The Aurora Prairie Waters Peter D. Binney Water Purification Facility is one of the most significant construction projects and successful construction partnerships of 2011, the Associated General Contractors of America announced during its annual conference in Hawaii in mid-March. Photo courtesy of Aurora Water The treatment facility uses both natural and state-of-the art water purification techniques to treat the citys existing water rights from the South Platte River. As a result, the project’s contractor, Denver-based Western Summit Constructors Inc., was one of eight firms to receive the association’s Alliant Build America Merit Award and one of three teams to receive
The RTD FasTracks West Corridor project team recently installed the final segment of track on the West Rail Line. Crews working just west of the Union Boulevard Tunnel completed the task of fully tying in the track for the whole rail line from Denver Union Station to the Jefferson County Government Center. Photo courtesy of RTD The initial test was executed to confirm clearances between the train car and surrounding infrastructure of the rail line. The West Rail Line encompasses more than 116,000 lin. ft of track. Using effective and cost efficient construction methods and state-of-the-art equipment, the 45-member crew successfully
Led by the commercial sector, the Architecture Billings Index (ABI) has remained in positive territory four months in a row. 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 February ABI score was 51.0, following a mark of 50.9 in January. This score reflects a slight increase in demand for design services (any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings).The new projects inquiry index was 63.4, up from 61.2 the previous month and at its highest reading
A recent study by the Federal Highway Administration determined that on average, design-build projects were completed 14% faster than the traditional design-bid-build projects. Design-build, however, exposes contractors to risks they don’t have under traditional delivery methods. Since under design-build, the contractor is responsible for design, it is also responsible for damages and costs arising out of inaccurate or flawed design documents. Although a majority of the risk can be transferred contractually to the design professional subconsultant, the contractor still retains additional exposure.To maximize the benefits of design-build, it is essential that each party’s responsibilities and obligations be clearly defined under
Construction employment declined in 111 out of 337 metropolitan areas between January 2011 and January 2012, increased in 169 and stayed level in 57, according to new analysis of federal employment data recently released by the Associated General Contractors of America. The new construction employment data comes out amid growing concerns within the business community about Washington’s failure to enact a number of long-term infrastructure measures. “The mixed construction employment results reflect the conflict between slowly rebounding private sector demand for construction and declining public sector investments,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “For every metro area that is
At a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $376 billion, new construction starts in February dropped 7% from the previous month, according to McGraw-Hill Construction, a division of The McGraw-Hill Cos. The nonbuilding construction sector, comprised of public works and electric utilities, lost considerable momentum in February, and diminished activity was also reported for nonresidential building. Meanwhile, residential building in February was able to register modest growth. For the first two months of 2011, total construction starts on an unadjusted basis came in at $52.9 billion, down 14% from a year ago. For the 12 months ending February 2012 versus the
ICON Venue Group has been retained as a consultant by Colorado State University to help study the feasibility of an on-campus stadium at the university and to coordinate additional public engagement opportunities. Denver-based ICON’s portfolio includes 30 stadium and arena projects around the globe, including Colorado venues such as the Pepsi Center, Sports Authority Field at Mile High, 1st Bank Center and Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. The firm will serve as a consultant to CSU’s Stadium Advisory Committee on issues such as design, funding, site analysis, stakeholder engagement and more.“ICON has deep experience overseeing complex stadium projects, including landmark venues
Aurora’s Adolfson & Peterson Construction’s work on the Denver Public Schools North High School Historic Renovations and Addition project has earned the company a Pyramid Award in the Historical Restoration ($10 million - $100 million) category of ABC’s Excellence in Construction Awards. A&P representatives received the award Feb. 22 during the 22nd annual Excellence in Construction Awards celebration in Phoenix. “This project is an outstanding example of the innovation and commitment to superior craftsmanship that embody merit shop construction,” said Michael D. Bellaman, ABC president and CEO.The school was originally built in 1911. The project balanced a state-of-the-art, 21st-century learning
Pinkard Construction Co., Lakewood, maintained a safety record that earned the company recognition in the general contractor category of ABC’s National Safety Excellence Awards. Pinkard representatives received the award Feb. 22 during the 22nd annual Excellence in Construction awards celebration at the Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix. Photo courtesy of Pinkard Construction From left: ABC 2012 National Chairman Eric Regelin presents the national award to Safety Director Justin Chivers, Pinkard Construction, and Pinkard Vice President of Operations Mark Olesen. Two key safety statistics played a role in Pinkard’s earning the award: a current, and ongoing 1.25 million man-hours worked without a
Roth Sheppard Architects and Jordy Construction, both of Denver, celebrated the grand opening of their newest restaurant project, Zi South, on March 17. Photo by Adam Larkey The Zi South dining room has wall-to-wall windows on two sides, allowing diners to watch the Ballpark Districts active streetscape. The 4,963-sq-ft restaurant is located on the northwest corner of 22nd and Blake streets in Denver’s Ballpark neighborhood. The 3,763-sq-ft interior was designed to reflect the curves of the outfield at nearby Coors Field and features a central island bar and LED-lit water wall, natural rope curtains and a blend of wood, concrete
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