 million in state grants to lower air emissions. Michael P. Batuna has joined Fugro Consultants Inc., Dallas, as project manager in the pavements group. He will expand the firm’s services to the transportation industry in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Angela Floyd has been named
SnapShot June 13, 2011 Photographer: Slyworks Photography Submitted By: David Nordin, Satterfield & Pontikes, Houston The new 41,000-sq-ft Texas Dept. of Public Safety crime lab was constructed in northwest Houston by Satterfield & Pontikes Construction. Building information modeling was used to model and coordinate the structure and MEP components, which are complex. The advanced forensic equipment complements the advanced mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems. Kirksey Architecture designed the building. Photo Courtesy Of Kirksey
On The Scene June 13, 2011 Associated General Contractors of America The Associated General Contractors of America recently named Linbeck Group LLC, Houston, one of the nation’s safest construction companies. The association, which oversees the annual Construction Safety Excellence Awards, recognized Linbeck for the strength of its safety programs and overall safety performance during 2010. Linbeck requires safety training and remedial updates for all its employees, with participation from all subcontracting firms in safety stand-downs (one such, above, took place May 5 in Fort Worth at the Cook Children’s Medical Center project). Linbeck was also recognized for its development and
June 14–15, 2011 Rally for Roads attracted several hundred road workers from across the U.S. to the National Mall in Washington on May 25 in support of a multiyear surface transportation bill. Speakers, including Sen. David Vitter (R-La.), said the bill is needed to create tens of thousands of jobs. Sponsorship for the event came from industry associations and suppliers. Karl Watson, president of Cemex USA, Houston, and chair of the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association, told the crowd that investment in the nations infrastructure is vital to the economy. We urge Congress to pass a robust multiyear highway bill
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