Mar 29

Written by: Cianbro News
3/29/2006 7:00 PM

BALTIMORE, Md. — A major dam rehabilitation project jointly undertaken by Cianbro Corporation's Baltimore-based team and ASI RCC, Inc., of Buena Vista, Colo., has won several significant awards in recent weeks. The rehabilitation of the Loch Raven Dam, undertaken as an ASI/Cianbro joint venture on behalf of the City of Baltimore Public Works Department, was honored on March 22 with a Build America Award by the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC). AGC, the country's oldest and largest national construction trade association, has recognized significant achievement in construction with the Build America Awards since 1972. The awards are sometimes referred to as "the Oscars of the construction industry.” "The Build America Awards recognize the nation's premiere projects, big and small," ACG CEO Stephen E. Sandherr said. "The Build America Award winners embody the industry at its best." The ASI/Cianbro team won their award in the category of Municipal and Utilities Renovation. A few days before, on March 17, the Loch Raven Dam project was honored by another major national construction trade association, Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC), with an Excellence in Construction (EIC) award. EIC award winners are selected based on criteria including craftsmanship, project safety, innovation, timeliness, and complexity. The Loch Raven Dam project was recognized in the category of Infrastructure (Heavy). "Each year, ABC's Excellence in Construction awards highlight the top construction projects across the country," said ABC National Chairman Jack Darnall. "This year's winners were exceptional examples of outstanding construction expertise." The Loch Raven Dam rehabilitation was a $30 million, three-year project. A peak force of 65 skilled craftspeople placed 75,000 cubic yards of concrete, installed 57 high-capacity rock anchors, and brought the 92-year-old dam into compliance with new federal and state regulations. The dam impounds 23 billion gallons of drinking water in Loch Raven, the principal reservoir for 1.8 million residents of the greater Baltimore area. Despite having to contend with both drought and flood conditions at various points during the project, record rainfalls, and a citizens' group initially opposed to the project, the ASI/Cianbro crew completed the project under budget and five months ahead of the scheduled completion date. "It took a unique team effort to pull this project together," Cianbro project manager Mitch Rubin said. "The entire team was determined and overcame many obstacles to successfully complete this project." Peter Rock, a construction project supervisor with the City of Baltimore Public Works Department, echoed Rubin's sentiments. "Like any project there were a lot of difficult, complex issues," Rock said. "What we were able to do was set aside ego, personality conflicts, and just work together as a team. That's what really impressed me on this job." ASI/Cianbro, the owner, Baltimore Department of Public Works, and engineer, Gannett Fleming, Inc., have received SIX awards (to date!) for the Loch Raven Dam project. Along with top honors from the construction industry, the project has been recognized by the American Council of Engineering Companies (Maryland); American Council of Engineering Companies (National), Construction Management Association of America, and Mid-Atlantic Construction magazine. ASI RCC, Inc., is a Buena Vista, Colorado based heavy-civil engineering contractor established in 1975. ASI has over 30 years of success in completing challenging water resource projects throughout the United States and internationally. ASI is an industry leader in dam and water resource construction and is recognized as a company with a commitment to quality, safety, integrity, cooperation and fairness. The successful completion of complex, demanding dam and water conveyance and control structure projects has earned ASI respect within the industry. For more information, please visit www.asircc.com. Cianbro Corporation is one of the East Coast’s largest civil and heavy industrial construction companies. Cianbro is employee-owned and recognized nationally for its safety and health programs. Headquartered in Pittsfield, Maine, Cianbro serves the eastern seaboard from offices in Baltimore, Maryland, Bloomfield, Connecticut, and Portland, Maine. Cianbro was founded in 1949 by Cianchette brothers Carl, Ken, Bud, and Chuck, and is one of the most diversified construction companies in the nation with gross annual sales in excess of $300 million and over 2,000 team members throughout the eastern United States. For more information, please visit www.cianbro.com.

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