TEXAS STATE EDITION
A Supplement to:
January 10 2016 Vol. I • No. 1
“The Nation’s Best Read Construction Newspaper… Founded in 1957.” Your Texas Connection • Dale Agnew, Carrollton, TX • 1-877-877-4997
Breaking New Ground: $650M Expansion for Medical Center By Brenda Ruggiero CEG CORRESPONDENT
A $650 million renovation and expansion project is transforming the Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center in Houston. Part of the Memorial Hermann Health System, the hospital was the first to open in the Texas Medical Center. Known as the Breaking New Ground project, highlights include a new, state-of-the-art patient care tower and a second building with parking and infrastructure capabilities to support future growth and renovation of existing pavilions on the sprawling campus. The project began in 2014 and is cur- Memorial Hermann-Texas rently on schedule for a 2019 completion Medical Center photo date. The contract was awarded to A $650 million Balfour Beatty Construction. renovation There will be two new buildings — one patient care tower and one parking and expansion project is and infrastructure building. The 15-floor transforming patient care tower will house the Texas the Memorial Trauma Institute and Memorial Hermann HermannLife Flight, including the John S. Dunn Texas Medical Helistop and dispatch center. Center in A total of 1.34 million sq. ft. (124,490 Houston. see MEDICAL page 16
Austin OK’s Construction, Demolition, Recycling Ordinance By Brenda Ruggiero CEG CORRESPONDENT
In November, the city council of Austin, Texas, approved an ordinance to increase the reuse and recycling of materials from construction and demolition projects. The Construction and Demolition Recycling Ordinance is set to go into effect in October 2016. The action came about through recommendations proposed by the Zero Waste Advisory Commission (ZWAC). As the ordinance was being developed, Austin city staff members received input from people involved with architectural design, engineering, construction, demolition, deconstruction hauling and material processing, as well as from civic groups.
Numerous meetings were held throughout the year, and ordinance drafts were created and revised in August, September, October and November. Currently, it is reported that construction and demolition projects generate at least 20 percent of all materials that go into Austin’s area landfills. Under the new ordinance, construction projects larger than 5,000 sq. ft. (464.5 sq m) will be required to have a 50 percent diversion of materials. In 2019, requirements will also include commercial demolition projects. “This ordinance takes a huge step toward achieving Austin’s Zero Waste goal by requiring more recycling and reuse of valuable materials,” said Bob Gedert, Austin Resource Recovery director. Gedert reported that the ordinance builds
on two decades of construction material reuse and recycling guidelines championed by the Austin Energy Green Building (AEGB) program. Because many affordable housing developments are already required to comply with AEGB standards (including 50 percent materials diversion), the ordinance poses a neutral impact on affordable housing. Other new projects could experience an increase of 0.1 to 0.2 percent in total construction costs. A workshop on deconstruction is planned for Feb. 4, 2016. For more information, visit www.austintexas.gov/construction-demolition. About Austin Resource Recovery Austin Resource Recovery provides a wide range of services designed to transform
waste into resources while keeping the community clean. Services include curbside collection of recycling, trash, yard trimmings, and large brush and bulk items; street sweeping; dead animal collection; household hazardous waste disposal and recycling; and outreach and education. In December 2011, the Austin City Council approved the Austin Resource Recovery Master Plan, which is the city’s roadmap to Zero Waste. The city of Austin is committed to reducing the amount of waste sent to area landfills by 90 percent by 2040 or sooner. (This story also can be found on Construction Equipment Guide’s Web site at www.constructionequipmentguide.com.) CEG