Fall 2013

Fall 2013
Columbia University
Page 7
In This Issue:
Cover Story
7 Columbia University
Phase 2 work is moving into the final stages
3 NYU Medical
Center
Comeback work was
completed at the end of
June
4 Bronx River
Parkway
! Overall completion of the
project is slated for Spring
2015
5 7th/8th Ave Vent
Plant
7th Avenue excavation is
complete and prep work for
the main excavation
continues
9 2nd Avenue
Subway
Completion of Contract 2A
expected by the end of
September
10 Bronx Whitestone
Bridge
The replacement of the
!
!
Queens approach to be
finished October 2014
11 Through the
Pipeline
E.E. Cruz & Company, Inc.
32 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10013
www.eecruz.com
Tel: 212-431-3993
Cruz News is a quarterly publication by E.E.Cruz and Company, Inc. Please
direct comments and suggestions to Michelle Reiser at 212-431-3993 or
[email protected]
Letter from the President
Dear Friends and Fellow
Employees of E.E. Cruz:
I am writing this message
to you just a few days before
Labor Day and I am sure
many of us are sharing the
typical feelings that come
with the end of summer. In a
matter of days our families
will be out of vacation mode,
kids will return to school,
we’ll close up our swimming
pools and beach houses,
and the days will get shorter
and cooler. As fall sets in,
we’ll have time to remember
beach weather and summer
vacations and look ahead to
crisp autumn air and football
season.
For construction people,
this time of year means
looking at the near term to
get as much productive work
accomplished as we can
while the weather
cooperates. I know you are
all working hard in the field,
in our shop, and in our
offices to make that happen.
We can look back at a
season of exciting progress
at all of our project sites: the
Whitestone Bridge, 7th and
8th Avenue Vent Plant, Bronx
River Parkway, Columbia
Manhattanville, and the
Second Avenue Subway 2A/
2B. Work is proceeding on or
ahead of schedule and we
can all be proud of what we
Joe Malandro
have accomplished to date
this year. Revenues in 2013
have exceeded any previous
year. Our backlog of work
remains strong.
The season ahead looks
encouraging as well.
Estimating is tracking a
number of substantial
projects due for bidding in
the next several months and
we will pursue all
opportunities aggressively.
We have started a new
Business Development
department that is exploring
possibilities for work outside
our traditional New York/New
Jersey markets. Our
Marketing Department is
completing work on a
revamped E.E. Cruz
website. And you may have
noticed that we have revived
our old logo that emphasizes
our capabilities as a
company of both contractors
and engineers.
Difficult economic
conditions continue to hound
the construction industry,
and we expect competition
to remain very tough for new
business. It is especially
difficult to compete against
numbers that are at or below
our estimate of the cost of
the work. Be assured that
our estimators are up to the
challenge. In 2013, we have
bid over $800 million worth
of work and have
consistently been in the
upper third of bidders. The
quality of our estimates has
been and will remain high,
and I am confident that will
serve us well in our pursuit
of new work.
As always, I will close by
thanking all of you for your
hard work and dedication to
E.E. Cruz. In recent weeks I
have made some time to
visit the projects and plan to
make a habit of doing that
more often. (Those of you
who know me a long time
know I’d rather be in work
boots than dress shoes).
Work safe, be well and
enjoy the rest of your
summer.
Joe Malandro
August 2013
Page 2
NYU Medical Center
At the end of January,
E.E. Cruz de-mobilized
from the NYU Medical
Center site upon completion
of the concrete and
waterproofing work at the
MSB shell space.
In June, E.E. Cruz remobilized to the site in
order to perform comeback
work that was required after
the construction hoist was
removed. The hoist had
been used to build the
elevator tower
superstructure. This work
involved completing the
foundation walls, finish slab,
and drainage layer in the
shell space adjacent to the
new elevator tower. In
order to cut back the
schedule and avoid bringing
in formwork, we employed
our shotcrete subcontractor
to return and finish the
remaining foundation walls.
We also installed the
formwork and concrete for
the new Con-Edison duct
banks along the north wall
of the MSB shell space and
subsequently completed
backfilling per the contract
requirements.
The comeback work
concluded on June 21st,
and E.E. Cruz again demobilized all tools and
equipment from the site on
June 24th. Currently, we
are working towards closing
out the job.
Thank you to the crew
and management team for
their hard work and
diligence in the culmination
of challenging job.
by Dan Wortley, Field Engineer
Rebar and scaffolding in place for shotcrete operation
Mesh, drainage stone and pipe installed prior to pouring finish slab
Page 3
Bronx River Parkway
Work at the Bronx River
Parkway has continued
throughout the spring and
summer. At the time of our
last update, E.E. Cruz had
prepared and submitted a
value engineering package
to the owner revising the
MPT traffic pattern from
Stage 1 to Stage 3. The
owner has since accepted
the proposed revision and
traffic has now been
reconfigured making
additional work available and
eliminating the requirement
of temporary shoring at Piers
1, 2, and 3. The footing for Pier 6 has
been completed, and
concrete for the pier and
anchor bolts for the core
steel have been cast. Stage
1 of the Pier 4 footing has
also been completed. The
cofferdam for Pier 4, Stage 2
is installed, excavation
complete, and mud mat
placed. Currently we are
installing rebar and formwork
for the second half of the
Pier 4 footing. Pier 4 is
Pier 6 formwork
by Frank Spinozza, Assistant Project Manager
Pier 4 Stage 1 footing/reconfiguring cofferdam for Stage 2 construction
scheduled to be completed
in early September. The
cofferdam for Pier 5 has
been installed and concrete
for the footing has been
placed. Formwork and rebar
for the pier and installation
of the anchor bolt template
is underway. Piers 4, 5, and
6 will be ready for core steel
by the middle of September. EEC’s in-house engineering
team has completed the
design of cofferdams for
Piers 1 and 2. Construction
of the cofferdam for Pier 2 is
underway. Pier 1 cofferdam
is anticipated to begin in
early September.
Several subcontractors
have recently mobilized to
the site including
Moretrench, currently
installing 62 micropiles
required for the south
abutment. Underpinning
mobilized in June and has
completed the installation of
the secant piles required for
the west abutment and wall
3 of Pier 2. American Bridge
is continuing with their efforts
to complete the fabrication of
Pier 4, 5, and 6 core steel
and arches. First delivery of
core steel is anticipated for
the end of September.
Additionally, Granite Works
began removing stone from
the existing bridge, cleaning,
and reinstalling stone on the
face of the middle abutment.
Currently, Verde Electric and
Mohegan Associates are
procuring material to
complete the pedestrian
bridge. Following completion of
the secant piles installed by
Underpinning, EEC began
excavation to install the west
abutment pile cap. The
footings and piers for the
pedestrian bridge have also
been completed and the
precast planks have been
set. Construction of the
south abutment footing and
walls will begin in the fall.
The overall completion of the
project is slated for the
spring of 2015.
Page 4
7th / 8th Avenue Vent Plant
by Paul Connolly, Project Manager
Since our last update,
E.E. Cruz has made
significant progress,
transitioning from
preparatory activities into the
more substantial aspects of
the project. The permeation
grouting program adjacent to
the 59 Greenwich building
was completed, and was
followed immediately by the
mobilization of our secant
pile sub, Underpinning &
Foundation Skanska (UFS.)
Despite the extremely limited
working area and difficult
access conditions, UFS’s
crews worked efficiently and
were typically able to
complete over two piles per
shift, enabling them to finish
all of the piles in less than
two months.
Unloading 52’ core beams to be placed in secondary secant piles
Secant pile operations taking place on Vent Plant site and
relocation of steam line taking place on 7th Avenue
Another milestone
achieved was the relocation
of the 24” steam main on 7th
Avenue. As this work
progressed, E.E. Cruz
forces worked inside the
same trench used by our
utility sub, enabling us to
start work on the support of
excavation and decking
system for the 7th Avenue
flue structure. Performing
this work concurrently with
the steam line relocation
allowed us to recover a
significant portion of the
scheduling delays that were
experienced during the pipe
re-location work itself. These
delays were caused by the
discovery of asbestos in and
around the pipe, as well as
Con Edison’s directive to
replace an additional 30’ of
the existing pipe due to its
age and condition.
Page 5
Immediately upon backfilling
of the new steam line
housing, E.E. Cruz began
the installation of the decking
beams and precast panels
working from the middle of
7th Avenue toward the vent
plant. The first two sections
advanced quickly but, as
expected, the pace slowed
when we reached the last
section adjacent to the curb
line. In this location, a maze
of utilities is present, not to
mention the existing vent
structure atop the subway
tunnel roof, which must be
demolished and slabbed
over to allow the decking
system to be installed. This
work is ongoing and when
completed, we will mobilize Moretrench to the site to
begin the installation of the
jet grout columns located
alongside the tunnel walls at
Installation of deck beams and roadway panels for 7th Avenue
SOE system
Installation of lateral braces between deck beams for 7th Avenue
SOE system
both 7th and Greenwich
Avenues.
In the meantime, work
progressed well on the
reconstruction of the
Greenwich Avenue sidewalk
vents, which is now
approximately 80%
complete. Some of the vents
on 7th Avenue were finished
during this period as well.
In the tunnels, we worked
several weekend G.O.s to
accomplish a variety of tasks
including the installation of
demo shields as well as steel
column strengthening work.
Our electrical sub, Kleinberg
Electric made use of the
G.O.s as well, using work
trains to run conduit to the
future damper locations in
the vent bays along 7th
Greenwich Avenues.
Page 6
Columbia University
by Matthew Prpich, Project Engineer
MBB-SC2 Slab
Much progress has
been made at the Columbia
University project since our
Spring Cruz News update.
Under the watchful eye and
constant motivation of
Patrick Roach, General
Superintendent, work on
Phase 1 is proceeding at a
fevered pace. The
available work at grade has
been completed, leaving
limited quantities of grade
beam waterproofing and
backfill/restoration
remaining. Access to these
areas is provided by the
General Contractor. Site
dewatering, in support of
the top down excavation,
has ramped up to three
shifts running seven days a
week. Ground water
elevations have been
successfully drawn down
below the total depth of
excavation with requisite
monitoring and reporting
ongoing.
Excavation of the topdown SC2 level (Stages 5
& 6) has been completed
throughout the MBB (Mind
Brain Building) and CEP
(Central Energy Plant)
areas. Mud mat and slab
placement for the MBB side
of the excavation is finished
while 75% of the mud mat
and slab has been placed
for the CEP side.
The remaining section
of SC2 slab for the CEP
has been put on hold to
facilitate construction of an
access ramp down to the
final SC4 level where
excavation is ongoing.
ECN JV has assumed
responsibility for concrete
slab placement from
Artisan as well as the
balance of their work scope.
Pressure washing, grinding,
chipping and patching of
the exposed slurry panels is
nearing completion for the
SC2 level, opening the door
for Restor to mobilize on
August 18th and begin
waterproofing.
The extensive air
monitoring and ventilation
plan, discussed in the
Spring issue of Cruz News,
has continued with great
success. The real-time
detection of elevated VOC
(Volatile Organic
Compounds) levels within
the SC4 excavation allowed
for immediate steps to
insure worker safety. In
addition, the increased
application of Rusmar foam
has been successful in
suppressing odor from the
impacted soil.
Page 7
Looking forward, Phase
1 will complete excavation
of the MBB-SC4 level
utilizing the access ramp.
Once the MBB excavation
is complete, the SC2
closure slab will be placed
and excavation will
continue utilizing a “Glory
Hole” and tunneling under
the CEP-SC2 slab.
Not to be outdone by
Phase 1, the Phase 2 team
lead by Al Bonura,
Superintendent, is moving
into the final stages. Slurry
wall panels are 87%
complete with over
178,000SF excavated and
only 12 panel pours
remaining. The Hydrofraise
has demobilized from the
site and two clamshell
buckets will be utilized for
the balance of the
excavation. Work on
Phase 2 slurry walls is on
schedule to conclude
September 16th.
The upcoming
restoration and re-opening
of 131st Street is an
important milestone in
Phase 2. Once achieved, it
will allow for the closure of
130th Street and provide
access to several of the
final panels located within
the roadway. Restoration
of the sidewalks and
roadway is ongoing with an
anticipated end date of
August 21st.
Pressure grouting is
currently 90% complete
with a mere 13 of 126 holes
remaining. Finalization of
the grouting activity will
occur after access is
attained with closure of
130th Street.
Excavation Access Ramp
Restoration of 131st Street
Page 8
2nd Avenue Subway
by Tiago Rodrigues and Tien Tran, Field Engineers
At Gridline 37 looking north at the tie-in of the station to the existing
99-105th Street tunnel (ca.1970’s). Once abated, the sheeting was
pulled and bulkhead demolished. An invert slab was then poured
followed by shotcrete and waterproofing on the secant pile wall.
Below 2nd Avenue, the
E.E. Cruz/Tully JV is focusing
its operations on concrete in
building the station from the
invert up to street level. This
consists of a platform level,
mezzanine slab, and roof slab. It is now possible to walk
underneath 2nd Avenue from
105th to 87th Street…. that’s
almost a MILE!
At the existing north tunnel,
over 2000 cubic yards of
concrete has been poured and
63,000 linear feet of FRE
conduit has been installed
within the 1800 LF of high and
low benches. Since the last
update, the lead abatement
and demolition have been
completed and the CTJV is
preparing the area for the
turnover to the follow-up
contractor. This area will be
used as a storage area for
track rail and cable. The
columns in the existing tunnels
have been primed and
fireproofed thus allowing our
masonry subcontractor to
install the 6” CMU wall along
the center of the tunnel. A
northbound and southbound
track has been established.
Upon completion of the
asbestos abatement at the
99th Street bulkhead, the
CTJV was able to pour the
northern most invert slab as
well as a section of the roof. Moving south, scaffolding has
been erected so that
carpenters, lathers, and
subcontractors can prepare
the mezzanine slab. Currently,
4 of the 22 mezzanine slabs in
the main tunnel have been
placed and the team is aiming
to continue with two
mezzanine slabs poured each
week. Once the concrete has
reached design capacity, our
crews can begin removing the
Tier 3 temporary struts and
wales in anticipation of pouring
the roof slabs scheduled for the
end of the year.
Since the last update, all
the invert slabs at Ancillary 1
have been poured and the
secant pile dividing wall has
been demolished. Waterproofing for the outside
walls can begin and will be
followed by rebar installation. At Entrances 1 and 2, crews
are preparing for invert slabs
that will tie into the mezzanine
slab in the mainline. At
Entrance 3, the CTJV has hired
a subcontractor to drill and wire
saw the slurry wall into
knockout panels measuring 4’
by 10’. Cutting the wall into
blocks makes it easier to
manage although some blocks
will weigh nearly 34,000 lbs.
At the south tubes, work
has been nonstop in efforts to
meet our September 15th
deadline to turn the area over
to the Track, Power, and
Communication contractor. All
plumbing, electrical, and
concrete work in the west tube
is complete. In the east tube,
crews have placed 1/3 of the
high benches and installed all
FRE conduits. Our plumbing
subcontractor will follow with
hanging the pump car manifold
and dry fire stand pipe.
As of this update, the only
remaining work on Contract 2A
will be at Rainbow Hardware.
The CTJV expects to finish this
by the end of September. Crews, in the meantime, will
continue to focus on all
remaining punch list items. The
project team has shifted focus
to the second contract without
losing sight of reaching
substantial completion for 2A.
We look forward to building
a roof above our heads as the
winter arrives.
Page 9
The Bronx-Whitestone Bridge
Since our last update, the
E.E. Cruz/Tully JV has made
great advances at the BronxWhitestone Bridge. In April,
the concrete deck for stage
1B was finished followed by
the temporary shoring
system for the existing
bridge, completed in early
June. Once the shoring
system was in place,
demolition of the existing
bridge began and new
girders and cross frames
were erected for stage 2A/3.
The CTJV then prepared for
the new concrete deck which
was placed in August. Upon
completion of the concrete
deck and parapet in stage
2A/3, the CTJV will
reconfigure the existing traffic
pattern and resume
demolition of the existing
bridge in stage 2B. This
demo work is scheduled to
be finished in October. The
new girders will be erected
Bolt up cross frames Stage 2A
by Dave Busick, Project Engineer
Erecting new girders
immediately after demolition,
followed by construction of
the new concrete deck in
stage 2B. Work on stage 2B
is scheduled to conclude in
November. Staged
construction of the BronxWhitestone Bridge will
continue into 2014 with the
removal and replacement of
the entire Queens approach
slated to culminate in
October 2014.
In addition to the
demolition and construction
of the Queens approach,
installation of the new
methyl methacrylate
protective polymer slurry
overlay was finished in June.
Substantial completion of
the project is anticipated for
January 2015.
Page 10
Through the Pipeline
Employee Profile
Profile of Amir Mousa by Valerie Rodriguez
Tell us a little bit about your
background.
I am a graduate of Bagdad
University’s School of
Engineering with a Bachelor’s
of Science degree in
Engineering and I obtained my
Masters from the City
University of New York in
Structural Engineering.
Prior to E.E. Cruz, I worked
for Weidlinger Associates for
17 years in their Bridge
Department where I was
responsible for the
rehabilitation design of all of
the eight suspension bridges
in New York City (George
Washington, Brooklyn,
Manhattan, Williamsburg,
Whitestone, Throgs Neck and
Verrazano bridges). I also
handled the rehabilitation
design of suspension bridges
around Philadelphia and
Pittsburg including the Ben
Franklin, Walt Whitman and
South 10th Street bridges.
After years of working on
bridge design, I accepted the
offer from Joe Malandro to join
E.E. Cruz as Chief Engineer
and establish a design group.
As Chief Engineer for E.E.
Cruz, what exactly does your
work entail?
As Chief Engineer and
member of the design group, I
am responsible for resolving
the design issues that arise
during our current projects.
For example, calculations
were prepared and submitted
to the structural design
department at the NYC Transit
Authority/MTA to eliminate the
need to reinforce some of the
subway tunnel columns along
8th Avenue as was shown in
the Emergency Vent Plant
contract drawings.
Additionally, design
calculations and drawings
were also prepared to build
and install a temporary
platform/ramp for equipment
access into the existing
subway tunnel at 102nd
Street for the 2nd Avenue
project.
The design group also
reviews design calculations
and drawings prepared by our
design subcontractors
including the SOE design
work on the Emergency Vent,
the demolition and erection
staging at the Bronx
Whitestone project and Shaft
95 remediation at Columbia
University. Most of the time,
these reviews result in design
revisions that are effective,
safe and economical.
Additionally, we prepare
design calculations and
drawings for temporary
support work, support of
excavation, rigging, demolition
staging and safety measures.
Furthermore, I am proud to
announce that the design
group has created a thermal
and cooling system for mass
concrete on all our current
jobs.
If you’re not at work, where
are you?
During the summer
months, I enjoy time with my
wife and two sons, ages 20
and 11. During the Fall and
Spring I am an adjunct
professor at the City College
of New York where I teach
structural and design courses
at the undergraduate and
graduate levels. Last fall, I
began teaching PE review
classes in structural subjects
at the School of PE on several
weekends in New York, New
Jersey and Georgia.
Any additional thoughts?
I am very impressed by
the challenging nature of our
heavy construction jobs as
well as the hard-working and
collaborative nature of E.E.
Cruz. I am equally impressed
with the progress we have
made with establishing a
Design group at E.E. Cruz. We have substantially
increased our capabilities and
have purchased software to
make our work more efficient. These programs include
Mathcad for preparing
processional design
calculations, SAP 2000
computer code for structural
modeling and analysis and
DeepXcav for support of
excavation design.
Page 11
Through the Pipeline
John Benas
New Employees
Brian Sacks
Chuck Stewart is a Field
Engineer on the 2nd Avenue
Subway Project. He
graduated from The College
of New Jersey in May with a
degree in Civil Engineering.
While in school, Chuck
played football and enjoyed
playing golf in his spare
time. He also enjoys
snowboarding and going to
the beach with friends.
John Benas is an Estimator
in the New York Office. He
graduated from Roger
Williams University in Rhode
Island with a B.S. in Civil
Engineering this May. John
currently resides in Harrison,
NY.
Matthew Prpich
Matt Prpich is a Project
Engineer on the Columbia
University Project. Matt
recently relocated from
Florida and is excited to join
the E.E. Cruz team. His
hobbies include hunting,
fishing, camping, and hiking.
Chuck Stewart
Brian Sacks is a CPM
Scheduler at the 2nd Avenue
Subway Contract 2B. He is
a native New Yorker and
grew up in Huntington, Long
Island. Brian graduated
from the University of
Maryland College Park in
2004 with a B.A. in
Economics. Prior to joining
E.E. Cruz, Brian worked as
a Project Engineer for
Slattery Skanska, a Cost
Engineer for Turner
Construction, and a CPM
Scheduler at a scheduling
firm in Irvine, California and
his father’s company Sacks
and Son Construction Co.
Brian enjoys snowboarding
out west, where he travels
each year with his father and
sister. He also enjoys
concerts, camping, and
anything outdoors. Brian
currently resides in Astoria,
NY and has two cats,
Smokey and Squirt.
E.E. Cruz &
Company, Inc.
welcomes you to
our team!
Page 12
Through the Pipeline
Awards, Honors, and Certifications
The Moles organization has
elected Officers and
Committee Members for
2013-2014 including four
individuals from EE Cruz!
• Joe Malandro: President
• Charlie Montalbano:
Member of the
Membership Committee
• Jack Tobin: Vice Chair of
the Education Committee
• Jeffrey R. Cruz: Member
of the Program Committee
•
•
•
Thank you for your
continued support to the
construction industry.
The Boys & Girls Club of
Metro Queens will be
honoring Joe Malandro at
their Annual Dinner on
Wednesday, October 23rd.
Congratulations to Joe for
being recognized for his
dedication to the community.
OSHA Region II held a
voluntary 2013 Safety Stand
Down throughout New York
and New Jersey. The E.E.
Cruz / Tully JV in Queens
participated with a review of
Falls in Construction. In
2010, there were 264 fall
fatalities in construction out
of 774 total fatalities. These
deaths are preventable. During the Stand Down,
an array of fall protection,
proper construction,
inspections, and limitations
were reviewed to empower
employees to protect
themselves in any situation. Employees took time to
evaluate their individual
operations and identify
potential fall exposures. The Safety Stand Down
proved not only beneficial to
this team but also a great
review for all E.E. Cruz
employees. This awareness
is a crucial step in preventing
workplace injuries.
The United States Department of Labor
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
recognizes the employees and managers of
E.E. Cruz / Tully Construction, JV, Queens, NY
for participating in the OSHA Region II
2013 Stand-Down for Preventing Falls in Construction
July 1, 2013
__________________
Robert D. Kulick
Regional Administrator
Congratulations to Safety
Manager Clayton Heitz for
receiving the accreditation of
Certified Safety Professional
(CSP) on June 10, 2013.
Thank you for your
commitment to safety on the
job.
New additions
Bill Tyson and his wife Ginny
welcomed their first
grandchild on July 29th in
Tokyo, Japan! Their
grandson Liam Ayuzawa was
born two weeks early to
daughter Kristine and her
husband Hisashi. Liam
weighed 6lbs, 1oz and was
19.5” long. Best wishes to
the entire family!
Page 13
Through the Pipeline
E.E. Cruz vs. Columbia / Lend Lease Softball Game
This summer, E.E. Cruz
participated in its 2nd E.E.
Cruz vs. Columbia/Lend
Lease softball game at
Columbia University’s Baker
Field Complex. This year,
John Benas, Dan Cocco,
Rui DaSilva, Nick Dukleski,
Lenin Gonell, Jimmy Hilas,
Dan Mallen, and Ed White
represented E.E. Cruz. E.E.
Cruz beat Columbia/Lend
Lease 12 to 10.
Highlights included Rui’s 8
for 8 at the plate, Jimmy’s
RBI triple, Dan Mallen’s
outfield defense, John’s
cannon arm, and Nick’s slick
fielding at shortstop. The
play of the game was Rui’s
barehanded grab of a ball up
the middle and jumping
throw to first base a la Derek
Jeter.
Ed White
Jimmy Hilas and Rui DaSilva
Nick Dukleski
Page 14
E.E. Cruz & Company, Inc.
32 Avenue of the Americas
13th Floor
New York, NY 10013
www.eecruz.com
Bronx-Whitestone Bridge
Page 10