Gold: NREL Row 4 TurbinesSubmitted by The RMH Group Inc. Efficiencies in wind turbine technologies have dramatically increased over the years, thanks in large part to work performed at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s National Wind Technology Center. NREL Row 4 Turbines Related Links: Back to Gold Hard Hat Awards SMA at Enterprise Park Achieving greater turbine efficiencies, primarily by limiting operational downtime, is critical for this sector’s continued growth. To study the problems associated with operational downtime and to develop methods for increasing efficiencies, NREL erected two new utility-scale turbines at the site—a 1.5-MW and a 2.3-MW wind turbine
Bronze: U.S. Olympic Committee Headquarters BuildingSubmitted by GE Johnson Construction Co. Originally built in 1914, the historic Stratton Point building has housed a myriad of tenants over the past century. When the U.S. Olympic Committee chose this downtown Colorado Springs location for its future home, the four-story building had been vacant for years and used most recently for retail. Photo By Time Frame Images U.S. Olympic Committee Headquarters Building Photo By Time Frame Images U.S. Olympic Committee Headquarters Building Related Links: Back to Gold Hard Hat Awards It needed to be completely stripped down to the original framework to allow
Criteria for Entries The annual Gold Hard Hat Awards is a competition to determine the best projects completed by firms in Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, North and South Dakota. Related Links: Legacy Award: Wally Prebis Outstanding Engineering Design Outstanding Cultural Project Outstanding Government/Public Building Project Outstanding Health-Care Project Judges Award: Outstanding Community Contribution & Outstanding Green Building Project Outstanding Civil/Public Works Project Outstanding Architectural Design Outstanding Higher Education/Research Project Outstanding Industrial Project Outstanding Interior Design Project Outstanding K-12 Education Project Outstanding Landscape/Urban Planning Project Outstanding Retail Project Outstanding Renovation/Restoration Project Outstanding Multifmaily/Hospitality Project Outstanding Sports/Recreation Project Outstanding Small Project Outstanding Transportation
The Regional Transportation District broke ground in August on the $1-billion East Corridor commuter rail line, the largest single-rail project in the voter-approved FasTracks program. The Colorado Office of the State Architect awarded a design services contract for the $11.6-million Colorado State Capitol Dome Exterior Restoration Project to Lakewood�s Martin/Martin Inc. The East Corridor is part of the FasTracks Eagle P3 project, a public-private partnership that also includes the Gold Line to Arvada and Wheat Ridge and a segment of the Northwest Rail Corridor to south Westminster. Phase 1 of the Eagle P3 project includes the East Corridor, a new
Construction on a new 6,978-sq-ft administrative building for the Utah Navajo Trust Fund and Aneth Community Development Corp. finished in June. Photo courtesy of Eaton Architecture The Navajo Trust Fund and Aneth Community Development Corp. opened their new 6,978-sq-ft Montezuma Creek Administrative Building near Blanding, Utah. The new Montezuma Creek Administrative Building is located on 5.3 acres about 50 miles south of Blanding, Utah, near the intersection of Highways 163 and 262. Layton, Utah-based Valley Design and Construction built the project. The architectural design for the building was carefully researched by Salt Lake City’s Eaton Architecture to reflect symbolic elements
Kennecott Land Co. of South Jordan, Utah, a subsidiary of Rio Tinto—a London-based, multi-billion-dollar global mining company—was formed in 2001 by a handful of people who wanted to develop former mining land into thriving living and working communities. “Our goal is to take these lands when mining activity is complete and develop them into enduring communities,” says Ty McCutcheon, vice president of community development for Kennecott. “Despite challenging times these last few years, we have achieved quite a bit of success.” The first and largest of its communities is called Daybreak, located in South Jordan, Utah. McCutcheon says one reason
Planners in Springville and Spanish Fork, two communities about 50 miles south of Salt Lake City, are making improvements to ensure that electricity keeps flowing uninterrupted to meet current and future demand. Photo by Sohm Photografx Cache Valley Electric recently began work on the first in a series of upgrades to Springville Power’s Dry Creek Substation, which included line work and installation and commissioning of new transformers. The towns have had their own power generation and distribution networks since the early 1900s, with a combined power customer base of about 25,000. Those networks also serve the bedroom communities of the
The Komatsu name is a familiar one at mining operations and construction projects in the Intermountain West, and the Komatsu Equipment Co. of Salt Lake City intends to keep it that way. The firm, which has been in business for more than 50 years, opened its new headquarters in August. The $10.6-million, 102,000-sq-ft, two-story-tall headquarters is mostly occupied by 12 expansive service bays designed to keep everything from small skid loaders to gargantuan mining trucks in working order. The rest of the 11.5-acre site east of Bangerter Highway in Salt Lake City will be used for displaying and testing equipment.
Idaho Power’s new $45-million Hemingway substation near Melba, Idaho, will be the terminus of two transmission lines. The lines, nearly 1,450 miles long, are components of a proposed 500-kV transmission path from a substation near Boardman, Ore., 300 miles away, and another substation near Glenrock, Wyo., 1,150 miles away. Photo Courtesy Of Idaho Power The Hemingway substation is Idaho Power’s largest and will serve as a central point where electricity can be switched, controlled and distributed to customers in Treasure Valley. Photo Courtesy Of Idaho Power Before construction on the Hemingway substation, the area was undeveloped. The project will help
North Temple Street in Salt Lake City is in the midst of a $250-million extreme makeover to prepare for an extension of the Utah Transit System’s TRAX light rail that will run 6 miles from the downtown Intermodal Transit Hub to Salt Lake City International airport. In addition to construction of the new light-rail line, Salt Lake City planners have taken the opportunity to install new utilities and make multiple other improvements to the street, including new lighting and sidewalks. North Temple serves as a main surface-street connection from the airport to the city but has long been a troubled
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