CCIP vs. OCIP: Which Comprehensive Insurance Program is Right for You?
by Bill Sharp, Vice President, Risk Management
With the size and scope of projects becoming larger every day, program sponsors (owners and contractors) are seeking alternative ways to address insurance needs, both from a coverage standpoint and a cost standpoint.

When the Hospital Board Says, “Build it Green!”
by John Kreidich AIA, LEED AP, Manager, Healthcare Services
Building green in the healthcare environment is here to stay. Well-chosen green building investments will yield benefits with either no additional cost or with a return on investment well within a hospital’s internal rate of return over the life of the improvements.

5 Questions to Ask Your Contractor About SAFETY
An Interview with Gary Amsinger, CSP, Corporate Vice President, Safety
In addition to simply keeping workers healthy and productive, strong safety execution reduces exposure for owners. Amsinger suggests that owners should ask, at the very least, these basic five questions of their prospective contractor.

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Readers can also view region-specific content by selecting from the drop down menu titled View Other Editions. These include Central, Nevada/Utah, Southern California, Northern Pacific, Southwest, Southeast, Texas and MC Industrial editions.

McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. has introduced its new ‘green’ client newsletter, Insights That Build^SM.  It’s all part of the company’s goal of Leaving Green Footprints^®, a 10-year old program aimed at reducing McCarthy’s carbon footprint.  The first electronic edition includes valuable thought-leading content including:

How to get the best final cost on your next project
by Mike Bolen, Chairman and CEO
‘Conventional wisdom’ says that owners can’t have it all. In fact-by taking the right approach-you can turn an old saying into a smarter strategy: ‘Good, fast and cheap: pick all three.’

Design management – why owners get a better result
by Jim Mynott, Director of Design Management
In this economic climate, execution time from proposal to start of construction can be a deciding factor for project funding. A design management approach can help—and it maximizes other owner advantages.

Five things you should ask your contractor about quality
by Chad Dorgan, Vice President, Quality
There are few words in construction that are more used – or more misused – than the word “quality.”  To understand what it means to YOUR construction project, you and your contractor need to talk.

See the National Edition now.

Readers can also view region-specific content by selecting from the drop down menu titled ‘Other Regional Editions’.  These include Southern California, Northern Pacific, Southwest, Nevada/Utah, Texas, Central, and Southeast editions.

HEALTHCARE

“This tremendous project is very important to USC and the community…I am excited to see this facility open.”

- Dr. Carmen A. Puliafito, dean, Keck School of Medicine of USC

As part of a tri-venture, McCarthy recently completed construction for Los Angeles County + University of Southern California Medical Center, a $600 million facility that comprises a 7-story clinic building, 8-story patient tower, 5-story diagnostic and treatment building, and a central energy plant across 1.5 million square feet.

Designed to meet strict seismic standards, the complex replaces a facility damaged during the Northridge earthquake. The outpatient building, which can accommodate 1,500 patients per day, and the 600-bed inpatient tower were built using brace frame construction that remains rigid during an earthquake. In the center of the complex, the diagnostic and treatment (D&T) building was designed with a seismic base-isolation system that can withstand 28 inches of movement in any direction, seismic portals between it and other buildings, and a metal panel “moat” that can overlap and absorb impact. Joint Venture Partners: Clark Construction Group, LLC, Costa Mesa, Calif.; Hunt Construction Group. Scottsdale, Ariz. Program Architects: Hellmuth, Obata + Kassabaum, Inc. (HOK), Culver City, Calif.; Lee, Burkhart, Liu, Inc. (LBL), Marina Del Rey, Calif.

LIBRARY

“Throughout the construction of this finely detailed project, I was impressed by McCarthy’s dedication to the craft of building.”

— Alyosha Verzhbinsky, AIA, associate principal,Tom Eliot Fisch Architecture and Interior Design

The C.V. Starr East Asian Library, one of UC Berkeley’s most celebrated new facilities, recently opened its doors.

This cornerstone facility houses one of the most comprehensive and rare collections of East Asian books in the world. The library was built utilizing unique construction methods and many of the materials used for the facility were imported from around the globe. Due to the 90-degree angles of the interior concrete walls, McCarthy developed a special concrete pouring process, which took more than a year to perfect. To ensure the preservation of the rare book collection, a stainless steel duct work system was installed to control air and humidity levels. The 60-square-foot reception desk is made of claro walnut, a rare and luxurious wood typically used to make violins. The exterior bronze grills were meticulously crafted and imported by boat in 60 pieces. The combination of techniques and exquisite materials utilized by McCarthy are reflected throughout this state-of-the-art facility. Design Architect: Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects, New York. Associate Architect: Tom Eliot Fisch, San Francisco. Landscape Architect: CMG Landscape Architecture, San Francisco.

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.

HEALTHCARE

“FCI/McCarthy has provided excellent construction management and logistical leadership throughout the project.”

— Robert D. Jenkins/AIA/Architect, owner’s representative, The Century Project

The Century Project reached an important milestone recently when employees from St. Mary’s, McCarthy and its joint venture partner FCI, watched as the final beam was raised 240 feet above street level and set in place on the steel skeleton of the 12-story patient tower.

Construction of the tower, which is the centerpiece of The Century Project, has presented a host of interesting challenges. A tight site with little lay down area and tie-ins to adjacent facilities (one built in 1948 and the other in 1985) are just two of the issues complicating the work. But, with 375 construction workers on site, the building continues on schedule and on budget. When the new tower opens in 2009, reconfiguration and remodeling of the existing hospital space will begin. The Century Project will be completed in 2011. Architect: Perkins+Will, Minneapolis, Minn.

K-12 EDUCATION

“This project was designed with the highest educational mission in mind-to accelerate our students’ learning experience and improve academic achievement. McCarthy, Regent and HMR delivered a facility that exceeded our expectations.”

- Rick Jennings, school board member and chairman of the facilities committee, SCUSD

McCarthy recently completed America’s Choice High School, the newest addition to the Sacramento Unified School District (SCUSD). The 45,808-square-foot, 8-building charter school facility, funded in large part by a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, is situated on 13 acres and serves a maximum of 500 students.

America’s Choice breaks the traditional school “box” model and provides a supportive learning environment designed to resemble that of a college or university campus setting. The main focal point of the school is a central corridor featuring an exterior amphitheater. The unique complex is complete with exterior brick work, barrel roofs, intricate wood framing and decorative facades and canopies. The facility caters to the highest of academic amenities, such as laboratories equipped to handle complicated experiments and a specialty computer lab to foster a technology curriculum. Other features include: 20 classrooms, administrative and multipurpose buildings, a fully functioning cafeteria, and a library, as well as athletic fields. Architect: HMR Architects, Inc., Sacramento, Calif. Project Developer: Regent Development, Inc., Sacramento, Calif.

PARKING

“McCarthy’s collaborative approach truly paid off for the city of Glendale. McCarthy returned more than $600,000 to the city from the construction contract, which enabled us to complete additional downtown beautification projects.”

— Bill Passmore, principal engineer, city of Glendale

Parking in downtown Glendale, Ariz., is now easier than ever. McCarthy recently completed the $16.2 million, 262,670-square-foot, four-story Palmaire Parking Garage with ground-floor retail.

Visitors to the spectacular Glendale Glitters holiday event, which attracts hundreds of thousands of people each year, experienced the complete garage firsthand this year. Last year, they got a preview, because the garage was constructed on a fast-track schedule that allowed the first three parking levels to be delivered prior to the holiday season. This was accomplished by seamless preconstruction planning that enabled the foundation to be built while the remainder of the garage design was being completed. In addition, the McCarthy team self-performed the concrete work, which allowed greater control over quality and scheduling. The caissons utilized more than 1,000 cubic yards of concrete – enough to pour more than 170 driveways. Architect: Dick & Fritsche Design Group, Phoenix, Ariz.

PARKING

“McCarthy’s team focus on safety and quality, together with the experience they bring to the project, has greatly contributed to our joint success.”

— Stephen Bennett, Bechtel construction manager, Riverside County Transportation Commission

Construction is underway on a 1,100-car parking structure at one of the busiest Metrolink stations in Riverside County.

The 375,000-square-foot structure will provide much needed parking space to Southern California rail commuters and travelers when it opens in summer 2009. The 6-level, cast-in-place concrete structure’s design features a moment frame and four repeating colors of architectural concrete precast panels along its façade. The structure will include two elevators, two entrances and exits as well as a 101-foot long pedestrian bridge on the fourth level, which will connect to an existing pedestrian bridge to the station. Project challenges include building adjacent to an operational train station and rail lines, working with multiple agencies and relocating major utilities. McCarthy has recycled over 13,000 tons of construction waste to date during this project. Architect/Engineer: Stantec Architecture, San Francisco/Walker Parking, San Francisco.