Max J. Kuney Construction, Spokane, will be the primary contractor for the next phase of safety improvements along Interstate 90, between Hyak and the Keechelus Dam. Kuney submitted the low bid of $76 million, which was 30% under estimates by the state Dept. of Transportation’s engineer. Photo: WSDOT Crews place a girder for the new detour bridge at Gold Creek just east of the Snoqualmie Pass. The Interstate-90 widening project will widen five miles of roadway to improve safety and reliability. Photo: WSDOT A worker ‘hangs out’ while positioning the heavy concrete bridge girder over Gold Creek during construction last
The next phase of Portland Streetcar will be doing loops around downtown Portland upon its opening in 2012. The 3.3-mi extension will add the east side to its service line, closing a loop of service long in the planning. Photo: Portland Streetcar Inc. Crews working on the newest phase of the Portland Streetcar Loop project first saw cut an 8-ft swath out of the existing roadway and excavate down approximately 13 in. Then crews lay the rebar cage and align the track prior to pouring concrete. The project will extend service another 3.3 mi, adding 28 new stops and bringing
It’s not the gangbuster activity that the media dubbed the Tacoma Renaissance a few years ago, but the city skyline is dotted with a few cranes, and more are coming in the spring. Photo: ZGF/Tacoma Public Library The redevelopment of the land surrounding the historic Elks Club in Tacoma was designed by ZGF Architects LLP to include a 25,000-sq-ft upscale grocery and five stories of apartments plus a five-level parking garage. The club building itself will be restored by McMenamins into a hotel, spa and pub. Image: Grant Architects The Collector Car Center will be part of the first phase
Public projects – from bridges and arenas to fire stations and utilities jobs – dominate the Eugene construction landscape as contractors and architects also work with public agencies to stretch budgets and protect the environment. Photo: University of Oregon The new University of Oregon Matthew Knight Arena will act as a front door to the campus, bringing modern amenities while preserving the intimate feeling of Ducks basketball. Photo: ODOT Oregon officials broke ground on the $187-million Willamette River Bridge last summer. One of the largest, the $187-million Willamette River Bridge, kicked off last summer and is now in full swing.
Hanging more than 200 ft over a jobsite in downtown Kansas City, Mo., James Hague doesn’t seem to notice the tiny people and equipment below his feet. The senior technician is intently fiddling with a dial gauge that measures the amount of play in a crane turntable—the giant gear that rotates the jib. “A bearing could go bad,” says Hague, suspended from a full-body harness. “And that’s something we want to know before the top falls off.” Photo: Tudor Van Hampton Hanging from a full-body harness, James Hague uses a dial gauge to check the play in a J.E. Dunn
In seismic zones, construction of concrete high-rises keeps getting easier, thanks to advances in high-strength reinforcing steel used for confinement of high-strength concrete. Photo: Cary Kopczynski & Co. The 31-story Escala condominium tower in downtown Seattle utilized 100-ksi rebar, which allowed for less field labor, less hoisting and reduced materials. The project was developed by Lexas Cos., Seattle, and built by JE Dunn Construction, Kirkland. Workers assemble 90-ksi rebar on Avalon Towers in Bellevue, which topped out in early December. The high-strength rebar also reduces congestion over standard 60-ksi rebar, but is cheaper to manufacture than 100-ksi rebar because it
...guidelines require annual inspections. The company also performs nondestructive testing of the structure after each project. J.E. Dunn uses a software program called DB02 to track its safety compliance. In 2008, it asked the San Carlos, Calif.-based supplier to retool the program around the hoisting fleet. Some contractors and crane rental companies are using the economic downtime to reinvest in safety. Related Links: >Air Apparent “We can pull statistics and data, everything from fall protection to crane inspection,” Hall says. “Once a crane is moved, those statistics follow that crane to the next job.” The equipment is hooked up to
Regional transit builder SoundTransit adopted a two-part strategy when it went to bid on tunneling work for University Link, a 3.15-mi underground extension of light rail from downtown Seattle to the University of Washington. The project includes construction of two twin-bore tunnels and two stations. +Image Map: SoundTransit Upon completion in 2016, the University Link 3.15-mi underground light rail extension will allow commuters to travel from downtown Seattle to the University of Washington. Image: SoundTransit The University of Washington station, estimated at $115 million, is one of two stations required for the new line. SoundTransit officials plan to compile a
The Washington State Dept. of Transportation has qualified four design-build teams that will vie for a $1-billion contract to construct a deep-bore tunnel replacing the seismically unsound Alaskan Way viaduct in Seattle. The winner will begin work on the four-lane, 2-mile-long double-decker tunnel on state Route 99 after the award in late 2010. Slide Show Photo: WSDOT Four design-build teams will vie for the $1-billion contract to replace the seismically unsound Alaskan Way Viaduct, which is scheduled to break ground by the end of 2010. Related Links: University Link's Sound Strategy New Treatment Plant Clears Way for Elwha Dam Project
Oregon and Washington are among the top three states when it comes to USGBC LEED certification, an indication of the region’s dedication to the environment. LEED certification has long been held as a symbol of a building’s commitment to sustainability, not to mention a means of satisfying local regulations requiring compliance, such as Seattle’s Sustainable Building Policy enacted in 2000. Photo: Optimum Energy The property managers for Aventine, a business complex in La Jolla, Calif., used ENERGY STAR to assess energy usage, revealing that upgrades to the HVAC system would result in significant energy savings with minimal investment. +Image Upgrading
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