Construction Services

The Tribeca Bridge, which crosses the West Side Highway near Chambers Street, in Manhattan, was repainted — the first repainting since the bridge’s construction in 1992. The bridge connects directly to Stuyvesant High School, one of the most elite public high schools in the country. The $2.3 million project was completed ahead of schedule and within budget, without safety incidents, claims, or change orders.

Urban provided construction management services for the Battery Park City Authority (BPCA). We monitored the work of up to three contractors and supervised a field inspection subconsultant. Project challenges included painting in winter weather conditions; maintaining safe access for Stuyvesant High School students; and maintaining traffic over the 11-lane West Side Highway. To expedite the project despite winter conditions, the contractor contained and heated the entire bridge. Traffic control involved night time alternating single and double lane closures to install and remove the containment platform.

In addition to construction management, Urban provided bridge safety inspection services, after a hole was discovered in a bridge beam. Our bridge inspectors provided BPCA a report and recommendations to repair the hole. We also worked closely with the contractor to respond to student and teacher concerns about paint fumes, hiring an environmental firm to verify that the air quality inside the school was safe.

The Regents Family Center is a 100-year-old,18-story former hotel building located at 2720 Broadway. It is a multi-service center providing NYC Department of Homeless Services’ (NYCDHS) clients with intake, assessment, and shelter services for families in need.

Urban Engineers of New York (UrbanNY) serves as the Construction Manager (CM) for this $12 million project, which supports the NYC Department of Design and Construction (NYCDDC) and this NYCDHS facility. As the CM for the NYCDDC, UrbanNY has oversight of the prime contractor performing the construction. UrbanNY communicates and coordinates with several stakeholders, including our direct client, NYCDDC; the project client, NYCDHS; the sponsor agency, which provides client services and building maintenance for NYCDHS; the prime contractor; the design professionals; and an independent third-party Special Inspections agency.

UrbanNY staff are located on site performing a variety of construction management services, including chairing and conducting bi-weekly progress meetings, weekly workshop meetings, and as-needed special issue meetings.

UrbanNY monitors and enforces the project site safety program, conducts quality assurance monitoring, reviews project schedules, and performs ongoing construction inspections to ensure work complies with specifications.

UrbanNY produces daily, bi-weekly, and monthly progress reports.

UrbanNY reviews, approves, and processes the contractor’s payment requisitions by initiating them in the online NYCDDC Anywhere Project Development Management System (PDMS). UrbanNY also reviews, negotiates, and processes the contractor’s change orders through initiation into the online PDMS.

UrbanNY reviews and coordinates contractor submittals with design professionals, including all contractor submittals such as shop drawings, specifications, RFIs, and sample material submissions. The team tracks all construction permits and ensures the submission of required contractor documents and credentials.

UrbanNY also performs specialized administrative tasks such as preparation of capital funds contingency estimates for additional SOW, issues field order directives, coordinates with the U.S. Postal Service and privately owned neighboring buildings in the management and use of license access agreements, develops special reports for NYCDDC use with community relations and NY press inquiries, and practices sensitivity and responsiveness to local community and elected representatives’ concerns.

The Regents Family Center Building Envelope Rehabilitation project scope of work includes:

• Facade Restoration: High-quality rehabilitation and replication of ornamental terra cotta, stone, and metal elements, including replacement of cracked terra cotta with architectural cast stone.
• Parapet Reconstruction: Complete rebuild of the ornate masonry parapet at the 16th-floor setback, including structural steel spandrel replacement and concrete slab repairs.
• Stucco Replacement: Removal of deteriorated stucco and application of new historically accurate stucco across the entire east façade.
• Copper Mansard Roof: Installation of a new copper roof over the 17th and 18th floors, including copper gutters and leaders, with 25 recessed and dormered windows on Broadway and 104th Street elevations.
• Roofing Systems: Replacement of three roofing systems—main roof, 16th-floor setback roof, and rear first-floor roof—with insulated, fluid-applied membranes, new roof drains, and safety railings at parapets.
• Masonry Repairs: Includes mortar removal and re-pointing, face-brick and masonry unit replacement, cast stone windowsill replacement, corner and control joint reconstruction, and partial concrete slab rebuilds.
• Lintel Refurbishment: Restoration of existing steel lintels and installation of new hung lintels with welded spandrels, flashing, reinforced veneer brick, and protective coatings on exposed steel.
• Sealant Replacement: New sealants at all window perimeters and lintel interfaces.
• Hazardous Material Abatement: Removal of asbestos-containing materials (ACM) and lead-based paint (LBP).

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has undertaken the historic $19 billion transformation of John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) into a world-class airport. The public/private redevelopment program to build a new JFK includes two giant new terminals across five previous terminal sites, expansion and modernization of existing terminals, streamlined roadways, popular local retail and dining, and stunning New York artwork. Handling more than 62 million passengers a year, JFK is the nation’s busiest airport for international travel and is an indispensable part of global travel and the region’s economy.

The JFK Redevelopment Program will transform JFK into a modern 21st-century airport. The transformation will create a unified terminal layout, world-class facilities, centralized ground transportation options, expanded taxiways and gate capacity, and state-of-the-art security. Key program components for this design-bid-build and design-build via TAA include a new Terminal 1 and the redevelopment of Terminals 4, 6, and 8. The project also includes improved utility infrastructure, roadways, a parking garage, with an elevated pedestrian bridge connecting to the New Terminal One.

The PANYNJ selected UrbanNY to provide construction management, contract administration, inspections, project controls, document management, cost estimating, PACC and change order preparation, construction work in place verification, construction invoice approvals, staff budgeting, construction cash forecasts, construction and financial progress monitoring and reporting, BIM technology coordination and oversight, staging, and logistics.

The Town of Hamburg retained UrbanNY to investigate the subsurface conditions adjacent to the Clock Tower, evaluate the damage from past storm events, and determine adequate remediation efforts to address the current situation and provide a design that can withstand the strong storm events that Lake Erie produces.

The clock tower and concrete walkways behind an existing concrete retaining wall along the east shore of Lake Erie were constructed for the public’s enjoyment. However, a portion of the property immediately adjacent to the site is not protected by a retaining wall, and recent storm events have caused erosion and significant undermining of the concrete walkway and surrounding asphalt parking lot.

Work included soil borings to determine the soil conditions and depth of bedrock and topographical and boundary surveys to determine the property lines and ownership of the adjacent parcels.  A new steel “H” pile sea wall with concrete panels was designed to stabilize the shoreline and protect the existing clock tower from future storm damage. A new observation platform was also designed with amenities like park benches and lighted bollards.  The adjacent parking lot was repaved and striped.

This project was part of an overall plan to improve the structural and operational characteristics of the Niagara Section of the I-190.  Interstate 190 is a critical highway component for the transportation of goods to and from Canada via the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge as well as the Niagara Area – Toronto tourism industry.  The project included completely removing and replacing four, 2-lane steel multi-span structures, utilizing the existing horizontal alignment.  The proposed structures were shorter than the existing structures to reduce the number of bridge spans and piers.  The new structures provided standard vertical and horizontal clearances and corrected the non-standard shoulder widths.

Work under this agreement included construction inspection (CI) services for bridge and highway-related work, including steel bearing pile installation, MSES wall construction, extensive embankment construction, and integral abutment construction.  New Armorless Bridge Joint Systems (S900 – SFP, manufactured by Silspec) were installed on the CSXT bridges utilizing sleeper slabs.  In addition, fiber optic ITS relocations were required to maintain operations for the US/Canadian border crossings during construction.

Highlights include:

• Railroad force account record keeping, bridge construction methods and procedures, earthwork inspection, and nuclear density testing
• Extensive coordination with CSX Railroad, NITTEC, Lewiston-Queenston International Bridge (Niagara Falls Bridge Commission), Canadian Customs & Border Protection, Niagara County, City of Niagara Falls, Town of Niagara, NYSDOT Regional ITS Coordinator, and NYSDOT Public Information Officer.
• Coordinate with NYSDEC to implement the SPDES general permit and the NYSDOT general standards and specifications for stormwater discharge and construction activities.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has undertaken the historic $19 billion transformation of John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) into a world-class airport. The program includes the construction of a New Terminal One (NTO), a 23-gate all-international terminal and the largest terminal at JFK. The 2.4 million-square-foot terminal features expansive, naturally lit public spaces, cutting-edge technology, and a range of amenities designed to enhance the customer experience.

The design and Construction of NTO includes reconstructing the roadway entrances into the airport, as well as providing a new multi-level roadway entrance for arriving and departing passengers into the new terminal. The existing terminal will consist of a headhouse, including check-in, security checkpoints, baggage claim, and mechanical infrastructure, for the full build-out of the new facility. The project includes reconfiguration of the roadways and all utilities. Stormwater, sanitary sewer, water, medium-temperature hot water, chilled water, telecommunications ducts, and electrical ducts and services will be realigned in the interim and final phases of construction for the new terminal.

UrbanNY provided interim and final design for sanitary sewer, medium-temperature hot water, chilled water, domestic water, natural gas, as well as 3D modeling in Civil 3D and Navisworks, to coordinate with the Revit building and site/stormwater models. UrbanNY assisted with the 3D modeling of all landslide utilities, including stormwater, electric, and communications, for this project. UrbanNY also provided construction administration and management services, which included weekly coordination with the design-builder  and other stakeholders, responding to RFI’s, submittals, and shop drawings, and providing redesigns, as necessary, based on contractor phasing.

UrbanNY was part of the Design-Build team on one of the first Design-Build projects undertaken by the New York State Department of Transportation. As the Design Builder’s Independent Construction Inspection Professional Engineering Firm, UrbanNY provided all required oversight, direction, testing, reviews, and inspections to ensure that the construction and inspection activities complied with the Contract requirements.

This Design Build Project rehabilitated the bridges carrying Interstate 190 and NY Route 265 (Military Road) over the New York Power Authority (NYPA) Reservoir in Niagara and Lewiston in Niagara County. The project included the complete bridge superstructure replacements of 12 supported spans in each bridge with three- and four-span, galvanized steel plate girder superstructures made fully continuous with bolted splices and armorless joints. The girders support a conventionally reinforced isotropic deck with an integral wearing surface. The tops of the existing piers and abutments were removed and reconstructed, utilizing a stepped bridge seat to accommodate roadway cross slope. The approach slabs were also replaced, and a new guiderail was installed along Interstate 190 and NY Route 265. NY Route 265 was resurfaced between its intersections with NY Route 31 and NY Route 104. In addition, two 24” waterlines were replaced across the bridge, as well as numerous utility ducts.

Configured in a saw-tooth shape, the 200-foot-tall mooring mast at the top of the Empire State Building is composed of 480 glass panels, many which have never been replaced. Aiming to waterproof the mast, the panels were replaced with a new glazed exterior wall system with integrated RF shield.

Urban provided Special Inspections during installation of the wall system. To complete the work, a custom aluminum suspended work scaffold with outriggers was installed. The scaffold had to fit within an undersized mast car elevator. In addition, the ice shield was strengthened to support the suspended scaffold. Modifications to the structural framing between the 90th floor and 104th floor were also completed.

Our focus was inspection of the aluminum welding and structural steel bolting and welding associated with the ice shield reinforcement and suspended scaffold system.

Significant work occurred at night to avoid disrupting the observatory. Wind speed restrictions were in place for work and inspections performed from the suspended scaffold.

Urban will provide inspection staff as required to inspect the project area and observe that all construction, materials, and equipment comply with the Contract Documents. The inspection will involve aspects directly or indirectly associated with the project. Urban will monitor the contractor’s progress schedules and provide assistance and recommendations to the contractor to control progress.

This project includes:

• Install temporary erosion and sediment control systems before disturbing any areas
• Clearing as necessary, excavation, and grading to construct a 10-foot-wide asphalt shared-use path
• Construction of swales and ditches, and installation of storm pipe and culverts for drainage
• Construction of abutments for assembly and installation of a prefabricated steel truss bridge.
• Construction of a short, multi-girder bridge
• Installation of railing systems for the trail, and the removal and replacement of a roadside guiderail
• Demolition and reconstruction of two retaining wall systems along Tonawanda Creek/Erie Canal at Tonawanda Creek Road and Sweet Home Road
• Reconstruction of the existing 10 FT wide trial
• Construction of three separate trial head parking lot areas
• Placement of trail amenities, including decorative concrete pads to accommodate benches and kiosks, interpretive sign panels, picnic tables, and bike racks
• Landscaping, including trees and shrubs, throughout the project length
• Construction of ADA accessible ramps and sidewalk replacement in Lockport, where the trial system is on-street
• Wayfinding, including trail signage,
• Pavement markings on the trail, at all public road crossings, and along the on-street trail section in Lockport