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Crunch Time

The recent completion of the nearly $20 million 300 West Reconstruction highlights a slate of critical road and infrastructure projects in Utah's capitol city. 
By Milt Harrison

Aerial images (below) show an overlay of what part of 200 S will look like once improvements are completed. The images are looking East from State Street to 200 East. 

John Coyle has been working at Salt Lake City Corporation (SLC Corp) for more than 22 years and has never experienced this brisk of a construction cycle—one that has been especially challenging due to an overwhelming workload coupled with internal labor shortages.  

"Absolutely," remarked Coyle, Senior Engineering Project Manager, when asked if this is the busiest his department has been during his career at SLC Corp. "And we're short staffed, so it's been crazy. We've lost people and haven't been able to fill those positions. The past three years have been brutal trying to get people on board." 

The work rolls on, nonetheless, with numerous critical infrastructure projects happening throughout Utah's capitol, including the replacement of aging arterial roads and decades-old water and sewer pipelines. 

"The need is certainly there, and we're making good progress," Coyle said, citing the recent completion of one of the largest single road projects in SLC history—the reconstruction of 300 West from 900 South to 2100 South, a corridor that was more than 70 years old and finally completed this summer after nearly 2.5 years. 


300 West Illustrates City's Widespread Needs
It's no secret that certain roadways within Salt Lake City are in worse shape than others, particularly those that serve as major traffic corridors/arteries like 2100 South, 1700 South, 1300 South, State Street, 700 East, 1300 East, Highland Drive—and that's not counting heavily trafficked downtown roads north of 600 South and east of I-15. 

The construction process on projects like 300 West is always painful and challenging to residents, and particularly businesses along the busy street that often get ignored by the public when access becomes compromised. 

At a cost of $19.8 million, 300 West was funded by a 2018 voter-approved Funding our Future $87 million bond, designed to address the most crucial roadway and transportation needs in Salt Lake over a 5-year period from 2020-25. 

The bond was in response to a 2017 pavement condition survey that showed that nearly two-thirds of City streets were in poor to worse condition. Many of these streets were in such poor condition that they required a total rebuild, with immediate action needed to avoid continued degradation of the system as a whole. With a 25% backlog and a system where the majority of roads are at least 30 years old, the bond was sorely needed.

SLC's Engineering Division used various criteria to determine which projects to tackle first, including roads with high travel demands and safety needs, pavement condition, existing or upcoming utility projects, transit improvements, and overall benefit to the city. 

"[300 West] is the first major project from the bond," said Leah Jaramillo of David Evans & Assoc. Inc. who is serving as Interim Public Engagement Manager for SLC Engineering. "That was the critical reason for the bond. We have some of the oldest infrastructure in the valley and have real needs for new roads and utilities. The bond looked at the big arterials that carry the most traffic."

These major projects are significant advancements in creating a transportation network that meets the multimodal needs of city residents. Coyle and Jaramillo insist SLC Corp as a whole is doing everything it can to lessen the impact of traveling from point A to point B within the city. 

"These projects provide us the opportunity to think beyond the traditional road design to improve safety and make streets more comfortable and accessible for the people who use them every day," said Coyle. "We’re not just improving the roads themselves; we’re improving the transportation network." 

Crews were diligent in their efforts on this complex, heavily-trafficked street, one of the most important arteries in Salt Lake City. (photos courtesy SLC Corp.)

300 West Challenges: Traffic Control, Utilities, Business PR

Maintaining traffic on a road with enormous amounts of heavy/semi-trucks, while building in a confined area between I-15 and UTA's TRAX line—with few alternate routes—was extremely challenging during the first year of construction, said Jaramillo.


“Our public engagement partners from Avenue Consultants used in-person, virtual, and media outreach to encourage drivers to travel the corridor outside of peak commute times and use other routes to avoid congestion and delays” she added. Aging water line utilities would sometimes crumble as sections of the 100-year-old pipe were being replaced. This created delays and re-work when attempting to loop them. As much as possible, utility work was scheduled before and after normal hours of operation for businesses on the corridor.


Third-party utility coordination, scheduling and work performance caused significant delays to the project construction schedule and service disruptions for businesses, especially in 2021. Improved and more frequent coordination with the project team and utility companies was initiated in remaining phases of work to avoid future impacts to stakeholders.


Unknown and misidentified existing utilities that conflicted with the approved design also caused production delays, while work was designed in the field to accommodate utilities and existing conditions. SLC Corp and Granite Construction of North Salt Lake prioritized resolution of these conflicts in the field to enable work to proceed as quickly and as close to the original design as possible, while striving to minimize downtime.


The project team did a significant amount of engagement with the public to design a road that more safely moves traffic, accommodates existing businesses and future growth while adding more space for people to walk, bike, and use mobility devices on 300 West, including more mid-block pedestrian crossings, the two-way bikeway and other bike improvements like lean rails and racks to encourage multi-modal use of the roadway for the long-term.


The project also added innovative ways to manage storm water and improve water quality through percolation in storm drain planters, which was new to the City.


Major construction scope elements included:

• Installing or upgrading storm water, sewer, and water line utilities to support growth and future development.

• Upgrading or adding missing sidewalk so there is full accessibility along both sides of the road, installing two new signalized crosswalks.

• Adding a new 10-ft, two-way bike lane to support casual riders and commuters.

• Planting 200 trees and 2,100 shrubs to create shade and adding new “bioswale” storm water treatment options in the planted park strips to improve water quality.

• 17,000 tons of new asphalt pavement for a safe, smooth ride.
• 17,800 linear feet of new curb and gutter.
• 225,000 SF of new concrete sidewalk and bike lane.
• 8,200 LF of sewer lining, installed using an innovative technology that maintains the system without having to rebuild the actual pipes
• 8,800 LF of new waterline
• 5,000 LF of new storm drain
• Two new mid-block crosswalks at Paramount Avenue and American Avenue, with signals and overhead lighting for improved safety and connectivity for people walking, biking, and using mobility devices.


In addition to 300 West, two significant current projects in Sugar House including the reconstruction of Highland Drive from I-80 to 1700 South, and a sewer replacement (via pipe bursting) line on 2100 South from 900 East to 1300 East are ongoing. In addition, the following are current/recent key projects for SLC Corp.

 

200 South Transit Priority Corridor

The reconstruction of 200 South is another key project from the 2018 Funding our Future bond (and other funding sources), as it is one of the busiest transit streets used by 10 routes and 34 buses per hour. The project includes the following improvements:

• Transit priority lanes

• In-lane concrete roadway bus stops with floating bus boarding platforms

• Buffered bike lanes channelized behind bus islands with intersection safety upgrades.

• Sidewalk and curb ramp repairs to meet ADA standards.

• Midblock crossings with curb extensions and/or refuge islands and flashing crosswalk lights

• Curbside parking and loading zones.

• New landscaping trees (50+) and repairs to existing plantings


900 South: 9-Line Extension

Envisioned in 2015, the 9-Line Trail is an urban trail that will ultimately provide people the opportunity to walk, bike, and roll between the future Surplus Canal trail and the mouth of Emigration Canyon. The 9-Line Trail follows the railroad corridor along 900 South between the Jordan River Surplus Canal and 200 W. Various segments of the trail have already been constructed, notably the section between Redwood Road and 700 West.


Phase 2 of the 9-Line Trail was incorporated into the Funding our Future bond reconstruction of 900 South from 900 West to State Street, which was completed in June 2023. A County grant was also used to help fund the trail portion of the project. As part of the project, the 9-Line Trail corridor will be an attractive, safe, and inclusive place for neighbors, businesses, and street users. A new trail will also introduce a walking and bicycling connection between east and west Salt Lake City, linking neighborhoods, business districts, and cultural destinations.


The final phase of this project, from 900 East to State Street is anticipated to complete before the end of 2023. Salt Lake City worked closely with area businesses and the East Liberty Park Community Organization (ELPCO) to coordinate a 30 day closure of the 9th and 9th intersection for reconstruction, leading to better quality and smoother concrete in the intersection and reducing the overall duration of impact to area businesses from approximately 60 days a phased construction approach would have needed.

 

Neighborhood Byways

Neighborhood Byways create pleasant and convenient routes for people using active modes of transportation by encouraging safe travel speeds, discouraging cut-through vehicle traffic, providing safe crossings of busy streets, and connecting people to destinations.


Improvements that make a street a neighborhood byway include bicycle and pedestrian crossing improvements (signals, crosswalks, curb extensions aka bulb-outs, curb ramps, signage, street markings, and other traffic calming techniques), way-finding signage, and connectivity enhancements to existing bicycle and pedestrian routes.

 

The following routes are planned for upgrades to convert them to neighborhood byways:

600 East (complete)

Kensington Avenue (under construction)

800 East (under construction)

800 West (under construction)

Westpointe and Jordan Meadows (2024)

Westminster Ave to Sunnyside Ave (concept development)

Poplar Grove (concept development)

Rose Park & Fairpark (concept development)

 

Green Loop

Salt Lake City residents have expressed the desire for more trails, parks, and green spaces in multiple city plans, studies, and surveys over recent years. As more people call downtown home, the need for improved public green spaces and shade increases, as does the need for more comfortable transportation options for short trips without a car. Salt Lake City is exploring a concept to improve the quality of life for people living, working, and traveling downtown by adapting the existing street space to include more trees, shade, and comfortable options for a variety of transportation choices.


Green spaces also provide critical ecosystem services and contribute to a more resilient city by managing storm-water, reducing the heat island, and improving air quality. In 2023, a study and design phase of the Green Loop project will develop goals, objectives, and guiding principles for the entirety of the Green Loop. Design plans will show how goals and objectives would be applied along 200 East from North Temple to 900 South.



Authorities need to consider general recommendations and a preferred route from northern and western legs of the loop connecting 200 East to North Temple. The project will also explore routing options from North Temple to 500 or 600 West. SLCGreenLoop.Com

Notable Current Projects

200 South Phase 2 (200 East to 400 West)

900 South Phase 2 (State Street to 900 East

1100 East (900 South – 1700 South)

Highland Drive Phase 1 (I-80 to 2100 South)

Life on State (600 S-800 S)

 

Notable 2024 Projects

Highland Drive Phase 2 (2100 South-1700 South)

2100 South (700 East to 1300 East)

West Temple (North Temple to Market Street)

Virginia Street (South Temple to 11th Avenue)

300 North (300 West to 1000 West)

Multiple 'traffic calming' projects

 

300 West Reconstruction—900 South to 2100 South

Cost: $19.8 million

Start/Completion: March 2021/July 2023

Owner: Salt Lake City     

Design Team

Civil: Avenue Consultants

Survey: Redcon, Inc.

 

Construction Team

General Contractor: Granite Construction

Concrete: Aarrow Landscape; Harper Concrete

Electrical: Hamiton Brothers Electrical

Sewer Lining: Inliner

Waterline: Silver Spur Construction

Roadway Milling: Coughlin Company, Inc.

Reclaimed Aggregate: Infrastructure Research

Striping/Signing: RoadSafe

Utility Adjustments: Western Paving, Inc.

Concrete/Soil Testing: Wood Environment & Infrastructure

Innovative Education

By Brad Fullmer • 01 Apr, 2024
It's not every day that an architect designs a project around a native flower, then again, the new Career and Technical Education (CTE) High School in St. George is far from your standard K-12 school. "Essentially, we patterned the floor plan around the Bear Claw Poppy," said Bryan Dyer, Director of Facilities for Washington County School District (WCSD), and one of the primary designers of CTE from 2018-20 while at St. George-based NWL Architects prior to joining the District. "The courtyard is the center of the poppy; the rooms represent flower petals. I think it turned out nice—the courtyard is heavily used and is a unique part of the project. The school board tasked us to do something unique to the District—it's the only building of its kind in the state where students have educational and vocational all in one." "It was kind of a philosophical departure for the District—they recognized the need to pick up the students that fall into a category of not being traditional students—they wanted something different and arrived at the need for a career and technical emphasis," added Terrance White, Principal-in-Charge for NWL. As the first standalone career and technical education facility in Utah, the revolutionary $29.6 million, 126,000 SF school offers eight pathways for the nearly 500 students enrolled at the school (capacity is 800), including: business, construction, culinary arts, engineering, education, graphic design, health science, and information technology. The two-level design prioritizes functionality, creating a dynamic environment where students can explore their chosen fields with purpose and passion. WCSD officials and architects from NWL were inspired by similar CTE schools they toured in Houston and Las Vegas and were able to successfully translate the vision inspired by those schools into a tangible space that fosters true collaboration between students and sets a new standard for a career-focused educational platform. "We toured a school in Houston [...] and recognized the architecture of that building took on more of a junior college feel—it felt like it was something more than a high school but not quite a university," said White. "It's great to see a school district recognize where they can take better care of their students."

A Quarter Century of Leed

By Brad Fullmer • 01 Apr, 2024
It's been more than three decades—1993, to be exact—since the non-profit U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) was co-founded by S. Richard (Rick) Fedrizzi, David Gottfried, and Michael Italiano, which ultimately spawned the revolutionary Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) in 1998, a points-based rating system that offered legitimate third-party verification of green buildings. The goal of the fledgling association was simple: Increase overall sustainability of new construction projects including improved energy efficiency and creating a better, healthier environment for building occupants—all with the goal of reducing construction's carbon footprint. At the time, it was considered a bold initiative, with significant potential real-world benefits to the A/E/C industry. It took several years for the LEED initiative to get off the ground, but by the turn of the 21st Century, the phenomenon started taking root in the design community. "When LEED began in the late 90s/early 2000s, it was an incredible ambition to transform the building industry and to bring sustainability into the conversation," said Whitney Ward, Principal with Salt Lake-based VCBO Architecture and one of the firm's leading sustainable design experts. "[USGBC] had some big hurdles to overcome, including a general lack of knowledge about or mistrust of global warming and climate change." Ward said the U.S. Green Building Council and the LEED rating system had an immediate and profound effect on: —Creating more transparency in material manufacturing and getting manufacturers to care more about developing more sustainable/greener materials (carpet, flooring, paint, textiles, etc.) —Highlighting the true value of sustainable buildings through "incredible marketing efforts" and spurring owner demand. —Becoming the "go-to" third party certification agency for sustainable buildings. "The environmental consciousness of designers, builders, and owners [...] has really evolved to (where we say) 'we're going to do the best we can'," said Ward. "LEED has been an incredible tool in reshaping the industry and helping manufacturers, contractors, architects, and other industry partners understand the impact that their decisions have on the environment and on energy use," said Peter McBride, Principal with Salt Lake-based Architectural Nexus. "The conversation 20-30 years ago used to be 'how much does this cost?' or 'what is the percent increase cost in doing (LEED) vs. the baseline?' As each version of LEED established itself as an industry standard, the answer has been that LEED Certified or LEED Silver costs no more—or slightly more—than a baseline design. With each subsequent version release, LEED continues to push the boundary—sustainable design is now the baseline." "LEED has increased awareness for sustainability and energy conservation in buildings," added Chris Cox, Building Performance Program Manager for the State of Utah Division of Facilities Construction and Management (DFCM). "As far as the biggest pro, LEED brought the integrated design process to the forefront—user groups, owners, maintenance teams, architects, engineers, and builders work together in achieving the best outcomes."

Q&A w Bryan Turner

By Brad Fullmer • 01 Apr, 2024
UC+D: How was it working with Gary Payne for so many years? Turner: His impact on the Davis School District will last many years due to the buildings that were constructed during his time. Rather than being satisfied with the status quo, we worked to develop school buildings that would accommodate innovate teaching styles and would be safe, economical, and exciting places where children would want to be. UC+D : It's been 10 years since Odyssey Elementary was completed. What is the analysis of how it has performed? Turner: It is not very hard to create a truly Net-Zero building. We can produce enough electricity to offset the electricity used, plus the natural gas usage—however, the power company will not give us credit for electricity generated above what we use. An energy model was used to estimate the Energy Use Index (EUI) of Odyssey Elementary. It predicted that our EUI would be 22. The first year it was actually 17. An ideal Net-Zero building would not have any natural gas usage. We elected to install a gas boiler in the building to help control the "demand" charges that would occur on cold days when all the heat pumps would start up in the building. For 2023, the PV array produced 213,066 kWh; we used 188,088 kWh in electricity. We used 421 decatherms of gas, giving us a cost of $0.33/sf for energy usage, compared to an average building in the district (about $1.25/sf). UC+D: What is the greatest success with Odyssey? What would you do differently? Turner: Odyssey Elementary, with all its energy-efficient features, provides an excellent educational experience that benefits both teachers and students. The building accommodates different learning styles, collaboration, and individual exploration. First and foremost, the building is a school, albeit one that is very maintainable. There is not anything I would do differently. Since this was the first of a series of prototypes, a lot of thought from a lot of people was put into it.

Literacy Level-up

By Talia Wolfe • 01 Apr, 2024
Before the Logan Library ribbon-cutting ceremony began, two children eagerly ran past the staff toward the children's section. Inside the children's area, two girls, with their arms linked, skipped past the shelves of books while a little boy raced along the cobblestone path that weaves through the bookshelves. A young girl in the reading nook called her mom over to see, and a little girl with pigtails used the miniature-sized door into the children's section to enter the playhouse. The ribbon-cutting began in the lobby and adjacent community room, which were filled with patrons of all ages despite the stormy weather outside. As they entered, a string quartet greeted people with lovely music, and cameras lined the walls for press coverage; even the local firefighters came to show their support. Before the library's opening, Mayor Holly Daines shared how the facility was designed and built with modern and historical intentions. The mayor and various library donors spoke excitedly about the new library before the giant scissors were used to cut the ribbon. Immediately after, patrons with arms full of books were perusing the bookshelves. Children read in the aisle, too excited to move to a table, while parents formed a line waiting to check out books for the family. Quiet laughter emanated from the "teen and tween" section, and Utah State University and the Logan Latter-day Saint Temple are visible from the third-floor windows. From 1985 to 2021, the previous library was in an old and converted Sears building. For the last 20 years, Logan City leaders have discussed providing residents with a modern library. "The library was old and dark, and the systems were failing. It never was a purpose-built library," said Daines.

Landmark Lehi Hospital

By LADD MARSHALL • 01 Apr, 2024
Since its inception more than a century ago in 1922, Primary Children's Hospital has set a standard for pediatric healthcare excellence by continuing to produce world-class facilities throughout the Beehive State. The latest cutting-edge offering is the Intermountain Primary Children's Hospital, Larry H. & Gail Miller Family Campus in Lehi (PCH Lehi), a project of significant importance to this burgeoning city, one that ranks among Utah's fastest-growing communities. Aided by a $50 million gift from the Miller Family Foundation, this landmark five-story, 486,000 SF, 66-bed project features the latest and greatest in medical technology in a building that is fun, playful, and energetic, with colorful design elements playing a vital aesthetic role throughout. The value of a project on this level is beyond measure, said Blake Court, Vice President of Salt Lake-based Jacobsen Construction. "Primary Children's really has a special place in my heart—they are a very special entity," said Court, a veteran healthcare professional with nearly 35 years of overall experience, including 19 years at Jacobsen along with stints at the State of Utah Division of Facilities Construction and Management and the Department of Veteran's Affairs. "It has been embraced by the community. Lehi and the surrounding areas are growing so fast. It's just amazing to see what's going on there." "It's a once-in-a-lifetime project," said Jeff Pinegar, Principal with Salt Lake-based VCBO Architecture, who partnered with Page Southerland Page of Houston on an exhaustive 19-month detailed planning and design process to create a comprehensive hospital and clinic in one congruous structure. "To see these kids have the spirit they have [...] it's a life-changing project. I'm so glad I had the chance to be part of it. I love the challenge of healthcare." As with most construction projects that originated during the pandemic, PCH Lehi kicked off in August 2020, which proved immensely challenging from the onset in regard to worker health and volatility of material cost and availability. "Everyone knows the story—people got sick, it spread to co-workers, and we would lose entire crews [of subcontractors]," said Court. "We would constantly be down manpower. And then [material] lead times just skyrocketed. Materials that we normally get off the shelf went to a year-and-a-half overnight because manufacturing plants were shutting down. Add in price escalations and it was just a trifecta."

Taking Another Shot

By Brad Fullmer • 01 Apr, 2024
At an age when most folks are kicking off their post-retirement "golden years", 66-year-old Cal Wadsworth is attacking this chapter of his life with the zest of a man reborn, having fired back up his general contractor firm in 2020 with a vision of eventually turning it over to the next generation. It speaks to his resolve as a businessman and construction lifer, as a parent who wants to do right by his children, but even more as a person who has rallied/is rallying back from a challenging period personally, which coincided with the great recession and led to him shuttering Cal Wadsworth Construction in 2010. "I'm realizing more with time that I'm not in control as much I thought," said Wadsworth. "There is the realization that you've got to give up control. You can't base all your happiness on the money that comes from this business. Learning to live with disappointments is something I'm getting better at. Learning to live with them and not let them ruin my confidence, or my ambition. I live by the 'Serenity Prayer'."

Robust Growth Fuels Lehi City's Development

By Brad Fullmer • 01 Mar, 2024
Adobe’s 680,000 SF Lehi Campus is an iconic project in Lehi that was completed in two phases, with the first phase opening at the beginning of 2013 and signaling a new era of development along the Silicon Slopes corridor. (photo by Dana Sohm) Inset: Aerial view showing an illustration of Texas Instruments’ new 300 mm semiconductor wafer manufacturing plant—referred to as “LFAB2”—which broke ground last November and marks the single largest investment (over $11 billion) in state history. (photo courtesy Texas Instruments)

Forging Ahead

By Brad Fullmer • 01 Mar, 2024
Work continues to grind forward on the mammoth new Salt Lake City Water Reclamation Facility (WRF)—a critical $850 million project being built by a joint venture of the Salt Lake regional offices of Sundt Construction and PCL Construction that will replace the current facility in North Salt Lake once it's turned over to SLC's Department of Utilities (SLCDPU) in July 2026. As it stands, this is the second-largest project in City history, trailing only the recent $2 billion-plus Salt Lake International Airport Redevelopment (Phases 3-4 ongoing), and one of the most technically challenging projects in the state. "We are up for the challenge every day—the magnitude of this thing is unreal," said Manny Diaz, Project Manager for Salt Lake-based Sundt, as he drove around the massive 30-acre site in late-January, a worksite teeming with 300 current employees (it will peak at 400 workers this summer) and myriad complicated structures being built simultaneously. Diaz is a long-time veteran of the water reclamation facility industry—this project marks plant No. 26 in his own personal history—and he was brought in a year ago by Sundt because of his expertise. When he arrived in Salt Lake at the beginning of last year, it was right smack dab in the middle of what proved to be a record-breaking year for snowfall. "It was quite a welcome to Utah!" Diaz chuckled. "We keep very close tabs on the weather." And while crews haven't been subjected to the same inclement weather this winter, site conditions are still generally wet and muddy, and the difficulties associated with building the various structures are constant. Crews are nearing the halfway mark, so certainly it's a milestone worth acknowledging, even though a mountain of construction is still left to climb. "It's such a huge accomplishment to be this far," said Jason Brown, Deputy Director of Public Utilities for SLC. "We've faced a lot of challenges, Covid, material shortages [...] it's amazing to be part of a team that works so well together. We still have a long way to go, but we'll get there. We've made a lot of progress and should be proud, but it's hard to celebrate success with so much work still ahead." Diaz, along with PCL Project Manager Shayne Waldron, said crews recently achieved a major milestone: one million hours worked, a notable accomplishment. “Achieving the ‘one million hours worked’ milestone is a testament to the coordination and collaboration required of a project this size," said Brown, adding that the new WRF project benefits from regular and ongoing staff collaboration, under the watch of Sundt/PCL, designers AECOM and Jacobs, and SLCDPU leadership. “This [milestone] is the culmination of many different efforts,” added Mauricio Ramos, District Manager for PCL’s Civil Infrastructure Division. “From local engineers to pipe layers, journeymen, construction trade workers, foremen, and general laborers, every team member has been instrumental in reaching this benchmark. The collaboration between PCL and Sundt has been a testament to our shared commitment to excellence and innovation.” "Our crews are working together seamlessly to ensure that the final product meets the goals and needs of the community," said Sam Reidy, Senior VP and District Manager for Sundt. "Celebrating this milestone recognizes the hard work and commitment each member of the project team has made to this project and the Sundt/PCL partnership." Diaz and Waldron said soil conditions challenged the team right out of the gate and took significant time to stabilize the site. "At the very beginning, the project was designed to be built on top of where the sludge beds were at, but it turns out the sludge beds were on shaky ground," said Diaz. "This whole area is young in age, so it's all soft clays and sands," added Waldron. "Soft clays are compressible, so the big issue is settling. It would have [cost] $80 million in piles to shore it up, and then in between buildings you have all the pipe and utility duct banks, so they would almost need to be built on piles." Waldron said the idea came up to pre-load the whole site, where crews built a flat pad, installed wick drains, then pre-loaded 30 ft. of dirt, with drains going down 125 feet and providing a way for water to be pushed out of the clay. "We had over seven feet of settlement," said Waldron. Crews also set up sophisticated monitoring equipment "to see where ground was settling and what layers were compressing the most. It was really scientific—a lot more than I've seen before." Diaz said it took six months to haul in the fill dirt where it remained in place for eight months, then took another six months to excavate out—close to one million yards of total material. It was an exhaustive process, with an average of 400 trucks per day and close to 500 trucks hauling 18,000 tons on the best day. Having a cohesive, highly collaborative team of designers and construction experts has been a boon to the project schedule. Once completed, Salt Lake City’s new WRF will serve over 200,000 residents as well as those who commute downtown to work or visit Utah's capital. It will replace the City’s current—and only—wastewater treatment facility, which is over 55 years old and near the end of its service life. Maintaining reliable operations at the existing facility while constructing the new WRF nearby has been critical for the project’s success. Since breaking ground in 2019, the project team has completed approximately 65% of structural concrete work as well as soil mitigation, deep foundation work, and the installation of underground utilities. In late January crews began excavating dual 63-in. diameter pipelines, along with a 78-in. effluent pipe that is being hauled one giant piece at a time from Canada, a new type of corrugated HDPE with welded joints that should provide greater durability. All in all, crews will ultimately pour 93,000 CY of concrete and install 22 million pounds of reinforcing steel, along with 89,000 LF of underground pipe ranging in diameter from 1.5-in. to 78-in. "The camaraderie among the team members allows for a very cohesive team," said Diaz. "The only way you can tell who works for who is by the color of the truck. We have a 'one project' mentality. The complexity of the job and being trusted to lead this effort [...] have been [important] for me. It's been a great job so far." Diaz, who said his first wastewater treatment plant was in North Miami Beach in the late 80s right after he graduated from college, hopes to remain in Utah once this job is completed and turned over to the client by mid-2026. “I plan on staying here and continue to work on treatment plants in Utah,” he said. “There’s a lot of work here. We have vast experience, and we have a lot of people who want to be in Utah—it’s a great place to live. Let’s do it!”

Let the Good Times Roll

By Brad Fullmer • 01 Mar, 2024
It's been more than 45 years (1978) since The Cars released their debut album highlighted by the wildly popular song Good Times Roll, but if there was ever a tune to sum up the general sentiment of local A/E/C professionals regarding Utah's 2024 Economic Outlook, Good Times Roll would be up there. "Our members are expecting another good year," said Joey Gilbert, President/CEO of the 650-member Associated General Contractors (AGC) of Utah. "For our contractors in both the building and highway markets, the outlook is good. Many still have decent backlogs to keep them busy through 2024 and in some cases, even 2025. The public sector is strong, and on the private side, owners are still investing in some big projects." Robert Spendlove, Chief Economist for Salt Lake-based Zions Bank, reported at the AGC's Economic Outlook meeting last November that commercial construction was up 1.6%, while Utah as a whole reported 2.5% growth overall, and believes both will continue to fare well in 2024. "Utah also has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the U.S. [2.5%]; when it gets too low, you get real struggles of labor shortages," he said. "It prevents companies from growing and is one of those defining economic characteristics of this past cycle. If we get above 4-5% we get nervous that it's a sign of a recessionary environment." Spendlove said tailwinds include strong consumer spending, a strong labor market, and an overall robust economic Intermountain West region, while headwinds could include a lack of new workers, government shutdowns, energy prices, and international uncertainty. Another bonus is that Utah remains one of the strongest states economically, regardless of what is happening nationally. "I would say uncomfortably optimistic," countered Dejan Eskic, Senior Research Fellow for the Kem Gardner Policy Institute at the University of Utah, citing a number of factors potentially slowing down the design and construction industry such as housing, labor, and material price fluctuations—basically the same post-Covid headwinds Utah-based firms have been battling the past couple of years. "On paper, we should have a decent economic year in Utah. Because it's an election year, it brings more optimism generally. Stock performance does better in an election year, jobs do better. You have to stick to those basics. Eskic has been with the Gardner Institute for eight years, including the past five in his current role, explained that some of the uncomfortableness facing the local economy stems from having virtually no labor pool in certain segments, including construction—which continues to face a dearth of skilled craftsmen in virtually all subcontractor trades. "We still have red flags," he said, noting concerns with still-high housing costs. "Maybe it's too early to call if we've cracked inflation. 2023 ended up way better than anybody expected—it was supposed to be a recession year, but the recession never came, and the labor market exceeded expectations. "I'm bullish on Utah," he added. "I look at the numbers and how we're going, and we're in a very strong growth pattern with the economy. Things will continue to expand." Indeed, despite nasty rising interest rates that put the brakes on some speculative development projects, Utah-based owners continued to plow ahead on projects, and by-and-large most market segments continued to see a healthy amount of activity as firms set about tackling healthy project backlogs.

Building Blocks

By Reuben Wright • 01 Mar, 2024
Crews working on bridge sections of the project did the majority of heavy-lifting—as seen with these giant cranes lifting heavy girders—during the wee hours of the night, part of UDOT’s expectations of keeping traffic moving by limiting road closures. (night photos by Kjell Gerber, BuildWitt)
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