As California Department of Transportation Construction Manager Douglas Coe tells it, the key to success on a very complicated seismic retrofit of the Antioch Toll Bridge is the mastering of the three B’s – birds, bearings and bracing. Rebuilt in 1978 from the original 1926 edition, the steel-plate girder, 1.8-mi bridge spans the San Joaquin River from the East Bay city of Antioch in Contra Costa County to the Sherman Island wildlife refuge in Sacramento County along State Route 160. It has one lane in each direction with bicycle and pedestrian access and traffic numbers about 15,000 vehicles a day.Though

McCarthy Building Cos. is converting a 1960s-era Clarion Hotel property adjacent to the San Francisco International Airport into a “next generation” business/boutique property. Aloft, Starwood Hotels & Resorts’ newest brand that launched in 2008, now has 87 locations worldwide, including three in California: This current under-construction property in Millbrae, in Ontario-Rancho Cucamonga and, opening next year, in Cupertino.Aloft SFO, designed by Jonathan Nehmer + Associates, Rockville, Md., will have 253 rooms, a 5,102-sq-ft lobby with the brand’s signature hang-outs (the w xyz bar and re:fuel by Aloft eatery), 672 sq ft of meeting space and a detached pool. The whole

Construction is at the halfway point on the $1-billion Green Build expansion project at San Diego International Airport. Photo courtesy of San Diego International Airport Terminal-side construction is under way. The project, which is aiming for LEED silver, is on schedule and within budget, according to airport officials, and is moving toward a summer 2013 completion.Construction crews are currently working on the dual-level roadway, which will relieve curb-front congestion in front of Terminal 2 when complete, according to airport spokeswoman Katie Jones. Concrete decks have been poured, and in the coming months, two new pedestrian bridges will be installed, reaching

With commercial real estate in San Francisco showing new muscle thanks to the tech boom, Tishman Speyer plans to build a rare speculative office building in the Foundry Square complex at Howard and First streets, south of Market Street. Rendering courtesy of Tishman Speyer Foundry Square III The 10-story Foundry Square III was designed by Studios Architecture, which also designed Foundry Square I, II and IV, and will be built by Webcor Builders, according to Rick Matthews, spokesman for Tishman Speyer.Construction is set to begin in July with completion scheduled for the end of next year.Matthews said there was no

Thanks to a state directive mandating the use of more renewable energy and a new federal priority on advancing renewable projects on public lands, solar power claimed the first five spots on this year's ENR California Top Starts ranking for projects that broke ground in 2011. Related Links: 2012 Top Project Starts Ranking Those five solar projects totaled $7.9 billion, a 52% jump over the combined value of the top five on last year's list (ENR California 4/11/11), which was dominated by high-profile transportation projects funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.This year's roster excludes a massive solar project

Edison Mission Group's $500-million Walnut Creek Energy Park in the City of Industry is designed for those days when electricity consumption peaks or renewable-power sources refuse to play ball. "Historically, peaking powerplants like Walnut Creek operate only when energy demand is highest," says Larry Kostrzewa, managing director, commercial management for Santa Ana-based Edison Mission Group, a unit of Edison International. "Say it's a hot summer daythe Santa Anas are blowing and everybody has their AC on. That's when these plants will get going." The power provided to Southern California by the natural-gas-fired plant also will come in handy when energy

Swinerton Builders recently completed the new toll operations building at the Bay Bridge for Caltrans’ Bay Area Toll Authority. Photo courtesy of Swinerton Builders The new Toll Operations Building at the Bay Bridge. The 22,000-sq-ft, steel-framed, two-story building is comprised of concrete on metal deck with pile foundations. The exterior features white metal panels and glass curtain wall, with a glass hand-railed walkway to the main entrance.The new toll operations building will continue to provide Caltrans administration, toll collection, and electronic monitoring of the toll operations, each of which required specially designed and constructed fire suppression, communication, and security systems.

Bomel Construction Co., Anaheim, and International Parking Design,  Sherman Oaks, recently completed construction on a 1,200-stall, 500,000-sq-ft parking structure complex that serves the Thornton Hospital Cardiovascular Center at UC San Diego’s East Campus in La Jolla. Photo courtesy of Bomel Construction The new parking structure/soccer field at UCSD. The Bomel-IPD team developed a plan to build two adjoining structures, instead of the owner’s original plan to erect one, and overcame an assortment of pesky construction challenges to complete the $24 million project on time and within budget.The project’s pre-existing conditions included a sloping canyon site, unforgiving soil, a proposed adjacent

The design-build team of Pinner Construction Co. and gkkworks recently started work on the Los Angeles Unified School District’s first design-build project in its 51-year history. Photo courtesy of Pinner/gkkworks Demolition work at Dorsey High. Image courtesy of gkkworks gkkworks' vision of the Dorsey High School redevelopment The $28-million Dorsey High School redevelopment project also received an unprecedented quick approval by the Division of the State Architect. After submitting the construction documents, Pinner, Anaheim, and gkkworks, Pasadena, got an OK after just seven months. “Normally, it takes nine to 12 months to get these projects approved,” said gkkworks principal Vincent

The Sacramento City Council voted 7-2 to approve the Sacramento Kings arena financing plan term sheet recently hammered out by Mayor Kevin Johnson, the owners (the Maloof family) and the National Basketball Association, paving the way for construction to possibly begin this year. Photo courtesy of AEG Financing has been approved for the Railyards arena project. According to the city council, the term sheet provides a framework for how the city will develop the $391-million Entertainment and Sports Complex at the Railyards site in conjunction with the Sacramento Kings, Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) and the ICON-Taylor group. The city will