Major Bronx Bridge Replacement Underway

New $612 million Willis Avenue Bridge project progresses. Also, Orange Regional Medical Center in Middletown tops out.

Willis Ave Bridge Revamp

Construction to replace the Willis Avenue Bridge in Bronx, New York is currently underway.

Because of age, weather and continual, daily traffic use, the New York City Department of Transportation is replacing the bridge, including the FDR Drive approach ramp and the ramp onto Bruckner Boulevard, as well as Willis Avenue over the Major Deegan Expressway. The bridge originally opened in 1901 and underwent strengthening work in 1916.

The new bridge will be constructed adjacent to and just south of the existing bridge, allowing traffic patterns to continue. The new swing span is being fabricated and assembled off site, and will be floated into place in mid-2011.

Construction includes widening lanes, new shoulders, and a combined pedestrian/bicycle pathway along the north side. A symbolic portion of the original Willis Avenue Bridge will be retained as a monument in Harlem River Park, according to NYCDOT.

It is a swing span bridge with a single flanking through truss main span, which carries four lanes of one-way traffic over the Harlem River. The bridge is a northbound route and acts as a couplet with the Third Avenue Bridge, which carries southbound traffic.

The contract was awarded in 2007 for $612 million to Kiewit/ Weeks Joint Venture of New York.

Stage one of the project is progressing and consists mostly of foundation work and staged construction for the Bruckner Boulevard Ramp and the Major Deegan Expressway. The Manhattan side incurred installation of a temporary loop ramp to take traffic from the FDR Drive onto the existing bridge and facilitate the removal of the existing ramp and building of the new ramp to the new bridge. The new bridge is being constructed south of the existing bridge and new piers are currently being installed in the river. Once the piers and approaches are built the new swing span will be floated into place and the existing swing span will be removed, according to Craig Chin, spokesperson for NYCDOT

The project is a major component of the Harlem River Bridges program, which has reconstructed the Macombs Dam, Third Avenue, Madison Avenue, 145th Street and University Heights Bridges, according to NYCDOT.

Project completion is scheduled for the end of 2012.

DOB Launches Worker Safety Campaign

New York City Department of Buildings Commissioner Robert LiMandri recently announced a city-wide worker safety campaign, urging construction workers to use their safety harnesses and lifelines at all times while working on a job site.

The central message of the campaign, “If you fall, they fall too”, will serve as a reminder to construction workers to wear their harnesses and keep their lifelines properly attached as required by law, according to DOB.

In collaboration with New York City Immigrant Affairs Commissioner Guillermo Linares, the campaign consists of print, radio, and television advertisements in English, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Korean, Hindi and Urdu, which are distributed throughout high-rise construction sites, designated worker centers, union halls, community centers, telephone kiosks, and DOB’s five borough offices.

“This multi-lingual safety harness campaign is critical to help save lives,” said Commissioner Linares. “With New York City’s growing number of immigrant workers who are unable to speak or read English, this information can mean the difference between life and death.”

The initiative stems from the eight fall fatalities at construction sites, which could have been prevented with safety harnesses. In 2008, 84 workers were injured on a construction site as a result of a fall, a 121% increase compared to the previous year, and of those injuries, more than half were due to human error, according to DOB.

“Construction is a dangerous business and workers must take every precaution to protect themselves and their families from the risks of the job. If they don’t, the consequences can be catastrophic,” said Commissioner LiMandri. “This campaign reminds workers why they work so hard and why they should wear a safety harness – because the future of their family rests on their shoulders.”

The campaign was launched in January 2009 and has no concrete timeframe for duration, according to Tony Sclafani, spokesperson for DOB.

Work Progress on Water Treatment Plant

The Xlife plywood used on the Framax system gives a concrete finish and lasts two times longer than birch plywood. The Xlife plywood is 7/8-inches thick, sealed in the frame with hot caulking, and attached with screws from the back. (Photo courtesy of Doka USA.)

Construction on the Croton Filter Plant—a $1.4 billion underground water treatment plant to be located underneath the Mosholu Golf Course in Bronx, New York—is on schedule for a 2013 completion.

The plant will treat 290 million gallons of water per day from the Croton Reservoir when completed.

Located on a 12-acre site, the plant includes two new pump stations and will also serve areas previously reliant on the older Catskill and Delaware systems.

The project team includes the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Skanska USA Civil and engineering firm Doka USA, both of New York.

The project, which began in Fall 2006, has faced numerous challenges. First, the project called for extensive rock drilling, blasting and excavation, as well as the construction of two connecting water tunnels to the plant.Second, the exterior walls are all one-faced and the interior walls are two-faced. The newer design of the facility required multi-levels stacked with a smaller footprint. Additionally, mass concrete design mix and demand for faster pour rates were necessary to meet the project’s timeline and scope of work, all according to Doka USA.

Skanska USA Civil used Doka’s Framax Xlife framed formwork panels, ganged together, in the construction of the facility’s 35-ft high walls. The system was used for the interior and exterior walls, as well as support frames, consumable anchors and tie inner units.

Approximately 820,000 people rely on the 1.4 billion gallons of water per day that the Croton System provides. Previously, the system was shut down due to water quality problems and contaminants. With the completion of the new plant, NYC DEP plans for the project to supply clean water to 10%of the Manhattan and areas of upstate New York.

LI Contractors Rally for Fair Share of Funding

A convoy of idled heavy construction equipment recently rumbled along the Long Island Expressway as part of the Long Island Contractors Association’s effort to urge New York leaders in Washington and Albany to secure federal funding for infrastructure projects.

“The most important thing is that we want to raise awareness to the public and elected officials that our industry is willing and able to help jump start the economic recovery,” explained Marc Herbst, executive director of LICA. “Infrastructure work has traditionally been the most efficient and expedient way to get out of economic recessions [and] we have to demonstrate that we have the equipment available to do the necessary work.”

The convoy spanned nine miles on the Long Island Expressway, from the Office of Congressman Steve Israel at 150 Motor Parkway in Hauppauge to the offices of U.S. Senator Charles Schumer at 145 Pinelawn Road in Melville.

Approximately 80 pieces of equipment were used, including payloaders, dump trucks, cranes and road graders, to “dramatize the lack of federal economic stimulus dollars earmarked by Governor [David] Paterson for Long Island,” according to LICA, who ensured equipment with tracks was transported on flatbeds as to not destroy the Expressway.

LICA claims New York State has been “sluggish” in allocating funds to Long Island and is seeking the appointment of an “Infrastructure Czar” to help prioritize the distribution of federal funding, money which has yet to be allocated.

“Long Island has the means to lead New York State out of its recession but it requires a commitment to fund projects that will address an aging infrastructure found throughout Nassau and Suffolk Counties,” said Herbst. “We believe this growing economic crisis should compel government to reform the entire process of project review and approval, allowing the dollars that are allocated for Long Island to be spent and spent promptly.”

The message did not fall on deaf ears, Gary Lewi, a spokesperson for LICA said.
“The Congressmen have been very responsive,” he said. “We are starting and ending in front of their offices because they play an important role and have been supportive [of our efforts].”

The governor’s office said it is working hard to get all of New York State its fair share of the stimulus package pie.

“We have worked closely with the LICA membership for many years and we share their concern that New York must receive its fair share of federal dollars for a broad range of infrastructure projects,” said Tim Gilchrist, the Governor’s deputy secretary for Economic Development and Infrastructure. “Accordingly, the Paterson Administration has placed the highest priority on identifying projects and securing stimulus funds.”

Congressman Israel’s office did not return calls for comment.

NY Hospital Tops Out

The new, $270 million Orange Regional Medical Center in Middletown, New York has recently topped out.

The 374-bed, 621,000-sq-ft hospital will be constructed on a vacant 62-acre site on East Main Street in Wallkill. It will feature private patient rooms, an emergency department with 50 treatment bays for varying levels of emergencies, operating suites, a wireless infrastructure, and on-grade parking facilities.

In 2001, Orange Regional Medical Center was created from a merger of Arden Hill Hospital and Horton Medical Center, two hospital campuses which will be consolidated into on facility as a result of the project.

“Orange Regional Medical Center opted for a design-build process in order to construct its new combined facility with the greatest control possible,” said Nisan Gertz, vice president and health care market sector leader at Jones Lang LaSalle, who is managing the design and construction team. “Design-build projects typically allow for tighter control over budget and schedule.” HBE Corp of St. Louis, Missouri is both the architect and general contractor for the facility.

The seven-floor facility broke ground in March 2008 has encountered numerous construction challenges to date. “Site work encompasses 42 acres [so we] moved over 300,000 cubic yards of fill [and found] a significant number of poor soils conditions,” explained Gertz. Coordinating many off-site infrastructure issues to maintain reasonable public access was also difficult, as well as managing cash flow, since bonding was secured through the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York, according to Gertz.

Orange Regional Medical Center plans to sell its two older facilities to fund a portion of the construction of the new hospital, which said Gertz, is the largest health care project in the region in over 20 years.

The project is slated for completion in 2011.

S/L/A/M Grabs SUNY Tech Center Contract

Architectural firm S/L/A/M Collaborative has been chosen to design a new technology center for Buffalo State College - State University of New York.

The $27 million facility will meet anticipated program and technical requirements, and replace existing facilities that are inadequate for high tech manufacturing research and instruction, according to S/L/A/M.

“Our planning and design goals include the creation of a building that not only meets the technical needs of Buffalo State and its neighboring industrial community,” said Robert Pulito, president of The S/L/A/M Collaborative, “but also serves as a vibrant campus magnet and focal point.”
The 100,000-sq-ft technology center will feature smart classrooms and labs to accommodate technology-based programs, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, and technology education and computer information technology. Spaces will be integrated and easily reconfigured to accommodate new technology and evolving curricula.

The center will be built to LEED Silver standards and the building construction itself will be used as a teaching tool for students. The final details regarding the number of floors, construction materials and layout has yet to be released.
The project is currently in the programming stage and has yet to go out for bid. The building will be constructed on land currently occupied by older service buildings and will break ground in June 2010.

New Design Planned for Bowery-Park Row Intersection

The New York City Department of Design and Construction, along with the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation and New York City Economic Development Corporation have released its plan to streamline traffic between Chinatown and Lower Manhattan with a Chatham Square/Park Row improvement program.

The plan calls for flipping the pedestrian plaza now on the east side of the Kimlau Memorial Arch to the west side, which would allow Bowery to be realigned with St. James Place, Division to be realigned with Worth Street, and Park Row to directly connect with Mott Street. The new plaza would be landscaped with trees, terraces, benches, planters, and a fountain.

Additionally, another new plaza will be created between Park Row and St. James Place, where the Commissioner Lin Xe Zu statue will be relocated.

Security checkpoints at Park Row will be replaced by Delta barriers and new guard booths. The walkway outside Police Plaza also will be reconstructed as a landscaped pedestrian promenade and bikeway.

The project aims to create a safer, more efficient five-way intersection, and to realign several high-traffic roadways and create new green space in the neighborhood formerly know as the Five Points, according to LMDC.

Con Edison, Empire City Subway and DDC began digging test pits in the area to determine how and where to relocate utilities.

NYC EDC opened the project for bid in January for phase one construction to begin by summer 2009. Phase two will begin in early 2010 to create the new open spaces, and the entire project should be completed by late 2011.

Weak Economy Saps Attendance At ‘World of Concrete’ Show

World of Concrete’s attendance was down this year, a noticible decline from the 2008 convention. (Photo by Tudor Van Hampton / ENR.)

A sagging economy dragged down attendance at this year’s World of Concrete, held Feb. 3-6, 2009 in Las Vegas. Officials with show manager Hanley Wood Exhibitions would not disclose preregistration numbers but expected a 10% to 20% decline from 2008, which drew roughly 85,000 people.

Vendors were less optimistic, saying that 60,000 people, or a 30% decline, was more likely. Booth spaces also shrunk, while some disappeared altogether. Schwing, the show’s largest exhibitor, cut down its footprint by 14%, selling back-aisle space that bifurcated its display of concrete booms, pumps and mixers.

Meanwhile, earthmoving equipment makers New Holland and Kobelco pulled out of the show entirely, losing their deposits worth thousands of dollars. Attendees and vendors alike say the months ahead will be tough.

More Rentals Planned for Williamsburg

Construction financing has recently been secured for a new $69 million, 142-unit rental property at 34 Berry Street in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn.

Construction financing has recently been secured for a new $69 million rental property at 34 Berry Street in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn.

National development company LCOR closed on a $33 million construction loan for the project from Bank of America.

Designed by Perkins Eastman of New York, the 142-unit building will feature a landscaped outdoor garden, a rooftop terrace and lounge, a fitness facility, on-site parking, and a business center room.

“Situated on an exciting crossroads in one of New York’s hottest neighborhoods, 34 Berry Street is one of the first ground-up rental properties in Williamsburg in memory,” said David Sigman, LCOR senior vice president. “There is a big appetite for first-quality rental living space in this community.” The building will be located on corner of North 12th Street opposite McCarren Park.

LCOR begun foundation work last year and gained a 421a tax abatement on an as-of-right basis under guidelines in effect in 2008.

The contractor is Ryder Construction and the building is slated for completion in the spring of 2010.

Ghery Designs for Downtown

Construction on the $660 million Beekman Tower at 8 Spruce Street in Lower Manhattan is underway and on target for a July 2009 completion.

Located on a one-acre parking lot, the 76-story, one million-sq-ft building was designed by Los Angeles-based architect Frank Gehry. Brooklyn’s Forest City Ratner Companies is the developer and Kreisler Borg Florman General Construction Company Inc. of Scarsdale, New York will manage construction.

When completed, the mixed-use tower will house a 100,000-sq-ft, 630-seat public elementary school, ground floor retail, a fifth floor rooftop play area, a landscaped public plaza, and 900 residential units. An additional 25,000 sq ft will be used for out-patient services at New York Downtown Hospital, which will also operate a 400-space underground parking garage.

The lobby’s first two floors were designed with oval-shaped concrete elliptical columns, which were created by using four, 19-ft custom-designed fiber-reinforced polymer column forms. The two-piece columns—the largest being 11-ft-long by 4.5-ft-wide by 19-ft-tall—were made using an gun roving process with resin, chopped strand matt and 24-oz woven roving. Additionally, one-in balsa core and ¾-in plywood ribs were produced to provide reinforcement and to sustain concrete pour loading to avoid shape irregularities.

“The columns were an odd-shaped, stand alone form so selecting the right company to make forms was important so we could easily work with them during the pour,” said Billy Kell, chief estimator and project manager at Sorbara Construction in Lynbrook, New York, the concrete superstructure contractor. “Ultimately, the FRP forms poured easy.”

Pouring challenges included bringing the concrete up in lifts due to the immense column size; accommodating a slow pour of four ft per hour totaling a five-hour pour; pouring up to 12 yds of concrete for big forms and 3 yds for small; and pour sequence was performed on different levels due to size, explained Albert DeRoss, job super at Sorbara Construction.

“Because of the FRP and outside plywood support, applied every four inches acting as yoke, we were actually able to cut the pour time in half,” said DeRoss. “Had these forms been done in lumber it would have taken three times as long at three times the cost.”

More Public Space Planned for NYC

UNStudio’s design for the New Amsterdam Plein & Pavilion in Lower Manhattan will feature a sculptural pavilion with undulating roofline and curving walls. A stone-paved civic platform, a carved stone map of Castello’s New Amsterdam and tables will be included. (Rendering courtesy of UNStudio.)

Architect Ben van Berkel of UNStudio in Amsterdam has recently been selected to design the New Amsterdam Plein & Pavilion located at The Battery in Lower Manhattan.

The Plein & Pavilion will be a landscaped space for intermodal transportation including bicycles, buses, subway and water transportation. It will also accommodate cultural activities, public markets, public seating, and a pavilion for food and information.

UNStudio’s design will be located on a 5,000-sq-ft site within Peter Minuit Plaza. At the center is a sculptural pavilion with undulating roofline and curving walls. A stone-paved civic platform, a carved stone map of Castello’s New Amsterdam and tables will be included.

The project coincides with the joint Dutch-American 2009 celebration of the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson’s arrival in New York Harbor. As such, the pavilion is funded by a grant from the Netherlands government to The Battery Conservancy. Handel Architects LLP of New York, will serve as associate architect.

“This 400th anniversary is an opportunity for us to join with our partners in the Netherlands to celebrate our city’s heritage,” said New York City Department of Parks & Recreation Commissioner Adrian Benepe. “New Amsterdam Plein & Pavilion at The Battery will enliven our celebration and focus attention on the place where the Dutch settled.”

The new public space is expected to accommodate more than 5 million people a year, including 70,000 daily commuters and 2 million annual tourists.

The project has not yet selected a general contractor, but is expected to break ground this spring complete construction by Fall 2009 to coordinate induction with the anniversary celebration.

The Pike Company Selected for Upstate Hospital Work

New York construction firm The Pike Company has been chosen to work in collaboration with Hueber-Breuer Construction Co. of Syracuse on phase two of the St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center project in Syracuse.

The $100 million project will renovate and expand the emergency department and operating room suites, as well as build a new patient tower with private rooms.

Construction is expected to begin in late 2009 and will be completed in 2014.

New Vision Proposed for Islip

A new $300 million development plan for Islip in Long Island has recently been proposed.

Islip Pines by Serota Properties in Valley Stream, New York is attempting to create a mixed use, walkable, sustainable community at the corner of Sunrise Highway and Veterans Memorial Highway with access to the Long Island Railroad.

Located on 135 acres, the developers are proposing approximately 200 units of residential homes as workforce housing, Class A office space, a hotel, a multiplex movie theater, and retail space. The plan also intends to retain 50 percent of the property for industrial uses to expand employment in Islip.

“Our objective is to create a viable community where one can leave the car in their driveway for weeks at a time and never have to use a drop of gasoline to get to work, buy a loaf of bread or be entertained by a movie,” said Geoffrey Serota of Serota Properties.

Additionally, the project would feature an electric trolley service and pedi-cabs for the site, a green belt, an esplanade walkway, as well as reserved parking for hybrid automobiles and carpools.

The developers are determining how to incorporate recycled construction materials and make use of alternative energy sources. Conservation technology will be introduced on all levels, including high efficiency HVAC systems, capturing storm water runoff, and energy efficient indoor and outdoor lighting.

“In short, we are proposing a mixed use development that reflects the region’s need for ‘smart’ growth, which will strengthen our economy and improve the quality of life,” explained Serota. “In presenting this innovative concept, we have an obligation to create a comprehensive plan that addresses many of the issues facing Long Island in this new and challenging century.”

New Protocols for Standpipe Inspections

New York City Department of Buildings Commissioner Robert LiMandri recently announced new safety requirements for standpipe inspections on high-rise construction and demolition sites.

Under the current New York City Building Code, a standpipe system is required when a building is constructed or demolished at a height greater than 75 ft. Previously, theinspections were conducted periodically.

Following LiMandri’s new regulations, site safety professionals are now required to conduct a weekly examination of the standpipe on every floor to verify that no breach exists throughout the building. The new requirements also increase the frequency of standpipe inspections, including daily inspections of the water and Siamese connections and the valves at each story below the construction floor, according to DOB.

The dates and results of these inspections must now be recorded in a site log that must be kept on the job site.

“Working standpipe systems are critical to fighting fires, and an increase in the number of standpipe inspections will lead to an increase in construction safety,” said Commissioner LiMandri. “Construction and demolition work has inherent risks, but these risks can be mitigated by safety measures designed to protect construction workers, first responders and New Yorkers.”

The new protocols fulfill one of the 33 recommendations announced by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg in July 2008 to strengthen inspection practices, increase inter-agency communication and improve the safety of construction, demolition and abatement operations, according to DOB.

By Nichole Altmix