Outstanding Use of Design-Build Nets Florida Award
The Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA) Florida Region has recognized Hillsborough County, Florida; Westra Construction; and McKim & Creed, Inc. for outstanding utilization of design-build practices on a project that improves wastewater service, boosts reliability, lowers power usage and minimizes future rate impacts.
DBIA selected the team for a DBIA Florida Region Honor Award for work on the $25.9-million Dale Mabry Diversion Pipelines project. The award was presented October 12 during the association’s Annual Conference in Orlando.
The Diversion Pipelines project involved installing more than 12 miles of large-diameter force mains and reclaimed water transmission mains to transfer flows from the Dale Mabry Wastewater Treatment Plant to the Northwest Regional Water Reclamation Facility. The project also allows reclaimed water to be returned to the region to offset the use of potable water for irrigation.
Diversion Pipelines is the first of four design-build projects to be completed as part of Hillsborough County’s $250-million Northwest Hillsborough Consolidation Program. The largest consolidated capital improvement program ever undertaken by the County, the program will retire two aging wastewater treatment plants and consolidate treatment into one facility that will serve the area’s wastewater needs for decades. The consolidation program is estimated to save the County approximately $86 million in operation and maintenance costs over the next 20 years.
“It was critical for the pivotal Diversion Pipelines project to be successful to set the stage for the remaining three phases of the program. Our team was formed about a year before the procurement was issued and had a long track record of working together to complete water/wastewater infrastructure projects. This afforded the team great familiarity and confidence in each member, which is the cornerstone of a successful design-build relationship,” said Robert Garland, PE, PG, ENV SP, regional manager with McKim & Creed who oversaw the engineering portion of the project.
The design-build process provided multiple benefits for Hillsborough County. For example, the team was able to directly negotiate easements to quickly facilitate an alternate route, and incorporated maintenance of traffic reviews as part of the design process. This saved time and money. The team also used trenchless technologies to minimize environmental and community impacts, developed and implemented a successful and proactive community outreach and public information program, and incorporated alternative pipe materials and more stringent testing protocols to obtain permit variances.
About the team:
McKim & Creed is an employee-owned multi-disciplined firm that specializes in civil, environmental, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and structural engineering; industrial design-build services; advanced surveying technology; airborne and mobile LiDAR/scanning; unmanned aerial systems (drones); subsurface utility engineering; and hydrographic and conventional surveying services for the energy, transportation, federal, land development, water and building markets.
Hillsborough County’s Public Utilities Department provides water and wastewater treatment service to unincorporated Hillsborough County. The department manages four water treatment plants, eight wastewater treatment plants, a bio-solids facility, and administrative and field support facilities.
Westra Construction is a family-owned, Florida-based general contractor that specializes in design-build, water and reclaimed water distribution systems, sewer collection systems, force mains, storm water collection systems, vacuum sewer systems, complete site work for private developments, roadway construction, heavy highway / D.O.T projects, and water / wastewater treatment plant facilities.