As it did with last year�s devastating earthquake in Haiti, Miyamoto International, West Sacramento, sent an investigative team of structural engineers to the Central Business District in Christchurch, New Zealand to assess structure damage for a week. Miyamoto Sends Engineering Team to Downtown Christchurch Just back, the team�s findings to date, documented in journal reports and press releases, indicate that 30% to 50% of buildings constructed of unreinforced masonry (URM) have sustained severe damage or collapsed, due to the 6.3 magnitude earthquake that hit on Feb. 22, killing at least 75 people. The team observed that while many of the
Civil/trackwork/structural engineering firm J.L. Patterson & Associates, Inc., Orange, has acquired Idaho-based Intermountain Resources (IMR), which provides comprehensive environmental services throughout the Pacific Northwest. IMR specializes in all earth and natural science disciplines with special emphasis on soil and water interactions. �Combining forces with IMR will strengthen our presence in the West Coast and across the Mountain States, while allowing us to serve our rail clientele with pivotal environmental services,� says Jacqueline Patterson, JLP president, in a press release. IMR President and CEO Pierre Bordenave adds, �Our merger with J.L. Patterson will allow us to offer clients an expanded range
The AGC of California recently presented its annual President�s Scholarship Award for 2010 to Jose Buenrostro, a junior at Sacramento State University. Pictured during scholarship luncheon in Sacramento are, from left, Mike Mencarini, Unger Construction Co.; AGC of California Immediate Past President Bob Christenson; AGC scholarship recipient Jose Buenrostro; and Cathy Skeen, Excel Bonds & Insurance Services and Immediate Past Chair of the AGC Associates Council. 2010 AGCC President Bob Christenson and several AGC Construction Education Foundation board members honored Buenrostro at a luncheon last month at Riverside Clubhouse in Sacramento. He was presented with a $5,000 check in recognition
SWA Group reports that it has begun schematic design for the landscape and community plan for San Francisco�s Sunnydale public housing site near Bayview-Excelsior. SWA Group to Redesign Public Housing Community in SF Sunnydale is a recipient of one of the largest HOPE SF funding efforts to transform San Francisco public housing, SWA Group says. SWA is designing the first phase of the 50-acre community, which is undergoing a complete redesign and replacement of existing, dilapidated circa-1941 housing. The Sunnydale revitalization is a joint effort of the city of San Francisco, San Francisco Housing Authority, developers Mercy Housing and The
Two abandoned mines and their environs in California are being considered to be added to the Superfund National Priorities List, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The New Idria Mercury Mine site The Blue Ledge Mine The EPA says the New Idria Mercury Mine site located in San Benito County, affects waterways leading to the San Joaquin River and San Francisco Bay, and the Blue Ledge Mine in Siskiyou County discharges into streams in the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest and ultimately the Applegate Reservoir, a popular recreation area. Nahal Mogharabi, press officer at the EPA San Francisco office, says
Condon-Johnson & Associates (CJA), Oakland, was recently named the recipient of the ADSC: The International Association of Foundation Drilling�s 2011 Quality in Drilled Shaft Construction Award. Jack Hayes (left), president of Loadtest Inc., congratulates Alan Macnab, business development officer for Condon-Johnson. This honor is presented annually to an ADSC contractor that has demonstrated the highest level of quality control and quality assurance in all of its drilled shaft construction projects, according to the association. The award, presented at the ADSC�s 2011 annual meeting, was created by Loadtest Inc., Gainesville, Fla. and carries with it a $10,000 cash prize that is
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority reports that late last month it negotiated the purchase of Los Angeles Union Station from Catellus Operating Limited Partnership for $75 million. Though agreements still need to be signed and insurance issues resolved, a Metro spokesman says future planning for the station, including expansion and redevelopment, will begin in earnest around mid-April when the sale closes. The direct purchase includes 38 acres of land and 5.9 million sq ft of entitlements that provide Metro the right to build on the property and draw lease revenues from both transit operators and businesses. Currently, the
The construction industry added 33,000 jobs in February even as the industry�s unemployment rate was 21.8%, more than twice the national average, according to an analysis of new federal employment data released by the Associated General Contractors of America. �Given what this industry has been through, figures like these are as welcome as they are long overdue,� says Ken Simonson, the association�s chief economist, in a press release. �The question now is whether these figures reflect a thaw in economic conditions for the industry, or the benefits of warmer weather and less snow in many parts of the country in
Following three days of hearings at the Washington, D.C. offices of the National Transportation Safety Board, PG&E concludes that the event did itself, its customers and the entire pipeline industry �a great service by exploring a wide range of issues, including inspection and testing methods, public awareness, emergency response and regulatory oversight.� At the conclusion of the hearings, Congresswoman Jackie Speier (D-San Francisco/San Mateo), whose district includes the city of San Bruno, the site of the Sept. 9, 2010 natural gas pipeline explosion that killed eight people and destroyed 38 homes, introduced a measure to �greatly improve natural gas pipeline
After showing positive momentum during the fourth quarter of 2010, the Architecture Billings Index (ABI) slipped almost four points in January, according to the American Institute of Architects. As a leading economic indicator of construction activity, the ABI reflects the approximate nine- to 12-month lag time between architecture billings and construction spending. The AIA reports the January ABI score was 50.0, down from a reading of 53.9 the previous month. The AIA says this score reflects stable demand for design services (any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings). The new projects inquiry index was 56.5, down sharply from
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