Louise Poirier

Methodist Dallas Medical Center had plenty to manage in planning for future growth. The resulting six-story, 229,000-sq-ft Charles A. Sammons Trauma and Critical Care Tower will expand the hospital's emergency department tenfold and include new emergency and central sterile departments, expanded surgical services and additional critical care patient floors. The $120-million project also will allow for future vertical expansion of up to 12 stories. Related Links: Engineering News Record "Because it's an incredibly complicated project, we endeavored to find ways to develop a really strong team to tackle this monster," says Denton Wilson, assistant vice president of design and construction

Expansive growth in the chemical and industrial sectors, fueled by a wave of cheap natural gas, has carried Baton Rouge-based MMR Group Inc. along for the ride. That boom, along with the electrical and instrumentation contractor's ability to serve diverse clients across multiple sectors, boosted the firm's regional revenue by nearly 130% in 2012 to $302 million from $133 million the previous year. That year-to-year gain is the largest posted by any company in this year's ranking of the largest specialty contractors in Texas and Louisiana, pushing MMR up five spots to fifth place. Related Links: MMR Group, Inc. 2013

Low-cost natural gas is playing a major role in the boom of industrial and energy-related projects across the Gulf Coast region, and that has meant more business for specialty contractors in Texas and Louisiana. Companies across the region are moving to build additional storage, infrastructure, processing and extraction facilities, all to the benefit of local markets and contractors. Related Links: 2013 Top Specialty Contractors Ranking 2013 Top Specialty Contractors Ranked by Sector Six of the top 15 firms on this year's list of the largest specialty contractors reported an energy-related project as their biggest project to break ground in the

After two years of contract award battles, major construction will start this fall on the Permanent Canal Closures and Pumps project in New Orleans. The $700-million design-build project for the US Army Corps of Engineers is the last of the major pump stations to be rebuilt in the city. Related Links: Much-Disputed New Orleans Flood Control Job Goes to Kiewit Team New Bid Protests Halt Contract Execution on Corps Flood Job Parties Confirm U.S. Court Ruling on Disputed Flood Project Bids CBY Team Lands Big Contract For New Orleans Storm Works Finally awarded the project is PCCP Constructors, a joint

Photo by AP Wideworld Red worms appeared in a small town's water supply after flies slipped through sand filters. Related Links: Oklahoma City To Upgrade Its Water, Wastewater Networks Video: Don't Drink the Water Residents in Colcord, Okla., are still observing a water-use advisory as town officials flush out tiny red worms that made their way into the city's drinking-water supply last month.The town's approximately 800 residents and local businesses were told not to use tap water for cooking or drinking and, instead, use bottled water until state and local officials are certain the worm problem has been resolved.The red

Work on Houston’s first new office building to rise in the upscale Galleria area in about 30 years – Skanska’s $45 million, 302,000-sq-ft, 20-story commercial office building located at 3009 Post Oak Blvd. – is finishing up. Related Links: Skanska “That’s just a remarkable thing, when you think about a city the size of Houston that’s grown as it has. The uptown market is number 14 in the country and the fact that yet hasn’t had a new development in such a long stretch is just remarkable,” says Michael Mair, executive vice president and manager for Skanska Commercial Development.Sustainable features“For

Photos Courtesy of the Texas Dept. of Transportation TxDOT plans to mend torn-up roads, such as the I-37 frontage road in Live Oak County (above), by converting them to "high-end unpaved roads" (below). Related Links: Texas Department of Transportation Thanks to the energy boom in central and west Texas, heavy trucks carrying oil and natural gas are tearing up rural farm-to-market roadways that were never intended to bear such 100,000-lb loads. Since the Texas Dept. of Transportation doesn't have the funding to maintain more than 80,000 miles of roads across the Lone Star State, it plans to "unpave" 83 miles

Photo Courtesy of the Regional Hispanic Contractor's Association Ponce joins a Regional Hispanic Contractors Association gathering with union members and RHCA President John H. Martinez-D. (far right). Related Links: Main Feature: Industry Women Weigh In on the New Normal Nine years ago, Elizabeth Ponce was a secretary at a North Texas construction company. Today, she is president of her own construction company and chair of the Regional Hispanic Contractors Association.It was a roundabout path. After pursuing a degree and career in digital imaging, which didn't pan out, Ponce, 32, stuck with that first construction firm—until it closed its doors."From there,

As of April 20, it's been three years exactly since BP's Deepwater Horizon offshore oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, killing 11 and pouring some 5 million barrels of oil into the sea. Related Links: The Ocean Conservancy Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council Coast Builders Coalition Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Co. LLC Some coastal restoration and protection work has occurred since the 2010 disaster, funded by initial payouts from the oil giant and other responsible parties. But plenty of work has yet to be done, with potential opportunity for engineering and construction firms in the Gulf Coast