Value of Georgia’s May Contracts Slides 56%

May was another terrible month for new contracts in the state of Georgia, according to the latest information from McGraw-Hill Construction, publisher of Southeast Construction. The company reported that the overall value of new Georgia contracts signed in May for future construction fell 56% compared to the same period of a year ago. That was on par with the previous month, when new contracts slid 57%. The total value of new contracts for the month was $842.5 million, compared to last May’s total of more than $1.9 billion.

All three markets measured by McGraw-Hill Construction again showed steep declines. The residential category once again fell the most, dropping 66% compared to last year, for a total of about $274.1 million. That compares to last year’s total of nearly $807.3 million for residential.

The nonresidential category dropped 46% to total $428.5 million for the month. Last May, nonresidential contracts totaled nearly $792 million.

The nonbuilding sector, which includes infrastructure projects, declined 57% to total nearly $139.9 million. A year ago, the nonbuilding category totaled $321.8 million.

For the year to date, Georgia activity is now 51% behind the first five months of 2008, with approximately $4 billion in new contracts so far, compared to the nearly $8.1 billion at the same time last year. The nonresidential sector is 47% behind the 2008 pace, with about $2 billion in new contracts so far. Residential is 61% behind last year’s pace, with $1.2 billion in new contracts. The nonbuilding market is 35% behind last year, with a $771.4-million total.

Cobb Co. Airport Project Named Project of the Year

The American Concrete Pavement Association, Southeast Chapter announced that the Cobb County Airport-McCollum Field Runway 9-27 Widening and Overlay, Phase II project was named Airport Project of the Year in the general aviation category by the Southeast chapter of the American Association of Airport Executives.

The Cobb County Airport project was the first general aviation facility within the FAA’s Southern Region to use whitetopping on a runway. Whitetopping is a method of paving a concrete overlay of asphalt.

The LPA Group was the project’s design engineer. The Georgia Dept. of Transportation was the project owner. Six-S Inc. was the prime contractor.

Griffin Tops Out Gwinnett Physicians Center

R.J. Griffin & Co. of Atlanta recently topped out the steel structure of the Gwinnett Physicians Center on the campus of Gwinnett Medical Center in Lawrenceville for client Meadows & Ohly.

This project is a 129,503-sq-ft, four-story core and shell medical office building with a surface parking lot. Designed by Atlanta's Perkins + Will, the building will feature EIFS, brick and window wall skin and a pedestrian bridge linking the physicians center to the main hospital building.

The project is scheduled to be completed by late fall.

Batson-Cook Completes National Infantry Museum

Batson-Cook Co. of West Point, Ga., recently completed the $91-million National Infantry Museum in Columbus.

This new museum depicts the story of the infantryman from the Revolutionary War to the present. Construction of  the 170,000-sq-ft museum required approximately 500 employees, 9,500 cu yds of concrete, 400 tons of rebar, 100,000 concrete masonry units, 400,000 bricks and 1.5 million ft of wire and cable.

According to Batson-Cook, the project recorded 59,622.75 worker hours without a lost-time accident.

The owner was the National Infantry Foundation.

EPA Names Georgia Concrete Industry for National Leadership Award

The Georgia Concrete and Products Association was named the national award recipient among trade associations for environmental performance by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The group was nominated for the award by the Georgia Small Business Environmental Assistance Program of the Georgia Environmental Protection Division. 

The GC&PA represents ready-mixed concrete producers in Georgia, as well as manufacturers of cement-based products such as masonry block and paver products. 

Highlights of GC&PA’s environmental efforts in partnership with the Georgia SBEAP included: planning and sponsorship of environmental compliance workshops for ready-mix concrete producers; development of a best management practices guide for concrete truck wash down; and formation of and participation in an industry stakeholder group led by Georgia SBEAP to review and provide feedback to state regulators on a revised air quality permitting strategy for Georgia’s ready-mixed concrete facilities.

Officials with the association received the award in June during the EPA SBEAP National Conference in Louisville, Ky.

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