Georgia Contractor Sept-Oct 2012

THE VOICE OF THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY OF GEORGIA

The Georgia

CONTRACTOR Volume 8, Issue 5

September | October 2012

Georgia DOT Scrap Tire Programs to reduce waste and save taxpayer dollars page 6

GO BUILD GEORGIA UPDATE

page 12

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The Georgia Contractor

Letter from the Editor September | October 2012 Dear Readers~

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t is getting more evident than ever that our unemployment rate would be lower if our labor force had the skills sets that are so urgently needed. With this in mind, The Georgia Contractor magazine has offered to work more closely with the Governor’s office of Workforce Development—Go Build Georgia—to keep emphasizing the excellent opportunities available in the construction and transportation/communications industries. We especially want to let high school students know about the potential for good careers in our industry.

Your magazine will now see a larger circulation, which will include not only all high schools with accredited construction programs via CEFGA but also will include the general public via distribution to Georgia’s chambers of commerce, libraries, and technical colleges. We are also working more closely with TEFGA as both of these programs are closely linked and form a cohesive total under the Go Build Georgia initiative. The continuing communications improvement will also include the Georgia Department of Education through its own Careers Pathways programs.

We would like to see a renewed and active involvement of our construction companies through articles and through advertising programs in The Georgia Contractor magazine, confirming to students and parents alike that jobs are available in the construction industry if the needed skills have been obtained. Skills can be acquired through the accredited programs approved by CEFGA at the high school level, though apprenticeship programs offered by various trade associations usually after high school, and through the two-year college courses offered by the Technical College System of Georgia. There are lots of opportunities to acquire specific skills.

The key word is awareness. Often neither parents nor students are aware of the fact that a four year degree, while very desirable, is not a requirement for excellent careers in construction, transportation, logistics, aviation, and engineering.

Our magazine also takes into account that the content has to be meaningful, educational, and informative. We want you to enjoy each issue and find articles that fulfill your needs for industry-specific information, with news releases that you will not find anywhere else and ideas that you might translate into action for your own business.

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R. Petersen-Frey Editor-in-Chief v

September | October 2012

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On The Cover

The Georgia Contractor www.thegeorgiacontractor.com

Managing Editor R. Petersen-Frey (770) 521-8877 Art Director Pamela Petersen-Frey (770) 521-8877

The Georgia Contractor is published bi-monthly on a calendar year basis. It is a magaGA-DOT SCRAP TIRE PROGRAMS What to do with ten million vehicle tires discarded in Georgia every year, how to pay for it, and how to prevent more than a million of them from being illegally dumped are questions that have frustrated the tire industry, environmentalists, and state and local governments for years.

See the story on page 6

zine designed around the construction industry associations and their members. It is supported by associations and their members. Executive, editorial, circulation, and advertising offices: 1154 Lower Birmingham Road, Canton, Georgia 30115 • Phone: (770) 521-8877 • Fax: (770) 521-0406 e-mail: rfrey@a4inc.com. Send address changes to your association and/or to A4 Inc.

Opinions expressed by the authors are not necessarily those of any of the associations or publisher nor do they accept responsibility for errors of content “Gort! Klaatu Borada nikto.”

or omission and, as a matter of policy, neither do they endorse products or advertisements appearing herein. Parts of this magazine may be reproduced with the written consent of the publisher.

A4 INC. (770) 521 8877 USE A COMPANY YOU CAN TRUST WITH YOUR TRANSLATION PROJECT, because a little mistake in another language can have unpleasant results.

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The Georgia Contractor

The Georgia

Contractor 6 Georgia DOT Scrap Tire Programs to reduce waste and save taxpayer dollars

9 The Beck Group: Navigating 100 Years of Commercial Construction

12 Go Build Georgia Company & Employee Spotlight

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Cives Steel, Southern Division, Thomasville, Georgia

15 Go Build Georgia Update: Continuing to lay the foundation

16 Building Georgia’s Workforce

18 Expanding Upon History at the Panama Canal

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Program Management

24 Pressuremeter Testing for Foundation Design

25 Economic Incentives to Buy & Sell On-line

26 Georgia’s Comprehensive Water Supply Solution on Tap to Ensure the State’s Future & Quality of Life

18 September | October 2012

28 Georgia Contractor News 5

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The Georgia Contractor

By Thomas Howell | Director of Construction & Eric Pitts | Director of Maintenance | Georgia Department of Transportation

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en million vehicle tires are discarded in Georgia every year. That’s more

than

27,000

tires scrapped every single day of every single week. What to do with them; how to pay for it; and how to prevent more than a million of them from being illegally dumped are questions that have frustrated the tire industry, environmentalists, and state and local governments for years.

Now, researchers and engineers for the Georgia Department of Transportation have developed two programs that will put tens—perhaps hundreds—of thousands of these scrap tires, as well as those ubiquitous truck tire ‘gators’ that haunt our highways, to good use.

What’s more, we’ll save state taxpayers money at the same time.

Georgia DOT Scrap Tire Programs September | October 2012

to reduce waste and save taxpayer dollars

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One of the efforts already underway converts scrap tires into an actual component of pavement. Ten percent of the asphalt the department uses to construct and resurface portions of Georgia’s 19,000 miles of federal and state roads requires the addition of polymers to enhance component bonding and add strength and elasticity to the pavement mix. The more traffic a road carries, the higher Georgia DOT’s requirements for the durability of its asphalt. Until now, polymers for that high-grade asphalt have only come via direct chemical injection.

But department and industry researchers like those at Lehigh Technologies in Tucker, Georgia, have determined that shredded tire carcasses—crumb rubber—can satisfactorily provide the same polymer qualities—and do so about $3 per ton cheaper. So beginning this past April, we began allowing contractors who bid on our asphalt paving jobs to utilize either the chemical polymer-modified or crumb rubber-modified mixture. And when you use some seven million tons of asphalt a year like Georgia DOT, the potential savings are significant.

So is the possible reduction in those unsightly mountains of vermin-infested, disease-promoting scrap tires. Some 2,000 tires are required to produce the necessary polymer content for one mile’s worth of asphalt.

The department potentially could use seven million pounds of the material each year—a staggering 280,000 tires. And that’s just one of our tire recycling programs.

The other focuses on illegally dumped tires and those ugly and dangerous ‘gators’— carcasses of tractor trailer retreads—that seem to line our major freight corridors.

The program already is underway on a demonstration basis in Metro Atlanta and has the potential to save the department— and Georgia taxpayers—more than $40,000 a year. As DOT maintenance forces routinely clean roadways of trash and debris, instead of paying for its disposal, they’re setting aside as many as five tons a week of illegally dumped tires and tread carcasses they collect.

Liberty Tire Recycling, LLC, periodically picks up this refuse rubber, grinds it into crumbs, and sells it to companies like Georgia’s Mohawk Industries where it is converted into commercial products and applications.

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In short, we’re using a Georgia waste product to create jobs for Georgians at Georgia companies and, in the process, saving Georgia taxpayers money.

Innovative recycling programs like these perhaps aren’t the first thought that comes to

mind when one thinks of the Georgia DOT. But they play an integral part in fulfilling our mission to provide a safe, seamless, and sustainable transportation system that supports Georgia’s economy and is sensitive to both its citizens and its environment. v

The Georgia Contractor

The Beck Group: Navigating 100 Years of Commercial Construction

By Fred Perpall | Managing Director | The Beck Group | Eastern Division

o say that the journey has been challenging would be an understatement. Beck’s growth from a small Houston, Texas contracting company into its present form, through all that the past 100 years has demanded, is a testament to the company’s flexibility and willingness to embrace change through good times and bad. It’s also a trip through modern-day construction history—and more than a little Georgia history—that we enjoy sharing with our fellow contractors and valued customers.

Roaring Twenties prosperity was cut short when the stock market crashed in October 1929, putting a halt to the creation of tall buildings and manufacturing expansion. In one project that was completed prior to the market crash, Beck was awarded the contract for the 46,200-seat

Getting Off the Ground Ahead of Global Upheaval Central Contracting Co., which would eventually be known as The Beck Group, was founded by Henry C. Beck, Sr. in Houston, Texas in 1912—shortly before the U.S. would declare war on Germany.

Even as World War I pinched domestic construction, the young company landed its largest construction contract to date in 1917 for the Merchants Building in Shreveport, Louisiana. Completed near war’s end in 1918, this 12-story ‘skyscraper’ served as Shreveport’s tallest structure and foreshadowed the population shift from rural to urban, as returning soldiers poured into American cities for work and a piece of prosperity.

Much of that work and prosperity came in the form of manufacturing, including the exploding U.S. automotive industry. Beck was there to lend construction support for automobile manufacturing, winning a contract in 1925 to construct major additions to the Ford Motor Company Assembly Plant in Dallas and transforming it into one of the largest industrial facilities in Texas at the time.

,Fair Park Stadium, which it completed in just six months in 1930. The stadium has been known since 1936 as the Cotton Bowl.

With little significant additional construction in sight, Henry C. Beck Sr. opened a chain of retail grocery outlets and established a packing company. Though these were not the kinds of businesses the construction contractor had longed to enter, it was a smart move that provided jobs for Beck’s valued construction employees, keeping them on payroll during the depths of the Great Depression.

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September | October 2012

II, Beck lent its full support in federallyfunded projects for military installations.

Focusing on the construction of pre-fabricated military housing—and in a welltimed publicity move—Beck pitted two of its construction teams against each other in a challenge to construct an entire two-bed-

Headquartered in Dallas, and with southeast regional headquarters in Atlanta, commercial real estate construction firm The Beck Group has rolled with the industry’s ups and downs for 100 years. Through cycles of boom and bust, war and peace, recession and prosperity—all set against evolving demand, practices and technologies—Beck stands today as a thriving, multi-billion-dollar business enterprise.

Out of the Great Depression, Back to War As the U.S. began to lift from the depths of the Depression, Beck opened its first Atlanta office in the downtown First National Bank Building. The move proved timely, as the firm won a string of regional government construction contracts, including the Milledgeville State Hospital that would help sustain the company through the next period of upheaval.

After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and with the U.S. preparing for World War

room, one-bath house in less than an hour.

The winning time was 57 minutes, 58 seconds, and the ‘58-minute house’ resulted in a series of government contracts for Beck.

When World War II ended, Beck maintained a near-term focus on residential construction to help meet the needs of returning soldiers eager to settle down and start families. As commercial revitalization returned, Beck transitioned back to its roots, well-positioned for an extended period of commercial real estate growth.

Henry C. Beck, Sr. passed away in December 1948. Henry C. Beck Jr., age 32, assumed his role at the helm, and The Beck Group began taking on such largescale projects as the $40 million Pratt & Whitney jet aircraft engine center near West Palm Beach, Florida.This was just one of many major projects for Beck in the post-war era.

Post-War Construction: Bigger, Better, Faster Now a major player in large-scale construction, Beck delivered many notable projects in the decades following World War II, including the 73-acre NorthPark Center in 9

Dallas, which opened as the world’s largest shopping center; the First National Bank of Dallas headquarters, the first 50-story skyscraper west of the Mississippi; and Atlanta’s Peachtree Summit, a 31-story triangular building on an unusual lot hemmed in by the Downtown Connector, West Peachtree Street, and Ivan Allen Jr. Boulevard.

By 1975, Beck was completing more than $200 million worth of projects per year, assisted by its new SCAT (Systems Communication Action Triangle) projectmanagement methodology. SCAT’s unique ‘team concept’ provided a much-needed link between architect, owner, and contractor that drastically reduced construction timelines, enabling Beck, for example, to complete one 40-story office tower in only 16 months. This was a full eight months ahead of schedule.

Going Tech, Going Strong in the Modern Era As Beck approached the new millennium, it invested heavily in construction technology. The firm unveiled its own software innovation in 1994 with the launch of DESTINI (Design, Estimating, Integration Initiative), a sophisticated 3-D modeling system that automated and streamlined budgeting/cost-breakdown in major building projects. In 2006, Beck commercially released its BIM software, DProfiler, which uses sophisticated models to generate documentation, estimates, and schedules for construction permits.

Beck also embarked on an office expansion during this period that would establish its current network of offices throughout the U.S. and Mexico. Noted projects completed through these offices include Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia; Nasher Sculpture Center in Dallas, Texas; Michael W. Krzyzewski Center for Athletic Excellence in Durham, North Carolina; Caliber Biotherapeutics at Texas A&M University’s Research Valley in Bryan, Texas; University of Texas at Austin Norman Hackerman Building in Austin, Texas; Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas; USF Health Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation (CAMLS) in 10

One of Beck’s most recent Georgia projects is the $60 million renovation of Atlanta’s Martin Luther King Jr. Federal Building, completed in 2011. The Certified LEED Gold building was originally constructed in 1933 as Atlanta’s main U.S. Post Office.

Tampa, Florida; and the Princess Margaret Hospital Extension in Nassau, Bahamas.

Recently in Georgia: Marrying the Past and the Present One of Beck’s most recent Georgia projects, the 2011 renovation of Atlanta’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Federal Building, is celebrated for its blend of historic preservation and advanced sustainable design.

Originally constructed as Atlanta’s main U.S. Post Office in 1933—a contemporary of the Beck-built Cotton Bowl—the U.S. General Services Administration decided to update this building as its regional headquarters and hired Beck to oversee a $60

million renovation.

The Certified LEED Gold Martin Luther King, Jr. Federal Building houses a showcase of green technology fused with carefully restored, character-defining features, including the building’s historic postal lobby, stairways, windows, and marble and granite façade. As GSA administrator Martha Johnson observed during 2011 rededication ceremony, “It’s only fitting that a historic and sustainable building embody a historic and sustainable dream.”

It’s a good bet that Henry C. Beck Sr. would marvel at what his Central Contracting Company has grown to accomplish, 100 years after its founding. v The Georgia Contractor

Slattery Building, Shreveport, Louisiana September | October 2012

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Go Build Georgia Company &

Employee Spotlight

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The Georgia Contractor

ives Steel was founded in 1952 by John Rouse, owner of Rouse Construction. Cives Steel was created and placed under the supervision of civil engineer, Howard Lechler, to supply steel to Rouse’s construction company. Cives Steel Company began as one small shop in Gouverneur, New York. The company has grown to have six steel divisions including the existing Northern Division in Gouverneur, New York, the New England Division in Augusta, Maine, the Mid-Atlantic Division in Winchester, Virginia, Mid-South Division in Rosedale, Mississippi and the Mid-West Division in Wolcott, Indiana.

The Southern Division is located in the beautiful, southern town of Thomasville, Georgia. The Southern Division has provided steel for the Olympic Stadium, Turner Field, and the Woodruff Arts Center in Atlanta. They also supplied the 24story Latitude One in Miami and the Ave Maria Oratory in Naples, Florida.

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Bill Everett’s Story Bill Everett is a graduate of the welding program at Southwest Georgia Technical College and has been

employee, there was no hesitation to nominate Everett. He is committed to his job and to the company which shows through his daily work.

In his early twenties, Everett would spend time in his neighbor’s garage working on smallscale welding projects. This sparked Everett’s interest in the field. When asked why he decided to take the career path of a welder, Everett told us that he always knew he wanted a career working with his hands.

“When I chose this [welding], I chose it as a lifelong career,” said Everett. Everett takes great pride in the projects he has contributed to while working at Cives. He fondly remembers his first project working on a power plant. He described the work as thrilling as he started on his career path in welding.

“I also loved working on the Ava Maria (pictured on page 14) because it was so challenging,” Everett explains. “It was something very different from all of the other projects I had done in my career. All the steel had to be curved so I had to learn to adjust my techniques. It also made me very proud because the steel I was welding for this project would be exposed, where usually it is hidden. This project was architectural steel as opposed to structural steel—sort of an art on display.”

Cives sTeel sOuTheRN DivisiON

ThOmAsville, employed at the Southern Division of Cives Steel Company for 25 years. Everett was originally hired as a co-op student and earned his way into a fulltime position.

Everett started his employment at Cives as a material handler. He then moved up to a third class welder and eventually earned the title of first class welder, which is the highest ranking for welders at the company.

When asked why Everett believes he has been successful in this career, he replied, “From the time I started I knew I wanted to move up and make the next class. I have a strong internal work ethic and my mom always motivated me.”

When Cives was asked to provide a star September | October 2012

GeORGiA Everett finished with “Welding is a challenging job, and you don’t have to do the same thing every day.”

Everett is a shining example of the success someone can find with a career in the skilled trades. Georgia has projected more than 2,000 positions coming available in the welding profession by 2016. These are great careers that skilled, hard-working Georgians deserve to fill.

The Skilled Labor Situation at Cives Steel Company, Southern Division Greg Orff, Cives Southern Division General Manager explains, “We need skilled employees—craftspeople—to turn out the quality product that our 13

customers demand. So having Southwest Georgia Technical College right here locally has been very important to us. Welding is such a skilled position that we’re really careful about the welders we hire because, obviously, it can be a life or death situation. If a weld fails, our pieces then fail, and that’s going to make a building then fail—and that’s serious business for us, so we really need those quality people that the technical colleges produce.”

Orff added, “I think as a society we are ignoring these technical jobs, these craftspeople type jobs, such as welders, and we now have a shortage for these skilled positions across the country, and we are experiencing it here.”

Cives Steel Company, Southern Division currently has 20 welders on staff, but is looking to hire more. To be hired as a welder you must pass a test where you exhibit certain welding abilities and show that you can do specific skills.

There are three classes of welders at Cives, first, second, and third (with third being a beginner and 1st being the most experienced). Welders at Cives receive raises when they reach six months in group and again when they reach two years in group.

These positions are all full time with full benefits. The positions can also have overtime opportunities.

Interested in certification and becoming a welder?

Southwest Georgia Technical College is an excellent institution to earn your welding diploma. SWGTC offers both the Welding and Joining Technology Diploma (three semesters) and the Gas Metal Arc Welding Certificate (13 semester hours). The diploma prepares students for careers in the welding industry as graduates have both the qualifications of a welding and joining technician. The certificate program requires a portion of the diploma coursework, but only prepares them for a career in gas metal arc welding.

Sonny Scully, SWGTC Welding Instructor for 15 years, commented, “Our Welding Program is very fortunate because within a 15 mile radius of our campus we have four major manufacturers that utilize welding in the production of their equipment. These companies also have employee representatives on our advisory committee who are very involved in the program.

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They are instrumental in keeping us abreast of changes in industry standards and also identifying specific skills our graduates must have to find employment.”

For more information of programs at Southwest Georgia Technical College visit http://www.southwestgatech.edu/.

SWGTC’s admissions office can be reached at (229) 225-4096.

The Governor’s Office of Workforce Development is heading up a skilled labor advancement initiative, Go Build Georgia.

This program aims to dispel the misconceptions of skilled trade jobs in Georgia and encourage citizens to consider these career paths. For more information about the program and how to get involved visit www.gobuildgeorgia.com. v The Georgia Contractor

GO Build GeOrGia Update: Continuing to lay the foundation

Go Build Georgia will move into its ninth month of production in September. Since the January launch, the program has seen much success and gathered great interest statewide. This article aims to highlight a few of the many milestones the program has reached thus far.

The Governor’s Office of Workforce Development (GOWD) worked with WSB-TV to produce a 30 minute PSA ‘Rebuilding Georgia’ which aired in March.

The special finished Number One in the time period with a 4.1 household rating.

Many technical colleges and industry representatives from across Georgia came forward to share their view on the skilled labor gap’s potential consequences.

GOWD, in concert with the Construction Education Foundation of Georgia (CEFGA) distributed a 28-page Sunday Circular in 84-plus Georgia newspapers on Sunday, June 17th with a projected readership of more than three million Georgians.

The circular helped to paint the picture of skilled trade opportunities for our audience. The publication included narratives on the aging workforce in Georgia, women finding a place in the skilled trade industry, and also the entrepreneurial aspects of these careers. Students can find resources of how to get proper training for a career in the skilled trades, and also read about the wage and lifestyle benefits in these fields.

We have seen great success through the Go Build Georgia Web site. To date we have received almost 90,000 page views. Students have the ability to create a ‘Toolbelt’ on the Web site to track the career information they find appealing. Students can also build resumes, explore education and career options within the skilled trades, as well as search local training opportunities.

The next project the Go Build Georgia team is looking to undertake is implementing Go Build Georgia High School Teams.

The teams will be comprised of high school September | October 2012

counselors, local businesses, skilled craft professionals, Career Tech Education (CTAE) instructors, as well as students and parents in each of Georgia’s 336 public high school campuses. These teams will communicate the income and lifestyle benefits of the skilled trade professions to their respective student base and function as implementation teams for Go Build Georgia initiatives, including skilled trade career days

sponsor for the Georgia Association for Career & Technical Education ‘Education & Economic Development Summit.’

CTAE has done great work for the state in the area of career training. Showing students the importance of career and technical education will encourage them to consider these skilled trade careers as a future path.

The Georgia Department of Education hosted a School Counselor Summer Drive-

and message dissimilation.

The Go Build Georgia team has also been working hard out in the field to spread the message of the program. Working on a grassroots level with this program is imperative; the face to face interaction with education and business leaders across the state will aid in the program’s growth.

Go Build Georgia was proud to be a

In in June. There the Go Build Team met with counselors from all over the state to talk about the program and how to drive students toward a career in the skilled trades.

As the program moves forward, GOWD hopes to see continued success.

Bringing attention to these trades is important for the health of Georgia’s economy.v 15

Building Georgia’s Workforce

By Tricia Pridemore | Executive Director of the Governor’s Office of Workforce Development

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n a recent business story titled “8 Steps for Closing the Skills Gap” by Amy Klaslow, the phrase skills gap immediately drew my attention. It is a serious and immediate concern for not only Georgia, but for the nation as a whole. We have a high unemployment rate, yet we are hearing from our industry partners they have positions going unfilled. So where is the disconnect occurring?

After six years of assessing Georgia’s workforce through Georgia Work Ready, the Governor’s Office of Workforce Development had the opportunity to take an indepth look at where the gaps exist within Georgia’s workforce. What we found is that companies are seeking talented, skilled workers in the areas of industrial construction, manufacturing, telecommunications, transportation, and energy. By encouraging our citizens to pursue careers where data shows growth potential, we can began to move the needle on the state’s unemployment rate.

Through data driven decision-making, our office and Governor Nathan Deal launched Go Build Georgia. Go Build Georgia is a program designed to educate young people about opportunities in the skilled trades industry, dispel thoughts that a successful career can only start with a four year degree, and encourage them to start a career in industries hiring skilled craft labor.

Unfortunately, many skilled trade careers come with negative stereotypes. Parents say, “my child will not make enough money,” or “my child should go to a four-year university and earn a liberal arts degree.” When I tell parents that a person with a welding certification can earn up to $22.00 per hour on average in Georgia, their perception immediately changes. A key component to making this program successful is to spread 16

Tricia Pridemore the message that these are viable and growing careers in Georgia.

By acquiring these advanced skills through education and training, students will only expand their marketability as they embark on the job hunt. It is becoming increasingly important in today’s job market to look past a four-year degree as the only option for higher education.

We began our mission of Go Build Georgia with a 15 stop regional tour across the state. This was our chance to connect face to face an important stakeholder in the success of this program, high school counselors. School counselors carry a heavy burden of ensuring that each one of the students they serve reaches their full potential.

Our goal was to provide them with adequate resources about careers in the skilled trades to distribute to those students who are interested.

Parents and students are now taking a second look at options after high school, and businesses are coming on board to help us bridge this skills gap. They are vocal in telling us that their business and industry as a whole depends on this pool

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The Georgia Contractor

of talented workers.

Of the eight steps described in the article mentioned earlier, the one I found most valuable was collaborate. Our office aims to work with partner state agencies, the Technical College System of Georgia, the University System of Georgia, and businesses statewide to bridge the skills gap. Bringing all resources together will benefit the people we serve, the citizens of Georgia.

Our office and Governor Deal want to see Georgians filling these available careers.

Georgia citizens should be building our infrastructure, managing our telecommunications, powering our homes, and building our products.

September | October 2012

Go Build Georgia is only the first step in improving the quality of Georgia’s workforce. Changing the way society views skilled trade careers will take time and perseverance. The education and business communities will keep working together to communicate their needs.

Ultimately, the skills gap can threaten Georgia’s economic foundation.

This is a collaborative effort with all stakeholders in the state. We need to see Georgians back in meaningful employment. There is little as satisfying as the sense of success that comes with a job well done.

Keeping Georgia competitive to attract new business and industry to our state is important. And ensuring that our existing industries have a pipeline of skilled workers to continue to carry our projects is the pulse of our economy. v

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Expanding Upon History at the Panama Canal Multiple pieces of Putzmeister equipment sent to The Panama Canal Third Set of Locks project to help place massive amount of concrete

Photo credit: Canal de Panamรก | The Panama Canal Authority (ACP)

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The Georgia Contractor

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ompleted in 1913, the 48 mile-long international waterway known as the Panama Canal allows ships to pass between the Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Ocean, cutting about 8,000 miles off a journey that previously sent ships around the southern tip of South America, Cape Horn. On September 7, 1977, U.S. President Jimmy Carter signed the Torrijos-Carter Treaty, which returned the canal to Panamanian control.

September | October 2012

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Historical Perspective Originally built in 1914, just 20 years later there was already a need for the Canal’s capacity to be increased. It was determined the most effective and efficient way to do this was to construct a third set of locks with larger dimensions. In 1939, the United States initiated the construction of the Third Set of Locks to allow the transit of commercial and war ships that exceeded the size of the existing locks. However, the expansion was ceased in 1942 because of the outbreak of World War II. Although the project was suspended, the need for an increased capacity at the Canal had not diminished. In recent years, the Panama Canal Authority (ACP), owner/ developer of the project, conducted studies that pointed to the same solution as was proposed more than 70 years ago—that a larger, third set of locks would be the best way to reach their objective.

Third Set of Locks To attain their economic and industry goals, ACP’s primary initiative was the construction of two 1,400-foot (427m) long by 180foot (55m) wide by 60-foot (18m) deep lock facilities. One is being constructed in the Atlantic side and one in the Pacific side of the Canal. Each of the locks will have three chambers, and each chamber will have three water reutilization basins. The basins will allow the third set of locks to reutilize 60 percent of the water in each transit and use seven percent less water per transit than each of the existing lock lanes.

The design-build contract for the project was awarded to Consortium Grupo Unidos por el Canal (GUPC), which is made up of four companies: Sacyr Vallehermoso S.A., Impregilo S.p.A., Jan De Nul n.v., and Constructora Urbana. In conjunction with Putzmeister, Agreconsa S.A. is serving as the local dealer for 24/7 parts, service, and support in Panama. Representatives from Agreconsa monitor each machine regularly to guarantee performance and customer satisfaction. Additionally, they keep a large inventory of spare parts both on site and at their own facility to assure the project continues to progress.

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Upon completion, Putzmeister America, Inc. concrete pumping and material placing equipment will have helped the crew at the massive Panama Canal Third Set of Locks project place approximately 4.9 million cubic yards (4.5 million m3) of concrete, in addition to gravel.

Building a Foundation Early on, Putzmeister and its Special Applications Business (SAB), a team of experienced engineers, consultants, and industry experts in concrete placement, worked closely with the planning team to determine what material placing solutions Putzmeister SAB could offer the Third Set of Locks project.

“SAB focuses on the synergies of Putzmeister’s family of products, which includes concrete pumping equipment, Telebelt® telescopic belt conveyors, Putzmeister Shotcrete Technology and Putzmeister Pipe Technology, in addition to a partnership with Maxon Industries, Incorporated,” says Bob Weiglein, Telebelt divi-

sion manager for Putzmeister America.

“This partnership provides a complete systems approach that offers a wide range of complementary products to projects around the world in the tunnel, mining, dams, power generation, transportation, marine and offshore industries.”

To begin placement of concrete on the bottom portion of the locks, six TB 130s were sent to the site in August 2010.

After the initial use of the TB 130s in the rough conditions of the Panama Canal job site, GUPC realized the opportunity to lower their overall costs of concrete placement by bringing in additional Putzmeister equipment. In early 2012, they ordered six more Telebelt TB 130s for the Third The Georgia Contractor

Set of Locks. The additional Telebelts have helped the team stay on track with the aggressive pour schedule.

“The Telebelts are true multi-taskers and have been crucial in laying the foundation for this project,” says Lucio Donadi, service manager for Agreconsa. “With their help, we are quickly finishing the bottom portion of the new locks.”

Putzmeister will be sending its Telebelt® TB 200 to the Third Set of Locks later this year. With a reach of 200 feet (61m), belt width of 24 inches (610mm) and high capacity output of up to 5 yd3/min (4m3/min), the TB 200 is the company’s newest, most advanced Telebelt. It will be beneficial for reaching the tallest portion of the lock walls, and will allow for even quicker placement of material.

Working in conjunction with the Telebelts, six Putzmeister Jumbo Troughs are also at Third Set of Locks serving as surge hoppers for consistent concrete placement.

Four Thom-Katt® TK 40 shotcrete machines are also on site, being used to stabilize excavation work on both the Atlantic and Pacific sides of the project.

“While excavating the job site, it is essential to stabilize the soil walls to ensure safety moving forward,” explains Donadi. “The efficiency and ease of use of the TK 40s have been highly beneficial in this process.”

Maneuvering Challenging Terrain While Telebelts have been used for the bottom of the locks, three Putzmeister 58Meter and one 52-Meter Truck-Mounted Concrete Boom Pumps were brought in to help build the walls. Two boom pumps are working on each side of the project.

The terrain at the Third Set of Locks has been one of the most difficult aspects of the project. “On either side of the Canal, we are dealing with two very different types of land,” explains Weiglein. “While we’ve encountered land slides and unstable soil on the Atlantic side, the Pacific side is rock, which has caused a host of other problems.”

Overall, the construction team has been pleased with how the equipment has managed to maneuver the rugged terrain.

“All of the Putzmeister equipment has September | October 2012

been performing to our expectations under the difficult conditions,” says Donadi.

“However, when we have encountered any challenges, the service and support from Putzmeister has been excellent.”

Bearing a Difficult Load In addition to the land conditions, the concrete mix used at Third Set of Locks also has proved tough to work with. One of the main mixes used to create the foundation for the locks is a mass aggregate, with an aggregate size from 1.5-3 inches (3876mm), which is an extremely hard-wearing concrete and can be rough on equipment. The Telebelts have been successful in placing the mix.

“Telebelts have proven to be the ideal equipment for this job, as they can place multiple types of material,” explains Donadi. Another type of concrete, called marine, is a pumpable mix that is being used with the boom pumps. The marine concrete is a special mix used for any part of the locks that comes into contact with water. In addition to compressive strength and contraction, the concrete had to be formulated to guarantee at least a 100-year life span with low permeability. This is to ensure the imbedded rebar is not reached by water, which would cause it to corrode.

“The boom pumps have worked great for placing the marine concrete because of the accuracy and precision required to place the mix exactly where it needs to go,” says Donadi. “The Ergonic Boom Control has been especially helpful because it allows us to set parameters that control the movement boom.”

“Putzmeister’s standard hard-chromed material cylinders, as well as exclusive multi-piston cup design, ensure a longer life of the components, less downtime, and lower parts cost,” adds Weiglein. “This results in reliable pumping of hard-wearing concrete in tough conditions like we’ve seen here at the Canal.”

Demanding Pour Schedule The sheer size of the Third Set of Locks project has added unique difficulty to the placement of the massive amount of concrete. A large number of pieces of equip-

ment and workers are being used to place the concrete, creating a fairly congested job site. “The target monthly average of concrete to be pumped is approximately 110,000 cubic yards (100,000 m3) at each side of the project, says Donadi. “We are placing concrete somewhere on site 24hours-a-day. We’re pleased that the Putzmeister equipment has stood up to the challenging schedule.”

Due to the demanding pour schedule, equipment needs to be moved often.

“The ease of set up of the boom pumps has been beneficial, as well,” Donadi adds.

“With so many moving parts on site, having equipment that is easy to maneuver is a huge time-saver.”

“On one of the toughest projects ever attempted, machines working under difficult conditions, day and night, bearing a hard-wearing concrete mix require the highest quality engineering and reliability to move the project forward. With innovative technology, 24-hour local support, spare parts on site, and service technicians in the field, Putzmeister has brought incredible value to our team.”

Construction at Third Set of Locks started in late 2007 and the target date for completion is August 2014—100 years after the initial locks on the Canal were opened. v SPECS: Owner/Developer: Panama Canal Authority (ACP) - Panama City, Panama Program Manager: CH2M Hill, Englewood, Colorado (world headquarters) Design-Build Contractor: Grupo Unidos por el Canal joint venture – Milano, Italy Equipment: Twelve Putzmeister Telebelt® TB 130’s, one Putzmeister Telebelt TB 200, three BSF 58.20H Truck-Mounted Concrete Pumps, one BSF 52Z.16H Truck-Mounted Concrete Pump, four Thom-Katt® TK 40 Trailer-Mounted Concrete/Shotcrete Pumps, six Putzmeister Jumbo Troughs.

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Program Management assuring project success‌

By Blake V. Peck, PE, CCM | President/COO | MBP Program management is the practice of professional construction management (CM) applied to a capital improvement program of one or more projects from inception to completion. Comprehensive construction management services are used to integrate the different facets of the construction process to provide standardized technical and management expertise on each project.

Choosing the right Program Manager (PM) assures project success under any delivery method and should be used to facilitate all phases of a complex project’s process: planning, design, procurement, construction, commissioning, and closeout.

PMs can also help owners reach their goals for a successful project by focusing on everything from bonding 22

National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency New Campus East issues to community involvement, and right of way clearance to utility relocation. The right CM firm can help identify the best opportunities for the success of your project by pairing technical knowledge with practical experience.

Construction Managers (CM) provide a program of management techniques and expertise tailored to owner and project needs and independent of the chosen contract form or project delivery method. It is this management approach that makes construction management unique. CMs apply and integrate comprehensive project controls to manage the critical issues of time, cost, scope, and quality. It is the matching of services to project/owner needs that makes construction management a cost effective approach to managing project delivery.

The Georgia Contractor

A significant advantage of using a CM is that the organizational structure is not dependent on a single model or set of models. Generally, CMs fall within two categories: ‘agency’ or ‘at-risk.’ In ‘agency construction management’ the CM assumes the position of professional advisor or extension of staff to the owner. The owner lets most of the contracts, and certain cost and performance risk is placed on the contractors. In these cases, the CM is in a position to offer advice unencumbered by any interests other than those of the owner and the project.

The term agency infers, as is intended, a delegation of function to the CM by the owner. As a consequence, it is possible that certain tasks and responsibilities place the CM in a legal agent relationship with the owner. The necessity for openness and candor between the CM and owner is paramount.

When the CM’s role includes a construction performance function, it is known as the ‘CM At-Risk’ approach. In this approach, which can often occur under a guaranteed maximum price (GMP) contract format, the CM will assume additional obligations and will undertake construction responsibilities during the construction phase. At that time, the CM is typically placed in a legal position similar to that of a contractor entering into a traditional construction agreement that provides for the completion of the construction work for an established price.

A contract agreement will establish the scope of services and will also define the relationship of the parties.

Construction management has been used successfully in all delivery methods by owners who do not ordinarily maintain a staff of adequate size with all of the necessary skills to deal with the complex responsibilities involved in the delivery of major capital projects. The CM frequently helps the owner identify which delivery method is best for the project.

The construction management approach utilizes a firm (or team of firms) with construction, design, and management expertise to expand the owner’s capabilities temporarily, so that the owner can accomplish its program or project successfully. A September | October 2012

CM frequently has a role in both traditional and alternative project delivery methods as a trusted advisor to the owner in oversight of the party at risk in the arrangements. In such cases, the CM may have a reduced scope of work, but participates in the decision-making process on behalf of, and in concert with, the owner. This can be particularly helpful in design-build where substantial scope definition responsibility, design quality management, and project control have been assigned to the designbuilder, and the traditional oversight provided by the designer no longer exists.

Construction management includes a significant component often missing from the project delivery systems—a comprehensive management and control effort applied to the project for the owner, beginning in the early program planning stages and continuing through project completion. It involves the application and integration of comprehensive project controls to the design and construction process and generally includes the following: • Development of a written scope of work understood by all of the participants • Development of thorough design criteria for issue to the designer • Design quality assurance throughout the design process • Consideration of material, systems, and process alternatives • Constructibility review • Code compliance review • Milestone cost estimating - to ensure design is consistent with the budget • Matching construction spending to funds availability • Construction specification compliance

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Continuous monitoring of the schedule

The implementation of these management activities turns the planning, design, and construction process into one that maximizes the owner’s control over the project’s scope, quality, time, and cost, and adds predictability of the outcome of the project from start of programming to completion of construction.

Early development of the scope of the project provides information for the establishment of a baseline budget and schedule.

Because of the continuous monitoring of the schedule and project cost during the progress of the project, the impact of changes and new information on this baseline can be evaluated and corrective action taken when most effective. Well formulated and priced construction bid packages, developed during the planning and design process, are the key to minimizing changes and avoiding disputes and delays during construction. This is the owner’s most powerful tool in assuring a positive outcome for the project. The addition of a CM does not reduce the owner’s control over the project, but enhances it through the owner’s acquiring, as adjunct staff, an organization of experts in the design and construction process that will enable the owner to make informed and timely decisions as the project progresses.

When an owner implements a program or project using a consultant CM, it allows the owner to make use of the expert advice available—advice that is unaffected by any potential conflict of interest. The owner is still able to obtain the advantages of the many procurement methods, but with much greater control over the outcome. v 23

Pressuremeter Testing for Foundation Design Observations & Lessons from the School of Experience By ECS Corporate Services LLC. eotechnical engineering still relies, in many instances, on empirical observation and experience. One of the primary reasons for this continued reliance on observed results is the difficulty to obtain meaningful and repeatable strength properties of soil and rock at a reasonable cost.

Even when cost is not an issue (alas, it turned out to be a dream), there is still the practical limitation involved in retrieving, extracting, and performing laboratory tests.

Many soils simply do not lend themselves to being sampled for the appropriate laboratory testing.

In order to solve this problem, geotechnical engineers have developed in situ testing procedures. If a test is performed in the ground, it reduces much of the disturbance issues associated with obtaining good, quality samples. The main limitation to the in situ testing then becomes selecting a device that develops the appropriate engineering parameters. This Lessons Learned provides a brief description of one of those tools, the Menard Pressuremeter.

The pressuremeter device was developed by L. Menard in 1956 for use as an insitu load test which could be carried out within a borehole, at a specific depth, to evaluate the stress-strain characteristics of the in place soils. The test measures the load-deformation characteristics of the tested soil, while reducing the effects of sample disturbance on test results. The pressuremeter gained wide acceptance in the 1970s, and is a well proven method of measuring the in situ strength of soils and soft rock.

ECS engineers have performed thousands of tests in a wide range of soils and rock, and apply that long term experience to the interpretation of test data for each new project.

The Pressuremeter Device: The pressuremeter device consists of two parts, with connecting pressure tubes. The down hole portion of the pressuremeter is a radially 24

expandable cylindrical probe which is inserted down the prepared borehole to the desired test elevation. The monitoring unit then controls the application of fluid pressures to the probe, causing it to expand.

The pressure is increased in equal increments of pressure, at regular intervals, and the resulting borehole expansion is recorded for each pressure increment. The test cell of the probe is inflated with water.

The tests are easily incorporated into typical field explorations, requiring only the test device and an experienced operator along with the typical drill rig, to achieve good results.

Pressuremeter Applications: The pressuremeter curve, which plots the expansion of the cell against the applied pressure, provides both the yield pressure at which the soil undergoes plastic deformation, and a limit pressure, at which the soil will continue to deform without additional applied pressure (failure strength). These values, and the stress strain relationship in the elastic range of deformations, provide higher quality data used to design foundation bearing capacities and estimates of their settlement.

The pressuremeter test results have been used to: • Increase design bearing capacities while maintaining an appropriate factor of safety.

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Evaluate subgrade soils of existing foundations to facilitate higher footing loads.

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Determine strength characteristics in soils that are extremely difficult to sample.

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Design laterally loaded piles and drilled piers.

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Improve settlement predictions by direct measurement of soil modulus/stiffness.

Limitations: Like all geotechnical tests, the pressuremeter depends on the ability of the test device and procedure to model the in situ conditions. A few of the difficulties with pressuremeter testing are: • The forming of the test hole in the borehole is critical to the collection of good data. Depending on the soil type and its stiffness, a variety of hole shaping devices may be needed.

• The performance of the test in the field, and the evaluation of quality of the test results depends on extensive experience by the geotechnical engineer and the engineering technician.

• Because the pressure range of the device is limited, it is possible in weathered rock that the limit pressure of the rock can not be reached using the test. Fortunately, even when the load limitations of the pressuremeter control the apparent rock strength, the results are often better than most alternative ‘conventional’ methods.

The use of the pressuremeter when properly applied, can result in substantial foundation cost savings. We hope that this Lessons Learned will be of assistance to you on your next project. v Respectfully, ECS CORPORATE SERVICES, LLC © The Georgia Contractor

Economic Incentives to Buy & Sell On-line

By Jeff Jeter | President of the Americas | IronPlanet ur economy might be starting to look up, but many Georgia contractors are being cautiously optimistic about the business of building, and rightfully so. In order to make money, they need jobs, and to deliver quality work, they need good, solid equipment. But purchasing every piece of equipment needed, for every job, every time, simply isn’t realistic.

Buying specific tools for one job, then rotating out what’s no longer needed not only makes better sense, it makes dollars.

Ironplanet.com, an online auction site for all varieties of construction equipment, is helping contractors buy—and sell—used equipment internationally. From excavators to water wagons, cranes to bulldozers, IronPlanet’s weekly auctions are an easy and efficient way to acquire specific tools to get a job done then rotate out used equipment.

Trusted Sources When it comes to the capital you depend on to get the job done, you have to trust that sources of used equipment are reliable.

IronPlanet provides a unique service called IronClad Assurance. Before an item is put up for auction, it undergoes a comprehensive inspection. All aspects of the equipment are reviewed, from overall appearance down to oil sample analysis. inspectors also take many pictures showcasing the equipment from all angles, giving a total view before the sale. The report and images are then posted on the site for potential buyers to review. IronClad Assurance means we stand behind the reports and guarantee equipment is in the documented condition, letting potential buyers bid with confidence every time.

Seller Advantages Using IronPlanet to sell used equipment instead of a traditional auction, you reach more potential buyers, eliminate additional costs, and increase your chances of getting a September | October 2012

higher price. Selling to markets across the world means your buyer pool is greatly expanded and you can reach thousands of bidders with various needs. More than a third of the equipment up for auction at IronPlanet sells to buyers outside of the U.S., so our sellers get better prices.

Sometimes between projects, it makes more sense to sell equipment than to maintain it. Depending on where your next project is located and what tools you’ll need, it might be better to sell your equipment than pay transportation costs. By using IronPlanet’s weekly auctions, you can sell quickly instead of waiting for a physical auction to take place. With online sales, you’re not paying to prepare and transport equipment to the auction house. IronPlanet does all inspections on-site, so there’s no transportation involved for the seller. Then after the auction, the buyer arranges and pays to move the equipment.

As a seller, you’ll also benefit from the IronClad Assurance. Buyers have confi-

dence in their bids, so whether they’re a few blocks down the road or a few thousand miles away, they can see the exact quality of the equipment they’re purchasing. With IronPlanet being the only auction company that inspects all equipment and places a guarantee on its accuracy, buyers keep coming back because they’re confident they’re getting quality. IronClad Assurance means dependability when making a major investment.

Buyer Benefits By doing business online, buyers can bid on thousands of items from anywhere, without losing time from the jobsite. And while new inventory is added to the international marketplace daily, you can also search for equipment by location, so finding items close by is easy. Our new mobile app will send you alerts to let you know when a competing bid has been placed on your item, and you can increase bids from the field on your mobile device. v 25

Georgia’s Comprehensive Water Supply Solution on Tap to Ensure the State’s Future & Quality of Life

By Kevin Clark | Executive Director | The Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA)

I

f you’ve lived in Georgia for very long, then you’ve seen the state’s population and economy grow significantly over the years.

Georgia’s population is projected to grow by an additional 4.6 million people by 2030. Over the past six years in metro Atlanta alone, the area has added more than 450,000 people annually, more than any other area in the United States. At this growth rate, the projected population of Atlanta’s 20 core counties for 2020 is 6.4 million.

Given these trends, it’s important for us to consider how the state’s projected population increase will impact the state’s resources, particularly its water supply.

Planning ahead for this growth ensures the state’s quality of life and continued economic development.

Georgia has proactively sought solutions to the water supply issue, including developing new water sources and promoting water conservation. A comprehensive approach that includes water conservation and provides new supply is critical to the state. By ensuring adequate supply through both new water sources and conservation, we can meet our water supply needs.

Georgia’s Water Conservation Initiatives Water conservation has long been an important initiative for the state. Over the last several years, Georgia has increased in its water conservation initiatives and efforts, and residents have come together to support the state’s conservation strategies.

The Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District (MNGWPD), since 2003, has required water conservation practices throughout the metro Atlanta region. The MNGWPD has worked with local governments, water and wastewater 26

Hickory log Creek reservoir, Cherokee County, Georgia utilities, and stakeholders to develop comprehensive regional plans to protect water quality and supply. MNGWPD initiatives include public awareness and conservation pricing.

The Water Stewardship Act was passed

in 2010 (SB370). It calls for water conservation efforts throughout Georgia, including implementing water loss monitoring programs; reviewing and updating the state’s outdoor watering rules; sub-metering all new multifamily housing; and requireThe Georgia Contractor

ments for high-efficiency plumbing fixtures and cooling towers in new construction.

In addition to these initiatives by the state, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Georgia Environmental Protection Division, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have long required water conservation practices during its permitting process for water supply projects.

The Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA) is an integral partner in helping Georgia conserve this precious resource. In the last six years, GEFA has financed more than $69 million in water efficiency and conservation projects. For years, GEFA offered one percent interest rate reductions for WaterFirst communities.

In 2011, the GEFA board of directors approved a one percent interest rate reduction for stand-alone water efficiency and conservation projects funded through the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds (SRFs) and the Georgia Fund. GEFA also expects to have more than $300 million available in its water and sewer financing programs during this year alone from which water conservation projects can be financed.

Despite the significant demands placed on Georgia’s water supply by population growth and drought, Georgia has sought to address the issue and preserve the state’s economic development and quality of life through a culture of conservation. Georgia’s residents have gone above and beyond in supporting the state’s efforts. But conservation efforts alone won’t be enough to meet the state’s future water needs.

from the annual Eggs and Issues Breakfast hosted by the Georgia Chamber of Commerce with an important new responsibility —heading the Governor’s Water Supply Program (GWSP). Gov. Nathan Deal issued an executive order following his speech that GEFA work with several state agencies to create a water supply program designed to help local governments develop new water supplies, and find ways to expand existing water reservoirs and build new ones.

GEFA convened the Water Supply Task Force (WSTF) to provide expert guidance in developing the GWSP and ensure interagency cooperation in the program’s implementation. In addition to GEFA, the WSTF consisted of representatives from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR); the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD); the Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA); the Georgia State Financing and Investment Commission, Financing and Investment Division; the State Properties Commission; the Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission; and the Georgia Department of Agriculture.

In December 2011, Gov. Nathan Deal

approved the final report of the WSTF, which outlined water supply initiatives and recommendations for the GWSP. GEFA and DCA opened the initial GWSP application period in January 2012. More than a dozen communities submitted applications requesting more than $195 million in loans and state direct investments. The GWSP has $300 million available for water supply projects, with $120 million available during this first round. There will be two additional rounds of funding. Eligible projects will be scored based on need, readiness, finances, and regional cooperation and impact.

Georgia’s water supply issue is serious, and the future estimated population growth in the state—an additional 4.6 people by 2030, along with the economic development that will accompany this population increase—makes it imperative that the state and its residents proactively develop solutions to conserve water and to develop new water supply. But we must have both—without effective conservation efforts and new water supply, Georgia families and businesses won’t have the water necessary to thrive. Utilizing both solutions will ensure an adequate water supply throughout the state. v

Creating New Water Supply for Georgia Georgia, in addition to its water conservation efforts, will need to develop and support new water supply projects, including new and expanded reservoirs, to capture the nearly 50 inches of rain the state typically receives each year. The water supply infrastructure projects will also include new wells, system interconnections between communities, and innovative approaches such as underground aquifers for storage and use.

In January 2011, GEFA came away September | October 2012

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Georgia

NewsContractor

Ken Swofford Elected President of Georgia’s Top Commercial Contractor Association The Associated General Contractors of Georgia (AGC Georgia) elected Atlanta native E. Kenneth Swofford as the 201213 chapter president. Swofford is president of Austell-based Swofford Construction Inc., a full-service commercial contractor who for the past 34 years has specialized in building quality religious, educational, industrial, and retail facilities.

The firm has been an active AGC member since 1983.

struction Inc. in Bremen as treasurer; and Trey Anderson, Anderson Construction Company of Fort Gaines as secretary. v Driver Honored by Top Commercial Construction Association in Georgia Gerald H. Driver

Dave Cyr include Dave Cyr, Parrish Construction Group Inc. in Perry as vice president; Randall Redding, R. K. Redding Con-

Ken Swofford Swofford’s personal dedication to the construction industry has resulted in his election to serve in numerous leadership roles over the years with AGC Georgia including previous terms on the chapter’s board. He currently serves on the CompTrust AGC Mutual Captive Insurance Company board, the chapter’s workers’ compensation program. Swofford proudly supports several youth sports programs, the YWCA, Camp Glisson, The Calvin Center, the Boys and Girls Club, and Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Other officers joining Swofford in leading the Chapter’s board of directors 28

Randall Redding

Trey Anderson

Associated General Contractors of Georgia (AGC Georgia) presented Gerald H. Driver, president of Driver Construction Company in Athens, with the 2012 SIR Award during their recent convention in Hilton Head. This annual award recognizes one individual for a lifetime of exemplary service and substantial contributions to the commercial construction industry, the AGC organization, and their community. Individuals winning the ‘SIR Award’ exemplify what is meant by possessing ‘skill, integrity, and responsibility’ the values associated with AGC, the largest and most respected construction trade association in the U.S.v The Georgia Contractor

Georgia’s Leading Commercial Construction Association Rolls Out New Name & New Look Associated General Contractors of Georgia Inc. or ‘AGC Georgia’ (formerly known as Georgia Branch, AGC) is pleased to introduce our official new name. With members representing the top commercial contractors throughout the state, AGC Georgia is one of 95 Chapters representing over 30,000 firms nationwide who are affiliated with The Associated General Contractors of America, one of the largest and most respected construction trade associations in the U.S.

To accompany this name change, AGC Georgia unveiled its new corporate logo at its Annual Convention in Hilton Head, South Carolina, where Ken Swofford, President of Swofford Construction, was installed as the 2012-13 Chapter President. “Both our new name and look help strengthen and modernize the AGC brand in Georgia,” says Swofford. “The Chapter’s Board of Directors brought these, among other changes, to our members following an extensive review and updating process of the Chapter’s Bylaws. With our new logo, we are embracing a clear message that AGC Georgia is ‘Your Construction Industry Partner.’ We want members and the marketplace in general to know when it comes to your commercial construction needs—count on AGC Georgia.”

By virtue of membership in AGC Georgia, our members are also members of AGC of America. We encourage them to display our new logo and the AGC of America logo to reinforce their affiliation September | October 2012

with our chapter and the national organization. This provides them an opportunity to stand out from others in the industry.

According to Mike Dunham, the Chapter’s Chief Executive Officer, “Rolling out a new name and new look is a very exciting time in the 84-year history and evolution of our great association.

While our members continue to count on services and benefits they’ve come to rely on, we challenge ourselves every day to raise the bar and stay ahead of the curve to insure we deliver exceptional value. Our goal is to positively impact the members we serve, their customers and Georgia’s commercial construction industry.” v

• Academic Achievement, Professional Electricians Program—Jeffrey Cobb, Absolute Electric

IEC Atlanta Chapter holds their 42nd Annual Apprenticeship Graduation Ceremonies at the Hilton Northeast in Norcross, Georgia On Friday, July 20th the IEC Atlanta Chapter held their 42nd Annual Apprenticeship Graduation Ceremonies at the Hilton Northeast in Norcross, Georgia.

Over 200 graduates, families, and employers attended the ceremonies where 43 electricians were bestowed with the title of Journeyman Electrician.

Tricia Pridemore, Executive Director for the Governor’s Office of Workforce Development was the keynote speaker for the ceremonies. In addition to presenting the graduates with their US Dept. of Labor Certifications, awards were presented for Perfect Attendance, Academic Achievement, and Safety Award.

One of the highlights of the evening was the announcement of the winner of the coveted ‘Apprentice of the Year,’ which was the result of a wiring competition and written exam. This year’s winner, Ben Eckles of Legacy Electric will represent the Atlanta Chapter in the National IEC Competition in Ft. Worth, Texas, in October.

Following are the award winners that were announced during the ceremonies: • Academic Achievement, Four-Year Electrical—Justin Haggard, Legacy Electric

• Contractor Safety Award, Large Size— Excel Electrical Technologies

• Perfect Attendance, Four-Year Electrical – Artemio Naranjo-Colin, Penco Electrical Contractors • Apprenticeship Safety & National Essay Contest—Jesse Woodard, IV, Delta of Georgia • Contractor Safety Award, Small Size— ATS Electrical Services • Contractor Safety Award, MidSize— LeMay Electric

Known for its high quality training programs, IEC provides electrical apprenticeship training as well as continuing education training across the state. Other services include legislative advocacy on the state and national levels, networking opportunities with industry professionals, and other business support services to help independent electrical contractors be successful. IEC Atlanta provides services and support to the Atlanta-Metro area and is part of the National IEC, which has 65 chapters and 3,000 members nationwide. v

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The Georgia Contractor