Alabama 11 2014

By Cindy RileyCEG CORRESPONDENT

After a tear down and major relocation of services, a $35million student center at the University of Alabama atBirmingham (UAB) is now under construction.“We are very excited about this project, which has been

discussed for many years,” said Harlan Sands, UAB viceprovost for administration and quality improvement. “Ourlong-term strategic plan is to grow enrollments, particularlyin areas where UAB has a national and regional reputation,like some of our pre-health fields, biomedical engineeringand science-related fields. To do that we need more capaci-ty. We must have attractive facilities to recruit students.That’s why having a central location that meets all the serv-ices they require is so important.”The 159,000 sq. ft. (14,771 sq m) building will be four

stories and include a food service and dining area, perform-ance lounge, retail store, book store, outdoor patio dining,coffee shop, 280-seat theater, meeting rooms, office suites,7,000 sq. ft. (650 sq m) multi-purpose room, video gamingstations and an exterior third-floor balcony. In addition, anearby parking lot is being replaced.“The original building was designed in the late 1970s,

when UAB was a different institution,” Sands said. “We hadto back fit it for student functions, dining, gatherings, per-formances, meetings, lectures and student affairs activities.We designed the new building from the ground up. We want-ed a comfortable, inviting space that will enhance the over-all student experience.”Birmingham’s Doster Construction Co. is building the

structure, which replaces the Hill University Center at thecorner of University Boulevard and 14th Street. NCMDemolition & Remediation LP of Marietta, Ga., tore downthe building in August 2013. The scope of the work involveda five-story tower on deep foundations, a two-story auditori-um, bookstore, food service, meeting room and boiler/chillerplant. Workers were dealing with a concrete frame withbrick facade. All shallow foundations were removed and theexisting caissons were cut to two feet below grade and aban-doned in place.Equipment salvaged prior to the demolition included a

chiller, cooling tower, sand filter, pumps, boiler, generator,motor control center, water heaters, exhaust fans, condens-ing units, transformers, a fire alarm panel, security cameras,elevator controls, pendant lights, communications equip-ment, furniture and food service equipment. Materials anddebris that were separated and salvaged included cooper

Work Under Way on $35M UAB Student Center

ALABAMA STATE EDITION A Supplement to:

Your Alabama Connection • Rich Olivier, Atlanta, GA • 1-800-409-1479

“The Nation’s Best Read Construction Newspaper… Founded in 1957.”

see UAB page 2

Herrington Architects photoAfter a tear down and major relocation of services, a $35 million student center at the University of Alabama atBirmingham (UAB) is now under construction.

May 282014

Vol. XXVI • No. 11Mobile

Dothan

Auburn

Anniston

Gadsden

HuntsvilleFlorence

Decatur

BirminghamBessemer

Tuscaloosa

SelmaMontgomery

Phenix City

65

65

65

65

10

85

20

20

59

59

565

220

72

31

231

43

78

5

72

431

280

82

231

31

43

80

82

231

84

84

52

431

331

45

98

84

82

Page 2 • May 28, 2014 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • Alabama State Supplement • Construction Equipment Guide

Contractors Work Around 16-Month Construction Schedulewiring and piping, sheet metal, steel, con-crete and brick. This significantly reducedthe amount of debris sent to the local landfill. Doster Construction recently began its

work on the new building, which will keepcrews busy for quite some time.“Doster is responsible for the project from

slab on grade and up,” said project managerDavid Stone. “Some of the major tasks willinclude foundations, concrete poured inplace structure, brick/precast, curtain wall,stairs with glass and aluminum guardrails, aswell as interior finishes.”Stone said the biggest challenge on the

project will be the time frame to completethe work. “A 16-month schedule for this size project

is very aggressive, but we have the team tomake it happen,” said Stone. “Traffic will bea major consideration for construction plan-ning. We are right on the corner of 14thStreet and University Avenue, not to men-tion being on an active UAB campus.”Some of the main equipment being used

on the project includes a tower crane, back-hoe, track hoe, dump trucks, lulls and a sup-plemental crane. Materials used includeroughly 10,000 cu. yds. (7,645 cu m) of con-crete, aluminum storefront, curtain wall,brick/precast, dirt and stone. Although not aLEED project, sustainable design ideas andmaterials are being used throughout the proj-ect.Panera Bread will open one of its first in-

house, on-campus restaurants in the new stu-dent center, while Starbucks will operate acoffee shop on the north end of the buildingwith access from outside the building. Afood court will offer grill and stir fry restau-rants, along with a yet to be announced

eatery. In addition, a full-service technologystore will sell and service primarily Appleproducts.A state-of-the-art visitor center will offer a

3-D, interactive video tour of the campus,while a theater will seat more than 200 andallow for movie watching or various presen-tations. A 600-seat multipurpose room canbe used for large events or subdivided downfor smaller ones. Outdoor gathering spaces

and wifi connections will be incorporatedthroughout. A new student housing project and a stu-

dent health and wellness clinic also areplanned over the next 18 months. In addi-tion, the long-range plan includes an expan-sion of a planned greenway reaching toBirmingham’s popular Railroad Park. Thosedetails are still being worked out, accordingto university officials.

St. Louis, Mo.-based Hastings & ChivettaArchitects partnered with Birmingham’sHerrington Architects as the design team forthe new student center, which is made ofmostly brick and glass.“The Hill Student Center needed to be a

prime destination on UAB’s campus for thecommunity,” said Hastings & Chivettaarchitect Jim Gabel. “Since the spaces with-in provide a vital part of campus life, thebuilding really needed to be inviting andwelcoming to students and the UAB com-munity in general.”The most difficult challenge, from an

architect’s perspective, involved creating astructure that had a dramatic visual impacton campus, while staying within budget. “UAB really wanted a building that had a

‘wow’ factor,” Gabel said. “Often, that hassevere cost implications. There was a desirefrom UAB’s perspective that this buildinglook different from anything else on campus,but still feel like it was part of the communi-ty. The form was a departure from manymore traditional buildings on campus, but itis still tied to the campus through the use ofsimilar, common materials. It utilizes exteri-or materials that are already on campus —standard brick, precast concrete and glasscurtain wall. “Although this project is not a LEED

project, there were many products andprocesses that adhere to LEED guidelines,”said Gabel. “Some materials used in thebuilding have a high recycled content, andrecycling stations have been incorporatedinto the building. Also, the design team haswritten a construction waste managementoption into the specifications, suggestingways of reducing construction waste for the

UAB from page 1

Herrington Architects photoA Komatsu PC160 excavator is used for undercut.

NCM Demolition & Remediation photoEquipment salvaged prior to the demolition included a chiller, cooling tower, sandfilter, pumps, boiler, generator, motor control center, water heaters, exhaust fans,condensing units, transformers, a fire alarm panel, security cameras, elevatorcontrols, pendant lights, communications equipment, furniture and food serviceequipment. see UAB page 6

Construction Equipment Guide • Alabama State Supplement • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • May 28, 2014 • Page 3

TOOLS THAT MAKE YOUR BUSINESS WORK™

BURNSVILLE, MN DULUTH, MN MANKATO, MN(800) 552-1189 (800) 835-6225 (800) 862-6225 ROCHESTER, MN ROSEVILLE, MN ST. CLOUD, MN(800) 562-1505 (800) 704-0935 (888) 310-6225www.nussgrp.com

Volvo Construction Equipment

YOU’RE ABOUT UPTIME, FUEL EFFICIENCY AND COMFORT.THAT’S SMART.

Smart Works.Birmingham, AL205-841-6666Mobile, AL

251-633-4020Montgomery, AL334-262-6642

Huntsville / Decatur, AL256-350-0006Oxford, AL

256-832-5053Pensacola, FL850-479-3004

www.cowin.com

Page 4 • May 28, 2014 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • Alabama State Supplement • Construction Equipment Guide Construction Equipment Guide • Alabama State Supplement • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • May 28, 2014 • Page 5

Page 4 • May 28, 2014 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • Alabama State Supplement • Construction Equipment Guide Construction Equipment Guide • Alabama State Supplement • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • May 28, 2014 • Page 5


UAB Officials Take Inspiration From Other Student Centers

NCM Demolition & Remediation photoNCM Demolition & Remediation LP of Marietta, Ga., tore down the Hill University Center inAugust 2013.

Herrington Architects photoThe new building is set to open by the fall 2015 semester.

general contractor.”Creating a facility that’s pleasing to the

eye while incorporating the client’s desireswas another concern for Gabel’s firm.“That’s the question every architect is pre-

sented with when designing a building,” saidGabel. “It takes good communicationbetween design team and client, as well asknowledge and experience on the designteam’s part to make a building project suc-cessful aesthetically and functionally. Notonly were two architectural firms involved,but there were acoustic specialists, a foodservice consultant, mechanical and plumb-ing engineers, an electrical engineer and costconsultants who were all vital design teammembers.”Duncan & Thompson Construction of

Birmingham has been responsible for thegrading, storm sewer, utilities, caissons, tiebeams, primary electrical service, retentionwall and retaining wall and steam systemextension. “We began work in early December. The

challenges have included ice, snow, cold andrain, with frozen subgrade to 18 in. belowthe surface, along with bad soils thatrequired undercut and replaced in horribleweather. There were also 160 caissons in ashort duration.”McKinney Drilling of Atlanta used two

new track mounted drilling rigs for the cais-sons, along with a crane to service the drillrigs.In addition, track hoes for undercut, load-

ing trucks and trench excavation; loaders torelocate dirt; trucks for hauling; and backhoeand skid steers to remove caisson spoils havebeen used on the project.Pipelines LLC of Pelham, Ala., was con-

tracted to perform selective site demolition,site grading, storm drainage and duct bankinstallation.“Our work started in December 2013,”

said Pipelines LLC President Paul Bradley.“The only work remaining as of this date isone four-conduit electrical duct bank.”Bradley said abnormal and unknown

underground conditions have been a concernfor crews on the project.“A vast amount of undercut and select fill

replacement was required. Weather was alsoan issue, due to the time of year.”Equipment used has included a Komatsu

PC160 excavator for undercut, loadingtrucks for installing storm drainage, a Cat953 track loader for spreading engineeredfill, a Dynapac CA250 compactor, a JohnDeere 410 backhoe for general support and aJohn Deere 180 excavator for loading out ofborrow pit. Materials include storm drainage15 in. (38 cm) RCP — 300 ft. (91.4 m) and10,000 cu. yds. (7,645.5 cu m) of dirt.Byrd Contractors Inc. of Montevallo,

Ala., is utilizing a track hoe to excavatetrenches and handle steam piping. Hoe ramsfor rock removal also have been required. Inaddition, a total of 209,300 lbs. (94,936 kg)of rebar is needed for the project, whichstretches the entire block between 14th and15th streets and 7th and 8th avenues.

“Superintendent Lane Posey workedextremely long hours to make sure the cor-rect rebar cages and dowels got into the cor-rect caissons, at the correct elevation, andoriented in the correct direction,” Duncansaid. “Since McKinney drilled in the rain and

cold, Lane was there early to late every day,regardless. All subcontractors, the architectand his engineers and UAB reps were veryeasy to work with and cooperated with eachother. It’s been a very smooth project.”For Sands, the new building represents the

future of UAB, although he has a soft spotfor the old Hill Center, which opened in1983.“One of my most endearing memories of

that building — and I have many — is that ithad one of those old, huge big-screen televi-sions that hung by chains on wooden frames.We did as much as we could with the place,but it was time to move ahead.“The new student center will be very open

— full of glass — as opposed to some of ourmore traditional research type buildings.One of the focal points will be the visitor’scenter, in a prominent location on the secondfloor, overlooking the grounds. We have agreen space in the middle of a downtownarea. That’s something a lot of urban institu-tions just don’t have.”Through the decades, UAB has shifted

from an extension center into a doctoralresearch university and academic medicalcenter. In 1945 the Medical College ofAlabama was moved from Tuscaloosa to

Birmingham and the University’s MedicalCenter was founded. In 1966, the ExtensionCenter and the Medical Center were mergedto form the University of Alabama inBirmingham. Three years later, UABbecame an independent institution. Today, itis a nationally recognized academic healthcenter — the only public, four-year degreegranting university in the state’s largest met-ropolitan area. UAB is the biggest researchinstitution in the state and the largestemployer in Birmingham. Sands said UAB representatives chose

features they wanted to incorporate in thenew student center based on more than 30other university student centers from acrossthe nation. The new structure will be a cen-ter of activity that Sands hopes will help cre-ate a real sense of community on campus.“We are looking forward to moving into

the new building. It’s been a bit of a strug-gle with the relocation of so many officesand services, but we can endure a little pain,because we know what we’ll have in theend.”“Excitement for the construction of a new

student center is building,” said CarolynFarley, director of academic and studentservices. “What we’re going to get is goingto create a much better student experience.”The new building is set to open by the fall

2015 semester. (This story also can be found on

Construction Equipment Guide’s Web site atwww.constructionequipmentguide.com.)CEG

UAB from page 2

Construction Equipment Guide • Alabama State Supplement • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • May 28, 2014 • Page 7

REACHNEW HEIGHTS

CONTACT YOUR JCB DEALER FOR MORE INFORMATION

The Ultimate Lift and Place Machineeach n RReach new heights with the JCB 514-56 telescopic handler

lift height of 56 feet, JCB lifts higher than any other telehandler on the market. Tforward reach than the competition. PEco Max engine, JCB telehandlers use 10% less fuel making the new JCB

The Ultimate Lift and Place Machineeach new heights with the JCB 514-56 telescopic handler

lift height of 56 feet, JCB lifts higher than any other telehandler on the o get you even further ahead, the JCB 514-56 boasts 42% more T To get you even further ahead, the JCB 514-56 boasts 42% more

forward reach than the competition. PEco Max engine, JCB telehandlers use 10% less fuel making the new JCB

The Ultimate Lift and Place Machine. Wit 4-56 telescopic handler r. With a maximum

lift height of 56 feet, JCB lifts higher than any other telehandler on the o get you even further ahead, the JCB 514-56 boasts 42% more

owered by the innovative JCB Tier 4 forward reach than the competition. PEco Max engine, JCB telehandlers use 10% less fuel making the new JCB

The Ultimate Lift and Place Machine. With a maximum

lift height of 56 feet, JCB lifts higher than any other telehandler on the o get you even further ahead, the JCB 514-56 boasts 42% more

owered by the innovative JCB Tier 4 Eco Max engine, JCB telehandlers use 10% less fuel making the new JCB


Eco Max engine, JCB telehandlers use 10% less fuel making the new JCB 514-56 the ultimate lift and place machine.






Eco Max engine, JCB telehandlers use 10% less fuel making the new JCB

U

705-267-7000immins:T807-577-1111Bay:Thunder

705-267-7000807-577-1111

elicien: FSt.

AJAXWWAJAX--WGO1-877-elicien:

Horizon JCB403-223-8928aber: TTaber:

/JCB /JCBNA

/JCBNORTHAMERICA

3420

8920 Weaver AvenueLeeds, AL 35094205/699-2699866/480-6125

791 Anderson RoadMontgomery, AL 36110

334/262-8104866/954-6522

30 Plunkett Ave.Anniston, AL 36201

256/312-4639

www.jcbofalabama.com


Innovative. Intelligent. Integrated.

D61i-23

Next Generation Machine ControlNo Masts No Cables No Connections

Factory installed Intelligent Machine Control — standard on the new D61i-23.Automated dozing —1st to last pass with finish grade performance. Intelligent blade assistance minimizes track slip and improves efficiency.

Komatsu — Customer driven solutions.

Conventional Machine Control

www.komatsuamerica.com

Scan here to see the video.

GeorgiaAlabama FloridaALABASTERANNISTON

BIRMINGHAMDECATURDOTHAN

MOBILEMONTGOMERYSHOALS AREATUSCALOOSA

ALBANYAUGUSTACALHOUNCOLUMBUS

FOREST PARK

HOSCHTONKENNESAW

MACONSAVANNAH

PANAMA CITY PENSACOLA

Since 1943www.tractor-equipment.com

Documents

Alabama 11 2014