Construction projects ranging from a deep water, tidal generation project off Eastport to the shiny new Oxford Casino were honored Wednesday night with Build Maine Awards conferred by the Associated General Contractors (AGC) of Maine.
Six Maine contractors won the top awards in six different categories following the annual Build Maine Awards competition conducted by AGC Maine. Matt Marks, Chief Executive Officer, said the awards “showcase the achievements of Maine contractors in completing large and complicated projects that meet the needs of clients and the local community while respecting the environment.”
CPM Constructors of Freeport won the top award in the Municipal / Utility Category for its tidal power project in Cobscook Bay off Eastport. The project required CPM to construct a massive support frame and a turbine generator unit with a combined weight of nearly 90 tons. Both components were then barged out sea and deployed 100 feet below the surface where they could take full advantage of the strong tides in the Bay to generate electricity. The project was the first tidal turbine successfully connected to the grid in the United States, and it also won a national Build America Award for CPM.
Cianbro Corporation of Pittsfield won the first place award in the Building Category for the construction of the new 35,700 sq. ft. Oxford Casino. This marks the third year in a row that Cianbro has won a Build Maine Award.
Cianbro served as Construction Manager for the Casino project. The firm carried out many of the construction tasks with its own crews while also hiring and managing 26 different Maine subcontractors employing approximately 850 local workers. The project was completed under budget and a month early, allowing the Casino to open in June 2012.
Two high-profile projects in the Portland area also won Build Maine Awards this year. CCB, Inc., of Westbrook took the top award in the Building Renovation Category for the interior and exterior renovations of the U.S. Custom House in the Old Port. Reed & Reed of Woolwich received first place honors in the Highway / Bridge Category for construction of the new Veterans Memorial Bridge on US Route 1 between Portland and South Portland.
The Custom House Project required CCB to complete the renovations to the 140-year old building while keeping its historical integrity intact. The firm accomplished this by blending materials and methods from the 1870s era with modern upgrades. More than 100 windows handcrafted by carpenters and Freemason in 1867 had to be removed and restored. Damaged roof slates were replace with salvage slate that had been stored in the attic of the building. Interior work included crafting new plaster molds to match the intricate egg and dart plasterwork molding of the past.
For the new Veterans Memorial Bridge project Reed & Reed formed a design / build partnership with T.Y. Lin, a nationally known bridge design firm. The new bridge is a precast, segmental concrete structure with two 12 ft. wide travel lanes in each direction as well as a 12 ft. wide bicycle / pedestrian walkway separated from traffic. It is designed to safely carry motorists, bikers and pedestrians across the Fore River for the next 100 years as well as improve traffic flow through a critical Portland intersection. Reed & Reed worked 220,000 man-hours on this project and subcontractors worked another 60,000 man-hours. The project also included the removal of the old bridge.
R. F. Jordan & Sons of Ellsworth won a Build Maine Award for the removal of the Great Works Dam that stretched across the Penobscot River from Old Town to Bradley. This was an especially significant cultural and ecological project for the Penobscot Nation because it is an integral part of the overall restoration of the River. The original plan called for removal in two phases over two construction seasons, but R.F. Jordan presented an innovative plan that allowed for completion in one season while also cutting down on trucking costs and the cost of cofferdam materials and riprap.
The final winner in this year’s competition was Bancroft Contracting of South Paris for perhaps the most complicated project in the field. Bancroft won the award in the Industrial Category for removal and replacement of a 48-ton, super-heated outlet header at the Wyman Station power plant on Cousin’s Island in Yarmouth.
Bancroft had to remove the 75-foot long header through a penetration on the boiler house wall nearly 12 stories above ground. Access to the header required extensive scaffolding in areas with limited space. This project also required the design and installation of an overhead monorail system to deliver the replacement header components to the boiler proper, as well as construction of a trolley system spanning the width of the boiler’s header enclosure area. The completed project required 400 tube welds and three circumferential welds of the header.
AGC Maine conducts the annual Build Maine Awards competition each year at this time. The awards were presented during a banquet at the Augusta Civic Center following the Maine Construction Expo held during the day.
Chartered in 1951, the Associated General Contractors (AGC) of Maine is the state’s largest construction industry trade association. The Association maintains an office in Augusta and has more than 200 members statewide. Member companies include general contractors, sub-contractors, and service and supply providers. For more information visit www.agcmaine.org.