SPRING/SUMMER 2016 SITE WORK SPECIAL REPORT ATRIBUTEA TO THE MEN & WOMEN OF STEEL. Inside AGC Colorado: page 62

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1 SPRING/SUMMER 2016 SITE WORK SPECIAL REPORT ATRIBUTEA TO THE MEN & WOMEN OF STEEL Inside AGC Colorado: page 62

2 Spring/Summer 2016 Contents 06 Publisher s Letter Mike Branigan 08 Construction News On The Boards 10 Construction News News Briefs 13 Construction News Industry News 20 Construction News Awards News 22 Construction News Project Updates 24 Construction News People 28 Site Work Special Report by Sean O Keefe 44 Industry Spotlight HPE - Heating & Plumbing Engineers, Inc. 46 A Tribute to the Men & Women of Steel by Julie Wanzer 56 Columnists CCIG, ACEC, USGBC, AIA, RTD 62 AGC Colorado Inside AGC 70 Parting Shots Industry Events in Colorado 74 Advertiser Index CC&D Partners 4:76 Colorado CONSTRUCTION & Design On the cover of this issue: Midtown, a 184-acre urban infill redevelopment on a former brownfield site, is located near the Gold Line in Adams County at West 68th & Pecos Streets. Photo Norris Design.

3 Men & Women of Steel Tribute to the Men & Women of Steel: Changing the Perception of the Steel Industry by Julie Wanzer, LEED AP schedules and skeleton budgets all too often becoming the norm in the construction industry, specialty contractors Withfast-track and the building materials they provide have been reduced to mere commodities, stuck in a low-bid procurement process. Despite the historical strength of the steel industry, it now finds itself as no stranger to this commodity-based negative perception. Embodying the pliable characteristics of steel, steel detailers, designers and fabricators are making strides to overcome this negative connotation, and educate the industry about how steel can add value to projects in terms of schedule, cost and sustainability. 46:76 Colorado CONSTRUCTION & Design

4 Steel has been a major component in the commercial building industry dating back to the first skyscrapers erected in Chicago in the late 1800 s. Known for its high strength to weight ratio, long-term durability and flexibility of shape, steel offers buildings a strong structural foundation with a variety of uses. Recently, industry preferences in building types, economic drivers and time constraints have all influenced the role of steel in construction projects. According to Casey Brown, President of Zimkor and the Rocky Mountain Steel Construction Association (RMSCA), the steel industry experienced a boom in Colorado in the late 1990 s, but has since seen a shift towards more concrete and wood structures with the rise of multi-family building types, which does not always lend itself to steel. The most recent economic downturn also negatively impacted the use of steel in what Mr. Brown describes as a resulting price-driven, low-bid process where negotiated opportunities focused on value and performance of steel services are becoming less common. Brown explains, Most projects are competitively bid today based on a set of plans and the request for a fixed price where after verifying scope comparison, usually the low qualified bid firm is hired. Opposite Page: Completed feature work for Stair 3 on the new Lindsey- Flanigan Denver Courthouse (photo courtesy of Zimkor). Right Top: Lobby steel for Marquez Hall/School of Mines Campus begins setting (photo courtesy of SNS Ironworks and Zimkor). Right Bottom: Lobby steel Marquez Hall after setting. Five built up plate girder members support the entire lobby roof (photo courtesy of SNS Ironworks and Zimkor). MANAGE ONE SOURCE RATHER R THAN MULTIPLE SUBCONTRACTORS. CTORS. RK Steel offers end-to-end design, fabrication and erection of structural steel and miscellaneous metals. up-front t pricing,, reduced project risk,, lower on-site costs higher quality product.... Veolia Environmental: rkmi.com MECHANICAL SERVICE STEEL ENERGY WATER ELECTRICAL ECTRICAL MISSION CRITICAL SPRING/SUMMER :76

5 Men & Women of Steel In addition, owners are driving the need for fasttrack projects where design teams are forced to provide solutions to the owners bottom line question of how fast can we gain occupancy of the building, according to Tabitha Stine, S.E., P.E., Director of Technical Marketing for the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC). The pressure to shorten project schedules has often resulted in a decline of the quality of design documents and the increasing need for value engineering in the field. Shop drawings are required for all [steel] work, which is detailed down to 1/16 of an inch tolerance. Incomplete design documents cause more changes and exceptions to be made on the job site and no one is getting paid to deal with exceptions, comments Brown. These challenges facing the steel industry give rise to not only how to compete in the evolving marketplace, but also how to re-direct the conversation from a low-bid commodity to a value-added structural component. One solution lies in educating the design community on the value of early involvement with a steel fabricator and what they bring to each project, and also educating the industry on the latest innovations of steel and how to be competitive in multiple building markets such as multi-family, according to Tabitha Stine. We [the AISC] have continued to educate people on innovative steel systems such as the Girder-Slab system, a series of shallow, structural steel beams that The pressure to shorten project schedules has often resulted in a decline of the quality of design documents and the increasing need for value engineering in the field. allow for the competitive use of steel on building structures with low floor-to-floor heights such as multi-family units and student housing, via face-to-face presentations in design offices and AIA chapters around the country, comments Stine. Other trends AISC presents on include modular connections such as SidePlate and ConXtech, which can cut significantly reduce project schedules due to the fastpaced connectivity of the modular, prefabricated structural steel building systems. Another solution includes redefining the roles of steel detailers, designers and construction managers in a more collaborative process in the early stages of a project, according to Doug Rutledge, Chief Integration Officer at KL&A, Inc. Rutledge sees a greater enhancement of constructability, safety, quality and cost-savings in building design when the team has the opportunity to collaborate early on. For example, designers, with input from general and trade contractors, can choose structural schemes and materials which best fit the capabilities of the contractors 48:76 Colorado CONSTRUCTION & Design

6 Men & Women of Steel who will build the project. The role of steel detailers in filling the gap between the information shown on the structural design documents and the information required by fabricators and erectors to complete a steel frame is critical comments Rutledge. Steel also stands to increase its role on building projects and move beyond just a commodity through the latest uses of steel for aesthetics and a means to increase the sustainability of a building project. When asked how the use The role of steel detailers in filling the gap between the information shown on the structural design documents and the information required by fabricators and erectors to complete a steel frame is critical. of steel on construction projects has changed in the last 15 years, both Mr. Brown and Mr. Rutledge noted that architects are using exposed steel as an architectural expression. The AISC's specification for Architecturally Exposed Structural Steel (AESS) is often seen in structural glass facade designs of building lobbies and canopies. Steel is also an environmentally sound building product. When compared to concrete and wood products, Dave Henley, District Sales Manager for Nucor Vulcraft Group, comments, No other construction material is easier on the environment than steel. Steel can be recycled infinite times to make new steel and it does not consume a large amount of water in the manufacturing process. According to Ms. Stine at the AISC, steel offers a number of sustainable advantages including that steel is often sourced as a local material and fabricated locally, has a favorable EPD (Environmental Product Declaration) which tracks the lifecycle environmental impact of a product, and that steel beams produced domestically contain 93% recycled content on average. Although other building components have claimed their stake in the construction industry, steel still remains a pillar of strength. Current market conditions have forced the steel industry to adapt by developing innovative systems that compete in multiple building sectors, increasing the importance of the role of steel detailers and fabricators to manage information flow on projects, and by seeking out additional uses on building projects. Rutledge concludes, Collectively, the structural design profession and the steel construction industry have a high degree of skill, knowledge and ability to add value to individual projects as well as advancing the AEC industry as a whole. K 50:76 Colorado CONSTRUCTION & Design

7 Innovations in the Steel Industry Prescient is one company leading the way on innovative uses of steel. Through a proprietary software, patented framing system, and turn-key installation, the firm is offering time and cost savings over traditional industry practices. The company recently expanded to a 120,000 square foot space in Arvada, CO to manufacture UL rated light gauge framing system, which is ideally suited for multi-unit projects up to 14 stories tall including apartments, senior living, student housing, and hotels. Top: Prescient s proprietary software drives these automated roll formers, turning steel coils into project specific panel and truss components. Above: Roll formed parts are assembled, riveted, welded, and packaged into bundles for shipment to the project site. Below: Due to the site constraints, the University Station apartment project was only feasible using a Prescient structure. SPRING/SUMMER :76