Sep/Oct 2022

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VOLUME 11 ISSUE 5

$5.99 September October 2022 Serving Contracting Firms and the Arizona Community. . . Then & Now

GREEN VALLEY: A “MULTIMILLION-DOLLAR BOONDOGGLE” THAT MADE GOOD SOUTHERN ARIZONA’S MEANDERING MAIN STREET: U.S. HIGHWAY 80 TUCSON’S ROB PAULUS: ARCHITECT, DEVELOPER & MUSICIAN A RIVETED-ALUMINUM TRAILER WONDERLAND: BISBEE’S SHADY DELL WORLD WAR II B-29 SUPERFORTRESS DELIVERS LIQUOR TO NOGALES

Arizona’s Timeless Magazine

BOMBS, BOOKS, AND TUMBLEWEEDS: WATER WOES IN WILLCOX

FOCUS ON SOUTHERN ARIZONA WHEN ROYDEN CONSTRUCTION BUILT WHETSTONE OVERPASS ON U.S. HIGHWAY 80 AMES CONSTRUCTION FINISHES NOGALES HIGHWAY

SUBCONTRACTOR DEFAULT INSURANCE VS. SURETY BONDS

GRANITE/BORDERLANDS WORK ON TUCSON’S DOWNTOWN LINKS

SMART GRAVEL: CONSTRUCTION USING POTATO CHIP BAGS

MCCARTHY COMPLETES SKY HARBOR CONCOURSE

PAGE

September October 2022

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OFFICE AREA 2,500 sqft

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543.39 FT N90° 00' 00"W PROPERTY LINE

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2508 S FLAGSTAFF RANCH RD FLAGSTAFF, AZ 86001 Parcel No. (APN): 116-04-003T Land Use: COMMERCIAL Building Area: 3835 sqft Lot Area: 802,375.00 sqft (18.42 ACRES) Owner: WASTE MANAGEMENT OF ARIZONA INC

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September October 2022

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16 19 “TELL US WHAT YOU NEED AND WE WILL WORK WITH YOU TO MAKE IT HAPPEN”

37

YEARS IN BUSINESS SINCE 1984

480-641-3500

48 50 56 60 66 72 76 80

BELLY DUMP-SUPER 16-END DUMP-LOW BOY SIDE DUMP-EXCAVATOR-LOADER-GRADER

82 86

Contributors - Sean Clements & Sebastian Sajoux From The Editor: Bombs, Books, and Tumbleweeds: Water Woes in Willcox - Douglas Towne Construction Around Arizona: Projects • People • Practices Back When: B-29 Delivers Liquor to Nogales Douglas Towne Green Valley: Tucson’s Senior Community That Initially Lacked “Greenbacks” - Douglas Towne Southern Arizona’s Meandering Main Street: U.S. Highway 80 - Douglas Towne Building Our Futures: KE&G Celebrates Its 50th Anniversary! - Special Advertising Section Reborn Evangelist: Aimee Semple McPherson’s Baffling Escape near Douglas - Douglas Towne A Riveted-Aluminum Wonderland: Bisbee’s Shady Dell Vintage Trailer Park - Douglas Towne Old School Equipment: Caterpillar 641 Scraper Billy Horner Building on the Past: 1953: Whetstone Overpass on U.S. Highway 80 Architect’s Perspective - Rob Paulus, AIA: Architect, Developer & Musician - Doug Sydnor, FAIA Digging Through the Archives: Jebco’s Experimental Mass Excavator - Billy Horner

92

Bid Results

94

Advertising Index

Front Cover Royden Construction equipment filling and compacting the approach to the Whetstone Overpass on U.S. Highway 80, 1953.

Article on page 80

TWELVE

Image Courtesy of Arizona Contractor & Community

14

Contents

September October 2022

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FOURTEEN

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SEAN CLEMENTS ARTICLE ON PAGE 41

SEBASTIAN SAJOUX ARTICLE ON PAGE 43

S

S

ean joined HUB International in 2020 as part of the Clements Insurance and HUB Southwest acquisition and works out of their Scottsdale office. He has been in the insurance industry since 2006, focusing on the healthcare, hospitality, and construction industries.

Sean holds Certified Insurance Counselor, Construction Risk and Insurance Specialist, and Commercial Lines Coverage Specialist designations, which help to better serve his clients by providing a consultative approach to the different potential risks. He finds great purpose in finding the best solutions for his clients while working to keep up to date with the rapidly changing field.

Prior to his insurance career, Sean worked in the Consumer Packaged Goods industry for Coors Brewing Company in Charlotte, NC. In 2006 he moved back to Arizona to work in the family insurance business. Sean is a native Arizonan who grew up in Tucson and graduated from Pepperdine University with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration in 2000. In his spare time, Sean enjoys spending time with his wife and two daughters and playing golf.

Sean has served on several Agent Advisory Boards for different insurance companies and currently sits on the Board of Directors for “Friends of Aphasia.” This non-profit supports a disorder affecting people’s ability to communicate after a stroke or head injury.

ebastian Sajoux is a green tech founder who is tackling the plastic pollution crisis. His mission began while working as a consultant in Argentina when he began considering a way to solve the problem of plastics that rot in landfills but never decompose. Sebastian subsequently moved to California, where he opened the Arqlite production facility in Santa Ana and began converting non-recyclable materials, like potato chip bags, into Smart Gravel for construction.

This is an eco-friendly replacement for traditional gravel that has both commercial and residential applications.

The company’s mission is to drive positive change by delivering a truly scalable solution. Arqlite’s unique production process enables the upcycling of all types of plastics, particularly multi-layer plastics that are not easily recycled, and the improvement of sustainability metrics at a cost that is competitive with landfill tipping fees. Thanks to partnerships with manufacturers and waste industry operators, Arqlite is removing thousands of tons of plastics that would otherwise end up in landfills and turning them into a sustainable solution with major environmental upsides.

Sebastian is passionate about the environment and almost obsessed with solving the problem of plastics. During his free time, he enjoys relaxing at the beach or spending time at one of the many parks in Irvine, where he lives with his wife and young son.

September October 2022

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EDITOR’S COLUMN:

BOMBS, BOOKS, AND TUMBLEWEEDS: WATER WOES IN WILLCOX DOUGLAS TOWNE

I

t’s tough to win a popularity contest in southeast Arizona, competing against the likes of Tombstone, the “Town Too Tough to Die,” Bisbee, aka “Mayberry on Acid,” and the wine capital of Arizona, Sonoita.

Even Benson now touts Kartchner Caverns, one of the jewels of the state park system.

Willcox, it seems, is a town destined to be overlooked.

Travelers who spend time there are probably avian admirers drawn by the autumn arrival of thousands of sandhill cranes at the nearby Willcox Playa. This typically dry, pork-chop-shaped lake bed was once used by the U.S. Army Air Force as a bombing range during World War II. After large explosions reportedly broke windows in town, the playa was downgraded to a gunnery range before closing.

The community’s two modest museums might entice some visitors to exit Interstate 10 and look around.

One features the town’s favorite son, Rex Allen, who starred as a singing cowboy during the waning days of the Western in the 1950s. Admission is only $3 to the labor of love operated by volunteers. The same is true for the Chiricahua Regional Museum, which spotlights local history in the former Valley Hardware building, once my “go-to” place for emergency floral supplies.

Americana fans visit Willcox’s First Family, an oversized fiberglass trio who spin in the wind while holding their burgers and mugs of root beer. Carter’s Drive-In repurposed the former A&W figures, who now incongruously attract customers to Adolfo’s Taco Shop.

My introduction to Willcox almost 40 years ago was inspired by a Cochise County Cooperative Extension paper on the basin’s agricultural crisis. Farmers had pulled twothirds of local cropland out of production during the preceding six years. Looking for a research project after landing at the University of Arizona, I decided to investigate the collapse.

The cause proved simple: economics.

Electric rates had increased to the point that pumping groundwater to irrigate crops was often not profitable, given the vagaries of commodity prices and weather.

But farmland retirement did not occur randomly. Fields with marginal soils or deeper groundwater tended to be the first to

Images Courtesy of Author

Left: Babcock Inn spring break crew at Carter’s Drive-In (l-r sitting) Ann Yonemura, Carol Lipsmire, Debbie Vesco, Margaret-Mary Kehoe, Susan Olsen, Joe Davis, Mary Christenson, and Lori Nones, (l-r standing) John Fong, Chris Cornell, Dave Fenster, and Douglas Towne, 1985.

Bottom left: Carter’s Drive-In, 1995.

Below: Maureen Towne at Carter’s Drive-In, 1999.

Top right: Douglas Towne taking shelter at Willcox Playa, 1999.

Top left: Rex Allen stars in Shadows of Tombstone, 1953.

SIXTEEN

September October 2022

Above: Former Valley Hardware store, 1999.

Top right: Cochise Recreation Area ad, 1963.

Right: Western Water Made Simple book cover, 1986.

revert to tumbleweeds. For soil geeks, this meant that farm production likely continued in Grabe loam but not in Gothard fine sandy loam. The latter soil wasn’t suitable for irrigated agriculture and should never have been plowed in the first place.

Uncovering these patterns enabled me to churn out a master’s thesis that few would ever read. However, I converted that research into “Shrink to Fit,” a chapter in the book Western Water Made Simple, which won the George Polk Award for Environmental Reporting in 1986. In the book, I forecast a crop evolution from alfalfa and cotton to fruit and nuts, which has partially come to pass.

Water availability had been an issue in Willcox since at least the mid-1960s when “The Magnificent Cochise Recreation Area” was publicized as a “Shangri-La” retirement community. Ads touted a championship golf course, fishing in the 50-acre Lake Cochise, water skiing on the 80-acre Lake Geronimo, and services such as electricity, water, telephone, and garbage collection for residential lots.

But the development, operated by a Florida land firm, was accused of using deception to sell lots in the 4,175-unit subdivision and went belly up, according to The Arizona Republic in 1976. The article noted that utility services were never installed, Lake Cochise had been dry for three years, and Lake Geronimo was “a shallow and briny body of water inadequate for the water sports described in the company’s promotional literature.”

The project’s remnants include undeveloped lots available for back taxes, the arizcc.com

nine-hole Twin Lakes Golf Course, and a bird refuge called Cochise Lake, which actually contains water these days thanks to effluent from the city’s wastewater treatment plant.

The Willcox area still makes news because of water—or more accurately, the lack of it. The typical story involves a family’s shallow domestic well running dry, often with finger-pointing at nearby

deep and thirsty, large-capacity wells recently drilled by agribusiness or commercial operations.

These tales highlight the unwritten rule of groundwater in rural Arizona: the outfit with the deepest straw stuck into the earth wins. It’s certainly not fair, and fixing it will be problematic. But it’s a reality people need to be aware of, and not just around Willcox.

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Images Courtesy of ADOT

Projects . PEOPLE . PRACTICES

CONSTRUCTION AROUND ARIZONA Projects

CONSTRUCTION AROUND ARIZONA

domestic markets by avoiding three traffic signals. Important facets of the project are two flyover ramps connecting SR 189 with Interstate 19. The concrete piers supporting the ramps have an abstract butterfly design cascading down their sides. he North American monarch butterfly is “This design shows how these butnow classified as endangered because terflies cluster together on tree trunks,” of habitat loss and climate change, accordJoseph R. Salazar, the project aesthetic ing to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. Every autumn, this Above: State Route 189 construction. remarkable insect migrates 3,000 miles Right: State Route 189 concrete pier with south from its breeding grounds to spend monarch migration design. the winter in the forests of southwestern Below: Monarch migration.

Mexico. But, a recent highway project in Nogales aims to help the monarchs, both symbolically and concretely.

The $134-million revamp of four miles of State Route 189, also known as Mariposa Road, between the international border and Grand Avenue in Nogales will aid the community. Some benefits include easing local traffic congestion and speeding the importation of Mexican produce to

AMES CONSTRUCTION “FLOATS LIKE A BUTTERFLY” AFTER FINISHING NOGALES HIGHWAY

Image Courtesy of Pacific Grove Museum

T

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September October 2022

CONSTRUCTION AROUND ARIZONA Projects Images Courtesy of ADOT

manager, told ADOT in 2020. In addition, three-dimensional metal butterflies will be attached as accent icons on the concrete retaining walls. “I decided to incorporate the monarch butterfly because it represents movement and transportation, which ties in with the busy Nogales Port of Entry that has a lot of trade going back and forth,” Salazar said.

Ames Construction of Scottsdale and Horrocks Engineers of Tucson were the “design-build” team for the SR 189 project, assisted by Wilson & Company, Inc., Engineers & Architects providing supplemental surveying, lighting design, and quality assurance. The improvements to enhance traffic flow and safety included widening 3 miles of SR 189, constructing traffic signals and an oversized roundabout that could accommodate two semis traveling side by side, building flyover ramps, and improving drainage. In addition, the project shunts an estimated 360,000 commercial trucks per year from local streets in Nogales.

The project was not without its difficulties. “The structures portion of the project is a challenge technically, which Ames loves, and will provide very unique aesthetics for the region upon completion,” Paul Arnold, vice president for Ames Construction Southwest Region, told ADOT. One major hurdle was being unable to redirect traffic during construction, which necessitated arizcc.com

lots of nighttime work. Another issue was that because portions of the flyovers were located in a wash, the design and construction needed to handle a 100-year flood.

Even more vital than the monarch designs used in the project is the new highway’s landscaping, which includes milkweed shrubs, which are the primary food source for the monarchs. SR 189 highway landscaping featuring milkweed looks to be a precedent for broader applications.

A recent nationwide Candidate Conservation Agreement to conserve and enhance monarch butterfly habitat, including providing vital vegetation such as milkweed, is gaining momentum across the country.

“ADOT supported the development of the agreement and is working on identifying monarch butterfly habitat areas in rights of way around the state,” Kris Gade, an ADOT roadside resources specialist, said.

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MCCARTHY FLYING HIGH WITH COMPLETION OF $310 MILLION PHOENIX SKY HARBOR CONCOURSE

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he setting includes fabulous art, stunning vistas of distant mountains, and delicious food and drinks. What sounds like the amenities of a posh penthouse suite is actually the eighth and final concourse in Terminal 4 at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. McCarthy Building Companies Inc. recently completed construction of the concourse, designed by SmithGroup in partnership with Corgan, which adds eight new gates serving Southwest Airlines passengers.

“It was essential that all ongoing airport operations at the terminal continued with minimal disruption during the threeyear construction of this project,” says Brandon Moon, vice president for McCarthy’s Southwest Region. “Fortunately, our McCarthy teams are well versed in managing construction projects at active airports, having completed the award-winning PHX Sky Train® expansion to Terminal 3 and terrazzo flooring upgrades throughout Terminal 4.”

The new concourse includes larger waiting areas surrounded by electrochromic glazing to create a comfortable environment for passengers. “Every portion of the new concourse was designed and built to provide an exceptional passenger experience for Sky Harbor passengers,” Moon says.

The project added or renovated approximately 275,000 square feet of

to accommodate the new baggage system and two passenger walkway bridges as part of the new construction,” he says.

“We used a cut and cover system for building the tunnels for the baggage, which were shored during construction, making it safe for Sky Harbor’s ongoing operations and construction crews while providing a secure, long-lasting tunnel for the airport’s new baggage handling system. This method also minimized the project’s excavation and backfill amount.”

The project also included terminal processor improvements, expansion of the existing security checkpoint D, additional ticket counters, and new baggage handling systems to support the new gates and associated travelers.

Images Courtesy of McCarthy

Top right: Rebar installation.

Below: New concourse at Terminal 4.

Bottom right: Concourse wall.

space, including the 161,500 square feet representing the new concourse and connector bridge at Terminal 4. Included are 137,000 square feet of concourse configured with apron and passenger levels.

Within the concourse space are approximately 25,000 square feet of shell spaces for retail, food, and beverage concessions; a new, 24,000-square-foot transfer bridge now connects the South concourses to the North concourses on the west side of Terminal 4.

Moon says that the most challenging aspect of the project was to identify existing underground infrastructure and develop a plan that allowed the work to be completed safely without impacting airport operations. “We built four tunnels

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EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT: LYNSEY JONES, PROJECT SENIOR MANAGER Experience: 14 years with McCarthy Building Companies

CONSTRUCTION AROUND ARIZONA Projects

Images Courtesy of McCarthy

Planners, to contend with the Phoenix summers, included special features in the windows that will reduce the costs of keeping the airport cool. Approximately 14,000 sq. ft. of electrochromic glazing was installed and connected to low-voltage wiring that leads to local control panels, allowing Sky Harbor to adjust the level of window tinting via smartphone. “Depending on the sun’s angle, the tinting can be controlled for maximum comfort for people in the concourse,” Moon says. “Project planners estimate that electrochromic glazing on the project, a first for Sky Harbor, will reduce energy consumption by approximately 20 percent.”

Project planners implemented other environmental savings by reusing materials from old building foundations and slabs from the 1960s. The concrete was crushed and used onsite for backfill, preventing the need for additional material import, and the reinforcing steel was all recycled. The project is pursuing LEED Silver certification through the U.S. Green Building Council.

The project design reinforces connections to place through moments of engagement with the landscape, sky, city, and the PHX Sky Train®. “We placed a high priority on creating vistas to the distant mountains and bringing in abundant daylight, choreographed to provide patterns of light and shadow as the sun moved throughout the day,” John Tran, design principal at SmithGroup, says. “The new concourse is grounded in its place and context, as part of the evolving Sky Harbor campus as well as its home in Phoenix and the Sonoran Desert.”

Above: Concrete pour near the Sky Train.

Right: First departing flight from the new concourse.

The project also maintains a distinctive tradition for the airport. “We continued the theme of art installations to sustain Sky Harbor’s reputation as a major center for public art,” Tran adds.

“Leading the design for Sky Harbor’s interiors, Corgan’s aviation expertise seamlessly integrated added efficiencies for airside operations without sacrificing an elevated passenger experience. We honored a sense of place with human-centric amenities and a destination that celebrated the Arizona landscape’s local materiality, art, culture, and geology,” says Thomas Lusk, project design manager at Corgan. from the passenger experience while not impacting flights, PHX Sky Train®, or other vehicular traffic.

Most memorable day at work: Of all the many unforgettable memories of this long project, it was the first flight day. It was all-hands-on-deck, and I was in a Unified Command room with various stakeholders from McCarthy and Aviation. It was an intense day that started at 2 a.m. and included officially opening the concourse to the public and ended at 4 p.m. with all flights successfully departed. It represented the successful culmination of over three years of planning and building.

Favorite job task: Working with people.

It is extremely rewarding to influence internal McCarthy partners and invest in their growth and development. I also like to serve as the client liaison for McCarthy, ensuring there is effective, positive communication on a holistic project level. I believe in building relationships with all stakeholders – internal McCarthy teams, Favorite off-job task: I love going on famthe client, our trade partners, and our ily adventures with my husband, Cody, design/engineering teams.

6-year-old daughter, Sydney, and 4-yearToughest job task: Executing successful old son, Ryker. As a working professional logistics plans at a busy, operational air- in a demanding industry, I make sure the port required a lot of planning, coordina- time I spend with my kids is focused on tion, and communication. In addition, we making memories every chance we get. had to ensure that we never detracted Hiking and snowboarding are regular favorites. arizcc.com

McCarthy began construction in May 2019, and significant building milestones were achieved during the pandemic when passenger levels dipped. The first flights out of the new concourse occurred in July 2022. Major subcontractors on the project included G&S Airport Conveyors, DP Electric, Karber Corp., GrayWolf, Kovach, Rhino, and E&K. Both Karber Corp. and Rhino are designated City of Phoenix Small Business Enterprises.

Terminal 4 is the busiest terminal at the airport and handles more than 80 percent of passenger traffic annually. The airport served nearly 39 million passengers in 2021, and during peak periods, the existing 84 gates at Terminal 4 often reached total capacity. The new eight-gate concourse is located at the southwest corner of the terminal adjacent to the low D concourse.

“As America’s Friendliest Airport®, our goal is to provide an exceptional customer experience for our travelers,” says Director of Aviation Services Chad Makovsky. “As Phoenix Sky Harbor continues to grow, it’s important for us to provide facilities and services that align with our customers’ needs. We’re excited that this new concourse will accomplish exactly that, providing a variety of customer amenities from charging stations at every seat to technologies designed to improve accessibility and comfort for all who travel through our airport.”

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ECO MATERIAL OPENS POZZOLAN MINE IN YAVAPAI COUNTY

E

arly prospectors in Arizona dreamed of striking it rich by discovering gold, silver, and copper. It’s safe to say that pozzolan deposits weren’t of much interest to these mining pioneers.

But times have changed. Pozzolan (siliceous and aluminous material) deposits have become vital to the modern construction industry for use in concrete to build bridges, roads, buildings, and other critical infrastructure needs throughout the Southwest. Eco Material Technologies recently opened a mine to extract the supplementary cementitious material on a 100-acre site near Kirkland in Yavapai County.

“We are excited for the opening of the Kirkland Pozzolan Mine, which will benefit not only Yavapai County but all of Arizona as well as the surrounding region,” said Grant Quasha, CEO of Eco Material Technologies, at the June grand opening of the operation. “Without the support of elected officials including Governor Doug Ducey, Senator Mark Kelly, State Senator Karen Fann, and State Representative Quang Nguyen, we would not be celebrating this milestone achievement.”

Mining pozzolan is similar to operating an aggregate quarry where raw materials are recovered in smaller layers or sections using equipment such as a bulldozer, excavator, scraper, or front-end loader, according to the company’s website. The raw material will be stockpiled prior to being fed into a crusher for processing. Eco Material estimates a maximum production of 500,000 tons annually at the mine.

The site was first mined in 1958 when Capital Quarries provided dimension stone arizcc.com

used at the Arizona State Capitol Building.

The material was later excavated for use as an oil absorbent at the “Kitty Litter Mine” starting in 1979. The operation closed in the late 1980s. Kirkland Mining Company gained control of the site in 1991 and recently partnered with Eco Material to further develop the mine.

Pozzolan replaces the more common Portland cement in concrete to create a superior product that reacts faster, matches the one-day performance, and after 28 days is approximately 20 percent stronger.

But there are other benefits to using pozzolan. The use of this natural material dramatically decreases carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions traditionally associated

with cement production. This reduction is significant since the output of the more common Portland cement accounts for 8 percent of global carbon emissions.

Kirkland Pozzolan Mine is initially employing 15 local, full-time employees.

Eco Material is a major producer of sustainable cement alternatives in the U.S., serving over 4,000 unique customer locations from over 100 sites in 45 states. The company is also the leading marketer and distributor of fly ash, with an approximately 50 percent domestic volume share.

Above: Kirkland Pozzolan Mine.

Below: Eco Material CEO Grant Quasha cuts the ribbon at the Kirkland Pozzolan Mine.

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ERICA FRAZELLE

W

hen the dust settles in early 2024, the final phase of the Downtown Links project will be complete, and Tucsonans will have a new route around downtown.

Initially an Arizona Department of Transportation Project, it was turned over to the City of Tucson in 1989 and later included in the 2006 voter-approved Regional Transportation Authority Plan.

Since its design, this project was widely criticized and contested by the 15-member Downtown Links Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC) and surrounding neighborhoods.

Over 100 public and CAC meetings were held to gather input and collaborate on the design elements. The project considered many concepts, routes, and roadway alignments to adjust to the community’s desires over the years. The project finally broke ground in August 2020 with a final design that the city and CAC agreed upon.

Rarely does a project of this magnitude in the City of Tucson incorporate a new roadway, an overpass, an underpass, massive underground drainage systems, and the temporary relocation of railroad tracks.

The Downtown Links Phase III Improvement Project possesses all these elements.

The contractor, Downtown Links Constructors, a joint venture between Granite Construction and Borderland Construction, is undertaking this endeavor.

“The Downtown Links project is more than just a roadway project,” said Samuel Credio, Director of the Tucson Department of Transportation and Mobility (DTM). “It is a drainage project.”

Phase III includes critical infrastructure, specifically an underground storm drainage system that removes parts of downtown and area neighborhoods from the 100-year floodplain. The current phase of the Downtown Links Project connects to Phase I, Eighth Street Drainage, and Phase II, the reconstruction of St. Mary’s Road from Church Avenue to Interstate 10.

The Phase I Eighth Street Drainage Project was completed in May 2012. The work consisted of building a 20-foot by 12-foot underground drainage system that ultimately connects to the Tucson Arroyo drainage facility with the connection of the Phase III project.

A new road is not often constructed in Tucson; the new Maclovio-Barraza Parkway, just north of Broadway, will divert traffic around the downtown area connecting Barraza-Aviation to Interstate 10 at St. Mary’s Road.

“The goal of this project was to preserve the capacity of the downtown area as a destination while finding creative ways to maintain existing connections or make them better, all while constructing

Images Courtesy of City of Tucson

Left: Downtown Links crew.

Bottom left: Sixth Street/Stone Avenue storm drain.

Below: Union Pacific railroad shoofly.

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Top left: Downtown Links crew at railroad shoofly.

Above: Sixth Avenue overpass.

CONSTRUCTION AROUND ARIZONA Projects

GRANITE/BORDERLAND CREWS PROGRESS ON TUCSON’S DOWNTOWN LINKS PROJECT

drainage, sidewalks, and roadway in the core of the city,” said Credio.

The at-grade railroad crossing at Sixth Street, considered one of the most dangerous crossings in the country, will be eliminated as part of this project. In addition, an underpass at the Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) is being constructed for pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorists, connecting people and places safely.

Despite plans for the deck plaza being revised, the intent remains. A deck plaza will provide multiple scales of gathering space, native vegetation, and water harvesting, a feature that will bring neighbors together.

This plaza will also connect those further away, providing a much-needed bicycle and pedestrian gateway into downtown.

Dollar-wise, Downtown Links Phase III is one of the largest construction projects that the city has ever taken on. The $79.3 million project highlights include a new overpass at Sixth Avenue, a new intersection alignment at Stone Avenue and Sixth Street, and improved sidewalks, bike lanes, and public art.

Currently, crews are working on constructing the UPRR shoofly, or temporary railroad track, which will allow construction of the underpass to begin at Sixth Street.

Storm drain installation is also continuing at the intersection of Stone Avenue and Sixth Street, which will help to alleviate historic flooding in the Stone Avenue underpass.

Downtown Links is an improvement project that will provide enhancements, benefits, connections, and improved access to the downtown area for all modes of transportation. By the end of 2022, a significant milestone will take place, as motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians will all be traveling together on the new Maclovio-Barraza roadway and multi-use path.

“A lot of people didn’t think we would ever build this project, and here we are,” concluded Credio. For more information on this project, visit: downtownlinks.info Arizona Contractor & Community

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BORDERLAND CONSTRUCTION PROVES ITS “UTILITY” DURING HOUGHTON ROAD PROJECT

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Above: Borderland Construction paving Houghton Road.

Bottom left: Houghton Road public art.

Below: Borderland Construction applies ABC on Houghton Road.

the project team had to protect in place the already constructed roadway elements.”

Ramirez adds that this proved challenging as six separate utility companies had to move in with their equipment at different times to relocate their facilities.

The project included widening 1.9 miles of an existing two-lane Houghton Road into a divided six-lane desert parkway between Valencia Road to Mary Ann Cleveland Way, with a new intersection and traffic signal at Rita Road. The work included 40,050 tons of asphalt, concrete pavement, aggregate base coarse, water and sewer modifications, raised concrete medians, concrete sidewalks, access ramps, cross drainage structures, storm drain facilities, retaining walls, multi-use path, traffic signals, street lighting, landscaping, and native re-vegetation.

Ramirez says the project provides many benefits, including reducing traffic congestion, adding turn lanes, bike lanes, and bus

Images Courtesy of Boarderland Construction

n construction, as in life, flexibility and the ability to pivot quickly are essential attributes. Tucson’s Borderland Construction Company proved this philosophy recently while completing the $14.7 million Houghton Road improvements project. Midway through construction, the onsite utility

companies realized their existing overhead utilities conflicted with the new street lighting.

“Typically, this type of conflict is vetted during the design of the project,” Gene Ramirez, Borderland Construction vice president, says. “Unfortunately, the resolution of this issue required the project team to delay many aspects of construction, including landscaping and final hardscape elements, which in turn delayed the completion of the project by five months.

While the utility conflicts were resolved,

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Images Courtesy of Boarderland Construction

Top right: Borderland Construction paving Houghton Road.

Right: MacDonald leading his paving crew.

Above: Houghton Road after completion of the project.

pullouts to improve traffic flow, improving local access, and features a smooth rubberized asphalt surface to reduce traffic noise.

“The new multi-use asphalt path provides bicycle and pedestrian connectivity to the

Chuck Huckelberry Loop, and cross drainage structures provide all-weather access during major storms,” he says. “The public art and landscaping make an aesthetically pleasing roadway.”

have constructed gardens, chicken coops, landscaping, dog shading structures, Experience: 25 years patio enclosures, with Borderland Conand many other struction Company beautification projects together. He also Favorite job task: The relationships he has enjoys making art with rocks by utilizing developed working with his peers. Mac their natural formations and incorporating has always gone out of his way to help his that with engravings and other objects. crew members in any way possible, even if it is as little as a good joke at just the right “Mac has loyally served as Borderland’s time. He takes great pride in his work and paving superintendent for a quarter cenenjoys coming up with a detailed work tury, and he and his crew have earned our plan for every project to make it as per- company a reputation for producing the fect as it can be. Mac finds tranquility in highest quality paving work in the Tucson running the boot truck and shooting tack area. Because of our highly diverse workoil on a job, a task which I believe allows load of public and private projects, the him to figure out the best way to pave the crew paves nearly every day, and we work in southern Arizona exclusively. We wish project.

Mac a long and prosperous retirement Toughest job task: Dealing with the folks and are very grateful for all the excellent that he works with, which is also one of work he has performed for us. Borderland Mac’s favorite parts of his job. It is not is actively seeking a replacement for Mac always easy finding good help, but Mac and will provide immediate employment has always found a way to bring out the for the right candidate.” best in his coworkers.

Morgan North, CEO and co-owner of BorFavorite off-job task: Mac enjoys assisting derland Construction. with his wife’s projects at their home. They

EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT: DUANE (MAC) MACDONALD, PAVING SUPERINTENDENT

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As with many construction jobs, the most difficult aspect was dealing with the volume of traffic traveling on the existing roadway throughout construction. “The existing roadway and the Houghton Road and Rita intersection were well over capacity, which made constructing the intersection while maintaining traffic in every direction a challenge,” Ramirez says. “Managing the existing signal timing to maintain turn lanes while providing the room needed to construct the intersection was demanding.”

A unique aspect of the project was its Citizen Design Committee, which was very involved with the project from planning through design and construction.

The group ensured the incorporation of the public’s thoughts and ideas along the corridor.

“The City of Tucson did what it could within the design and construction of the project to include the committee’s thoughts and wishes,” Ramirez says. “Typically, these committees have influence through design, but usually it stops once the project moves into construction. Our team worked hard to maintain this relationship through construction, which benefitted the final project.”

The project is one of five widening projects along the Houghton Road corridor that Borderland Construction has had the opportunity to construct. “The company takes great pride in all these projects,” Ramirez says.

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September October 2022

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Image Courtesy of Arizona Contractor & Community

ost people in the construction industry are more comfortable moving dirt than growing fruit in it. But Steve Basila has proven himself in both capacities. After a long career working at outfits including DC Speer Construction, Pulice Construction, and currently, with a consulting business called Infrastructure Mavens, he’s now focused on taking care of 8,300 grape vines on his 30-acre vineyard in Elgin, located in southeast Arizona. So, what inspired such a delicious transition?

“I was looking for a place that was a little cooler than Phoenix and big enough to house my entire family,” Basila says. “I wanted a get-away place where we could all relax and let the grandkids run free.

Planting a vineyard and getting into the wine business with Autumn Sage Vineyards just seemed like a natural fit.”

The vineyard’s literature proclaims that a “winding road with a classic white picket fence will lead you to Autumn Sage Tasting Room, where you’ll enjoy a unique tasting experience.” Once there, wines made from Sagrantino, Albariño, Counoise, Cabernet Franc, Aglianico, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Sangiovese grapes are available for sampling. The vineyard doubles as a space for all sorts of outdoor events, including weddings and corporate retreats, with a

backdrop of “picture-perfect mountain ranges in every direction with rolling hills that turn green during monsoon season.”

But Basila had to build a whole lot of infrastructure before finding his high-desert bliss in Arizona’s wine country with his wife of 44 years, Nancy.

The native Phoenician is a product of Brophy Prep High School and graduated from Arizona State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Construction Engineering in 1977. Jed Billings hired him as a project coordinator for DC Speer Construction, where he worked until 1986. Basila had an exciting start to his career, working on some unique projects.

“We reconstructed Deuce of Clubs Avenue through the town of Show Low,” he recalls. “The work included major underground, grading, curb and gutter/sidewalk, and paving.” Another memorable job was as project engineer for the runway reconstruction at the Marine Corps Air Station in Yuma. “It was the first bid I put together.”

But his most challenging experience may have been as project coordinator for the General Motors Test Track in Mesa because the job included extreme finish tolerances for the grading and paving work, using a unique paving laydown method.

Basila then moved to Pulice Construction as vice president of the Highway Division in 1986. “I worked in the estimating department with a focus on bidding Arizona Department of Transportation projects,” he

Top left: Steve and Nancy Basilia at Autumn Sage Vineyards.

Top Middle: Autumn Sage Vineyards Sign.

Above: Grapes at Autumn Sage Vineyards.

CONSTRUCTION AROUND ARIZONA People

Images Courtesy of Steve Basila

FROM GRADING TO GRENACHE: STEVE BASILA’S CONSTRUCTION TENDRILS

says. “We did State Route 101 Price Road Freeway, the first major freeway project awarded to Pulice as a prime contractor.”

He says that Pulice constructed more freeway projects in Maricopa County than any other contractor in the modern era. “It was a privilege to be part of such an incredibly talented team that will forever receive my admiration for playing an integral role in building this state-of-the-art system.”

But Basila’s fondest recollection of the construction industry was working with the Highway Chapter of the Associated General Contractors of America. “It was extremely rewarding,” he says. “Our group was politically active and had a great reputation for helping and working with ADOT and municipalities. I had the privilege of serving on the board and being part of the executive leadership, including serving as chairman of the board in 1999.”

After leaving Pulice in 2011, Basila started a consulting business, Infrastructure Mavens, which works with transportation owners and consulting engineers to provide constructability review, cost estimating, and value analysis. He’s assembled a team from the contracting community with extensive heavy construction experience. “Our input into the roadway design process improves the quality of plans, specifications, and other bid documents,” Basila says. “Our work saves the owner construction time and cost.”

As Basila sips wine from his Cochise County vineyard, he reflects on the people that helped make it a reality. At his first job, DC Speer Construction, he cites Don Speer, Jed Billings, and Max Martin as particularly influential to his career. After that, it was Bill Pulice, Ron Pulice, and Rick Shelley at Pulice Construction. He adds, “More than anything, I miss working with the AGC staff and all the board members I served alongside.”

Left: Pulice Construction on the Loop 101 Freeway, 1989.

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itting in the dining room of his east-side Tucson home on a muggy monsoon afternoon, Fred Felix reflects on his past achievements with the Tucson Department of Transportation and Mobility Engineering Division. “I was extremely busy before (retirement), and now I am just busy,” Felix says. “The best part about retirement is that I only have to carry one cellphone now.”

The native Tucsonan recently retired following a 26-year-career with the City of Tucson. Soft-spoken yet direct and confident, the younger Fred Felix did not aspire to be an engineer. In fact, upon graduating from high school, Felix didn’t know much about the engineering field.

“I didn’t know what an engineer was, so I asked my dad. He said an engineer is like being an architect,” Felix said. “In high school, all I wanted to do was play football. My dream was to become a professional football player. But, unfortunately, the Lord did not bless me with size for that endeavor, so I became an engineer.”

In 1973, Felix’s senior year, he played center for Palo Verde High School and they won the state football championship.

That team is being inducted into the Pima County Sports Hall of Fame in November.

Felix also played rugby while attending the University of Arizona. He played for almost 20 years, traveling the world to participate in the sport.

There’s an easy transition from a gridiron mindset to an engineer/public servant

Image Courtesy of Ashton

Top right: Fred Felix.

Below: Arroyo Chico Drainage project.

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mindset. To be successful in both environments, one must have confidence, determination, excellent decision-making skills, preparation, and be a team player. Felix possesses all of those skills.

Felix graduated from the University of Arizona with a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering, but attending the university almost didn’t happen. “I couldn’t afford the UofA,” he says. “I looked at scholarships and received the Association of General Contractor’s scholarship, which paid for all of my tuition.”

In 1979, Felix started his engineering career working for his father at HS Felix Construction Co. He changed jobs two years later, beginning a nine-year career with the City of Sierra Vista. Felix focused on floodplain administration, wastewater system management, pavement system management, traffic signal management, and public relations. He was also the city’s traffic engineer and even served as a reserve fireman.

Felix, a devout Christian, started the Calvary Christian School in Sierra Vista in 1990. His titles included administrator and teacher, while he worked part-time in the summer for the city. Throughout his engineering career, Felix has been actively involved in the Children Ministry Program at Calvary Chapel in Tucson, where he is currently the program director. “I have worked with kids for 30 years, and everything I learned from working with kids works with adults,” he says.

The City of Tucson hired Felix in 1995 as a civil engineer. In 2016, he became City Engineer/Transportation and Floodplain Administrator. During his Tucson tenure, Felix has done it all. He has designed and built city projects “from the cradle to the grave,” overseeing capital projects up to $26 million. As the City Engineer, he

CONSTRUCTION AROUND ARIZONA People

FRED FELIX: TUCSON’S TEAM LEADER ON THE JOBSITE AND GRIDIRON

managed a staff of 55 employees with an annual budget averaging $30 million.

Some of Felix’s significant jobs are the Arroyo Chico Drainage project, the Mountain Avenue Drainage project, and the Kino Parkway and 22nd Street grade-separated intersection, of which he is the proudest.

Felix has been rightfully recognized for his Tucson efforts, which include: • 2012 American Public Works Association (APWA) Professional Award of Merit Winner, • 2016 Timothy Ahrens Partnering Award, • 2017 APWA Southern Arizona and Arizona Employee of the Year, and • 2022 Arizona Transportation Builders Association Professional of the Year.

Andy North, executive vice president of Borderland Construction Co., met Felix as a project superintendent on the Mountain Avenue Drainage Project. “I was quickly impressed with Fred’s calm demeanor and common-sense approach to solving problems on the project,” North says. “He showed me the importance of listening to others, treating people with respect, and working as a team to solve complex problems together.”

“I couldn’t be prouder of the outstanding long, productive career Fred Felix had with the City of Tucson,” says Ramon A. Gaanderse, chief information officer for Tucson Asphalt. “I worked with Fred in three different capacities, and he never let me down, and more so, was a difference maker in the infrastructure community.”

Felix said the decision to retire was motivated by opportunity – not for him but others. “Being a leader is to create leaders and give them opportunities.” And speaking of opportunities, Felix now has the good fortune to spend more time with his wife of 34 years, Carmen. They have four children and eight grandchildren.

Arizona Contractor & Community

thirty eight

September October 2022

ALISON BAILIN BATZ

S

“Doctors suggested I get into a sport with lots of jumping to help grow through the pain.” As a result, Price tried out for and made the Northern Arizona University volleyball team, helping earn them a trip to the National Intramural and Recreational Sports Association national championships in 1999.

“After college, I moved to the Valley and got back into soccer in a big way, playing for many years in a men’s league in Maricopa,” says Price. “I continued competing in volleyball for years as well, and still play when I can, though I am the first to admit I don’t jump as high as I used to.”

Beyond that, Price wakes up as early as 4:00 a.m. to ensure he makes time to exercise and lift regularly. “In addition to helping my endurance playing sports, I also dabbled in more “challenging running” in recent years, including our local Mud Run, where I handed out medals to anyone who beat me, all in good fun,” says Price.

Above: Christian Price.

Below: Desert Sunrise High School under construction, June 2022.

Bottom left: CHASSE Building Team with Maricopa Unified School District board members touring Desert Sunrise High School, May 2022.

Images Courtesy of Chasse

leeping is overrated.

At least if you’re Christian Price, who until June 30, 2022, served as the Mayor of the City of Maricopa before stepping down to take on the role of president and chief executive officer of the Maricopa Economic Development Alliance. Established in 2009, MEDA is the City of Maricopa’s private-public partnership for economic development.

Price at Work “The city is on course to grow to approximately 75,000 residents over the next year or so and is the largest incorporated city in Pinal County, and growing by leaps and bounds,” says Price, who is also a past president of the Arizona League of Cities & Towns. “In fact, it is currently the 17th most populous city in Arizona.”

Maricopa, like many cities across the country, is in an era of unprecedented opportunity. They are seeing aggressive home construction and increasing home values. Large national brands including Lennar Holmes and Sprouts as well as new, trending businesses such as Cocina Madrigal, Exceptional Healthcare, and APEX Motorsports are finding a welcoming community as they open new locations in Maricopa. And, according to Price, the city continues to expand its treasured quality of life offerings, strengthening its K-12 education and creating strong alliances with Central Arizona College and local employers.

“Notably this past summer, Maricopa Unified School District celebrated the ribbon cutting of Desert Sunrise High School, located at 16200 North Murphy Road in Maricopa. It marks the second-ever high school in the region and is the first to open since Maricopa High School in 1955,” says Price, noting that MUSD worked with general contractor CHASSE Building

Team and architect Orcutt Winslow on the 125,000-square-foot state-of-the-art school set across 80 acres.

Looking ahead to his first year in the new role, Price – who recently received his AZEDPro certification from the Arizona Association for Economic Development – plans to bring on four to five new team members to MEDA as well as continue to work proactively to bring in more high-paying jobs. Construction will also continue at a fast clip in the region. He also looks forward to collaborating with groups like the Arizona Commerce Authority and Greater Phoenix Economic Council for the mutual benefit of the entire region.

“Maricopa is the land of opportunity,” says Price, noting land values are high, taxation is moderate, and the workforce is among the top 5 most educated in the state. “And although considered by some as ‘rural,’ the significant infrastructure upgrades such as the 347 overpass; a widened State Route 238 Highway; the recent groundbreaking on the Sonoran Desert Parkway; the future I-11 interstate; and more will continue making our city very attractive for business.”

Price at Home “Anyone who has ever heard me speak likely knows my passion for the City of Maricopa and its growth. But not everyone knows my passion for striking, acing, and riding,” says Price, alluding to his favorite pastimes playing soccer, volleyball, and mountain biking.

For Price, soccer came first and will always hold a special place in his heart. “I started playing at 5 years old. Growing up in Tucson, it was a year-round sport,” says Price, who played nearly every position, but excelled as a left-wing striker, forward, and mid-fielder.

However, in high school, Price hit some growing pains, quite literally. “I ended up with Osgood-Schlatter, a common condition in teens where rapid development causes pulling of the tendons on the growth plate of the knee,” says Price.

CONSTRUCTION AROUND ARIZONA People

WELL WORTH THE PRICE: MARICOPA MAYOR STEPS DOWN TO LEAD MARICOPA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ALLIANCE

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Arizona Contractor & Community

forty

September October 2022

SEAN CLEMENTS

A

Image Courtesy of HUB

s Arizona’s construction economy continues to hum along, contractors continue to feel the same pain as their counterparts across the country. For all the work – infrastructure, commercial investment, and residential – troublesome factors temper enthusiasm. First, the materials pipeline continues to be clogged. Combined with worrisome inflation, it’s dampening business. And then there’s the persistent drag of the worker shortage.

Nationally, construction starts are expected to rise 9 percent this year from 2021 levels. But contractors challenged to balance the good news with the bad would benefit by hunkering down on risk factors, particularly focusing on their subcontractor’s health and performance.

Subcontractors are likely to have tightened their belts during the pandemic years, and it’s not a given that they’ve recouped their cash – or the capacity to do the work.

So it makes it imperative for them to manage their vulnerabilities carefully. But general contractors must be doubly cautious in addressing how they’re awarding jobs to their subs. The risk of subcontractor default ratchets up in times like these, putting projects and the GC’s financial health in jeopardy.

Now is the ideal time for GCs to take a long, hard look at whether surety bonds or subcontractor default insurance (SDI) is their best protection against the risk going forward.

Understanding the Options Contractors have two primary options to protect them against the risk of subcontractor default.

Surety bonds are a well-known, traditional solution, a risk transfer from the GC

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to the surety. Surety bonds are a leading recourse against losses or non-payment due to subcontractor default, a third-party guarantor of performance and payment.

Surety bonds protect the GC for contract completion and the subcontractor’s subs and suppliers for payment. If a default occurs, the surety sees through project completion up to the bond amount or pays for losses after an independent investigation. The amount of the project contract and the risk credit quality determine the bond costs.

On the other hand, SDI is a non-traditional insurance product, a two-party indemnity agreement between the GC and an insurer. SDI puts risk management for subcontractor performance into the GC’s hands. That requires an investment of resources to create a supporting framework, making it a more viable solution for contractors and owners whose subcontractor volume is at least $50 million.

The Subcontractor Assessment The best way to guard against subcontractor default is to ensure they are qualified for the work, both financially and capability-wise. This evaluation requires a comprehensive assessment and it’s something surety firms undertake and have long made a key specialty.

With SDI, however, this sort of due diligence falls to the GC. Not every GC has the appropriate infrastructure or the culture to do it – one reason SDI is more relevant to larger construction firms with sufficient bandwidth.

The assessment gauges the financial health of each subcontractor being used but also weighs the nuances: issues around the age of firms, their succession planning, and how well they have adjusted to industry change, along with their current and future capacity. The size of the subcontract is another factor: a small one may feel inconsequential but can have an outsized impact on defaults.

CONSTRUCTION AROUND ARIZONA Practices

UNDERSTANDING THE ROLES OF SUBCONTRACTOR DEFAULT INSURANCE AND SURETY BONDS

Image Courtesy of ezsuretybonds.com

The strength of the GC’s subcontractor evaluation process is pivotal in securing SDI, as it determines how the risk of default is valued and underwritten.

Other Considerations for SDI It’s not just the subcontractor assessment that GCs should consider in evaluating their options.

SDI can involve high deductibles and co-payment requirements in the event of subcontractor default. Deductibles can be as high as the $500,000 range, and the co-pay can be three to five times the deductible. That makes the contractor’s cash reserve adequacy instrumental in the event of subcontractor default.

Another concern is the contractor’s administrative bench strength. The claims resolution process with surety bonds is cumbersome and can be lengthy. It’s far more streamlined with SDI, but efficiencies can only be gained with a management team that is both knowledgeable and collaborative in resolving issues with subcontractors.

The Financial Resiliency Test The test of any successful business, including those in construction, is its resilience, or ability to utilize every available resource to manage through adverse situations and emerge intact. SDI can be a valuable resource for contractors to leverage to ensure financial resiliency.

Consider this situation. An electrical contractor defaults on a $100,000 contract.

The maximum payment via the surety bond would be the value of the contract – $100,000. With SDI, though, a loss limit is purchased.

That $100,000 contract default could actually create a million-dollar problem for the project as a whole. Depending on the loss limit, the bigger loss, going above and beyond the contract amount, would be covered by SDI, giving the GC’s management team and owners better financial protection and control over the risk of default.

Every tool has a use, and so it is with surety bonds and subcontractor default insurance. Contractors must understand which fits best with their organizations, why, and when. The right brokerage partner, who knows the product and carriers and has the expertise to help steer the process, can ensure SDI effectively improves the contractor’s control over defaults even as it builds financial resiliency.

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Thirty Eight

September October 2022

SEBASTIAN SAJOUX

S

ystems and societies have a natural way of developing. Thanks to the ever-quickening advancement of technology, however, development moves at an unprecedented speed. While the concept of sustainable development seems relatively straightforward and is generally accepted as a positive by most, many people do not fully comprehend the necessity for and impact of these practices.

Sustainable development is a practice of human development that meets society’s present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. To accomplish this goal, the community needs to embrace growth while using resources more efficiently with consideration for the immediate benefits to our planet and its inhabitants and the long-term benefits.

To make that theoretical concept more tangible, contractors can implement three sustainable development practices during

construction to make progress towards a greener planet.

Support Local Businesses The buy local movement has been trending for years, and for a good reason: supporting local businesses is good for the community, the economy, and the environment. The transportation costs to bring in imported goods are often significant, but more than that, the carbon footprint of importing materials is tremendous and damaging to the environment.

Instead of sourcing materials from abroad, contractors can turn to local suppliers to meet their needs. By supporting those businesses, contractors can do their part to lower the CO2 output from longhaul transportation of materials. In addition, they will be able to offer their customers the unique and gratifying experience of a home or business built entirely from regional materials.

Implement Passive Sustainable Technology The biggest obstacle to getting people to be more sustainable is changing their habits. Most like the idea of being more sustainable, but they don’t want it to inconvenience them. That’s why passive green design is the best choice. Design features can be incorporated passively into architecture through skylights, rain pits, thick walls for natural insulation, and intentional design choices. These features will make natural light/wind effective in heating/cooling the building.

Smart Gravel is one example of passive technology at work. Green companies can convert non-recyclable materials like potato chip bags and other single-use plastics to gravel that can be used in projects from gardens to roadways, making sustainability accessible and tangible. Whenever

Images Courtesy of Arqlite

Top left: Smart Gravel surrounds a pipe in a drainage ditch on a golf course.

Top middle: Arqlite’s narrative focuses on community and impact.

Top right: One of Smart Gravel’s rooftop applications. Reducing the weight on roofs is a primary goal for construction companies.

Left: Mixed plastics travel up a conveyor belt at Arqlite’s facility in Santa Ana, CA. arizcc.com

CONSTRUCTION AROUND ARIZONA Practices

CONSTRUCTION USING POTATO-CHIP BAGS: SMART GRAVEL WEIGHS IN FOR CONTRACTORS

possible, contractors can opt for sustainable materials, which may be pricier than traditionally manufactured materials but often have benefits that outweigh the cost differential. In the case of Smart Gravel, the material itself is more expensive but is three times lighter, which saves money on labor by cutting down the time needed for installation.

Use of Recycled or Recyclable Materials Why is it important to use recycled and recyclable materials? The average American produces about 1,704 pounds of garbage per year - almost three times the global average. Using recycled materials to build a circular economy significantly cuts down on waste that is the cause of aquatic microplastic pollution, landfill methane emissions, animal safety concerns, and a whole host of adverse effects.

Recycling conserves resources, saves energy, and helps protect the environment.

When we don’t recycle, new products are made by extracting raw material from the earth through mining and forestry. In terms of sustainable development, recycling technology companies are using green technology to change the plastic recycling industry. They can process up to 1 ton of non-recyclable plastics per hour which contractors can use for green construction and help communities meet their sustainable development goals.

Following these three sustainable practices has the potential to improve our infrastructure immensely, as they will enable contractors to build more sustainably and effectively. In addition, by keeping sustainability top of mind throughout the building process, contractors will be able to adapt to changes in material availability and local environmental concerns, such as severe weather events.

Sustainable development has many positive implications for our future and the planet. Adhering to these practices is a small way for contractors to play their part in a greener tomorrow.

Sebastian Sajoux is the CEO and founder of the California-based startup Arqlite.

Arizona Contractor & Community

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September October 2022

LUKE SNELL

C

oncrete historians have speculated that the first cement, one that is analogous to the modern Portland variety, was lime.

The production of both materials is similar and uses limestone as an essential ingredient. Archeologists have found evidence of lime being used as a cement to make concrete floors in today’s Turkey and Israel from about 7,000 BC. The lime cement created closely resembles modern-day concrete. How did the ancients discover the many steps involved in lime production?

To make lime from limestone (calcium carbonate or CaCO3) is a simple chemical formula but a relatively complex process that requires many steps. First, the limestone is heated above 1,650 degrees Fahrenheit, resulting in the following reaction: CaCO3 → CaO + CO2.

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is released as a gas, leaving the unstable calcium oxide (CaO or quicklime). On its own, quicklime will react with the CO2 in the air and revert to the limestone. However, if protected from the air and if water is available, it can become a lime mortar: CaO + H2O →Ca(OH)2+ heat.

This process is called slaking and can take many days. In the U.S., one of the early ways of slaking was to put the quicklime in a hole in the ground to protect it from carbon dioxide and let the moisture from the soil react with it.

This slaked lime (Ca(OH)2 or calcium hydroxide) is very caustic and reacts violently with water. Therefore, making it in the ground eliminated handling the material. Once the slaking process has finished, what is left is the lime putty that can be used as a mortar. The slaking process is complete when nothing sticks to a trowel when put into the mixture. The mortar then could be placed between stones or bricks to join them together or mixed with aggregates to make a simple concrete.

When the mortar reacts with carbon dioxide in the air, the limestone cycle is complete, and limestone has been re-created: the chemical reaction is: Ca(OH)2 + CO2 → CaCO3. The cement holds the bricks, stones, or aggregate together into a solid mass.

Ancient people must have understood how to mass-produce lime putty and mortar, but a significant difficulty was generating enough heat to start the process. Without written records, it’s only speculation how they developed the high temperatures necessary to create quicklime. A wood campfire only reaches about 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit.

In areas where trees were scarce, animal dung was used as fuel. The first attempts at making clay figurines or pottery could be achieved at temperatures consistent with a wood or dung fire. A clay figurine or ceramic was covered with wood or dung and set ablaze. People learned that dung fires were superior to wood fires, providing uniform heat that resulted in less breakage during the clay firing process.

Images Courtesy of Author

Top right: Limestone.

Left: Quicklime.

Bottom left: Dung fire to harden pottery.

Below: A lime kiln at Tumacácori National Park, Arizona.

arizcc.com

CONSTRUCTION AROUND ARIZONA Practices

HOW CONCRETE STARTED PART 4: LIME

Those making pottery in ancient times could not measure the temperature, but through trial and error, they were able to evaluate the effectiveness of each fuel. The pottery made using sheep dung had less breakage and produced much stronger pottery than those achieved using other fuels.

The ancients realized that the hottest fires provided the best results, so they searched for ways to achieve higher temperatures.

A likely scenario was that they realized an open fire lost heat, so they trapped heat in a confined fire or a kiln. If small limestone rocks were beneath pottery being fired, some quicklime would be created by the higher temperatures. After experimenting with this powder and getting burned because the quicklime reacted violently with the moisture on their skin, they learned how to handle it and make lime mortar.

Here are the likely steps and time involved to mass-produce lime in 7,000 BC: #1 - Limestone rocks were reduced in size below 2.5 inches by using stronger stones as hammers for several days. #2 - The limestone rocks were placed with fuel into the kiln with fuel and heated for up to 7 days. The process would require adding more fuel to maintain temperatures above 1,650 degrees Fahrenheit. The kiln would require constant supervision and much fuel. Steel axes didn’t exist at this time, so chopping enough wood or collecting enough dung would be a challenge. #3 - The quicklime created would need to cool and be unloaded from the kiln, which would be another day of dirty, dangerous, and difficult work. #4 - The quicklime had to be protected from the air and exposed to water to complete the slaking process, which could take days. #5 - The resultant lime putty was ready for use as a mortar or cement.

Turning limestone into mortar would likely have evolved over several centuries.

But ultimately, and with great perseverance, our early ancestors could perfect making lime mortar. In my next article, I will finalize my quest of when concrete started and then, in the last segment, examine how the Romans took cement to a new level.

Arizona Contractor & Community

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September October 2022

MEHDI NOURBAKHSH

T

he architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry has significantly changed in the past two decades. The complexity of projects has increased. Clients are asking for more in design and want the construction projects to be completed on budget and on time while satisfying sustainability and environmental requirements. All of this must be done despite the shortage in skilled labor and the retirement of many knowledgeable professionals.

With these challenges, the next several years and decades will be extremely difficult. You need to be profitable but also environmentally sustainable and conscious while dealing with a lack of productivity and resources, as well as a broken supply chain. You must simultaneously gain power and influence over many internal and external variables and issues. You need to take control, exert mastery, and stay on top of your market competition.

Technological Solutions The good news is that a lot has recently changed in technologies outside and inside the industry. Outside of the industry, the cost of making scalable technology has decreased significantly. We now have access to high computing power at a substantially lower price—and it’s only getting cheaper. In addition, algorithms and software have become more powerful and accessible to people.

Inside the industry, we are becoming more tech-savvy despite the slow adoption of technologies such as building information modeling (BIM), project management information systems, mobile platforms, drones, virtual and augmented reality, smart sensors and RFIDs, 3D printing, robotics, and artificial intelligence (AI). But these technologies are not being adopted equally.

KPMG’s Global Construction Survey showed that among innovative leaders, the investment and implementation of BIM and project management information systems are among the highest in the industry (86 and 83 percent). However, investment in AI is one of the lowest (24 percent), making it one of the most underutilized technologies in AEC. Invest in AI to Get Market Differentiation According to PWC’s report, “Sizing the prize: What’s the real value of AI for your business and how can you capitalize?” AI will contribute $15.7 trillion to the global economy by 2030. The report states that some of the AEC challenges discussed earlier could be solved with the power of AI: “In the near-term, the biggest potential economic uplift from AI is likely to come from improved productivity. This includes automation of routine tasks, augmenting employees’ capabilities and freeing them up to focus on more stimulating and higher value-adding work.”

But you need to act now if you want to win the competition and get market differentiation. We are at the tipping point as leading AEC companies that harvest their data and develop their own AI solutions to differentiate themselves in the market will win more projects and create a positive impact. But, at the same time, others will wait to the point that it is too late to take advantage of this underutilized technology.

With the decrease in the cost of technology and significant improvements in computing and algorithms, digitization of AEC, and availability of data, many leading AEC companies are investing or going to invest in AI technology and developing their own AI solutions. But how can you do that?

Leverage AI in Three Steps: 1. Learn What AI Is: It’s essential to understand what AI is and is not and what it can or cannot do for your company. This task can be accomplished by reading AI books written for AEC executives, taking

CONSTRUCTION AROUND ARIZONA Practices

HOW ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE CAN HELP CONSTRUCTION-RELATED CHALLENGES

courses and workshops, and talking to AI experts. Each can help you build your AI foundation.

2. Find Use Cases: Next, find the AI use cases based on your business strategy in the market. This step is critical when it comes to the success of your project. I often advise that executives find AI uses in workshops facilitated by trusted AI experts. The ideal use cases should bring at least a five-time return on investment.

3. Develop an AI Solution: Finally, develop a technology solution to verify your use case’s technical feasibility and business viability before scaling it across your company. Building an AI solution is both art and science. To correctly develop your solution, I strongly encourage working with AI consultants.

AI is one of the most potent yet underutilized emerging technologies. It can enable you to augment your capabilities and differentiate yourself in the market.

The key to success? Be open-minded in discovering AI use cases and developing technologies in the areas that give you an edge to win against your competition.

Images Courtesy of Author

Mehdi Nourbakhsh, Ph.D., is an author, speaker, and the CEO of YegaTech, a technology consulting company in the architecture, engineering, and construction industry, who finds novel solutions for demanding problems. He is the author of Augment It: How Architecture, Engineering, and Construction Leaders Leverage Data and Artificial Intelligence to Build a Sustainable Future. arizcc.com

Arizona Contractor & Community

M

Back When

otorists along Route 66 may have sought out “Gas, Food, and Lodging,” but pedestrians crossing the Mexican border used to cry out for “Curios, Liquor, and Entertainment.’’ These revelers were in search of a tourist district with businesses offering goods and services unavailable or pricier in the U.S. or enhanced by a trip south of the border. Commercial activity was focused on a street termed curio row because stores there

Image Courtesy of Author

B-29 Delivers Liquor to Nogales DOUGLAS TOWNE

hawked everything from cheap trinkets to handmade crafts, but liquor stores, pharmacies, restaurants, and bars were also plentiful.

Along curio row, Americans encountered a version of an idyllic, rural Old Mexico that resembled an aging Hollywood movie set. Caricatures and stereotypes were often substituted for the authentic to appeal to fun-seeking vacationers who wanted to avoid the real world’s sometimes-messy

September October 2022

customers. In the inset photo, a World War II-vintage B-29 Superfortress bomber sign appears to erupt from a combination bar/liquor store’s façade, as though the frenzy for booze was so critical that an emergency airdrop was required to replenish stocks. Who could resist such advertising?

Images Courtesy of Author

ambiguities. In varying proportions, history, myth, reality, fantasy, and whimsy were thrown into the mix. The strip was an exotic yet convenient playground for those who wanted to shop, drink, and be entertained in a fiesta atmosphere tinged with a palpable sense of foreign intrigue.

Curio row is marketed with a proliferation of signage, as shown in this 1968 image of Avenue Alvaro Obregon in Nogales, Sonora. During the day, shopping was predominant; at night, drinking brought in the bucks. Spirits were big business, whether sold by the bottle for later consumption or by the drink in bars, restaurants, or nightclubs. Dramatic marketing was necessary to attract

GREEN VALLEY:

TUCSON’S SENIOR COMMUNITY THAT INITIALLY LACKED “GREENBACKS” DOUGLAS TOWNE

A

retirement-oriented community, backed by a $12.4 million Federal Housing Administration-insured loan, opened 20 miles south of Tucson in 1964. Within a few months, more than 500 retirees had moved to what was initially called Tucson Green Valley. Amenities that included medical facilities, a nine-hole golf course, and seven swimming pools attracted residents to the newly built apartments.

Green Valley’s new inhabitants enjoyed happy-hour sunsets while watching the Santa Rita Mountains turn pink fifty

from their porches. The community, however, was in for a bumpy ride. The FHA foreclosed on the mortgage within two years, and a congressman called Green Valley a “multimillion-dollar boondoggle.” So what went wrong with this can’t-miss development, and how did it rebound to become a vibrant city of more than 20,000 residents today? It’s a unique story that put the federal government in the position of retirement-community developer.

In the early 1960s, Maxon Construction Co., a Chicago firm, was looking to

build a retirement community near Tucson.

Developer Donald Maxon, and his brother, Norman Maxon, an architect and construction manager, headed the company. The first place the Maxons looked, however, wasn’t Green Valley.

“Originally, Maxon was going to build it just north of Tucson in Catalina,” says Talbott Kret, who is recently retired from the construction industry. “Don Golder of Golder Ranch owned a lot of land in Catalina, and the deal was all set and then fell through at the last minute.” Kret, a Tucson September October 2022

Image Courtesy of Duke University Images Courtesy of Arizona Contractor & Community

native, isn’t sure of the reason but acknowledged that Golder could be a difficult man during negotiations.

Maxon then turned its attention to Green Valley, specifically the San Ignacio de las Canoa Land Grant, which Mexico provided to two brothers, Tomas and Ignacio Ortiz, in 1821. The Canoa Land Grant consisted of 17,000 acres in the Santa Cruz Valley south of Tucson.

In the early 1960s, Maxon purchased 2,860 acres of the Canoa Land Grant from Farmers Investment Co., which continued arizcc.com

ranching and farming (including the world’s largest pecan orchard) on the remainder of the land. Maxon proceeded to build on their property on the western slope of the Santa Cruz Valley, a community initially named Tucson Green Valley. Later it was known just as Green Valley.

Norman’s architectural firm of Maxon, Smith & Mackie designed Green Valley.

Gordon Maas Luepke was the consulting architect, and Cain Nelson & Ware was the inspecting architectural firm. Mimicking late 18th century Spanish Colonial styles,

Top left: New Pueblo’s aggregate operation in Green Valley, 1962.

Top right: An Eller billboard for Tucson’s Green Valley retirement community in Phoenix, 1965.

Above: Caterpillar 966 loader at a crushing operation in Green Valley, 1962.

the development featured arched colonnades, wrought iron screens, and red roofs.

Norman Maxon was a hands-on architect and construction manager, according to Kret. “I started working summers on the golf course construction at age 14, and Arizona Contractor & Community

Image Courtesy of Arizona Contractor & Community

Top left: Donald Maxon.

Above: Land use plan for Green Valley, 1963.

Below: New Pueblo tractor with a pull-behind compactor on Green Valley project, 1963.

enough people to relocate to the new community proved problematic, and Green Valley soon went sour.

“They’ve [the apartments] never been more than half rented,” declared a 1967 article in the Republic. “Retirement Foundation…was without funds. Not making enough rental profits, it defaulted payments.” As a result, the FHA foreclosed on the $12.4 million mortgage, the largest residential loan ever issued in the Southwest at that time.

Images Courtesy of New Pueblo

Norman was frequently out there supervising,” he says. “My mother was the family’s governess, as they had seven kids. So Norman was almost like a second father to me.”

The first phase of construction at Green Valley on 311 acres was funded by the University Retirement Foundation, Inc., a non-profit University of Arizona Foundation subsidiary. The foundation was involved because many Wildcat alumni had expressed an interest in retiring in southern Arizona. The FHA granted the mortgage

to the non-profit, which was financed by the New York State Teacher Retirement System, according to a 1969 article in The Arizona Republic.

The project got underway when New Pueblo Constructors, Inc. of Tucson was contracted for almost $2 million for site work and utility installations. The Maxons, with their partner, Hunkin Conkey Construction Co. of Cleveland, completed more than 1,000 apartments within a year. Green Valley’s first resident was Leo “Tebone” Hohler, who opened La Esquinita, a coffee shop that became a popular meeting place, according to the 2002 book, Green Valley Arizona by Philip Gorian. But finding

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Image Courtesy of Arizona Contractor & Community

Above: Green Valley Recreation Center with the Santa Rita Mountains in the background, 1968.

Left: An Eller billboard for Tucson’s Green Valley retirement community in Phoenix, 1965.

Image Courtesy of Duke University

Two years after Green Valley’s grand opening, the FHA became the project owner of 1,150 rental units, commercial, medical, recreational facilities, and police and fire services. The community was in danger of becoming a ghost town, but it lived up to one of its advertising slogans and became the “Town that is too good to die…populated by people who have learned to live.”

The Green Valley Development Co., an outgrowth of the former Maxon operation, continued ownership of 2,600 acres to develop single-family homes, townhouses, and commercial sites. Valley Construction arizcc.com

Arizona Contractor & Community

Left: Green Valley Fire Station, 1970.

Above: I-19 Interchange at Esperanza Blvd.

Below: Custom home in the new Green Valley community, 1970.

Co. of Phoenix, which purchased 62 acres, built some houses.

In a 1967 Republic article, Mary Leonhard concluded, “…it’s evident that a permanent community is taking shape. Homes are extremely well cared for. The lay of the land, a gentle, single slope, shows them off to advantage. Non-profitable headache to some of its planners, Tucson Green Valley is nonetheless on the map to stay.”

Green Valley was a unique project in the FHA’s 35-year history, according to a 1969 article in the Republic. “It puts that government agency in the role of a community developer as well as the community’s government and finds it sharing some of that responsibility with a private corporation, made up of stockholders who, in a sense, were ‘saved’ by the FHA’s takeover of much of the original project.” The story concluded that Green Valley officials were

proud that what appeared to be the “flop of the century” just three years ago is now a growing concern on the occasion of the development’s fifth anniversary.

By 1969, the apartment vacancy rate was less than 10 percent. In addition, the FHA was battling with government transportation agencies for a better price for land given up for the widening of the Tucson-Nogales Highway, soon to be Interstate 19. All the while, the FHA hoped to sell its share of the vast project to a private developer. The FHA had also retained architect Benny Gonzales to design a new post office and medical center. “The main thing is that the project is no longer looked upon by either residents or visitors as a ‘loser,’” Mel Himelstein, Arizona director for FHA, told the Republic in 1969.

In the 1970s, Fairfield Homes began housing construction in Green Valley, an

Images Courtesy of Arizona Contractor & Community

A CONGRESSMAN CALLED GREEN VALLEY A “MULTIMILLION-DOLLAR BOONDOGGLE.”

effort that proved successful thanks, in part, to an advertising jingle. Jay Taylor, who ran an eponymous Tucson advertising agency, made a marketing pitch to the builder. “If you’re 65 and living off 22nd Street in Tucson and there’s nobody to play golf or bridge with, life is pretty grim. But if you move to Green Valley … ‘The Green Valley grin comes from living good again!’”

Fairfield loved the slogan and used it during their $700,000 marketing campaign the first year. “[The slogan is] cemented in Southern Arizona pop culture, and a lot of people credit it for putting Green Valley on the map. Clearly, nobody has forgotten it, though it hasn’t been used for decades,” Taylor told the Green Valley News in 2022.

Over the years, Green Valley has continued to grow, and the success of the community is perhaps best summed up by Tucson native Eleanor Myers, who now lives in Florida. “I just visited my mom in Tucson and drove out to Green Valley,” she says. “I didn’t recognize anything.”

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September October 2022

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U.S. HIGHWAY 80 DOUGLAS TOWNE

D

on’t believe the Route 66 hype.

Although the heaps of kitsch and a timeless tune make it seem otherwise, the “Mother Road” is not the only fabled east-west, two-lane highway in Arizona. And it might not even be the most important.

Route 66’s popularity lies in the nostalgic freedom it represents. This mindset was highlighted in the early 1960s TV series Route 66, where pals Tod and Buz roamed America in a Corvette looking for adventure. But from a practical viewpoint, “America’s Main Street” falls short. Starting in Chicago and ending at the Santa Monica Pier, Route 66 doesn’t provide coast-tocoast passage. American Heritage magazine named it the most over-rated highway in 2002. And Route 66 wasn’t even filmed on the highway.

But there is another two-lane blacktop to consider, one that lacks Route 66’s mystique but surpasses it in other factors.

“More cars actually traveled into California on U.S. Highway 80 than on Route 66 in the years after World War II,” Steven Varner, a transportation historian, says. “It’s also a highway that’s very worthy of an adventure vacation with its iconic tourist towns and preserved alignments.” And it runs right through Arizona.

Marketing U.S. 80 has been a challenge for Arizona, however. While long stretches FIFTY six

of Route 66 remain in northern Arizona for nostalgic motorists to get their kicks on, U.S. 80 – which slithered across the southern half of the state, from Douglas through Tucson and Tempe to Yuma – has disappeared from the official state map. But, a recent heritage tourism effort has returned

Left: Tucson Inn, 2014.

Above: Space Age Lodge in Gila Bend, 2018.

Below: Starlite Motel’s diving lady reception in Mesa, 2011.

Right: Erie Street in Lowell, Arizona, 2014.

the spotlight to the highway and its iconic roadside elements to help revitalize communities along its route.

U.S. 80 was created as a federal highway in 1926. Starting at the Atlantic Ocean in Savannah, Georgia, the route stretched 2,726 miles through Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona before reaching the Pacific Ocean in San Diego. The highway was mainly stitched

Images Courtesy of Author

SOUTHERN ARIZONA’S MEANDERING MAIN STREET:

September October 2022

together from private auto trails that, as was customary at the time, were named rather than numbered.

These auto trails had bucolic monikers that would resonate with travelers, including the Bankhead Highway, the Borderland Route, the Dixie Overland Highway, the Ocean-to-Ocean Highway, and the Old Spanish Trail. Motorists made slow progress on the auto trails, however, as the roads often had confusing alternative routes, and a lack of bridges often necessitated cumbersome ferry crossings at rivers.

The roadway, varying from paved segments to unimproved dirt roads, could become impassable during wet conditions.

Government improvements, however, transformed U.S. 80 into an all-weather highway. This road was the site of Bonnie and Clyde’s demise in Louisiana in 1934 and where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. walked during the 1965 Selma voting rights march.

In Arizona, U.S. 80 traversed lands obtained in the 1854 Gadsden Purchase, which the nation acquired from Mexico to construct a transcontinental railroad along a less-mountainous southern route. This terrain assisted motorists, too, as noted by the U.S. Bureau of Public Roads in 1927.

“Because of the southern latitude and the comparatively low altitudes, the route is never blocked by snow and is open to automobile travel the year round.” The report, however, added the following caution. “But where it crosses the Southwestern deserts, it has the disadvantage of being uncomfortably hot in the summer months.”

Like an aimless traveler, U.S. 80 took a long, meandering transit of 541 miles arizcc.com

Arizona Contractor & Community

Image Courtesy of Phoenix Public Library

the Tucson Historic Preservation Foundation, says. “Along its curb developed roadside architecture: service stations, diners, attractions, neon signs, motels and a host of other resources woven into communities and through rural vistas that combine to create a distinct and unique sense of place.”

U.S. 80 led motorists by the smelter smokestacks of Douglas, an incorrect “Continental Divide” marker atop Mule Pass just west of Bisbee, Tombstone’s famous gunfight at O.K. Corral, neon-drenched

Top left: U.S. 80 brochure.

Above: Tombstone’s Boothill Graveyard along U.S. 80, 1936.

Below: 1927 Rand McNally auto road map.

motel rows in Tucson and Phoenix, the copper-domed Arizona Capitol, and over the treacherous Telegraph Pass outside Yuma.

Road construction along the route often was challenging. Some infrastructure proved deficient, such as the Stone Avenue underpass in Downtown Tucson built in 1936 and nicknamed “Lake Elmira”

Images Courtesy of Author

through the state. From the New Mexico border, the highway passed through Douglas, Bisbee, Tombstone, Benson, Tucson, Florence, Mesa, Phoenix, Buckeye, Gila Bend, Wellton, and Yuma. In the Valley, the highway followed Apache Trail, Main Street, Mill Avenue, Van Buren, 17th Avenue, and Buckeye Road.

Over time, the highway created its own ambiance. “Like Route 66 to the north, the Arizona segment of U.S. 80 shaped the west,” Demion Clinco, CEO of

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September October 2022

because of its poor drainage after thunderstorms. A more successful project was the Mule Pass Tunnel bored through granite just west of Bisbee in 1958, the lengthiest underground vehicle passage in the state at 1,400 feet long.

But the highway’s glory days were numbered. U.S. 80’s ambling path inspired highway shortcuts starting in the 1930s, including Arizona Highway 86, which connected Lordsburg, New Mexico, to Benson, and Arizona Highway 84 from Tucson to Gila Bend. With the advent of freeways beginning in the early 1960s, Interstates 8 and 10 largely supplanted the historic highway in Arizona. U.S. 80 in Arizona west of Benson was deleted from the national highway system in 1977, and the remainder was removed in 1989. Today, 40 segments of U.S. 80 survive in Arizona as state highways or minor roads, and they continue to inspire passion among roadside historians.

The Arizona segment of U.S. 80 shaped the American experience of the Southwest and the development of communities that straddled its roadbed, according to Clinco.

“The road connects a myriad of cultural landscapes and historic places and is, itself, a unique historic resource,” he says. Perhaps the most popular section for motorists to explore is the drive from Douglas to Bisbee. This segment goes past Lowell’s Erie Street, which looks unchanged since the 1950s, skirts the deep hole of the Lavender Pit, excavated for its copper riches, and deposits travelers at Bisbee’s Brewery Gulch, which still serves the golden elixir, albeit without gambling halls and brothels.

Clinco’s Tucson organization spent more than $100,000 to initiate the Historic Highway designation for the alignment of Arizona U.S. Route 80 in 2012. Despite the communities affected by the modification being overwhelmingly supportive, getting the proposal approved was a struggle, according to Clinco. After a lengthy bureaucratic process, U.S. 80 became a Historic Arizona Road by a unanimous vote of the Arizona State Transportation Board in 2018.

The Historic Highway route features numerous iconic elements that have come to define the 20th-century American experience. Highlights include the ornate Gadsden Hotel in Douglas, the Tucson Inn Motor Hotel’s famed oversized neon sign jutting through its port-cochere, the animated diving lady sign at Mesa’s Starlite Motel, and the kitschy Space Age Lodge in Gila Bend.

U.S. 80 is once again expediting motorists seeking to get their kicks on another iconic highway, a trip that promises to be worthwhile. “The highway is like a time machine that captures what life was like in Arizona,” Clinco says.

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KE&G - CELEBRATING 50 YEARS

50 YEARS

BUILDING OUR FUTURES:

KE&G CELEBRATES ITS 50TH ANNIVERSARY!

S

50 YEARS

ince its establishment in Sierra Vista 50 years ago as a home builder, KE&G Development LLC (KE&G) has evolved from a family-owned home building operation to KE&G Construction, Inc., a 100% employee-owned multi-faceted heavy/civil contractor working throughout Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas from offices in Tucson and Sierra Vista.

While KE&G was building housing developments in the Tucson area, Karol E. George saw an opportunity to expand into larger civil construction projects. This

decision paid off and in 2001 KE&G sold the home building division to exclusively focus on heavy/civil construction. Today, KE&G is comprised of six divisions, representing 350+ employees in Southern Arizona.

KE&G’S HISTORY KE&G started out in 1972 by building homes in Sierra Vista and Cochise County.

This work was accomplished by 10 employees with the majority of the work being completed by subcontractors. In 1984, Karol George’s vision for the company lead them to Tucson. KE&G’s first major project

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Southern Arizona American Public Works Association - Project of the Year, Transportation, $5M-$25M Top: John Deere scrapers on an early construction project.

Above: Karol E. George reviewing plans.

Right: Paving project in Tucson, 1993.

SIXTY

2020

Arizona Transportation Builders Association - Ben Patton Luster Safety KE&G 1972 - 2022

KE&G - CELEBRATING 50 YEARS

KE&G’S COMPANY TIMELINE: 1972

KE&G is launched as a homebuilder in Sierra Vista.

1982

KE&G opened a Tucson office located at Alvernon and I-10.

KE&G opened a Tucson office.

2001

Karol George sold the Tucson home building division to Richmond American Homes and the Sierra Vista branch to RL Workman Homes.

2004

KE&G started performing Job Order Contract (JOC) work within Pima County and was one of the first contractors to complete JOC work.

2006

Karol George formed the KE&G ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan) for its personnel.

2014

Karol George retired, and KE&G became 100% employee-owned.

2022

KE&G continues to thrive with more than 350 employees and 600 pieces of specialized equipment.

was Sabino Canyon Clusters; a subdivision build-out with a lot of work (including underground utility installation) being self-performed.

In 1982, KE&G continued to grow and expand its Tucson operations. They continued to build homes in both Tucson and Sierra Vista then proceeded to complete the Southeast Interceptor between Country Club and Alvernon. This project included a 36-inch sewer line installation. This project helped strengthen KE&G’s market share and expand its capabilities.

Seeing the need to self-perform more of the work, Mr. George made the decision KEGTUS.COM

locally operated KE&G is an employee owned and n Arizona for company. We have served Souther ee a unique employ over 40 years. offering each standards for opportunity to prosper. Our high have earned us professionalism and safety one of Arizona’s industry recognition for being contractors. ction Leading heavy/civil constru

Site Development Earthwork Roadway Excavation

Asphalt Paving Concrete Paving Bridges

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8.9594 520.45 .9594  520.458 IERRA V ISTA , A RIZONA 85635 , S, UITE L UIS S AN 202  SS IERRA V ISTA , A RIZONA 85635 P ASEO S UITE202 1601 L UIS S AN P ASEO 1601 7 60 6 5 2502. 704. 87 .4081.8081 8 8 70 ARRI IZZOONNAA8 85 5 N,, A Y Y  TTUUCC SS O ON AA V LEVRENRO O NWW NN TH H LA U TA 5 1 0501 0S0O U SO M O M O S S V V . . C C UU TT . K K E E GG WW W .

W W W

to purchase Sierra Ready Mix. This gave the company the capability to self-perform all paving and grading operations. Shortly after that occurred, KE&G was awarded the Fort Huachuca Paving and Maintenance contract for 12 consecutive years.

In 1990, KE&G was awarded two large ADOT projects in Sierra Vista. These projects helped grow Sierra Vista’s footprint by installing East Gate Bypass Widening and additional infrastructure. At this time, work in Sierra Vista increased and KE&G continued building homes in both Sierra Vista and Tucson.

By 1997, KE&G was well established in both Sierra Vista and Tucson. When the Project for Improvements at Kartchner Caverns State Park was released, Mr. George knew that KE&G was destined to perform the project. KE&G was the successful low-bidder and completed the award winning project in 1999. These improvements allowed guests access to the new state park and the cavern for the first time.

Mr. George’s focus on primarily being a homebuilder was rapidly changing and his vision for KE&G grew to become a heavycivil contractor. In 1998, KE&G completed a

Top: John Deere scrapers during construction at Northpark.

Above: KE&G Homes advertisement, 1980s.

Left: KE&G ad from the early 2000’s.

98-inch Central Arizona Project (CAP) canal in the greater Tucson area. In 2000, KE&G completed all of the underground work for the soon-to-be-built, Sierra Vista Mall.

Mr. George proceeded to sell the Tucson homebuilding division of KE&G to Richmond American and the Sierra Vista homebuilding division to RL Workman Homes.

In 2004, KE&G started performing JOC (Job Order Contract) work within Pima County and was one of the first contractors to complete JOC work in southern AZ. As KE&G continued to grow as a heavy-civil contractor in 2006, Mr. George laid out his plan to retire. He set his plan in motion by forming the KE&G ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan), ultimately selling KE&G to its employees.

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KE&G - CELEBRATING 50 YEARS

In 2014, KE&G became 100% employee-owned and Karol George retired.

In 2014, KE&G had approximately 140 employees and was poised for continued growth. Today, KE&G has offices in Tucson and Sierra Vista with plans in the 4 th quarter to open a third office in Texas. KE&G currently focuses on work within its 6 different divisions: Transportation, Development, JOC, Mining, Utilities, and Southern Arizona Division (Sierra Vista).

KE&G brings its expertise to new construction and reconstruction; general site development; infrastructure development; improvement of water distribution systems and facilities; sanitary sewer conveyance system modifications; pump station repairs and rehabilitation; site grading; roadway excavation; asphalt paving; site and structural concrete; bridge building; street lighting; intersection improvements; traffic signalization; landscape improvement; irrigation; and much more.

KE&G is experienced working with different contract structures – Bid Build, Job Order Contracting (JOC), Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR), and Design-Build contracts. The company’s diverse experience and knowledge provide an internal depth of resources and allow their team confidence in cost evaluation and performance. KE&G is proud of its track record, delivering high-quality projects utilizing all project delivery methods.

BUILDING OUR FUTURES: CONCEPTS THAT DEFINE KE&G VISION: To be the premier heavy civil contractor for our clients and employee-owners.

MISSION: To continuously improve KE&G Construction to be a sustainable employee-owned company by utilizing our ideas.

VALUES: Integrity: Treating our employees and business partners fairly.

Development: Developing strong leaders and fostering a highly motivated workforce.

Excellence: Provide a high-quality finished product.

Attitude: A “can-do” approach is essential to our company’s success.

Safety: Our culture strives for improvement every day.

Left: Construction activity along Speedway Boulevard, 1993.

SIXTY TWO

KE&G 1972 - 2022

KE&G - CELEBRATING 50 YEARS

50 YEARS

50 YEARS

KE&G’s RESOURCES

JOIN THE KE&G TEAM!

KE&G has grown from a family-owned company with 10 employees to a largescale company with over 350 employees.

These employees consist of project managers, engineers, field superintendents, division assistants, interns, and most importantly field crews. To keep equipment running and crews working, KE&G has a team of employees who manage and maintain the extensive fleet of company-owned equipment. Owning a fleet of diversified equipment allows KE&G to quickly deliver on projects and ensures that production schedules are maintained. KE&G’s skilled workforce, coupled with its diverse fleet of equipment, gives the company the leverage to handle large and small projects at a moment’s notice.

KE&G is continually growing and expanding operations and seeks to advance its workforce and its capabilities. As a leader in workforce development, KE&G is able to attract and retain top talent in the construction trade. A great example of this is the in house Heavy Equipment Operator Apprenticeship Program.

In March 2021, KE&G created the Employee Development Coordinator position to design and implement an Apprenticeship Program for equipment operators.

This three-year, state-registered program consists of formally training new apprentices in a defined curriculum. Each year, apprentices complete 2,000 hours of designated fieldwork with an assigned mentor who formally trains, develops, and evaluates their skill set. Additionally, each student completes a minimum of 144 hours of related classroom instruction per year. This apprenticeship program lays out a clear

Below: A Cat 631 scraper on a KE&G project.

Bottom right: KE&G crew paving a private drive, 2022.

KEGTUS.COM

Top: The evolution of KE&G’s logo.

Left: KE&G participating in Southern Arizona Construction Career Days, 2020.

Middle: KE&G in action.

Above: Bridge work during Valencia East project, 2020.

pathway to success for KE&G’s workers and is a huge benefit to the company.

Along with the apprenticeship program, KE&G provides on-the-job training by enlisting the guidance of senior leadership to mentor the new or less experienced employees in the best practices of a construction project. KE&G has also prioritized the professionalism of its workforce through employee development and internal advancement. In each of the six divisions, employees have an established training matrix to use as a pathway to advance knowledge, skills, abilities, and other benefits.

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SIXTY six

September October 2022

Images Courtesy of Foursquare Church

Left & Above: Aimee Semple McPherson.

Top left: Aimee Semple McPherson at Angelus Temple, Los Angeles.

Bottom left: Angelus Temple, Los Angeles.

REBORN EVANGELIST:

AIMEE SEMPLE MCPHERSON’S BAFFLING ESCAPE NEAR DOUGLAS DOUGLAS TOWNE

F

aith healers purport to cure the sick and give sight to the blind, but few claim the talent of bringing themselves back from the dead. Evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson, however, came close. The religious superstar, who filled her 5,000-seat church three times a day with devotees in Los Angeles, disappeared at her apogee in 1926. She was presumed dead after witnesses reported seeing her swimming in the ocean near Santa Monica.

Five weeks later, McPherson reappeared in Agua Prieta, Mexico, across the border from Douglas, Arizona, claiming to have escaped kidnappers. But the shocking news and initial euphoria of finding McPherson alive evolved into doubts about her story. Had the flamboyant evangelist been held hostage--or had she disappeared arizcc.com

for a romantic rendezvous, an abortion, or as a publicity stunt?

McPherson, one of the country’s biggest names during the Roaring ‘20s, was born Aimee Kennedy on a farm in Ontario, Canada, in 1890. “She learned her trade as a little girl by lining up her dolls and then preaching sermons to her congregation,’” Marshall Trimble, Arizona’s state historian, says.

McPherson met Robert Semple, an Irish evangelist, at a revival meeting and soon pledged her life to both him and God. They married, but she was quickly widowed and remarried Harold McPherson. She left her second husband in 1915 to tour the U.S. as an evangelist with her mother, Minnie Kennedy, and her two children. They drove a Packard auto painted

with the message, “Where Will You Spend Eternity?”

Audiences were captivated by the novelty of a radiant female preaching about her faith in tongues over a megaphone from the convertible’s backseat. McPherson founded the Pentecostal-inspired Foursquare Gospel and attracted progressively larger multi-racial crowds, and she became a national phenomenon.

In 1923 she opened the Angelus Temple in Los Angeles, one of the nation’s first megachurches. The evangelist’s sex appeal aided her popularity. “It might have been one of those rare times in history where husbands dragged their wives to church rather than the other way around,” Trimble says. KFSG, an onsite radio station, broadcast the evangelist, and she instructed listeners to place their hands on their radio for healing benefits. Those attending the temple could visit the “miracle room,” with its collection of crutches discarded after prayer-induced recovery.

McPherson transformed her pulpit into a theater, sometimes dressing as an Indian princess or a motorcycle cop, accompanied Arizona Contractor & Community

and announced, “She is with Jesus.”

But there were unconfirmed sightings of the famous evangelist, along with two ransom notes which her mother ignored.

Five weeks after McPherson vanished, Angelus Temple hosted a lavish memorial service, where devoted followers wept and filled the church’s collection boxes.

A few days later, a very alive McPherson walked to a house owned by the former mayor of the Mexican town of Cananea in Agua Prieta and was transported across the international border to Calumet Hospital in Douglas. The evangelist told reporters she had been abducted at the beach in California and taken to a shack in Mexico, where she escaped and trudged for 17 hours until rescued. The small Arizona border town instantly became international, front-page news, and residents took advantage of the resulting media circus.

“Boys on summer vacation walked into Sonora searching for the shack where Aimee claimed she was held,” Cindy Hayostek, a local historian, says. “The Chamber of Commerce issued ‘Aimee’ car windshield decals and happily welcomed tourists. A young artist produced a widely-distributed satirical postcard. It showed Aimee towing her shack while looking at Douglas’ sunshine and Agua Prieta’s moonshine – a sly reference to how to avoid Prohibition.”

But some were skeptical of her tale.

McPherson claimed to have been held in a wood-floored shack that lacked electricity yet had indoor plumbing. Locals scoffed at her description, saying no such structure existed in the area. Trackers found

by actors, an orchestra, and stage sets to deliver sermons. Charlie Chaplin was a frequent visitor and advised McPherson on her productions. McPherson also promoted a humane agenda, according to Kim Cooper, co-owner of Esotouric tours in Los Angeles. “She was welcoming to all and renowned for contributions of food, clothing, rent money, and medical assistance to the needy,” she says. “Amiee was an incredibly powerful woman in Los Angeles when men ran the city, many of whom were gangsters. She cared about the people, but her power frightened some.”

And then, in 1926, when McPherson was 36, she walked into the Pacific Ocean and vanished. Officials launched a massive search, during which several rescuers drowned. Disciples claimed they saw McPherson rising from the ocean and ascending into heaven. Her mother gave the sermon that night at Angelus Temple SIXTY eight

Image Courtesy of Author

Left: Aimee Semple McPherson at Calumet Hospital in Douglas, Arizona, 1926.

Below: Aimee Semple McPherson satirical postcard, 1927.

September October 2022

Images Courtesy of Foursquare Church

evidence of a car letting McPherson out on the road about 5 miles from town. And despite McPherson’s extended ordeal, she and her clothes were in good shape. There were other discrepancies in her story, and despite extensive searching, the shack was never located.

“I do not wish to say anything against the lady, but I think the lady is a liar,” Ramon Gonzales, who aided McPherson in Agua Prieta, told the Los Angeles Examiner.

Most researchers believe that McPherson had an affair with Kenneth Ormiston, a married man who was her sound engineer and who disappeared simultaneously. But some think her disappearance may have been a theatrical stunt that went awry.

McPherson’s return to Union Station in Los Angeles generated the city’s largest crowd to receive a celebrity. Legal issues also greeted the evangelist, including two grand jury investigations that concluded McPherson should stand trial on charges of having lied about her kidnapping. The charges, however, were dropped for lack of arizcc.com

Images Courtesy of Author

Above: Aimee Semple McPherson looking for the shack where she was held near Agua Prieta, Sonora, 1926.

Right: Aimee Semple McPherson headlines, 1926.

evidence. Despite the drama, McPherson continued her evangelical ministry at Angelus Temple until she died of an accidental sleeping-pill overdose in Oakland in 1944.

Her disappearance remains a mystery, but Cooper has her own theory. “I believe the stress of being Sister Aimee came to a head, and she needed to escape from the eyes of the media. Whatever led her to run away, she was doing something profound and meaningful that had to do with God and nothing as carnal as being with a man.”

The most notable aspect of the kidnapping and its aftermath was lost in all the publicity, that she was undeterred, according to Steve Zeleny, a Foursquare Church

archivist. “At the time when she was enduring the worst attacks from those who purposed to destroy her ministry and reputation, her priority remained unchanged,” he says. “She continued to focus on the needs of others: providing food and clothing to the needy, praying and caring for the sick, and ministering to people in Angelus Temple.”

Zeleny adds that McPherson’s overarching drive was to remain faithful to God’s call on her life, and that call was not to defend herself but to preach the gospel and minister to people in the name of Jesus. “And that is an example of why the story of Aimee Semple McPherson’s life is worth knowing and is today an inspiration to so many people.”

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SEVENTY TWO

September October 2022

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A RIVETED-ALUMINUM WONDERLAND: BISBEE’S SHADY DELL VINTAGE TRAILER PARK DOUGLAS TOWNE

R

etro done right is difficult to accomplish. But, when done correctly, it creates the rare sensation of stepping back in time—or at least stumbling onto a movie set placed decades in the past. Successful nostalgia exudes the otherworldliness many seek while traveling and transcends the clichéd, hokey Elvis and Marilyn Monroe themes that permeate many predictable period offerings.

A funky outfit in Bisbee has pulled off this time-travel feat. The Shady Dell Vintage Trailer Park is a living diorama of postWorld War II life. The attention to detail is spectacular, in the riveted-aluminum lightweight trailers that serve as overnight accommodations and the interior historic furnishings. The park is where you can enjoy morning coffee made with an electric percolator and listen to a transistor radio, perhaps thinking that a broadcast of the Brooklyn Dodgers playing the New York Giants at Ebbets Field might be found on the dial. arizcc.com

The Shady Dell has offered this Rip Van Winkle-like experience for more than three decades. But how did an old trailer court get pulled back into history to become one of the nation’s most unique lodging choices? Its location undoubtedly provided fertile ground for such a venture.

Bisbee, the “Queen of the Copper Camps,” was founded in 1880 for its rich copper veins where silver, gold, zinc, lead, and manganese were also found. Miners burrowed more than 2,500 miles of tunnels to chase these deposits. The town quickly grew, boasted a stock exchange, and claimed at the height of its mining heyday in 1910 to be the largest city between St. Louis and San Francisco. Unfortunately, this statement is an urban legend, as Bisbee wasn’t even the largest city in Arizona at the time, lagging behind Tucson and Phoenix.

The copper mining town was also on the path of U.S. 80, which was created as a federal highway in 1926. The Shady Dell

Left & Above: Shady Dell Vintage Trailer Park office.

opened for intrepid travelers the following year, attracting car-camping adventurers looking for a place to spend the night. The trailer park, which bordered a cemetery, was one of the first lodging options for westbound motorists driving from Douglas.

But change was coming to Bisbee.

Phelps Dodge took over mining operations in 1931 and worked progressively less valuable copper ore deposits, including the vast, man-made divot named the Lavender Pit, until halting production in 1975.

Despite workers’ hopes that the mines would reopen, this didn’t come to be, and the local real estate market collapsed.

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The Shady Dell’s origins date to 1974 when Ed Smith and Rita Personette bought the trailer park and installed their collection of five vintage trailers. By the 1990s, their hobby evolved into a bed and breakfast, as intrigued onlookers offered to pay for a night’s stay in the mid-century streamlined aluminum trailers.

These days, visitors to the Shady Dell stop at the office, a small but striking art deco structure highlighted in green neon tubing. The south wall features a retro mural advertising the trailer park. An aural backdrop of low decibel, rockabilly music mysteriously emanates from many unseen locations in the trailer park. The Shady Dell features 11 fully restored shiny aluminum travel trailers, along with a 1947 Airporter bus that found new life as a “Polynesian Palace” and a 1947 Chris Craft named the “Rita D. Yacht.”

One of the park’s most popular trailers is the 33-foot-long Spartan Classic Royal Mansion, manufactured in 1951 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The sleek trailer, equipped with an evaporative cooler, is parked on a small lot surrounded by a white picket fence. A red rose bush is adjacent to the entrance, and two vintage chairs sit on a piece of Astroturf.

The spacious trailer features a living room, full kitchen, partial bathroom, and a full-sized bed, all luxuriously appointed with vintage furnishings. The living room has leopard-print carpeting, deco-style lights, a velvet sofa, a phonograph, and a black and white television that is surreptitiously connected to a hidden DVD player.

Accessories include classic vinyl records, campy 1950s movies, vintage reading material including Bisbee High School yearbooks, and board games such as Yahtzee.

It’s as if everything cool that your parents had donated to the Salvation Army had mysteriously found its way to this trailer. No detail is overlooked, and nothing is bolted down; every item calls out to be enjoyed.

The kitchen is similarly stocked with the wares of yesteryear, including a classy cocktail shaker set and an electric percolator. On the kitchen table, a reproduction radio plays streamed rockabilly music.

Finally, the cookie jar contains a little package of Fig Newton’s.

Adding to the charm of the Shady Dell is Dot’s Diner, a 10-seat vintage mobile restaurant built in 1957. The chrome structure is #1746 of an estimated 3,500 diners built by Valentine Manufacturing in Wichita, Kansas. Arthur Valentine founded the Top left: The Tiki Bus. Left middle: A 1947 Crist Craft named Rita D. Yacht.

Left: Jennifer at Dot’s Diner.

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September October 2022

Above: Spartan Classic Royal Mansion trailer.

Below: Maureen Towne at the Shady Dell.

Bottom right: Dot’s Diner.

With its authentic vintage ambiance, the Shady Dell has benefited and contributed to Bisbee, a town capitalizing on its spectacular setting and industrial past to find a second life as a counterculture center fueled by the arts and tourism. Newcomers have repopulated its many picturesque homes that are linked by staircases, built on the slopes of the Mule Mountains.

As a result, the community abounds in people, places, and events that visitors can’t experience elsewhere in Arizona. Bisbee reinvented itself as a chic place to vacation, with nary a fast-food franchise or convenience store found in the town proper; it’s a very unusual place, thanks in part to the Shady Dell.

Images Courtesy of Author

company in 1947, which made prefabricated diners for almost 20 years. Valentine Manufacturing shipped the fully equipped mobile restaurants across the country to enterprising folks. A diner could be operational within hours after being placed on a concrete slab and hooked up to utilities.

The 10-foot-by-25-foot structure came complete with pots, dishes, glasses, and silverware.

“Because of their small size, Valentines could be transported economically, and it is believed that they operated in all 48 contiguous states, with the possible exception of Washington,” Richard Gutman, who has

authored four books on diners, says. “Their relative ease of transport and efficient operation are among the reasons for their survival and appeal today.”

Dot’s Diner was initially located in Los Angeles at the corner of Ventura and Topanga Canyon boulevards. The diner was relocated to the Shady Dell in 1996 and is currently open Friday-Sunday. Lisa G. from Portland, Oregon probably had the best comment on Yelp about Dot’s. “I am pretty sure that this is the only place in America that one can still order Blowout Patches smothered in Axle Grease and wash it down with Sweet Alice, and not get escorted to the nearest loony bin.” For those not conversant in diner lingo, this is code for an order of pancakes with butter, and milk.

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OLD SCHOOL EQUIPMENT: CATERPILLAR 641 SCRAPER BILLY HORNER

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military outpost where the U.S. Cavalry campaigned against Geronimo in 1886 is now the headquarters of one of the U.S. Army’s most advanced sectors: The Electronic Proving Ground. The command opened in 1954, and within a decade, found itself needing additional facilities.

The M.M. Sundt Construction Company of Tucson came to their rescue, equipped with the nation’s first four Caterpillar 641 scrapers, which they had purchased in 1962. Sundt used two tandem Caterpillar D8 dozers equipped with cushion push blocks to assist the scrapers in construction.

The Caterpillar 641 push scrapers resulted from improvements in the late 1950s, such as modern hydraulic systems, bigger tires, and more torque. The company ramped up its motor scraper production, offering several new models, including the 641.

The first 641 machines had clean lines but lacked a roll-over protection system or cushion hitch. Although the upgraded 641B was introduced in 1969, the cushion hitch

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would not be standard until 1974. The 641 was powered by a D346, V8 turbocharged engine offering 450 horsepower and had a straight pipe exhaust that proved extremely loud for operators. The subsequent 641B had a curved-tip muffler.

Nicknamed the Push-Cat, the operator set the scraper pan (or can) on the ground while one or two track-type bulldozers pushed the machines at the rear stinger for quick loading, assisting the machine in loading material. Under proper working conditions, these machines could pack around 38 cubic yards into the bowl in under 40 seconds. This process is still in use today and very effective for contractors.

The 641s were popular in Europe, but the smaller Cat 631 and larger Cat 651 became the contractors’ choice in the U.S. As a result, the 641B scraper was discontinued in 1978.

Empire Machinery Co. was the local dealer for the 641 scrapers, then located on 27th Avenue and Thomas Road in Phoenix. The equipment dealer is currently at U.S. 60 and Country Club Drive in Mesa.

Above: An Empire Machinery Co. ad touting the Caterpillar 641 scrapers working at Fort Huachuca, 1962.

Below: An M.M. Sundt 641 scraper at Fort Huachuca, 1962.

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Images Courtesy of Arizona Contractor & Community

Above: An M.M. Sundt crew with a 641 scraper at Fort Huachuca, 1962.

Top left: Roman Candelaria, who later co-owned RoBil Contracting, rolled a 641 scraper while working for Peter Kiewit, early 1960s.

Above left: Main entrance of U.S. Army Electronic Proving Ground, Fort Huachuca, 1963.

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A

nnotated the “Dean of Bridge Building” by his Arizona General Contracting colleagues, Halsey Lawrence (H.L.) Royden estimated that he had built half the state’s spans by World War II. In a 1984 interview with Southwest Contractor magazine, Royden also said his first bridge was at Continental, a community south of Tucson, in 1928.

His bridge-building expertise was called on again in 1953 when the Royden Construction Company was awarded a $224,757 contract from the Arizona Highway Department to build the Whetstone Overpass and approaches on U.S. Highway 80 over the Southern Pacific Railroad. The bridge was named after the nearby Whetstone Mountains, where local cavers later discovered Kartchner Caverns. The Whetstone Mountains got their moniker after the discovery of a

novaculite deposit, a mineral used to make whetstones or sharpening stones.

The bridge project, located 45 miles southeast of Tucson and three miles west of Benson, consisted of a reinforced concrete overpass, roughly one mile of approaches, and an all-new alignment. The overpass was supported by 118,750 pounds of reinforced steel bars and 149,000 cubic yards of fill taken from a nearby borrow pit to build the approaches. Once completed, the new overpass and the existing overpass allowed one-way auto traffic over both bridges.

U.S. 80 was created as a federal highway in 1926. Starting at the Atlantic Ocean in Savannah, Georgia, the route stretched 2,726 miles through Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona before reaching the Pacific Ocean in San Diego. In 1977, Interstate 10

Background: A Caterpillar D8 pushing a DW-21 scraper in the borrow pit, 1953.

Top right: Royden Construction used two Caterpillar DW-21 scrapers on the overpass project including this one filling the bridge approach, 1953.

Middle right: Hosea Wheat, Royden Construction superintendent for the Whetstone Overpass project, 1953.

Right: Junction of U.S. 80 and State Route 82 between Benson and Tombstone, 1930s.

Below: U.S. Highway 80 map of eastern Arizona and New Mexico, 1930s.

Image Courtesy of Douglas C. Towne

Building on the Past 1953: WHETSTONE OVERPASS ON U.S. HIGHWAY 80

replaced the historic highway in Arizona west of Benson.

A recent heritage tourism effort has spotlighted U.S. 80, as it was designated a Historic Arizona Road by a unanimous vote of the Arizona State Transportation Board in 2018. “I’ve driven the entire highway three times and always find some overlooked gem,” says Demion Clinco, CEO of the Tucson Historic Preservation Foundation, whose organization initiated the designation. “U.S. 80 is like a time machine that captures what life was like in Arizona.”

September October 2022

Images Courtesy of Arizona Contractor & Community

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Arizona Contractor & Community

O

f the many talented Tucson architects, Rob Paulus, AIA, LEED AP, always comes to mind. For more than 30 years, he has consistently delivered an elegant, well-scaled, fresh architecture that lands lightly on Planet Earth. Paulus is rare in that he also brings to most of his work the role of a developer overseeing the business aspects, including proforma, financing, construction costs, and sales or leasing. Is his body of work so well executed because of this additional role? Clearly, it does provide a laser focus on a project’s buildability, construction and operational costs, materials availability, quality of construction, and project scheduling.

Paulus grew up in Tucson and started working for local architectural firms with his drawing and rendering skills at age 17.

From 1982 to 1995, he worked for Harold Peterson Architect, Ron Robinette, Architecture One in Tucson, and Solberg and Lowe in Santa Monica, California. Paulus

Architect’s Perspective: Rob Paulus, AIA: Architect, Developer & Musician Doug Sydnor, FAIA

Doug_sydnor@outlook.com received his Bachelor’s Degree in Architecture from the University of Arizona in 1988.

In 1995 he founded Rob Paulus Architects, Ltd. at 990 East 17th Street in Tucson and opened another office in Santa Monica at 508 15th Street in 2006.

According to his LinkedIn profile, Paulus enjoys working collaboratively and focusing on an “honest and innovative approach to design.” His firm has received more than 60 regional and national awards for various projects, and their work has

been published extensively in architectural journals. Building types include multifamily residential, commercial, office, restaurants, and bars, and new ground-up and adaptive reuse projects. Paulus is a frequent lecturer nationally and an active community member in promoting high-quality design. He is a past president of the American Institute of Architects Southern Arizona Chapter.

Another passion that informs his architecture is music, as he’s been a guitarist since middle school and performs in three bands.

His firm is renowned for its expertise in multifamily residential developments.

There is always a deep sustainability awareness of using existing structures and materials, recycling building components, and being energy efficient. This strategy has a way of building upon the spirit of the place.

Additionally, they effectively integrate such projects into the surrounding context and contribute to the immediate neighborhood. The firm’s architecture is aware of the greater community and reinforces the urban fabric and vitality.

Barrio Metalico is composed of nine freestanding unit houses positioned in an industrial and residential neighborhood of Millville, east of downtown Tucson. The development, completed in 2004, was conceived as a speculative project to enhance the area. The project embraced its raw industrial environment as reflected in the use of a corrugated metal skin. An existing adobe structure used as factory worker housing was partially adapted to create perimeter site walls. A demolished neighboring building provided distressed wood and corrugated metal to complete the walls. The architecture integrates rainwater harvesting with metal culvert tanks and super-insulated wall systems. This successful and innovative modern infill village is on two properties at about 1000 South 17th Street and 740 South Freemont.

The Arizona Ice & Cold Storage Company structure at 1001 East 17th Street opened in 1923 and closed in 2002. In 2005 it was adapted to the Ice House Lofts, a 51-unit condominium redevelopment.

Above left: The architect’s Tucson office at 990 East 17th Street.

Left: Barrio Metalico.

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September October 2022

Images Courtesy of Bradley Wheeler

Above: Indigo Modern.

Right: Ice House Lofts.

Below: Rob Paulus.

“Design preserves the authentic industrial character of the existing building’s exterior shell while simultaneously infusing it with new life in the provision of 48 modern residential units. An additional three units are provided in a new triangular-shaped building along with a pool house and storage building for tenants,” according to robpaulus.com/projects/ice-house-lofts.

Materials reclaimed from the interior gained new life as courtyard and pool fencing, while the original ice-making equipment was sandblasted and re-displayed as entry makers for the project. New exterior elements included balconies and shading devices and are detailed in contrast with the original building. Such strategies have mitigated the building’s industrial scale and created humane, usable space for its occupants. The project has encouraged other developers to tackle inner-city projects that will help redefine Tucson’s downtown.

The Indigo Modern development at 3600 East Third Street was completed in 2007. The 11-loft units are located in the West University Neighborhood and Historic Fourth Avenue business district on the former site of a mobile home park and arizcc.com

dilapidated duplex on either side of Third Street. Planning separates cars and pedestrians while creating public and private paths and courtyards. Two rows of residential units flank a central walkway that culminates in a communal pool at the far end.

The primary trail ends at an eight-foot-diameter jet engine cowling sculpture acquired at a local aircraft salvage yard.

Light and space fill the flexible units.

Custom cabinetry and steel stairs provide clean lines, windows overlook private courtyard space, and private balconies offer uninterrupted views of the Santa Catalina Mountains. The units are highly insulated, enveloped with durable materials, pre-wired for photovoltaic power, and pre-plumbed for solar water heaters.

Most importantly, the project takes an underused infill property and taps into the existing infrastructure and heart of the desert city.

According to his website, “Rob Paulus is an architect, developer, and musician who creates unique environments that seek to transcend the ordinary and bring a higher level of consciousness and delight to the everyday. His approach to design and

improvised music is similar; work within the rules but also break them to produce fresh ideas.” I concur with this self-assessment.

Other Selected Tucson Projects include: • 2007 - Silverado Flats, 991 West Belvedere Avenue • 2008 - One North Fifth, 1 North Fifth Avenue • 2008 - 990 Offices, 990 East 17th Street • 2014 - Mister Car Wash, 222 East Fifth Street • 2015 - 20 E. Congress, 20 East Congress Street • 2015 - Ermanos Restaurant & Pavilion (2021), 220 North Fourth Avenue • 2019 - Trinity Office, 434 East University Boulevard • 2019 - Iron John’s Beer Pavilion, 555 East 18th Street • 2020 - Portal Cocktails, 220 North Fourth Avenue Douglas B. Sydnor, FAIA: is a Principal at Douglas Sydnor Architect + Associates, Inc. and the author of three architectural books.

Arizona Contractor & Community

EIGHTY FOUR

September October 2022

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Images Courtesy of New Pueblo

DIGGING THROUGH THE ARCHIVES:

JEBCO’S EXPERIMENTAL MASS EXCAVATOR BILLY HORNER

S

an Simon is the last Arizona exit on Interstate 10, heading east to New Mexico. Once a station on the Butterfield Stage and later a stop on the Southern Pacific railroad’s transcontinental route, The small farming community was linked to auto travelers via State Route 86 in 1931.

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This two-lane blacktop was officially replaced by Interstate 10 between Tucson and New Mexico in 1970. A section of this new freeway near San Simon was built by longtime contractor Karl Ronstadt, who provided some insight on an experimental machine his outfit tried out during the road construction.

Ronstadt and his partner, Howard King, formed New Pueblo Constructors in 1959.

The Arizona Highway Department awarded the Tucson heavy earthmoving contractor

its first interstate road project in 1965.

The job consisted of 5 miles of road work, bridges, and interchanges at San Simon to a little past the San Simon River.

New Pueblo developed a relationship with local equipment dealer Road Machinery Co., a distributor of LeTourneau-Westinghouse. Jebco, located in Blair, Nebraska, manufactured machinery and attachments during the 1950s and 1960s, which were sold exclusively through LeTourneau-Westinghouse.

Above & Below: Adams blade with conveyor attachment loading scrapers pulling belly dump trailers, 1965.

Left: Road Machinery advertisement for the Adams 666 blade and Elegrader conveyor, 1957.

September October 2022

Image Courtesy of Arizona Contractor & Community

Operators for New Pueblo at San Simon: (l-r) Ed Gardner, Joe Cloutier, Bill Woods, Butch Townsend, and Pete Neighbors, 1966.

Image Courtesy of New Pueblo

Adams blade with conveyor attachment loading scrapers, 1965.

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Arizona Contractor & Community

Top left: Jebco Elegrader belt loader advertisement.

Left: Jeb-Loader brochure, 1960s.

Below: L.M. White Construction, Tucson, using an Adams blade with Jebco attachment filling a Caterpillar DW-21 scraper in Tucson, 1956.

Images Courtesy of Arizona Contractor & Community

Image Courtesy of Mark Pfeffer

“Our Road Machinery sales rep knew we had won the interstate project and loaned us this one-off machine to try out with the 777 Adams blade in hopes we’d like and purchase it,” Ronstadt recalls.

Jebco’s “Elegrader” first debuted in the mid-1950s with Arizona companies, including Tucson’s L.M. White, which used the machine on a road project in 1956.

The Jeb-Loader’s early models propelled a conveyor by attaching a long arm to the rear section of the blade, connecting a gear to the rear engine crank. New Pueblo was asked to try Jebco’s latest version, the Power-Pac “Jeb-Loader.” Rather than using the blade’s engine to power the conveyor, the Jeb-Loader incorporated a rubber-mounted 5044-7101 Detroit engine to propel the 36-foot long conveyor.

“It was sort of a cobbled-up idea someone had that they felt would go big, but it had too many flaws,” Ronstadt says. “It was made from a conveyor disc plow and a little cumbersome. Sort of a Micky Mouse kind of deal, but we used what we had and got the job done.”

Ronstadt stated that from his understanding, the machine was an experimental

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September October 2022

conveyor, basically an agricultural disc plow. “It was anchored onto our 777 Adams blade in two places, the rear end and front section of the table where the moldboard is. It attached to moldboard, which held the table where a conveyor shot out to the right some 35 feet. The conveyor ran off a diesel-powered engine,” he says. “The left side of the blade would cut 12-inches into the soil, with a 32-inch disc wheel knocking dirt up the conveyor. The yardage wasn’t significant and didn’t produce enough to consider using it again.”

The main problem was the constant stop and go, according to Ronstadt. “We had to stop the blade and wait for one truck to pull out and the next truck to come in before we could start again,” he says. “It didn’t have a splitter gate at the top, where you could switch between machines without halting production. Sandy farm soil was ideal for the machine, but natural desert clay with any aggregate would never work.

However, other machines proved successful in later years.”

Ed Gardner was New Pueblo’s blade operator on this project. The images show him keying into the bank and rolling the dirt onto the conveyor. Gardner could also control the conveyor motor from the operator’s seat when the machine needed to pause. “We had to take the moldboard off and attached the disc to blade lift arms,” Ronstadt says. “The easiest way to use the machine and not bind up the operations was to start on the outside of the cut and work your way in a circle. We had a long haul and were short on trucks, so we pulled regular semi-trailers with 631 scrapers hooked to a dolly.”

Not surprisingly, the machine didn’t become popular among construction firms.

“The Elegrader or Jebloader had already been discontinued by the time I came on board in 1982,” says Mark Pfeffer, general manager of Paxton-Mitchell Company. “My only involvement concerned parts sales which had already tapered off and was pretty much done in the first ten years or so.”

Pfeffer recalls the Elegrader line was managed by the Jebco division of Paxton-Mitchell Company, which also manufactured Snooper truck-mounted under bridge inspection devices. “The Blair, Nebraska-based company based was sold twice, beginning in 2011, and anything that had to do with Elegrader, including spare parts, literature manuals, were discarded or scrapped,” he says. arizcc.com

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Northern Parkway El Mirage Alternative Combs Construction Co. $5,059,761 8/2/2022

Sedona Airport Infield RSA Drainage J Banicki Construction Co. $850,699 7/14/2022

Destination Gateway BERGE Offsite Paving Redpoint Contracting Action Direct $7,074,415 7/21/2022

Glendale Various (GLN-0(259)T) Martell Electric $3,826,797 8/5/2022

Overlay Fall FY 22 23 Asphalt Paving & Supply $1,413,385 7/14/2022

Pavement Preservation Optimist Park Nesbitt $8,261,073 7/21/2022

Gilbert Road Bridge Salt River Archer Western Walsh Contractors $48,586,929 8/9/2022

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 1987 Pulice Const., Phoenix $5.2 Mil 17-Span Prestressed Bridge Holbrook The Tanner Companies, Phoenix $498,075 Road Resurfacing Four Sections of S.R. 95 Nesbitt Contracting, Mesa $413,311 Road Reconstruction Chandler JWJ Contracting, Phoenix $172,453 Bridge Replacement Fourth St. Over Buckeye Canal Kiewit Western, Phoenix $110,000 Road Reconstruction East of Payson Near Kohls Ranch Granite Const., Tucson $1.35 Mil Stone Ave Reconstruction Alamenda to Ochoa St. CS&W Contractors, Phoenix $89,079 Road Improvements Glendale to Union Hills Dr. James L. Fann Contracting, Prescott $166,081 Street Improvements Cortez St. Ajax Contracting, Phoenix $76,274 Paving Manzanita, Banjo Bill Campgrounds

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September October 2022

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328DL L CR 321DL CR

73,000 lb 54,000 lb

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Arizona Contractor & Community

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A to Z Rentals 480-558-0063 a-zequipment.com

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New Western Rentals 623-847-3594 newwesternrentals.com

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Southwest Grading 602-415-0222 stlaz.com

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Borderland 520-623-0900 borderland-inc.com

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Otto Trucking 480-641-3500 ottotrucking.com

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P. IFC

Fisher’s Tools 800-390-4063 fishertools.com

P. 65

Ozzies 800-758-6634 ozzies.com

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P. IBC

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Pacwest Rentals 480-832-0855 pacwesttrading.com

P. 59

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P. 79

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P. 14

GoodFellow 623-594-5401 goodfellowcorp.com

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Preach Building Supply 602-944-4594 preachbuildingsupply.com

P. 85

Vermeer Southwest 480-785-4800 vermeersouthwest.com

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CAMS 602-331-5455 cams-az.com

P. 30

Herc Rentals 602-269-5931 hercrentals.com

P. 22

Reuter Fabrication 602-415-0449 reuterequipment.com

P. 13

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P. 40

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P. 28

Insearch Corp 480-940-0100 insearchcorp.com

P. 85

RT Underground 602-622-6789

P. 34

Woudenberg Properties 480-620-8555 woudenbergprops.com

P. 3

CED 602-437-4200 cedphx.com

P. 26

Insurica 602-273-1625 insurica.com

P. 65

S&S Paving 602-437-0818 sspaving.com

P. 40

WSM 623-936-3300 wsmauctioneers.com

P. 4

Cemex 602-416-2652 cemexusa.com

P. 30

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P. 93, BC

Salt River Materials Group 480-850-5757 srmaterials.com

P. 84

Wyman 480-695-4636 wymanexcavating.com

P. 26

Cliffco 602-442-6913 cliffcorepair.com

P. 3

KE&G 520-748-0188 kegtus.com

P. 11, 60-64

Shanes Grading & Paving 602-992-2201 shanespaving.com

P. 22

Copperweld 615-622-4716 copperweld.com

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Keystone Concrete 480-835-1579 keystoneconcretellc.com

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Shanes Hauling 602-992-2201 shanespaving.com

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Curry Fluid Power 602-661-6596 curryfluidpower.com

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Landco Power 480-788-1333 landcorental.com

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Sharp Creek Contracting 602-437-3040 sharpcreek.com

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Ninety four

For Advertising Inquiries contact: Billy Horner 602-931-0069 Billy@arizcc.com

September October 2022

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