What's new with us?
New Project: Seattle Tacoma KOA Campgrounds
Contract Value: $ 977,331.19
Client: R.A.C. & Cutler Law Firm
Location: Kent, WA
Information: Installation of new camp sites south of existing KOA Campsite. Work includes land clearing, site grading, utility infrastructure, HMA paving, landscaping, and fencing.
New Project: Lakewood Water District Pump Stations
Contract Value: $ 2,694,076.00
Client: Lakewood Water District
Location: Spanaway, WA
Information: Remodel of an existing pump station and construction of a new pump station.
Shout out!
to Dana Parker, General Foreman, and Anthony Cooper, Civil Foreman. They are putting in the extra hours needed to lead the charge for the field at South Base!
Congratulations!
on your recent nuptials
Mr. and Mrs. Tyler Kilts
& Mr. and Mrs. John Lischka
Character & Commitment: Do the "Right Thing"
The theme for this quarter’s newsletter, “Do the Right Thing,” sounds so simple; however, what is the “right thing”? How do I know I’m doing the “right thing”? From my experience, and I claim limited expertise in this, the “right thing” usually involves thinking of others first: our crews, project teams, owners, engineers, subcontractors/suppliers, and families. We will never know for sure the “right thing” in any specific situation, but if we approach decisions by considering others before ourselves, we can be sure that we will get it right at least 8 out of 10 times. We all make multiple decisions each day—some decisions we spend a considerable amount of thought on and some are automatic—and if we filter our decisions through kindness, consideration, and compassion for others, even our everyday subconscious decisions will more often then not reflect the “Right Thing.”
From the Field: We had just started work for Lift Station 7 that involved trenching from the site up the road and running conduit from up the site to the lift station. On our way past this area, we noted that someone had littered alongside the road. While picking it up one of the neighbors came out and thanked us. The neighbor saw the van that littered, so he knew it was not us. He expressed his gratitude for Prospect’s actions. During this conversation we explained the work to expect as it would directly affect the road he lived on. Shortly after this interaction, we were notified that the city was allowing us to store our stockpiles of cold mix and crushed rock in the parking area in front of THIS neighbor’s home. One can’t help but think that it was these positive interactions that allowed us to use this space for our stockpiles which helped with our process and efficiency.
End of Summer Celebration
Before summer came to a screeching halt, Prospect employees gathered on September 6th to celebrate another successful building season at Grand Prix Raceway. Some showed great skill on the track, while others learned they best stick to their God-given talents in construction. The opportunity to reconnect after a busy summer was enjoyed by all who participated.
Safety Corner
Safety Pro Tip of the Quarter: Working in Cold Weather
It looks like winter has arrived early this year so make sure you are helping your teams understand the impacts of working in the cold and remember that warming up and stretching after every break is key to strain/sprain prevention in cold weather.
Prolonged exposure to cold, wet, and windy conditions, even when the temperatures are above freezing, can be dangerous. Extreme cold conditions exist when the equivalent wind chill temperature is at or below -25°F. Wind chill temperature is a function of the actual temperature and the estimated wind speed.
When working in cold weather, employers and workers should take simple precautions:
•Wear several layers of clothing rather than one thick layer
•Wear gloves and a warm hat or a helmet liner under the hard hat
•Wear synthetic or cotton clothing next to the skin to control sweat
•Wear warm footwear with one or two pairs of warm socks
•Wear a scarf or face mark in cold windy weather
•Take frequent short breaks in a warm shelter to allow the body to warm up
•Avoid exhaustion or fatigue because energy is needed to keep muscles warm
•Drink warm, sweet beverages and avoid drinks with caffeine or alcohol
•Eat warm, high-calorie food such as pasta dishes
•Workers who take certain medications, are in poor physical condition, or suffer from illnesses such as diabetes, high blood pressure, or cardiovascular disease are at increased risk and should therefore check with a doctor for additional advice.
Safety Training:
We completed the OSHA 30 training for Superintendents and are working on the schedule for OSHA 10 training for all foreman. We are looking to schedule this training in December. We will send out the proposed agenda for the Supers to review this month.
Hazard Alerts:
We are off to a great start for hazard alerts for October! Salmon Creek is leading the pack and has already submitted 7 alerts for the month! Remember, we need EVERY job site to participate to qualify us for free lunch for all the sites—make sure you are doing your part!
IN THE FIELD: PROJECT SPOTLIGHT
Soos Creek Fish Hatchery
Work at the Soos Creek Fish Hatchery starts to wrap up as WDFW spawn fish in the new hatchery. Remaining work is down to a few items: finishing the office building, demolition of the existing hatchery building, landscaping, and Phase 2 paving. As we wrap up this project ahead of schedule, the project team would like to thank everyone that has been involved in this successful project!
Snoqualmie WRF Phase 2
Punch list items have been successfully completed at Snoqualmie. Congratulations to the crews for completing another successful project!
Clark's Creek Fish Hatchery
At Clark’s Creek we’re racing towards the finish line! Some major milestones for the project were recently completed including major yard piping, concrete structure work, and the main renovation of the historic hatchery building. Civil crews are continuing installation of the stormwater facilities and piping, electrical/instrumentation duct bank excavation and backfill, site grading for the new manager’s residence, and road excavation/subgrade prep for paving. Continuing work includes erection of the pre-engineered truck garage and feed storage building, misc. metals and grating installation, construction of the manager’s residence foundation and installation of the new house, and venturi/educator piping at the raceways. The crews have all been working extra hard with long hours to meet our schedule and we’re looking forward to closing this one out safely and successfully.
Picnic Point WWTF
Crews finished strong at Picnic Point, and successfully started up all MBR tanks, new WAS tanks, and the odor control grease eliminator. Wayne Rismoen and Skip Lervold did a great job of pre-task planning and instilling safety into the crew which helped to complete this phase of work with no recordable injuries. The final bit of work, which includes installing the new washer compactors, will begin at the end of November.
Salmon Creek WWTP
The project is making the turn out of the bypass/demo phase and into the rebuilding new phase. The Lab/Office is taking shape and starting to look like a new building with the foundation, structural steel framework, SIP walls, trusses, and SIP roof panels now in place. Exterior finish work will begin shortly while concurrently working on the interior rough in. The offsite underground roadwork supplying power for the remote Pump Station 7 is installed and will be paved early July. The dewatering system and shoring piles are installed. The next step, excavation/lagging/tiebacks for the new Digester 2 will begin this week and run thru the month of July. Also, with the new backup generator installed and commissioned, we have removed the existing generator and started the conversion of the space into the new switchboard room. Kudos to all the PCI crew and our subcontractors for making this all happen safely with the limited space constraints.
Kent Booster Station
The team at the Booster Station had a big push in September to get the roof done and all the tie ins to the existing system completed. Curt Rudder led the crew flying in prefabricated sections of the roof. The team was able to fly all sections of the roof in 2-days. While the roof was getting flown in, Tyler Kilts led the crew performing one of the major tie ins to the existing water system. Currently, the crews are working on plumbing in the sumps, setting the pumps, and miscellaneous items around the site. This project is starting to wrap up and startup is about a month away.
South Base Expansion Development
The team has been pushing hard since July 2019 to get the expansion project started. This project has been challenging due to design changes, but Prospect has taken a team approach with King County Metro & Tetra Tech to keep the project moving forward. During August & September, crews moved approximately ~6,000 cy of dirt to install two detention vaults. Dana Parker and Anthony Cooper have done a great job leading the field crews out here. Their drive and passion for construction has helped this project team be successful. We are looking forward to a successful project with King County Metro! Kudos to the whole South Base team, from crew to office, for putting in the extra effort needed for success with a positive attitude and outlook at the same time--much appreciation to the dedication of this newly assembled Prospect team!
Lower Russell Levee
Work has started on the Lower Russel Levee project. Scott Bell and Chantz Olson are leading up the push along with Skippy Taylor and LJ Elliott as Foreman. So far, roughly 3,000 lf of 8” waterline has been installed and over 4,000 cy of knotweed-contaminated soil has been exported offsite. Future work includes the waterline tie in and preload activities for the future floodwall.
