Arrighi Simoneaux opens New Orleans office

Arrighi Simoneaux LLC, a commercial construction company, has opened an office in New Orleans. The company is expanding to service a growing number of high profile construction jobs in the New Orleans market.

The new office will employ six office and 10 field personnel and is located at 1010 Common Street, Suite 2550.

Arrighi Simoneaux was founded in 2002 and is a subsidiary of Group Industries LLC, a multi-million dollar industrial and commercial construction company headquartered in Baton Rouge, La.

James Construction Group makes progress on U.S. 165

James Construction Group LLC is making significant progress on its LA 847-Ouachita Parish Line project for the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD). The $21.9 million contract, awarded to JCG last August, is part of the DOTD's TIMED (Transportation Infrastructure Model for Economic Development) program.

"As of mid-April, the job is already 38 percent complete," said Charles Poole, JCG vice president of north Louisiana operations. "This progress is due in large measure to an extremely capable project team and no impediments to the construction process."

The project involves the widening of U.S. 165 from a two- to four-lane highway beginning at LA 847 and extending to the Ouachita Parish line, a total of 6.67 miles. This work is part of a larger DOTD project designed to four-lane 173 miles of U.S. 165 from Alexandria to the Arkansas state line.

Project Manager Oscar Tate said work activities involve construction of two 2,200-lin.-ft. Type IV concrete girder bridges with pile and drill shaft footings; one 100-lin.-ft. concrete slab bridge, and roadwork consisting of 65,700 cu. yds. of excavation; 254,000 cu. yds. of embankment; 6,660 lin. ft. of RCP; soil lime treatment; Class II base; and 52,124 tons of Superpave asphalt.

Geotechnical problem delays Chef Pass bridge emergency repairs

Stability issues of the soil surrounding the Chef Menteur Pass bridge on U.S. 90 east of New Orleans will delay completion of emergency repairs, the state Department of Transportation and Development announced recently.

The project, originally set for completion by April, is now expected to be completed by August at more than double the cost, said Gill Gautreau, DOTD structures and facilities maintenance administrator.

The contractor, Coastal Bridge Co. of Baton Rouge, is adding additional rip-rap, or rocks, to slow the foundation's deterioration while the movement is being monitored in order to determine the best remediation approach, said Kim Garlington, DOTD pavement and geotechnical design services engineer.

Wave action from hurricanes Katrina and Rita resulted in scouring, or the washing away of soil around the bridge supports, which destabilized the piers on the Chef Pass bridge, said Brian Buckel, DOTD District 2 construction engineer. The original $1.3 million emergency project included replacing several spans on each side of the bridge with longer, 120-foot girder spans. The contractor began fabricating the new spans in February and then moved them to the site to replace the failing spans.

However, crews noticed a tension crack in the ground and DOTD's Geotechnical Services section investigated by installing instrumentation in the slope. Possible deep-seated movements are being monitored to determine the extent of the slide.

Garlington said, "This is a very deep channel, and the material at the top of the slope is very susceptible to scouring. The slope is trying to move out toward the channel."

Garlington said initial plans are to fix the toe of the slope using the rip-rap; the rocks add weight to help prevent additional sliding. Then, she said, DOTD is considering using four even-longer girders, about 200 feet each, on the New Orleans side, or southwest end of the bridge to reach a stable portion of the bank.

J. Ray McDermott celebrates 50 years of fabrication at Morgan City, La.

Since its beginnings on April 1, 1956, J. Ray's Morgan City fabrication facility has built more offshore structures than most other fabrication facilities.

"Starting with the first shallow-water tubular steel jackets for oil and gas development in the Gulf of Mexico, J. Ray has amassed an unequaled base of experience," said Morgan City Fabrication General Manager Steve Becnel. "When the industry needed larger structures for deeper water or unstable bottom conditions; when it needed lighter and stronger structures; when it needed lightweight tripod platforms for marginal field developments; when it needed large topsides for tension leg platforms; when it needed compliant towers and subsea templates; the Morgan City fabrication yard not only delivered those products, but was an active partner in the design process to ensure effective constructability."

By the early 1950s, the company had leased land on Bayou Bouef near Morgan City to store and coat pipe. On April 1, 1956, this property officially became one of the offshore industry's first dedicated steel fabrication yards.

During its 50th Anniversary celebration on Friday, April 28, J. Ray President and Chief Operating Officer Bob Deason gave special recognition to the thousands of employees past and present, who have made the fabrication facility successful over six momentous decades.

Deason also honored the 12 most senior current employees, whose combined seniority equals 470 years: Bobby Hemel (46 years), Chester Blanchard (44 years), Lawrence Mayet (43 years), William Clark (42 years), Leonard Buggage Sr. (42 years), Allen Leger (39 years), Dale Giroir (38 years), Everett Clause Jr. (36 years), Jerry Gray Sr. (35 years), Douglas Sanchez (35 years), Dane Hebert (35 years) and Francis Sick (35 years).

AGC Shreveport installs 2006 officers

M. Cayce Hand, Hand Construction LLC of Shreveport, was installed as the 2006 president of the Shreveport Chapter-Associated General Contractors, during the association's annual installation at Sam's Town Casino of Shreveport.

Hand, who also served as the chapter's president in 1989, succeeds Mike Walker, Brown Builders Inc., Bossier City, 2005 chapter president.

Others installed as officers were Ronald Carlson, Ronald G. Carlson General Contractors Inc. of Shreveport, vice president; and Ron Barron, Don M. Barron Contractor Inc. of Farmerville, secretary-treasurer.

Installed as directors were Mike Boggs, Boggs and Poole Contracting Group Inc., Shreveport; Kurt Dean, Integrity Inc., Shreveport; George McInnis, McInnis Brothers Construction Inc., Minden; Barclay Pittman, Walton Construction Co. LLC, Shreveport; William Hamm, Berg Inc., Shreveport; Mark Odom, Hayter and Odom LLC, Shreveport; and Mike Walker, Brown Builders Inc., Bossier City.

Guest speaker was Teddy Allen, a columnist for The Times of Shreveport newspaper. Serving as master of ceremonies was Michael Schofield, Shreveport Chapter executive director.

DOTD breaks ground for La. 1 bridge, approaches

Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco and DOTD Secretary Johnny B. Bradberry broke ground on a new La. 1 toll bridge and approaches that will ensure a safe evacuation route for citizens and continued vitality of Louisiana's offshore oil and gas industry.

Blanco and Bradberry are two of the main speakers at the groundbreaking ceremony at 4 p.m. in Leeville.

"The ravages of Katrina and Rita showed everyone in America the importance of Louisiana to this nation's economic health, and just how important La. 1 is to the energy economy," said Gov. Blanco. "La. 1 is not only the hurricane evacuation route for Grand Isle and southern Lafourche Parish, it's also the main route for Louisiana's vital energy corridor.

"This project is just the first step in a long-term effort to help make the residents of this part of South Louisiana safer and to secure our state's - and the nation's - energy future."

La. 1 is the sole evacuation route for lower Lafourche Parish and the barrier island of Grand Isle. It also is the only route to Port Fourchon, the nation's premier intermodal energy port, and to the nation's only offshore oil port. The U.S. Congress designated La. 1 as a "high-priority corridor" because of its importance to the energy industry.

The road must be replaced and elevated because of flooding and deterioration from subsidence and coastal erosion.

Baton Rouge NAWIC hosts Block Kids event

The Baton Rouge Chapter of The National Association of Women in Construction hosted its annual Block-Kids event in February at the Jones Creek Library in Baton Rouge.

Construction industry members supplied judges for the competition. Representing Turner Industries was Blaine Guillory; representing McGraw-Hill/South Central Construction magazine was Patricia Schmieder; and representing L&B Metals was Diane Lerma.

NAWIC's Block Kids Building Program is a national building program competition that is sponsored on the local level by NAWIC chapters and other organizations. The award-winning program introduces children to the construction industry in an effort to create an awareness of and to promote an interest in future careers in one of the many facets of the industry.

This year's competition utilized 19 third grade children from Dutchtown Primary School.

The three top finishers included First Place, Lauren Schneider, third grade, Wind Mill/Communication Tower/Satellite Dish; Second Place, Harmani Johnson, third grade, Charity Hospital; and Third Place, Hannah Gale, third grade, state capital.