City of Greensboro capitalizes on CMAR project delivery

April 2016 — The City of Greensboro, North Carolina, faced ongoing challenges to maintain existing infrastructure while complying with current and upcoming regulatory requirements. As a result, the City’s Water Resources Department initiated two capital improvement projects to improve treatment operations and meet future regulatory requirements with the Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) project delivery method.

These projects mark the first time for the City to employ the CMAR delivery method. Critical to the City’s alternative delivery selection was the desire to leverage a collaborative approach and engage a Mentor/Protégé program to increase minority and women owned business (M/WBE) and local participation. Following a qualifications-based process, Garney was selected to serve as the CMAR contractor for the T.Z. Osborne Water Reclamation Facility 56 MGD Upgrade (Package 3).

Package 3, one of four projects planned for the City’s $120 million worth of infrastructure improvements, was the first of two CMAR projects implemented by the City. Garney started working in partnership with the City at the 90% design phase. In addition to developing the GMP during preconstruction, Garney worked with the City to maximize the Mentor/Protégé program and developed work packages to meet the City’s M/WBE goals.

Construction on Package 3 is set to be complete in December of 2017, with diamond cloth filters to be used in the upgrade to the existing conventional media filtration, a new technology available to the industry. Major improvements for the 36-year-old water reclamation facility will include a new chlorine contact tank, chemical system upgrades, renovation of all existing traveling bridge filters, and site-wide stormwater improvements. Garney is also completing work at the site for Packages 1 and 2.