A formal groundbreaking event with local, county and state elected officials, water retail agencies and representatives from the design firm and construction team was held on January 17, marking the start of the project. Guest speakers included Claudia C. Alvarez, Esq., President, Orange County Water District; Roger C. Yoh, P.E., Board Member, Orange County Water District and Chair, GWRS Steering Committee; and Larry Crandall, Chair, Orange County Sanitation District and Vice Chair, GWRS Steering Committee.  Immediately following the presentation, officials and project team members used ceremonial shovels to break ground where the expansion will take place.

“The GWRS established the benchmark for international water projects and water reuse technology,” said OCWD General Manager Mike Markus. “Most importantly, the GWRS has provided a reliable, locally-controlled source of water forOrangeCountyduring a time when the availability of imported water is decreasing while its cost is increasing. We live in a naturally arid region. The GWRS Expansion will provide us with the water supply reliability that we need, while creating hundreds of local jobs that will benefitOrangeCounty’s economy through the development, construction and operation of the project. In short, it’s the perfect project at the perfect time.”

The GWRS, a joint project of OCWD and Orange County Sanitation District (OCSD), takes highly treated wastewater that would have normally been discharged into the Pacific Ocean and purifies it through a three-step process that includes microfiltration, reverse osmosis and ultraviolet light with hydrogen peroxide. 35 million gallons of near-distilled quality GWRS water per day is pumped into injection wells where it serves as a seawater intrusion barrier. Another 35 million gallons per day is pumped in a 13-mile long pipe to OCWD recharge basins inAnaheim,California. The GWRS water then filters through sand and gravel to replenish the deep aquifers ofOrangeCounty’s groundwater basin and ultimately becomes part of the drinking water supply.

Serving as general contractor for the expansion, McCarthy will construct a 30 million gallon per day (MGD) treatment facility expanding the 70 MGD GWRS that was completed in 2008.  Parsons of Pasadena is construction manager for the project and Black and Veatch of Irvine is the structural, civil, electrical and mechanical engineer.

The project entails expansion of the existing microfiltration facility by constructing eight new below-grade treatment basins and enlarging the existing basement facility. Other work includes construction of a new 32,000-square-foot reverse osmosis building, the installation of five new ultraviolet light (UV) treatment trains to match the existing systems, as well as retrofitting the existing post treatment systems to employ a new lime feed system. McCarthy will also construct two above ground steel tanks, each is 215 feet in diameter with a height of 35 feet and a capacity to hold 7.5 million gallons of water.

“The project will be carefully executed in order to mitigate any disruptions to the existing plant while conducting a complex facility expansion with significant construction challenges,” said McCarthy project manager Curtis Horner. “The microfiltration facility is a very complicated water bearing structure tucked into an extremely tight footprint. This 30 foot deep structure is bordered on all four sides just beyond the limits of construction by existing structures and piping.  The excavations and concrete durations alone will take approximately 14 months to complete.”

The Reverse Osmosis building also provides project challenges explained Horner. “The RO facility is located in an area bordered by the existing facility, a substation, a pumping area and another building. Furthermore, the structure will sit on more than 200 piles with a long, extensive concrete scope followed by extensive mechanical work.”

The GWRS is the largest advanced water treatment facility of its kind in the world and has garnered more than 35 regional, state and international awards including the prestigious American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) 2009 Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement Award for the year’s most outstanding national engineering project, and the Stockholm 2008 Industry Award for the year’s most outstanding international water project.

“We are proud to be a part of this complex and vital project to mitigate the challenges associated with an otherwise dwindling water supply in Orange County,” said Mark Mardock McCarthy Executive Vice President. It’s exciting to not only  be involved with an internationally renowned project, but also helping to provide a environmentally responsible, reliable and safe source of water which is critical to the public health and economy of Orange County.”

Construction work is scheduled to complete in September 2014. 

For more information about the project, go to www.gwrsystem.com, Twitter @OCWDWaterNews or Orange County’s Groundwater Replenishment System on Facebook.

About McCarthy
McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. is one of the nation’s largest commercial construction companies and a leading water treatment facility builder. With nearly  150 years of experience, McCarthy is committed to the construction of high performance buildings. The company provides general contracting, construction management, program management and design/build services for water treatment, healthcare, education, parking, entertainment, retail, laboratory, biotechnical, microelectronic, and industrial facilities; office buildings; tenant interiors; mixed-use; and bridges and highways. In addition to Newport Beach, McCarthy has offices in San Diego, Sacramento and San Francisco, Calif.; Phoenix; Las Vegas; Dallas; Houston; St. Louis and Atlanta. McCarthy is 100 percent employee owned.  More information about the company is available online at www.mccarthy.com.

About Orange County Water District
Orange County Water District (OCWD) manages the large groundwater basin that underlies north and central OrangeCountythat provides most of the water for about 2.4 million citizens. OCWD is committed to enhancing OrangeCounty’s groundwater quality and reliability in an environmentally friendly manner. With more than 75 years of prudent planning and careful investment, OCWD has doubled the sustainable yield of the groundwater basin. OCWD is a special district established by the California State Legislature in 1933 and governed by a 10-member board of directors. Separate from the Countyof Orange, OCWD supplies water to residents in the cities of Anaheim, Buena Park, Costa Mesa, Cypress, Fountain Valley, Fullerton, Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, Irvine, La Palma, Los Alamitos, Newport Beach, Orange, Placentia, Santa Ana, Seal Beach, Stanton, Tustin, Villa Park, Westminsterand Yorba Linda. Go to www.ocwd.com for information. For more information go to www.ocwd.com.

About Orange County Sanitation District
The Orange County Sanitation District is a public agency responsible for safely collecting and treating wastewater (sewage) for 2.5 million people. OCSD beneficially reuses and recycles the treated wastewater and other resources resulting from the treatment process. It is a special district established by the California State Legislature and governed by a 25-member board of directors. The directors are comprised of elected representatives for each of the sewer agencies or cities within OCSD’s 471-square mile service area. Go to www.ocsd.com for information.

The new Central Utility Plant (CUP) at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) reached a major construction milestone when construction workers placed the final structural steel beam atop the building’s frame on January 24, 2012. Currently on schedule for construction completion in summer 2014, the $438 million (development cost) design-build project is being built by Clark/McCarthy, A Joint Venture.

In just four weeks, construction workers from Schuff Steel used a Manitowoc 999 Lattice-boom crawler crane with a reach of 140 feet to erect 1,400 tons of structural steel, creating the frame for the new CUP. An audience of approximately 300 project stakeholders and construction workers celebrated the ‘topping out’ during a ceremony held near the construction site. As a part of the event, attendees signed the final I-beam adorned with an American flag and an evergreen tree. The beam was then lifted 75 feet high and attached to the top of the structure. The tradition of attaching a tree and flag to the final structural beam has been practiced by construction workers for over 1,000 years. The tree represents growth, life and good luck for the construction workers and the building’s future occupants. The flag is displayed as a patriotic symbol that signifies the united effort by the project team to achieve a common goal.

“An interesting aspect pertaining to the CUP structure is that it was designed as an essential facility with stringent seismic drift criteria to protect the facility during a major earthquake,” said Kevin Carpenter, design manager for Clark/McCarthy. “Furthermore, some of the cogeneration equipment that will be installed on upper floors, including the two Combustion Turbine Generators that weigh in excess of 60 tons each, requires the steel frame to be extremely stout.” The 70,000-square-foot facility has a steel frame that weighs in excess of 1,400 tons, or 40 pounds per square foot — about 30% higher than an Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD) hospital in California.

The new CUP is being built to replace the existing 50-year old facility with a modern, state-of-the-art, computer-managed utility plant providing enhanced passenger comfort and reliability of utility service and safety within the newly renovated modernized terminals at LAX. The existing CUP will service the airport throughout construction. Upon project completion, the replacement will be brought on-line and the old CUP will be decommissioned and demolished.

Serving as general contractor for the project, Clark/McCarthy’s contract includes demolition of the existing 50-year-old CUP as well as construction of a new 64,000-square-foot, steel-framed replacement CUP with a 20,000-ton cooling capacity. The project also entails the installation of associated equipment, such as a stand-by boiler, primary and secondary chilled water pumps, cooling towers, electrical systems and switchgear.

A new maintenance shop and offices and an above-grade thermal energy storage (TES) tank with capacity for 1.6 million gallons of water and 15,500 ton-hours of cooling is also being built.  Other work includes: replacement of approximately 18 miles of pipe and duct bank that service the entire Central Terminal Area (CTA) with utility distribution, electrical and communications systems as well as reclaimed water, fire water and potable water systems; installation of several miles of new distribution piping throughout the CTA and beneath existing main entrance roadways throughout the airport; and an upgrade of pump rooms and air handling equipment in 21 different locations within all terminals, administrative buildings and the LAXThemeBuilding.

Systems and their components for the new CUP were designed and constructed to achieve LEED®Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. 

Clark/McCarthy, A Joint Venture is a joint venture between Clark Construction Group and McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. Additional project partners include: Gruen Associates,Los Angeles, architect; Arup,Los Angeles, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, structural, and commissioning engineer; Capital Engineering Consultants,Rancho Cordova,Calif., mechanical consultant; Greenform,Los Angeles, sustainability consultant; and PID Engineering,San Diego, cogeneration consultant.

For more information about the project and project team, visit: http://www.clarkmccarthylaxcup.com/

About Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is the sixth busiest airport in the world and third in the United States, offering more than 565 daily flights to 81 domestic cities and over 1,000 weekly nonstop flights to 66 international destinations on over 75 air carriers.

About Clark Construction Group, LLC
Clark Construction Group, LLC is one of the nation’s most experienced and respected general contractors. With annual revenue in excess of $4 billion, Clark is consistently ranked among the country’s largest construction companies. The company has California offices in Costa Mesa, San Diego, and Oakland.

About McCarthy Building Companies, Inc.
With nearly 150 years of experience, McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. is one of the nation’s oldest, privately held construction firms and the largest general building contractor in California (ENR California, August 2011). In addition to Newport Beach, McCarthy has offices in San Diego, Sacramento and San Francisco, Calif.; Phoenix; Las Vegas; Dallas; Houston; St. Louis and Atlanta. McCarthy is 100 percent employee owned. For more information, visit http://www.mccarthy.com/.

Further growth in 2012 is expected as McCarthy is currently recruiting for more than 60 additional new positions. 

“When employees own the company, as we do at McCarthy, they operate with increased motivation, and that in turn enables continued growth and expansion,” commented McCarthy President and Chief Operating Officer Derek Glanvill. “It is thanks to our culture of ownership and the dedication of our employee owners that we have been able to increase our operations this past year.”

 According to a report from Georgetown University, S ESOPs like McCarthy have been job creators even in tough economic times. While overall employment in the U.S. fell by nearly three percent in 2008, employment at surveyed private, employee-owned firms rose by nearly two percent.

 Further, according to a University of Pennsylvania study, S ESOP companies like McCarthy create not only employee motivation and success, but also $14 billion in new savings for workers each year that they otherwise would not have. This is because profits of the company flow into the ESOP (retirement) accounts of the workers. Moreover, a survey from the National Center for Employee Ownership reported that S ESOP employees can have retirement account balances three to five times higher than the average 401 (k) or other defined contribution plans. This helps to explain why S ESOP company employees can be so successful, as compared with most working Americans who—according to a recent AP poll—think they will lack enough money to live comfortably in retirement.

“Employee-owners work smarter and harder because of their commitment and investment in the business,” said Greg Klein, chairman of the board of directors of the Employee-Owned S Corporations of America. “McCarthy is a prime example of what S corporation ESOP companies can do for workers and for our economy.”

About ESCA
The Employee-Owned S Corporations of America (“ESCA”) is the Washington, DC voice for employee-owned S corporations.  ESCA’s exclusive mission is to preserve and protect S corporation ESOPs and the benefits they provide to the employees who own them.  These companies have an important story to tell policymakers about the tremendous success of the S ESOP structure in generating long-term retirement savings for working Americans and their families.  ESCA provides the vehicle and the voice for these efforts.  ESCA represents employee-owners in every state in the nation. 

About McCarthy
McCarthy (http://www.mccarthy.com/) is one of the nation’s oldest and largest American-owned commercial contractors. Headquartered in St. Louis, the firm has offices in Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Phoenix, Las Vegas, San Diego, Newport Beach, San Francisco and Sacramento. Repeatedly honored as a Best Place to Work, McCarthy is 100 percent employee owned.  

The $140 million project included construction of the Hollfelder Emergency Care Center on the first floor; a 20-bed ICU and pharmacy on the second floor; 40 medical/surgical beds each on the third, fourth and fifth floors; support services on the basement level; and a new entry structure to include a covered drop-off area at the building’s main entrance.

McCarthy also constructed a 90-foot-long underground tunnel at the basement level to connect the existing Hoefflin Building to the new North Tower. Because of its size and location, the eight-foot-wide by eight-foot-high tunnel posed an interesting challenge to the project team.

“We needed to construct 60 feet of the passageway below the foundations and floor slab of the existing building, where extensive underpinning was required to support the existing structure prior to tunneling activities,” said Andy Liu, McCarthy’s senior project manager.

Liu said construction of the tunnel was complicated because the work was performed immediately beneath the existing ER, which remained operational during construction. “Extra precaution had to be taken to ensure no disruption to the ER, and also to maintain safe conditions for the workers below,” said Liu. The tunnel work took about three months to complete from start to finish.

The tunnel is an important piece of the project, but it is above ground where visitors will get their first impression of the new Methodist Hospital tower. The hospital exterior transforms the campus’ appearance by presenting a fresh face to the north. The exterior façade consists of Alucobond aluminum panels and a plastered finish around punched aluminum windows.

Inside, the tower drastically increases the hospital’s capabilities, both in terms of technological ability and size—the number of emergency department beds will increase approximately 65 percent, and the intensive care unit will grow by one third.

To help create a serene environment, NTD Architecture of San Diego designed the structure to bring nature indoors with open-air atriums, natural lighting and green spaces.

Besides the tunnel, another interesting project hurdle was space. The project sits on a lot that is a little more than two acres, with its north end against an existing parking structure and south end connecting to an existing two-level ER and patient admitting area. Liu said access to the site was limited to one area on the north end.

Other construction highlights include a four-foot-thick monolithic mat foundation that encapsulates the structural steel moment frame supported by pad foundations which are situated below the mat foundation.

Along with building this state-of-the-art healthcare facility, Methodist Hospital has updated its systems with the latest advancements in healthcare technologies to expedite patient check-in and admission, as well as electronic tracking of a patient’s status, location, progress and vital signs.

Construction of the patient tower ensures the hospital’s compliance with Senate Bill 1953, which requires seismic upgrades for all acute care facilities, before the 2013 deadline.

The $300 million facility was funded using tax-exempted FHA Insured Mortgage Revenue Bonds along with transformational gifts, primarily one given by Tom and Bea Hollfelder for the Hollfelder Emergency Care Center.

The project opened to the public on September 27, 2011.

About Methodist Hospital
Methodist Hospital, founded in 1903, is a 460-bed, not-for-profit hospital serving the community.  Services provided include comprehensive acute care such as medical, surgical, perinatal, pediatrics, oncology, intensive care (neonatal and adult), and complete cardiovascular services, including open heart surgery.  Methodist Hospital is accredited by the Joint Commission.  For more information please call (626) 898-8000 or visit www.methodisthospital.org.

About McCarthy
McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. is one of the nation’s oldest and largest commercial construction companies and has been ranked among the top five national healthcare builders by Modern Healthcare since the magazine began its annual ranking more than 30 years ago. In addition to Newport Beach, McCarthy has offices in San Diego, Sacramento and San Francisco, Phoenix Las Vegas, Dallas, Houston, St. Louis and Atlanta. McCarthy is 100 percent employee owned. More information about the company is available online at www.mccarthy.com.

“One of Soka University’s guiding principals is to foster leaders for the creative coexistence of nature and humanity, and the Soka Performing Arts Center project demonstrates this socially responsible ideal to our students,” said Arch Asawa, Soka University’s Vice President for Finance and Administration and CFO. “We deeply appreciate the project team for helping us meet our objective to create a world-class LEED Gold Certified facility.”

McCarthy served as general contractor and Zimmer Gunsul Frasca was the architect for the $73 million project, which included construction of a three-level, 47,836-square-foot Soka Performing Arts Center housing a reception lobby, various support spaces and a 1,000-seat auditorium. McCarthy also built a 48,974-square-footAcademicBuildingwhich is located next to and provides support for the Soka Performing Arts Center. The new four-level academic building houses 11 classrooms, 29 faculty offices, a 150-seat black box theater, four dressing rooms, a rehearsal/dance studio, musician warm-up spaces and other support areas.

To successfully address the LEED aspects of the project, the design and construction team employed 15 LEED accredited professionals, and McCarthy used sustainable construction methods throughout the project. These included: recycling approximately 75 percent of construction waste; maintaining proper indoor air quality; utilizing local labor and ensuring that the subcontractors install the specified “green” materials.

Likewise, the design of these structures incorporates numerous sustainable and energy efficiency solutions. TheSokaPerformingArtsCenterand theAcademicBuildingboth have a green roof and solar panels. The green roof holds three to four inches of soil filled with succulent plants providing sound insulation as well as insulation for heating and cooling. It also absorbs rain water to filter it before it goes into theWoodCanyonwatershed, and it converts carbon dioxide to oxygen. Additionally, a bioswale was built to help manage storm water runoff. 

In order to create a space large enough for the green roof with a combination of vegetation and photovoltaic panels arrays as part of the sunshades, the project’s electrical contractor utilized design/build delivery to meet the project’s complex electrical needs. BIM 3D modeling was implemented to successfully coordinate paths and spacing requirements and to improved collaboration with all of the MEP trades. Furthermore, energy modeling simulations were performed, which showed an overall energy cost savings of about 25% over the baseline. To that end, the 140 kW photovoltaic system generates an estimated 15% of the energy needed.

Further energy efficiency solutions included operable windows for climate control in the academic building as well as sensor-controlled lights that turn themselves off in unused rooms. Automatic daylight responsive dimmable lighting controls were installed in all classrooms and both black-box and the Center’s lobbies. A displacement ventilation system was utilized to supply cooler air near the floor, pushing warmer air away from occupants in academic and performance hall spaces.

The Soka Performing Arts Center’s exterior features a glass sunshade structure with 570 panes of laminated safety glass to permit visibility, yet diffuse light and reduce solar heat-gain in the large, all glass lobby. The performance hall also features adjustable floor diffusers below most seats, allowing audience members to adjust airflow. Water-saving features employed include low-flow water fixtures and high-efficiency instantaneous gas water heaters.

Other project team members included Program Manager R.W. Buck and Associates of Rancho Santa Margarita; JAMA of Los Angeles, structural engineer; RBF of Irvine, civil engineer; Syska of Los Angeles, electrical and mechanical engineer; and SWA of Laguna Beach, landscape architect.

“TheSokaUniversityproject team was focused on sustainability from day one and worked hard to make this goal a reality,” explained McCarthy Executive Vice President Mark Mardock. “McCarthy continues to position ourselves as a leader in green construction, and this project is an outstanding example. With this latest certification, McCarthy now has 10 LEED Gold projects on our resume, with more than 20 in the works. In total, McCarthy has completed or underway more than $7 billion in sustainable projects overall.”

About McCarthy
McCarthy is one of America’s oldest and largest privately held commercial construction companies. More than a decade ago, McCarthy formalized a national in-house green knowledge network to capture and build upon the best green practices across the country. Today, the McCarthy Green Team is comprised of approximately 400 USGBC LEED Accredited Professionals (ranking the company in the top 10 for LEED AP’s by Building Design and Construction and among the nation’s Top 20 Green Construction Companies in America by Engineering News-Record). McCarthy is 100 percent employee owned. More information is available online at http://www.mccarthy.com/.

Serving as the general contractor, McCarthy began construction on Terminal C in August 2009. The project included adding a 282,000-square-foot, three-level terminal building plus a basement, to the existing 448,000 square feet in Terminals A and B at the Thomas F. Riley Terminal. McCarthy also performed upgrades and renovations to the existing terminals including the installation of a new paging/communications and information technology system in both terminals. The reconfiguration of three gates (two for international flights and one for the Common Use Passenger Processing System) as well as the remodel of select airline offices in Terminal B was also completed.

Terminal C features a total of six commercial passenger gates, two of which connect to Federal Inspection Services (FIS) (Customs) facilities for international flights and two new commuter terminals. Additional airport amenities include: five new passenger security screening checkpoints; new, easy-to-read flat screen monitors, featuring flight and baggage information for all airlines; three new baggage carousels; and a Common Use Passenger Processing System (CUPPS), one of the first universal check-in systems for printing boarding passes and checking bags at all 48 kiosks in the new Terminal and at a total of 142 kiosks throughout the airport once they are completed next year. Terminal C also boasts 23,000-square-feet of additional concession space, with nine new local and internationally known restaurants and retail stores.

“Our design at John Wayne Airport puts passengers first. We wanted to create a terminal that people intuitively understand, and that leverages the latest technology for the modern traveler,” says Keith Thompson, a Gensler Principal and leader of the firm’s global Aviation + Transportation practice area.

The design of Terminal C draws heavily from the distinctive features of the existing Riley Terminal, creating a seamless experience throughout the entire airport complex. The building’s exterior skin incorporates masonry, plaster, and stone along with glass and metal panels similar to the existing structures. The interior features barrel-vaulted ceilings resembling a fuselage, an abundance of windows and skylights, a soft, neutral color palette and natural marble limestone. Called Jura stone, the natural stone is featured throughout the walls and floors in all terminals. Its most distinguishing characteristic is the natural quartz veins and variable fossils which are visible on the beige background. The marble was mined in quarries inGermanyand cut, polished and fabricated inItaly, ensuring the correct color and precise and clean lines that make up this beautiful design treatment throughout the terminals.

For added passenger convenience, Terminal C is fitted with computer work stations and custom-designed power receptacles located between the backs of the passenger seating rows which allow travelers to charge their cell phones, laptops and other electronic devices while awaiting their flight.  The airport installed similar power receptacles in Terminals A and B and offers free Wi-Fi throughout the facility.

McCarthy also coordinated the installation of a large scale three-dimensional sculpture above the baggage carousels in Terminal C. Created by artist Beth Nybeck ofKansas Cityin association with Dick Jobe, the sculpture is composed of 21 aluminum birds with wing spans ranging in size from three feet to 14 feet suspended on an “S” shaped structure. Created from aluminum and Plexiglas, the wings of the birds display enlarged portions of aeronautical charts rendered in multi-colored vinyl adhesive. Called “Flight of Ideas”, the piece was selected in a competitive process from more than 20 proposals submitted by artists across the country.

Further work by McCarthy included the construction of two new commuter terminals with space for up to three commuter/regional jets at the north end of Terminal A and three commuter/regional jets at the south end of Terminal C. All three terminals on both secure and non-secure sides are directly connected at Terminal B and Terminal C, providing access to a total of 20 gates via a single secure concourse.

“Building a major addition on a fully operational airport facility and coordinating with other ongoing airport improvement projects including a new parking structure and central utility plant required extensive planning and communication,” said Khatchig Tchapadarian, McCarthy’s project director for the airport project.  “We phased construction and worked overnight shifts to ensure minimal impact to the passengers and airport operations. A barricade was also installed between Terminal B and C, and the construction team worked closely with airport operations to coordinate construction access, deliveries and cranes.”

Tchapadarian explained that one of the project’s most unusual and complex features was installing the barrel-vaulted roof on the Terminal C concourse. “The standing-seam metal roof, which is sandwiched by other structures at both ends, measure 60 feet-high and is designed on a 33° degree radius,” said Tchapadarian. “We devised a solution which uses expansion joints enabling the roof to move between the existing concourse and the new terminal to accommodate for any seismic activity or thermal expansion.”  Approximately 26 construction workers completed the roof installation by first pouring 1,080 cubic yards of light weight insulating concrete then carefully installing approximately 2,100 metal roof panels. Much of the work was conducted atop the 60-foot high structure, and the process took six months to complete.

In order to reduce errors in the field, Building Information Modeling (BIM) was used to create a 3D model of the project before construction began. The virtual model helped to detect and avoid any system clashes in advance of construction which in turn reduced construction duration and improved the quality of construction. The project was designed in Revit, and NavisWorks was used for clash detection.

Terminal C also features sustainable elements including an innovative LED lighting system which provides consistent lighting throughout the terminal. The system requires little or no maintenance for 20 years, and will decrease the energy it consumes by at least 37%. Furthermore Terminal C’s Water Quality Management Plan incorporates environmental controls and specifies the means and methods of pollution control. Environmentally responsible construction was used during the project including: curbing storm water runoff from the construction sites to prevent discharge of pollutants to the storm drains; recycling 90 percent of construction-related materials and waste; and dust mitigation activities to minimize air quality effects during construction.

“Visitors to John Wayne Airport will experience a near seamless transition between all three terminals—a key objective in McCarthy’s construction of Terminal C and in improvements made to Terminals A an B in the Thomas F. Riley Terminal,” said Airport Director Alan L. Murphy,. “The extensive use of marble throughout the lobbies and concourse, the floor to ceiling windows, along with all new LED lighting and technological advancements throughout the terminal, provides an innovative yet familiar travel experience.” 

Parsons of Pasadena, Calif. is the Program Manager; Arcadis/Pinnacle One of Irvine, Calif. is the Construction Management firm; Jacobs of Santa Ana, Calif. is the Civil & MEP Engineer; and IDS Group, Inc. ofIrvine,Calif.is the Structural Engineer. The main specialty contractors are: Capparelli/KHS&S ofOrange(framing/drywall); Helix of San Diego, Calif. (electrical), A.O. Reed of San Diego (HVAC) and Pan Pacific Plumbing ofIrvine(plumbing).

About McCarthy
McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. is one of the nation’s oldest and largest construction companies and Orange County’s largest commercial builder (Orange County Business Journal, June 2011). More information is available at www.mccarthy.com.

An integral part of the St. Jude Medical Center’s multi-phased Master Plan, the $285.4 million project includes construction of a 200,000-square-foot, 4-story acute care building with a connecting bridge to level four of the existing hospital building and a 14,000-square-foot central utility plant. Along with architect International Parking Design of Irvine, Calif., McCarthy is also adding 215 parking spaces to an existing 455-car parking structure that the firm built in 2004.

Prior to construction of the new tower, McCarthy performed seven months of major utility work and is demolishing an existing medical records building and parking garage. New surface parking and street improvements including redevelop­ment of a cul-de-sac, addition of right-turn lane, street widening and extension of a center median are also being conducted.

According to McCarthy Project Manger Todd Foos, one of the biggest challenges on the project thus far has been relocating all of the hospital’s utility services prior to the demolition of the existing parking structure and construction of the new tower.

“We worked closely with the hospital to devise a plan that enabled us to complete this sensitive infrastructure work while mitigating disruption to the existing hospital,” explained Foos. “Additional challenges will be maintaining access to the existing hospital’s loading dock. In order to meet this requirement, we will be constructing a temporary road through the foundation of the new building which will be in place until February or March 2012.” 

Featuring sophisticated technologies and innovations in patient-centered care, the new 120-bed patient tower will house: private and semi/private rooms with flat-screen TVs and comfortable daybeds for family members; computers in every patient room permitting physicians and nurses to review and update medical records without leaving the patient’s bedside; 14 operating rooms with state-of-the-art “smart” surgical suites and the newest improvements in minimally invasive and robotic surgeries; and advanced information systems allowing immediate clinician collaboration. The tower will also include a spacious cafeteria, materials management, pharmacy and areas for support staff.

In order to meet strictCaliforniaseismic regulations in compliance with Senate Bill 1953, the tower is being built with a lateral force resisting system consisting of buckling restrained braced frames (BRBF) with moment resisting beam to column connections. Additionally a lateral foundation system is being built with continuous anchor caps in conjunction with tie-down anchors.

The story of theNorthwestToweris one of both timeless design and economic feasibility. The modern design of the tower was developed within a Project Design Charter, which was created to guide design decisions toward a simple functionality that appropriately meets future needs and provides the latest technology for staff and patient care, at a scale and sophistication befitting a major, contemporary, urban medical center.

TheNorthwestTowerdisplays design function, as well as incorporates evidence-based strategies for patient services to reduce stress, length of stay, and enhance communication between caregivers and patients. “These strategies not only provide an optimal care environment for healing, but also supportSt. Joseph’s commitment to patient dignity, the human spirit, and creating healthy communities,” saidTAYLOR’s principal-in-charge Neal Rinella.

In keeping with the social sustainability goals of the project, the new tower incorporates many environmentally sustainable features such as an energy efficient building envelope, which incorporates high performance window glazing, sunshading and well-insulated walls and roof. Mechanical systems also improve energy efficiency by utilizing a 100% outside air system with heat recovery that yields superior indoor air quality and infection control.

“Building a state-of-the-art hospital with complex mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) systems requires the utilization of latest advancements in design and construction technology as well as an experienced and collaborative team,” said McCarthy Project Director Patrick Peterson.

“To meet the challenges of this complex project on an operational medical campus, we are utilizing a combination of Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) and design/build methods to collaboratively harness the talents and insights of all team members and to optimize efficiency through all phases of design, fabrication and construction,” explained Peterson.

TAYLOR, McCarthy and key subcontractor partners are using the following Building Information Modeling (BIM) tools for design and coordination: Revit Architecture, Revit Structures, Revit MEP, AutoCAD MEP 3D, AutoCAD Civil 3D, CADmech, CADpipe, NavisWorks and Google Sketch-up.

“Utilizing these combined BIM applications with an integrated team delivery approach not only will help to identify challenges before they become on-site problems, but it also provides a greater benefit by allowing the entire design and construction team to create and work from a seamless model throughout all stages of the project,” said McCarthy Project Manager Todd Foos. As a result of this collaborative effort, the team has lowered the original target budget by approximately $14.5 million.

“St. Joseph Health System has determined that the best way to understand, evaluate and make decisions at each critical point of the project during design, is through the use of BIM tools. This has streamlined the decision-making process and given us the opportunity to quickly evaluate and analyze “What if” scenarios. The BIM tools are a benefit to all stakeholders on the project team,” explained Jim Bostic, AVP Construction Division, at St Joseph Health System inSouthern California.

The St. Jude Northwest Tower project is scheduled to complete in Summer 2014 and open in Fall 2014.

About McCarthy
McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. has been ranked among the top five national healthcare builders by Modern Healthcare since the magazine began its annual ranking more than 30 years ago. As the largest American-based healthcare builder in the country, the firm has offices in Newport Beach, San Diego, Sacramento and San Francisco, Calif.; Phoenix; Las Vegas; Dallas; Houston; St. Louis and Atlanta. McCarthy is 100 percent employee owned. More information about the company is available online at www.mccarthy.com.

Built to relieve overcrowding at nearby John C. Fremont Senior High School, the new South Region High School No. 2 is a part of LAUSD’s $19.5 billion new school construction and modernization program to provide a safe and healthy neighborhood school on a traditional, two-semester calendar for every student. 

“McCarthy’s ability to successfully address all changes and unforeseen challenges while adhering to the schedule was key to the project’s success,” said Moty Eisenberg, senior project manager, contract professional for LAUSD.  “As a result of a collaborative effort by the entire project team, our new high school opened on schedule and is now providing the community with a state-of-the-art educational facility while relieving overcrowded conditions at other nearby schools.”

McCarthy served as general contractor for the project which entailed construction of a 220,000-square-foot high school on a 16.1 acre site with capacity for up to 2,000 students. The new school consists of eight two-and three-level buildings with 75 classrooms, an administrative office, performing arts/multi-purpose/practice gym, cafeteria and food services area, media center/library, a gym and locker rooms. McCarthy also built an outdoor lunch shelter as well as athletic facilities including football and softball fields and a track and field venue with a new rubberized synthetic track surface.

Designed by Leo A Daly ofLos Angeles, the nine buildings are strategically positioned to provide a rectangular perimeter barrier around a centrally located courtyard/student gathering area. The high school is sectioned into four small learning communities.

Paul Buckely, principle for Leo A Daly said that each learning community is self-contained with classrooms and laboratory facilities in each building. The athletic, library and performing arts facilities are shared among the four communities. Each classroom has state-of-the-art A/V equipment and theADAcompliant science labs feature built-in casework, fume hoods, chemical resistant countertops, sinks, gas, power and high speed data connections. All buildings are type II steel construction with the exterior skin comprised of plaster, CMU veneer and metal panels.

Certified by the Collaborative for High Performing Schools (CHPS), the newSouthRegionalHigh School boasts numerous environmentally friendly elements. Some of the project’s sustainable features include: energy efficient direct/indirect lighting with automatic lighting controls; low flow lavatories; low VOC paint; high energy efficient air conditioning; operable windows; a white roof to reflect unwanted energy and reduce the amount of energy consumed and drought tolerant landscaping. Construction waste was also recycled.

BIM (Building Information Modeling) technology was used to assist in the building process for the new high school. Xcel Mechanical Systems, the project’s mechanical contractor, used AutoDesk NavisWorks project review software to create 3D models of the high school’s mechanical systems before construction began. The use of 3D modeling proved highly successful in helping visualize and resolve systems clashes in the areas that required extensive detailing such as the central plant, the underground utilities, small mechanical closets and restrooms.

 “LAUSD, Leo A Daly and McCarthy worked extremely well together,” said Senior Project Manager Andrew Raufi. “This close team collaboration allowed the project to stay ahead of schedule and complete nearly two months early despite several weeks of rain delays as well as scope additions for underground utilities, off-site street improvements and a new synthetic track and field toward the end of the project.”

Consultants for the new high school include civil engineer KPFF Consulting Engineers; electrical and mechanical engineer Donald F. Dickerson Associates; landscape architect Mia Lehrer & Associates and kitchen consultant Commercial Kitchen Design, Inc.

 About McCarthy
McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. is one of the nation’s leading commercial contractors and the largest educational facilities builder in California (California Construction, April 2010). In addition to Newport Beach, McCarthy has offices in San Diego, Sacramento and San Francisco, Calif.; Phoenix; Las Vegas; St. Louis; Dallas; Houston and Atlanta. McCarthy is 100 percent employee owned. More information about the company is available online at http://www.mccarthy.com/.

“McCarthy’s never-ending mission is to be The Best Builder in America,” commented McCarthy President and Chief Operating Officer Derek Glanvill. “As a 100 percent employee-owned company , our holistic approach to wellness flows logically from this mission. In addition, as healthcare costs in America soar, McCarthy employee-owners understand the impact this can have on our business and the role they can play in helping to manage this. Focusing on wellness together, we can to be more productive partners, better family members and in turn potentially control rising costs through prevention.”

Developed and launched in 2010, McCarthy Build for Life is a comprehensive wellness program designed to encourage all employees and their families to strive toward optimal mental, physical and emotional well-being. The program focuses on four key areas: Awareness, Prevention, Activity, and Lifestyle & Stress.

“When it comes to our construction projects, our approach has always been to invest a significant effort up front to prevent issues before they occur,” continued Glanvill. “We have extended this same proactive approach to our Build for Life program, encouraging employees to make wellness a part of their everyday lives.”

To jump start McCarthy’s wellness program in 2010, the company launched an Activity Challenge. All employees received a free pedometer and used an online step tracking program to log daily steps. More than 50% of employees participated in the program, logging 184,974,999 steps. The 2011 Activity Challenge, now including spouses and partners, was completed July 8, 2011 with participants logging 222,775,416 steps.

“The McCarthy Build for Life Program is a grassroots program, supported by Wellness Champions in each McCarthy and MC Industrial office,” explained McCarthy Vice President, Human Resources Al Berardi. “These Champions communicate with employees in their region and encourage involvement.”

Key program features include:

• Rewards program designed to help increase the health of all McCarthy partners while, at the same time, controlling healthcare costs over the long-term. Employees and their spouse/partner can earn points for completing proactive, health-related activities that will be directly applied toward reduced medical insurance premiums;
• Complimentary health screenings for McCarthy employees and spouses/partners, including blood pressure screening, BMI/waist circumference checks, cholesterol/HDL/Glucose screenings, and Prostate Specific Antigen screenings;
• Quarterly wellness newsletter delivered to homes of all employees, in partnership with the Mayo Clinic, and discount subscriptions to health-related publications;
• Regular educational wellness webinars available to employees and their families;
• Wellness areas in all main office locations and at all-employee biannual meetings featuring material on health, nutrition, activity and stress/lifestyle management;
• Wide array of company-sponsored wellness employee events

“McCarthy has made great strides in focusing on improving employee health both here in St. Louis and across America,” concluded Glanvill. “This award honors many leading St. Louis organizations, and McCarthy is proud to be included in this group.”

About Healthiest Employers
Healthiest Employers is an organization dedicated to promoting wellness in business. The mission is to educate on the value of a healthy workforce and reward organizations that are wellness leaders. To be considered for the Healthiest Employers award, an organization must meet: be a business, not-for-profit or government entity; employ a minimum of two full time employees; demonstrate evidence of an employee wellness program; and complete the online application.

About McCarthy
McCarthy is one of the nation’s oldest and largest American-owned commercial contractors. Headquartered in St. Louis, the firm has offices in Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Phoenix, Las Vegas, San Diego, Newport Beach, San Francisco and Sacramento. Repeatedly honored as a Best Place to Work, McCarthy is 100 percent employee owned .

Painted Hills Middle School is located on a 22-acre site at 9250 Sonora Drive in Desert Hot Springs. The school is the fifth middle school in the district and is the first middle school to be constructed since James Workman Middle School opened in 1995. A part of the Measure T bond, the middle school was built to relieve overcrowding at Desert Springs Middle School.

McCarthy provided general contracting services for the $39.5 million project which included construction of a 138,000-square-foot school as well as extensive infrastructure work for electrical, drainage and water.  The firm also built the remaining road access to the site.

Designed by Ruhnau Ruhnau Clarke Associates of Riverside, Painted Hills Middle School is situated on a sloped site that offers picturesque mountain and valley views. The two-level school is composed of classroom wings joined by the central administration and library/media center.

“The vertical design of the two-level middle school provides a cost and environmentally efficient facility that promotes the physical, mental and social development of the students,” said Roger Clarke, principal with Ruhnau Ruhnau Clarke Associates.

An earth tone color-scheme highlights the exterior of Painted Hills Middle School, while vivid base tones of blues and browns adorn the interior. Yellow, gold and orange tones at the entrances of the interior give a sense of orientation to those in the space. Bright graphics denote inspiration, discovery, appreciation and innovation helping to make the high traffic areas of the school not only energetic and pleasing, but also educational. 

“The new school is beautiful,” said Julie Arthur, PSUSD executive director of facilities planning. “The deep colors used on the walls, carpet and furniture provide such a warm and inviting atmosphere. In my 20 years of experience in facilities, I have never seen so many parents who have wanted to stay and tour the campus on the first day of school.”

The Painted Hills Middle School design is also environmentally efficient. Its sustainable features meet CHPS (Collaborative for High Performance Schools) certification requirements. All of the colors, materials and finishes are environmentally friendly, thereby contributing to the health, efficiency, and overall comfort of its inhabitants. Other “green” features include: energy efficient plumbing and water systems; a cool roof with a single layer of thermoplastic membrane that provides a high level of solar reflectance; occupancy lighting sensors in all classrooms and offices; as well as energy efficient HVAC and lighting systems controlled by an energy management system (EMS) to minimize use during non-school hours.

McCarthy implemented environmentally friendly construction practices throughout the project including recycling construction waste and minimizing airborn dust by using water trucks, irrigation sprinklers and soil stabilizers.

A courtyard featuring an outdoor amphitheater and the covered lunch shelter is located in the center of the school. The classrooms and labs are organized into interdisciplinary grade-level learning groups. Each classroom area is adjoined by shared small group instruction spaces and prep rooms for collaborative teaching opportunities. Anchoring the courtyard, the multi-purpose room with attached food service and locker rooms, was designed for flexible use and function. To be utilized by both the student and community for assemblies, performances, dances, and indoor sports, the multi-purpose room includes a basketball court, telescopic seating area for 660 people and platform stage that opens outdoors into the attached covered lunch shelter.  Drama, band, and choir rooms are located nearby for direct access for performances.  Food service functions can also be utilized for after hour’s events.

To successfully address the school’s digital media arts and drama elective programs, the facility was designed with infrastructure to support a large computer lab housing 50 iMac computers used for digital media and other data intensive programs. Additionally, the drama department is housed in a section of the facility that includes a stage with theatrical lighting and audio visual system, make-up and dressing rooms as well as storage for wardrobe and props.

According to McCarthy Project Manager Michael Viveros, the project’s most significant challenge occurred in the gymnasium building. “The gym was constructed with 40-foot tall wood-framed walls surrounding the indoor basketball court,” said Viveros. “Because of the extreme weather conditions in the desert and the tendency for wood framing to bow or warp at longer lengths, we used Glu-Lam studs in lieu of 3x and 4x dimensional lumber and laminated strand lumber. The walls were fabricated and assembled in composite units laid down on the slab and then raised into place.  This solution reduced construction time and alleviated any rework to correct warping in the wood framing that would have likely occurred over time,” explained Viveros.

“Although the project provided some challenges, especially in this difficult economic environment, McCarthy’s expertise was helpful in keeping the project moving seamlessly and our beautiful new school was completed on-time,” said Arthur.

The Palm Springs Unified School District held a dedication ceremony to celebrate the new school on October 14, 2011.

About McCarthy
McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. is the leading educational facilities builder in California. The firm has been building in the education market for the last 50 years. In addition to Newport Beach, McCarthy has offices in San Diego, Sacramento and San Francisco, Calif.; Phoenix; Las Vegas; St. Louis; Dallas; Houston and Atlanta.  More information about the company is available online at http://www.mccarthy.com/.