PC Construction Company Blog

VIRGINIA TREATMENT PLANT PROJECT SHOWCASED AT 2012 DESIGN-BUILD W/WW CONFERENCE

April 27, 2012

On Tuesday, PC Senior Project Manager Dave Johnson presented a case study about Virginia’s first design-build water treatment plant retrofit project at the Design-Build for Water/Wastewater Conference in Phoenix, Arizona. Our design partner, Gannett Fleming and the project Owner, American Water, also participated in this presentation to over 50 attendees.

The focus of the discussion revolved around lessons learned on this type of project, such as:

Overcoming permitting hurdles
Successes in schedule and cost reduction
Challenges associated with the design and construction of parallel but separate treatment trains on a 100-year-old plant
The importance of partnering
Green practices for construction, including practical applications for utilizing reclaimed materials

The presentation generated great interest as illustrated by the high level of attendance and a lively Q&A session of which I was pleased to moderate. I was also pleased to see more Owners attending this year than ever before. Attendance was the highest ever for this conference, giving strong indications of the increasing popularity and growth of alternative delivery methods.

Click here to check out the presentation.

PC CONSTRUCTION AWARDED DBIA PROJECT EXCELLENCE AWARD

October 25, 2011

At the Design Build Institute of America National Conference in Orlando, Florida, PC Construction employee owners Mike Angeli and Mike Franzoni accepted a prestigious 2011 Design-Build Excellence Award for the $109 million H.L. Mooney WRF Expansion and Upgrade Stage 2, Phase 1 project in Virginia.

To be considered for a National Design-Build Award, projects must demonstrate successful application of design-build best practices as defined by the DBIA Design-Build Manual of Practice. These include early integration of key team members during the proposal process via a proposal charrette or other collaborative outreach efforts and close coordination between design and construction team members from the design development stage through field construction.

The conference opening keynote speaker was the legendary NASA Apollo 13 Commander, Captain James Lovell. Captain Lovell regaled in stories of the ill-fated mission and spoke on how teamwork, collaboration, and ‘out-of-the-box’ thinking all combined to turn an impossible situation into success. Applying these same techniques and skills are crucial to the success of design-build projects.

PC Construction awarded DBIA Project Excellence Award

CECIL GRANTED DBIA CERTIFICATION

October 7, 2011

Mike Cecil, our Director of Business Development for the Water Treatment market, has earned the status of Assoc. Designated Design-Build Professional by the Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA). This certification is achieved through demonstrated knowledge of design-build and alternative project delivery methods through education, experience, and examination. Mike joins PC Project Executives Mike Angeli and Rick Fisher who both achieved the Designatated Design-Build Professional certification in 2010.

DBIA is the industry’s preeminent resource for leadership, education, objective expertise, and best practices for the successful integrated delivery of capital projects. The institute promotes the value of design-build project delivery to ensure success for owners as well as design and construction practitioners.

The use of integrated delivery methods is rapidly gaining popularity and acceptance because owners realize the importance of collaboration between their teams and the designer and contractor. An important aspect of design-build and Construction Management at Risk project delivery is the integration of the contractor with the engineering firm during the design phase of a project.

Some current and recent alternative delivery projects for PC Construction include the Hopewell Water Treatment Plant, H.L. Mooney Water Reclamation Facility, Yellow River Water Reclamation Facility, and DC Water Main Process Train.

Mike Cecil, PC Construction's Director of Business Development for Water Treatment, has earned the status of DBIA Professional

DC WATER CONTRACT SIGNED FOR FIRST CAMBI THERMAL HYDROLYSIS PROCESS PROJECT IN THE U.S.

July 15, 2011

On June 30, a contract signing ceremony for the Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant Cambi/Main Process Train construction project was held at DC Water’s headquarters in Washington, DC. In addition to representatives from PC Construction, CDM, and DC Water, attendees included Cambi’s technology director, Merete Norli, who traveled from Cambi’s corporate office in Asker, Norway for this important event.

The $208 million joint venture between PC Construction and CDM is unique in many aspects. It is just the second construction project undertaken by DC Water utilizing the design-build delivery method and it will be the first treatment plant in the United States to incorporate the Cambi thermal hydrolysis process into their facility. At the completion of this project, the Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant will be the largest thermal hydrolysis process plant in the world.

Engineering and design is underway with construction activities scheduled to begin in January 2012 and completion expected for October 2014.

Click here to read Cambi’s press release.

Click here to listen to Mayor Vincent C. Gray and DC Water General Manager George S. Hawkins discuss construction projects at the Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant during a press briefing.

DC Water Main Process Train Contract Signing

DESIGN-BUILD DISCUSSION GENERATES BUZZ

June 16, 2011

At the recent Gannett Fleming annual stockholder meeting, Senior Vice President Butch Bedell and I took part in a roundtable discussion and presentation highlighting some important issues associated with the design-build delivery method. Other panel members included industry experts Jack Gallagher, President of American Water, and Bill McGuinness, Executive Vice President of Skanska/USA.

The panel fielded questions from some of the nearly 150 engineers in attendance, with a focus on future trends, ways engineers might improve, and important qualities necessary for the success of design-build projects, to name just a few.

When asked the question “What one piece of advice can you give to improve our future success with design-build,” the panel agreed that selecting the people with the right personality traits is key. This was a bit surprising to some who have never been involved with a design-build project. They imagined success would relate directly to engineering, technical, or organizational skills. Mike added that those skills can be learned, whereas personality traits are inherent. Collaboration, communication, and trust are just as important to the success of a design-build project as are technical aptitude.

Jack Gallagher of American Water stated that design-build has become their preferred delivery method and is now used for the majority of their capital projects. He envisions this trend to continue, and remarked that they do not necessarily select teams based on low cost, but rather on best value, the past history of the engineer and contractor working together, and the ability to function in a collaborative fashion.

FIRST 58,000-POUND CAGE SET IN PLACE AT BLUE PLAINS ADVANCED WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT

June 14, 2011

PC Construction began installation of the first sections of the slurry wall for the Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant Contract 1C project in Washington, DC. The slurry wall in this application is used as a cut-off wall between the plant site and the Potomac River to prevent any possible contaminants leaving the site and entering the Potomac River, which boarders the west and south side of the Denitrification Tank. This slurry wall has reinforced-concrete walls which are excavated by a special clam shell bucket mounted to a crane to a minimum depth of 57 feet. The walls are 24 feet long by 3 feet wide. Excluding the four corners there are 70 straight wall panels required to complete this structure.

The slurry walls are constructed by starting with a set of guide walls that are 4 feet deep and 1.6 feet thick. The guide walls are constructed on the ground surface to outline the desired slurry wall and guide the excavation. As the excavation progresses downward, the trench is kept full of slurry to prevent it from collapsing. The outward pressure from the hydraulic head pressure of the slurry and the difference in gravity between the slurry and the surrounding groundwater, keep the trench in place during excavation.

After the desired depth is reached a process called de-sanding is performed, whereby the slurry is cleaned in order to place concrete. Once the de-sanding process is complete a 57 foot tall, 58,000-pound reinforced cage with tie-back trumpets is lowered into the hole followed by 170 cubic yards of tremie concrete. As the concrete is placed in the trench, the slurry is displaced back into holding tanks and ready for the next panel.

In order to meet the tight schedule demands for this project, PC Construction workers and the slurry wall subcontractor are working around the clock in shifts.

First 58,000-pound cage set in place at Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant

GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY HELD FOR $208 MILLION DESIGN-BUILD PROJECT

May 23, 2011

A groundbreaking ceremony was held on May 17 at the Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant in Washington, D.C. for the $208 million Main Process Train project recently awarded to the PC/CDM joint venture team.

George Hawkins, General Manager of DC WATER, led the events that were attended by a host of local dignitaries including the Mayor of Washington, D.C., the Honorable Vincent C. Gray. Hawkins highlighted that DC WATER is the largest consumer of electricity in the District. The Cambi process, a primary component of the project, will produce combined heat and power capable of generating 13 MW of electricity estimated at $10 million in annual savings. Electricity consumption will be cut by a third when the process is complete. The electricity generated is enough to power 8,000 homes.

Another benefit of the project outlined by Hawkins includes a 50% reduction in solids produced. This will provide an annual savings of over $10 million in trucking costs. Additionally, the plant’s carbon footprint will be greatly reduced as will the amount of total nitrogen released into the Chesapeake Bay.

The Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant is the world’s largest facility of its kind processing an average of 370 million gallons of wastewater a day. This volume, as described by Hawkins, is sufficient to fill the entire Washington Nationals stadium!

All of us at PC Construction are looking forward to this exciting new project. Stay tuned to the blog for updates along the way!

Groundbreaking Ceremony held for $208 Million Design-Build Project

*On June 1, 2011, we formally changed our company name from Pizzagalli Construction Company to PC Construction Company. Click here to learn more.

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DESIGN-BUILD THE LOGICAL CHOICE FOR DC WATER’S UNIQUE PROJECT

May 10, 2011

SACO CENTRAL FIRE STATION DEDICATED

May 5, 2011

PROJECT UPDATE: SACO FIRE STATION

March 1, 2011

Construction continues on the 23,000 square foot Saco Central Fire Station project located in Saco, Maine. The $6 million project is a design-build collaboration with Port City Architecture of Portland, Maine. The new fire station is a two-story structure with apparatus bay, administration areas, and living quarters. It is designed to LEED Silver standards with an advanced hybrid geothermal heating system that may ultimately allow the project to achieve LEED Gold certification.

The geothermal heating system features ten 500-foot wells that deliver 55-degree water to two heat exchangers and onto an Addison heating/cooling unit. The building also has a backup system made up of two natural gas-fired Elite boilers and a rooftop solar hot water system. An 800 horsepower generator provides backup electrical capacity as well.

The centerpiece of the new fire station is the 8,900 square foot clear-span 5-bay apparatus bay with three zones of under slab radiant heat. Support areas include a three-story training tower and a supply room that can double as a manhole rescue training area. Adjacent to the garage is the administrative office wing and command center. Living quarters are located on the second floor and include nine bedrooms, fitness room, day room, dining room, kitchen, and four bathrooms. A 180-foot tower and communications building is located behind the main building next to a detention pond and will serve as a coldwater rescue training area.

PC Construction’s team of Project Manager Mark Donovan and Project Superintendent Grit Richards laid out an aggressive and detailed schedule to ensure the building’s attractive red brick and block masonry structure was completed and weather-tight before winter hit, which proved to be critical given the ferocity and frequency of storms in January alone. Inside the well-insulated building finish crews have been working in shirtsleeves while the building is heated with one unit heater.

The project is on schedule with substantial completion planned for early April. The Saco Fire Department plans to move into their new home in time for dedication ceremonies scheduled for April 30, 2011.

Saco Fire Station Project in Saco, Maine

PROJECT UPDATE: HOPEWELL WATER TREATMENT PLANT

December 22, 2010

PROJECT UPDATE: SUBSTANTIAL COMPLETION ACHIEVED FOR $108 MILLION PROJECT

November 30, 2010

On September 30, PC Construction achieved substantial completion on the $108 million H.L. Mooney Water Reclamation Facility Expansion and Upgrade Phase 2, Stage 1 project in Woodbridge, Virginia. In achieving this contractual milestone, Prince William County Service Authority (PWCSA) was able to request from the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) a Certificate to Operate ahead of the imposed December deadline.

This design build project with Camp Dresser & McKee included the upgrade in plant capacity from 18 to 24 MGD, while also reducing the amount of total nitrogen being discharged in accordance with the Chesapeake Bay Initiative.

The increased treatment capacity of the plant was made possible with the addition of a new 95-foot Primary Clarifier, four new Pass Aeration Basins, three 125-foot Secondary Clarifiers a new 95-foot Secondary Clarifier, a new RAS Pump Station, 14 new Denitrification Filters, two covered 85-foot Gravity Thickeners, a new Thickened Sludge Pump Station, and a new SCADA Control System, in addition to upgrades and modifications to existing structures and systems.

Since reaching substantial completion, PC Construction has been awarded a $4 million change order to replace the Odor Control System, modify the Primary Clarifier Influent Distribution Box, and perform site work modifications. We are pleased to continue providing construction services for PWCSA!

H.L. Mooney Water Reclamation Facility Expansion and Upgrade Phase 2, Stage 1 project

PC Construction has reached substantial completion for the $108 million H.L. Mooney Water Reclamation Facility Expansion and Upgrade Phase 2, Stage 1 project

PC CONSTRUCTION AND THE JACKSON LABORATORY BREAK GROUND ON RENEWABLE ENERGY PROJECT

November 24, 2010

Monday was a typical November day on the coast of Downeast Maine where preparations are under way for the coming winter. Change was in the air as lobstermen continued the process of bringing up their traps before foul winter weather really hit. Change was also in the air at The Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor as a groundbreaking ceremony was held to mark the beginning of a renewable energy project that will reduce heating and electricity costs at the century old non-profit laboratory dedicated to genetic research. Continue Reading →

PROJECT UPDATE: H.L. MOONEY WATER RECLAMATION FACILITY EXPANSION AND UPGRADE STAGE 2, PHASE 1

May 19, 2010

Over the past 17 years, PC Construction and Prince William County Service Authority have built a solid, successful relationship at the H.L. Mooney Water Reclamation Facility in Virginia. Our first project at this site was awarded in 1993 at a contract value of $34 million. Since that time, we have been awarded contracts totaling more than $150 Million worth of work. Continue Reading →

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“PROGRESSIVE DESIGN-BUILD” EYE OPENING AT NATIONAL CONFERENCE

April 27, 2010