The triennial CONEXPO-CON/AGG exhibition is thought to be the largest construction event of the year and the largest trade show in the Western Hemisphere. This year’s show, scheduled for March 22-26 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, already is booking up its 2.2 million square feet. Last time the big show came to Vegas, in 2008, the industry and economy were in a much different place. Then, manufacturers couldn’t crank out the machines fast enough. The show set all-time records for attendance and exhibits, with more than 144,000 people perusing nearly 2.3 million sq ft. Soon after, investment bank Lehman

The Southern Nevada Water Authority�s largest single contract to date just got a little pricier. Photo: Tony Illia for ENR Southwest Drier days Workers in 2010 in staging vault that later flooded twice. Photo: Tony Illia for ENR Southwest Tunnel-boring machine head will drill for three miles. A starter tunnel for a third raw water intake at Lake Mead flooded three times in six months last year, prompting its contractor, Vegas Tunnel Constructors LLC �a joint venture of S.A. Healy Co., Lombard, Ill., and Impreglio S.p.A., Sesto San Giovanni, Italy�to drill in a drier direction. Costs for the design-build project,

Fluor and Boeing have made their desire known to take over management of the government-owned, contractor-operated Dept. of Energy Sandia National Laboratory facilities in Albuquerque, N.M., and Livermore, Calif. Photo courtesy Sandia National Labs Announcing a “teaming agreement,” Irving, Texas-based Fluor and Chicago-based Boeing say they are “ready and willing to bid” to manage the DOE’s National Nuclear Security Administration facilities, if the opportunity comes up, according to Keith Stephens, Fluor spokesperson. The current Sandia contract, held by Lockheed since 1993, expires in September 2012. “We thought it important to announce our intentions,” Stephens says. “While there is not an

In an attempt to prevent a Las Vegas-style resort/casino from being built near Glendale, Ariz., Gov. Jan Brewer (R) signed a bill into law allowing Glendale to annex the 54-acre site. Casinos can be built only on tribal land, according to the state�s Indian Gaming Compact. However, as the law takes effect in 90 days, the window is open for legal maneuverings by the project�s developer, the Tohono O�odham Nation. Photo courtesy of Hnedak Bobo Group Despite a scaled-back design, West Valley Resort still faces opposition. The bill, HB 2534, was pushed through the Republican-controlled Legislature last month but failed

Construction began on a new shade structure at Chase Field that will generate 75 KW of solar power upon completion in May, just in time to provide Arizona Diamondbacks fans with some much-needed shade for Phoenix�s hot summer months. Image courtesy of HKS Inc. Chase Field�s new shade structure will generate 75 KW of power. Through a partnership between the Diamondbacks, Maricopa County Stadium District and Phoenix-based utility APS, the structure will cover 17,280 sq ft of the plaza near the ballpark�s western entrances and ticket booths. The Phoenix office of Dallas-based HKS Inc. is the architect for the project.

Maricopa County residents are breathing a little easier after Maricopa County�s Air Quality Dept. reached an enforcement settlement agreement with Dickson, N.D.-based Fisher and Sand Gravel Co. for $1 million over air quality violations. The settlement consists of a $650,000 fine and another $350,000 investment in an air quality awareness program that is still in development. �The truth is that the program has not been formulated yet,� says MCAQD spokeswoman Holly Ward. The department hopes the program will help prevent future pollution. According to a press release, the program will be implemented and begin outreach initiatives this year. �The tough

Bernalillo County voters approved a $70-million bond issue which will allow Central New Mexico Community College (CNM) to perform upgrades and renovations to multiple buildings among the school�s five locations. Unofficial results show 65% approval for the bond, which supporters said would not raise any existing taxes (though property taxes would have fallen slightly had the measure failed.) The largest allotment�$16 million�will help fund renovations of Jeanette Stromberg Hall on CNM�s main campus in Albuquerque to add facilities for the nursing and allied health programs. High-tech labs and simulated hospital environments will help prepare CNM students for the demands of

Image courtesy Majestic Realty Co. The old Thomas & Mack Center at University of Nevada � Las Vegas could be transformed to a 40,000-seat stadium. Image courtesy Majestic Realty Co. Image courtesy Majestic Realty Co. The University of Nevada-Las Vegas� aging, bland campus could soon get a shot of high-octane excitement. Billionaire developer Ed Roski recently unveiled plans to build a new domed football stadium at the school�s 332-acre main campus at 4505 S. Maryland Parkway in central Las Vegas. The 40,000-seat steel-and-glass venue would serve as home to the UNLV Rebels football team, which currently plays at the outdated

Union Pacific Railroad, the largest rail network in the U.S., is expected to break ground later this year on a new transportation hub that will expand its existing operations in the Southwest. The $400-million project will be constructed in Santa Teresa, N.M., not far from the Omaha-based rail company�s existing El Paso, Texas, facility. Photo courtesy Union Pacific The new hub is located along the historic �Sunset Route� between El Paso and Los Angeles. Image courtesy Union Pacific The $400-million hub is located in Santa Teresa, N.M., near Union Pacific�s existing operations in El Paso, Texas. Originally proposed in 2006,

D. Thomas Goderre, P.E., LEED AP has been named district operations manager for Gilbane Building Co.’s Phoenix office. He is a 23-year veteran who joined Gilbane in 1997. Goderre has been involved in a number of major projects including the City of Phoenix Police Department Crime Laboratory and the Maricopa County Downtown Court Tower. He is a graduate of The Ohio State University with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering. SUMMERS GODERRE Jeff Kratzke, RLA, ASLA has been selected to lead Olsson Associates’ landscape architecture and urban planning practice out of the firm’s Phoenix office. He has 25 years