JE Dunn Construction recently broke ground on the Goodnight Ranch Joint Fire/EMS Station, the fourth of five new high-priority stations in Austin that the city is building to meet the demands of a growing population and ensure response times during emergencies.
(Photo courtesy of JE Dunn.)
JE Dunn Construction, the city of Austin and trade partners broke ground on the site of Goodnight Ranch Joint Fire/EMS Station, the fourth of five new high-priority stations that the city is building to meet the demands of a growing city and ensure response times for fire and EMS crews meet established norms.
The new two-story station (AFD Station #53/EMS Station #42), which is expected to be completed in early 2024, was designed by PGAL and located in southeast Austin. PGAL is responsible for the design of all five stations.
The 15,200 sq.-ft. Goodnight Ranch station will have four pull-through apparatus bays, 11 fire dorms and four EMS dorms on the side that has two floors. Each station is expected to have a life span of at least 50 years.
"This station is another important step in the right direction towards providing our residents with the most equitable deployment of EMS resources across the city," said ATCEMS Chief Robert Luckritz. "We are so thankful to our city leaders and the residents of Austin for their support of this initiative and our department."
Construction Progress
Jason Beiter, JE Dunn vice president and director of construction operations of Austin, provided an update on the construction program.
"This program has been very successful," he said, "This program is the first utilization of design-build procurement by the city. The city set it up for success because they hired an architectural firm to provide a design criteria manual that defined the programmatic parameters for different design options."
Beiter complimented the team's ability to solve for the various challenges of each station. For instance, the Loop 360/Davenport station site was largely built on a rock bed. Goodnight Ranch was built on expansive soil.
"The plan for excavation was significantly different for each station," he said, "but the communication and planning process JE Dunn put into place for this project and with the design-build team has allowed us to approach each issue effectively and with quick resolution."
Work on the Goodnight Ranch station is moving forward rapidly.
"We just finished the excavation and import of new structural fill," said Beiter. "We are going to be commencing work for the foundation of the building, apparatus bay approach and parking lot."
The site foundation for Goodnight Ranch will be a structural slab on drilled piers to mitigate expansion over the life of the building. The thickness of the slab for the apparatus bay approach is 10-in. thick so it can support the load of these vehicles.
The earth work was done rapidly without any issues. The apparatus bay, on the right side, is a single story, while the left side with the dorms and other facilities is two stories.
All of the stations have steel framing. For Goodnight Ranch, the steel framing will be installed in early summer. JE Dunn is working with a Swiss Pearl rain screen skin system with glass punch openings.
Between 50 and 75 skilled workers will be constructing Goodnight Ranch, a similar number for the other stations. Depending on the complexity of the site work, each station is approximately a 12-month construction process. Each time, the team has been able to strengthen its work process and build on lessons learned. Beiter also said the partnership of the design-build team, trade partners and the city has contributed immensely to the success of the first three stations.
"Eric Keplinger has been JE Dunn's senior project manager from day one and he's done a great job as a partner with the city's project management team and the city's fire and EMS chiefs to really make sure we are understanding what their true needs are," said Beiter. "Burton Jones and Michele Noriega, the city's project managers, have been instrumental in helping us in regard to permits and working with Austin Energy, Austin Water and Texas Gas to ensure all the utilities are provided in alignment with the program schedule.
"The efforts of the crews have been great," he added. "Our trade partners understand these buildings will help citizens and save lives, so there is a personal connection for each one of these stations. Their crews take a great sense of pride and ownership, as well as in their craftsmanship."
The trade partners for Del Valle/Moore's Crossing were M-Tech Mechanical for mechanical, Champion Site Prep for earth work; Merval Construction for concrete; Construction Metal Products for the steel framing; Lantz Lakeside Plumbing for plumbing; and Beckett Electrical for electrical.
For the Travis Country/Sunset Valley station, the partners are Efficient Air Conditioning for mechanical; Champion Site Prep for earth work; Merval Construction for concrete; Construction Metal Products for the steel framing; Lantz Lakeside Plumbing for plumbing; and Beckett Electrical for electrical.
For the Loop 360/Davenport station, the partners are M-Tech Mechanical for mechanical and plumbing, JR Schneider Construction for earth work; Merval Construction for concrete; Construction Metal Products for the steel framing; and Schmidt Electric Company for electrical.
Goodnight Ranch's trade partners are Airco Mechanical for mechanical; WPM Construction Services for earth work; Wolff Construction for concrete; Construction Metal Products for the steel framing; TCS Mechanical for plumbing; and Weifield Group Contracting for electrical.
The amounts of material that have been excavated and brought in for the construction are still being tabulated.
Equipment has been crucial for several aspects of the work. Excavators, including Cat models, were used to prepare the site for the foundation. Rollers helped to flatten the ground and Dynapac motor graders helped to prepare the ground. Standard pieces of equipment were used for the pouring of concrete and manlifts and boom lifts, such as JLG 450SJ boom lifts were used during construction.
District 2 Council Member Vanessa Fuentes, who represents the area where the Goodnight Ranch is located, is very pleased with the construction announcement.
"One of the most important roles I play as a local leader is ensuring our communities have access to quick and reliable public safety," she said. "This new joint Fire/EMS Station will provide faster response times while addressing the City's rapid growth, especially in our Southeast Austin communities."
"Our goal is to respond to those we serve in eight minutes or less, 90 percent of the time," said Fire Chief Joel G. Baker. "This latest addition to the public safety fabric of this community is an exciting development as we get closer towards the goal of seeing five new stations completed in six years. We are grateful to the Mayor, council, city manager and all those who have worked so hard in making this station, as well as the others, a reality, and we look forward to being back at this site next year for the grand opening."
Other features of construction include training stairs, a common day room, outdoor dining, kitchen and gym. It also will include a native pocket prairie that matches the local topography. The building features punch windows and colorful and transparent garage doors that allow people to see the parked trucks. CEG
Irwin Rapoport
A journalist who started his career at a weekly community newspaper, Irwin Rapoport has written about construction and architecture for more than 15 years, as well as a variety of other subjects, such as recycling, environmental issues, business supply chains, property development, pulp and paper, agriculture, solar power and energy, and education. Getting the story right and illustrating the hard work and professionalism that goes into completing road, bridge, and building projects is important to him. A key element of his construction articles is to provide readers with an opportunity to see how general contractors and departments of transportation complete their projects and address challenges so that lessons learned can be shared with a wider audience.
Rapoport has a BA in History and a Minor in Political Science from Concordia University. His hobbies include hiking, birding, cycling, reading, going to concerts and plays, hanging out with friends and family, and architecture. He is keen to one day write an MA thesis on military and economic planning by the Great Powers prior to the start of the First World War.
Read more from Irwin Rapoport here.
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