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May/June 2009
Aon Build America Awards
Recognizing the Most Outstanding Projects of the Year
he Aon Build America Awards contribute directly to the AGC Education and Research Foundation. Since 1993, the Build America Scholarship Program has awarded $306,750 in scholarships to 98 construction-management and civil-engineering students.
GRAND AWARD WINNER
FLATIRON-MANSON, A JOINT VENTURE
I-35W BRIDGE (ST. ANTHONY FALLS)
Minneapolis
HIGHWAY: NEW
The tragic collapse of the I-35W Bridge in Minneapolis in August 2007 led to a joint venture between Flatiron and Manson to design and build a new bridge for the Minnesota Dept. of Transportation. The team worked from both sides of the river around the clock on this highly scrutinized project. The new 10-lane bridge is 1,223 ft long and is supported by three land-based piers.
LINBECK GROUP
CO-CATHEDRAL OF THE SACRED HEART
Houston
BUILDING: NEW
At more than 40,000 sq ft, this parish is home to one million Catholics in the Houston area and seats 2,000 worshipers. Hundreds of craftsmen contributed to this unique space, which includes a 137-ft-tall bell tower with cast bronze bells weighing 30,000 lb. Inside, a 20-ft cross, weighing 1,800 lb and carved in Italy, sits above an 8,000-lb altar and 5,000-lb baptismal crafted in red Ethiopian marble.
MAROUS BROTHERS CONSTRUCTION-JENKINS CONSTRUCTION, JOINT VENTURE LLC
WESTIN BOOK-CADILLAC HOTEL AND CONDOMINIUMS
Detroit
BUILDING RENOVATION
Several false starts by other developers left the Book-Cadillac Hotel empty for more than two decades. Marous Brothers Construction, working with Jenkins Construction, brought a creative approach to the project, ultimately delivering a luxury hotel and condominium complex.
The project required the team to completely demolish and reconstruct the top four floors and pump out the lower-level basement before they could rebuild the elaborate ballrooms in accordance with historical photos and original drawings.
MEGEN CONSTRUCTION CO. INC.
FERNALD PRESERVE VISITORS CENTER
Harrison, Ohio
BUILDING: NEW, UNDER $5 MILLION
The Fernald Preserve project transformed a former nuclear weapons production site into an environmentally responsible community asset. Megen Construction successfully turned what had been known for nearly 20 years as the largest Superfund site in the U.S. into a nature preserve complete with wetlands, forests and local plants. The project team also created a visitors’ center for the site and achieved Ohio’s first LEED Platinum certification.
WALSH BROTHERS INC.
BOSTON SYMPHONY HALL
CLERESTORY-WINDOW RESTORATION
Boston
BUILDING RENOVATION, UNDER $5 MILLION
Boston Symphony Hall is judged to be one of only three perfect concert halls in the world for acoustics. This highly sensitive project required the replacement of 100-year-old windows in the hall while maintaining the facility’s acoustical integrity and landmark status. Walsh Brothers replicated construction materials and techniques used in the early 1900s, and the team brought in specialists to test the sound quality. The project was completed for less than $1 million in 76 days.
ADVANCED AMERICAN CONSTRUCTION INC.
LOWER MONUMENTAL DAM REMOVABLE SPILLWAY WEIR
Kahlotus, Wash.
FEDERAL AND HEAVY: NEW
With the health of juvenile salmon and steelhead populations in question, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers sought an alternative to existing spillways. Advanced American Construction’s solution allows salmon and steelhead to pass through dams near the surface, giving the fish a clearer pathway than a traditional dam offers. The team built and installed a 2-million-lb structure in the Columbia River, using state-of-the-art underwater templates and 3-D modeling tools.
HAMILTON CONSTRUCTION CO.
OREGON HIGHWAY 99—NORTH UMPQUA RIVER BRIDGE REHABILITATION
Douglas County, Ore.
HIGHWAY RENOVATION
Hamilton Construction Co. renovated the Winchester Bridge in Douglas County, Ore., which was originally built in the 1920s and designed for 25-mile-per-hour traffic. Hamilton widened the bridge to 34 ft and made repairs to return the bridge to the National Historical Registry—all in less than nine months. Conde McCullough originally designed the bridge, and the Hamilton team worked hard to maintain his original Tudor and Gothic design influences.
CLARK/HUNT/SMOOT, A JOINT VENTURE
NATIONALS PARK
Washington, D.C.
DESIGN-BUILD: NEW
This project brought Major League Baseball’s Washington Nationals a new park in Washington, D.C. The stadium seats nearly 42,000 people and matches local architecture. Completed in just 23 months, the project employed local residents and achieved LEED Silver certification.
GRANITE CONSTRUCTION INC., SPONSORING PARTNER OF WEBER COUNTY CONSTRUCTORS
I-15 NOW DESIGN-BUILD RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT
Greater Ogden Area, Weber County, Utah
DESIGN-BUILD RENOVATION
This $238-million Interstate reconstruction project in the greater Ogden area carries approximately 90,000 vehicles a day. The Granite Construction team widened nine miles of lanes, completed full bridge replacements and reconstructed three major cross streets in addition to the on- and off-ramps.
BARTON MALOW CO.
BAYFRONT CONVENTION CENTER AND HOTEL COMPLEX
Erie, Pa.
CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT: NEW
A 65-ft-high sky bridge connects the 125,000-sq-ft Bayfront Convention Center to a 200-room hotel. As construction manager for the project, Barton Malow employed 63% local workers and 13% minority contractors on the job. The convention center/hotel is one of the largest projects ever built in Erie and was heavily scrutinized by the public. In the end, the project became an instant landmark, added hundreds of jobs to the community and millions of dollars to the local economy.
MILLER-DAVIS CO.
KALAMAZOO COLLEGE HICKS CENTER
Kalamazoo, Mich.
CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT: RENOVATION
Kalamazoo College is one of the 100 oldest colleges in the nation. While this project included partial demolition, reconstruction and renovation of an 80,000-sq-ft building, it had to remain open to students for classes during construction. The Miller-Davis Co. team was able to submit for LEED Gold certification, a first in Kalamazoo, while also involving the students and exceeding the owner’s expectations.
NATT MCDOUGALL CO.
UPPER BAKER DAM FLOATING SURFACE COLLECTOR
Concrete, Wash.
MUNICIPAL AND UTILITY: NEW
The project team created the world’s first system for intercepting and transporting downstream migrating sockeye salmon around a major dam. The process required launching structures under water and installing mooring systems. The floating surface collector collects and returns salmon to the Skagit and Baker rivers.
CADDELL CONSTRUCTION CO. INC.
U.S. EMBASSY CUIDAD DE PANAMA
Cuidad de Panama, Panama
INTERNATIONAL
The U.S. State Department asked Caddell to build a secure U.S. Embassy on a greenfield site infested with mosquitos in an environment that records 100°F temperatures and measures seven ft of annual rainfall. The 200,000-sq-ft diplomatic complex features advanced security and communication technology and included super-isolation and construction to ensure total secrecy for vital embassy missions.
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Awards
