Skanska USA announced the topping out of the East Campus Residence Hall Complex at the University of Delaware in Newark, Delaware, the first phase of three planned phases of a major expansion.
Phase One of the expansion includes the construction of two new resident buildings on campus that total 260,000-sf of space and 767 beds, providing students with a comfortable living environment. The buildings will house incoming first year students and will be designed to foster community building with communal bathrooms, open lounges and added gathering space for students to network and study together.
The project consists of extensive site development, which includes landscaping and site finishes, walkways, fire lanes, and utility infrastructure that will include connections to the central utility plant. The utility plant controls the university’s steam distribution, chilled water and electricity. In addition, office space for the University’s Office of Residential Life will be part of Phase One.
The topping out ceremony was not a traditional topping out because a ceremonial last steel beam was not raised. A hybrid panelized wall system, which is often used for hotel construction, has been installed in place of the traditional steel beams used in most buildings in order to save time and money. For example, hybrid wall paneling for one floor of the building, which is approximately 30,000-sf, is built in two weeks.
So far, Phase One is 45% complete, and is on schedule for construction completion in September 2013. In addition, 66% of all work has been awarded to local Delaware subcontractors in an effort to contribute to the state’s economic recovery and boost job creation.
The architect is ABHA Architects from Wilmington, Delaware. +
Related Stories
Regulations | Oct 4, 2023
New York adopts emissions limits on concrete
New York State recently adopted emissions limits on concrete used for state-funded public building and transportation projects. It is the first state initiative in the U.S. to enact concrete emissions limits on projects undertaken by all agencies, according to a press release from the governor’s office.
Architects | Oct 4, 2023
Architects and contractors underestimate cyberattack risk
Design and construction industry firms underestimate their vulnerability to cyberattacks, according to a new report, Data Resilience in Design and Construction: How Digital Discipline Builds Stronger Firms by Dodge Construction Network and content security and management company Egnyte.
Giants 400 | Oct 2, 2023
Top 50 Data Center Construction Firms for 2023
Turner Construction, Holder Construction, HITT Contracting, DPR Construction, and Fortis Construction top BD+C's ranking of the nation's largest data center sector contractors and construction management firms for 2023, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2023 Giants 400 Report.
Market Data | Oct 2, 2023
Nonresidential construction spending rises 0.4% in August 2023, led by manufacturing and public works sectors
National nonresidential construction spending increased 0.4% in August, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data published today by the U.S. Census Bureau. On a seasonally adjusted annualized basis, nonresidential spending totaled $1.09 trillion.
Giants 400 | Sep 28, 2023
Top 100 University Building Construction Firms for 2023
Turner Construction, Whiting-Turner Contracting Co., STO Building Group, Suffolk Construction, and Skanska USA top BD+C's ranking of the nation's largest university sector contractors and construction management firms for 2023, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2023 Giants 400 Report. Note: This ranking includes revenue for all university/college-related buildings except student residence halls, sports/recreation facilities, laboratories, S+T-related buildings, parking facilities, and performing arts centers (revenue for those buildings are reported in their respective Giants 400 ranking).
Construction Costs | Sep 28, 2023
U.S. construction market moves toward building material price stabilization
The newly released Quarterly Construction Cost Insights Report for Q3 2023 from Gordian reveals material costs remain high compared to prior years, but there is a move towards price stabilization for building and construction materials after years of significant fluctuations. In this report, top industry experts from Gordian, as well as from Gilbane, McCarthy Building Companies, and DPR Construction weigh in on the overall trends seen for construction material costs, and offer innovative solutions to navigate this terrain.
Contractors | Sep 25, 2023
Balfour Beatty expands its operations in Tampa Bay, Fla.
Balfour Beatty is expanding its leading construction operations into the Tampa Bay area offering specialized and expert services to deliver premier projects along Florida’s Gulf Coast.
Resiliency | Sep 25, 2023
National Institute of Building Sciences, Fannie Mae release roadmap for resilience
The National Institute of Building Sciences and Fannie Mae have released the Resilience Incentivization Roadmap 2.0. The document is intended to guide mitigation investment to prepare for and respond to natural disasters.
Codes and Standards | Sep 25, 2023
Lendlease launches new protocol for Scope 3 carbon reduction
Lendlease unveiled a new protocol to monitor, measure, and disclose Scope 3 carbon emissions and called on built environment industry leaders to tackle this challenge.
Data Centers | Sep 21, 2023
North American data center construction rises 25% to record high in first half of 2023, driven by growth of artificial intelligence
CBRE’s latest North American Data Center Trends Report found there is 2,287.6 megawatts (MW) of data center supply currently under construction in primary markets, reaching a new all-time high with more than 70% already preleased.
