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The article provides information on several construction projects which were submitted as entries by various design and construction firms in the U.S. for the Northwest Construction's Best of 2010 Awards. The awards competition honors projects from a variety of categories including green building and transportation. Among the entries are a complex renovation in downtown Seattle, Washington by Andersen Construction, a floating bridge over salt water by Kiewit-General and 4-million gallon prestressed concrete reservoir by Murray, Smith & Associates.

The article reports on several promising construction projects in Seattle, Washington despite the recession. It reports on the status of the Amazon Inc. headquarters project of Vulcan Real Estate and Schnitzer West. The Pike Place Market, deemed the oldest continually operating public market in the U.S., is undergoing a major renovation in three phases. The Othello Station infill project of Othello Partners is set for completion by June 2011.

The article focuses on changes in school design to adapt to new learning models in the U.S. The Marysville School District is embracing the small learning group model at its new high school by grouping its students into four smaller disciplines in four separate buildings. At Woodrow Wilson High School, a new three-story building replaced four existing buildings and eight portables, helping consolidate the campus. Two high-efficiency boilers will heat water that will then be circulated through pipes in the floor at Panther Lake Elementary.

The article provides information on Walsh Construction, a non-profit construction company in northwestern U.S. chosen by "Northwest Construction" as the 2009 Contractor of the Year. The company focuses on constructing more affordable sustainable housing for non-profit clients in the region, and it also encourages project managers to become Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified. The employees of Walsh regularly volunteer for charitable projects.

The article addresses the impact of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 on infrastructure projects across the country. California will receive $2.6 billion for infrastructure construction work on highways, roads and bridges. Colorado will receive nearly $7.2 billion in total stimulus money over the next two years. The Utah Transportation Commission approved plans for distributing more than $215 million in federal economic-stimulus funds for local and state projects.

The article discusses how the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 is unfolding across the U.S. The stimulus package is delivering about $130 billion in new funding for highways, buildings and other public works. California will receive a fund for insfrastructure construction work on highways, roads, and bridges.

Several charts are presented that list the top contractors in the U.S. based on 2008 revenue which include Kiewit Corporation, Greenberry Construction and Lease Crutcher Lewis.

The article offers information on the Veterans In Piping (VIP) program of the United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters in the U.S. The program invites military personnel who have left the service to become welders. The 18-week course includes two weeks of transition training and 16 weeks of intensive welding. The students also learn how to rejoin their families and the workforce by learning to differentiate between what saved their life in the military and what creates a life outside.

The article reports on the decision of Seattle Steam to covert its plant from natural gas to wood waste to help reach carbon neutrality. The company will use recycled urban wood waste to power its facility in Seattle, Washington, by June 2009. The plant provides heat to 64% of the square footage in the downtown Seattle core and three major hospitals. Its next project will be to recover waste heat from Seattle's manufacturing district near Harbor Island and use it to heat nearby buildings.

The article focuses on the development of the $1.7 billion Brightwater Sewage Treatment Plant, located 11 miles north of Seattle, Washington. It will include the largest bio-membrane reactor (MBR) in North America to provide secondary water treatment. Other advancements include a high-tech odor control system and treatment to remove endocrines. By 2040 the plant will be expanded to provide treatment capacity of 54 million gallons per day. The sewage will flow from an existing line to the new plant now under construction.

The article focuses on the construction of a 36-million-gallon-per-day wastewater treatment plant, the largest in the U.S. to use membrane bioreactors, by King County, Washington. It states that the system swings on the membrane bioreactor (MBR) system, which treats secondary effluent to levels greater than conventional activated sludge systems to produce effluent greatly exceeding federal standards. The county is funding construction from sewerage rates and connection fees with no state or federal money included.

The article focuses on the construction and placement of the outfall for the Brightwater Treatment Plant in Seattle, Washington, by design build contractor Triton Marine. Triton's contract includes construction of twin 5,420 feet high density polyethelyne (HDPE) pipes and diffusers to discharge treated effluent into Puget Sound about a mile off-shore at a depth of approximately 600 feet. It notes that silt disturbance is a key factor controlling salmon habitat and the contractor wanted to minimize it.

Several charts are presented that list the top design firms in the Northwestern region of the U.S., including the top 50 firms, top firms in general building and top firms in healthcare.

The article focuses on the repair and retrofitting project for the Hood Canal Bridge in Washington state. The project guarantees that the structure will continue to withstand the pressure. A joint venture of Kiewit Construction Inc. and General Construction Inc., both of Seattle, is in charge of the project. When the last two pontoons that will support the bridge floated out of the graving dock in Tacoma in August 2008, it marked the 80 percent completion point of the seven-year project.

The article provides information on several construction projects in Portland, Oregon and Seattle, Washington that are related to health care. At the Swedish Orthopedic Center, general contractor Sellen Construction Co. and architect NBBJ used Building Information Modeling (BIM) to be able to complete the project ahead of schedule. Providence Portland Medical Center's campus master plan included an expansion and seismic upgrade of the central utility plant. The Cancer Center in Portland is designed to 50 percent higher seismic requirements.

A chart is presented that list the top contractors in the northwestern region of the U.S. in 2007.

The article offers news briefs related to the construction industry in Washington. In 2007, an estimated $1 billion in development was completed in the downtown area. Areas of Seattle have seen a complete renovation of Northgate Mall and the beginning of work of the Safeco Building in the U-District. It mentions the innovative techniques needed to construct the Fifteen Twenty-One Second Avenue tower.

The article reports on the efforts of the U.S. Departments of Transportation to repair transportation facilities in Oregon and Washington following a strong storm. Wilder Construction set up erosion control, installed temporary fencing and removed guardrail and handrail along the SR96 road in Washington. Wilder replaced a failed 18-inch pipe with a 10 ft. by 5 ft. box culvert which will accommodate larger volumes of water and improve fish passage.

The article presents updates on construction activities in the South Lake Union area in Seattle, Washington. The area is full of construction cranes, as Vulcan Real Estate builds out its planned neighborhood. The 2201 Westlake/Enso complex, designed by Callison, Seattle, contains office, residential, and retail space all built above a four-story podium. The University of Washington Medical Center, Lake Union Campus, Phase 2 will provide a new five story, 198,000-sq.-ft. laboratory building, and a new five-story, 96,000-sq.-ft. office building.

The article reports on the construction projects in Bellevue, Washington. Three office towers are under construction, as well as 14 residential projects, all within the 410-acre downtown core. None of this would be possible without two things, that is, a firm commitment from the city planners to facilitate growth and a growing economy. It is part of a longstanding vision, said Emil King of the city of Bellevue planning department.

A chart is presented that ranks the top 87 specialty contractors doing business in Oregon, Washington and Alaska.

The article reports on construction projects in the Northwest health care industry as of July 2006. The patient tower at Evergreen Hospital in Kirkland, Washington will include a new emergency department and the expansion will provide a surgical and patient space and support. At Providence Portland Medical Center in Oregon, a renovation of the Child Center is underway as well as the construction of a cancer care center.

The article focuses on the rise of construction projects in Snohomish County in Washington. In 2005, the county has generated more than 15,700 jobs due to the increase in development projects. Mortenson was selected to manage the construction of the Providence Cancer Center which is set to open in May 2007. Sellen Construction is constructing the Edmonds Center for the Arts in a high school in Edmonds.

The article discusses the restoration of several buildings in Washington. It cites the objective of the restoration of the Cadillac Building. The cost of each project is stated. It also provides the contractors and architects involved in the projects.

Presents the ranking of specialty contractors in the construction industry in the northwest U.S. in 2005. EC Co.; EMCOR Group Inc.; American Heating; Keystone Masonry Inc.

Focuses on several construction projects in the west bank of the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon. Building One health facility of the Oregon Health & Science University; Strand mixed-use development; Combined sewer overflow West Side Big Pipe project .

Features two construction project managers who received the Project Manager of the Year award given by the periodical "Northwest Construction." Michael Moore of J. E. Dunn Construction; Marvin Doster of Mortenson.

Features several construction projects in Seattle and Bellevue, Washington as of March 2005. Hotel and condominium tower in Lincoln Square; Mixed-use residential towers located a few blocks north of the Seattle retail district; Renovation of the Cadillac Building, one of the most historic structures in Pioneer Square.

Focuses on the challenges encountered by contractors in renovating buildings in the Northwest region of the U.S. Difficulty in the installation of shoring and bracing to save the walls of Roosevelt High School in Portland, Oregon experienced by Nuprecon Inc.; Tasks performed by JE Dunn of Portland in designing the Pioneer Courthouse in Oregon; Implementation of infection control protocol in the renovation project at Saint Peter Hospital in Olympia, Washington.

Describes the preparation being undertaken by Vancouver, Washington for the 2010 Winter Olympics. Estimated value of the construction projects being undertaken in line with the event; Description of the structures being built for the event; Projects planned at the airport and ground transportation improvements.

Presents information on several leaders in sustainable building designs in the U.S. Experience of Jerry Yudelson, director of Interface Engineering in sustainable development in Portland, Oregon; Goal of Glen Gilbert, executive director of the Cascadia Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council in Portland, Oregon, in working for a non-profit organization; Focus of the projects of Kathleen O'Brien, owner of O'Brien and Co. in Bainbridge, Washington.

Presents information on buildings in Oregon that have the potential to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) status designated by the U.S. Green Building Council. Details of River Campus Building One, a complex project at the University of Oregon Health Sciences University developed by Hoffman Construction Co.; Sustainable features of the Seattle Terminal Radar Approach Control building in Seattle, Washington.

Describes the challenges in the construction of the Concourse A at the Sea-Tac International Airport in Seattle, Washington, which opened in June 2004. Cost of the project; Design changes implemented following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks; Features of the airport; Companies involved in the project.

Presents the top specialty contractors in northwest U.S. according to the 2003 Specialty Contractors Survey. RCI Construction Group; McKinstry Co.; Kinetic Systems Inc.