The Employee Magazine for Skanska USA
2013/Issue 03
coasttocoast
Roadside attraction This Santiago Calatrava design is one of the most unique structures you’ll ever see. Read how we’re delivering it within budget – p. 6
Extreme craftsmanship Swiss watch-like precision was required to execute Renzo Piano's design for the Harvard Art Museums’ new home – p. 10
Reaching new horizons Inspiring examples of how we’re working in new ways – p. 16
Community timeline
Philadelphia: For the 12th annual year, this office held a blood drive for the American Red Cross. Nineteen Skanska employees participated, and the blood donated will save nearly 60 lives.
Durham, N.C.: Several North Carolina-run jobsites – including Gaillard Center, James Madison University and UNC Hospitals Hillsborough Campus – raised money to support leukemia research by holding grill-off competitions!
AUGUST
Boston: For the fourth year, our local team participated in the Cradles to Crayons Backpackathon, helping pack more than 30,000 backpacks so young children in need could have a successful start to the school year.
Nashville, Tenn.: This was the first U.S. Skanska office to participate in PARK(ing) Day, a worldwide event in which metered parking spaces are transformed into temporary public parks. Our team – which was the only Nashville contractor participating – created an urban garden that attracted the city’s mayor. Oakland, Calif.: Participating in the U.S. Green Building Council’s Green Apple Day of Service, our local team helped teach middle-school students about green building. With light meters they had the local utility donate, our team had the students measure if the school’s skylights alone provide enough light to meet footcandle requirements.
SEPTEMBER
Virginia Beach, Va.: This isn't a photo of a toy store – it's a Skanska office! Our local team collected hundreds of toys to support two organizations that help children: Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters and EDMARC Hospice for Children.
Seattle: Our local team raised an incredible $47,781 to fight cancer by cycling in the Obliteride (ride to obliterate cancer), which supports the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. Skanska was recognized for being the third-highest overall team fundraiser, and Vice President Kevin McCain was the top individual fundraiser for the entire event.
Washington, D.C.: To build One Skanska strength, all four business units in D.C. gathered for a team-building exercise that involved assembling bikes for charity. Twelve completed bikes were donated to a group that supports youth through bike maintenance and education programs.
New York City: Our 2nd Avenue Subway team donated 150 tickets to a New York Yankees game so children from Public School 272 could spend an afternoon watching a ball game with their Sandhog union mentors and Skanska employees.
coast to coast
Our wake-up call on safety It was 34 years ago on a derrick barge in the Gulf of Suez when I first realized why safety is so critical. The moment feels like it happened yesterday. I was there off the coast of Egypt for my first job out of college: helping construct undersea oil pipes and offshore platforms. One day while taking measurements on an oil platform, I was standing beside a colleague of mine, the welding foreman. Out of nowhere, a heavy metal chain guard fell from high above and struck my friend, splitting his head open. I dropped to my knees to take care of him, and he was soon evacuated via helicopter to a hospital. He didn’t die, but he lost his sight and hearing on one side. Neither of us had been wearing hard hats because back then we didn’t know any better. If we had been wearing proper PPE, he might have been able to walk away unharmed. That experience forever changed my perspective on safety: We each need to take care of ourselves, as well as those around us. I bring up this story because of our own recent tragic day within Skanska. As you know, on September 30 we had two incidents: 33-yearold employee Ace Blacksheep was killed on an Arizona highway project, while that same day in Houston, 30-year-old Superintendent Tyler Lee suffered a serious leg injury. What happened on that day needs to be our own wake-up call on safety. As I mentioned on our all-hands call, we’ve got to tighten our safety culture. It’s slackened a bit – we’re not giving it the focus it needs. Perhaps we’ve become too comfortable with our past safety achievements. This is simply unacceptable. Until this year, our accident rates had been trending down in most U.S. regions. But this year, our accident rates have increased over last year’s in most locations. Both lagging and leading indicators have worsened. We should have no doubt that safety always needs to come first. The first thing you think about each morning on the jobsite needs to be, “How am I going to keep everybody safe?” Then you can worry about making the schedule and budget and so on. A safe work environment – along with safe behavior – is the foundation for everything we do. And as is almost always the case, our safest projects also have the best budget and schedule performance. We need to reflect upon the personal safety pledge each of us made this year during Safety Week, and make sure we’re truly living up to those words. My pledge is to actively work to make the U.S. construction industry safer by sharing best practices and spreading our Injury-Free Environment® mindset among our peers. I’m doing this by actively participating in two construction CEO groups. I’m leading an effort in these groups to have an industry-wide Safety Week this May, taking the power of Safety Week outside of just Skanska. Reaching our objective of zero accidents is not going to be easy. But we have to keep our energy levels high, and keep pushing and pushing. Even when we get to no accidents, it will be difficult to stay at that level. This fight will never be over. ◆
Mike McNally, President and CEO, Skanska USA
Contents 2013 • Issue 03 Safety 2 Our safety journey To launch this Safety Road Map series, we explore how our University Medical Center team is using the Road Map to connect with our client
Our People 4 Turning over rocks Imagine the impact on Skanska if we all approached business development like Christyn Johnson 4 The gray zone: What to do when faced with common potential conflicts of interest 5 A day in the life… Devan Erickson, crusher superintendent
Our Projects 6 Roadside attraction This Santiago Calatrava design is one of the most unique structures you’ll ever see – how we’re delivering it within budget 10 Extreme craftsmanship: Creating the Harvard Art Museums’ new home 14 Midwest success: Rebuilding Notre Dame’s Morris Inn
Focus 16 Reaching new horizons Working in new ways is critical to Skanska’s success – what other examples can we add to this list? 15 Using integrated project delivery to collaborate for success
On the cover Standing between the operable louver arms on Florida Polytechnic University’s roof are team members (from left to right) David Calhoun, Pam Ysidron, Chuck Jablon and Jake Krehbiel.
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coasttocoast Publisher Mike McNally Editors Gregory Richards and Nicole Didda Writers Shelby Adams, George Fadool, Mary Humphreys, Katie Koch, Beth Miller, Pamela Monastra, Jessica Murray, Jessica Vann, Jay Weisberger Design SKAGGS Creative Printer Keystone Press coasttocoast is Skanska USA’s quarterly employee magazine. Subscribe free of charge by sending an email to: gregory.richards@ skanska.com. Feel free to copy from the magazine or quote us, but please name the source. We want to hear your stories: please send your ideas and suggestions to the editor at:
[email protected]. coasttocoast is printed on FSC-certified environmentally friendly paper.
Our safety journey This new series explores our Safety Road Map, which is guiding our way to an Injury-Free Environment® We’re devoting this Coast to Coast safety section – and those in the next five issues – to emphasizing the power of our Safety Road Map. Its strength comes not from being another addition to our already deep collection of safety policies and procedures, but rather from being a tool to help us recognize any gaps in how those systems are being applied. In particular, using the Road Map to measure the safety performance of a project, region or business unit exposes the most important dimension of safety – human behavior. We need to focus more on how our behavior impacts safety. Our safety systems have important methods to mitigate jobsite risks, but they do not directly affect decisions made by individuals. What may be surprising is that most workplace accidents occur in safe conditions. So it isn’t the lack of proper safety systems that causes many accidents; rather, those accidents are the result of poor decisions made by individuals. The root cause is often a failure to
understand that the heart of our Injury-Free Environment mindset is that each worker must make a personal commitment to working safe. This is where the Road Map has such value. It enables our leaders to assess where our projects and business units are on the journey to bestin-class safety performance. With that knowledge, they can develop strategic actions to improve safety, of which the most important part is engaging our teams and partners. That added knowledge is key to helping those on our projects make the right choice: acting safely. To kick-off this series, this section contains the story of how our University Medical Center project is taking a holistic approach to using the Safety Road Map, as well as a refresher of how the Road Map is structured. ◆ – Hendrik van Brenk, chief environment, health and safety officer, Skanska USA
Building connections through safety
Our University Medical Center team thought big in their approach to the Safety Road Map. Not only would they be one of the first Skanska USA teams to assess their project using the Road Map, but they saw this tool as a way to forge a strong connection with the owner’s new project representative over common ground – safety. Having the owner actively involved in safety would further affirm to this project’s 1,800 craft workers the imperative of maintaining an Injury-Free Environment. This would be especially important as several lost-time accidents this summer were beginning to mar the otherwise exemplary safety record of this $696 million teaching hospital in New Orleans. “Safety is the common thread that links together everybody involved on the project,” said Jeff Vinkovich, Skanska environment, health and safety director. “That’s the beauty of the Road Map: When we sit down, we can all be from different areas and different companies, but we’re all aligned to the common goal of keeping people safe. That’s a great feeling.” This team began their Road Map journey in August. Twice a month, two project safety leadership teams (PSLTs) – one led by a senior Skanska project leader and another by the owner’s representative, from Jacobs – each meet for two hours to examine the University Medical Center’s safety program through the lens of the Road Map’s five categories: competency, contractors, culture, controls and communication. These focus groups of 12 are comprised of about half Skanska and owner supervisory staff, and half craft workers and crew leadership. While our OHSAS 18001 safety management system certification requires all projects to have PSLTs, this level of involvement is beyond the normal effort. “We’re trying to raise the bar and make PSLTs more of a way to build relationships and have open dialogue,” Vinkovich said. “What’s on your mind? What hazards do you perceive out there? How can we improve?” 2
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White boards are helping our University Medical Center team spread safety messages and engage crews during pre-task planning.
Diversity of opinions is key to these PSLTs. To hear more voices, not only do they have a rotating collection of people (in part due to the significant time required for this effort), but the groups regularly spend part of their meeting time on the jobsite asking colleagues to provide their opinions on aspects of safety. Recently, for the communication section, the PSLTs asked craft workers these questions: “How conscious are you of safety in your job?”, “What is your level of input in contributing ideas about safety?” and “Do you feel that your input leads to satisfactory results?” coast to coast
Progressing on the Safety Road Map Line and craft have developed strong safety skills Safety is viewed as an investment Orientation for all entering the worksite
Worksite with consistent deployment of safety requirements
Leaders demonstrate commitment
Pre-qualification process focuses on accident rates
Site level safety resources are minimal
Monitoring is inconsistent at worksites
Best in class Good practice Communication with line and staff
Accidents are investigated to determine cause
“The eye-opening thing about this is while we’re good at safety, we’re not as good as we think we are,” said Ralph Easterwood, the Skanska general superintendent who has led some of the PSLT sessions. Our team plans to have these Road Map exercises done by the end of the year. In January, an event is planned to share key lessons learned with the upper management of our trade partners. But implementation of ideas gathered from the PSLT sessions began immediately. For instance, the PSLTs found that communication could be enhanced on this massive 2.2 million-square-foot project; they hope two changes will improve on that. The first change was buying dozens of erasable whiteboards to install throughout every floor of the project’s five main buildings. Now, key messages – such as "Check your ladder today" – are posted on the boards for craft workers to see as they walk by. The boards are also being used to help crews develop and understand pre-task plans in a more active manner. “You’ll get much more engagement from a crew if they can see on a wall what’s being talked about,” Vinkovich said. Also, rather than having building-wide Stretch & Flex sessions of about 500 people each, that activity is now being done by floor, coast to coast
We developed our Safety Road Map as a holistic approach to truly affect behavior at Skanska jobsites worldwide. It addresses five focus areas: culture, competency, communication, controls and contractors. Within those categories, it provides guidance for four stages of safety development: noncompliant, compliant, good practice and best in class. The Road Map is designed so that, for each focus area, senior leaders and safety specialists can assess where their business unit or jobsite is on its journey to best in class. Working with team members, trade partners and other stakeholders, they can then develop strategic actions for improvement. Visit InjuryFreeEnvironment. com for more information on the Road Map. ◆
in smaller groups of 50 to 150. Only on Mondays are the large Stretch & Flexes still held, as a means of fostering camaraderie. “Our messages get through the smaller groups better than with the big group,” Easterwood said. On a project as large as this, having the right perspective is key. Vinkovich said the PSLTs are focused on addressing the one or two most critical areas needing improvement in each of the five Road Map areas. With much more than that, he said, it becomes too easy to lose focus and then nothing will be accomplished. “Baby steps,” he said. ◆
Three key safety steps taken by this project team: • Engaging the owner in safety • Assessing their project using the Safety Road Map • Installing white boards throughout the jobsite to share safety messages
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Editorial
Turning over rocks Imagine the impact on Skanska if we all approached business development like HR team member Christyn Johnson Last fall, I went to my doctor’s office for what I assumed would be a routine visit. I left with not only a clean bill of health, but also a lead on a project that Skanska might wind up building. As a Skanska employee, we frequently hear that all of us have a role in business development. Helping that effort was easier to do than I thought. It all happened like this: While talking to my doctor, he mentioned that his medical group was looking for new office space. I took the opportunity to remind him that I work for Skanska, and we’re builders and developers. He said he and his partners were considering leasing space and fitting it out, or designing and building their own facility. I mentioned the deep portfolio of healthcare projects – both big and small – that Skanska has done for such top local healthcare clients as Virginia Mason and Swedish medical centers. I said I could have someone reach out to him and answer questions to help him make the best decision. My doctor said that would be great. It wasn’t until I left that I realized I had gotten a project lead! That was exciting, as human resources team members like me typically don't have an opportunity to identify project leads. When I returned to the office, I reached out to one of
The gray zone: Ethics questions and answers Question:
Do you recognize when you're faced with a potential conflict of interest?
Answer:
Conflicts of interest are one of the more frequent ethical issues that arise in Skanska. Below are some examples of conflicts of interest we may face. Working with a business owned by the family of a Skanska colleague: Transparency is the most important factor that enables us to continue doing business with a company owned by a family member of a Skanska colleague. In some cases, we have set up protocols for awarding contracts to or patronizing 4
our healthcare project executives – Rob Robinson – and introduced him to my doctor via email. Rob picked up the conversation from there. He remains in touch with the doctor, but the medical office plan is on hold. This wasn’t a hard conversation for me to have with my doctor. It’s just being willing to put yourself out there a bit, talk about how Skanska might help them and answer questions. I do like to talk, but I’m not a salesperson by any means. Still, I’m proud to talk about Skanska because of the important projects we build and the way we deliver them: safely – because we care about our employees – and with a high level of quality. Chris Toher, USA Building’s Seattle general manager, regularly reminds us that we all have a responsibility to help spread the Skanska name and talk to people about what we do. This is to secure new work by turning over rocks, and laying the foundations for relationships with new potential clients. In the Seattle monthly management meeting of which I’m a part, we go around the table and everyone is asked what potential leads they’ve come across. It’s a reminder that whatever we can do – and whatever we’re comfortable doing – can help Skanska stay strong in the future. This experience has empowered me to keep speaking of Skanska. You never know where one of these conversations will lead. ◆
— Christyn Johnson Senior human resources service manager Seattle
such a business. These protocols are a reasonable business practice that serves to protect both the employee and our company. Handling vendor entertainment and gifts during a procurement period: During procurements, the best practice is to simply invoke a blackout period. No entertainment – including golf outings and fishing trips – are to be offered or accepted during the procurement phase of a project for which you have influence or approval of the bid and award process. Soliciting vendors for sponsorships: When we solicit vendors to support charitable causes – often in conjunction with a client’s cause – we need to be careful that we do not make the vendor believe that supporting our effort will result in more favorable treatment, such as regarding a contract award or handling change orders. ◆ Have an ethics question? Either talk to your supervisor, human resources or legal representative, or an ethics and compliance officer. To report an ethics breach, contact one of those professionals, call Skanska’s confidential ethics hotline at 877-516-3385 or use the ethics hotline link on OneSkanska. coast to coast
A day in the life... Devan Erickson Crusher superintendent Cortez, Colo.
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With rattlesnakes, deer and wild turkeys all around, it’s definitely remote at this site near Pagosa Springs, Colo., and close to the New Mexico border. Here, we’ll be extracting and crushing about 100,000 tons of rock to support two good-sized road widening and reconstruction projects.
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The project is two hours from my home in Cortez, so during the week I live out of my camper, which I’ve parked in a nearby RV park. When I first arrived, the only open spot happened to be next to the bulldozer operator on my team, Jack Moore. We really should hang a Skanska banner between our RVs!
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We’re setting up this job, which, for me, means getting ready for the rock crusher to arrive via 18 tractor-trailer loads. The timing for when those deliveries occur is crucial: If something arrives late or at the wrong time, it could cost us money. This morning after Stretch and Flex, I called Skanska’s transportation director to confirm when those trucks should be arriving.
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I normally have a seven-person team, but as we’re just getting set up, today I only have two, both equipment operators. One is using a dozer to clear a 200-foot by 300-foot area where the crusher will be located, while the excavator operator is removing about seven feet of soil to expose the twenty feet of rock below.
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In many metropolitan areas, it’s easy to find aggregate suppliers. But out here in rural America, there aren’t any big suppliers, which is why
we’re crushing our own rock.
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I enjoy challenging myself to beat production rates. Suppose we had been producing 300 tons per hour of crushed rock: How can we reach
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Working on a remote site like this means I spend a lot of time away from my wife and fellow Skanska employee, Dalena, and our kids: 11-
Today, we’re doing 11-hour shifts, but I think the project may demand a little more. Schedule wise, we’re up against the wall on this one.
310 tons or 320 tons and still have a good product? It takes more than myself to achieve those goals – it takes my entire team.
year-old Brooke, six-year-old Dylan and my new baby, Jase. I’ve taken Dylan to see a few Skanska jobsites, and he gets excited seeing the big equipment we use. Maybe construction is something he - or any of my children - will also want to do for a living. ◆
What have you learned from another business unit? Christel Coleman Project engineer, USA Building Houston, Texas
“Working with USA Commercial Development on 3009 Post Oak Blvd. helped me understand the process of marketing projects to prospective tenants and the value of community outreach. These added perspectives will help me on future projects for any client.”
coast to coast
Bill Reed Project executive, USA Civil Tampa, Fla.
“Operating out of USA Building’s Tampa office while setting up the Interstate 275 project, I learned more about business development and owner relationships by seeing the impressive proposals and presentations they were doing. USA Civil’s business is moving that way too, with more best-value pursuits.”
Chris Guthkelch Project director, Infrastructure Development North America Alexandria, Va.
“From USA Building, I’ve learned great marketing approaches. And from USA Civil, I’ve gained insights on managing risk. We all can learn from each other, and so all of us need to take responsibility for breaking down the silos that can separate us in a company as large as Skanska. Each of us should be actively reaching out and talking to others across business units, not waiting to have EVPs tell us to do so.” 5
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This building will move! Throughout each day, metal louvers covering the glazed roof will rise and lower like butterfly wings to regulate the amount of sunlight entering the structure.
Roadside attraction Trust, pride, passion – and food – all play a role in delivering this iconic Florida structure on a strict budget At first, it’s hard to tell exactly what you’re seeing. The landscape along this stretch of Interstate 4 in central Florida is mostly cow fields and distribution centers. And yet here, between two bends in the highway, one of the most unique structures you’ll ever see is being assembled. Its oval contour – with a 421-foot radius – rises like a footballshaped layer cake. The perimeter is lined with metal tubes attached to semi-circular arcs that extend from the ground to the roof over the second floor. This is all topped by a curved roof that resembles a whale’s back. Once construction is complete in August 2014, the view from the road will become even more dramatic – this building will move! Throughout each day, metal louvers covering the glazed roof will rise and lower like butterfly wings, reaching up to 12 stories above the ground to regulate the amount of natural light entering the building. What is this building designed by world-renowned architect Santiago Calatrava? Chuck Jablon, Skanska vice president of operations, is eager to explain. 6
“Cathedral of learning” You enter this structure through a 12-foot arch. And then, you gaze upwards at its exposed underbelly and see concrete rakers that converge at an apex containing a skylight. A grand staircase rises in front of you. All around, the concrete work is clean and crisp. It looks inviting to touch, so you put your hand on a nearby column – it’s even smoother than you thought. The structure will be left exposed. Jablon guides you down a hallway lined with classrooms: This is the first building being built for the new Florida Polytechnic University, which will be the only Florida public university dedicated to teaching a curriculum based on science, technology, engineering and math. This corridor stretches 600 feet to run the length of the building, yet walking from end to end feels short. That’s because the passageway curves – it’s on a radius parallel to that on the building perimeter – so your journey seems shorter, as you aren’t looking at a long runway of space ahead of you. On the building’s radii, each column rotates on another angle. This building has about 300 radius points, with an incredible 90 percent of everything done on a radius. “Welcome to the cathedral of learning,” Jablon said. “You see the radius – do you feel it?” You do.
This Santiago Calatrava design will first capture your curiosity, then your heart, and then your soul. "It doesn't leave you."
coast to coast
Upstairs in the commons area, the space opens to the underside of the sloped roof; it’s ready to be flooded with light once the overhead scaffolding is taken down. Steps away on the second-floor terrace, Jablon explains that the white, semi-circular arrangements of tubes extending over the railing to the ground below are pergolas, structures to shade the building from the Florida sun. You’re learning a whole new vocabulary on this tour – pergolas and portal columns and cupola beams and operable louver arms, those 94 structures over the glass roof that will move via hydraulics so only the optimum amount of sunlight reaches the interior. No one on Skanska’s team here has built anything like this before, nor has anyone else in the world. Their challenge is how to deliver such a challenging building – one that at times humbled some of our best superintendents with its curves and tolerances of just one-sixteenth of an inch – within the state’s strict $60 million budget. Our team became compelled to bring Calatrava’s vision into reality. “You can’t tell me that this design hasn’t captured you,” Jablon said. “Calatrava captures your curiosity on the drawings alone. Then, when you start building it and you see it evolve, he gets your heart. And when the building is far enough along so you can see the full design realized, he’s damn sure captured your soul. You think about it at nighttime, you think about it coming into work – it doesn’t leave you. How many architects in the world can you say that about?”
Never compromising the design Perhaps the most surprising aspect of this iconic, 160,000-squarefoot Innovation, Science and Technology Building is the modest $60 million budget. (We’re under contract for another $43 million to install the site infrastructure to support the eventual build-out of the 178-acre campus, as well as two support buildings.) The IST is more than 70 percent complete and is within budget. But doesn’t great architecture have to cost a lot of money? Our project team wanted to prove that thinking wrong. They discovered that the solution for delivering this project while achieving its budget and schedule goals wasn’t centered on fancy technology or new processes. Rather, success for this project is founded on trust and pride – simple concepts that can be difficult to achieve. Trust means forging a sincere bond between Skanska and Calatrava’s team, so the designers can feel assured that our team won't compromise their design, and so our team knows that Calatrava won't force a major change at the last minute. Pride means making every craft worker understand that they’re working on a special project, one worthy of their best efforts. Another element was critical too: truly understanding Calatrava’s vision for the project, so our team could convey that understanding to our subcontractor trade partners. Jablon and a small team began preconstruction – based off schematic drawings – one year before construction started. That time was critical to exploring the building’s geometry. “The biggest issue to world-renowned architects like Calatrava is that they’re worried their design is going to get comprised during construction,” Jablon said. “If anything, we want to enhance it if we can. My team and I become one with the design.” This approach is paying off. coast to coast
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David Kabasin, left, and Rick Lee
“If you’re a builder, this is what you dream about doing in your career." “This has been one of the best relationships I’ve had professionally with a contractor,” said Frank Lorino, chief architect of Calatrava’s New York office. “It hasn’t been without disagreement, but we know we’re both working for the same goal – the highest quality of project possible for the means that we have.” In working closely with Jablon and the Skanska team to arrive at a guaranteed maximum price, “we really forged a trust for each other,” Lorino said.
Developing and leading the team Being able to create that trust and pride – and having the know-how to interpret Calatrava’s design on budget – does not involve luck, Jablon said. Rather, it’s the result of his 40 years of experience and having a talented team of both seasoned building experts and those early in their careers. Building cohesiveness between those team members – many of whom worked with Jablon on previous projects, such as the Tampa Museum of Art by noted architect Stanley Saitowitz – has been key. What bonds this team together? Part of the answer is food. Nearly every day, our 13-person Polytechnic team eats lunch family style while gathered around the conference table in their 7
command center – don’t call it an office trailer. That’s partly out of circumstance, as the project is 45 minutes from most lunch places, and partly to give our colleagues a chance to connect with each other as a group once a day. “I’ve worked on a lot of projects that were successful in the end, but they weren’t as harmonious or consistent as this team,” said Rick Lee, Skanska senior superintendent. “Do we have problems some days? Do we have discussions that get us more excited than others? Sure. But in the end, we don’t throw each other under the bus. We’ve created an environment that enables us to be successful by drawing from each other’s expertise.” Another key reason for this team’s success is the leadership and passion of Jablon, a 10-year Skanska employee. Tall and lanky, it seems at times he can barely contain his enthusiasm about the Polytechnic project, including how inspiring an environment it will be for students. “Chuck’s specialty is keeping people fired up,” said Mark McLaughlin, Skanska project director. “If someone on our team is feeling down in the dumps, Chuck has a good way of pointing out the positives. He’s a firm believer that if you believe something will work out, it’ll work out.” Adds Marc Manning, another Skanska senior superintendent on this project: “Chuck keeps you laughing, so there’s a lot of laughter here.” Jablon develops his teams, in part, by discovering what each member is best at in support of each project. Then he challenges them to develop those skills even more. “I involve them with as much as they can handle,” Jablon said.
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“I motivate them every day, I reward them, I compliment them as much as I possibly can, and I have their back at all times so they can do what I need them to do.” For example, Jablon saw potential in Sarah Vasconi, a Skanska assistant project manager, to manage the mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems at Polytechnic. So he put her in charge of those systems, despite her never before having that responsibility. While the Polytechnic team was gathered for lunch on a recent day, Jablon spoke proudly of how Vasconi had saved about $500,000 by halting a concrete wall pour, pointing out that proceeding as-is would have raised duct work issues later. “Chuck saw talent in me,” Vasconi said. “I think he saw that I need to be challenged.” Several Polytechnic team members said besides Jablon teaching them to be better builders, he’s also taught them how to develop
Florida Polytechnic IST Building • Contract value: $60 million • Schedule duration: 32 months • Size: 160,000 square feet • Safety record: 411,373 work hours (to date) with no lost time accidents • Of note: Operable louver arms will extend 128 feet to reach 12 stories above ground
Our Florida Polytechnic team – with Chuck Jablon in the forefront – amidst their incredible concrete work. As this project nears completion, they're looking for another signature building challenge.
coast to coast
Watch this building move! Scan this QR code or type in the link below to see this Santiago Calatrava video depicting his vision for the Florida Polytechnic campus.
http://usa.skanska.com/polytechnic strong relationships with owners and architects, knowledge that will benefit them on future projects. They say Jablon – a former carpenter – has a unique ability to understand both nuts-and-bolts issues as well as how to foster those high-level relationships. Even more, he brings an uncommon respect for the architecture he’s building. “Chuck comes from the mindset that a design should be built as the architect conceived it in order to deliver the full value to the client,” said Tim Williams, managing principal of Michael Maltzan Architecture, which recently concluded a year of preconstruction with Jablon on another Florida project. “He understands that with a design, there is a reason why things are a certain way, and if you start to peel away some of those elements, that marginalizes the overall design concept. It's a phenomenal benefit to a project when the construction team has this kind of awareness.” Jablon said Polytechnic is the type of project he’s spent his career preparing to build. His first reaction to seeing Calatrava’s sketches two years ago? “I wanted to do it,” he said. “If you’re a builder, this is what you dream about doing in your career. It’s an opportunity to take your experience and your knowledge and gather people you’ve worked with throughout your career and say, ‘Friends, we’ve got one. We’ve got what we’ve been dreaming about our whole career.’ That’s what it’s about.”
“The quality of execution is exceptional – you can feel the passion that is built in.” Big moment A huge milestone for our Florida Polytechnic team came in April, when Calatrava visited for the topping out, his first visit since construction began. As he spent a full day inspecting the concrete and steel interpretation of his vision, the Skanska team waited for his verdict: had their execution of the design met his expectations, or would all their hard work be met with a shrug? “It is with great pleasure that I see it being realized in line with my intentions,” Calatrava said after exploring his creation. “The quality of execution is exceptional – you can feel the passion that is built in.” So much of Florida Polytechnic’s detail is understated: the rotation of the columns, the quality of the concrete pours, the challenging patterns saw cut into the concrete floors. Yet Jablon contends that eventually, students will appreciate what it took to design and construct this masterpiece. “Over time,” he said, “I think students of a polytechnic nature will find this building to be absolutely incredible.” ◆ coast to coast
“When the architect and builder work together, the owner always benefits” Bill Flemming, president of Skanska USA Building, met with world-renowned designer Santiago Calatrava to discuss the successes of our two joint projects: Florida Polytechnic University in Lakeland, Fla., and, in New York City, the World Trade Center Transportation Hub and its dramatic Oculus entrance structure.
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Santiago Calatrava, left, with Bill Flemming
Flemming: Santiago, in your opinion, what were some of the successes of the Florida Polytechnic project that stand out to you the most? Calatrava: One of the main successes of this project is how my team and Skanska worked together to deliver a pricecertain design and construction process for such a complex building. Effective collaboration is the key to success. It shows that great things can be built. Flemming: When you are dealing with a complex project like Florida Polytechnic – or the Oculus, which our Civil group is building – what is the most important characteristic you desire in a contractor? Calatrava: I have always respected contractors and admired their capacity to deliver. When working with Skanska on the Polytechnic project, we could not believe how easily you were able to attack the most complex components. There were never any problems that couldn’t be addressed. And in the end, you gave us better solutions. This project is an exceptional project. And it will be completed under budget. That is truly exceptional. Flemming: Getting to price certainty is a real challenge in this industry. What do you think the best solution is? Calatrava: When the architect and builder work together, the owner always benefits. If you, as the contractor, give us the chance to design something better, we will take that opportunity. When you are working hand-in-hand, the building will only be more innovative. ◆ 9
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Renzo Piano's design brings the 1927 building (left) together with a modern addition.
Extreme craftsmanship Swiss watch-like construction and logistics were required to create this new home for Harvard’s art collection For Claude LeBlanc, Skanska general superintendent, the most compelling aspect of the Harvard Art Museums' building he and his team are creating won’t be the masterpieces soon to be exhibited inside, including those by Cezanne and Bernini. Rather, it’s the extreme craftsmanship that went into this project, designed by world-renowned architect Renzo Piano. Take one of the handicap entrances to the museums, adjacent to the Harvard University campus in Cambridge, Mass. The joints of the ramp’s granite pavers align with the joints in the railing, and then those seams correspond to the joints in the Alaskan yellow cedar siding that sheathes the new addition. That alignment then moves up to include the window frame joints and then the millwork soffit overhead. 10
Having a multitude of building components align on a grid is one of Piano’s signature elements. However, what might seem simple to a casual observer can be anything but to our construction team. “If there’s one word on this project that’s repeated over and over and over again, it’s ‘alignment,’” said LeBlanc, a veteran of projects with such other noted architects as Frank Gehry and Moshe Safdie. “We had to be aware of it early on because if you didn’t get it right with the foundations, you couldn’t catch up.” That our team has reached the granite pavers stage symbolizes our work is nearly complete on this project to consolidate Harvard’s three museums (Fogg, Busch-Reisinger and Arthur M. Sackler) in a single location, creating a new focal point for the University and the Boston area. The massiveness of this undertaking is partly represented by its lengthy schedule: Our team began preconstruction in January 2008, construction operations started in fall 2009 and the temporary certificate of occupancy is expected in November 2013.
Understanding what a Renzo Piano design requires This project’s complexity makes such a lengthy timeline understandable. Nearly 70 percent of the interior of the original 1927 building – the home of the Fogg Museum – was demolished, save for a dramatic interior courtyard and the exterior walls of this National Register of Historic Places-listed building. (The Harvard Art Museums’ collection was relocated to storage space we built in nearby Somerville.) The 1927 building didn’t even have air conditioning; its modern replacement will keep the art collection at a steady 70 degrees and 50 percent relative humidity. coast to coast
Along with reconstructing the Fogg, our team built a 154,000-square-foot, five-story addition that’s connected to the original building by an 8-foot-wide vertical glass seam and by a sloped, glazed roof that covers both old and new structures. This glass roof will be a beacon inviting visitors to the galleries, while filling the building’s courtyard with light. How Harvard, a longtime Skanska client, procured this project indicated its awareness of what it was expecting from its construction partner: the University didn’t ask for any pricing in our proposal. Rather, for this important assignment, Harvard wanted to meet the people on our project team and understand our approach to delivering their building. “A project like this could never be properly planned or accurately priced without a collaborative and comprehensive preconstruction process,” said Kerim Evin, Skanska senior vice president. When Skanska was selected, the design had not advanced beyond initial renderings. During the two-year preconstruction period, our team supported Piano in developing his design by providing pricing and constructability feedback. They also visited other Piano-designed museums, including traveling to a Skanskabuilt expansion of Atlanta’s High Museum of Art to get lessons learned and best practices. These visits made Piano’s design trademarks more apparent: Besides designing on a grid, his signature touches include transparency and building sections that appear to float through cantilevers. These all would become part of the Harvard Art Museums. Mock-ups were an instrumental part of this project’s success. Two full-size galleries – each about 1,800 square feet – were built off-site, as were prototypes of the sloped glazed roof. These prototypes enabled Piano and the museums’ curatorial staff to experience the new spaces, and also aided in developing construction details. As the design was progressing, Piano walked into the first gallery mock-up, which had a flat ceiling – and decided its proportions were all wrong. He then refined his design to have vaulted gallery ceilings, and then another mock-up was done.
Unconventional approach One of the most critical aspects involved 700 tons of temporary steel: that’s how much was required to brace the existing building’s facade as our team removed the interior framework to make way for a new structural system. There was substantial risk involved with erecting so much temporary steel – one third of all steel used on the project was temporary – inside of the building shell, as our team would be erecting a new permanent structural frame in that same space. To mitigate this risk, our team took an unconventional approach, opting to hire an engineer directly to assist with planning the temporary work. In addition, by using a BIM model created by our team as a coordination tool, there were only a few conflicts between the temporary and permanent steel members, and those conflicts were mostly caused by the evolving design. Other examples abound of the high level of precision demanded by this project. In the galleries, there's the threequarter-inch reveal between the bottom of the drywall and the top of the concrete floor, something that could only be achieved coast to coast
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Jim Craft, left, and Claude LeBlanc view the museums' historic courtyard as it is flooded with light from the sloped, glazed roof our team added.
“We did a lot of things here that people will never do again in their careers. Many things were done that no one will ever see.” with nearly perfect steel and concrete placement. The cedar siding covering the addition contains boards cut in 300 styles; an aluminum tag with a unique number was placed on the back of each board should a duplicate ever need to be cut. And two of the interior courtyard’s arches were reconstructed, a task requiring our team to procure travertine marble from Italy that matches the existing stone. In that courtyard on a recent day, LeBlanc pointed to the light fixtures suspended four stories above: The exposed electrical cables running to those fixtures had a little too much slack in them, an imperfection that could barely be seen from the ground. Nevertheless, those cables would soon be fixed, he said. “We did a lot of things here that people will never do again in their careers,” LeBlanc said. “Many things were done that no one will ever see.” 11
Pioneering construction Such complexities provided opportunities for innovation, which our team seized. The Harvard Art Museums' renovation was among the first Skanska projects to use digital construction documents at an advanced level. A year into construction, a ballooning number of requests for information and design updates was making it difficult to ensure the latest drawings were always being used in the field. “At one point, I couldn’t even keep up with all the revised drawings,” LeBlanc said. “There’s nothing that will tick a superintendent off more than not having the correct information.” As the paper continued to pile up, our team developed a PDFbased system using Bluebeam Revu software. With this system, superintendents could use their iPads to instantly obtain the latest documents. A pioneering aspect was that our team electronically linked the drawings to associated RFIs and sketches, and also linked all section and detail reference notations to their respective pages,
“I really believe that builders leave part of their souls in the buildings they create. To be able to salvage the souls that created these museums means a lot.” »
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This tight site adjacent to Harvard's campus left no room for a typical tower crane placement – so our team mounted it inside an interior stairwell.
Harvard Art Museums • Schedule duration: 48 months • Size: 202,000 square feet • Green feature: 1,500 gallon cistern collects rainwater for toilet flushing; LEED Gold-targeted • Of note: 700 tons of temporary steel was used to brace the building facade
making electronic drawing use significantly more convenient. Harvard and our trade contractors are also connected to this system. Exploring another way to improve how we build, light emitting diode (LED)-based luminaires were used for nearly all temporary lighting. Compared to normal incandescent lights, LEDs last much longer and are safer, as low-voltage wiring connects each fixture. Though the LEDs cost $100,000 upfront to purchase, they saved more than $300,000 in energy costs throughout construction. Skanska’s use of the LED temporary lighting fixtures was submitted and accepted as an innovation point in working towards the project’s LEED Gold goal, said Jim Craft, Skanska senior project manager.
Building the team Another challenge addressed by the team was the possibility of burn-out: How do you keep a 26-person team together on a high-stress project for the entire four-year construction duration? The group decided to have quarterly events to foster teamwork and camaraderie. These off-site, after-hours events included building spaghetti towers at a bar and even racing go-karts at a track. One soccer game featured Skanska and the design team versus Harvard. (Our team wouldn’t say which side won.) Given that it’s easy to make excuses not to attend such events, our team’s leadership made attendance mandatory by making it a requirement for annual bonuses. While this may seem counterintuitive to having fun, Evin said he felt this collaboration needed to be a little forced to make it happen. “When you take all those experienced people and put them together, you have to figure out ways to give everybody the right amount of autonomy so they can each do what they do well,” Evin said. “But coast to coast
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Moving frescoes was one of the most challenging - and rewarding - parts of the project. Here, the fresco named Structure is being relocated.
How did our team move this 15-ton fresco? Scan this QR code or type in the link below to watch our team move this delicate artwork
http://usa.skanska.com/fogg
then you need to find ways to foster communication. Our team was not always used to having to communicate so much with others – they’re used to being in charge.”
Project for the ages One of the project’s most unusual aspects involved what to do with three frescoes in the original building. As frescoes – artwork produced by painting upon freshly laid plaster – are integral parts of the walls on which they are located, moving them would coast to coast
be challenging, if even possible. One of the frescoes could not be relocated as it is affixed to an exterior wall, so it was sealed inside the building during construction behind a wood-framed, weathertight enclosure with sensors monitoring temperature, humidity and vibration, with all sensors connected to our team’s smartphones. Of the fragile frescoes that were moved to enable the museums’ transformation, one had special meaning to our team: Structure, a 13foot by 12-foot work of art depicting craft workers constructing the original building in the 1920s. Those builders are shown laying terra cotta walls, applying plaster and muscling a column into position. Part of a 16-inch-thick load-bearing masonry wall, Structure was a monster to move, weighing 15 tons after it was delicately sawed away from the rest of the wall and sandwiched between foam and plywood inside a protective steel frame. Yet for our team and the craft workers on this project, preserving Structure was worth the years of significant effort solving yet another complex problem. “I really believe that builders leave part of their souls in the buildings they create,” LeBlanc said. “To be able to salvage the souls that created these museums means a lot.” ◆ 13
Midwest success Despite a daunting schedule, our team rebuilt Notre Dame’s signature Morris Inn between football seasons For the Skanska team renovating and expanding the University of Notre Dame’s iconic Morris Inn – the campus’ living room – there was no time to spare. In just nine months, they had to strip the historic building to its concrete structure, erect a tower to hold more guest rooms and build a 300-seat ballroom. The work would take 20 months on a normal schedule. To make this compressed schedule work, our team began construction on October 22, 2012, the Monday following Notre Dame’s last big home football game. They needed to turn over the expanded facility the following August 1, so the Inn could reopen in time for the Fighting Irish’s first home game of the 2013 season – missing that date was unthinkable, as the Inn is a central part of Notre Dame home football weekends. Key to achieving this undertaking would be multiple shifts, lean construction processes, building information modeling (BIM) and our team’s sheer determination to make this project a success. And then the rain came. In the middle of last April, with just a few days to go before the final roof trusses would be in place to enclose the building, it rained for two straight weeks, “almost breaking the job,” said Brian Evans, Skanska project manager. Tarps and various temporary water barriers couldn’t hold back the water from pouring inside, as the rain was usually accompanied by 30 m.p.h. gusts off nearby Lake Michigan. Even worse, the rains typically came at night between shifts. “It’s a testament to our team, the trade community and the University that we all continued to grind through these obstacles,” Evans said.
Going lean To recapture that lost time, our team dialed up shift durations: from two eight-hour shifts to two 10-hour shifts, and then, for the last few months of the project, a 12-hour and a 10-hour shift. At the project’s peak, 300 craft workers were in the building, spread among the two shifts. More than just working hard, our team worked smart. The project was sequenced using the Last Planner system of pull scheduling, which enabled predictable workflows and rapid learning. In this collaborative way of planning, trade contractor supervisors work together with other trades to collaboratively develop the most efficient ways of achieving milestones. “It was amazing to see foremen talking with each other rather than going to someone from Skanska and having us be the intermediary,” said Joe Jason, Skanska senior superintendent. 14
“Last Planner gets everyone in the room. Over a period of time, the trades become much more comfortable with it.” Our team – in an effort led by Steve Smit, senior project engineer – designed a virtual model to coordinate the building systems, a step that was especially valuable for the atypical ground-floor public spaces. Additionally, all electrical devices in the guest rooms were pre-wired off-site with the right amount of wire to connect them either to each other or to a junction box, greatly speeding the on-site work. With this, one craft worker could wire two rooms per day unassisted, half the time it would take without the pre-wiring.
In the spotlight The high-profile nature of this project brought attention from not only the University’s top officials, but those from Skanska as well. Two webcams aimed at the Inn during construction made it easy to assess progress remotely. One webcam viewer was Mike McNally, Skanska USA’s president and CEO who is a Notre Dame alumnus. McNally sent several encouraging emails to our team. “As we were hitting the home stretch this July, it was red alert time around here, but Mike was always positive,” Evans said. “It was great to have him standing in our corner.” Despite the bad weather and having to incorporate more than $1.5 million in University-directed changes, at 1 a.m. on August 1 our team handed over the keys for the now 150-room hotel to the building's general manager. It was their version of a touchdown. ◆
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Our team worked hard - and smart - to complete 20 months' of work in nine months.
Morris Inn • Contract value: $33 million • Schedule duration: 9 months • Size: 104,000 square feet of construction and 46,500 square feet of renovation • Safety record: 1 lost time accident in 327,378 work hours • Of note: Pull scheduling was key to achieving this critical deadline
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Collaborating for success We’re delivering this California medical clinic in a new way – integrated project delivery
Trust. Big Room. Reliable promises. Continuous learning. These words aren’t part of the traditional construction lexicon, but they’re an integral part of how our team is approaching the San Carlos Center, a 170,000-square-foot medical clinic near San Francisco that we’re building for the Palo Alto Medical Foundation, an affiliate of Sutter Health. Different words are needed because we’re delivering this project in a new way: integrated project delivery (IPD). While we’ve used elements of IPD on numerous Skanska projects – especially those with a focus on lean construction principles to improve efficiencies – this project is our first to fully embrace the IPD approach. A true IPD project such as this is founded on several main characteristics, among them key participants bound together as equals in a multi-party contract, shared risks and rewards, collaborative decision making and jointly developed target criteria. While fewer projects are using all elements of IPD, a growing number are embracing portions of this approach. IPD might sound great, but is it really helping us work smarter and achieve better results? To find out, we turned to Raul Rosales, Skanska project executive and a veteran of two other IPD projects in various forms.
How have IPD and lean benefitted this project? Here’s a specific example: We’re about 48 percent complete, and there have been zero requests for information in the traditional sense of us as the construction manager submitting questions to the design team. If we were building this project under a traditional construction manager-at-risk delivery method, I expect we’d be up to 1,500 RFIs at this point. Instead, we’ve had 250 formal confirmations of solutions that have been worked out together between the Skanska team, the design team and our trade partners. When you think about it, in an IPD environment when all three of these stakeholders are part of the same team, to whom are you asking a question? You’re asking a question to yourself because we’re all part of the same team. We're also benefitting from pull-planning techniques, in which requests and promises from trade partners allow for more reliable workflows.
What’s achieved by binding the team together in one contract? Having Palo Alto Medical Foundation, Skanska, the design team and 11 trade partners all part of the same contract and bound by a risk-pool plan promotes team integration and a closer and more productive relationship. The intent of this plan is for the risk pool IPD team members to put 100 percent of their fixed profit at risk for those costs for which this team is responsible. If the project coast to coast
reaches its targets, we’ll all make our profit targets. If the project misses its targets, everyone will make a reduced profit or none at all. Also, if the IPD team drives down the cost of the work, then we all have the right to share in any savings. We’re all in this project together.
How do you develop a collaborative culture? It starts with all partners » Raul Rosales understanding that by signing the IPD agreement, collaboration is key to this project and is expected by all. If you don’t behave in an open and sharing way, you’re going to stick out. True collaboration requires the stakeholders every day to collectively explore and develop clear understandings and paths to achieving goals and milestones, and ways to overcome challenges. Our physical space is playing a huge role in lowering barriers: Team members from all partners – about 50 people in total – are working out of a 12,000-square-foot open-plan Big Room across from the project site. By being co-located, it’s easy for the entire team to address questions and solve problems.
How important is learning on this project? Learning on a traditional construction project might be a lessons learned after the job is over, but how often will that be read? On this project, learning actions occur daily, and this is something that our client sees as important for the project to be successful. We have to read, we have to study, we have to continuously look for different opportunities for doing things faster and better. We have a Lean Leadership Committee, watch lean videos and have a lean library and a book club – currently we’re reading “The High-Velocity Edge.” This all takes considerable time on top of our day-to-day job responsibilities. It’s definitely not easy. Yet this project has been underway for 17 months, and our team has matured and embraced the IPD/lean philosophy. ◆
1,500 RFIs expected by now on a typical project of this size
0 RFIs to date on this project
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Reaching new horizons Working in new ways is critical to Skanska’s success – what other examples can we add to this list? Exploring new horizons – part of our 2015 Business Plan – is critical to Skanska’s success. This means widening our view of opportunities to secure work in new geographies, new markets and through new methods, in part by understanding new trends. We have to anticipate our clients’ needs before our competition does. Across Skanska, we’ve recently reached some great new horizons. Here are a few examples to inspire us all.
Offering solutions to our clients – no RFP needed Residents of Virginia Beach, Va., could be boarding their city’s first light rail train in 2020, to be delivered for $65 million per mile. Or, they could select a proposal from a Skanska team to provide that rail service four years earlier for 44 percent less per mile, in part by not relying on uncertain federal funding and its longer timeframe. Which of those is best for the city, or would another option be better? That’s the decision we’ve handed to the leaders of Virginia Beach, Virginia’s most populous city. Our offer stems from a state law allowing companies to submit unsolicited public-private partnership (PPP) proposals to fulfill unmet public needs.
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In the hopes that Virginia Beach voters would approve light rail in a November 2012 referendum, Skanska Infrastructure Development had already assembled a team to craft an offer to design, build, finance and maintain this 5.2-mile network; the line would be an extension of the 7.4-mile Tide light rail system Skanska completed in 2011 in adjacent Norfolk. This previous work provided us with the local knowledge and connections to confidently make an unsolicited offer. We submitted our proposal this past April. Once portions were publicly released by the city, the news led the front page of the local newspaper for two days, given the magnitude of the benefits we are offering. Soon after, the city accepted our proposal, opening a 120day period during which competitive offers would also be accepted. “This shows that Skanska is out there listening to what’s happening within the marketplace, that we’re aware of the key issues and looking for how Skanska can make a difference,” said Chris Guthkelch, Skanska project director. “We want to be a positive force within our communities.”
Design
Construction
Facilities Management
Extending the use of BIM George Washington University doesn’t just want to use BIM as a construction tool, its traditional use. Rather, this Washington, D.C., institution wants to integrate digital models into its facility management system, so it becomes more efficient at operating and maintaining its campuses.
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This potential world is appealing: Rather than searching through manuals or even PDFs when an air handling unit needs maintenance, for example, a facilities engineer would be able to access that information by clicking on the object in the model. Or even better, the system would know when maintenance is required, and would send an alert. At a higher level, the University will have better information for planning and managing its real estate portfolio. The University needs a smart BIM strategy to achieve that future. It’s an early adopter of this virtual campus model approach, so there are few, if any, comparable examples to draw from. GW hired Skanska to craft its plan. “To our knowledge, nobody has created an entire system across their entire portfolio like this,” said Fraser Kadera, Skanska regional executive. “In a lot of ways, this is breaking new ground.” The protocols our team is developing – which are to be included in future University design and construction contracts – will address such elements as how the Revit model is set up, how that model is shared between architects and construction managers, and how an integrated model is delivered to the University at project completion. These standards are to be rolled out to all current GW building projects and, potentially, all existing campus buildings. “The idea here is that the model doesn’t stop being useful once construction is complete,” Kadera said. “It will continue being a living document for that building.”
Boston
Expanding our Boston presence In Boston, a key Northeast location where USA Building and USA Commercial Development have significant operations, a strong market for infrastructure projects made the timing right this year for USA Civil to establish a permanent office, rather than just pursue an
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occasional Boston-area project. Thirty people are now assigned to the Boston USA Civil office, with many more soon to come. “If you’re not on the ground, it’s harder to be competitive,” said Rich Aquino, Skanska vice president of business development. We’ve been met with a warm reception from infrastructure owners. This stems in part from the local reputations of our USA Building and USA Commercial Development teams, and the deep Boston roots of team members whom USA Civil has hired. “The Skanska name resonates so well in this marketplace,” said Paul Pedini, Skanska vice president of operations who heads USA Civil’s Boston office. “We had an instant identity.” Our Boston USA Civil team – collaborating with the rest of USA Civil’s Northeast offices – already has a strong backlog. Last year, a Skanska joint venture won a $245 million contract to build the new Fore River Bridge near Boston. This year, other Skanska JVs won a $255 million contract to rehabilitate the landmark Longfellow Bridge connecting Boston and Cambridge, and a $700 million contract to extend the Green Line to the northern suburbs. USA Civil is working in new ways in Boston. It will be collaborating with USA Building to manage foundation work for USA Commercial Development projects there. And, in partnership with our Skanska Integrated Solutions team that undertakes program management, USA Civil has been selected as a program management task order firm for small transit projects for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. These projects are too small for us to win the construction contracts. “We have great people with strong local experience, and when you combine that with the outstanding reputation that Skanska has nationally, it’s been a really good formula so far for success,” Pedini said. ◆
“The Skanska name resonates so well in this marketplace.”
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coast tocoast The Employee Magazine for Skanska USA
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The Skanska Top 8 – Third Quarter Skanska USA was recognized with several prestigious awards at the Global Management Meeting, which we were honored to host in Seattle in October: Business Unit of the Year (Project Development) – Skanska Infrastructure Development: 2012 was an outstanding year for ID with three financial closes globally, the highlight being ID’s first U.S. project, Elizabeth River Tunnels in Virginia. Key to the success of these public-private partnership (PPP) projects is close collaboration with other business units.
Civil Project of the Year – 11th Street Corridor Design-Build Project, Washington, D.C.: USA Civil’s team devised innovative solutions that helped our client solve a complicated traffic situation faster than a traditional design would have, and focused on hiring local workers and minority-owned firms.
Be Market Makers – USA Building Senior Vice President Beth Heider: Heider is a green pioneer who has been instrumental in making green an integrated part of our operations. She’s also had a considerable impact on raising market interest for our green solutions.
Learn and Lead in Safety – USA Civil Vice President Larry Gillman: Gillman’s enthusiasm, interest and genuine care for people – whether clients or on-site colleagues – has made him a true asset for Skanska in our journey towards an InjuryFree Environment.®
To reduce hand injuries, USA Building adopted a national requirement that gloves be worn on all jobsites. Appropriate gloves are required for all new projects beginning after September 1, and we strongly encourage ongoing projects to adopt glove policies. USA Civil adopted its U.S. glove policy in January 2008. Our teams were shortlisted for two mega-PPP projects: the $2.6 billion LaGuardia Airport Central Terminal Building in New York City, and the $900 million Accelerated Regional Transportation Improvements highway project in Los Angeles. Following the next phase of procurement, we expect these projects to be awarded in 2014.
In one week, our Houston teams not only completed construction of our 20-story 3009 Post Oak Boulevard office tower, but they also sold the Skanska-developed building! In the midst of that busy week, our Houston office relocated into the tower. We announced $1 billion in third-quarter wins, including the $189 million structural steel erection package for San Francisco’s Transbay Transit Center, referred to as the Grand Central Station of the West, and an additional $220 million contract for the office tower we’re building for Prudential Financial in Newark, N.J.
In the next Coast to Coast: Explore beneath New York City’s streets as we visit our teams expanding the subway system
