NRC names recipients of Projects of the Year; Field Employee of the Year awards

Written by Mischa Wanek-Libman, editor
image description
Drainage work is in full swing with jack and bore of the 48” culverts and cast-in-place outlet structures. Culvert gradients reached 31 percent with bore lengths up to 275 feet. The beginning of the excavation above the tunnel can be seen in the background.

The National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) has named honorees for its 2016 special awards.

The 2016 NRC Field Employee of the Year is Greg Dunn, project manager for Herzog Contracting Corp. Dunn began as a heavy equipment operator more than 30 years ago and has worked his way through the ranks to his current position successfully managing more than 15 rail and heavy civil projects for clients that include Amtrak, North County Transit District, the Southern California Regional Rail Authority and the San Diego Association of Governments. Alan L. Landes, Herzog Contracting’s president and CEO described Dunn as one of the company’s more trustworthy professionals.

The latest project Dunn managed was the $158-million Pier E project in Long Beach, Calif., which was selected as the 2015 NRC Project of the Year. Darrin Lambrigger, assistant director of construction management at the Port of Long Beach, said that Dunn was “a superb project manager” and a straight shooter respected for his expertise.

“Greg’s unparalleled knowledge of the industry, his commitment to his customers and his dedication to safety are among many attributes that make for an outstanding NRC Field Employee of the Year,” the association said in a press release.

In addition to the Field Employee of the Year, NRC named two Projects of the Year in a large and small category.

“For their flexibility in complex environments, safety records and commitment to exceeding customer expectations, the NRC is proud to honor these projects as our Large and Small Projects of the Year,” the association explained.

The Exposition Light Rail Transit Phase 2 Design-Build (Expo 2) project by Skanska-Rados Joint Venture (SRJV) was named the 2016 Large Project of the Year. Expo 2 added seven stations along 6.6 miles of urban light rail and for the first time in 60 years, connected the University of Southern California, Exposition Park and West Los Angeles.

Systems and electrical work included a low-profile overhead catenary system (OCS), train control and signals, crossing protection, traction power and communications. The project’s urban location required extensive maintenance of traffic planning for vehicles, public transit commuters, pedestrians and cyclists. Additionally, area residents, high profile theaters and recording studios expressed worries about noise levels. SRJV installed a GERB track system, the first installed in the United States, to mitigate vibration and noise emitted by light-rail vehicles.

NRC also pointed out that beyond the challenge of meeting community needs, Expo 2 met numerous technical challenges to become the first transit project in the United Sates to receive Envision™ Platinum certification from the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure.

In other awards news, Granite Construction was awarded the NRC’s 2016 Small Project of the Year for the Walong to Marcel 2nd Track project. Union Pacific tasked Granite Construction with the project, which included clearing, excavation, embankment, drill and shoot rock, rock anchors, storm drain culverts, headwall structures and sub ballast to create approximately one mile of roadbed for a second mainline track. Additionally, six 48-inch steel pipes were bored and jacked under the live track to facilitate drainage flow.

Granite Construction dealt with challenging topography and a dry, fire-prone environment with the project. The existing topography was very steep with a tunnel in the middle of the existing single track segment. Instead of widening the tunnel to create room for the second track, dirt and rock were excavated to create the second track alignment around the tunnel. Additionally, the project was located in an Extreme Fire Danger Class area. Granite Construction took extensive precautions, including performing Fire Risk Assessments several times a day and adjusting tasks as needed, which resulted in zero fires during the project. There were no delays or impacts to train traffic, no injuries occurred and the project was completed on time and under budget.

The award winners will be recognized at the 2017 NRC Conference in Boca Raton, Fla., as well as in the May issue of RT&S.

Tags:

Media