- Skanska

The Employee Magazine for Skanska USA
2011/Issue 03
coasttocoast
Expanding
the Footprint
Geographic Expansion is Alive and Well, page 8
Safe and Secure
Rules of Proper Cargo Securement, page 2
Placing Mileposts
toward Deep Green
The Road to Zero Environmental Impacts, page 14
Collaboration Lived
Pursuing Virginia’s Downtown Tunnel Project, page 16
1
coast to coast
Standing Tall in Economic Storm
Contents 2011 ™ Issue 03
Page 02
Page 06
Page 13
Page 08
Skanska continues to stand tall and perform well despite the
persistent economic storm clouds casting long shadows on
the U.S. economy.
In fact, all four U.S. business units are on outperform
tracks this year. ID Americas may soon close the huge
Midtown Tunnel project in Virginia, which USA Civil will
participate in building. USA Civil also recently won a big
light-rail project in California and key transit jobs in New
York. USA Building is close to signing a $400 million contract
with a university in New York and was recently selected to
build a $700 million hospital in Louisiana. USA Commercial
Development now has three projects underway, is about to
start a fourth – a new project for an athletic shoe company –
and its 10th and G Street job in D.C. is nearly leased out.
While Skanska is standing tall despite the storm, it’s clear
the choppy economic recovery could worsen, with the chance
of a recessionary dip in the near future becoming more
real every day. The current focus on reducing the U.S. debt
may drive budgets even lower and increase unemployment,
resulting in local governments having less money for
infrastructure and a further downward drive in private
construction spending.
What does this mean for Skanska?
It means we must make sure we’re prepared for a potential
prolonged downturn. We must remain diligent in delighting
our clients, being aggressive about landing new work that’s
currently available, collaborating more across business
units and staying focused on the fundamentals like safety,
operational execution and keeping costs down.
I’m hopeful a positive ray of light could appear through the
clouds with the 2012 elections. The elections are expected to rightly
place jobs and real recovery – both economical and infrastructural
– at the top of the political agenda, making “putting America back
to work” the priority. Once this gathers traction, we can expect
construction spending to significantly increase.
But it may be tough going for the next 18-24 months. So let’s
continue to stand tall and keep Skanska on the outperform course.
Mike McNally, Pr
President,
res
e id
dent, Skan
Skanska USA
Page 16
Page 14
Safety
02 Safe and Secure
How incidents involving cargo
securement can be avoided.
03 Dos and Don'ts
Our People
04 Making a Difference
Rebecca Clark details her trip to
Africa to support HEAL Africa’s
community development work and
hospital construction.
04 Skanska Survey
05 A Day in the Life... Mark Irvin
05 Panel Question: What does
your team have planned for
Safety Week 2011?
06 Diversity Network
07 Community Timeline
Our Projects
08 Expanding the Footprint
A look at the geographic
expansion efforts taking place
across the country - and up north.
12 On the Road Again
13 When Three Heads are Better
than One
Focus
14 Placing Mileposts toward
Deep Green
Skanska USA sets sight on achieving
zero environmental impacts.
16 Collaboration Lived
[ FSC STAMP TO BE
PROVIDED BY PRINTER]
coasttocoast Publisher Mike McNally Editor Shana Bitterman Editors/Writers Shana Bitterman,
Beth Miller, Mary Humphreys, Shelby Adams, Jessica Murray, Marshall Jones, Jay Weisberger,
Nicole Didda, Kelly Stowe Photographer Adam Friedberg, Brooke Henriksen Printer FLM
Graphics coasttocoast is the quarterly employee magazine from Skanska USA. Subscribe free
of charge by sending an email to: [email protected]. coasttocoast is printed on
FSC certified environmentally friendly paper. Feel free to copy from the magazine or quote us,
but please name the source. No responsibility is taken for unsolicited material, though you are
welcome to send your ideas and suggestions to the editor at: [email protected].
Material Lift
Dos & Don'ts
Do!
Use the manufacturer’s approved
supports to extend the forks on a
material lift in order to properly
and securely raise a load. Be sure to
Safety hero
» Teamster Anthony Pennisi with the Savior, his cargo securement mechanism.
Safe and Secure
Last fall, Veli-Heikki Korhonen, a subcontractor employee in Finland, was fatally struck by part
of a timber load that fell from his truck as he loosened the straps to start unloading. The Global
Over the years Teamster Anthony Pennisi has seen
and heard about many cargo securement near misses.
He even experienced a close call when a load of pile
cut-offs rolled off his truck after he released the straps.
Since that incident, Anthony considered creating a
mechanism that secures the load after the straps have been
released to keep material from falling from the truck.
“This has been on my mind for the last 20 years,”
Anthony explains.
Safety Stand Down that followed set out to remind employees that accidents all too often
result from poor load distribution and improper load securement. However, when the proper
regulations are followed, cargo securement incidents are significantly reduced.
Rules to follow
» A rendering of the Savior in action.
2
Before loading any trailer with materials, it’s vital to complete a
thorough pre-trip inspection. This includes ensuring all trailer
components, parts and accessories are safe, secure and in good
working order and checking for loose debris, nails, splinters or
other materials that could damage the cargo.
The cargo must be inspected during the loading process. Any
damaged or questionable freight should be discussed before being
placed onto the trailer. Once in place, the cargo has to be evenly
distributed throughout the trailer, with lighter cargo stacked
on top of heavier freight. In addition, all cargo needs to be
adequately secured through the use of proper blocking, bracing
and dunnage. The load is only secure when it doesn’t move.
Lastly, it’s important to make sure the cargo and the devices used
to secure the cargo aren’t only inspected before setting off on a trip,
but during the course of the trip, too.
coast to coast
Recognizing a best practice, the
National Safety Leadership Team
turned USA Civil Northeast's
safety newsletter - The Leading
Edge - into a national, quarterly
publication that highlights
outstanding examples of the
great environmental, health
and safety work on Skanska
jobsites across the country. The
newsletter can be found in the
Safety section under the Tools
& Services tab on One.Skanska.
coast to coast
However, when his ideas about the
mechanism first came to mind, the safety
culture in the construction industry wasn’t
what it is today; the focus was still on
productivity over safety and sharing ideas
for improvement wasn’t encouraged.
It wasn’t until last year’s Global Safety
Stand Down #9, when Anthony learned of
the death of fellow truck driver Veli-Heikki,
that he was motivated to put pen to paper
and make his restraint system a reality.
His creation, the Savior, is made up of
two major units – an extendable vertical
stake, known as the savior, and a moveable
chuck and lock that operates like a stake
socket to lock the savior in place. The
chuck and lock unit is attached to dunnage
underneath the load. When in use, the load
is held on each side between vertical saviors
adjacent to the load and adjusted to the
load’s height. Straps are supported by the
tops of the saviors and go over the load. At
the final destination, prior to unloading,
all straps are removed. The vertical saviors
are still in place, preventing the load from
shifting sideways.
With assistance from Skanska’s
equipment and innovation development
group, Anthony has a patent pending on
the Savior and is in the process of having
two prototypes made for testing. ◆
adhere to the maximum load weight
listed on the machinery’s decal.
Don’t!
Never use unistrut, angle iron or other
metal materials as fork extensions
because they could fail when the
machinery is raised, causing the load to
topple and injure a worker.
3
Editorial
Q
A
Making a
Difference
In March 2011, Skanska Koch supported my desire to volunteer
my time for an excursion to Africa.
The company hosted a blood drive during our
annual safety management meeting and agreed to
match funds for each collected unit of blood. The
funds were then contributed to my trip. In addition,
Skanska Koch matched each employee’s personal
donation that was made toward my trip.
With their assistance, I embarked on a humbling
two-week mission trip to the Democratic Republic of
Congo (DRC) to support HEAL Africa’s community
development work and hospital that’s located on the
border of DRC and Rwanda. The trip was geared
toward implementing and supporting HEAL Africa’s
sustainable development programs, including
empowering women by addressing several of the
local women’s rights issues.
During my time in the DRC, my main focus was
providing project management and superintendent
assistance for the construction of HEAL Africa’s new
three-story hospital building. I worked alongside the
director of HEAL Africa USA and the Congolese
engineer/builder, helping with the layout of the
owner’s proposed modification, performing a cost
analysis of the project, developing CAD drawings,
teaching AutoCAD, working on a schematic of the
drainage system and generating a plan view of the
hospital limits. I also provided assistance
with material procurement and quality
control implementation. Many aspects of the
construction process were so familiar, while
others were so rudimentary.
The days and nights were long, but worth
every moment. I maximized my energy
and was determined to complete the task at
hand. I was so grateful to have tangible tasks
to exert this energy into.
Upon completion, the new hospital
facility will enable HEAL Africa to serve
its patients even better than before, and
train the next generation of doctors in an
environment where it’s possible to practice
excellent medicine.
I am privileged that Skanska Koch
supported me on this endeavor. The
company is committed to contributing to a
sustainable world and I appreciate Skanska
Koch’s support and encouragement for my
initiative in making a difference. ◆
—Rebecca Clark
Project Manager, Carteret, N.J.
70.8%
29.2%
4
3:15 a.m. Alarm goes off. Hop in the shower.
3:30 a.m. Start the 60-mile drive to Trenton, N.J., to catch my first train of the day.
4:32 a.m. Jump on the train to Newark, N.J. Spend the ride updating the daily schedule
and sending out emails.
5:38 a.m. Switch trains in Newark to get to Manhattan.
6:12 a.m. Arrive at the World Trade Center jobsite, a joint-venture project being carried out by
6:20 a.m.
7:00 a.m.
7:45 a.m.
9:30 a.m.
1:30 p.m.
2:30 p.m.
4:00 p.m.
5:30 p.m.
5:35 p.m.
6:00 p.m.
8:45 p.m.
9:30 p.m.
10:00 p.m.
12:30 a.m.
Want to see your opinions represented here?
Log in to the Hub Survey page: www.skanskasurvey.com
coast to coast
ID America’s
office is
planning on
holding a
number of
activities,
from safety
training and site
visits to health and wellness-focused
presentations and exercises. We hope
to get everyone involved in each activity
and hope everyone is able to walk away
with new information on how to keep
themselves and those around them safe.
—Annie Kraft
Sustainability Coordinator, Alexandria, Va.
General Superintendent, New York, N.Y.
10:45 a.m.
12:15 p.m.
Has your team participated in any community outreach activities lately?
No
Mark Irvin
8:30 a.m.
Skanska Survey
Yes
A Day in the Life…
What does your team
have planned for
Safety Week 2011?
SGS (USA Civil, Granite Construction and USA Building).
Meet with the foremen to discuss the day’s safety briefings and pre-task plans.
Daily mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) superintendents’ briefing to go
through the day’s activities, rail and power shutdowns and water and pressure tests.
Issue hot work permits to perform hot work in the field and confined space orders
to enter vessels and subway tracks.
Project engineer review to look over the project’s ever-changing details and requests
for information (RFI).
Meeting with the subcontractors’ superintendents and foremen to assess subcontractor
coordination, security issues, crane schedules and site logistics.
Time to do a field visit to monitor how the job is coming along.
Hold the daily SGS lunch to talk about the day’s remaining work, finalize
tomorrow’s delivery schedule and crane locations and set concrete pours.
Architectural meeting to discuss logistics, deliveries, RFI changes and submittals.
Take another field walk to ensure the day’s tasks are finishing up smoothly.
MEP superintendents’ daily wrap-up meeting to reflect on the day’s activities, review
tomorrow’s plan and unwind.
Close the day with overtime subcontractors.
Quick project executive meeting to talk about the owner’s daily requests and changes.
Catch the train home and spend the ride prepping for the next day.
Walk in the door at home to check in with the family and grab a quick bite.
Back out the door to play an ice hockey game.
Get out on the rink and relieve the day’s frustrations on the ice.
Finally back home to crash and burn for the night.
coast to coast
The Regional
Medical Center
of San Jose
project team
has a number of
activities lined
up for the week.
We’re providing
two interactive defensive driving courses
and First Aid-CPR-AED certification and
hosting a barbeque luncheon for the
approximately 150 workers on site.
—Jim Lenhart
EHS Coordinator, San Jose, Calif.
As part of this
year’s Safety
Week, our
team’s focus will
be spreading
the Injury-Free
Environment®
philosophy.
There will be 21 executives from USA
Civil Northeast traveling to various
jobsites to explain the IFE program to
our foremen and other craft personnel.
IFE training will empower all of our
employees to work together towards
achieving our goal of zero accidents.
—Paul Haining
Vice President of EHS, Whitestone, N.Y.
5
With more than 7,000 employees in the U.S. and hundreds of
active projects, maintaining a focus on diversity, compliance and
inclusion can be a huge task. To meet this demand, several new
team members have been added to the diversity team. While some
are new to Skanska, others are longtime employees in new roles.
Houston, Texas:
Helping local students Employees in Houston
and College Station,
Texas, collected school
supplies for Communities
in Schools and delivered
items to Pine Shadows
Elementary School.
The Skanska USA Diversity Network
Shelby Adams
Communications Manager, Skanska USA, U.S.
Nyime Brown
Oakland, Calif.: Giving away goods
The office donated remaining office supplies
from the Central Utility Plant jobsite, with
an estimated worth of $4,012, to two local
children’s organizations.
Diversity and Outreach Coordinator, USA Civil, Virginia
Maritza Burgos
Diversity Manager, USA Building, Texas
Mari Comer
Diversity Coordinator, USA Building, Michigan
Fred Fox
DBE Coordinator, USA Civil, Northwest
Andre Gueno
relationships with local
Disadvantaged Business
Enterprise (DBE) subcontractors
and be able to really affect their
George Hanible
Regional DBE Compliance Officer, USA Civil, West Coast
Rachel Hendrix
Diversity Manager, Skanska USA, Georgia
Waiel Hussein
Compliance Officer, USA Civil, U.S.
Mel Jones
Alexandria, Va.:
Getting physical
ID Americas spearheaded
a drive with the D.C.-area
business units to collect
exercise equipment for
disabled and disadvantaged
children enrolled in Kids
Enjoy Exercise Now.
Diversity Manager, USA Building, Oregon/Washington
Renee Jones
business for years to come is a very
Diversity Manager, USA Building, Carolinas
rewarding experience.”
Michelle Mason
DBE Coordinator, USA Civil, Arizona
Sherry Nacci
Diversity Coordinator, USA Building, Pennsylvania
Rodney Renix joined USA Civil Southeast earlier this year as regional
DBE compliance officer to help the office comply with all relevant
federal, state and local laws, rules and regulations pertaining to small,
women and minority-owned businesses. “It’s been great to be a part of a company that practices what they
preach on the job, and in the community. Skanska is really committed to
not just saying it, but doing it,” he says. “The growth of Skanska’s diversity network has been a catalyst for
increased efforts in developing a significant presence in the community
and among diverse contractors,” says James Threalkill, senior national
director of diversity. “This demonstrates our commitment to embracing
diversity as a key business strategy and priority in our cultural growth.” ◆
6
JULY
Boston, Mass.:
Cradles to crayons
Employees participated in
the fifth annual Ready for
School campaign, helping
to fill more than 15,000
backpacks with crayons,
pencils, notebooks and other
supplies for disadvantaged
school-aged children.
DBE Compliance Manager, USA Civil, Colorado
Rodney Renix
Regional DBE Compliance Officer, USA Civil, Virginia
Contract Manager, USA Civil, New York
Van Thompson
Diversity Manager, Skanska USA Building, New York/New Jersey
James Threalkill
Senior National Director, Diversity, Skanska USA, U.S.
Audra Tiemann
Senior DBE Compliance Manager, USA Civil, California
Horrace Tobin
Equal Employment Opportunity Compliance, Skanska USA, Virginia
coast to coast
coast to coast
Raleigh, N.C.:
Successful food drive
Following the tornadoes that
struck North Carolina, the Wake
County Detention Center project
team donated 990 pounds of
food to the Food Bank of Central
& Eastern North Carolina.
Seattle, Wash.: Playing it safe
The office donated 125 pairs of safety glasses and
75 pairs of gloves to a Boy Scouts of America Cub
Scout Day Camp so that the 250 attendees could
participate safely in the event’s activities.
Roi Smith
Washington, D.C.:
Carrying the torch
More than 25 employees from
the Rockville and Arlington
offices teamed up to sponsor
and participate in the 2011
Juvenile Diabetes Research
Foundation’s Real Estate Games.
Orlando, Fla.:
School supplies drive
The George C. Young Federal
Building and Courthouse team
worked with the Nemours
Children’s Hospital team
to hold a school supplies
drive for the children of the
Orlando Union Rescue Mission,
contributing $635 in Target,
Wal-Mart and Old Navy gift
cards, more than 70 backpacks
and two trucks of supplies.
Philadelphia, Pa.:
Responding to the call
Hosting its ninth blood
drive, the office collected
20 donations, some of
which were double red
blood cell donations.
George Cuckie
DBE Coordinator, USA Civil, California
"Developing ongoing
Portland, Ore.: Tools for schools
Team members helped pack backpacks for a Knowledge
Universe Tools for Schools event at Schoolhouse Supplies
and then dropped off the backpacks at a high-need school.
JUNE
Audra Tiemann was working as a project engineer in Texas when an
opportunity became available to work with USA Civil West’s California
District’s diversity and inclusion team.
“The move to this role was a great decision,” she explains. “My team is
supportive, the office embraces the Skanska culture and I love being part
of making such instrumental changes.” Mari Comer was working as a project administrative assistant on the
Gun Lake Casino project in Wayland, Mich., when a new diversity and
outreach coordinator position for the Detroit and Kalamazoo offices
opened up. “I loved working with the subcontractor community on the project
level,” Mari says, “but to be able to develop ongoing relationships with local
Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) subcontractors and be able to
really affect their business for years to come is a very rewarding experience.”
Community
Timeline
AUGUST
Diversity Network
New York, N.Y.: Helping
tornado victims
USA Civil Northeast employees
in New York and New Jersey
donated more than 1,500
pounds of necessities to
Christian Service Mission
to help tornado victims in
Alabama and Missouri.
7
» The Cincinnati office opened for business in April.
» Mission Critical's work on two facilities in Canada is underway.
Expanding the Footprint
Profitable growth remains the objective of the 2011-2015 U.S. Business Plan, and one approach to
achieving profitability is geographic expansion. Coast to Coast examines how Skanska USA is taking
action to expand by way of organic growth and strategic acquisitions.
8
coast to coast
North of the border
Planting deeper roots in the heartland
Primarily made up of employees from the Michigan and New York
Metro offices, the project teams hard at work in Southern Ontario,
Canada, are quietly building giants for the Mission Critical Center
of Excellence.
For starters, in Guelph, about an hour west of Toronto, the team
is working on a 226,000-square-foot facility expansion currently
averaging about 250 craft workers.
“There have been some adjustments working up here, but many
have been good,” says Senior Project Manager Bill Laurain. “The
Canadian subcontractors want to be safe out-of-the-box, so our culture
meshes perfectly. It’s a collaborative team that respects one another.”
In Stratford, roughly in between Toronto and Detroit, another
team is working on a new 400,000-square-foot facility. This project
will peak at about 800 craft workers in coming months.
“It’s a gigantic job,” says Senior Project Manager Frank
Scandariato, “and there’s definitely been a blend of the fast-paced
American culture with the more relaxed approach of the Canadians.
The results, though, have been fantastic.”
The jobs total $390 million and will wrap in early 2012. Both
are joint ventures with Toronto-based Giffels, which has been a
significant help with subcontractors.
“Giffels has been a tremendous partner,” Bill says. “They know the
subcontractor community and they know how system works here.”
While working in Ohio isn’t new to Skanska, its first official
office opened in Cincinnati in April – just in time to coincide
with opening day for the Cincinnati Reds. Skanska began working in Ohio almost 10 years ago on
a master agreement account for a large telecommunications
company. Six years ago the company won a $140 million hospital
project just outside of Cincinnati. The project was a success and
led to two more large healthcare projects in the area. The team
is also currently completing an office headquarters project in
Cincinnati.
“We see Cincinnati as a market with a lot of potential,” says
Account Manager Craig Eckert. “Having a strong, ongoing
relationship with clients, designers and subcontractors gives us
a good foundation for growth and success in the market.”
“When we looked at expanding into Cincinnati, we knew it
would be important to have an address but knew we needed
to start small and grow as work increased,” adds Co-Chief
Operating Officer Joey Hatch. “We were able to find a small
office space in the heart of downtown Cincinnati that’s the right
size for our support staff and in close proximity to many design
and engineering firms. Success in this market will play a key part
in enabling us to reach our 2015 business plan goals for the
Midwest region.”
coast to coast
9
» The Aviation Center of Excellence established a home base in Chicago.
Chicago office takes flight
Skanska also has a new Chicago address. The Aviation Center of
Excellence has established a home base here and is finding success
not only at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, but across the
country too.
In the past four months, the team has won three key aviation
projects: a baggage inspections system project at O’Hare, a terminal
improvement project at Greenville-Spartanburg Airport in Greer,
S.C., and a new regional jet terminal project at George Bush
International Airport in Houston.
The office will also look at opportunities in the healthcare, higher
education and public markets collaborating with groups like the
Healthcare Center of Excellence and other offices in the Midwest.
“By 2015 our goal is to have 70 percent of USA Building’s work
come from the COEs. And a large part of our ability to achieve
that is through internal collaboration,” says General Manager Jim
Clemens. “In the short time the Aviation COE and Chicago office
have been in existence we’ve worked with 12 offices around the
country, which has been a huge contributor to our success thus far.”
Setting up shop in the Big D
As one of the country’s fastest growing markets, Texas is a perfect
place to expand the company’s footprint. And with a 10-year
history of working in the state’s second largest city, it was an easy
decision to plant Skanska’s flag in Dallas. “When we were ready to expand in the state this year
to support the 2015 business plan, Dallas was the natural
choice,” explains General Manager Brian Freeman. “It’s a global
city with a lot of opportunity and a strong, diverse economy.”
Skanska first made a name for itself in Texas eight years ago
with the completion of Reliant Stadium. Since then, the Texas
team has been gaining the trust of key clients such as Texas
A&M University, HCA and Harris County Hospital District. But it takes more than local experience to create success; it
also takes the right people. Two local construction veterans were
identified as key hires for the new Dallas team. Lance Charriere,
vice president of business development, has worked in the
market for international construction firms for many years and
brings with him strong contacts with owners and design firms.
Shannon Arnold, Skanska’s newest account manager, will join
the Dallas team November 1. Shannon has a wealth of Dallas
construction leadership experience. Project Executive Eric
Bunner also moved from San Antonio to Dallas to help support
the new office’s efforts.
» The project team ventured deep into the desert for the SR111 bypass project.
» Skanska will make its mark in New Orleans on the University Medical Center project.
The California desert
USA Civil’s Rocky Mountain and California Districts are no strangers
to working in far-flung areas. Few sites are as remote as two sites in the
Southern California desert, though.
The two districts are collaborating on a major project for a confidential
client near Mountain Pass, Calif., a mere 15 miles from the Nevada border.
It’s a contrast to a recently-completed highway job by the California
District in Brawley, Calif., which is about 25 miles from the Mexican
border. While Mountain Pass sits at nearly 4,800 feet of elevation, Brawley
sits 112 feet below sea level.
In Brawley, challenges abounded on the recently completed $70 million
phase of the SR111 bypass, which helps ease traffic heading to and from the
international border.
"We understand the importance of creating
diverse partnerships by hiring
local and minority- and women-owned
subcontractors who know
the
community…"
“Our hottest day on-site was in 2009 when it hit 124 degrees,” says
Project Manager Jerry Iniguez.
Proper preparation helped ensure zero heat-related incidents. Much
more was needed to avoid issues while building two bridges spanning a
hazardous river.
The New River flows out of Mexico and through Brawley. Often called
the most polluted river in America, it’s been spoiled by agricultural and
chemical runoff from both the United States and Mexico, as well as by
sewage from the Mexican city of Mexicali. The result is a stew that includes
volatile organic compounds, heavy metals and pathogens including
tuberculosis, polio, cholera, typhoid and hepatitis.
“A lot of planning went into how to build the bridges without coming
into contact with the river,” Jerry says. “We had to take steps to make
sure workers wouldn’t touch the water and we held daily safety meetings
specific to the river. Before work started, a lot of workers had to be
vaccinated for a number of diseases as another protective step.”
Making moves in the Crescent City
New Orleans is still recovering from Hurricane Katrina six years after
the storm tore through the Gulf Coast, and Skanska has ventured
into this new market to aid in the city’s recovery and support the
community’s healthcare needs.
A team made up of the Healthcare Center of Excellence, the Florida,
Atlanta and Durham offices and joint-venture partner MAPP Construction,
a Louisiana-based contractor, have joined forces to construct the University
Medical Center – a state-of-the-art, 1 million-square-foot hospital campus.
The team has begun Phase 1 of the project, which is valued at $522 million
and includes a 424-bed hospital, an adjoining diagnostic and treatment
center, utility/infrastructure installation, lighting, roadways and parking. The
team will soon be enlisted for Phase 2 as well, which is valued at $150 million.
The team isn’t carrying out the job alone either. Skanska MAPP held
several networking events, attracting nearly 100 local subcontractors and
minority- and women-owned businesses interested in the project.
“Skanska MAPP understands the importance of creating diverse
partnerships by hiring local and minority- and women-owned
subcontractors who know the community and want to make it better
through the construction of new facilities such as the University
Medical Center,” says Senior Vice President Fred Hames. “It’s important
that we reinvest in the community through our hiring practices.” ◆
» Lance Charriere and Eric Bunner at the Dallas office.
10
coast to coast
coast to coast
11
On the
Road Again
California’s Big Bear Lake has a population
of about 5,000. Since it offers year-round
recreation though, weekends can see more
than 100,000 southern Californians making
the trip “up the hill” for fun in the outdoors.
When record-breaking rainfall last December washed out huge
sections of state route 330 – a primary road to Big Bear from San
Bernardino and the Inland Empire – drivers faced a tough choice.
“Drivers could take a long detour that could add hours to their trip
or stay home,” says Senior Project Executive Dennis Cox. “As you can
imagine, businesses that depend on tourists were especially interested
in restoring highway 330 to service quickly.”
When record-breaking rainfall
last December washed
out
huge sections of state
route 330 – a primary road
to Big Bear from San Bernardino
and the Inland Empire – drivers
add
hours to their trip,
or stay home.
faced a tough choice…
USA Civil West’s California District was awarded two contracts
totaling $16 million to rebuild SR330. Initially, Caltrans estimated that
the project would take a year to complete. However, favorable weather,
strong coordination by the project team with Caltrans and the United
States Forest Service had work well ahead of schedule by Memorial Day.
“It was the perfect mix of good conditions and a great team,”
Dennis says.
It was a proud moment on June 17 when the highway reopened for
full use. Praise came in the form of positive press and a happy client.
“Without the dedicated perseverance of the contractors, local
elected officials and agencies, as well as Caltrans' staff, the success
of the project would never have been possible,” Caltrans District 8
Director Dr. Raymond Wolfe told the Mountain News. ◆
12
coast to coast
When Three Heads are Better than One
Located on Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas, the Tri-Service Research Laboratory was
constructed by Skanska to provide a space for three branches of the U.S. Armed Forces to work
together as one joint force.
The design-build facility will house Navy, Air Force and Army
research programs designed to evaluate the health and safety
effects of exposure to energy devices. The 181,000-square-foot
building houses various laser and biological research labs and
echo-free chambers, which allows each military branch to
simultaneously conduct research on the biological effects of
directed-energy devices.
The scope of the project included the design and construction
of the $70 million facility within a 24-month time frame. Skanska
partnered with Jacobs Engineering to provide design services and
utilized a pre-engineered metal building system for the structure
to both accelerate the schedule and minimize cost. On-time
completion of the project was critical, as the dates for relocation
of personnel and equipment were already identified.
coast to coast
The project required Skanska’s team to become familiar with
the standards, policies and procedures of the federal government.
This resulted in extensive coordination with the numerous
agencies representing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort
Sam Houston, each branch of the military, the end user groups
and other civilian contractors. The project team ensured
adherence to government standards such as the Buy American
Act, which stipulates that all construction materials must be from
domestic sources or approved trading partners, and the DCID
6/9, which provides guidelines on construction of secure spaces.
The project, which is seeking LEED® Silver certification, was
completed on time and Skanska plans to use lessons learned
at the Tri-Services Research Laboratory on future federal
government projects. ◆
13
Placing Mileposts
toward Deep Green
Any journey takes a good map. Many of Skanska’s green leaders
know that as much as “Journey to Deep Green” is discussed, the
company won’t get anywhere without a plan. Fortunately, leaders
from across the business are helping shape the strategy that will
guide the final destination on its path towards zero environmental
impacts in delivering high performance, future-proof projects.
recycle
more than 98 percent
of all construction waste
by 2015, with annual benchmarks
In place is a plan to
leading up to that goal.
What does Deep Green look like?
Deep Green is defined by attributes that
relate to the four priority areas for reduction
of the environmental impact of our projects
– water, materials, energy and carbon.
The attributes are:
™CZioZgdeg^bVgnZcZg\n
™CZVgoZgdXVgWdc^cXdchigjXi^dc
™OZgdlVhiZ
™OZgd]VoVgYdjhbViZg^Vah
™OZgdjchjhiV^cVWaZbViZg^Vah
™CZioZgdlViZg[dgWj^aY^c\h
and zero potable water for
construction in civil/infrastructure
“We have to be able to drive market change,” says Senior Vice
President Beth Heider, who will soon assume the role of chair of
the United States Green Building Council. “We’re leading through
the green solutions we recommend to clients, illustrating bottomline benefit. And we have to show we believe in the benefits by
what we choose to develop and how we build in the field.”
In doing so, Skanska will have to refocus the ways projects are
approached and the ways the company’s green goals are perceived.
Without measurements, a reputation as the leading green
construction company will only mean so much.
“We shouldn’t aim to be the best in our industry. We should
aim to be the best company in terms of sustainability, period,” says
Environmental Manager Courtney Lorenz. “What we want to do is
be better at managing waste within our company, while delivering
projects using fewer materials, water and energy.”
To get there, each business unit will assign Green Strategic
Indicators that will measure actual performance. These indicators
will align with overall 2011-2015 U.S. Business Plan goals and will
be monitored at a high level.
Already in place is a plan to recycle more than 98 percent of all
construction waste by 2015, with annual benchmarks leading up to
that goal. By the end of 2012, the target is more than 92 percent.
“If we’re going to get to Deep Green, it’s going to take setting
baselines, examining areas where we do well and being honest
about places where we need to step up,” Courtney says. “The right
benchmarks will help us get better, instead of touting the same
successes over and over again.”
A major part of the effort is “investing” in new green methods.
Skanska was a key member of a team, for example, that built the
Bertschi School Science Classroom Addition in Seattle, which
is tracking to be a Living Building SM. Pioneering work like that,
done at cost, has opened the door for Skanska to take a leadership
position on the proposed Oregon Sustainability Center, which
could be the world’s first urban mid-rise Living Building.
But achieving a true leadership position will take more than
a visionary project here and there. Helping move the market to
demand that a majority of projects surpass basic LEED levels will
do more. Skanska, however, can once again lead by example. For
instance, USA Commercial Development (CD) has set LEED Gold
as a minimum requirement for its projects.
“We see Gold as the start of the journey,” says Development
Manager Catherine Dannenbring. “On each project, we’re trying
to incorporate one new green element that hasn’t been tried in CD
projects. Ideally, each project builds on lessons learned from the last.
That allows us to set a structured way to continually move forward.”
CD must work within the bounds of whatever future tenants
will desire. By pushing the envelope and linking the results to
tenant business goals, though, it’s possible to move the needle a bit
closer to net-zero structures.
“We need to focus on low life cycle costs rather than initial
investment,” Catherine says. “It’s vital that we show how
measuring energy consumption and reducing carbon footprints
have tangible bottom line and social benefits.”
“We’ve always been at the front of the pack with green ideas
and execution,” Beth says. “This is a moment where we can
combine the green-thinking culture of Skanska with tangible,
business-focused measurement to drive us to a new way to
conduct our business.” ◆
» The Bertschi School Science Classroom Addition in Seattle is on track to be a Living Building.
14
coast to coast
coast to coast
15
The project does not run on rails
“PPPs have a long-term development process in which
external and internal factors can change and develop. The
team is constantly engaged in an evaluative process to not
just process information, but to determine its strategic
impact,” says Frederick Burman, ID Americas project
development director, commercial.
For example, midway through development, the
client wanted to specify a toll range for users - a
tremendous challenge from a financing perspective.
“In simple terms, the toll is an output of the costs
of the project over the length of the contract,” explains
Andy Southerland, ID Americas project development,
finance. “A pre-determined rate requires inputting to
the financial model, then working backwards through
an iterative process of matching up the project’s
commercial terms and optimal financing so that
everything hangs together in equilibrium.”
Fortunately the project team reached an acceptable
path to delivering the client’s affordable toll rate.
Collaboration is critical
The Skanska team pursuing Virginia’s Downtown Tunnel Project is gaining valuable experience
A PPP development team structure may include
another equity partner, plus working groups for finance,
commercial/legal and technical development. Specialists
from partner companies, the construction joint venture
and the client focus on design-build, traffic and revenue,
cost modeling, government affairs and communications,
and operations and maintenance, among others.
“The complexity of this project necessitates an
extensive volume of activities and work products
across multiple disciplines,” says Peter Jonna, project
development engineer for USA Civil’s Large Projects
Group. “The activities impact each other, so we’ve
aligned the team using all-hands conference calls, inperson meetings and even co-locating when needed.”
for future competitive advantage on U.S. public-private partnerships (PPPs).Thirty states have
Client relationships are paramount
legislation enabling PPPs, and Virginia has one of the longest-standing programs. However,
In Virginia, both the central office of the Virginia
Department of Transportation and its district office are
involved in development.
“It’s important to respect their chain of command
and ingrained knowledge, and to find ways to add value
and accelerate development,” says Mary Humphreys, ID
Americas communications manager.
Currently, the majority of issues contained in the
comprehensive agreement draft have been resolved, and the
team continues work to bring the project to a commercial
and financial close, scheduled for year end. In parallel, a
transition team has begun work related to establishing and
operating the special purpose company. ◆
» The Skanska-Kiewit-Weeks Marine team works closely with Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) Civil Rights: Wade Watson, VDOT’s Shay Ponquinette, Peter Jonna, Mark Apaliski and Rodney Renix.
Collaboration Lived
even with an established procurement process, project development for PPPs is neither linear,
nor predictable.
“You can’t just ask customers what they want and then try to give that to
them. By the time you get it built, they’ll want something new,” says Apple’s
Chairman and Founder Steve Jobs, according to the Financial Times.
That challenge exists when developing hand-held devices, as it does with
developing projects larger than the eye can see - like the Downtown Tunnel/
Midtown Tunnel/MLK Extension Project. The approximately $1.8 billion
project to design, build, finance, operate and maintain a new Midtown Tunnel,
existing Downtown and Midtown Tunnels and a new roadway extension is a
Skanska-led project that involves ID Americas and USA Civil Southeast.
So how is this PPP project being effectively co-developed?
“The U.S. is such a dynamic, emerging PPP market, where timelines,
objectives, scopes, budgets - and certainly people - are stretched and
16
challenged in the course of developing a project,” explains ID Americas
Project Director Chris Guthkelch.
“This project has presented us with tremendous design/build
opportunities - like the ability to design from scratch a solution that
minimizes right-of-way and environmental impacts, while achieving
the client’s goal of a regionally connective roadway network,” adds Wade
Watson, vice president of operations for USA Civil Southeast and lead
representative for Elizabeth River Crossing’s construction joint venture
Skanska-Kiewit-Weeks Marine. “It’s been challenging given limited
funding for the project, but the entire team has demonstrated the ability
and willpower to make this project a reality.”
Coast to Coast asked Skanska team members for some top lessons learned.
coast to coast
» Top: VDOT’s Tammy Mancinelli collaborates with Mary Humphreys on workforce development. Middle: Lincoln
Smith and Stephen VanEssendelft with Chris Guthkelch. Above: Horrace Tobin with VDOT’s Shay Ponquinette.
Did you know?
Tolling facilities today implement all electronic tolling, with no cash option, stopping, slowing or toll booths. Drivers pay via an electronic
device like E-ZPass®, or by an invoice mailed to them. Safety and efficiency are greatly improved. More information can be found at
www.ERC-info.com and www.MidtownTunnel.org.
coast to coast
17
coast tocoast
The Employee Magazine for Skanska in the U.S.
The Skanska Top 10
For the second year in a row,
Skanska ID won Skanska’s
Skanska USA hosted
Business Unit of the Year in
this year’s annual global
the Development category. ID
Americas’ team members work
across borders on ID projects.
Management Meeting
in San Antonio, Texas.
Alongside Railworks, USA Civil
Northeast was awarded a $386
million contract to furnish and
Coast to Coast is now
install finishes and systems at the
available to read and
download in digital
format online at:
No. 7 Line Extension project
usa.skanska.com/coasttocoast.
in New York.
733 10th Street in Washington, D.C.,
Skanska’s first commercial
development in the country,
is 90 percent leased prior to
construction completion this fall.
MetLife Stadium received
Skanska’s Building Project
of the Year for being
completed on-budget
and five months ahead
of schedule.
USA Civil Northeast
Project Executive John
Crecco received Skanska’s
Golden Hard Hat award
for production manager
for demonstrating a
commitment to safety,
financial focus and
leadership ability.
USA Commercial
Development acquired
The Houston Club
Building site, located
at 811 Rusk Street, in
downtown Houston, Texas.
Skanska is gearing up to
launch its new talent
management system
– Skanska Talent –
with training sessions
that began last month.
In a joint venture with
Traylor Bros., Inc., USA
Civil Northeast signed a
$210 million contract
to build the Second
Avenue Subway line’s
86th Street station
in New York.