Photo courtesy of Indianapolis Dept. of Public Works Treatment plant is set for completion next year; deep tunnel is set for a 2017 completion. One month after awarding a $25-million sewerage-tunnel construction inspection contract amid a packed field of proposals, Indianapolis utility Citizens Energy Group will select a firm to build the $275-million project, with the low bidder 33% below the estimate.On Sept. 29, AECOM Technology Corp. was awarded the inspection contract for the Deep Rock sewage overflow project. The Los Angeles-based firm bested competitors that included Parsons Brinckerhoff's Water Group, locally based American Structurepoint, Burgess & Niple and a
Related Links: Big Drop in Lake Mead Curbs Water, Power Southern Nevada's newest piece of mega-hardware—a custom $25-million Herrenknecht tunneling-boring machine—will make its long-awaited underground debut later this year.The machine works like a giant mechanical earthworm, gnawing through dirt, rock and muck while forming a protective tunnel that will eventually channel raw Colorado River water onto nearby treatment plants before the water is pumped to homes and businesses throughout the Las Vegas valley.The 1,800-ton, 600-ft-long TBM is the workhorse of a $526.6-million third raw-water intake tunnel project at Lake Mead, 30 miles southeast of Las Vegas. A joint venture of
A woman who falsified asbestos abatement worker certifications for thousands of undocumented workers in New England between 2001 and 2007 was sentenced Sept. 13 in U.S. District Court in Boston to more than seven years in prison.Judge Nathaniel Gorton also ordered Albania Deleon, 41, to pay $1.2 million in back taxes and $369,015 in restitution to AIM Mutual Insurance Co., Burlington, Mass. She owned and operated what had been New England's largest certified asbestos abatement school, Environmental Compliance Training in Methuen, Mass., which issued at least 2,500 certifications to people who had not taken required training courses. DELEONAccording to published
Caesars’ empire will soon grow a little larger. Caesars Palace, the Las Vegas Strip resort-casino, will open a $375-million, 668-room hotel tower addition on January 2, 2012. The project shell was completed two years ago, but the interior was mothballed due to reduced visitor demand. Photo courtesy Caesars Entertainment The shell for the 23-story Octavius Tower was completed two years ago, but the interior build-out was placed on hold until tourism levels rebounded. Photo courtesy Caesars Entertainment The Octavius Tower features 668 rooms designed by KNA Design, Los Angeles. The joint venture of Marnell Corrao Association, Las Vegas, and Keating
The world's busiest land port crossing, at San Ysidro, Calif., reopened its 24 northbound travel lanes from Mexico on Sept. 18, five days after a 50-ft by 50-ft temporary wood platform, meant to catch demolition waste on a $577-million border station renovation, collapsed and rained heavy debris on vehicles and personnel. One construction worker was seriously injured, and 16 other people also were hurt, including three laborers. Concrete, metal supports, wooden planks and a large black tarpaulin damaged 15 vehicles. Rescuers extracted three people from the wreckage.Miller Environmental Inc., Anaheim, Calif., was removing plaster from an administration building set for
The Producer Price Index (left), which measures prices for new equipment, and Rouse Value Index (right), which tracks used-equipment values, both show upward pricing pressure this year. Related Links: Concerns About U.S. Economy Deflate Industry Confidence Chinese Heavy Equipment Digs In Globally Rising commodity costs, scaled-back production and scant availability of late-model used equipment has bumped up construction equipment prices this year.“We saw an exodus of equipment leaving North America over the last five years because it was cheaper to buy here,” says John Crum, national sales manager for Wells Fargo Equipment Finance Inc., Dublin, Pa. “The auction market has
Albania Deleon, 41, a fugitive who falsified asbestos certifications for thousands of illegal aliens, was sentenced Sept. 13 in U.S. District Court in Boston to more than seven years in prison. Judge Nathaniel Gorton also ordered her to pay $1.2-million in back taxes and $369,015 in restitution to AIM Mutual Insurance Co., Burlington, Mass. Deleon owned and operated New England’s largest certified asbestos school, Environmental Compliance Training, which issued at least 2,500 certifications to people who hadn't taken courses from 2001 to 2007.Deleon fled the country in 2008, sawing off her ankle monitor and leaving behind her 3-year-old son, following
Photo Courtesy of Sany America Inc. Sany America is now outfitting a new $60-million factory near Atlanta. It is the first Chinese producer to build a plant on U.S. soil. Chinese manufacturers are on track this year to become the second-largest global exporters of construction equipment, but it will take some time for them to pose a threat to established suppliers.“They are moving faster than we expected,” says Stephen Joske, director of China forecasting for the Economist Intelligence Unit and author of the EIU report, “Heavy Duty: China's Next Wave of Exports,” released last month.Last year, the U.S. led construction
Photo Courtesy of Hank's Truckforum Great Lakes Concrete truck delivers a load; firm and CEO pleaded guilty to price-fixing. A federal antitrust probe has snagged a handful of Iowa ready-mix firms in a price-fixing scheme spanning more than three years.Great Lakes Concrete Inc., Spencer, violated federal antitrust law, which carries up to $100 million in fines, for bid-rigging and price-fixing ready-mix sales in northern Iowa, the U.S. Justice Dept. says. The firm pleaded guilty to one felony count on Aug. 24. The company plea follows a similar plea last year by its president, Kent R. Stewart. He was sentenced in
Images courtesy of Chris Naffzinger Lead smelter, now shuttered in a town near St. Louis, emitted multiple contaminants, according to the verdict in plaintiffs' suit against the smelter's former owner, Fluor Corp. N/A N/A Fluor Corp. is appealing a $358.9-million damage award by a St. Louis jury to 16 plaintiffs over health problems linked to a lead smelter it owned from 1981 and 1994 in southeast Missouri."We were very surprised by the verdict, planned to appeal immediately and believe it's probable that judgment will be overturned on appeal," Fluor CEO David T. Seaton said of the July 29 circuit court
