Southwest Contractor

Entries were reviewed by an independent jury comprised of design and construction professionals in this year’s Nevada competition. After carefully scoring each project and engaging in intense discussion, the jury arrived at 19 winning projects in a variety of categories. McCarthy came away with two big awards in the Civil/Public Works and Engineering Design, and K-12 Education categories.

“The judges considered a variety of criteria for each project, from teamwork and safety to innovation and aesthetics,” says Scott Blair, senior editor of Southwest Contractor. “Several close contests were decided by which project provided the greatest social or economic benefit to the community.”

“What an incredible honor it is to receive not one, but two project awards,” said Randy Highland, president of McCarthy’s Nevada/Utah Division. “Collaboration and teamwork were the keys to success on both of these projects and the awards serve as further emphasis that when we focus on communication and collaboration our potential in this challenging market is unlimited.”

McCarran International Airport Terminal 3 Early Site Civil Package
Category: Civil/Public Works and Engineering Design

McCarran International Airport Terminal 3 Early Site Civil Package paves the way for the newest terminal at the nation’s sixth busiest airport. The project team displayed a great deal of teamwork and collaboration while working with the owner’s onsite construction manager and successfully met each construction milestones. In addition to delivering the project on time and under budget, McCarthy’s management, staff, and self-perform team logged approximately 190,000 man hours on the project with zero recordable incidents.

Veterans Tribute Career & Technical Academy
Category: K-12 Education

The Veterans Tribute Career & Technical Academy is a one-of-a-kind learning environment focusing on service career pathways. The high school features five different career and technical programs including: 911 dispatch training, law enforcement, crime scene analysis, EMT and computer forensics. As one of the first two schools to be completed using the construction manager at-risk delivery method, the 24-acre site includes a five building campus with separate buildings for the gymnasium, commons, administrative and resource facilities as well as sporting fields, courts and a public fitness trail throughout the campus.

About McCarthy
McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. has helped to define the Nevada landscape for more than 30 years. McCarthy is one of the nation’s oldest and largest commercial construction companies. The firm is 100 percent employee owned.  More information about the company is available online at www.mccarthy.com.

TRANSPORTATION

“McCarthy is a construction company in a class all their own. They have been instrumental in our billion-dollar construction program at the Bayport marine terminal.”

- Jim McQueen, P.E., chief construction manager, Port of Houston Authority

Construction is underway on the 1,332-foot Phase I Wharf extension of the Port of Houston’s Bayport Terminal.

This project, valued at over $100 million, will allow for substantial increases in containerized cargo traffic at the terminal, providing capacity to accommodate two additional standard size freighters and one new class E super freighter, which is more than double the size of most cargo ships. The concrete wharf extension will utilize more than 30,000 cubic yards of concrete and sit on a foundation of over 900 cased piers, including rail track to support three mobile gantry cranes. After 16 years of working with the Port of Houston Authority, and completing more than $130 million in construction projects, McCarthy’s team is well prepared to overcome the challenge of performing two-thirds of the foundation work for the wharf extension from cranes positioned on barges. The project broke ground in September 2008 and is scheduled for completion in June 2010. Engineer: Dannenbaum Engineering, Houston, Texas.

AIRPORT

“McCarthy’s team-centered approach enabled them to successfully meet an aggressive construction schedule. They sequenced and organized their work carefully, planning their schedule to meet each milestone. Their commitment was a key element to completing this project on time.”

- Pat Kelly, construction management inspections-supervisor, McCarran International Airport

McCarthy recently completed construction of the new two-story, 128,000-square-foot Northwest Wing addition and 340-foot underground utility tunnel for the Satellite “D” Gates at McCarran International Airport, the nation’s sixth busiest.

With multiple and unrelated projects coexisting at the same time, McCarthy had to effectively meet the challenge of a limited work space and an aggressive 22-month schedule. To accommodate site conditions, the project team prioritized their scope of work surrounding the northwest wing and effectively managed the jobsite to maximize efficiency and space. McCarthy also equipped the project team with a full-time scheduler to allow for weekly updates. The end result is a project that sets a new standard in airport security; McCarthy installed a new arresting vehicle barrier system, which marked the first time this method was used at a U.S. commercial airport. The system, designed to stop vehicles traveling at high speeds, is comprised of over 450 bollards or posts that support more than 14 miles of security cable. Architect: Tate Snyder Kimsey, Henderson, Nev.

The plant currently serves 400,000 customers with an initial treatment capacity of 80 million gallons per day (mgd) and is expandable to an ultimate capacity of 320 mgd.

The Lake Pleasant plant was completed for the city of Phoenix by the design-build-operate (DBO) team comprised of the Black & Veatch-McCarthy joint-venture design-build team and American Water Enterprises, Inc., a subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK), which is the largest investor-owned U.S. water and wastewater utility company.

Phoenix Councilman Claude Mattox, who serves as the vice chair of the National League of Cities Energy, Environment and Natural Resources Steering Committee, congratulated the team on the accomplishment. “Thanks to the efforts of the partners and our city engineers, this state-of-the-art water treatment plant will serve our growing community well into the future,” said Mattox.

The new plant, which is the largest integrated DBO project in North America, was designed to blend seamlessly into the desert landscape without disturbing the natural beauty of the area. As a result, 95 percent of the habitat was preserved in its natural condition.

The plant incorporates the latest developments in modern water technology and automation, which will benefit the residents of Phoenix.  The design-build process included sustainable features that lay the groundwork for future customer growth and development, expanded capacity and emerging treatment technologies. The team also successfully focused on developing the water treatment plant with streamlined, efficient operations.

“A key to the success in achieving our goals was to combine all resources under one roof, which enabled a collaborative work environment,” said Dave Mahaffay, senior vice president and West region managing director for Black & Veatch’s global water business. “All parties involved were focused on delivering the project on time and within budget, as well as on ensuring operational excellence in safety and construction management.”

According to Bob Knochenhauer, senior vice president of operations for McCarthy’s Southwest Division Water Services Group, “The team’s collaborative approach was critical to the effective management of each phase of this complex project. It allowed for construction to start two months ahead of schedule and a budget reduction of $30 million, positioning both the team and the community for success.”

The treatment process design incorporates seven independent barriers for pathogens, virus and bacteria removal while typical treatment plant designs incorporate three to four barriers. Selected water treatment processes – such as high-rate ballasted flocculation, ozone, granular activated carbon contractors and ultraviolet – achieve superior operating and cost efficiency with numerous inventive improvements specific to residents’ needs, the local environment and available resources.

The national award was presented at the DBIA Annual Conference and Awards Ceremony held recently in Las Vegas.

About Black & Veatch
Black & Veatch is a leading global engineering, consulting and construction company specializing in infrastructure development in energy, water, telecommunications, management consulting, federal and environmental markets. Founded in 1915, Black & Veatch develops tailored infrastructure solutions that meet clients’ needs and provide sustainable benefits. Solutions are provided from the broad line of service expertise available within Black & Veatch, including conceptual and preliminary engineering services, engineering design, procurement, construction, financial management, asset management, program management, construction management, environmental, security design and consulting, management consulting and infrastructure planning. With $3.2 billion in revenue, the employee-owned company has more than 100 offices worldwide and has completed projects in more than 100 countries on six continents. The company’s Web site address is www.bv.com.

About American Water
Founded in 1886, American Water is the largest investor-owned U.S. water and wastewater utility company. With headquarters in Voorhees, N.J., the company employs more than 7,000 dedicated professionals who provide drinking water, wastewater and other related services to approximately 15 million people in 32 states and Ontario, Canada. More information can be found by visiting www.amwater.com.

About McCarthy
Ranked among the “Best Places to Work” by The Business Journal in Phoenix, McCarthy has helped define the Arizona landscape for more than 30 years. Founded in 1864, McCarthy is one of the oldest and largest privately held construction firms in the nation. McCarthy is 100 percent employee owned. For more information, visit www.mccarthy.com.

Designed by Henderson-based Tate Snyder Kimsey Architects, the Northwest Wing addition features many architectural elements including a radius roof, suspended “wave” metal pan ceiling, floor-to-ceiling windows and a “Welcome to Las Vegas” sign.  The $109 million project was erected using structural steel and concrete over metal decking for the floors, which tied into the existing concourse. The lower, apron level will be utilized for storage, mechanical systems, and other airline support facilities while the upper level houses the passenger facilities and gates.  Inclusive of the nine gates McCarthy completed, the Northwest Wing now boasts a total of 44 gates for passenger arrivals/departures.

McCarthy completed the Northwest Wing addition within twenty-two months.  The project had 15 individual milestones established to coordinate construction with adjacent airport projects and to track the expansion’s progress.

“McCarthy’s team-centered approach enabled them to successfully meet an aggressive construction schedule,” said Pat Kelly construction management inspections-supervisor, McCarran International Airport. “They sequenced and organized their work carefully, planning their schedule to meet each milestone. Their commitment was a key element to completing this project on time.”

The Northwest Wing Addition also set a new standard in airport security innovation with the installation of a unique arresting vehicle barrier system. This marks the first time a method of this nature is being utilized at a commercial airport in the United States.  The system, which is capable of stopping a large vehicle traveling at high speeds, is comprised of over 450 bollards or posts that are supported by more than 14 miles of security cable to “beef up” the fence line. In order to effectively implement this sensitive system and minimize disruption in the area, McCarthy coordinated with neighboring businesses and private terminals that form part of McCarran’s perimeter.

About McCarthy
Named among the “Best Places to Work” by the Southern Nevada Human Resources Association and “Contractor of the Year 2007” by both the Nevada Contractors Association and the Associated General Contractors, McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. has helped define the Southern Nevada landscape for more than 30 years. McCarthy is one of the nation’s oldest and largest commercial construction companies. The firm is 100 percent employee owned. More information about the company is available online at www.mccarthy.com.

WASTEWATER TREATMENT

“The sheer number of MEP tie-ins involved is staggering on this project…everything we do impacts multiple processes, making coordination the key.”

— John Pinkston, facilities superintendent, city of Chandler

A serious commitment to planning and partnering is a must as construction continues on the $75 million expansion of Chandler’s award-winning treatment facility.

When complete in summer 2009, the expanded plant will treat and recycle 15 million gallons of wastewater per day (from the current 10 million gallons per day). The expansion involves the construction of a new process building, tanks, basins, water reservoir, expanded odor control systems, piping and associated equipment—much of it tying into the existing plant’s MEP systems. McCarthy has completed or is in construction on $1 billion in water/wastewater facilities in the Phoenix area—and the Chandler plant represents the first where all process mechanical trade work will be performed by McCarthy labor forces (McCarthy has self-performed critical path trades such as concrete for decades). A critical factor in the planning involves long-lead equipment, much of which needs to be specified and ordered a year or more in advance to meet project deliveries. Engineer: Wilson & Company, Phoenix, Ariz.

AIRPORT

“McCarthy has displayed a high level of collaboration while delivering an added value to the owner. They bring an innovative approach to project delivery.”

— Shelly Hayden, AIA, CSI, manager, airport architecture, Clark County Department of Aviation

McCarran hosted a record 46.2 million passengers in 2006 — with that number expected to significantly increase in coming years.

To help meet that demand, McCarthy is building a $109 million, 128,000-square-foot addition to the airport’s satellite D northwest wing, which will add nine gates to the facility. As part of the contract, McCarthy is also installing an arresting vehicle barrier system — the first one to be used at a U.S. commercial airport. The system is comprised of stationary, removable and retractable bollards positioned at all airport entrances, along with an array of wire rope cables strung around the property to protect the airside operations from extraneous vehicle traffic. Most recently, McCarthy has also been awarded a $153.7 million civil and foundation project for McCarran’s new Terminal 3. The satellite D addition is scheduled to be complete in fall 2008. Architect: Tate Snyder Kimsey Architects, Henderson, Nev.

HIGHWAY/CIVIL

“McCarthy’s coordination of resources and experience in a tactful manner has made this project a fine example of how to make a complex project seem simple.”

— Gary L. Moonshower, area engineer, Texas Department of Transportation

Construction is well underway on a $45 million roadway reconstruction project at IH-635 at Town East Boulevard in Mesquite, east of Dallas.

In addition to handling all excavation, concrete and asphalt work, McCarthy is managing the four utility subcontractors on the job. For the first time in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) has entrusted this utility work to be included as part of the general contractor’s scope. The relocation of utility services was completed successfully in March 2007. “McCarthy has taken extra efforts to make this project come together smoothly,” commented TxDOT’s Gary Moonshower. “Bound by many inter-tangled utilities, next to a regional retail mall and an 8-lane highway, construction continues to be accomplished in an orderly manner without a loss in quality and safety.” Upon completion in December 2008, McCarthy will have constructed 63,000 square feet of bridge decking, 126,000 square yards of concrete paving, 184,000 cubic yards of dirt excavation and $5.5 million of asphalt work. Engineer: HNTB, Plano, Texas.