Mortenson Will Use Wind Power for Its U.S. Offices/CH2M Hill Completes World’s First Full-Scale Desalination Plant /JR Engineering Opens Western Slope Office

Contractor M.A. Mortenson will purchase renewable energy credits from clean, emission-free wind farms to power all of its U.S. offices.

Mortenson Switches to Wind Energy for Its U.S. Offices

M.A. Mortenson Construction, with an office in Denver, has announced it will purchase renewable energy credits from clean, emission-free wind farms to power its U.S. offices. The RECs, purchased through Community Energy Inc., correspond to 100% of Mortenson’s electricity usage for its national headquarters in Minneapolis and all six of its regional offices around the country.

In the past 14 years, the company has completed 42 LEED-compliant projects and was recently named Engineering News-Record’s 17th Top Green Contractor in the United States.

As one of the leading wind-energy contractors in North America, Mortenson directly services customers dedicated to making wind energy a viable, global energy source. Since 1995, its Energy Group has been involved in the construction of 60 wind-energy projects in 27 states and provinces. These projects can produce nearly 5,000 mw, the equivalent of power for 1.4-million average households.

JR Engineering Launches Glenwood Springs Office

JR Engineering, a Colorado-grown, full-service civil engineering and surveying firm, recently announced the expansion of operations to the Western Slope with the addition of a Glenwood Springs office.

JR’s Glenwood office offers Western Slope clients the firm’s entire suite of civil engineering services, including land development, water resources, transportation, construction services and structural engineering, as well as surveying/staking.

Alex Evonitz will serve as branch manager in Glenwood. Evonitz, a 30-year Colorado resident, is a graduate of Colorado State University. Most recently, he was the community development engineer in the upper Roaring Fork Valley for Aspen and Pitkin counties.

Buffalo School District Selects Vanir CM as Owner’s Rep

Vanir Construction Management of Denver was unanimously selected by the Buffalo School District School Board to provide owner’s representative services for the design and construction of its new $5-million elementary school in Merino.

In addition to a grant from the Colorado Department of Education, the voters of Logan County approved the bond issue on Tuesday, which finalized project funding. Over the past 25 years, Vanir CM has managed dozens of school construction programs and for more than 10 years, the Vanir Colorado team has helped local and regional school districts complete their construction programs.

Miro Ranked in Top 25 Best Structural Engineers to Work For

Denver-based CH2M Hill has completed the engineering, procurement and construction of the world’s first full-scale desalination plant to use large-diameter seawater reverse-osmosis technology. The plant was built for PowerSeraya Ltd, one of the largest integrated energy companies in the Republic of Singapore. The project was successfully delivered by CH2M Hill as the EPC contractor, over a fast-track schedule of 18 months, from contract signing to plant handover.

Located at PowerSeraya’s Pulau Seraya Power Station on the petrochemical hub of Jurong Island, the new SWRO desalination plant will produce two customized grades of water: high-grade service water used for power production, and domestic drinking water. The project encompasses the design, engineering, procurement, construction, commissioning and operations supervision of the new plant.

CH2M Hill selected an innovative SWRO technology, supplied by GrahamTek, for the new desalination plant. Advantages of this technology include a reduced footprint and the ability to operate at higher fluxes than conventional SWRO technologies, resulting in lower capital and operating costs.

Martin/Martin Wins National Award for Ellie Caulkins Opera House

Denver’s Quigg Newton Auditorium and the Ellie Caulkins Opera House was named the “Outstanding Structural Design Project” in the Special Structural category by the National Council of Structural Engineering Associations during its recent convention in Philadelphia.

Martin/Martin Inc. of Lakewood provided the structural engineering for the project, working closely with the architect and researchers from the Denver Public Library to restore many of the building’s original details.

Judging criteria for the nationally acclaimed award included creativity of structural design, complexity of criteria or unique problems, innovative application of new or existing materials or techniques, ingenuity of design for efficient use of materials and labor, exceeding client/owner’s needs or expectations and suitability of the structure for its environment.

The Ellie was built completely within the massive volume of the original Auditorium Theater, constructed in 1908 and opened to great national fanfare by hosting the 1908 Democratic Convention. The auditorium building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and the exterior shell was restored as part of the remodel.

DRCOG, Swanson Rink Partner on New IT Services

The Denver Regional Council of Governments is partnering with local engineering and IT consulting firm Swanson Rink to offer free technology support for companies interested in teleworking. This service helps businesses understand issues of security and connectivity when implementing a telework program.

Telework saves employees from the high cost and stress of commuting using the digital connection from home to office. While many employers enjoy teleworking benefits such as increased productivity, overhead savings and recruitment and retention benefits, technological barriers often hinder implementation of these programs. RideArrangers, together with Swanson Rink, helps companies remove these barriers by resolving IT needs and risks crucial to a successful telework program.

To date, Swanson Rink and DRCOG have consulted on a variety of issues, including remote access, information security, e-mail and help desk support.

Fransen Pittman Receives Bronze Environmental Award

Fransen Pittman General Contractors of Englewood has been awarded the 2007 Colorado Bronze Environmental Achievement Award by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

The award recognizes the voluntary environmental achievements of Colorado businesses, organizations and government agencies.

Fransen Pittman received the award based on participation in the 2006 Colorado Stormwater Excellence Pilot Program, where participants had their construction sites inspected monthly for program adherence by an independent consultant.

The four pilot program tasks were: to ensure program consistency with components of the EPA-endorsed Environmental Management System; implement the program on construction sites; collect, analyze and report data from participating construction sites; and develop a draft guidance document for implementation of the program on all future construction sites.

After completing the program, Fransen Pittman received the 2006 Best Performing Company award from the State of Colorado Water Quality Control Division and the Associated General Contractors of Colorado.

A/E Firms Use Generational Differences as Staffing Strategy

A/E firms everywhere are feeling the effects of today’s tight labor market. To combat the shrinking talent pool, firms are getting creative and looking towards generational differences as a recruitment strategy. According to ZweigWhite’s Recruiting and Retention Survey of Architecture, Engineering, Planning and Environmental Consulting Firms, 50% of firms are utilizing this technique in an attempt to attract candidates and retain staff.

In order to cater to specific generations, firms are emphasizing different aspects of their company and their open positions. By tailoring the recruitment message by age group, firms are able to appeal to each generation’s unique wants and needs. The survey found that the 18 to 25-year-old set value opportunities to learn, while work/life balance scored high for the 26-39 age group, and the 40-67 demographic is more interested in benefits and bonus potential.

ISEC Awards Employees with Clean Safety Records

ISEC Inc. awarded a 2007 Ford F-150 pickup truck to Tony Moya in the firm’s Cypress, Calif., office as part of the 2007 Safety Program.
 
The grand prize winner was drawn from a pool of employees with zero safety violations and accidents during the fiscal year that ended in June. The award was a special incentive to improve the company’s overall safety on the jobsite.

Other winners were: second place, $1,500 in gift certificates to Michael Conlin in San Diego and Zet Murillo in Fremont; third place, $500 in gift certificates to Mathew Snow in Denver, Larry Flores and Rigouerto Valencia in Cypress, Calif., and Francisco Medina Lopez in Fremont, Calif.