CAGC Pinnacle Winners Enhance the Carolinas' Construction Industry

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Feb. 22, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Carolinas AGC (CAGC) bestowed the 2017 Pinnacle Awards to three construction projects which enhance their communities, and the "Build with the Best" Pinnacle Award to an individual whose mission is helping students create a pathway to a successful career in construction. Pinnacle entries are judged on unique aspects and challenges; special values; project management; budget and schedule; and safety performance. And new to the CAGC Awards family is the CAGC Construction Excellence Awards. Six projects were recognized by the CAGC Pinnacle Award Judges as projects of distinction. To learn more about the CAGC Pinnacle Awards and Construction Excellence Awards, visit CAGC's awards page.

Best Highway-Heavy Pinnacle Project - $5 Million and Over

South Carolina DOT US 78 and SC 7 Bridge Replacements,
North Charleston, SC
General Contractor: Crowder Construction Company
Pinnacle Partner: Banks Construction Company

Prior to construction of the big South Carolina Port Access Project in Charleston, two significant bridges in the area which spanned the primary railroad corridor were in dire need of renovation. US 78 at King Street extension and Rivers Avenue was an old aqueduct bridge built in the late 1920's; and SC 7 Bridge (Cosgrove Avenue) was constructed in the mid 1950's.

Because the SC 7 bridge was the detour for the US 78 bridge closure, the bridges had to be built linear. Once the US 78 bridge was complete, Crowder then relocated to the SC 7 bridge location, which was a half mile to the north.

The most unique aspect of the project was working over and around different obstacles, such as two active railroads. While this could have been a scheduling nightmare, Crowder partnered closely with Norfolk Southern and CSX to work around train schedules. In addition to the railroads, the SC 7 bridge went through the yard of an operational concrete plant. On one hand, it was easy to get concrete on time, but it was still challenging to schedule work in and around the plant's daily concrete production. 

Because of the age and historic significance of the original US 78, Crowder was asked, upon demolition, to carefully remove sections of the 1920's bridge rail and place them in a park for future aesthetic use—Crowder was happy to oblige.

Best Building Pinnacle Project - Under $5 Million

Quarry Park Development, Winston Salem, NC
General Contractor: Bar Construction Company

The new Quarry Park is located on a 225-acre site originally occupied by an old granite quarry. In 2014, a $30 million City Park improvements tax bond allowed for $4 million to go toward the design and construction of the new Quarry Park, and $1 million toward the Waughtown Connector Greenway. An immediate challenge was presented because the original bid of over $5 million exceeded the city's budget. Extensive value engineering was undertaken to bring the project within budget.

One of the key features of the new park is its connections to the city greenway system. On the south side, the greenway connects to Waughtown Street via Marble Street. To the north, a new link to an existing greenway makes it possible for walkers and bikers to access Quarry Park from the existing Salem Creek Greenway, which in turn provides a link to Salem Lake and, in the future, to downtown Winston Salem.

The focus of Quarry Park is the Observation Pier. Designed like a camera lens, the pier expands in height as is approaches the quarry's rim. The pier, which faces the city skyline to the west with spectacular views of the lake, had to be set using one of the largest cranes on the east coast. The lower level houses a comfort station with bathrooms, and its gabion exterior pays homage to the quarried granite stone used throughout the city's infrastructure, roadways and buildings.

Best Building Pinnacle Project - $5 Million and Over

New Davie County High School, Mocksville, NC 
General Contractor: New Atlantic Contracting, Inc.

With a total construction budget of $54 million, the 335,000 square foot complex is situated on 65-acres and has a capacity of 2,000 students. The facility houses a three-story classroom wing, two gymnasiums and physical education areas, an auditorium, a cafeteria, a media center with a coffee shop, and a stand-alone Career Technical Education building. On-site is a sports complex with tennis courts, a 4,500-person football stadium, press box, and a concession stand.

Because initial rock disposal efforts did not anticipate the possibility of supporting a baseball field, structural soil bridging efforts were required to ensure the stability of the new baseball field. This challenge was rather simple compared to the softball field site which sat directly on top of a 1.3-acre sediment basin protecting adjacent wetlands. Accelerated site stabilization and close coordination with NC DENR representatives were required to enable early removal of the temporary sediment basin and allow construction of the softball field to begin.

The football field was another challenge altogether. An access road to the Davie County Youth Athletic Park passed right through the middle of the new football field for the first ten months of the project. Even though a new access road was put in place, the existing access road couldn't be touched because it was originally constructed, in part, with State and Federal Recreation Department monies and by law, could not be altered without prior written approval from the National Park Service.

The overall construction site became known as a "rock garden on steroids." Every time New Atlantic attempted to excavate a foundation or install a deep utility, they came across a boulder—and most times, these boulders turned out to be larger than the excavation equipment itself. By the end of the project, more than 2,300 cubic yards of rock was dug up without schedule impact.

Build with the Best Pinnacle Award
Steve Corriher, Central Piedmont Community College 

The Build with the Best award honors an individual who is not a contractor but has contributed to the betterment of the construction industry and the overall economic welfare of the Carolinas. Steve Corriher serves as the Division Director of Construction Technologies at Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte, and he's a member of the CAGC Foundation Board of Trustees. Steve was awarded the Build with the Best award because of his unyielding passion to educate students who are pursuing careers in construction. There's nothing more important to the construction industry right now than closing the workforce shortage gap.

Some of Steve's accomplishments include:

• Developing and implementing the Construction Management Associates Degree Program at CPCC
• Establishing the Goodwill Industries training program in Entry Level Construction Skills
• Receiving the Entrepreneur of the Year award at CPCC, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Partner of the Year award (in conjunction with the Construction Industry Education Coalition), and the NEF Carol A. Kueker Innovative Educator of the Year Award 

Construction Excellence Awards

The Barnes Center at Clemson University
General Contractor: Hood Construction

Originally built in 1904 to house dairy cows for use in livestock education, Hood's successful experience with Historic Restoration and Adaptive Reuse turned this historic barn into a beautiful new student center.

Hill Hall at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
General Contractor: Barnhill Contracting Company

Renovations to UNC's Hill Hall transformed this historic structure into a state-of-the-art recital hall and serves as the crown jewel of the University's Music Department.

SC State Pedestrian Bridge over US 21 Bypass/US 178 in Orangeburg, SC
General Contractor: Crowder Construction Company

This new pedestrian bridge safely facilitates travel of South Carolina State University students over US 21 Business. Although built to be functional, the pedestrian bridge also serves as a beautiful gateway to the University.

Edisto Island Shoreline Protection and Groin Lengthening, Edisto Island, SC
General Contractor: Crowder Construction Company

Plans were already in place for a beach renourishment project when Hurricane Matthew struck and added insult to injury. The groin lengthening project, which extended the entire length of the island, brought security back to homes and businesses near the beach.

Greenville Country Club, Greenville, SC
General Contractor: Harper Corporation

Greenville Country Club is one of the premier clubs of the South, with a storied history dating back to 1905. This new 45,000 square foot clubhouse hosts its current members as well as those to come— as the membership is expected to double within the next 20 years!

The Morrisville Parkway Railroad Grade Separation, Morrisville, NC
General Contractor: Fred Smith Company

This separation project involved 1.5 miles of realigned active railroad track including a new rail bridge, as well as significant excavation, shoring, and grading, to separate rail traffic from auto traffic. More importantly, it improved safety and travel times for pedestrians, bicyclists, vehicle passengers, train passengers, and freight.

The CAGC Pinnacle Awards competition is co-sponsored by CPA firm GreerWalker LLP and the law firm of Johnston, Allison & Hord. The Pinnacle presentation was made at CAGC's 97th Annual Convention in Boca Raton, FL in January. Carolinas AGC is the construction industry association in the Carolinas, bringing value to our thousands of members through networking, government relations, job leads, meetings with owners/designers, education and training involving such issues as safety and open shop, and community development. Visit us at www.cagc.org, connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn.  For more information on Pinnacle Award winners and photos visit www.cagc.org or contact Lori McGovern at 704/372-1450 ext. 5227.

SOURCE Carolinas Associated General Contractors

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