CA L I F O R N I A

CONSTRUCTORJ O U R N A L O F T H E A S S O C I A T E D G E N E R A L C O N T R A C T O R S O F C A L I F O R N I A

May 2008

Smart Corner Residential Tower and Office Building

Pasadena City Hall

Junior Grizzly Handicap Baseball Park

I-880/Coleman Avenue Interchange

ON THE COVER:

Published by:

Published monthly for members ofAssociated General Contractors of California 3095 Beacon Boulevard West Sacramento, CA 95691 • (916) 371-2422www.agc-ca.org

California ConstructorThe Voice Of The Construction Industry

Publisher Kathy Varney — McGraw-Hill Construction, (206) 378-4700

EditorCarol A. Eaton — Eaton Communications

Manager, Design & ProductionJeff Kruger — McGraw-Hill Construction, (626) 932-6193

Graphic Designer/ProductionLorraine Delgado — McGraw Hill Construction, (626) 932-6148

Advertising/SalesSandra Brown — McGraw-Hill Construction, (800) 279-1954Maggie Hartley —McGraw-Hill Construction, (626) 932-6174Michael Moffat — McGraw-Hill Construction, (800) 851-5554

Advertising CoordinatorKatherine Culliver — McGraw-Hill Construction, (626) 932-6172

Correspondence: Address editorial correspondence to: Journal ofthe Associated General Contractors of California, 3095 BeaconBlvd., West Sacramento, CA 95691, 916/371-2422 or call CarolEaton at 707/789-9520 or eatonc@comcast.net.Copyright 2008

Once again this year the AGC of Californiarecognized the significant achievements ofour members at the Constructor AwardsBanquet held on April 5, 2008 at the Fair-mont Hotel in San Francisco. AGC of Califor-nia’s prestigious Constructor Awardsprogram recognizes our members’ achieve-ments for their skill, unique undertakings andability to address the most difficult challengescontractors encounter.

The Constructor Awards Program featuresprojects in various areas of the constructionindustry including building, commercial,heavy and highway, industrial, underground,and utility. The six categories and winners ofthis year’s competition included: Excellence

in Project Management – Project $5 million and below, and above $5million; Innovation in Construction Techniques or Materials; Contribu-tion to the Community; Meeting the Challenge of the Difficult Job –Builder and Highway classifications. Each of these categories provides anopportunity for our members to demonstrate their skills and accomplish-ments. Each submission demonstrated its own “theme” but more impor-tantly reflected its company’s culture. Details of each award recipient arefeatured throughout this month’s magazine.

For the category of Contributions to the Community, there were severalsubmissions. This year’s winner was Granite Construction Company forthe “Junior Grizzly Handicap Baseball Park in Fresno,” and it was especiallyheartwarming to have one of the beneficiaries of this great baseball parkattend and personally thank Granite for giving the kids a place to play andenjoy their outdoor activities.

In addition to recognizing projects, the awards program honors individ-uals for their outstanding contributions to the construction industry. Theindividual categories included the S.I.R Achievement Award honoring skill,integrity, and responsibility; Contractor Achievement Award, and SpecialtyContractor Achievement Award. During the evening, awards were alsopresented that honor clients and owners who demonstrated excellence inpartnering and the delivery of safe and quality projects.

Thank you to everyone who participated in this year’s competition. I amproud of our members’ achievements and contributions to the industry,and am amazed at the skill and integrity that our member companiesemploy in making their customers’ dreams become a reality.

– Thomas T. Holsman

Six construction compa-nies received ConstructorAwards for their Californiaprojects in the Twenty-first Annual AGC ofCalifornia ConstructorAwards competition.Representing the winningfirms and their projectsare, left to right: Lori

Serruta, Unger Construction Co.; Dennis Breen, ClarkConstruction Group – California, LP; Walt Quincy, FCIConstructors, Inc.; Todd Hill, Granite Construction Co., Inc.;Bill Welch, Hensel Phelps Construction Co.; and Bob Jones,Ford Construction Company, Inc.

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICERTABLE OF CONTENTS

Recognizing Excellence

FeaturesSix Winners Chosen for 21stAnnual Constructor Awards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Constructor Finalists All Noteworthy . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Pictorial Highlights of Finalists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

Three Industry Veterans Receive AGC Achievement Awards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

AGC Presents Partnering Education Awards . . . . . . . . . .20

AGC Revives SF Liaison Committee toBuild On Reform Effort . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

DepartmentsGovernments Relations:Out With The ‘Old’ – In With The New . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Association Highlights:Regional News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25Calendar of Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

Safety Corner:Acknowledgment & Awards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29

Guest Commentary:Claire Singleton: Caltrans Reinvigorates Partnering . . . .31

The failure of the March ballot measureto extend term limits of legislators set offthe first round of changes in legislativeleadership as three new legislative caucusleaders have been chosen by theircolleagues to replace legislators who arebeing termed out of office. Only MikeVillines from Fresno remains in his post asRepublican Leader of the Assembly. Here isa look at the new leaders of the legislature.

DarrellSteinberg –PresidentProTem of theSenateDarrell Steinbergwill assume the topleadership positionin the State Senate

later this legislative year from currentSenate Leader Don Perata. Steinberg waselected in 2006 to the California StateSenate, representing the 6th District, whichincludes the capital city of Sacramento,parts of Elk Grove and Citrus Heights.Prior to his election to the State Senate,Steinberg served three terms representingthe 9th District of the State Assembly andserved on the Sacramento City Council.

Steinberg was born in San Francisco.He earned a BA in economics from UCLAand a JD from UC Davis Law School.Steinberg served as an employee rightsattorney for the California State Employ-ees Association for 10 years before hiswork as an Administrative Law Judge andmediator.

Steinberg is currently the chair of theSenate Natural Resources and WaterCommittee. He also serves on the SenateJudiciary Committee, the Health Commit-tee, the Environmental Quality Commit-tee, the Appropriations Committee, theBudget and Fiscal Review Committee andBudget Subcommittee on Resources.Steinberg also chairs the Senate SelectCommittee on High School Graduation.

He is the author and co-proponent ofProposition 63, the mental health initiativethat was approved by California voters in

2004. This measure will generate morethan $1 billion per year in state and federalfunds to establish mental health programsthroughout the state based on the highlysuccessful AB 34 and AB 2034 programsthat Steinberg authored earlier.

Steinberg has authored 70 other statelaws that cover a wide range of vital publicpolicy issues in California.

Dave Cogdill –SenateRepublicanLeaderDave Cogdill assum-ed the RepublicanLeader post in theState Senate on April15, replacing outgo-

ing leader Dick Ackerman. In 2006,Cogdill was elected to the California StateSenate representing the 14th Districtwhich comprises the counties of Fresno,Madera, Mariposa, San Joaquin, Stanis-laus, and Tuolumne in the Central Valley.

Prior to being elected to the Senate,Cogdill represented the 25th District forsix years in the State Assembly.

Senator Cogdill is the Vice Chair of thePublic Safety, the Revenue and Taxation,and the Joint Legislative Audit Commit-tees. He is also a sitting member on thefollowing committees: Budget and FiscalReview; Budget Subcommittee on Healthand Human Services; Elections, Reappor-tionment and Constitutional Amend-ments; Human Services; Natural Resourcesand Water; Joint Legislative Budget; andSelect Committee on Air Quality.

Senator Cogdill has shown his commit-ment to the issues affecting the CentralValley and foothill communities, includingeconomic development, strengtheningpublic safety, keeping taxes low, improvingair quality, and expanding water supplyand storage opportunities.

Cogdill has been a resident of Modestosince 1979, where he has built a prosperousreal estate appraisal business. He was firstelected to public office in 1975 as amember of the Board of Directors of the

Bridgeport Fire Protection District in MonoCounty. He has served on various boards andcommissions in both the public and privatesectors and served two terms on the ModestoCity Council.

Karen Bass –Speaker of theAssemblyKaren Bass will assumethe top leadership posi-tion in the State Assem-bly on May 12th,replacing currentSpeaker Fabian Nunez

who is termed out. She is the first Democraticwoman to be elected Speaker by hercolleagues. Speaker-Elect Bass has been aState Assembly Member representing LosAngeles’ 47th Assembly District since 2005.

Bass represents Culver City, West LosAngeles, Westwood, Cheviot Hills, LeimertPark, Baldwin Hills, Windsor Hills, LaderaHeights, the Crenshaw District, LittleEthiopia and portions of Korea Town andSouth Los Angeles.

Under Speaker Núñez, Speaker-Elect Basshas been a part of the Assembly Democratleadership since her first term, most recentlyin the post of Majority Floor Leader.

Governor Schwarzenegger has signed 17 ofBass’ bills into law focusing on foster carereform; Healthy Families Insurance Coverageto help prevent children from going withouthealth insurance; a small business policy thatremoves red tape by preventing businessesfrom filling out duplicate certification formsfor the city and state; and a measure thatexpands the Baldwin Hills Conservancy. Shehas also secured more than $2.3 million tohelp revitalize the historic Vision Theater inLos Angeles, and more than $600 million forLos Angeles Unified School District.

Before Bass began her political career, shefounded and ran Community Coalition. Asexecutive director, she built a communitybased social justice organization in South LosAngeles to empower residents to get involvedin making a difference. Today, the organiza-tion is considered a model to engage thecommunity throughout the country.

Out With The ‘Old’ – In With The ‘New’

GOVERNMENT RELATIONSWWW.AGC-CA.ORG

A Look at the California Legislature’s New Leadership By Dave Ackerman

Six outstanding projects built by AGC ofCalifornia contractors were chosen as winnersin the Twenty-first Annual Associated GeneralContractors of California's ConstructorAwards program.

The winning projects, along with all of theConstructor Awards finalists named in thisyear’s competition, were honored as the “bestof the best” in California construction duringthe 2008 Awards Banquet and presentation atThe Fairmont in San Francisco on April 5.The prestigious black tie event, the “Oscars”evening for the construction industry, wasattended by more than 250 people from topconstruction firms throughout the state.

AGC also presented its annual Achieve-

Tradart Foundation.The AGC Education Foundation also

presented several awards honoring indi-viduals and companies for their efforts ineducation and partnering.

The 2008 AGC of California Construc-tor Award winners spanned a diverse arrayof project types from throughout Califor-nia. Each of the winners received thespecially commissioned award – a solidbronze sculpture weighing nearly sixpounds and depicting a surveyor withhardhat and transit. The six winners werechosen from a field of 17 previouslyannounced finalists, all of whom werespotlighted during the awards eveningwith each team receiving a finalist plaquerecognizing their outstanding efforts inconstruction. Constructor winners andfinalists are all AGC members.

The 2008 Constructor Awards winnersand their projects are highlighted below.

■ Contribution to the CommunityConstructor Winner: Granite Construction Company for Junior Grizzly Handicap Baseball Park in Fresno

The Central Valley Branch of GraniteConstruction Company takes a proactiveapproach to involvement in the communi-ties in which its employees live and work.In 2007, the branch learned of the need fora prime contractor and subcontractors tohelp build a “Field of Dreams” communityservice project, involving construction of abaseball park for The Junior Grizzlieswhere handicap individuals could playbaseball. Granite stepped up to the plateand took on the project, utilizing itsresources of equipment, expertise, labor

Six Winners Chosen for AGC’s 21st Annual Constructor Awards

CONSTRUCTOR AWARDSWWW.AGC-CA.ORG

Accepting the Constructor Award for Granite Construction Company are (l-r) Michael Rood, Jeff Hartman (withthe Junior Grizzlies), Todd Hill, John Cale, Chris Cummings (Managing General Partner of the Fresno Grizzlies),and Jason Hannold (Coach of the Junior Grizzlies).

Junior Grizzly Handicap Baseball Park, Fresno.

Five companies sponsored the Twenty-first Annual AGC of

California Constructor Awardsprogram:

• Lovett Silverman Construction Consultants

• McGraw-Hill Construction

• Navigant Consulting

• Peckar & Abramson, P.C.

• SeaBright Insurance Company

ment Awards during the event. StephenMatich, President of Matich Corporation,San Bernardino, received AGC’s Contrac-tor Achievement Award, and Gary Castro,President of KRC Safety Co., Inc., Visalia,received the Specialty ContractorAchievement Award. Rebekah Gladson,FAIA, AUA, the Associate Vice Chancellorand Campus Architect for the Universityof California, Irvine, received AGC’s SIRAward, honoring her service to theconstruction industry. Awards were alsopresented for Project Partnering Excel-lence, and the AGC Education Founda-tion presented its Education FriendAward to Don Gordon, president of the

and industry contacts to help this impor-tant local cause.

Within just a couple of weeks, a teamof 18 businesses – including Granite –had been assembled. CaliforniaConstruction Surveying was first on thesite installing the first grade stakes, andthey were followed closely by AllCommercial Landscaping and Foster &Sons General Engineering performingreconstruction of the existing irrigationsystem and removal of the existing grassand dirt. Granite moved onto the site andprepared the subgrade for the concreteflatwork of Harris Construction. Graniteadditionally supplied the aggregates forthe asphalt concrete paving, and placedand finished the asphalt concrete pavingto smoothness tolerances that weretighter than most any other project thebranch had performed in the past. A hostof other firms were involved in providingother needed services and materials tothis project, including: American PavingCompany; Vulcan Materials; SemperTrucking; Calaveras Materials, Inc.;Cerrutti & Sons; Clay Miranda Trucking;Lawson Rock & Oil; Talley Transporta-tion; Terry Johnson Trucking; AllanteFence; Valley Fence; Desert Aggregates;and Groeniger & Company.

Within 80 days of the May 31groundbreaking event, the customdesigned field was transformed from allgrass to a rubberized diamond wherechildren in wheelchairs or using walkingaids could play on their own. The official“first ball” was thrown out at a ribboncutting ceremony on August 17 on theJunior Grizzlies’ new Field of Dreams.Thanks to the efforts of Granite and themany subcontractors and suppliers whocame together to make this dream a real-ity, the facility will benefit the communi-ty for years to come.

■ Excellence in Project Management for Projects $5 Million or Below

Constructor Winner: Unger Construc-tion Co., for Sutter Roseville MedicalCenter Well Baby Nursery in Roseville

The Sutter Roseville Medical CenterWell Baby Nursery project exemplifieshow creative and dedicated projectmanagement can overcome the uniqueopportunities of building in a fully opera-tional hospital environment.

In late 2003, Unger Construction wasapproached by Sutter Roseville Medical

Center and asked if the company thoughtit possible to convert an existing secondfloor interior courtyard into a newbornnursery, relocating the courtyard to thethird floor level immediately above. Theproject involved constructing a 2,100-sq.ft. “ground-up” building in the secondfloor central courtyard completelysurrounded by pediatrics, oncology andpatient care rooms and directly above a22-bed family birthing center. Neversupposing that the hospital administrationwould seriously consider the proposition,the company responded with a tongue-in-cheek “anything is possible.”

The construction activities on thisproject affected everyone. The nursingstaff was concerned about relocating

services and living with construction withintheir departments. The hospital administra-tion was concerned about operationaldisruptions, patient satisfaction and overallsafety. The design team was concerned abouthow to modify the structure and bring newutilities to the isolated building site with theleast disruption to the operating departmentsthat surrounded it.

Unger faced numerous challengesthroughout construction, particularly relatedto delivery and placement of structural mate-rials. The erection of structural steel for theroof of the new Well Baby Nursery and thefloor of the relocated courtyard was especiallychallenging. Required to reach 270 feet, thesteel had to be threaded through an existingsteel trellis that covered the courtyard at the

Representing Constructor Winner Unger Construction Co. are (l-r) Vince Clephane, Ken Harrison, Lori Serrutaand Gary Lukins.

Sutter Roseville Medical Center Well Baby Nursery.

San Jose 408.574.1400Monterey 831.392.3747Salinas 831.630.3247San Benito 831.775.3547Redwood City 650.482.4000Oakland 510.729.5075

roof level. Concrete placement alsorequired an extremely long reach, accom-plished through use of one of the largestpumps on the West Coast.

Through the use of collaborativeplanning and design, thorough investiga-tion of existing conditions, uniqueconstruction means and methods anddaily evaluation of problems and oppor-tunities, the Unger project team was ableto complete this project with minimaldisruption to patient care and hospitaloperations. In addition, the project wascompleted three months ahead of sched-ule and under budget.

The completed project showed that,indeed, “anything is possible” with acreative and dedicated team providingexcellent project management.

■ Excellence in Project Management for Projects Over $5 Million

Constructor Winner: Ford ConstructionCompany, Inc. for American River PumpStation, Phase II in American RiverCanyon

The American River Pump StationPhase II project was burdened with multi-ple issues and a troubled history, prior toFord Construction Company, Inc. (FCCI)even considering bidding it. For starters,the project had two owners with oftencompeting goals and priorities: the Bureauof Reclamation, the administrative owner,and PCWA, the end user. Additionally, thephase I contractor was still on site farbeyond their contract time and would becompeting for owner priorities. Thatproject had been contentious and wassubject to large claims.

Many external factors also impactedthe project, including environmental,recreational, and political issues, watersupply interruption threat and publicperception problems. There wereunknown conditions and risk. In 2006 aflood had buried the site with bouldersand debris, beneath which the actualfoundation condition for the structureswas unknown.

The Phase II project consists ofconcrete primary and emergency riverintake structures and access road slabs;an Obermeyer-type maintenance gate;channel and cofferdam excavation; chan-nel erosion protection; and more. Priorto construction, upstream and down-stream cofferdams had to be built andthe site dewatered so river bottom debris

could be removed.Successful project execution required

intensive project management. FCCI’sapproach included the following tech-niques:

• Partnering: Early completion goalswere established, and met.

• Disputes Resolution Board (DRB):Was formally established early for unre-solved issues; none had to be referred forDRB consideration.

• Construction Schedule: Detailed,accurate CPM schedule established early,used in planning, monitored and revisedthroughout.

• Safety Representative: Assigned full-time on site.

• Weekly Progress Meetings: Attended byall project participants; alternate meetingsdedicated to resolution of important issues.FCCI assigned responsibility and date forindividual actions and status.

• Paperwork: Submittals, RFI’s and RFC’sissues were resolved verbally, and documenta-tion followed promptly.

The end results speak for themselves.FCCI successfully completed the complex,$33.4 million project three months early, withno lost time accidents in the 94,000 man-hours worked. The differing site conditionswere overcome without delay. There was NOpunch list at completion, no issues werereferred to the DRB, and no claims or unre-solved issues remain.

Representing Constructor Winner Ford Construction Company, Inc. are (l-r) Bob Jones, Chuck Pasalich, NickJones and Brian Flanagan.

American River Pump Station, Phase II

WWhhaatt’’ss RRiigghhtt wwiitthh tthhee CCoonnssttrruuccttiioonn IInndduussttrryy??

SStteepphheenn MMaattiicchhAAGGCC CCoonnttrraaccttoorr AAcchhiieevveemmeenntt AAwwaarrdd

Thanks For All You Do!

SSEERRVVIINNGG AALLLL OOFF CCAALLIIFFOORRNNIIAA

((995511)) 778888--88558811License# 0705773

■ Innovation in Construction Techniques or Materials

Constructor Winner: Clark Construc-tion Group – California, LP, for PasadenaCity Hall in Pasadena

The seismic upgrade and rehabilitationof Pasadena City Hall was the largestpublic works capital project in city history.In 2003, acting on the recommendation ofrecent studies, the city of Pasadenaapproved a $117-million plan for thebuilding’s seismic retrofit, historic restora-tion, and infrastructure improvementsand selected Clark Construction Group –California, LP to lead the effort.

The project’s main focus was the instal-lation of a base isolation system thatwould protect the building during a seis-mic event. The work included structuralupgrades, installation of 238 frictionpendulum isolators, new shear walls, and asurrounding “moat” providing space forthe building to move during an earth-quake. The project also included acomplete rehabilitation of historic interiorand exterior components of the 80-year-old building.

The single most innovative decisionmade on this difficult project was to sepa-rate the existing arcade structure from themain building, which was done early inthe project to provide access to the base-ment to facilitate construction of the baseisolation system. The foundation of thenew arcade was designed to be integralwith the foundations of the connectingstair towers flanking either end of theexisting building. As the stair towers werethe longest construction activity and onthe critical path, this solution enabledboth to be built concurrently.

Another construction innovation wasto create a third access point into the base-ment at the center of the dome area,which ultimately became the primary pathfor most of the work. This solution safe-guarded the budget while shaving monthsoff the original basement schedule.

The isolation system used on thisproject is a unique “double off-grid” typeof system, which creates new concretetransfer beams upon which each of theisolators was set. The advantage of thisinnovative system is that it speedsconstruction by allowing the installationof the new foundation isolators and muchof the framing that supports it at one time.

Using innovative and state-of-the-artconstruction methods, Clark Construc-

tion Group met the city’s time andbudget requirements and successfullydelivered this project as planned to thecity of Pasadena.

■ Meeting the Challenge of the Difficult Job – Builder

Constructor Winner: Hensel PhelpsConstruction Co., for Smart CornerResidential Tower and Office Building inSan Diego

The Smart Corner Project is a signaturemixed-use transit oriented developmentlocated in downtown San Diego. Theproject includes a 19-story residentialtower and a five-story, Class-A office build-ing with both office and retail space. Bothstructures are situated atop four levels ofbelow-grade parking and are separated atgrade by the San Diego Trolley’s CityCollege Station. The project is a major

element of the Park-to-Bay Link publicimprovement project which is being complet-ed concurrently by the San Diego Associationof Governments (SANDAG) and associatedagencies.

The challenges of this project began forthe prime contractor, Hensel PhelpsConstruction Co., almost immediately aftermobilizing on the site in the midst of one ofthe wettest winters in San Diego history.Weather related delays were compounded bythe unexpected discovery of over 30,000 tonsof contaminated soil that needed to becleaned up, adding over two months to theplanned four-month excavation schedule. Byre-sequencing select portions of the work andaccelerating key portions, Hensel Phelps wasable to recover from these early delays andstill complete the project on time.

Another major challenge of the projectwas its confined and congested site in busy

Representing Constructor Winner Clark Construction Group – California, LP are (l-r) Dave Paule, Athene Pupposand Dennis Breen.

Pasadena City Hall project, under construction.

GENERALENGINEERING

CONTRACTORSLic. #481228

DEES-HENNESSEY, INC.Some things should never change.

Safety - Quality Safety - Quality Scheduling - BudgetScheduling - Budget

Committed to our clients.Proud of our people

- Structural Shotcrete

- Channel Lining

- Shoring & Underpinning

- Pier Drilling

(650) 595-8933 Office

(650) 595-0204 Fax200 Industrial Rd., Ste. 190

San Carlos, CA 94070

282 Kinney DriveSan Jose, Ca 95112E-Mail: mark@allenspecialties.com

Phone: 408.947-9600Fax: 408.947-9696

Lic. #819488

METAL FRAMING - DRYWALL - LATHPLASTER - SPRAY FIREPROOFING

Congratulations Shimmick Construction Co. Inc./ Obayashi Corp. Joint Venture!

We're proud to be part of theProject Team for the Centralized

Equipment Maintenance &Operations Facility in San Jose.

downtown San Diego. Access was limitedto only one side on this massive develop-ment. Lay-down areas were nonexistent,and all deliveries had to be scheduled “justin time.”

As the project progressed, it becameapparent that another key challenge forHensel Phelps would be the sheer diversityof the project scope and the multiple enti-ties involved in the project. From dealingwith San Diego’s Center City Develop-ment Corporation on the clean-up of thecontaminated site, to working with theSan Diego Housing Commission on

completing the design for the tenantimprovement portion of the office build-ing, to coordinating with SANDAG onsequencing the switchover of the trolleylines, the Smart Corner project’s challengeswere as varied as they were great.

Hensel Phelps assisted the client inobtaining a Silver LEED Certification forthe Smart Corner Office Building, the firstin San Diego to achieve this status. Ulti-mately, Hensel Phelps was able to deliverthis signature mixed-use development onschedule and under its guaranteed maxi-mum price, with no accidents or claims.

■ Meeting the Challenge of the Difficult Job – Heavy Engineering

Constructor Winner: FCI Constructors,Inc., for I-880/Coleman Avenue Interchangein San Jose

Located in San Jose, the I-880/ColemanAvenue Interchange Project was needed for anumber of reasons. It served to reduce exist-ing congestion on the interchange ramps andadjacent local streets, accommodate trafficassociated with the planned redevelopmentand associated growth in the area (namely theplanned expansion of the San Jose Interna-tional Airport) and create a northern gateway

Representing Constructor Winner Hensel Phelps Construction Co. are (l-r) Wayne Lindholm, Bill Welch,Mary Pampuch (with project owner) and Scott Vernon.

Representing Constructor Winner FCIConstructors, Inc. is Walt Quincy.

Smart Corner Residential Tower and Office Building.

I-880/Coleman Avenue Interchange.

to downtown San Jose and a south-ern gateway to the airport.

The project modernized the free-way interchange with ColemanAvenue by replacing the existingbridge structure over the freewaywith a wider and higher structure. Italso reconfigured the existing onand off ramps to modern designstandards; modified the locationand turning movements of streetintersections to improve operations;widened Coleman Avenue andAirport Boulevard to provide moretraffic lanes; and added a directconnector ramp from AirportBoulevard onto southbound I-880.

The Santa Clara Valley Trans-portation Authority (VTA) workedwith the City of San Jose to developa scope and design to address free-way traffic, the San Jose Interna-tional Airport’s (SJIA) plannedexpansion and private propertyowners. URS Corporation, theowner’s design consultant, devel-oped a creative solution to imple-ment a new freeway ramp connec-tion for vehicles coming from SJIAto directly access southbound I-880via an underpass, thus removingone-half of the historical traffichere. FCI/Pavex won the bid byreducing costs associated withovertime by proposing a newconstruction method for thetunnel. Once the project wasawarded, the construction teamquickly identified another valueengineering solution to improvethe quality of the tunnel.

During the two-and-a-half yearproject, the team encounteredseveral critical challenges thatwould ultimately affect theproject’s success. The most signifi-cant challenges included an unex-pected high flow of ground water,a fast track schedule, confinedwork space and very limited access,strict tunnel regulations, and criti-cal airport security and schedulerestrictions. Through innovativeengineering and constructionapproaches, the FCI/Pavex jointventure team successfully metthose challenge and ultimatelydelivered a highly successfulproject for all stakeholders.

2008 Constructor Awards Finalists All Noteworthy

The six 2008 Constructor Award winners were chosen from a field of 17 finalists,all noteworthy projects deserving of special recognition. Each finalist project was highlighted during the 2008 Awards banquet presentation. Following is a listing ofthose finalists and their projects. (Those in italic are the winners in each category.)

Excellence In Project Management – Projects $5 Million Or Below• Marina Landscape, Inc.: “Los Angeles High School #10” – Los Angeles• Swinerton Builders: “Contra Costa Department of Public Works Office Expansion” – Martinez• Unger Construction Co.: “Sutter Roseville Medical Center Well Baby Nursery” – Roseville

Excellence In Project Management – Projects Over $5 Million• Ford Construction Company, Inc.: “American River Pump Station, Phase II” – American River Canyon

• Shimmick Construction Co., Inc./Obayashi Corp., J.V. “Centralized Equipment Maintenance & Operations Facility (CEMOF)” – San Jose

Innovation In Construction Techniques Or Materials• Clark Construction Group – California, LP: “Pasadena City Hall” – Pasadena• McCarthy Building Companies, Inc.: “C.V. Starr East Asian Library” – Berkeley• Syblon Reid: “Emergency Slide Repair at Akin Powerhouse” – Pollock Pines

Contribution to the Community• Barnhart, Inc. – “Junior Achievement Biztown” – San Diego• Granite Construction Company – “Junior Grizzly Handicap Baseball Park” – Fresno • Nye & Nelson, Inc. – “Wellness Community Project” – West Lake Village

Meeting The Challenge Of The Difficult Job – Builder• Hensel Phelps Construction Co.: “Smart Corner Residential Tower and Office Building” –

San Diego• McCarthy Building Companies, Inc.: “St. Joseph Hospital Patient Care Center” – Orange • Swinerton Builders: “Abbott Vascular Pedestrian Bridge” – Temecula

Meeting The Challenge Of The Difficult Job – Heavy Engineering • C.C. Myers, Inc.: “Benicia Approach 680/780” – Benicia • FCI Constructors, Inc.: “I-880/Coleman Avenue Interchange” – San Jose• Griffith Company: “Nitrogen Removal Conversion – L.A./Glendale Water Reclamation Plant” – Glendale

Constructor Awards JudgesA team of seven individuals served as judges for this year's competition. They included:• John Nunan, AGC Building Division Chair, Unger Construction Co., Sacramento• Chris Hickey, Joint Engineering Division Chair, Agee Construction Corp., Clovis• Curt Weltz, Joint Engineering Division Vice Chair, FCI Constructors, Inc., Benicia• John Cosgrove, 2008 Awards Committee Chair, Turner Construction Co., Irvine• Gerry DiIoli, 2008 Awards Committee, Herzog Contracting Corp., Oceanside• Don Bradley, 2008 Awards Committee Vice Chair, Musick, Peeler & Garrett LLP,

Costa Mesa• Will Kempton, Director, CaltransMichael Huhn, Jones, Henle & Schunk, an Accountancy Corporation, Danville, served asthe Official Accountant to the Awards Committee.

Constructor Finalists Projects for 2008...WWW.AGC-CA.ORG

2008 Constructor Award Finalists include: 1. Los Angeles High School #10 (Marina Landscape, Inc.) 2. Contra Costa Department of Public Works Office Expansion(Swinerton Builders) 3. Centralized Equipment Maintenance & Operations Facility (Shimmick Construction Co., Inc./Obayashi Corp., J.V.) 4. C. V. Starr East AsianLibrary (McCarthy Building Companies, Inc.) 5. Emergency Slide Repair at Akin Powerhouse (Syblon Reid) 6. Junior Achievement Biztown (Barnhart, Inc.) 7. WellnessCommunity Project (Nye & Nelson, Inc.) 8. St. Joseph Hospital Patient Care Center (McCarthy Building Companies, Inc.) 9. Abbott Vascular Pedestrian Bridge(Swinerton Builders) 10. Benicia Approach 680/780 (C.C. Myers, Inc.) 11. Nitrogen Removal Conversion (Griffith Company)

1 2

3

45

6

7

8

9

10

11

AGC of California awarded three covetedAchievement Awards for 2008 during itsannual Awards evening at The Fairmont inSan Francisco on April 5.

Stephen Matich, President of MatichCorporation, San Bernardino, receivedAGC’s Contractor Achievement Award,while Gary Castro, President of KRC Safe-ty Co., Inc., Visalia, received the SpecialtyContractor Achievement Award. Thoseawards honor the men’s extensive career ofservice to the construction industry andwithin AGC. In addition, AGC periodical-ly presents its “SIR” award – representingthe AGC motto “Skill, Integrity andResponsibility,” to an individual or indi-viduals who have made significant contri-butions over a period of years to Califor-nia’s construction industry. This year’s SIRaward honored Rebekah Gladson, FAIA,AUA, the Associate Vice Chancellor andCampus Architect for UC, Irvine.

Contractor Achievement AwardStephen Matich became President of

Matich Corporation, a family-ownedbusiness, in 1992. Prior to being appointedPresident he served in a variety of posi-tions within the company since 1980,when he started as a field engineer. Matichis the third generation sharing in themanagement of Matich Corporation. Hehas been involved in the constructionindustry for many years and has long beenan active member of AGC of California.

His involvement with AGC began whilestudying for his degree at the School ofEngineering Construction Technology,University of California Polytechnic,Pomona, where he served as the AGCStudent Chapter President. For more than20 years he has been actively involved onseveral AGC committees and boards,including the District, Division and StateBoards of Directors. He is past AGC/PACChair, Jt. Engineering Division Chair, andFall Conference Committee Chair. Overthe years, he has represented AGC in localand regional forums dealing withconstruction related issues.

In addition to his strong commitmentto giving back to the construction indus-try, Matich is also actively involved in hislocal community. He is considered a leaderin the Inland Empire area and serves onvarious boards, charity funds and youth

groups focused on the betterment of thecommunity. He was appointed to theContractors State License Board in 2006.

Specialty Contractor AwardGary Castro grew up around equip-

ment and knew that the constructionindustry was where he wanted to make hiscareer. Working as a laborer for severalcompanies, his determination to succeedcombined with his “do whatever it takes toget the job done” work ethic eventuallyearned him a position working for hisparents’ company, KRC. It wasn’t longbefore he found himself running the day-to-day operations for the company, and in1986 Castro was named President of KRC.

KRC was established in 1978 by Gary’sfather, Ken “Chief” Castro. KRC is a familyrun operation which employs individualsfrom three generations of the Castro fami-ly. Today it employs close to 50 employees,many of whom have been with KRC sinceits inception.

Gary Castro became a member of AGCof California in 1992, and immediatelybecame involved in the San JoaquinDistrict. He was elected to the DistrictBoard, a position he has held for the past12 years, during which time he served asDistrict Chairman in 2003 and again in2008. Additionally, Castro has beeninvolved in the Union Contractors Coun-

cil, AGC/Caltrans Liaison Committee,Caltrans Partnering Steering Committee, andis a current Board of Director for the Foun-dation for Fair Contracting, among otherindustry involvement.

SIR Achievement AwardRebekah Gladson spearheaded the use of

design-build on university constructionprojects in California. When she was appoint-ed as campus architect at the University ofCalifornia, Irvine (UCI) in 1986, theconstruction program had more than 60% ofits projects in litigation. Gladson along withRobert Fritch, director of construction,designed a hybrid design-build process thatpermitted flexibility and openness whilefulfilling public requirements and meetingproject objectives. Over the years, Gladsonhas worked closely with AGC and the indus-try to create a more user-friendly UCIcontract and to further the design-buildprocess through legislation in California.

Gladson is currently vice president of theWestern Pacific Chapter of the Design BuildInstitute of America (DBIA) and is the Imme-diate Past Chair of the National Board for theDBIA. She was recently presented with DBIA’sprestigious Brunelleschi Lifetime Achieve-ment Award to honor her extraordinary lead-ership in design-build delivery. In 2008, shewas elected to the College of Fellows of TheAmerican Institute of Architects.

WWW.AGC-CA.ORG

AGC of California Achievement Award winners for 2008 are (l-r) Gary Castro, Specialty ContractorAchievement Award; Rebekah Gladson, SIR Award; and Stephen Matich, Contractor Achievement Award.

Three Receive AGC Achievement Awards

ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

AGC of California’s Education Foundationpresented a special Friend of ConstructionEducation Award along with five Excellence inPartnering awards during AGC of California'sAwards Banquet on April 5 in San Francisco.

CONSTRUCTION EDUCATIONFRIEND AWARD

Don Gordon, president of the TradartFoundation in Santa Barbara, received theFriend of Construction Education Awardfrom AGC. The award recognizes contractorsand individuals who have made significantcontributions and investments in developingthe construction workforce.

Gordon has served in a variety of rolesdeveloping educational and career opportuni-ties for youth throughout the Santa Barbaracommunity. He has served on the Board ofDirectors of the Santa Barbara ConstructorsAssociation, where he initiated and taughtvarious construction educational programsfor members; was the driving force behind thecreation of the Construction TrainingProgram at Santa Barbara City College; andwas instrumental in the curriculum develop-ment of the Dos Pueblos High SchoolConstruction Academy.

His community work has includedinvolvement with the Los Prietos Boys Camp,a juvenile probation detention facility whichserves mid- to high-risk youth offenders inSanta Barbara County. He spearheaded thefunding efforts for on-site constructionprojects which benefited the boys’ camp andthe community. Because of his efforts, manyyouth had the opportunity to learn aboutconstruction and gain marketable skills.

EXCELLENCE INPARTNERING AWARDS

Five project teams received AGC’s Excel-lence in Partnering Awards for 2008. Theawards recognize successful projects that over-come unforeseen challenges to come in on orahead of schedule, under budget with highquality and excellent safety records, due to asuccessful commitment to partnering, inno-vation and teamwork. The winning projectsare described below.

Projects Under $15 Million CategoryMain Avenue Bridge ReplacementProject: MCM Construction Partneringwith Vali Cooper & Associates and theCity of Sacramento

Regional air quality requirements madethe Main Avenue Bridge ReplacementProject the region’s most time sensitiveproject, with federal funding on the line ifthe deadline were not met. The projectinvolved replacement of an old two-lanetimber bridge with a modern four-landbridge over the Natomas East Main DrainCanal. The structure also spans Union

Pacific Railroad tracks east of the canal.Improvements to the traffic flow and safetywere made along the Main Avenue corri-dor and neighboring Northgate Boulevard.

This Caltrans oversight project is a keycomponent to the Sacramento AreaCouncil of Governments and City ofSacramento Traffic management plan.Phase I of the four-lanes of traffic on thenew bridge needed to be completed byNovember of 2005. Failure to maintainthis milestone would result in a loss ofregional federal funding.

All parties agreed to the spirit of part-

AGC Presents Partnering, Education Awards

PARTNERING/EDUCATION AWARDSWWW.AGC-CA.ORG

Companies Demonstrate Commitment to Partnering, Innovationand Teamwork to Deliver Successful Projects

Representing the C.C. Myers, Inc. team for the I-580/880 Emergency Repair project are (l-r) Tim Gibbons,Glenn Fryburger, C.C. Myers, Steve Francis, Gary Janco and Scott Wilson.

Representing the team from MCM Construction partnering with Vali Cooper Associates and the City ofSacramento for the Main Avenue Bridge Replacement Project are (l-r) Richard Liptak, P.E.(DokkenEngineering), Nader Kamal, P.E. (City of Sacramento), Hank Doll, P.E. (Vali Cooper & Associates), HerbBenedict (MCM Construction), and Steve Tuthill (Vali Cooper & Associates).

nering and cooperation for the commongood of the project. The collective sleeveswere rolled up to assemble a mass collec-tion of contingency plans for any issuesthat could occur. Despite having to over-come many challenges, the partial four-lane bridge opened on November 17, 2005in order to meet its deadline.

Emergency Projects CategoryInterstate 580/880 Emergency Repair:C.C. Myers, Inc. and Caltrans District 4

On April 29, 2007, a tanker truckcrashed and exploded in an area known asthe MacArthur Maze, where approximately80,000 vehicles pass on a daily basis. Theintense heat from the subsequent fire melt-ed a 165-foot section of the I-580, causingit to collapse onto the lower deck of the I-880 connector in Oakland, CA.

Due to the high profile nature of thisproject, Caltrans made it clear that therewould be no sacrifice in quality or safetyfor speed. The project team overcame

many challenges, such as locating steel inPennsylvania, expediting the fabrication ofgirders in Arizona, and securing deliverythrough the assistance of highway patrolsacross two states.

Although the project was originallyestimated by Caltrans to take 50 calendardays, C.C. Myers was able to complete it in17 days, and usage of the connectorreturned to normal prior to Memorial Dayweekend. This project exemplifies how acontractor can work with an agency toachieve a mutually beneficial end result.

I-40 Westbound Emergency BridgeReplacement Project: Skanska USA CivilWest California District and CaltransDistrict 8

The fast track I-40 Westbound Emer-gency Bridge Replacement Project requiredreplacement of six damaged bridges on aheavily traveled 17-mile portion of inter-state, remotely located in the MojaveDesert, 90 miles east of Barstow.

A genuine commitment to partnering atevry level was required in order to completethe project under budget, early and to theutmost satisfaction of all involved partiesrequired. Through their cooperation, Skans-ka, Caltrans, and even the California HighwayPatrol played an important part in theproject’s success.

Among the obstacles overcome during thisproject were environmental concerns, remotelocation, desert climates, long working hours,quick paced schedule, and never beforeattempted construction processes. Onlythrough true partnering relationships was theentire project completed 62 days ahead ofschedule and under budget.

Heavy Civil Projects CategoryAmerican River Pump Station, Phase II:Ford Construction Company, Inc. (FCCI)and the U.S. Department of the InteriorBureau of Reclamation Mid-PacificConstruction Office

Frank Schipper, Frank Schipper Construction Co.,Chairman of the AGC Education Foundation, right, pre-sented the 2008 Construction Education FriendAward to Don Gordon, president of the TradartFoundation.

Representing the Kiewit Construction team for the Benicia – Martinez Bridge project are (l-r) BarryPihowich, Ron Rattai, Richard Raine, Rafail Pozin, Valentina Pozin, Scott Schueneman and Erin Querio.

Representing the team for the I-40 EmergencyBridge Replacement, Phase 2 project, are (l-r)Jerome Di Padova from Skanska and Leonard Romeroand Michael Yuen from Caltrans.

Partnering Awards Presenters Claire Singleton, Caltrans, left, and Commander Jason Zeda, right, flankedthe Ford Construction team representing the American River Pump Station, Phase II project (l-r) Bob Jones,Chuck Pasalich, Brian Flanagan and Nick Jones.

continued on page 24

The bridges that span San Francisco Bayhave come to symbolize the monumentaleffort underway to bridge the vast divideseparating the city bureaucracy and thecontracting community.

Years of mounting red tape, hostileregulation and ill will chased manycontractors out of the city for less riskymarkets, resulting in shrinking bidder listsand soaring costs for San Francisco publicworks projects. Meanwhile, the public isclamoring for results as billions of dollarsworth of overdue infrastructure improve-ment projects languish in the pipeline.

Entering the void, a dedicated group ofAGC members and courageous city offi-cials have stepped forward to re-institutethe AGC-San Francisco Liaison Commit-

tee and work on repairing the long-strained city-contractor relationship.

Tackling thorny subjects such asprompt payment, owner-contractor coop-eration, conflict resolution and lawsuitavoidance, the committee is building on atwo-year contracting reform effort spear-headed by AGC members and champi-oned by Mayor Gavin Newsom and CityAttorney Dennis Herrera.

Modeled after successful AGC-ownerliaison committees elsewhere in the BayArea, such as BART, the Port of Oaklandand Caltrans District 4, the AGC-SanFrancisco Liaison Committee attracted topofficials from the PUC, DPW, Muni, theSan Francisco International Airport andother departments that interact withcontractors.

The co-chairman representing theconstruction industry is John de Ruiterfrom Turner Construction. The co-chairfor the City is respected troubleshooter

Chris Iglesias, formerly head of thesuccessful CityBuild construction train-ing program and newly appointed execu-tive director of the Human RightsCommission.

“I am pleased to be representing thecontracting community in our endeavor tobuild lasting and meaningful relationshipswith the City of San Francisco,” de Ruitersaid. “We are determined to be successfulin developing a sustainable format that isflexible and evolves over time to accommo-date the dynamic nature of our business.”

The AGC-SF Liaison Committee firstmet Feb. 20 at MUNI, and followed thatup with a meeting March 20 at San Fran-cisco International Airport. Committeemembers were welcomed by Airport

Director John Martin, who said the forma-tion of the group should help the citymake progress toward its goal of being“easier to do business with.”

The initial meetings were facilitatedby AGC member Dr. Barbara Belk withBelk & Associates, a noted managementconsultant.

“The initial ground work this commit-tee dove into and its leadership strengthare critical to future success,” Belk said. “Ifthey effectively take it forward there is astrong likelihood for sustainable reforma-tion for construction projects with theCity of San Francisco.”

Prior to launching into committeegoals, the group examined the state of thecity-contractor partnership, issues thathave strained the relationship in the pastand what concrete steps are underway tomake things better. The group agreed tooversee the contracting reform efforts thatwere triggered by AGC members some two

years ago and are now starting to bear fruit.Reforms that have already been pushedthrough include a prompt payment executiveorder by the mayor, a Dispute ResolutionBoard specification endorsed by the cityattorney, and streamlining of various Citycontract language and procedures.

City officials are pleased with the progress.“The HRC is excited to be a co-chair for

the AGC-SF Liaison Committee,” Iglesiassaid. “We believe that this endeavor is anatural extension to the ConstructionContracting Task Force that has been meet-ing over the past two years to address andresolve many issues impacting the contract-ing community when working for the City.We hope that we can continue to have aninclusive group that will work to addressand resolve outstanding issues impactingpublic work in San Francisco.”

At its second meeting, the group ralliedaround a mission statement that embodiedthe principles proposed by de Ruiter that thecommittee should foster “a strong partner-ship, trust and greater understanding of eachother’s role in the construction process andresult in high quality projects being deliveredon time and within budget with a minimumof disruption and litigation.”

The AGC-San Francisco Liaison Commit-tee established a regular schedule of meet-ings for the remainder of 2008 and invitedsuggestions from AGC members for futureagenda topics.

Working for Change in San FranciscoAGC Revives SF Liaison Committee To Build On Reform Effort

WWW.AGC-CA.ORG

By Russell Snyder

John de Ruiter, Turner Construction Company, andChris Iglesias, with the City of San Francisco, at arecent AGC-San Francisco Liaison meeting.

“I’m hopeful that, with everyone’s teamwork and commitment, the committee

will set a framework that allows the mutual goals of the contracting community

and the City to be realized.”– John de Ruiter,Turner Construction Company

Susan Lohwasser’s PhotographyCentral & Southern California

209-966-5402Northern California415-567-7818

w w w.t h e b u i l d e r s a r t .c o m

Built on the original Auburn Dam site,Phase II of the American River PumpStation project encompassed many diversecomponents, each presenting its ownunique challenges. The project required theclosure of the existing Auburn Dam Divi-sion Tunnel, in order to install air andwater piping systems in a utility trenchuphill to the pump station. A flood in 2006buried portions of the site with bouldersand debris; new cofferdams where requiredto dewater the site.

To overcome multiple anticipated chal-lenges, FCCI proactively requested part-nering in the proposal and bidding phase.A Dispute Resolution Board participatedin the partnering session.

The shared partnering philosophy andexecution at all levels enabled continuedwork without delays. The project main-tained superior levels of attention to safety,and effectively operated without interfer-ence to other operations, completing threemonths early, with no punch list.

Benicia – Martinez Bridge: KiewitConstruction and Caltrans District 4

The majority of the Benicia – MartinezBridge project spans a large, fast movingriver, which contains endangered fishspecies. Most of the site was only accessibleby boat. A dock was constructed for boatsand barges to provide site access.

The project required cooperation andpartnering between many diverse agenciesand companies. Due to the nature of thisproject, many “industry firsts” were incor-porated in order to complete the pileconstruction. The project team overcameunexpected subsurface conditions duringdrilling through the implementation of acasting rotator.

The project team spent one and a halfyears developing and testing more than200 trial mixes before one was determinedsuitable. The resulting mix design requiredaggregates from North Carolina andCanada. From the initial partneringsession, the contractor and owner createda “Mission Control” team to streamlinethe design phase. Team members frommultiple departments and constructioncompanies co-located together for 18months. Partnering was instrumental inmaintaining safety, providing innovationand overcoming myriad challenges.

continued from page 21

REGIONAL NEWS

The growth of building informationmodeling, a political update from StateSenator Dick Ackerman and a behind-the-scenes tour of a local AGC member jobsitewere just some of the highlights of therecent annual Working Weekend held bythe AGC Young Constructors Forum(YCF) in Laguna Beach April 10-13.

Nearly 40 individuals from eight AGCmember companies participated. AGC’sYCF provides educational training,networking and an opportunity toexchange ideas for early to mid-careerconstruction professionals.

The event kicked off with a welcomemixer hosted by Frank Schipper Construc-tion and YCF’s current Chair, Erwin Ville-gas, on April 10. An action packed dayfollowed on April 11, beginning with aneducational session led by RobertHartung, DBIA, of Alternative DeliverySolutions, LLC, on how Integrated ProjectDelivery and BIM (building informationmodeling) are changing the constructionbusiness landscape.

Tom Foss, AGC of California Sr. VicePresident and Griffith Company Presidentand COO, led a discussion regarding riskanalysis assessment and the estimatingprocess on a construction project. Fossnoted that “there are more business fail-ures in the construction industry than inmost other industries.” He stressed the

importance of thinking the processthrough and following a disciplined andthorough approach to ensure a successfuland profitable bid.

Luncheon keynote speaker State Sena-tor Dick Ackerman, (R) 33rd Senatedistrict, who is currently the Senateminority leader, gave the YCF members anupdate on the political landscape andenvironment existing in Sacramento now.He discussed the problems associatedwith the budget shortfall.

YCF members then traveled to Foun-tain Valley, where they were provided anoverview of Kiewit Pacific’s $209 millionwaste water treatment plant. Kiewit’sAssistant Project Manager Tom Robertsonexplained the details and challenges facedby the contractor in working on a five yearproject of this size.

On April 12, YCF members attendedadditional educational sessions. In theworkshop, “What Sureties Add andDetract From the Construction Process,”Ken Coate of Inland Surety discussed theimportance of understanding the suretyprocess from a contractor’s or employer’spoint of view, among other things. CathyFinal, CFO of J.R. Filanc ConstructionCompany led a session entitled “Under-standing the True Costs of a Construc-tion Project.” She reviewed the impor-tance of understanding, tracking andretaining project costs.

YCF Gathers for Working WeekendEducational and Networking Event Draws Young Constructors From Throughout State

Tom Robertson of Kiewit Pacific, center, explained a waste water treatment plant model to the membersof the Young Constructors Forum who toured the Kiewit jobsite.

May 14-15AGC Division & State Board of Directors Meetings at the Monterey Plaza Hotel, Monterey

May 15-16AGC Spring Conference at the Monterey Plaza Hotel, Monterey

May 22San Joaquin District seminar,“Stormwater Pollution Prevention for Construction Sites,”at Fresno Metropolitan Flood, Fresno OSHA 10hr Certification at AGC’s Concord Office

May 29Tri-Counties District Membership Meeting at HotelMar Monte, Santa Barbara

June 6Tri-Counties District Annual Golf Classic at River Course at the Alisal, Solvang

June 10AGC Annual Safety Awards of Excellence Luncheonat the Hilton - Orange County in Costa Mesa

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Thank You Sponsors!The following sponsors helped makethe YCF Spring Working Weekend a success.

Hospitality Suite Sponsor:

Frank Schipper Construction Co.

YCF Benefactors:

Clark Construction Group - California, LP

S & J Supply Co, Inc.

YCF Partners:

Golden State Boring & Pipe Jacking, Inc.

Marina Landscape, Inc.

Penhall Company

FST Sand & Gravel, Inc.

YCF Team Members:

FST Sand & Gravel, Inc.

Long Beach Iron Works, Inc.

Construction Site Tour:

Kiewit Pacific Co.

Sponsor Sign:

CyberCopy

Bush Engineering's years of experience in placing mobile crushing plants at job sites can bring cost benefits on site. Processingthe concrete, asphalt or natural rock at the job site can save your operation the high costs of dumping and transportation fees associated with these unwanted materials.

Crushing, Demolition, Recycling

We specialize in a variety of demolition and land clearing services such as:• Bridges, factories, warehouses,

single family dwellings and more.• Land Clearing and Grubbing for real

estate property development projects.• Site remediation with expired landfills.

Both our Hanford and Lemoore yards have strong inventories of recycled 3/4" Class II base that meets the strict quality requirements of CALTRANS. Other sizes are available on request.

For Additional Information:JEFF FARRISBush Engineering, Inc. Lic. No. 888139Office (559) 584-1575 • Cell (559) 351-1752 • Fax (559) 584-1591

518 North Redington Street • Hanford, California 93230

We employ rotary impact crushersspecifically designed to crush mostforms of concrete, asphalt or naturalmaterials while extracting any rebar,steel mesh or iron pipe.

Demolition and Remediation

MATERIAL SALES

For over 75 years,REED & GRAHAM INC.has served Contractors & Developers throughout the area.We recently upgraded our facilities in San Jose toensure quality production, convenient to the entire Bay Area from one location. At Reed & Graham, we are committed to providing the right products at the right price...now and in the future.

Past Present Future

Asphalt & Emulsion 800-446-2560✔Base Rock ✔Emulsions-mfg & spread ✔Hot Mix ✔Cold Mix

OverKote 800-446-2560✔Asphalt Pavement Coating ✔Crack Filler ✔Oil Spot Seal

✔Bumper Adhesive ✔Loop Filler

Geosynthetics 888-381-0800Statewide

✔Geosynthetic Fabrics ✔Geogrids ✔Erosion Control ✔Drainage Composites ✔Water Proofing ✔Sediment Control✔Root & Vegetation Control ✔Pipe ✔Containment Liners

✔Porous Pavement ✔Green Roof Component

STATE CONTR. LIC. #158410

verote

Divisions of Reed & Graham, Inc.408-287-1400

For more information email: sales@rginc.com www.rginc.com

REED &GRAHAM

INC.

Advanced Geosolutions Inc (AGI) is a fastgrowing geotechnical construction company specializing inSoil Improvement and Piling solutions. We currently havean immediate opening for a Field Superintendent. Theposition will be based in our Los Angeles office althoughextensive travel throughout the Western United States willbe required. The superintendent will be responsible for all on-site project activities including personnel, equipment,material procurement, safety and production.

The successful candidate will have at least 10 years experience working on geotechnical construction, heavycivil, or foundation projects, 5 years of which will be in asupervisory role. They will also be a strong leader with goodplanning, and communication skills, and basic computer skills. We offer an excellent salary and benefitspackage including vacation, bonus scheme, health insurance, and 401k with company match.

For immediate consideration please send your resumeto HR@advgeosolutions.com

Advanced Geosolutions Inc.Los Angeles

Field Superintendent

During AGC of America’s 89th Annual Convention in Las Vegas, NV, in March, several AGC of California members received national awards, with some of those win-ners pictured here. 1. C.C. Myers, Inc. received the highest honor in the prestigious Aon Build America competition, the Grand Award, for the I 580-880 EmergencyRepair project in Oakland and Emeryville. 2. Barnhart, Inc. took top honors in the safety arena, receiving AGC of America’s Safety Award of Excellence Grand Award,and the company also received a Merit Award for the Jr. Achievement BizTown project in San Diego. 3. In the Safety Awards competition, FCI Constructors won firstplace in the Highway Division, 700,001 – 1 million work hours category 4. Skanska USA Civil West California District, Inc., received a Marvin M. Black Partnering Awardfor Interstate 40 Westbound Emergency Bridge Replacement in Essex. 5. Kiewit Pacific Co. received a Special Recognition Award in the Partnering Awards compe-tition for the Benicia-Martinez Bridge. 6. Douglas Barnhart, chairman of the board of Barnhart, Inc., San Diego, was installed as National AGC President for 2008. 7.Ralph Larison, Connolly Pacific, was installed as National AGC Treasurer.

AGCC Members Receive National Awards

WWW.AGC-CA.ORG

1

2

3

4

5

6 7

Portable Rock Crushing Services

Asphalt & Concrete Recycling YardsLos Angeles, Orange & San Diego Counties;Also in Northern & Central California Areas

CMB / CL II Base Material Available

Available Anywhere in California

800-300-6120

Acknowledgement& AwardsPlan Now to AttendAGC’s Safety AwardsJune 10 in Costa Mesa

Sometimes it seems that the samecompanies year after year receive theawards. Why are they applying? Why is itimportant that you come and support themwhen they receive the award? What’s stop-ping you from applying?

It is important that we acknowledge ourcolleagues who have taken the time andefforts not only to operate an effective safe-ty program, but to declare it to the industryby applying for an award.

What you’re saying by attending anaward ceremony – even if you haven’tapplied for an award yourself – is that youhave taken notice and recognize theirefforts in making our industry a betterplace. This encourages growth in everyone’ssafety programs.

Kim Berg and Therese Steiner under-lined the importance of acknowledgementwhen they wrote: "..all people want to betreated with respect, want to be valued andaccepted, loved, and cherished, and made tofeel they are making important contribu-tions to society and that their wishes anddesires are heard and respected." When youacknowledge the view and behavior of theother person he or she feels taken seriously,which helps to create a better cooperationbetween the two of you instantly.

If you are wanting an example of whereelse this may happen, look to other awardceremonies, such as the Academy Awards.Thousands of Hollywood people show upin support of these awards. Only a few ofthem are nominated or are up for anyaward. But they are there to acknowledgeand support the ones who are. Why shouldwe show any less acknowledgment orsupport?

I encourage you to attend the AGC ofCalifornia Safety Awards of Excellenceluncheon on June 10th at the Hilton, CostaMesa. Visit our website to register for thisevent www.agc-ca.org. Come and showyour acknowledgment to your colleaguesand maybe glean a few ideas to improveyour own program. After-all…..there are notrade secrets in safety!

SAFETY CORNER

By Bo Bradley

Par tner ing atCaltrans is gettinga shot in the arm.We are invigorat-ing our programand inspiring ourstaff from everydirection. Thetransformation is

already star t ing to show. Are yousurprised? So was I, but it’s true.

Allow me to introduce myself. I amClare Singleton, Caltrans PartneringProgram Manager, hired a year and ahalf ago to focus solely on partnering. Ihave worked as an engineer at Caltransfor almost 17 years, during which time Ihave experienced my own journey fromhard-nosed enforcer to team-orientedcollaborator. This is why I am sopassionate about my job. I know withabsolute certainty that people canchange; corporate cultures can change. Iam starting to see it happen here atCaltrans, and it is thrilling.

What is Partnering?Partnering is a way of doing business,

a structured process, in which two ormore organizations make long-termcommitments to achieve mutual goals.

Are You a PartneringChampion?

The fans always find me. Whenever Ivisit a Caltrans district to speak aboutour Partnering Program invariably the“true believers” want to share their part-nering success stories with me. It isalways accompanied by something like,“I didn’t really think it would work. Butit does! It’s amazing!” These are thegrassroots champions of partnering, andthey will spread the word with the great-est influence on others. Who are thegrassroots champions in your organiza-tion? I challenge you to find them and

provide them with opportunities to spreadthe word to the rest of your employees.

The big dogs are in on the game too. InOctober 2006, the Caltrans ConstructionPartnering Steering Committee was reinsti-tuted with Caltrans constructionmanagers, industry representatives, andcontractor executives. The Committee hasworked very hard for more than a year toidentify lessons learned during the 15-yearhistory of partnering on Caltrans projectsand to develop recommendations to takeCaltrans Partnering to the next level. Thenext step is to implement improvementswith the full support of industry andDepartment leadership.

Partnering ImprovementsAhead at Caltrans

Here are some highlights of the recom-mendations made by the CaltransConstruction Partnering SteeringCommittee to take Caltrans Partnering tothe next level.

• Updating the Field Guide to Partner-ing on Caltrans Projects with new ideas,encouraging the use of best managementpractices.

• Rewriting the specification to makeprofessionally facilitated partneringmandatory on all projects over $10million. Yes. You read that right.

• Developing partnering training to beattended jointly by staff from Caltrans,contractors, and other stakeholders.

• Developing guidance on how to inte-grate partnering into the dispute resolu-tion process.

• Requiring project teams to participate inthe monthly partnering surveys that monitorprogress on mutual goals. This will ensurethat partnering continues throughout thelife of the project and is not forgotten afterthe kick-off workshop.

• Developing standards and expectationsfor our partnering facilitators to enhancequality and consistency in our programstatewide.

The above are changes that we are makingon what we call “project partnering,” but ourplanned improvements do not stop at theproject-level. The Committee has made otherrecommendations addressing “strategic part-nering” and “issues that influence partneringrelationships.” Strategic partnering is at thecorporate policy level. It may be internal toCaltrans, which we refer to as “cross-func-tional partnering,” or external, which we referto as “outreach partnering.” Caltrans alsowants its business processes to be consistentwith the values of partnering and with thehelp of the Committee has identified areas

where enhancements may be made. Changein a large organization is a challenge, butthere are improvements we can make.Caltrans and industry will find the waytogether.

We cannot do it without you, Mr. and Ms.Contractor. We would LOVE for you to jumpon board and give your best to help make thisrelationship work. Walk the walk; talk thetalk; and foster a work environment and busi-ness strategy that centers on partnering, andtogether we will build the best highwaysystem in the world!

Caltrans Reinvigorates PartneringDemonstrating its Increased Focus on Partnering, Caltrans To Roll Out Specific Improvements Targeted by Steering Committee

Change in a large organization is a challenge, but there are improvements

we can make. Caltrans and industry will find the way together.

By Clare Singleton

GUEST COMMENTARYWWW.AGC-CA.ORG