Quick Fix for Florida Bridge Damaged by Hurricane Ivan

The westbound bridge of Interstate 10 near Pensacola, Fla., which was knocked out by Hurricane Ivan, opened for traffic Oct. 5, seven days ahead of schedule. Kiewit subsidiary Gilbert Southern, Atlanta, and its joint-venture partner, marine contractor Massman Construction Co., Kansas City, Mo., completed the work in 17 days under a $24.4-million contract signed with the Florida Department of Transportation just two days after the storm hit.

The team had until Dec. 16 to complete work on the more heavily damaged eastbound bridge. To complete westbound work, the companies built seven new substructure bents, each with four 160-ft.-tall, 36-in.-dia. pipe piles, said Scott Cassels, Kiewit senior vice president. The bents were capped with structural steel girders.

A Manitowoc 4600 ringer crane was used to move 11 of the 220-ton deck slabs from the eastbound portion of the bridge to the new decking on the west side. Twenty slabs on the west side were moved back into normal alignment. Work on the eastbound bridge will include new bents and a temporary structural steel bridge. Source: Engineering News-Record.

Big Repair Costs Loom in Tampa

Evaluation of 35 of 224 foundations for an uncompleted elevated Tampa highway has revealed that most rest on unstable ground and will require reinforcing.

PCL Civil Constructors, a division of Edmonton, Canada-based PCL Enterprises, had been ahead of schedule on the reversible-lanes Lee Roy Selmon Crosstown Expressway project linking downtown Tampa and Interstate 75 near Brandon. Completion was to be in 2005 and is now slated for 2006.

Problems began April 13 when a pier sank 11 ft. The Tampa-Hillsborough Expressway Authority hired Orlando-based Ardaman & Associates to perform an independent forensic analysis. On July 6, another pier settled 1.3 in. Work halted and Ardaman's role expanded to include all 224 foundations.

Ardaman reported on Sept. 7 that the foundation under the first pier sank into undetected soft materials. Review of the remaining foundations is still in progress and should be finished by early February.

Remedial action may include construction of "sister shaft" reinforcements and grout injections to strengthen soils. If most of the foundations need work, repair costs could reach $70 million. Spokesperson Perry Dawn Brown said the authority expected general-engineering consultant URS to cover the costs. San Francisco-based URS has agreed to pay for field tests and design of foundation repairs but not yet for actual repair costs.

Until a settlement is reached, the authority is looking at ways to cover the costs without relying on taxes, tolls or the state Department of Transportation. Brown said the authority will ask to restructure its $100-million loan from FDOT and may sell bonds in 2005.

PCL continues to cast girders in its yard and do earthwork, said Jerry Harder, district vice president. "We have casting until the end of the year," he said. Still, PCL has had to lay off about 40 employees. Source: Engineering News-Record.

Florida Contract Activity Declines in September

The overall value of contracts for future construction in Florida dipped significantly in September, McGraw-Hill Construction reported. Perhaps impacted by a series of major hurricanes that hit the state, even the soaring residential category declined, as the most recently monthly figures for Florida contract activity tallied 16 percent below last September's.

In September, the value of residential contracts decreased by 8 percent compared to September 2003. The most recent month's report indicated an estimated $2.9 billion for this sector, down from the roughly $3.2 billion of a year ago. Nonbuilding construction was also a major contributor to the overall downturn, decreasing 63 percent from last year to total just under $332.3 million, compared to the year-ago figure of $892.4 million. Nonresidential was the only market to show a positive pace, increasing 4 percent to total roughly $798.1 million, compared to last year's $769.4 million.

Even so, for the first nine months of 2004, overall activity in Florida has increased by 15 percent, from the $37.6 billion total reported in this period in 2003 to 2004's $43.3 billion total. To date, however, residential remains the only positive sector, up 26 percent so far in 2004, with roughly $30.6 billion in activity reported. With its 4 percent increase in September, nonresidential is now even with 2003, with an estimated $8 billion in contracts reported to date. The nonbuilding sector, after turning positive for the year in August, is now 9 percent behind 2003's pace, with a roughly $4.7 billion total.

Eby May Sell Florida, Texas Operations

Martin K. Eby Construction Co., a contractor that was founded during the depths of the Great Depression and became one of the most respected open-shop employers in the industry, is struggling under the triple blow of contract cost overruns and lost surety and bank credit. The Wichita, Kan.-based company said it is currently exploring sales of its Florida and Texas operations to try to cut expenses and boost its balance sheet.

Eby executives say the company has unpaid claims of about $25 million on two recently completed public projects in Florida and Texas. When the St. Paul Cos., the contractor's key surety, merged with Travelers Property Casualty Corp. earlier this year, everything changed. At a July 28 meeting with Eby, the surety declined to issue any more payment or performance bonds. "We have bid work where no bond is needed but of course that limits our cash flow and ability to maintain normal operations," said Jim Grier, the company's chairman.

The loss of surety credit constituted a significant financial event triggering suspension of the company's line of credit by its key lender, Wichita-based Intrust Bank. Some of Eby's co-sureties have been providing the company with working capital, said Grier.

Rich Bean, Eby's president and chief operating officer, termed the triple misfortune of cost overruns and lost surety and bank credit a "kind of perfect storm."

Texas and Florida were not new markets to the contractor. Grier said the company's claims on both bad projects in those states are based on several causes including differing site conditions. One of the jobs is a $36-million contract to build a bridge over a coastal waterway in Jacksonville, Fla., for the Jacksonville Transportation Authority. Eby has filed a lawsuit over part of its claim in U.S. district court in Jacksonville. The other project involves work on a light-rail transit line for the Dallas Area Rapid Transit agency. Neither agency could be reached for comment.

Bean, the Eby family and Grier, who is related to the Eby family by marriage, are owners of the company stock. They plan to continue operations in Kansas and build up business again after settling claims and repaying sureties. The company had 2003 revenue of about $171 million. Source: Engineering News-Record. By Richard Korman

16-Screen Megaplex Planned for Boynton Beach Mall

Simon Property Group, a real-estate investment trust based in Indianapolis, and Muvico Theaters of Fort Lauderdale recently announced plans for a 16-screen megaplex theater at Simon's Boynton Beach Mall in Boynton Beach.

The 16-screen complex is estimated to have a total seating capacity of approximately 3,800 seats.

Construction Starts on Paul J. Hagerty High School

Construction began in October on a new 2,500-student Paul J. Hagerty High School in Oviedo. The new school is an expansion of Chiles Middle School that was designed by SchenkelShultz Architecture of Orlando to be the future anchor of the new high school.

The expansion more than doubles the school's size from the original size to 352,000 sq. ft., and includes two new two-story classroom buildings, media center, performing arts center with auditorium, 1,700-seat gymnasium, 3,000-seat football stadium and other amenities.

The project is scheduled to be complete by the 2006-2007 school year.

MGE Architects to Design West Kendall Baptist Hospital

MGE Architects of Coral Gables has been retained by Baptist Health South to design West Kendall Baptist Hospital in Miami.

The 80-bed, acute-care hospital will include a central energy plant and a medical office building. The project is expected to be completed in 2008.

Broward Co. Retains Designer for Family Court Facility

Broward County recently retained a joint venture of Atlanta-based Heery International, Spillis Candella and Partners of Coral Gables and Cartaya and Associates of Fort Lauderdale to handle both master planning and design services for the Broward County Family Court project.

The facility will include 10 courtrooms, 28 hearing rooms and 15 judge suites. In addition, space will be provided for the sheriff and holding areas, administrative support space and clerk functions.

Developer Breaks Ground on The Landmark

HomeDevco Development Corp. recently broke ground on The Landmark at the Gardens, its luxury high-rise condominium project in Palm Beach Gardens. The Landmark development follows HomeDevco's Downtown at the Gardens project, a 350,000-sq.-ft. retail complex already under construction.

The towers will feature 166 residences ranging in size from 1,870 sq. ft. to more than 5,000 sq. ft.

Clancy & Theys to Build LaColonnade Condo in Satellite Beach

Clancy & Theys Construction Co., with offices in Orlando, has been selected to build the LaColonnade condominium project in Satellite Beach in Brevard County. The post-tensioned concrete structure project totals roughly 120,000 sq. ft. The project includes installation of underground stormwater retention tanks and erection of a two-story parking garage with storage below the building.

The two six-story buildings incorporate 20 residences with angled ocean views. Construction on LaColonnade began in August with a projected completion date of October 2005.

Also, the company recently completed construction on the relocation and refurbishment of three passenger boarding bridges for Spirit Airlines at the Orlando International Airport. The project was completed in October.