ALABAMA STATE EDITION
231
65
72 Florence
2
Huntsville
20 Decatur
72
565 59
43
A Supplement to:
231
431
31
5
Gadsden
78 59 Anniston
20
Birmingham Bessemer
82 Tuscaloosa
65 280
20 82 Auburn
®
80
85
Selma
Phenix City
Montgomery
82 65
June 21 2017 Vol. XXX • No. 13
231
43 84 431 331
84
84 52 31
45
Dothan
65
“The Nation’s Best Read Construction Newspaper… Founded in 1957.”
98
Mobile
10
Your Alabama Connection • Rich Olivier, Atlanta, GA • 1-800-409-1479
Crews Work to Expand Growing Hotel Brand By Cindy Riley CEG CORRESPONDENT
Work is progressing on GE Aviation’s new facilities in the Huntsville, Ala., area.
Huntsville to See 300 New Jobs at GE Aviation’s Two Facilities By Paul Ladd CEG CORRESPONDENT
Work is progressing on GE Aviation’s new facilities in the Huntsville, Ala., area. The company is investing more than $200 million to build two factories in Limestone County. Ground was broken on the construction site last year. When completed, one of the plants will produce silicon carbide, or SiC ceramic fiber on a large scale and will
be the first operation of its kind in the U.S. The second facility will use that fiber to manufacture ceramic matrix composites, or CMC, used in making jet airplanes. As many as 300 people will be employed at the two plants. “We continue to make great progress,” Huntsville site leader Jon Lyford said. “The engineering and construction teams are on track to start placing process equipment by October. The CMC prepreg facility commissioning will be complete in the summer
of 2018. The CMC fiber facility commissioning remains targeted for the spring of 2019.” The project is receiving $21.9 million from the U.S. Air Force Research Lab Title III Office. Birminghambased B.L. Harbert International is working with the Air Force and GE Aviation on the project. (This story also can be found on Construction Equipment Guide’s website at www.constructionequipmentguide.com.) CEG
Construction crews in Auburn, Ala., have begun work on what’s being described as the fastest growing newbuild hotel brand in United States history. When complete, the new four-story Tru by Hilton will feature 98 rooms, a swimming pool, exercise room and game zone with pool table and lounge area. “We designed Tru by Hilton with a variety of markets in mind, including urban areas,” said Alexandra Jaritz, global head of Tru by Hilton. “We saw the demand for a mid-scale hotel in Auburn, as both business and leisure travelers are attracted to its proximity to the university. Designed for success in a variety of markets, the prototype is designed to be easily scalable and adaptable for different location types. “Universities always draw crowds, whether for football games, alumni events, networking conferences, graduations, etc. Tru by Hilton Auburn will be a great home base for those traveling to the city and are looking for a hotel that emphasizes simplicity and value, without compromising quality or design. We’re so excited to see it come to life.” Jaritz said the brand was developed to appeal crossgenerationally and attract a broad spectrum of travelers who share a common ‘zest for life’ mindset, whether they are millennials, GenXers or Boomers. “These travelers want more than just a place to rest their heads — they want to be able to connect with other travelers and enjoy easy-going engagement in a space where they are free to be themselves and that allows them to customize their hospitality experience. “To provide this, we disrupted everything about the mid-scale segment, from the design of our work places to how guests enjoy breakfast to the amenities found in guest rooms. Our lobby is a prime example of how we provide guests the freedom to tailor their experience to their lifestyle. The 2,800 square-foot, open-space design is focused on driving more energy and activity into the area, but is also sensitive to giving guests a quiet place to see HILTON page 6
Page 2 • June 21, 2017 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • Alabama State Supplement • Construction Equipment Guide
Construction Equipment Guide • Alabama State Supplement • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • June 21, 2017 • Page 3
Page 4 • June 21, 2017 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • Alabama State Supplement • Construction Equipment Guide
Construction Equipment Guide • Alabama State Supplement • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • June 21, 2017 • Page 5
A Up to $22,800 Backk
*
Up to t $3,500 Back B
INC CLUDES 1.9% FINANCING I FOR 60 MONTHS & POWERTRAIN N EQUIPMENT PROTECTION PLAN PL S
Upp to $2,000 Back
I I
EWA
T
S
Up to $4,,600 Back FOR MORE INFORMA RMA ATION TION CONTTACT ACT T YOUR NEAREST THOMPSON TRACTOR LOCA ATION TION N FOR DETTAILS. AILS.
SKID STEER LOADERS
COMP PACT TRACK LOADERS
MULLTI TII TERRAIN LOA ADERS
MINI EXCA AV VATORS
BACKHOE LOADERS
SMALL DO OZERS
COMP PACT WHEELL LOADERS
SMALL WHEEL LOADERS
TELEHANDLERS HANDLERS
EXCA AV VATORS S
ALABAMA *Cash back amount may not reflect model of machine images shown. For complete details, ch heck with Thompson Tractor. Offer valid id from February 1, 2017 to June 30, 2017 on select new models of machines nes manufactured by Caterpillar Inc. Building Constru uction Products Division. T To o be eligible, eligible, a sales contract must be signed during during the offer period. Offer available only o at participating Cat dealers. Offer Offer is available to customers in the USA and Canada only and cannot be combined with any other o offers. Prior purchases do not qualify. Offer is subject to machine ava ailability. All new Building Construction on Product models are eligible for the promotion. The cash back offer is based sed on a predetermined amount for each machine that iss applied to the sale price. Cash back a amount varies by model. Customers must m apply cash back offer to the sale e price of the machine and can only be e used at the Cat dealer and must be redeemed on the date of purchase. The offer has no cas sh value and is not transferable. T To o receive recceive the interest rate offer offer, all remaining ning balances must be financed through gh Cat Financial and are subject to credit edit approval through Cat Financial. Finan inancing rate is subject to approval and some customers will not qualify. The interest rate offer is only for customers who qualify. Not all buyers may qualify. Higher rates tes apply for buyers with lower credit ratings. The Powertrain Equipment Protection rotection Plan (EPP) is provided through Cat Financia al for use at participating Cat dealers. EPP coverage varies by model. Final machine prices are subject to change. Prices do not include taxes, freight, set-up, delivery, delivery document fees, inspections, ections, additional options, or attachments. Progra am period and conditions subject to ch hange without prior notice and additio onal terms and conditions may apply. © 2017 Caterpillar. All A Rights Reserved. CA AT T, CA ATERPILLAR, TERPILLA AR, BUILT FOR IT T,, their respective logos, os, “Caterpillar Y Yellow ellow,” the “Power Edge” dge” trade dress, as well as corporate e and product identity used herein, are e trademarks of Caterpillar and may not be used withoutt permission.
1 80 1-80 00 RENT 00-R ENT T--CA AT www w.thompsontractor.com m
FL
AU UBURN (334) 321-2030
DOTHAN (334) 673-3300
MOBILE (251) 452-1180
BIRMINGHAM MINGHAM (205) 326-0334
HUNTSVILLE (256) 532-3001
MONTGOMERY (334) 262-1101
OXFORD/ANNISTON RD/ANNISTON SHELBY COUNTY NTY (2556) 835-5737 (205) 664-9489 89 PENSACOLA ENSACOLA (8550) 471-6710
TUSCALOOSA SA (205) 247-3402 02
Page 6 • June 21, 2017 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • Alabama State Supplement • Construction Equipment Guide
Tru by Hilton Will Include Number of Sustainable Elements HILTON from page 1
work, read or just be among others.” A groundbreaking for the new property took place last September, although actual construction didn’t begin until April 2017. Matthew Curry, project manager for Dothan-Alabama-based Hollis & Spann Inc., said the total duration of work is approximately one year. Crews are currently working on a variety of tasks, including the export and import of suitable soils for the building pad foundation and parking lot base. “Interior, perimeter and exterior footings have been dug, rebar has been installed, footings poured and foundation CMU block laid and grouted,” said Curry. With the building pad and foundation installed, plumbing, mechanical, fire sprinkler main and electrical conduit can now be completed. Fire and domestic water utilities, sanitary sewer utilities and storm sewer are currently being installed as the site work begins. “Once the slab-on-grade is poured, the next critical task is getting the building dried-in,” said Curry. “This includes erecting all steel, installing all wood framing and exterior sheathing and laying CMU block, along with setting trusses for the roofer to start. Once the building is topped out and the roofing, windows and waterproofing membrane is installed, then the building is considered dried-in, and ready for the interior rough-in and finishes, along with exterior finishes, to begin.” Excavators, skid steers, forklifts, cranes and bull dozers are being used to construct the new hotel, along with backhoes, vibratory rollers, dump trucks and wheel loaders. Concrete, wood, CMU block, drywall and EIFS are among the materials being utilized. Approximately 10,000 cu. yds. of dirt will be moved during construction. This includes import, export, stripping and stockpiling topsoil, fine grading site, back-filling curb and gutter and re-spreading topsoil prior to landscaping. No demolition was required, as the project site is located in a recently developed area. “The building pad required over excavation, due to unsuitable soils encountered during proof-rolling of slab,” said Curry. “An area of 66 feet long by 71 feet wide by three feet deep was excavated, hauled off site and new select fill dirt was imported back to site.” Normal erosion control measures were designed for the project, along with perimeter silt fence, temporary sediment basin and construction concrete wash out pit. The site is open and flat, so no extravagant erosion control had to be implemented. The most time-consuming task involves
Construction crews in Auburn, Ala., have begun work on what’s being described as the fastest growing new-build hotel brand in United States history.
coordination among subcontractors to stay on schedule and under budget , while maintaining the quality the construction industry requires. Weather also is a concern. “Spring rain showers have created constant delays in construction, along with the having to rework areas that are affected by each day’s rain events. “As for the biggest challenges on the job, said Curry, “It would be constructing a hotel next door to an existing hotel in a busy college town, without disturbing the guests staying in the neighboring hotel. Also, this is a new hotel within the Hilton Brand portfolio, so the protoype is constantly changing as more Tru hotels are being constructed daily. Trying to constantly perfect this hotel as more open is also challenging.” Blair Hildahl, LEED AP, principal with Base4 architectural firm, agreed that working with such a new brand can be tricky. “While Hilton has been a longstanding player in the hotel franchise world, Tru by Hilton was released just over a year ago.
This Auburn project will be one of the first ever built. This is, of course, is very exciting for us and the owners group, but can also lead to some challenges that we wouldn’t see in a typical Hilton design. “Anytime you’re working with a brand new flag, there are always ‘bugs’ that need to be worked out in the original design concept. While Hilton does a very good job of vetting the new designs, there are still always going to be small glitches in the original concept that are discovered via the design process that need to be altered. Another challenge has also been providing accurate construction pricing numbers. There are really no projects to use for reference pricing, so developers are going in a bit blind in this regard. “Right now, there is a lot of demand across the country for campus and university hotels. Many of our clients have been targeting college town sites for new developments for this reason. When evaluating hotel sites in these types of locations, a developer must
“We designed Tru by Hilton with a variety of markets in mind, including urban areas,” said Alexandra Jaritz, global head of Tru by Hilton.
consider several main factors including location of site to campus, target demographic, size of athletic program, competitors in the marketplace, etc. Many of these items are summarized in an in-depth feasibility study and often times a select-service hotel, like Tru by Hilton, are often the best fit. “While older, longstanding hotels on campuses are often independent of a brand, this isn’t the case with newer campus developments. Typically, developers and universities alike are seeking brand affiliation to ensure brand standards and to become a part of their coveted reservations and loyalty programs. Hildahl noted that while the brand’s vibrant colors, modern décor and smaller guestrooms may seem better fitted to the millennial mindset, Hilton’s intent is to attract travelers who span all generations, but share a similar mindset. “The design intent for the Tru by Hilton brand is founded in three key values – fun, fresh and functional. Ultimately, this is a hotel brand that’s simplified and grounded in value, while still being bold and spirited in design,” Hildahl said. “We are really excited about the first floor common space, which Hilton has dubbed ‘The Hive’. Rather than just a lobby, this will be more of a 2,800 square foot experience. This area includes several open multifunction areas with moveable furniture and social areas.” Hildahl said the hotel will include a number of sustainable design elements. “The IECC (International Energy Conservation Code) has become stricter and stricter every year. This code has forced all hotel developers to include sustainable design measures in their new development projects.” These will include LED lighting and high efficiency HVAC units, as well as a highefficiency hot water system, which will offer savings on the utility costs. He added, “Working with Rinkesh Patel and Mitesh Patel at RAM Hotels is always very rewarding. They’re experienced developers who know the hotel industry very well. We are also very excited to be a big part of the new Tru by Hilton trend. We are eager to see all these new Tru projects come to the life in the next 12 months, as they begin construction.” Tru by Hilton currently has more than 10 hotels under construction. The Auburn facility is expected to be completed by February 2018. (This story also can be found on Construction Equipment Guide’s website at www.constructionequipmentguide.com.) CEG
Construction Equipment Guide • Alabama State Supplement • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • June 21, 2017 • Page 7
TELESK KID.JCB.COM
Introducing a truly unique machin ne with endless possibilities. The new w JCB Teleskid Teleskid is the first and on only nly skid steer and compact track lloader oader with a teelescopic boom, making it the most m versatile machine you’ve eveer seen. It can liftft higherr,, reach further and dig de deeper eeper than any other skid steer o on the market and can access areas you wouldnn’t have thought possible, until no ow. Contacct JCB of Alabama today and d be one of the first to demo this game changing piece of equipm ment.
JCBofAlabama.com 8920 W Weaver eavver A Ave ve Leeds, AL 35094 ((888)) 791-3173
791 Anderson Rd Montgomeryy,, AL 36110 6110 ((866)) 954-6522 2 4482
Page 8 • June 21, 2017 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • Alabama State Supplement • Construction Equipment Guide
Get the intelligen nt Machine Control advantage! Visit us online or o drop by any of our branc ch locations throughout Alab bama, Georgia and northwest Florida. F TEC1943 TEC1943.com
l Techno
Sh e r - GA age n a M y og