FEATURED PROJECT...
Stevens Creek Capital Improvement Projects #3 & #4
Rehabilitated section of Stevens Creek tributary with shaping, riprap and stream bank revegetation.
Tributary prior to construction.
The Stevens Creek watershed, located east of the City of Lincoln, drains over 50 square miles of land stretching from Highway 6 in the north to Highway 2 in the south. The City of Lincoln, Lower Platte South Natural Resources District, and Lancaster County formed a team to develop a plan. This team along with the engineering firm of Intuition & Logic and other organizations wanted to manage flooding, strengthen stream stability, address water quality, and provide guidance for future urban growth. Stevens Creek Capital Improvement Projects #3 & #4 are two of several proposed projects to address stream deterioration and plan for long-term growth in the watershed.
General Excavating began construction by creating access points to the project sites that were suffering bank failure and an overgrowth of uprooted trees and other debris. Erosion control was an important first step as access roads, culverts and silt fencing were installed. A good portion of the construction took place during the winter months so as to not disturb farmland that would be put into production in the spring months. While the winter minimized the impact on agriculture, it made the labor-intensive stream bank rehabilitation work especially difficult. Add freezing and thawing in the stream and frozen ground to the mix and you have all the ingredients necessary to strain the nerves and patience of the most seasoned construction crew. Lonnie Bullock, project foreman for General Excavating, commented, "Access to each site was limited so the work on the opposite side of the creek was performed mostly by hand and the weather really made things difficult." Each site was cleared and trees grubbed before excavation and shaping of the bank occurred. A six-inch layer of 2" limestone was placed followed by riprap. A riparian restoration fabric was placed on the edges of the rehabilitated sites followed by seeding and live staking of the specified plant material. In addition, some sites called for the construction of grade controls in the stream to help minimize the strain of hydraulic energy.
Placement of riprap on reshaped stream bank.
General Excavating's success on this environmental construction project will help alleviate potential flooding and limit stream bank instability for the City of Lincoln as it continues to grow east into the Stevens Creek watershed, both now and in the future.
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Your Underground Partner...Work Area
General Excavating's ability to provide underground construction solutions is not limited to eastern Nebraska. These projects represent a small sample of the problems we have helped clients solve in the Midwest. If you have questions, we have the answers at www.generalexcavating.com
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Is Your Contractor Providing Value?
How can you tell when the contractor you have brought on board is the best choice for providing real value? It is difficult to not be swayed by the number staring at you from the bottom line but how often does the lowest number provide the best long-term solution? How often has your low dollar contractor made you think maybe there is reason why they historically come in lower than most other contractors? What dollar value do you assign to the time a contractor spends upfront analyzing the job, looking for more efficient or economical ways to get the job built? How much is it worth to have a contractor on board who has a long-standing reputation of delivering quality work? And most importantly, what is the value of having a contractor on site that deals with problems head on? Ultimately isn't this the best way to see the value in the contractor you have selected? Problems will arise. An "unforeseen" prior to the job becomes evident during construction and what does the low dollar contractor do to deal with the unexpected?
General Excavating is in the business of solving your underground problems and we do this by providing "value" before construction, during construction, and after construction.
Often contractors will let you know that their projects come in on time and on budget. Aren't these supposed to be givens? General Excavating's estimators and project managers are exceptionally thorough and often identify conflicts prior to construction. We have built a reputation for "expecting the unexpected" on underground utility work. Clients appreciate the professionalism General Excavating brings to the job before, during, and after the work is completed. What dollar amount do you put on knowing the work will be done right and done once without having to micromanage the contractors on your job? It happens a lot, we do our best work and no one ever sees it. Call us to get your next project off to a great start.
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The Pipeline...What's making news at General Excavating?
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COMPLETED...Training by project managers at General Excavating on improving job performance through goal setting. SEMINARS...GE Landscape Supply will be hosting "How To Build" clinics this summer. Seminars include building water features on July 12th and constructing retaining walls on August 9th. CERTIFIED...Thirty-seven employees at General Excavating completed First Aid and CPR Training. PURCHASED...Two new Vermeer D24x40 boring machines that will allow General Excavating to bore up to 1,000 feet of 12-inch water pipe, sanitary sewer pipe, or communication conduit. AWARDED...Kiewit Building Group selected General Excavating to construct the site utilities at Creighton Prep High School in Omaha, NE on their expansion and renovation project. |
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YOUR UNDERGROUND PARTNER
Project Briefs...Completed & Ongoing Projects
Project
- 9th Street Outside Plant Emergency Repair
- Lincoln, NE
Owner
- Windstream Communications
Engineer
- Windstream Communications
Scope
- Emergency repair of a clay tile duct bank with 900-pair communications cable serving downtown Lincoln.
Project
- Waterford Estates 24" Trunk Sewer
- Lincoln, NE
Owner
- Waterford Estates, LLC
Engineer
- Olsson Associates
Scope
- Construction of 6,200 feet of 24" PVC sanitary sewer, fiberglass manholes, and associated work.
Project
- East Leg Roadway and Bridge
- Lincoln, NE
Agency
- Joint Antelope Valley Authority
General Contractor
- Hawkins Construction
Scope
- Construction of replacement steam and condensate piping, relocation of sanitary sewer, manholes, and appurtenant work.
Project
- Kawasaki Fire Line Risers
- Crete, NE
Owner
- Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing Corp., USA
Mechanical Contractor
- Nifco Mechanical
Scope
- Relocation of water service entrances for new Kawasaki Rail Car addition.
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Did You Know?
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General Excavating recently attained a "GOLD" level safety designation from the Association of Builders and Contractors. The award recognizes those contractors who maintain a high-level safety program, promote safe work practices, and emphasize ongoing education. |
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Excellence in Environmental Construction
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General Excavating was recognized for outstanding performance in the environmental construction industry by the Associated Builders and Contractors at their 2007 Excellence in Construction Awards Banquet. General Excavating's award winning work on the Lincoln Electric Systems-Rokeby Station's Secondary Containment and Fuel Piping Improvement Project is the latest example of construction excellence. Since 1996 General Excavating has been honored nine times on a wide range of environmental contruction and remediation projects. Past winners include:
General Excavating thanks all the engineers, subcontractors, and owners who have made this remarkabale string of success possible. Accepting the award with General Excavating are representatives from Olsson Associates, Gana Trucking, and the Lincoln Electric System. |
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Photo of the Quarter
An opportunity for General Excavating's employees to show others the work they perform. Winners receive cash and have their photo displayed at General Excavating.
Marhlon Brown submitted this quarter's winning photograph. A project foreman, Marhlon has worked at General Excavating for nearly 13 years. Marhlon completes a wide range of outside plant communications projects for a number of owners throughout the area.
General Excavating, working for Windstream Communications, completed an emergency cable repair in the City of Hastings. Water infiltration in an existing manhole damaged a cable serving a large number of businesses in Hastings. Working around the clock, General Excavating spliced a 900-pair communications cable.
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Please email address changes, inquiries, and requests for more newsletters to rmcdonald@generalexcavating.com
