Polar Frontier

Category: Other Construction

Contractor: Thomas & Marker Construction Co.

 

Design Firm: URS Corp.

Client/Owner: Columbus Zoo & Aquarium

Project Description: The exhibit encompassed 7.5 acres and included yards and holding buildings for the polar bears, brown bears and the arctic fox. The polar bear yard included a 160,000-gallon salt water pool stocked with other aquatic life. The brown bear yard included a surge pond where water levels would rise and lower simulating the ocean tides as well as a freshwater stream stocked with trout. The primary structure included a “J-shaped” underwater viewing window, which has one manufacturer in the U.S. This shape of window installed in an outdoor exhibit – exposed to extreme Ohio thermal variations – had never been done. After an extensive investigation, it was determined that the original window configuration would need a proposed retrofit with significant modifications, but it was completed in time for the polar bears to arrive. Thomas & Marker’s team provided construction alternatives which reduced the building costs. With this savings, the owner was able to complete ancillary work, such as a new Concessions Building and the North American Gateway.

City of Bexley Police Facility  (LEED Silver)

Category: Commercial $5 - $10 million

Contractor: Thomas & Marker Construction Co.




Design Firm: Horne & King Architects

Client/Owner: City of Bexley

Project Description:  Thomas & Marker was a single-prime contractor of the 20,000 sq. ft., three-story facility. It has no basement, so an unusual design feature is that the firing range is on the top floor of this steel-frame building with a masonry/brick veneer. The project earned LEED Silver Certification and highlights include heat island effect, efficient landscaping, water use reduction and energy performance optimization. A challenge was getting the ballistic steel in place for the third-floor firing range, so logistics were critical. The structural steel had to be up and the floor installed, but the area open so that the steel could be brought in overhead by crane. The ballistic steel had to be in before the joists, so there was a great deal of coordination with lead times. During construction, the city decided to add a carport in back and the project was still completed ahead of schedule. 

Columbus State Community College Academic Center E (LEED Gold)

Category: Commercial $10 - $25 million

Contractor: Miles-McClellan Construction Co., Inc.

Design Firm: Philip Markwood Architects

Client/Owner: Columbus State Community College

Project Description: The new 86,898 sq. ft. Academic Center is the anchor of Columbus State’s new Delaware campus. The facility was renamed Moeller Hall for the outgoing college president. The buildings’ teaching space includes 20 new classrooms, a distance learning classroom, computer lab, testing center and two seminar rooms than can be opened to create one large lecture hall. It houses the main computer room which will store the college’s servers. The building is pursuing LEED Gold certification. For sustainability, the facility and surrounding landscape were designed with restoration and preservation of the ecosystem in mind. Water management strategies were put in effect to conserve and protect natural resources and save money. Turf areas have been minimized to reduce maintenance costs and it does not require irrigation. As a commuter college, the design of Moeller Hall includes amenities that provide comfort and conveniences for students, including study tables, computer stations and cyber café.

Ohio Union (Electrical) at The Ohio State University  (LEED Silver)

Category: Electrical: More than $10 million

Contractor: Vaughn Industries, LLC




Project Description: The new Ohio Union consists of 315,000 sq. ft of multi-use areas. The project began as a traditional plan and specification project, but with over 700 bulletins, 2,000 RFI’s and 250 fully executed change orders, it soon became a design assist project. The unique electrical features include two 2,000 AMP double-ended switchgear lineups that extend over 80 ft. each. A three-story Great Hall links the entire building and is accented with three custom-made chandeliers and twelve custom-made wall sconces that feature the legendary “Block O.” Major gathering spaces in the building included lighting for a 300-seat theater, a 6,000 sq. ft. Performance Hall and an 18,000 sq. ft. ballroom which is the second-largest in Columbus. The interior and exterior lighting fixtures numbered over 6,500. The contract also included primary and secondary electrical distribution equipment, emergency generator systems, custom lighting fixture procurement and design assistance and installation.

Cardinal Orthopedic Medical Office

Category: Healthcare $10 to $25 million

Contractor: Miles-McClellan Construction Co., Inc.

Design Firm: Andrews Architects

Client/Owner: Cardinal Orthopedic Institute

Project Description: The new development sits on a three-acre parcel of Mount Carmel property near the Mount Carmel East Campus. The three-story, 86,259 sq. ft. facility houses two orthopedic practices. The three-story facility is built from a structural steel frame with brick and arris-craft stone façade, with an aluminum storefront and curtain wall. Since the project was constructed on hospital property, all construction traffic had to be managed so that daily operations of Mount Carmel’s campus were not interrupted. It includes a Physical Therapy & Performance Center complete with therapy pool, designated cardio and strength-training area, and private treatment rooms. The medical office features an MRI suite, 24 patient exam rooms and two X-ray areas. Miles-McClellan self-performed the masonry, rough carpentry, doors, frames and hardware and site furnishings of the project.

Adams Hall at Heidelberg University

Category: Renovation: Less Than $4 Million

Contractor: Thomas & Marker Construction Co.





Design Firm: bhdp architecture

Client/Owner: Heidelberg University

Project Description: In the heart of a busy college campus, the project consisted of a total interior and partial exterior renovation of an existing college classroom and administrative facility. Built in 1911, the four-floor building is approximately 17,000 sq. ft. The building had been joined to another hall with a glass and frame connector, and this was removed. The façade where the connector hit both buildings was repaired and new masonry and limestone were added along with a bay and new entrance to Adams Hall. Site work included running the mechanical, electrical, data and communications lines underground from a nearby hall. Thomas & Marker worked collaboratively to offer value-engineered alternatives. This effort was so successful that the project was able to include the European-style, energy –efficient, chilled beam HVAC system which the University had eliminated due to cost. In addition, a stairway was removed to make room for an elevator and a new, enclosed stairway was added elsewhere.

Franklin Park Conservatory

Category: Renovation $10 - $100 million

Contractor: Miles-McClellan Construction Co., Inc.





Design Firm: Schooley Caldwell Associates

Client/Owner: Franklin Park Conservatory

Project Description: Miles-McClellan was hired as the Construction Manager on the addition and renovation project at the Franklin Park Conservatory, which included four phases. The first phase included the expansion of the John F. Wolfe Palm House, consisting of two 5,000 sq. ft. additions. The top of the additions feature rooftop gardens which can be accessed through the show house by a new glass elevator and monumental staircase. The second phase involved earthwork and landscaping, including a new terraced garden with a fountain. A special lighting installation from a nationally known artist, James Turrell, was the focus of the third phase. The permanent lighting installation illuminates the Palm House into a light display every day at dusk. The final step was the construction of the new Community Garden Center, Education Pavilion and demonstration gardens, which sits on a four-acre campus and is the center of the Conservatory’s horticulture and environmental programs.

Blair Hall at Wittenberg University (LEED Gold)

Category: Renovation $4 - $10 million

Contractor: Thomas & Marker Construction Co.





Design Firm: MacLachlan Cornelius Filoni

Client/Owner: Wittenberg University

Project Description: Blair Hall is one of the buildings that make up Wittenberg University’s “historic heart.” It is one of the original facilities, constructed in 1926, and it was important that it be renovated and become ADA compliant. The project consisted of the total gut and rehabilitation of the 21,000 sq. ft. interior and adding an elevator and stairwell. The exterior masonry was restored and selective limestone caps were removed and repaired or replaced. Some of the old plaster arches were saved, repaired and reused. One was located where the new elevator had to be shored up so the archway became part of the load–bearing wall. The elevator shaft was cut out of all the existing floor slabs. The slate on the roof was removed and new wood subroofing was installed with ventilation. The slate was cleaned, refurbished and replaced. Copper downspouts were also replaced to maintain the exterior’s charm.

Intimidator 305 Roller Coaster at Kings Dominion

Category: Other Construction

Contractor: ADENA Corp.





Design Firm: Cedar Fair, LP

Client/Owner: Cedar Fair, LP

Project Description: The roller coaster’s name is derived from the height of the first hill, 305 ft., and after stock car legend Dale Earnhardt’s nickname. The entire lift hill has just one supporting tower. As cars descend, another tower supports the 85-degree downhill portion. This design makes the lift hill appear to be suspended in midair. As the car drops down this angle, it reaches speeds in excess of 90 mph which makes the Intimidator 305 not only the tallest coaster of its type on the East Coast but also the fastest. The first obstacle crews faced was the immense space needed as a ‘lay down’ area. A parking lot not close to the jobsite had ample space, which meant that pieces were handled numerous times and could only be brought to the site a few at a time. Three cranes were needed to perform the installation of the lift hill, including a 65-ton rough terrain crane, and 210-ton and 300-ton crawler cranes. The immense size of the crawler cranes made it impossible to get them into position, and the boom assembly was laid out in a straight line that stretched the length of a football field.

Ohio Union (Mechanical) at The Ohio State University (LEED Silver)

Category: Mechanical: More than $10 million

Contractor: Vaughn Industries, LLC





Design Firm: Moody Nolan/HAWA, Inc.

Client/Owner: The Ohio State University

Project Description: The mechanical contract for the new 315,000 sq. ft. facility encompassed the HVAC, plumbing and fire suppression installations for the student union. The contract included 19 air handling units, 288 air terminal boxes and 300 tons of metal ductwork. The chilled water plant is capable of 1,500 tons of cooling capacity and consists of three 500-ton variable speed centrifugal chillers, three multiple stage, variable speed cooling towers and 11 variable speed drive centrifugal pumps. The heart of the building’s heating system is two shell and steam heat exchangers that warm the heating system water from steam delivered from the main OSU steam generation plant. All of the condensate created through the heating process is returned to the main steam plant by 11 steam operated condensate pumps. The project included third-party building commissioning to verify that the building’s energy-related systems are installed, calibrated and perform according to the owner’s project requirements.

Nationwide Children’s Hospital Central Energy Plant (LEED Silver)

Category: Other Specialty Construction: Less than $1 Million

Contractor: The Sandel Corp.





Design Firm: HAWA, Inc.

Client/Owner: Nationwide Children’s Hospital

Project Description: At the heart of the Nationwide Children’s Hospital expansion is the new Central Energy Plant. This 50,000 sq. ft. multi-level facility supplies the hospital campus with all of its required utilities. The extensive mechanical insulation work included insulation an all of the plumbing systems, HVAC piping and duct systems, emergency generator exhaust systems, and numerous pieces of equipment. Many of the systems requiring insulation were jacketed as well with either PVC or aluminum. The challenging schedule led Sandel to investigate value engineering. The largest task originally involved materials that are costly and outdated, so Sandel proposed an alternate material with higher performance and a significant labor savings. This resulted in the insulation and jacketing on the emergency generator exhaust mufflers and piping. Sandel installed an effective insulation system on the large chilled water pumps, which allows the system to operate without condensation issues in an environment of high heat and humidity.

Wyandot Solar

Category: Other Specialty Construction: More Than $1 Million

Contractor: Vaughn Industries, LLC





Design Firm: Juwi Solar

Client/Owner: PSEG Solar Source, LLC

Project Description: The 10 AC megawatt Wyandot Solar Photovoltaic facility was the first to be constructed of its size and magnitude east of the Mississippi River. The facility consumed an area of 80 acres of farmland which was broken into two fields. A west field consisted of 99,500 PV modules and an east field consisted of 59,700 PV modules. All of the PV modules produced a DC voltage which was connected to DC to AC inverters located within the facility. The AC voltage was then distributed to the utility. The project called for nearly 13,000 posts to be installed using a post-ramming machine supplied by the German manufacturer. The total job consisted of over 1.2 million feet of cabling to distribute the energy produced. Eight power stations housed two inverters in each power station. A five-mile line was constructed by Vaughn crews to carry the generated AC power to its interconnection point with the utility that is purchasing the power generated.