Over nearly four decades, John R. Lawson II has made a lasting impression on mid-Atlantic construction—through his accomplishments at the helm of contractor W.M. Jordan Co. and his long-standing philanthropic efforts and advocacy for education.
Tom Murphy, founder, chairman and CEO of Coastal Construction Group, doesn't get out to the field as often as he'd like these days. And that's a bit of a shame, for even after more than 45 years in the industry, a construction site is where he's happiest. Photo by Angel E. Valentin Image courtesy Coastal Construction Coastal Construction is currently renovating and significantly expanding the historic Surf Club. Related Links: Engineering News Record Architectural Record "I like watching sites get turned into buildings, then going back to them years later," he says. "There's nothing like seeing a good project and
Pat Rodgers' tenure at Charlotte-based Rodgers Builders was supposed to last only two days—a temporary assignment as a receptionist to help the newly transplanted Midwesterner get her feet on the ground. Photo courtesy of Rodgers Builders Photos courtesy of Rodgers Builders Building community assets Rodgers Builders, along with joint-venture partners Barton Malow and R.J. Leeper, built the BB&T Knights Ballpark in Charlotte, which won ENR Southeast's Best Projects award in the sports/entertainment category. Related Links: Rodgers Builders Melds Traditional Values, Innovation B.D. Rodgers, 89, Founded Charlotte-Based Rodgers Builders Fortunately for the company and the Southeast's construction industry, she never left.
Enlarge Related Links: Collaboration Technology for Construction Sees Rapid Improvements Julian Clayton: Apps for Smaller Guys That Make a Big Difference Massive Gigaprograms Come with Layers of New Risk It wasn't that long ago when AEC firms relied on messengers and overnight delivery to exchange voluminous documents with clients and collaborators. The advent of high-bandwidth electronic data transfers and cloud storage has made the process largely a secure, point- and-click process, helping to expedite reviews and updates while saving money and more than a few trees.A number of file-sharing/storage services have emerged to serve firms of all sizes and needs.
Photo Courtesy of NASA Space-station-bound rocket exploded after launch, but pad is intact. Related Links: Orbital Sciences Corp. VIDEO: Antares explosion The explosion of an unmanned rocket carrying cargo to the International Space Station (ISS) on Oct. 28 has once again put the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's privatization program in the spotlight.Within seconds of liftoff, the first stage of Oribital Sciences Corp.'s Antares rocket self-destructed, scattering debris across the southern end of Wallops Island, Va. The Virginia Commercial Spaceflight Authority leases a flight facility from the National Aeronautical and Space Administration. Most of the debris fell within an 8,500-ft
When the 800 students of Frank W. Ballou High School in southeast Washington, D.C., come back to classes in January after the holiday break, they won't return to the time-worn, heavily used 54-year-old brick building they left in mid-December.
Just as repeat visitors to Central Florida's theme parks typically find new rides and attractions alongside old favorites, the region's contractors and subcontractors are finding the current uptick in activity similar, yet different from post-downturn periods of the past. Related Links: Southeast Specialty Firms Still Seeking Market Stability Southeast Top Specialty Contractors Ranking To be sure, the market's typically strong segments—multifamily apartments and condominiums, hospitality and health care—are once again leading the way, along with some government and sports initiatives.But it's how these projects are being executed that is defining this current construction environment. Most notably, say regional players, the
Photo Courtesy of J.D. Eckman Crews jacked the deck a quarter inch off its piers prior to realigning the structure. Related Links: DelDOT Making Fast-Track Repairs to Closed I-495 Christina River Bridge ENR Video Interview with DelDOT Chief Engineer Robert McCleary After 11 weeks of fast-track repairs, the Delaware Dept. of Transportation's emergency design and construction team reopened northbound lanes of the I-495 bridge in Wilmington on Aug. 23. The work allowed both sides of the 4,800-ft-long structure to be fully operational in time for the expected crush of Labor Day weekend traffic.The 40-year-old concrete-deck-on-steel-beam bridge, which typically carries about
Related Links: ENR MidAtlantic The term "express" has a dual meaning on the 95 Express project in northern Virginia. For the more than 200,000 vehicles that travel the 29-mile stretch of Interstate 95 south of the Capital Beltway every day, the project, to be completed in early 2015, aims to relieve congestion and speed traffic flow. For engineers and construction crews, the goal is to expedite delivery of the $1-billion project built right in the middle of a heavily traveled artery.The project will convert 20 miles of the highway's existing 40-year-old, dedicated high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes south of the Beltway
Photo courtesy of Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel Commission Thimble Shoals Channel off Virginia coast would be site of anticipated new Chesapeake Bay tunnel crossing. Related Links: Virginia Will Build Tunnel as Design-Build After Rejecting Unsolicited Public-Private Proposal ENR Blog: Va. Bridge-Tunnel Passes on P3 Tunnel Project Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel Commission Parallel Thimble Shoal Channel Tunnel Project Link The Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel Commission (CBBT) selected a team led by Jacobs Engineering Group, Pasadena, Calif., to serve as design manager for a new design-build tunnel. The project will parallel one of two existing subsurface structures along the 23-mile toll