Virginia Utility Will Extend Life Of Its Nuke Portfolio to 80 Years The power-generating utility Dominion, Richmond, Va., is in early discussions with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to extend the operating life of its nuclear units to 80 years, says Thomas Wohlfarth, senior vice president. Dominion previously received 20-year extensions to the original 40-year licenses for its Surry and North Anna units. Receiving extensions would bode well for the development of a third nuclear unit at North Anna, says Wohlfarth. If reactors that were built in the 1970s could operate for 80 years, then a newer unit could be

Photo Courtesy Suffolk Construction On April 26, general contractor Suffolk Construction managed the largest continuous concrete mat placement in the city of Boston's history at the downtown Millennium Tower development.Hudson, Mass.-based subcontractor S&F Concrete marshalled 600 concrete trucks to cast 6,000 cu yd of concrete for the foundation of the $700-million building. The continuous cast lasted 36 hours, starting at 4:00 a.m. The foundation's 8-ksi-concrete mat averages 6½ ft in depth.It cost $6 million to put in place, including both the concrete and reinforcing bar. The mat will support a 625-ft-tall building with 1.4 million sq ft of space.

Photo by Nadine M. Post/ENR World Trade Center Project's Shape Is Challenging To BuildThe complex above-grade form of Santiago Calatrava's WTC Transportation Hub, designed to resemble a bird of peace, is taking shape in Lower Manhattan. The main transit hall, which is 365 ft long, will contain more than 11,000 tons of structural steel in 600 members, some with as many as three field-welded connections. Challenges include the unique geometry and the connection engineering. The entire structure was modeled to determine a carefully staged erection sequence. The hub is scheduled to open some time next year. EPA Proposes $1.7 Billion

Dodge Construction Momentum Index for March 2014 The Dodge Momentum Index retreated 0.8% in March compared to February, according to McGraw Hill Construction. The index is a monthly measure of the initial reports for non-residential building projects entering the planning stage, a lead indicator of construction spending within the next year. The March index was 113.8, down from a revised 114.8 in February and 118.3 in January. New plans for commercial buildings fell 1%, as declines in offices and hotels offset an increase in retail buildings, Dodge says.Construction Employment Still Heading in a Positive Direction Construction's unemployment numbers continue to

Duke Sues Westinghouse Over Canceled EPC Nuke Contract Duke Energy Florida said in a lawsuit filed in federal court on March 28 that the utility is entitled to a $54.1-million refund from Westinghouse Electric for "milestone payments" DEF made for turbine generators and other elements of the Levy County, Fla., nuclear station, whose engineering-procurement-construction contract was later canceled. DEF also said in the complaint it filed against Westinghouse at the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina that Westinghouse claims it incurred more than $482 million in direct costs related to its work on the two-unit, 2,234-MW

Photo By AP Wideworld Related Links: Caution Ahead: Overdue Investments for New York's Aging Infrastructure National Transportation Safety Board investigators confirmed March 18 that a natural-gas pipeline leak triggered a deadly explosion that leveled two five-story buildings in East Harlem March 12. The agency, which is heading up the probe, also said it detected unusual concentrations of gas in the soil around the site, according to media reports.NTSB has named New York City utility Con Edison as a party to the investigation. The utility, which referred calls on the matter to NTSB, says on its website that it last surveyed

Dodge Momentum Index Slows The Dodge Momentum Index slipped 2.6% in February compared to the previous month, according to McGraw Hill Construction. The latest month's retreat is expected to be a brief pause in a broader upward trend, Dodge says. Weak employment growth in December and January raised concern that the U.S. economic expansion was losing momentum, dampening planning for commercial and institutional buildings. Moderate improvements in the February jobs report should alleviate some of that concern.Equipment Dealer Optimism Hits New High Construction optimism has reached a nearly two-decade high of 124 points, after bottoming out in 2009 with 42

Related Links: Arthur J. Gallagher Backpedals on Surprise Individual Surety Offer by New Employee Big Surety Broker and Leading Promoter Part Ways Steven Golia, a leading promoter of controversial individual surety bonds, no longer works for national insurance-surety broker Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., the company confirms. Golia had become an employee in December after Gallagher acquired McIntyre Risk Management, a Cherry Hill, N.J., broker for whom he had apparently worked since late last year. A spokeswoman for Gallagher would not discuss details of his departure. After the acquisition, Golia, who is based in Haddonfield, N.J., announced the new parent

ENR Art Dept.  A Decline in Volume Follows a Strong December The value of new construction starts fell 13% in January to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $485 billion, according to McGraw Hill Construction Dodge. The downturn follows a strong December, which was the third-highest month for starts in 2013. On an unadjusted basis, total construction starts in January were $34.1 billion, which was down 5% from the same month a year ago. "Non- residential building in 2013 advanced 7%, but the progress was occasionally hesitant, including sluggish activity at the end of last year that carried over into

Colorado's U.S. 6 Closed for Bridge Demolitions.The Colorado Dept. of Transportation closed Denver's U.S. 6 freeway on the weekend of Feb. 14 to demolish the Knox Court Bridge and part of the Federal Boulevard Bridge over U.S. 6. During the full closure, crews from contractor Edward Kraemer & Sons Inc., Castle Rock, Colo., completed 20 nights' worth of work in 72 hours. Tasks also included a lane shift to allow for additional bridge work, says Kevin Sullivan, CDOT project director. The $98-million project will replace six obsolete bridges on U.S. 6 between Knox Court and Interstate 25 and improve traffic