AN ODEBRECHT USA PUBLICATION / FEBRUARY 2012
BUSINESS/CURRENT PROJECTS
HERBERT HOOVER DIKE
PROJECT: HERBERT HOOVER DIKE REHABILITATION PROJECT – CULVERTS 1 AND 1A LOCATION: CLEWISTON, FLORIDA CLIENT: U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS
AWARDED IN SEPTEMBER 2011, THE HERBERT HOOVER DIKE PROJECT REAFFIRMS THE ENDURING PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN ODEBRECHT AND THE U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers became a Client in 1994, when Odebrecht was awarded a contract to build the Seven Oaks Dam in California. Soon after, Odebrecht worked with the Client in Iraq and Kuwait until hurricane Katrina brought the company to work in the reconstruction and protection of New Orleans—where it has completed three projects and has two ongoing.
BUSINESS/CURRENT PROJECTS
Located in Florida’s central region, the Herbert Hoover Dike Rehabilitation Project – Culverts 1 and 1A is part of a major structural recovery program for the Herbert Hoover Dike on Lake Okeechobee. The dike, which consists of an earth dam with a sand center and rock fill surrounding the 730 square-mile lake, was built in the early 1930s to protect thousands of people against floods resulting from hurricanes in the region.
The Odebrecht project consists of the demolition and reconstruction of existing culverts 1 and 1A located on the Southwest side of the lake, between the cities of Clewiston and Moore Haven. The work will be completed in 31 months and both culverts will be operational in October 2014. The first sheet piles for the cofferdams were delivered to the site on the first week of February and excavation work is expected to start in early May. O
Today, Herbert Hoover Dike is one of the most deficient structures in the country—besides the dam, the dike’s 32 culverts and gates are in dire need of repairs. WORDS: THAIS REISS / DENISE B. CRUZ
PHOTOS: HUMMA KHAN
ENVIRONMENT
WASTEWISE The Herbert Hoover Dike project has become the first Odebrecht project to join the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) WasteWise Program—a collaborative problem-solving partnership designed to reduce waste and conserve resources. Launched in 1994, the program acknowledges organizations for their environmental leadership and commitment to waste reduction through voluntary efforts. As a WasteWise Partner, Odebrecht has access to a variety of resources and technical assistance to further develop and improve our waste reduction program. Odebrecht’s waste reduction efforts and progress will be measured over time against its baseline data. O
BUSINESS/CURRENT PROJECTS
SAM HOUSTON TOLLWAY In November 2011, Odebrecht acquired its first contract in Texas: the expansion of the Sam Houston Tollway - Phase 2, between Route 59 and State Highway 288, located in the Southern region of Harris County, located in the city of Houston. The 4-mile project calls for the addition of two new lanes in each direction, doubling the capacity of the road. In addition to the road widening, the main lane toll plaza will be reconfigured to include three dedicated “EZ TAG” toll lanes and three dedicated cash toll lanes. Entrance and exit ramps will be renovated and will each feature a dedicated “EZ TAG” lane and a dedicated cash lane. Construction began in January 2012. O
PROJECT: SAM HOUSTON TOLLWAY SOUTHWEST WIDENING LOCATION: HOUSTON, TEXAS CLIENT: HARRIS COUNTY TOLL ROAD AUTHORITY
BUSINESS/CURRENT PROJECTS
RELOCATION OF CORAL WORDS: THAÍS REISS / DENISE B. CRUZ
On January 23rd, Odebrecht completed the Coral Relocation Project— a small but important aspect of the Wharf Strengthening Program at PortMiami. Specialized divers transplanted a total of 185 corals to a wellsuited area, where they are doing well. The Wharves Strengthening Program is Odebrecht’s first port project in the United States. The project involves the reinforcement of 5,300 feet of cargo dock walls at PortMiami and infrastructure improvements to the crane loading and unloading area. Considered vital for the port development master plan, the project will allow the dredging of the access channel to the Port Miami to reach an average of 50 feet below sea level at low tide, and later, the entry of large cargo ships along the East coast of the United States through the Panama Canal starting in 2014. O
PHOTO: DENISE B. CRUZ
PROJECT: WHARVES STRENGTHENING PROGRAM CLIENT: PORTMIAMI LOCATION: MIAMI, FLORIDA
SPECIAL SECTION
2011 RETROSPECTIVE PHOTOS: DENISE B. CRUZ
VIDEO: PIXOTHEORY
WATCH TEAM MEMBERS TALK ABOUT THE CHALLENGES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF 2011 IN THE VIDEO PRODUCED FOR THE ODEBRECHT USA YEAR-END MEETING.
Click to Watch [password: 2011]
AIRPORTLINK PROJECT: ANDY LORIÉ AND MARK POROPAT PORTMIAMI WHARVES: ANTONIO SOUZA JR. AND CHARLIE AGERO LPV-9.2: TRAVIS THORNTON, JONATHAN RAMIREZ AND WILLIAM CHUNG
COMMUNITY
PEOPLE
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY
A HEALTHY START IN 2012
On Saturday, February 11, Odebrecht’s PortMiami team participated in Habitat for Humanity’s “Blitz Build,” which takes place from February 6 through February 18. The Blitz Build is an accelerated construction event, where 10 homes are completed over the course of 2 weeks. Now in its 14th year, the Blitz Build brings together homeowner families, sponsors, partner organizations and volunteers from across MiamiDade County and the country to help build decent, affordable homes for families in need.
On January 26th, Odebrecht hosted its annual Health Fair in partnership with the University of Miami’s (UM) Department of Family Medicine. Team Members checked their blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), glucose and cholesterol levels, and received smoking cessation counseling. Each team member had the opportunity to discuss their test results with Dr. Robert Schwartz, Professor and Chair of UM ‘s Department of Family Medicine during a private consultation. The Health Fair addresses major health concerns and promotes healthier choices for the year ahead. O
Together with Habitat’s staff, seven Odebrecht volunteers collaborated on the framing and buildout of a home in Liberty City, Miami. O WORDS: ANTONIO SOUZA JR.
WORDS: DAPHNE DI PASQUALE
SAFETY
OSHA 500 TRAINING In the interest of continual improvement of our HSE programs, Odebrecht is raising the bar by furthering our investment in the safety training of our team members. Currently, nine Odebrecht USA team members have completed the OSHA 500 construction course—the OSHA Outreach Trainer Course in 1926 Standards for Construction. The course gives our team members the ability to teach OSHA’s 10- and 30-hour construction safety and health courses to our personnel, subcontractors, and clients. Additionally, Odebrecht offers Star Performers the opportunity to earn their 510 and 500. The Star Performer Program is an Odebrecht initiative that recognizes Superintendents for their exceptional safety initiatives. O WORDS: MARCELO TOSCA / DENISE B. CRUZ
COMMUNITY
COMPUTER DONATION As the North Terminal Development Program at Miami International Airport North Terminal approaches completion and the team begins to demobilize, the project has donated computers and equipment that are no longer being used. On October 18, 2011 and November 18, 2011, the North Terminal team donated 12 computers and monitors to Lorah Park Elementary School and Kinloch Park Middle School, where they will be used by hundreds in each school. O WORDS: MARJORIE MCKENZIE
PHOTO: ANDY ROMERO
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT/AWARD
CALL FOR ENTRIES
ODEBRECHT AWARD FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT WORDS: THAÍS REISS
The Odebrecht Award for Sustainable Development began accepting entries on January 2. Participants from 19 universities nationwide have already registered, including students from Stanford, University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign, Cornell, University of California Los Angeles, Duke, Columbia, North Carolina State University, Texas A&M, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Georgia Tech, and Florida International University, among others. The Award, a challenging exercise for undergraduate students to write and submit a paper on their contributions to sustainability, has been received with enthusiasm by professors and students alike. “This will be a fantastic way of focusing the students and allowing them to see that their work really matters,” says a professor of Environmental Engineering. Odebrecht’s multifaceted view of sustainability as a synergy of economic development, social development, environmental balance, political participation, and cultural diversity will play a part in the judges’ evaluation, as will realworld applicability of the entries.
The judging panel includes Harvey M. Bernstein, Vice President of Industry Insights & Alliances at McGraw-Hill Construction; John Briscoe, Professor of the Practice of Environmental Engineering at Harvard University; Tom Couling, Corporate Manager, Environment, at Zachry Construction Corporation; Manny Diaz, Senior Partner at Lydecker Diaz; Scott Kirkpatrick, President of Coast Builders Coalition; Paula Loomis, U.S. Corps of Engineers Sustainability Program Manager; Brooke Weizmann, Director of Sustainability and Responsible Care at the American Chemistry Council; and Marie Martinko, Director of Industry Affairs - Environment & Health at SPI—the Plastics Industry Trade Association. The Award is open to any undergraduate enrolled at a U.S.accredited university, with at least one student of the group seeking a degree in engineering, architecture, building and construction management, or chemistry. Entries will be accepted through May 31, 2012. Meanwhile, followers are encouraged to engage on Facebook and Twitter. O
www.odebrechtaward.com
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Founded in 1944, the Odebrecht Organization has grown to be a diversified business leader laying the groundwork for positive sustainable change worldwide. With more than 170,000 team members throughout the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, Odebrecht engages in diverse industries that energize economies and create value for our Clients. Odebrecht entered the North American market in 1990—a natural step for a company with a global vision. Since then, Odebrecht has delivered vital infrastructure projects for federal, state and local governments, as well as important private developers in Florida, Louisiana, Texas, California, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Partnering with Clients around the world, our strength is drawn from an entrepreneurial culture based on the Spirit of Service–delivering solutions that allow both Client and
community to grow and thrive. To learn more about the Odebrecht Organization, please visit www.odebrecht.com