Georgia 6, March 22, 2023

State’s Largest Project Reaches Critical Milestone

Georgia Power has announced that Vogtle Unit 3, which crews from Bechtel have been diligently working to complete, has safely reached initial criticality. Initial criticality is a key step during the startup testing sequence and demonstrates that — for the first time —operators have safely started the nuclear reaction inside the reactor. Achieving initial criticality is necessary to continue the startup of the unit in order to generate sufficient heat for the production of electricity.

These new reactors are the first to be constructed in the United States in the past 32 years.

A third and a fourth reactor were approved for construction at Vogtle by the Georgia Public Service Commission in 2009. The company now said Unit 3 could begin commercial operation in May or June. Unit 4 is projected to begin commercial operation sometime between this November and March 2024. Southern Nuclear will operate the new units on behalf of the co-owners Georgia Power, Oglethorpe Power, MEAG Power and Dalton Utilities.

The cost of the third and fourth reactors was originally supposed to be $14 billion. The reactors are now supposed to cost more than $30 billion.

“We knew building the first new nuclear units in the U.S. in more than 30 years would be challenging, but the project has endured extraordinary circumstances during construction, including the pandemic as the most recent,” said Jeff Wilson, Georgia Power spokesman. “Through it all, the project has endured and overcome multiple challenges. Vogtle 3 and 4 remains a critical investment for this state and, once the

Coca-Cola, County Officials Break Ground On $85M Project

Coca-Cola Bottling Company United Inc. (UNITED) officials and Macon-Bibb County officials have officially broken ground on an $85 million investment to its Macon facility on Feb. 28

The project, awarded to Alabama-based Brasfield & Gorrie, includes expanding the existing warehouse by approximately 26,000 sq. ft., installing a warehousing system and optimizing distribution operations that will benefit associates, customers and communities in Macon-Bibb County and surrounding areas. The expansion also is expected to generate approximately 50 new

jobs.

Alongside local and state elected officials, community partners and community leaders, the Coca-Cola Polar Bear was a special guest in attendance. A special “Cola-Cola toast” was the pinnacle of the event.

“We’re honored that Coca-Cola Bottling Company United is leaning on our decades of industrial construction experience to expand this warehouse,” said Brasfield & Gorrie Vice President, Division Manager Michael Tortorici. “With more than 450 industrial projects under our belts, we’re

see COCA-COLA page 10

Georgia Connection: Rich Olivier, Atlanta, GA •

“The Nation’s Best Read Construction Newspaper… Founded in 1957.”

Georgia Power has announced that Plant Vogtle’s Unit 3 has accomplished a key step toward reaching commercial operation at the first new nuclear reactors built from scratch in decades in the United States.

Coca-Cola photo

The project includes expanding the existing warehouse by approximately 26,000 sq. ft., installing a warehousing system and optimizing distribution operations that will benefit associates, customers and communities in Macon-Bibb County and surrounding areas.

Construction On $73M I-20 Bridge Over Savannah River May Last Another Year

Just over four years ago, construction began on the Interstate 20 bridges over the Savannah River at the GeorgiaSouth Carolina state line. The $73 million project’s primary objectives were to replace the aging spans and expand their four lanes to six.

“Everybody knows it’s a major undertaking,” Kyle Collins, a spokesperson of the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT), recently told Augusta’s sister TV stations, WRDW/WAGT. “These bridges have reached the end of their service life. Older designs like these structures typically have a 50-year lifespan, and we are beyond 50 years at this point.”

GDOT and the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) are working in tandem to restore and widen the existing eastbound and westbound I-20 bridges over the Augusta Canal and the river within the cities of Augusta and North Augusta, S.C. It is the first such agreement between the two states for a design-build project.

Crews are not only replacing the existing bridge structures to improve safety and operations along the freeway, but also working on the nearby West Martintown Road Interchange in South Carolina to improve its safety and operation.

The GDOT/SCDOT project was awarded to the designbuild team of Superior Construction, which has a Southeast office in Jacksonville, Fla.; and WSP, an engineering and design firm based in New York.

Construction began in December 2019, according to GDOT.

Long, Winding Road to Completion

But some traveling the interstate daily say it cannot be finished soon enough.

“I’m trying to [merge] over, you know, because the lane is ending,” said Jobe Sullivan in speaking with the Augusta TV news stations, “but nobody wants to allow you over. It’s like [being] at Daytona, and it’s not safe.”

Interstate 20 is a roadway that thousands travel on each day. Some choose to avoid it, but for Sullivan and her active family, it is a road they cannot sidestep.

“Multiple times on weekends, many of our tournaments are on the Georgia side of the river,” she explained, adding that they come to Augusta’s Riverside Park, which has many ballfields, tennis courts, and a gymnasium. “We’re traveling that bridge because it’s the most convenient way to get across into [the city].”

Sullivan said if something does not change soon to make it easier to navigate around the bridge construction work, she fears for the safety of others.

“Especially with my son in the car, it causes some anxiety, just, you know, wanting to make sure that we’re safe,” she noted. “It’s not necessarily me or what I’m doing that I have to worry about, it’s [what other drivers are doing].”

Construction Could Last Until 2024

Although the completion of the I-20/Savannah River Bridge replacement project was set for this year, WRDW/WAGT-TV reported March 7 that the project’s construction finish has “allegedly been bumped to 2024.”

Collins did not confirm that, but he acknowledged that the road and bridge work is slightly behind the initial schedule released in early 2020.

National Equipment Dealers Acquires Crosby Equipment

On Feb. 22, 2023, National Equipment Dealers LLC finalized the acquisition of Crosby Equipment Company, a fellow Hyundai Construction Equipment dealer based in middle and south Georgia.

Crosby Equipment Company is a family-owned business with locations in Douglas, Ga., and Macon, Ga. In September of 2012, Jerome and Tammy Crosby purchased a well-established Kubota tractor and compact equipment dealership, located in Douglas, Ga. They changed the name to Crosby Equipment Company, and over the years, they expanded their product offerings to include brands that catered more to the heavy construction and forestry equipment businesses.

In 2014, Crosby Equipment took on the Hyundai Construction Equipment line. Currently, Crosby Equipment Company supports customers across multiple industries including general contractors, land clearing contractors, full site developers, forestry and mulching companies, farmers and others.

“It’s a major undertaking, about a roughly 2-mi.-long area from the Georgia Welcome Center going all the way to Exit 1 at West Martintown Road across the state line,” he explained to WRDW/WAGT. “The contractor has done a great job dealing with the challenges that [all] businesses have dealt with the last few years in terms of material availability, workforce, fighting through weather, but they’ve been good with us trying to stick to some of the milestones.”

Besides replacing the old bridges over the Augusta Canal and Savannah River and expanding I-20 with an extra lane in each direction, GDOT and the contractor are adding 12ft.-wide shoulders on the inside and outside of the roadway. Collins said the improved shoulders will add much more roadway capacity and increase safety in the area when first responders must deal with accidents.

Milestone to Come Ahead of Masters Week

Hanging over the entire project for the next month, as it has for each of the last three years, is that the Masters golf tournament will be held during the first week of April — an event that always increases traffic throughout the region.

Collins noted that the contractors are pushing to complete the final alignment of I-20 westbound bridge prior to Masters week.

Whenever the I-20 bridge project is done, though, he believes the bridge replacement will be a tremendous upgrade for the Augusta region. 

“Over the years we enjoyed building our business by developing loyal relationships with people we know in our communities. We are a family-owned business and we have enjoyed being able to sell to our neighbors, friends, and family,” said Jerome Crosby, owner and CEO of Crosby Equipment Company

Now part of NED LLC, Crosby Equipment will change its name to National Equipment Dealers LLC, also recognized as NED.

“NED will expand the current Crosby Equipment business model to include a significant rental equipment fleet, as well as several new brands that will round out their product offering,” said Will Blackerby, VP of Fleet, NED LLC.

In addition to the Hyundai Construction Equipment line, the new NED Douglas and NED Macon branches will now represent Bell articulated dump tucks and track trucks, Fiori dumpers, Sakai soil compaction products, XCMG construction equipment, Manitou compact equipment, Fuchs material handlers, BTA hammers, Prinoth mulching equipment, Barko forestry mulching equipment, and other brands and attachments represented by NED across the company.

“I am excited for the future of Crosby’s employees and customers. Like Crosby Equipment, NED is also a familyoriented company, with many new brands and resources that will expand and improve the company’s product offerings and customer support throughout Georgia,” Jerome Crosby continued.

For more information, visit nedealers.com. 

GDOT photo Workers install a scupper drain pipe.

Construction Under Way On Georgia-Timber Office Building

Jamestown, a real estate investment and management firm, with offices in the United States and overseas, announced Feb. 27 that vertical construction had begun on 619 Ponce, a four-story mass timber loft office building at Ponce City Market in Atlanta.

When finished, the structure will be a mix of 85,000 sq. ft. of office space and 25,000 sq. ft. of retail volume. Additionally, it is being constructed with local, Georgiagrown timber, according to a Jamestown press release sent to What Now Atlanta, an online news source.

Most timber used for this type of construction is typically sourced from Canada, Austria or Germany.

Jamestown’s use of Georgia-grown timber and a regional supply chain — a “first” for mass timber construction in the state — reduces the Ponce City Market project’s transportation emissions and the overall environmental impact of construction, maximizing the sustainability benefits of mass timber, the development company explained in its release.

“Mass timber is the future of sustainable development, and the future of mass timber is locally sourced,” said Jamestown President Michael Phillips. “619 Ponce will help redefine sustainable mass timber construction in the Southeast, providing developers and architects with a clear path forward for using local timber.”

Georgia An Ideal Home for Mass Timber Harvesting

According to the Georgia Forestry Foundation (GFF), Georgia is particularly well positioned as a leader in wood product manufacturing and sustainable forest management with two-thirds of the state’s land area covered in thick forests.

“Ponce City Market has been a beacon of sustainable redevelopment for Atlanta and the state of Georgia,” added Andres Villegas, president and CEO of GFF. “Jamestown is leading the way again with our state’s first Georgia-grown mass timber project, showcasing the ability of [the state’s] working forests to capture carbon and sustainably support the needs of a growing state.”

The columns, beams and floor slabs at 619 Ponce are made of local southern yellow pine sawtimber harvested from Peach State forests, including from timberland Jamestown owns and manages near Columbus.

The sawtimber was transported to the Georgia-Pacific (GP) mill in Albany, where it was converted into lumber. From there, the wood product was transported to SmartLam’s mass timber facility in Dothan, Ala., where it was manufactured into cross laminated timber (CLT) panels.

Once delivered to the Ponce City Market, the CLT panels will be erected onsite by StructureCraft Construction, a New York State company, and Kansas City, Mo.-based J.E. Dunn. Handel Architects is the designer of the 619 Ponce project.

Envisioned as Healthy Living Space

Designed with a focus on “sustainability and wellness,” 619 Ponce is seeking net neutral operational carbon, LEED Core & Shell certification, and Fitwel certification, a real estate environmental designation platform committed to building healthy living spaces.

Additionally, the project aims to use best practices for material specification, prioritizing human health by “minimizing chemicals of concern in building materials with special focus on interior high touch elements.”

The completion of 619 Ponce’s construction is slated to occur sometime in 2024, Jamestown noted in its press release.

The new structure’s amenities will include onsite daycare and medical facilities, direct access to the Atlanta BeltLine, bike storage, and complimentary access to The Roof at Ponce City Market. In addition to outdoor space on every level, the building’s biophilic design will feature natural wood columns and ceilings as well as floor-to-ceiling windows with operable panels.

619 Ponce is part of Ponce City Market’s next phase, which also includes a flexible-stay hospitality living building featuring 405 furnished units with short-term and long-term stay options; and Signal House, a multi-family rental building designed for active adults and the 55-years and older community.

Including its Georgia timberlands, Jamestown owns and sustainably manages more than 100,000 acres across Alabama, South Carolina, New York, Pennsylvania and Indiana. The lands are managed under the 2022 SFI Forest Management Standard, which provides third-party verification of sustainable forestry management based on several factors, including measures to protect water quality, biodiversity, wildlife habitat and threatened and endangered species.

“Since starting as a small lumber manufacturer in 1927, Georgia-Pacific has a rich history of innovation in the building products industry,” said Fritz Mason, president of lumber at GP. “As pioneers in the use of southern yellow pine, we’re proud to support Jamestown and SmartLam as they work to usher in the evolution of southern yellow pine in mass timber construction.” 

Rendering courtesy of Handel Architects LLP

Located next to the famous Ponce City Market in Atlanta’s Old Fourth Ward neighborhood, 619 Ponce is a new four-story project with three levels of office space as well as ground floor retail.

Georgia Power Builds Nation’s First Reactors in 32 Years

POWER from page 1

new units are online, they will provide low-cost, reliable and emissions-free electricity for the state of Georgia for at least 60 to 80 years.”

As the largest construction project in the state, Georgia Power's Vogtle project employs more than 7,000 workers and will lead to 800 permanent new jobs upon completion. The construction crews utilized many pieces of heavy equipment including numerous cranes, excavators, dozers, loaders and other standard pieces of equipment.

“The project [faced] significant challenges to performance, particularly in the areas of construction remediation work, work package closure, system turnovers and subcontracted scopes of work, all of which have been exacerbated by the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic onsite," stated the Vogtle Construction Monitoring Report. “The project team [prioritized] safety and quality over schedule.”

“We remain focused on safely bringing this unit online, fully addressing any issues and getting it right at every level,” said Chris Womack, chairman, president and CEO of Georgia Power. “Reaching initial criticality is one of the final steps in the startup process and has required tremendous diligence and attention to detail from our teams. When you consider the history of safe and reliable operations at Vogtle Units 1 and 2 for decades now, it puts today’s milestone in perspective that Plant Vogtle will be a four-unit site making it the largest of its kind in the U.S. This is a truly exciting time as we prepare to bring online a new nuclear unit that will serve our state with clean and emission-free energy for the next 60 to 80 years.”

Vogtle Unit 3 continues with startup testing which demonstrates the integrated operation of the primary coolant system

and steam supply system at design temperature and pressure with fuel inside the reactor. Now that the Unit 3 reactor has reached criticality, operators will continue to raise power to support synchronizing the generator to the electric grid and begin producing electricity. Then, operators will continue increasing power through multiple steps, ultimately raising power to 100 percent. These tests are designed to ensure all systems are operating together and to validate operating procedures prior to declaration of Commercial Operation. The

in-service date for Unit 3 is projected during May or June 2023.

The new Vogtle units are an essential part of Georgia Power’s commitment to delivering clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy to its 2.7 million customers. Once operating, the two new units, which will be clean energy sources that produce zero air pollution, are expected to power more than 500,000 homes and businesses. 

(All photos courtesy of Georgia Power.)

These new reactors are the first to be constructed in the United States in the past 32 years.

A third and a fourth reactor were approved for construction at Vogtle by the Georgia Public Service Commission in 2009. The company now said Unit 3 could begin commercial operation in May or June. Unit 4 is projected to begin commercial operation sometime between this November and March 2024.

Georgia Power’s Vogtle project employs more than 7,000 workers and will lead to 800 permanent new jobs upon completion.

Brasfield & Gorrie to Build Coca-Cola Expansion in Macon

energized by complex projects.”

The expansion is the latest chapter of Coca-Cola’s 121-year history in Macon, where bottling operations began in 1902. Macon Coca-Cola joined the Coca-Cola United family of local bottlers in 2017. The facility serves 18 counties and sells and distributes about 7.2 million cases of CocaCola products annually.

Jack Sherman, director of Coca-Cola UNITED’s Savannah River Division that includes Macon Coca-Cola and eight other sales centers in Georgia, added the expansion is part of Coca-Cola UNITED’s strategic plan of investing in facilities across its six-state footprint.

“For 121 years, our business has been built on a strong foundation of family, service and community,” Sherman said. “We’ve experienced tremendous growth over the past few years, and this expansion shows our optimism for this market and the state of Georgia for the future.”

“We are proud to call Mayor [Lester] Miller, the Macon-Bibb County Industrial Authority and other local and state officials partners in our work to better serve our associates, customers and communities,” said Macon Coca-Cola Sales Center Manager

Eddie Cummins. “This expansion will enable us to provide a higher level of service and is a tangible example of our commitment to Macon-Bibb and surrounding areas for years to come.”

“The impact Coca-Cola and other indus-

tries have on our city and state gives me a great sense of pride,” said Macon-Bibb County Mayor Lester Miller. “Working with Coca-Cola UNITED to expand their roots in our community shows our desire to have a business-friendly community that everyone

can benefit from.”

About Coca-Cola Bottling Company United Inc.

Coca-Cola Bottling Company United, Inc., founded in 1902 and headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., is the second largest privately held Coca-Cola bottler in North America and the third largest bottler of Coca-Cola products in the U.S. Now with its fifth generation of family working in the business, Coca-Cola UNITED has more than 10,000 associates located in more than 50 facilities across six southeastern states (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee).

About MBCIA

The Macon-Bibb County Industrial Authority works with stakeholders on the local, state, and national levels to attract new business investment to Macon-Bibb County. The Authority and strategic community partners create a business-friendly climate that results in an increased tax base for the county. Catalyzing job growth and strengthening corporate infrastructure at its various industrial parks are vital elements to its longstanding, successful economic development record. To learn more, visit www.mbcia.com. 

New $117M Student Housing Facility Coming to Georgia Tech

The University System of Georgia Board of Regents in midFebruary approved Georgia Tech’s proposal to construct a new, $117 million student residential facility on the Atlanta campus to accommodate first-year enrollment growth over the next decade and enable the university to undertake improvements to its existing housing inventory.

“This will be Tech’s first new construction since 2005, when [the] 10th and Home [building] opened to accommodate our growing graduate and family student populations,” explained Kasey Helton, Georgia Tech’s associate vice president for Campus Services. “We are excited about being able to further accommodate our first-year students and paving the way for important improvements on our aging residential inventory, while maintaining affordability and offering a compelling and supportive [housing] experience.”

The new dormitory space will be built on the west side of campus

along Northside Drive between Eighth and Ninth streets in downtown Atlanta. The nearly 191,000sq.-ft. residence hall will accommodate approximately 850 beds, which the university believes will aid in the housing of students who are moved due to renovations on some of Georgia Tech’s existing residence halls. Resident support spaces will include collaborative learning spaces, community lounges and group kitchens.

“The expansion of residential facilities will help Georgia Tech make positive advances in increasing access, enhancing the quality of the co-curricular experience, and cultivating well-being — all earmarks of the [university’s] strategic plan,” explained Luoluo Hong, vice president of Student Engagement and Well-Being at the college, renowned as one of the top science and engineering schools in the United States.

Project Is One Part of Long-Term Campus Plan

The new residential facility sup-

ports the goals of Georgia Tech’s emerging Comprehensive Campus Plan (CCP), which the university describes as “a living document that will inform how campus space can be utilized to support the growing and changing campus community for the next 10 years and beyond. Steeped in the Institute’s strategic plan and commitment to people, research, and teaching, the

CCP will demonstrate how Georgia Tech will lead and inspire by example in creating a roadmap for the sustainable development and management of the campus.”

“The creation of the [CCP] will guide campus development and capital investments on and around the Atlanta campus for the future,” explained Maria Cimilluca, vice president of Infrastructure and

Sustainability at the university. “This is significant because it will also strengthen Georgia Tech as an anchor institution for the neighboring communities and Atlanta as a whole.”

A start date for the new residential hall has not been announced by the university, but the building’s completion is targeted for fall 2026. 

Brasfield & Gorrie photo Brasfield & Gorrie was selected as the general contractor to expand the facility, which is expected to generate approximately 50 new jobs.

COCA-COLA from page 4

Rendering courtesy of Georgia Tech

The new dormitory space will be built on the west side of campus along Northside Drive between Eighth and Ninth streets in downtown Atlanta and will accommodate approximately 850 beds.

Connected to Customers, from Rock to Road®

We help build the roads that connect goods to markets, people to communities and families to one other. Astec pavers, screeds, mills, stabilizers and MTVs yield innovative and reliable Rock to Road solutions that create value and connection. We are inspired to connect with our customers through innovative design for safe and reliable roads. astecindustries.com