The newly reconstructed FM 157/Collins Street bridge over IH-30 in Arlington opened in mid-November. The bridge, which is part of the larger IH-30 mobility project, was closed in July for demolition. Related Links: Dallas Bridge Construction Gets Thumbs Up Transportation Commission OKs 74 New Projects Worth $2 Billion Construction Begins on $1B DFW Connector Project Tyler’s Toll Segment Breaks Ground Originally the bridge was to be built in phases that reduced motorists to one lane until spring 2010. Instead the bridge was demolished, rebuilt and opened before the end of 2009. The bridge is part of the $165.5-million project that
About two dozen buildings at Fort Sam Houston, some dating back almost as early as the post’s 1876 origin, are being transformed into modern, energy-efficient offices, barracks and other facilities for military personnel and federal employees. The work is part of the $3 billion in Base Realignment and Closure and other construction programs ongoing at military installations in San Antonio. Photo: Joint Program Management Office. An aerial view of one of Fort Sam Houston’s historic areas, where structures dating back to the 1890s will be renovated to provide modern offices and barracks. “Fort Sam Houston has the most historic structures
Using construction management at risk on the $15.5-million renovation of the National Museum of the Pacific War allowed the Texas Historical Commission and the Admiral Nimitz Foundation to get more bang for their buck and have the project delivered in the tight time frame required to open on the prescheduled, historic date, Dec. 7. Related Links: Pacific War Museum CM-at-risk was “so critical for the success of the project,” says Joe Cavanaugh, THC site manager at the museum. “The goal was to try and build an exhibit and museum for the amount of money we’re spending that was maximum value
North Texas and Oklahoma have not escaped the economic downturn, with designers and contractors finding fewer construction starts than a couple of years ago. Photo: Scott + Reid. Scott + Reid completed an interior build-out of Energy Future Holdings. Photo: Turner Construction. Turner Construction Co. is building Deloitte University, a learning and leadership development center in Westlake near the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. “North Texas, Dallas and Texas as a whole are still fairing well as compared to the rest of the country,” says Matthew Papenfus, vice president and general manager of Turner Construction Co.’s Texas operations in Dallas. “We
...rebuilding the Downtown Inner Dispersal Route. The $75-million project, which includes 44 bridges, is funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Walton Construction Co. of Dallas received a $20.4-million contract last fall to build a 165,000-sq-ft defense logistics warehouse and distribution center at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City. Completion is scheduled for 2011. Oklahoma private projects JE Dunn is building the $50-million, 46-bed Oklahoma Heart Hospital South Campus, and Thompson also expects to start construction on two rural hospitals in the coming year. The company has several other projects in the pipeline. He anticipates health
When Joe Cavanaugh talks about Pearl Harbor, Bataan, Midway and other focal points of World War II in the Pacific Theater, it takes a moment to realize he isn’t referring to the actual historic locations but rather exhibits at the newly renovated National Museum of the Pacific War on East Main Street in downtown Fredericksburg. Photo: Richter Architects Richter Architects of San Antonio designed additions to the recently re-opened George H. W. Bush Gallery at the National Museum of the Pacific War in Fredericksburg. Related Links: CM-at-Risk Gives Nimitz More Bang for its Buck “At Pearl Harbor, there is an
Texas A&M University’s Department of Construction Science has teamed up with Skanska USA Building to create a unique learning opportunity for students. Photo: Skanska USA. Texas A&M students are learning about construction management from Skanska USA Building officials as the company constructs the school’s Agricultural Headquarters Building. Photo: PageSoutherlandPage. PageSoutherlandPage designed the 150,000-sq-ft classroom building for the University of Houston Sugar Land and Wharton County Junior College. “The Agriculture Headquarters Building in College Station has been a teaching laboratory,” says Matt Daniel, vice president of Skanska in Houston. Skanska officials guest lectured in a senior capstone class and held the
The recently completed $15.5-million renovation of the Lorenzo de Zavala Archives and Library Building in Austin means documents and artifacts that illustrate Texas’ rich history are now better protected and more accessible to the public. Photo: Bailey Architects. An interior view of the Texas State Library Archives building, which recently underwent a renovation, the first major upgrade to the half-century-old building since its original construction. Photo: Bailey Architects. Harvey-Cleary’s CM-at-risk contract for the renovation of the archives and library building (shown, exterior) allowed the firm to coordinate early with the Texas Facilities Commission. “The Zavala building was the first central
All too often, contractors do not have quality recordkeeping procedures. This can cause numerous problems, especially if issues are encountered during construction. Contractors often elect to create files for a specific project, which may contain subfolders for items such as contracts, submittals and correspondence. Unless company policy clearly states which information is to be placed into the project file, it is unlikely that all relevant information will be included. For example, as a project progresses, a project manager may use a work computer. At the close of the project, files created on the work computer may never be transferred to
Many of us spend our working hours assisting clients in a quest toward a more sustainable environment, including LEED certification. But have you evaluated the sustainability efforts put into your own office environment? Beyond that, are you sure your employees understand the reasoning behind sustainability? Sustainability can be an overwhelming topic. One day it’s melting ice shelves and the next it’s “climategate.” Indoor air quality, heat gain, rainwater harvesting, locally sourced materials, vegetated roofs, geothermal systems, daylighting – the specifics can make a layperson’s head spin; so introduce sustainability in terms that anyone can understand, from engineers to assistants to