Pacific Builder and Engineer articles from June 2006

Pacific Builder and Engineer archives from June 2006

Contract Awards Summary.
June 5, 2006... Staff How To Use the Contract Awards Summary: All numbers and charts are in real dollars. The chart immediately below tracks cumulative awards for all categories of construction in PB&E 's five-state area. The last two years are shown...

Briefs.(manufacturing industry news)
June 5, 2006... Staff Clackamas, Ore. -- The National Utility Contractors Association recently presented three of its 2005 NUCA Chapter Awards of Excellence to NUCA of Oregon and SW Washington. The award for Outstanding Leadership by a Chapter...

Small Engine, Big Power.
June 5, 2006... Staff Cummins Inc. launched the new QSB3.3 engine at the INTERMAT exhibition, April 24-29, with a power range extending from 80 horsepower to 110 horsepower. Meeting EPA Tier 3 and EU Stage IIIA emissions standards, the QSB3.3 is the...

Industry Watch.(Mid-Mountain Machinery Inc.)(construction equipment industry)
June 5, 2006... Staff Spokane -- Mid-Mountain Machinery Inc. is the new distributor for Case Construction Equipment products in Eastern Washington, following the recent acquisition of Western Power & Equipment branches in Spokane and Clarkston, Wash. ...

New Products.
June 5, 2006... Staff Missoula, Mont.-- Komatsu America Corp. has introduced its new PC200LC-8 and PC220LC-8 hydraulic excavators, which are available through Modern Machinery's 11 locations in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Russia. The new...

Balanced Enforcement Sought.(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... Compiled by Carl Molesworth With the U.S. Department of Transportation's Office of Pipeline Safety up for reauthorization this year, members of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and Senate Commerce Committee are...

Reforming Pension Plans.(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... Compiled by Carl Molesworth A House-Senate Conference Committee continued to negotiate over the April recess between the differing proposals for reforming multi-employer pension plans. The final MEPP legislation should include...

Support for Dam Safety.
June 5, 2006... Compiled by Carl Molesworth The introduction of legislation in Congress to enact the National Dam Safety Act of 2006 has triggered a strong note of support from the nation's engineering community. The recent spate of dam failures...

More Pressure for Clean Water.(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... Compiled by Carl Molesworth Members of the Clean Water Council recently sat down this spring with the chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), to discuss several issues regarding water...

Nitrogen Inflation System.(Vehicle Inspection Systems Inc.)
June 5, 2006... Staff Vehicle Inspection Systems Inc. has introduced a high-performance nitrogen tire inflation system called VIS-Nitro that can help fleet operators reduce maintenance costs and improve tire life. Underinflation is the leading cause...

Laser-Based Grade Control.
June 5, 2006... Staff Trimble has announced the GCS600 Grade Control System for excavators. Designed for excavation, trenching, grading, and profile work, the Trimble GCS600 is intended for contractors looking for a flexible, economical and...

Inside the Emerald Mole.
June 5, 2006... Story by Carl Molesworth TBM Drilling Twin Tunnels Through Seattle's Beacon Hill From the smallest home repair to the largest heavy construction project, one key to success is having the right tool for the job. For Sound Transit's...

Attached to savings.
June 5, 2006... Staff Montana Contractor Uses Versatile Technology to Combat Rising Fuel Costs Ask Jerry and Becky Luce of Western Processing Inc., Ronan, Montana, what their biggest challenge is these days and they'll quickly and emphatically tell...

Strength and Durability.(Port of Seattle)(Full-Depth Reclamation)
June 5, 2006... By Katherine M. Dingman Full-Depth Reclamation Solves Construction Problems In Wet And Weak Soils On average, 57,000 tons of cargo is pushed through the Port of Seattle's Terminal 115 each month. Located just south of downtown...

Bridge Opening Set Back Three Months.(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... Staff Gig Harbor, Wash-- The Washington State Department of Transportation and its design-build contractor, Tacoma Narrows Constructors, announced this week that the new Tacoma Narrows Bridge will open to traffic in early July 2007. ...

King County OKs Treatment Alternative.(King County Department of Development and Environmental Services)(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... Staff Seattle-- The King County Department of Development and Environmental Services has issued a Blanket Adjustment for Basic Treatment for the Stormwater Management StormFilter. With this action, the StormFilter with ZPG media at a...

More Time Needed for Hanford Project.
June 5, 2006... Staff Hanford, Wash.-- The job of safely disposing of 53 million gallons of deadly waste left over from decades of plutonium production at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation has proved a difficult challenge for the U.S. Department of Energy...

New Proposal: Fix the Viaduct.(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... Staff Seattle-- There's a new twist in the ongoing debate over the fate of Seattle's earthquake-prone Alaska Way Viaduct. Until late April, the three options under consideration were replacement of the viaduct with a new structure,...

University Light Rail Extension Approved.
June 5, 2006... Staff Seattle-- The Sound Transit Board has approved a plan for extending light rail to the University of Washington with existing taxes and a $700 million federal grant that Sound Transit is seeking. "We want to start building the...

ABC Challenges Alaska Labor Department.(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... Staff Anchorage-- The Alaska chapter of Associated Builders & Contractors filed suit April 20 in Alaska Superior Court seeking to block the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development from awarding grants to union-sponsored...

Employees Get Supervisory Training.(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... Staff Vancouver, Wash.-- On April 21, Clark College's Corporate Education Department provided supervisory skills training to 30 Nutter Corp. field construction workers. Headquartered in Vancouver, Nutter Corp. employs more than 165...

Editor's Report.(Editorial)
June 19, 2006... By Carl Molesworth Feedback on Immigration On occasion, this column elicits response from a reader that bears sharing. Jay Demme, vice president of Emerald Paving Inc., Seattle, agreed to allow us to publish the following letter he...

Gateway Garage.
June 19, 2006... Story by Gene Storm Anchorage Rental Car Center Continues Airport Growth The Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport is a global, national and regional transportation hub that has experienced substantial growth over the past few...

Round and Round.
June 19, 2006... Staff Concrete Contractor Takes A Fun-Loving Approach It can be quite a sight to see when Cameron Contracting Inc. in Airway Heights, Wash., is working on a project. The company, never afraid of tackling the most challenging projects,...

Double Pump.
June 19, 2006... Edited By Carl Molesworth Elite Residential Project in Montana Poses Special Construction Challenges Billed as the world's only private ski and golf community, the Yellowstone Club is a gated development near Big Sky, Montana, with...

Green Projects Showcase Technologies and Practices.
June 19, 2006... Staff Portland-- Six building projects will receive a combined total of $425,000 in grants from the Green Investment Fund, a five-year, $2.5-million grant fund created to spur innovation in green building technologies and practices in...

Northwest Haulers Honored by SC&RA.(Fleet Safety Award)(Awards list)(Brief article)
June 19, 2006... Staff Hilton Head Island, S.C.-- Two companies based in the Northwest brought home awards from the annual conference of the Specialized Carriers & Rigging Association, held in Hilton Head Island, S.C. April 25-29. Whitewood Transport...

Eastlake Lofts Project Gets Under Way.(Express Construction)(Brief article)
June 19, 2006... Staff Seattle-- Express Construction recently began construction of the Eastlake Lofts at Eastlake Avenue East and East Lynn Street in Seattle. The four-story, 18-unit condominium building will have one level of underground parking and...

Briefs.
June 19, 2006... Staff Portland -- Lease Crutcher Lewis Corp. has added five people to its construction staff in Portland. The company hired Paul Riso to serve as a senior project manager. With nearly 20 years of construction experience, Riso has...

People.
June 19, 2006... Staff Redmond, Wash.-- Debbie George , director of marketing for Genie Industries, has been named to the Management Board of ConExpo-Con/Agg 2008. The board consists of 23 volunteer members from both the exhibitor and the attendee...

New Products.
June 19, 2006... Staff Kirkland, Wash.-- Kenworth Truck Co. now offers Caterpillar C15 600-horsepower and 625-horsepower engines on the Kenworth T800 high hood model. "Heavy hauler, rock and dirt, owner-operator, and logging customers with a...

Industry Watch.
June 19, 2006... Staff Bellingham, Wash.-- Hertz Equipment Rental Corp. hosted the grand opening of its Bellingham general rental facility on May 19. The celebration showcased the facility's new 8,500-square-foot showroom and new product line, which...