Moving quickly to get Jacksonville's Mathews Bridge back into service after it was damaged by a U.S. Navy cargo ship on Sept. 26, the Florida Dept. of Transportation announced Oct. 1 that Superior Construction, Jacksonville, submitted the apparent low bid for emergency repairs, with a price of $1.07 million. If the contractor can complete the repairs in 30 days, it stands to earn up to $500,000 in early-completion bonuses. FDOT estimates the total cost of repairs at $3 million. Photo courtesy FDOT The cargo ship damaged a structural beam on the bridge's central span, nearly causing a collapse, say state
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission wants CB&I to enact measures to improve the workplace culture related to quality control at a Lake Charles, La., plant supplying wall modules to nuclear-power projects in Georgia and South Carolina.
Photo Courtesy FDOT The incident severely damaged a structural beam on the bridge's central span. Related Links: Fast-Track Replacement Planned for Collapsed Skagit River Bridge In Wake of Washington Span's Collapse, Federal Bridge Funding is in Focus The Florida Dept. of Transportation scrambled to award an emergency contract for repairs to a downtown Jacksonville bridge after a U.S. Navy cargo ship struck the 60-year-old, steel-truss structure's central span on Sept. 26. FDOT announced on Oct. 1 that Superior Construction, Jacksonville, submitted the apparent low bid, with a price of $1.07 million, plus a potential $500,000 in bonuses. FDOT estimates the
Related Links: Jimmie W. Hinze Graduate Scholarship in Construction Safety - Univ. of Florida M.E. Rinker School of Building Construction Jimmie W. Hinze, 67, a well-known construction safety researcher and champion, died on Sept. 12 in College Station, Texas, of cancer. He served, most recently, as director of the Fluor Program for Construction Safety at the University of Florida, Gainesville, and previously led its M.E. Rinker School of Building Construction.HINZIEHinze's research "was groundbreaking and unprecedented and provided the technical foundation for significant aspects of contemporary approaches to construction safety," says Robert Ries, the current Rinker school director.In August, Hinze presented
Six Southeast projects collectively won roughly $73.6 million in federal funding when the U.S. Dept. of Transportation recently announced its latest round of TIGER grants. Among the recipients in Florida, Georgia and North Carolina, the city of Atlanta received the single largest grant, of $18 million, to fund development of the Atlanta BeltLine’s 2.5-mile-long southwest corridor project. Image courtesy of Atlanta BeltLine Inc. The U.S. DOT awarded an $18-million grant to the city of Atlanta for development of the BeltLine's $2.5-mile-long southwest corridor project, estimated at $43 million overall. Image courtesy of the N.C. Dept. of Transportation The city of
In the fall of 2009, before construction had even begun, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' first design-build hospital project, sited in Fort Benning, Ga., had become a contracting nightmare. Related Links: Turnkey Equipment Procurement a Key to Success on Navy Hospital Job Court Orders Army to Reinstate Turner Contract The two losing bidders for the $333-million Martin Army Community Hospital (MACH)—a McCarthy/Hunt joint venture and a team of Harbert Construction and Brasfield & Gorrie—were filing lawsuits relating to the selection of Turner Construction Co. and Ellerbe Becket/RLF Architects. By February 2010, the Corps was ordering Turner Construction Co. and
On July 16, at 6:45 a.m., Florida Power & Light's 50-plus-year-old Port Everglades powerplant in Hollywood, Fla., came crashing down. The 1200-megawatt, oil-burning behemoth had become the latest chapter in one of today's biggest infrastructure stories—the nation's ongoing transition to cleaner energy sources. The occasion also cleared the way for new construction, in this case a $1-billion-plus natural gas-fired facility. Related Links: Southeast Top Specialty Contractors Ranking VIDEO: Port Everglades Powerplant Implosion (YouTube) D.H. Griffin Wrecking Co. Web Site The early-morning spectacle, positioned next to Fort Lauderdale's international airport and the cruise-ship hub Port Everglades, drew widespread attention for FPL—which
Despite some improvement in the volume of new contracts, the Southeast's construction market remains a fraction of the size it was during the pre-recession peak years. While specialty contractors working in Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas are growing more optimistic about market recovery, for many, the next wave of construction can't get here soon enough. Photo courtesy of Gate Precast Co. Educational projects such as this science graduate classroom building at Florida International University in Miami could be indicative of an increased amount of work in this sector for specialty firms. Photo courtesy of KHS&S Contractors At HealthPark Medical Center
PHOTO BY SOUTHERN CO. In August, construction continued on the Vogtle Unit 3 nuclear island. A Georgia Public Service Commission analyst says if the decision were made today, the plant would be gas-fired. Related Links: Vogtle Nuclear Plant Owners Seek Budget Hike, Extend Schedule Georgia Power's Vogtle Plant Under New Round of Criticism The economics of natural gas is putting pressure on builders of Georgia's $14-billion Plant Vogtle nuclear expansion project, with Southern Co. and contractor CB&I facing heightened scrutiny as they deal with continuing cost and schedule overruns.Philip Hayet, a Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) analyst, summed up the
Favorable economics for natural gas-fired energy production is putting pressure on builders of Georgia's $14-billion Plant Vogtle nuclear expansion project, with Southern Co. and contractor CB&I facing heightened scrutiny as they deal with continuing cost and schedule overruns. Photo by Georgia Power In June, Vogtle construction crews placed this 900-ton containment vessel bottom head into the Unit 3 nuclear island. Related Links: Vogtle Nuclear Plant Owners Seek Budget Hike, Extend Schedule Duke Energy Cancels $24.7B Florida Nuke Plant Project Philip Hayet, a Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) analyst, summed up the changed fiscal environment when he testified in early August