JEREMIAH When project funding finally comes through, owners and contractors alike are eager for shovels to dig in. Owners resist what they see as time-consuming contract negotiations, and contractors fear that resisting unreasonable contract terms will result in the work being awarded to a competitor. div id="articleExtrasA" div id="articleExtrasB" div id="articleExtras" Not so fast. While an owner’s threat to hand a project to the next hungry contractor may be real, a contractor should never sign a contract without understanding key terms and should never, never begin a project without preparing proper legal notices. Even a contract involving a nominal work
Submitted by: Walsh Construction Co. This $20-million project consists of major renovations and seismic upgrades to the historic 40,000-sq-ft Packard Scott building in Portland, along with the addition of a new 40,000 square foot steel and concrete structure. Rated LEED platinum, some of the more visible sustainable aspects include period-appropriate yet energy-efficient windows, a photovoltaic solar array, green roof, low-VOC interior materials and a system of six planters designed to slow rainwater runoff. One interesting stage was the complicated process of removing the mezzanine level and lowering the second floor. Using the mezzanine as a brace, crews used a series
Submitted by: PCL Construction Services, Inc. This extensive, two-year, $108-million renovation of the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport consisted of demolition and abatement of over 300,000 sq ft of the active terminal plus the installation of major structural upgrades including 45 concrete shear walls and nearly 2 million lbs of structural steel. Photo: Ken Graham Photography Related Links: Best Of 2010 List A new, more efficient, exterior fa�ade was installed which included insulated metal panels and a new glazing system. The entire terminal received a new roof, finishes, and passenger boarding bridges. A new baggage handling system was installed and
Submitted by: PCL Construction Services, Inc. As the second residential phase of the Bravern development in Bellevue, this $250-million project consists of 29 levels of condominiums in each of the two towers, for a total of 455 individual units. Also included are an athletic club, events room with catering kitchen, and a spa area. Photo: Michael Walmsley Photography Photo: Michael Walmsley Photography Related Links: Best Of 2010 List Each tower consists of a centralized concrete core, concrete columns and post-tensioned slabs. The building enclosure is comprised of a glazed curtainwall system, pre-cast architectural concrete panels and metal panels. During the
This 40,000-sq-ft center incorporates a range of learning environments, from small spaces for individual tutorials to a large 150-seat auditorium, encouraging collaboration and peer interaction.
Submitted by Fisher & Sons, Inc. VersaCold Logistics’ $22.5-million cold storage and distribution plant in Tacoma serves as a key transfer point between Vancouver, B.C. and California. Temperatures inside the precision-controlled warehouse provides multiple temperature zones ranging from minus 20�F to 34� for optimal storage of a range of products. Even the loading dock is maintained at 34�, maintaining freshness as product is transferred in the logistics chain. Photo: IRA Buckley Photographer Photo: Jerod Ketchel, Project Engineer Related Links: Best Of 2010 List Built on what was once a low-lying estuary, the 198,000-sq-ft building required a structural steel frame on
Submitted by CH2M HILL This $108-million project reestablishes steelhead and salmon passage around a hydroelectric dam near Madras, Ore., for the first time in 40 years. After two years of design for a site where there was almost no room for construction, engineers came up with the selective water withdrawal facility, which is the only floating surface fish collection facility connected with a hydroelectric power generation intake system in the world. The project also improves downstream water quality by regulating water temperature. Photo: CH2M Hill/Dix Corp. Photo: CH2M Hill/Dix Corp. Related Links: Best Of 2010 List The facility stands 273
Submitted by Howard S. Wright Constructors, LP The two, 33-story high-rise office buildings at The Bravern, occupied by 2,400 Microsoft employees, include private offices, conference rooms, main building lobbies and reception areas, cafeterias and server labs. The project team built these tenant improvements at the same time as another contractor completed the shell and core. Separate architecture firms also completed the shell design and TI design. Both contractors substantially completed the project in thirteen months at a significant cost savings, due in part to their thorough logistics planning prior to the start of construction. Construction teams from both companies met
Submitted by: Graham Contracting, Ltd. The complexities of this school renovation included the expansion of an existing mechanical systems tunnel, complete restoration of the historic exterior facade and preservation of existing decorative plaster ceiling scrolls throughout the building and high end interior finishes such as terrazzo floors, exotic wall and ceiling panels and veneer plasters. Photo: Matt Todd Photography Related Links: Best Of 2010 List It also included a 115,400-sq-ft school facility and 12,626-sq-ft addition of a gymnasium, as well as a play area of approximately 15,000 sq ft and associated site work. A 31-ft elevation difference on the site
Submitted by: Andersen Construction This highly complex renovation in downtown Seattle called for replacing the existing window washing equipment on top of the 64-story Seattle Municipal Tower. Photo: Sky-pix.com Photo: Sky-pix.com Related Links: Best Of 2010 List Placing the equipment on top of such a tall and uniquely shaped building proved especially difficult. The team first examined the use of a tower crane, then helicopter, before deciding a derrick crane would cause the least tenant disruption and most schedule certainty. The design team responded by working diligently to overcome the challenges that came along with placing large, heavy equipment on