2019 Construction Excellence Awards

The CAGC Construction Excellence Awards honor projects recognized by the CAGC Pinnacle Award Judges as projects of distinction.

The Montgomery Building - Spartanburg, SC 

General Contractor: Harper General Contractors
 
As a part of the restoration to this historical Spartanburg landmark, Harper engaged several craftsmen to restore and replicate ornate plaster walls and ceilings. They also installed 400 custom made mahogany wood windows matching the original windows, repaired the exterior copper cladding at the prominent bay window locations, and installed custom wood trim. These unique historical elements, combined with the contemporary introductions of LED lighting, modern plumbing mechanical systems and safety technologies, resulted in the perfect blend for this vibrant mixed-use facility. 

Replacement of Herbert C. Bonner Bridge - Dare County, NC 

General Contractor: PCL Civil Constructors, Inc.

Spanning over one of the most dangerous inlets on the east coast, the Herbert C. Bonner Bridge, since 1963, was in continuous repair. Its replacement — the new Marc Basnight Bridge — overcame lawsuits, challenging construction conditions, and a remote location to provide a safer, more reliable, and more navigable crossing. The new 2.8-mile-long bridge conquers Oregon Inlet’s treacherous currents, constantly shifting water levels, violent storms, and can resist 105 mile per hour winds, hurricanes and ship impacts. The use of extensive precast concrete provides a high quality, durable and low-maintenance structure designed for a 100-year service life.

Trinity Road Pedestrian Tunnel - Raleigh, NC

General Contractor: Crowder Construction Company, Heavy Civil Division

The excitement builds every fall in Raleigh as North Carolina State Football and the North Carolina State Fair season approach, which are the two main reasons this project’s contract allowed only a five-month window for closing Trinity Road in order to build the 120-foot long concrete pedestrian tunnel. The project consisted of the tunnel, massive retaining walls, concrete approach ramps and stairs, temporary shoring, storm drainage, and roadway construction. The completion of Trinity Road Pedestrian Tunnel made the crossing of the road safer and faster for pedestrians, and greatly improved traffic flow for events.

The Robert J. Stevenson Water Treatment Plant & Raw Water Pump Station - Fair Play, SC

General Contractor:  Harper General Contractors

This project represented Harper’s first greenfield membrane project. This is not a commonly used technology in the Southeast, but it is steadily gaining traction due to its ability to create a more compact footprint. The membrane facility gave Pioneer Rural Water District more flexibility for overall use of the sites for the water treatment facility because it required less land than a traditional treatment process. The pump station, located on the shore of Lake Hartwell, has an intake line running from the bottom of the caisson to the intake screen and 30 feet below the lake surface. The design team performed viewshed analysis to ensure that the pump station and associated lines remain unobtrusive and don’t impact the fishing and recreation that brings visitors and business to the lake. 

Leaphart & Rainbow Bridges over I-26 - West Columbia, SC

General Contractor: Crowder Construction Company 
 
This SCDOT Lexington County project is a multi-bridge replacement project over I-26 on both Rainbow Drive and Leaphart Road. The scope of work included widening shoulders, replacing bridges, and raising the grade to provide additional clearance under the bridge over I-26 in West Columbia. The Rainbow Drive Bridge was designed for a complete shut down for the new construction while the original plan was to maintain traffic on the Leaphart Road bridge. However, due to a significant collision by a tractor trailer truck after construction began, SCDOT deemed the existing bridge a hazard and required Crowder to do an emergency closure of I-26 and demolish the old bridge just 5 days later. This just being one of many challenges on this project, the team still managed to complete this project well within contract time and close to budget.

ECU-Main Campus Student Center - Greenville, NC

General Contractors: T.A. Loving & Barnhill Contracting Company, A Joint Venture
 
East Carolina University's Main Campus Student Center encompasses 214,000 square feet and serves as the premier focal point for both the campus and community. The Student Center blends key elements that represent the people and industries of Eastern North Carolina, the City of Greenville, and ECU Pirate traditions. A facility of this caliber also required construction of a central energy plant and a parking deck. Intended to support future growth and enrollment, the post-tensioned, cast-in-place concrete parking deck features 724 spaces and is East Carolina University's first on-campus parking deck. 

Capitol Broadcasting Company, New Media Group – WRAL Renovation - Raleigh, NC

General Contractor: Barnhill Contracting Company
 
To provide more space and a secure entrance to the Capital Broadcasting Company (CBC) building, Barnhill constructed a 12,000 square feet addition and renovated 14,500 square feet of the existing building. The greatest challenge on this project was noise management. The existing facility was located directly adjacent to two large television studios and the main control room for all of CBC's television broadcasts. During broadcast times, construction activities were suspended, or performed with minimal disruption. And yes, construction was even halted to allow the lottery numbers to be pulled and broadcasted without disruption. Throughout the course of the project, no broadcasts or media productions were affected by construction.  

Congratulations!

Congratulations to the 2019 CAGC Construction Excellence Award winners!

For more information contact Lori McGovern, 704-372-1450, ext. 5227 or lmcgovern@carolinasagc.org.