When motorists take to San Francisco�s new $1-billion Presidio Parkway in late 2013, they won�t see some of the massive foundation piles placed deep into ground below. But they will feel the support of some of the largest cast-in-drilled-hole piles currently in use. div id="articleExtrasA" div id="articleExtrasB" div id="articleExtras" �The biggest challenge on this job from the beginning was a requirement to use 12-ft-diameter piles and [insert them with] very limited vibration because of historic buildings in the Presidio,� says Peter Faust, project manager for San Francisco-based Malcolm Drilling Co. �This meant we couldn�t use a pile driver with an
When motorists take to San Francisco’s new $1-billion Presidio Parkway in late 2013, they won’t see some of the massive foundation piles placed deep into ground below. But they will feel the support of some of the largest cast-in-drilled-hole piles currently in use. Ghilotti Bros. is currently working on phase two sitework at Doyle Drive. Malcolm Drilling readies the piles. “The biggest challenge on this job from the beginning was a requirement to use 12-ft-diameter piles and [insert them with] very limited vibration because of historic buildings in the Presidio,” says Peter Faust, project manager for San Francisco-based Malcolm Drilling
There is a delicate operation underway at Mercy General Hospital in Sacramento that requires steady hands and surgeon-like precision. But instead of doctors and patients, this procedure involves the construction of a four-story, 125,000-sq-ft hospital tower smack dab in the middle of a busy campus with only one tiny access road. The Alex G. Spanos Heart Center tower is the main part of a $150-million modernization of Mercy General Hospital in Sacramento. Redwood City-based DPR Construction is the general contractor on the project, which is currently undergoing �get-ready� sitework. “This is about as tight a site as I have ever
Sacramento may have one of the country’s largest urban infill projects underway, but that doesn’t mean the city’s overall construction market has completely bounced back from recession. “We are at about the same level as last year, which I consider too slow,” says David Kwong, acting director of the city’s Community Development Department. He says the total valuation for construction projects in 2009 was about $350 million, the same figure he projects for this year. The total building permits issued in 2009 was 12,902 and the current total this year is 2,234 as of March 15. Mark Cirksena, Sacramento regional
As California�s construction industry continues to feel the recession�s pinch, some of the state�s top contractors are tightening their tool belts and concentrating on their company�s individual talents to stay ahead in the game. Rendering courtesy of MVE/VMA JV T.B. Penick�s Camp Pendleton work includes two bachelor enlisted quarters buildings. SCRIBNER “The biggest challenge right now is a lot more competition on projects,” says Michael Scribner, president and CEO of San Francisco-based BCCI. “It used to be that we were competing against maybe two or three contractors on a project and now there could be between eight and 10.” Scribner,
As California’s construction industry continues to feel the recession’s pinch, some of the state’s top contractors are tightening their tool belts and concentrating on their company’s individual talents to stay ahead in the game. Slide Show Related Links: Top Contractors in California “The biggest challenge right now is a lot more competition on projects,” says Michael Scribner, president and CEO of San Francisco-based BCCI. “It used to be that we were competing against maybe two or three contractors on a project and now there could be between eight and 10.” Scribner, whose company specializes in interiors work around the Bay
As many construction sectors remain stuck in the mud of hard economic times, the military industry in California is marching along with its share of new projects and renovations. “The military has definitely picked-up” says Dave Roach, senior vice president for San Diego-based Barnhart Balfour Beatty. Roach, whose company currently has 10 projects underway with the Navy, worth about $200 million, says that while Barnhart’s other work has slowed, it has focused on military work, which makes up about 50% of the firm’s current output. “That’s what is nice about being diversified,” Roach says. “While working with K-12s, universities and
Komatsu Ltd. is testing the North American equipment market with its new PC200LC-8 Hybrid Excavator, a lean, green digging machine that has sold more than 700 times in Asia since production began 19 months ago. Photo: Greg Aragon / ENR Hybrid excavator, now on a road show and shown at the Port of Los Angeles, is the first machine of its kind to go to work in the U.S. It offers up to 40% efficiency over a conventional, non-hybrid model. Related Links: Komatsu Digs into U.S. Market The 22-ton excavator, the first hybrid of its kind in the U.S., was
While Hollywood celebrities strutted down the red carpet on Sunday night in Los Angeles for the Oscars, many stars of the construction industry waited until Monday to make an appearance at the 2010 Construction Trends Conference: �Insights, Connections, Opportunities,� held at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in downtown. Presented by the San Diego-based law firm, Allen Matkins, the first annual event brought more than 200 of California�s top general contractors, architects, engineers, developers, owners and other industry professionals together for an afternoon discussion on the state of the state�s construction industry, including topics such as high-speed rail, green building, public private
There was a time when the design of a new law school usually meant a sprawling campus of separate buildings, with iconic columns and grassy courtyards. But it is 2010, space can be limited and some owners are finding a need to build schools straight up in the middle of busy cities. While shooting for LEED gold certification, the project will take advantage of its location across the street from a large public transportation station, and employ energy-saving systems such as photovoltaic solar panels on the roof. Enter Thomas Jefferson School of Law in downtown San Diego. “I would describe
