Construction Update

Here we are with another construction update. This one will focus on building pads at the retail site to utility work up the residential site drive to some of the  same ongoing earthwork on the residential site from the previous construction update!

So we will be showing progress all the way up the hill.

These below are the site maps that number the points where the pictures were taken.

This top one is the residential hill.

This site map above is of the retail site at the bottom of the residential hill.

(All photos below will be numbered as to where they were taken on the site maps above.)

These first two panoramas will show building pads on the retail site.The first panorama shows one building pad that has been built up to the height of the finished floor for the building that will be built here in the months ahead.  In the next few weeks, Trumbull will place an additional 18 feet of soil on top of this building pad (called a surcharge).  This surcharge will have about the same weight of the building that will be built at this location, and will compact the existing ground to prepare it to support the building. The is only temporary, and once the existing ground has been compacted, then that soil from the surcharge will be used for grading at the parking lot areas around the building.

Point #1 (Site Map Above)

Panorama 2 shows the whole retail site with the new 84 Lumber site in the distance to the far left.

Point # 2 (Site Map Above)

The photo below shows the entrance to the residential site drive.

Point #3 (Site Map Above)

This photo shows and excavator and bulldozer finishing the topsoil on the slope adjacent to the residential site drive.

Point #4 (Site Map Above)

The next panorama shows the same slope and the storm inlets that are located at the left and right edge of the residential site drive. Behind the pick-up truck, you can see the path of the site drive down the hill.

Point #4 (Site Map Above)

This photo shows the bottom and entrance of the residential drive, where the road turns up the hillside. Notice the two storm inlets on either side of the road, which show how wide it will be when finished.

Point #5 (Site Map Above)

 

Point #6 (Site Map Above)

The second shows another angle of the same inlet, and in the distance the crew is preparing to lay more pipe. Also, a little ahead of them is the sanitary sewer crew, which means the storm crew is catching up!

Point #6 (Site Map Above)

These next two photos show a more close up view of the crew laying the storm water pipe up the residential drive.

Point #7 (Site Map Above)

Now this next photo of the sanitary sewer line crew is taken up the hill a little ways.

Point #8 (Site Map Above)

Here, they’re working on the installation of the sanitary sewer line.

Point #8 (Site Map Above)

In this next photo, you can see why the storm water crew is catching up, because the sanitary crew working hard to excavate the stone to dig the trench for the sanitary sewer line.

Point #8 (Site Map Above)

In the panorama below they are, to the left, stock piling top soil. Then towards the center of the photo, off-road dump trucks continue with fill at the residential site earthwork operation.  The right side of the photo shows the residential site drive beginning to head down the hill.

Point #9 (Site Map Above)

This next panorama is showing the stripping of topsoil to prepare this portion of the site for additional earthwork.  The ground below the topsoil will be excavated in the coming weeks, and the topsoil is preserved so that it can be spread out over the ground surface after the excavation is completed.

Point #10 A (Site Map Above)

The next panorama is showing the location for the 84 Lumber earthwork operations . On this day, th earthwork operation with the onroad dump trucks is not working  so that the two utility crews on the residential drive can get more work done without trucks hauling soil down the hill.

Point #10 B (Site Map Above)

These last three panoramas are showing different angles of the full residential area.

Point #11

Point #12

Point #13

Below you can view the pictures larger in the gallery.

Fall Festival November 8th 2009

Our Fall Festival at the site was on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. It was an open event for the public to get and a first look at the site and where the homes are to be built!

Two dump trucks, an excavator, a roller and a D6 bulldozer were part of the main attraction where kids and adults alike could get rides from the construction workers who work on the site at Newbury. There was also a catered brunch in a big tent along with the top rated attraction for the children, a 42 foot inflatable train!

Here are some pictures from the event. We hope you enjoy them as much as we enjoyed taking them!

Here was the inflatable train all the children enjoyed!

Side view of the train.

Generators for the caterer with the tent in the distance.

Boys admiring the D6 bulldozer.

Lines forming for rides on the excavator and bulldozer.

One of the big off road dumptrucks.

The mini school bus for transporting guests from the market location to the residential hill for activities!

Sharon, who works at the site 6 days per week, shows a little boy how to drive the roller.

 

Lastly here is an overall view of the equipment with the brunch tent in the distance.

If you weren’t able to join us and are interested in finding out more about the project, please let us know.

Thanks!

Construction Update

With our site contractor working double shifts (6am to midnight) Monday through Saturday, we continue to make excellent progress at Newbury. The ongoing earthwork operations are happening on the top of the residential hill area and the 84 Lumber site. There is also continued progress on the sanitary sewer line along the residential site drive!

 

 

Here is the site map that shows the location where each photo was taken, as well as the direction of view for each photo. The pictures will be numbered in the rest of this construction update to correspond to this site map.

There are currently two earthwork operations taking place at the site.  The first earthwork operation is constructing the residential site drive and all home lots for the first phase of the residential development.  This “residential earthwork operation” is taking place between point 1 to point 4 in the site map above.  The second earthwork operation is excavating soil from point 5 – 7 on the site map above, and hauling the soil down the residential site drive and along Presto Sygan Road to the 84 Lumber site.   The dotted line on the site map is showing the route of the “84 Lumber earthwork operation”.

The first earthwork operation that we will talk about is the “residential earthwork operation” shown in the following panorama. Starting from the right, the off-road dump trucks are being loaded with soil by the large excavator.  The trucks are then unloading the soil in the flat area on the left side of the photo.  Then the bulldozer is leveling out the loads being brought by the off-road dump trucks. . Notice that you can also see the on-road dump trucks and additional excavator in the distance working on the “84 Lumber earthwork operation”.

*You can also view this larger in the gallery at the bottom of the blog.Point #2 (Site Map Above)

This panorama shows the off roaddump trucks getting in line to fill up again at the excavator.Point #1 (Site Map Above)

Below is another photo of an excavator filling an off road dump truck. There are  three  off-road dump trucks working with this excavator because the distance they carry the dirt is relatively short.Point # 2 (Above Site Map)

This next photo shows one of the trucks dumping another load while the bulldozer will flatten the piles into a layer of soil about a foot thick.  The sheeps-foot roller to the left will then pack the soil down as compacted fill.Point #3 (Site Map Above)

 

Another panorama shows a different angle of the residential earthwork operation.Point #4 (Site Map Above)

This next panorama below shows the 84 Lumber earthwork operation where the on-road dump trucks will be taking their loads from the residential site to the 84 Lumber site. Because they have to go a long distance to get to the 84 Lumber site, there are about 16 of these trucksworking with two excavators on this earthwork operation.Point #5 (Site Map Above)

 

In the next two panoramas below you can see the residential earthworks in the background, while the on-road dump trucks for the 84 Lumber earthworks are getting new loads of soil from the two the excavators.Point #7 (Site Map Above)

 

Point #6 (Site Map Above)

This next panorama is showing the route for the 84 Lumber earthworks along the residential site drive, as well as the sanitary sewer utility crew continuing their work.  As you can see on the site map, the sanitary sewer crew is now more than halfway up the hill!Point #8 (Site Map Above)

This panorama below is showing the sanitary sewer crew preparing to set the next manhole for the pipe they just installed.

Point #9 (Site Map Above)

The photo below shows where the manhole will be placed.Point #9

Lastly this photo below shows the excavator being hooked to the manhole preparing to lift and place it into it’s prepared space.

Point #9

As a final note, notice that the stormwater crew isn’t anywhere in site behind the sanitary crew!  We’ll see in future updates if they are able to catch up to the sanitary crew.

Below you can view the gallery and get enlarged photos of all the previous pictures.

Construction Update October 20th 2009

This construction update for Newbury will show the real progress being made at the 84 Lumber site as well as the utility systems along the residential site drive!

Here is the site map showing generally where the first half of the pictures were taken at the residential drive.

(The pictures will be numbered so that you will be able to get a better idea.)

This first panorama shows the initial work underway on the stormwater system along the residential site drive.  The left side of this photograph shows the stormwater retention basin (with temporary construction fencing installed along the top of the slope around the basin).  The photograph also shows the concrete endwall structure, which has just recently been installed.  Stormwater will flow from the underground piping system through this endwall structure and then into the basin.  The basin will then hold the water, allow some water to percolate into the ground to re-charge the groundwater supply, and slowly release the remaining water to an adjacent stream.  In the right side of this photograph, you can see an excavator digging a trench for the stormwater piping system that will extend up the hillside along the residential site drive.  The workmen are currently preparing a section of pipe to be installed in this trench.

During the weeks ahead, this utility crew will continue to install stormwater piping, manholes and inlets extending from this basin location up to the residential development at the top of the hill.

Photo #1 (Site Map Above)

This photo below shows the stormwater manhole structure where the new section of stormwater pipe mentioned above will be installed.  A manhole structure is used wherever the piping system turns a corner or changes direction, and will provide access to the stormwater piping system for maintenance, cleaning and repair if necessary in the future.

Photo #1 A (Site Map Above)

Further up the hill, a separate utility crew continues to install additional sanitary sewer piping and manholes.  Because the sanitary system is typically deeper in the ground than the stormwater system, the sanitary system is installed first.  Therefore, the sanitary utility crew is working their way up the residential site drive, and the stormwater sanitary crew is chasing them up the hill.  It’s a race to the top of the hill!  This next photo shows a length of installed sanitary sewer piping connecting into a manhole structure, where the pipe will change direction in a curve along the residential site drive.

Photo #2 (Site Map Above)

This following photograph shows the same section of the sanitary system, with stone backfill (called pipe bedding) installed around the pipe.  The pipe bedding protects the pipe and creates a stable surface to hold the pipe in place. In the top portion of this photograph, two workmen and the excavator are preparing to install the next manhole structure at the upper end of this section of pipe.

Photo #2 A (Site Map Above)

Here the workers are preparing the gravel base for the next manhole along the sanitary sewer pipe.

Photo #3 (Site Map Above)

Next, the excavator is digging the hole for the same  manhole.

Photo #3 A (Site Map Above)

The next series of photographs show the progress of site construction at the 84 Lumber site.  The first photo shows a storm water inlet structure, where stormwater will flow into the storm water system from the paved driveway and parking area.  The pipe on the left side of the inlet box is concrete because it goes under a railroad spur that will be built in the months ahead.  The concrete pipe provides extra strength to handle the weight of the railroad that will pass over this location.

Here is the  84 Lumber site map, so that you’ll be able to gather perspective of where the photos where taken.

Photo #4 (Site Map Above)

The photo below shows the same stormwater inlet in the bottom of the photograph, with the inlet ring installed on the top of the structure and the inlet cover ready to be installed.  The second inlet structure higher in the photograph is located on the other side of the rail spur that will be constructed at the site.  The rail spur will connect the 84 Lumber site to the active railroad line shown in this photo.

Photo #4 A (Site Map Above)

This next photo shows the  stormwater structures throughout the 84 Lumber site. Notice that the fill is  now within a few feet of the top of these stormwater structures and the railroad in the distance. Soon this whole area is going to be  raised to the final grade and ready for the construction of the new buildings, roads and parking areas for the new 84 Lumber store.

Photo #5 (Site Map Above)

Lastly here is a panorama that shows an overall view of the progress in the 84 Lumber site.

Photo #6 (Site Map Above)

All previous photos can be viewed in a larger size in the gallery below.

Construction Update

With weather starting to show us the first signs of Winter ahead within the last week, a lot of progress is left to be done before the Winter months actually begin!

This is the site map!

(You can view it larger in the gallery at the bottom of this post)

*The numbers placed underneath the pictures represent the numbers on the map, and the arrows represent the direction they were taken.

In the below panorama, moving from left to right, this shows the completed excavation, notice where the excavator is loading soil, in the upper left, the lower portion shows the excavation that has already taken place! The big mounds of dirt, beyond this truck and excavator are the stock piles of topsoil. There are three trucks having the soil from the excavator to fill the embankment is shown in the distance of the panorama. After the trucks upload the soil at the embankment, the bulldozer spreads the soil out into an even layer about 12″ thick. Then the roller compacts the soil in place to complete the fill embankment. All of this work is taking place on the residential portion of the site.

Picture # 1 A (Site Map Above)

At the same time, there are two additional excavators and eighteen articulated trucks moving soil down to the 84 Lumber site.  View larger photo.

Picture #2 (Site Map Above)

The photo below shows more soil being loaded and carried down, notice the two excavators loading at the same time.  This panorama is taken from the same location as the first panorama shown in this update.

Picture #1 B (Site Map Above)

More photos showing the placement of the soil at the fill embankment in the middle of the residential portion of the site. Compare this to photos from the September xx to see the progress that has been made :

Picture #3 (Site Map Above)

Picture #3 (Site Map Above)

Picture #3 (Site Map Above)

Showing the extent to which the slope has been built:

Picture #4 (Site Map Above)

The next group of photos show the excavation of the first manhole in the residential portion of the site.  They are building a sanitary sewer line along the residential starting at the bottom of the hill near the entrance drive, Presto-Sygan road.

Picture #5 (Site Map Above)

Picture #5 (Site Map Above)

The trench box is used for safety, and allows the workers to excavate to the full depth necessary for the sewer line while supporting the ground adjacent to the trench.

Picture #5 (Site Map Above)

Picture #5 (Site Map Above)

(Here is a gallery of all the photos used in this blog entry (click on them to view the larger version).

You’re Invited to Newbury’s First Annual Fall Festival!

YOU’RE INVITED!Please RSVP to Lisa with your number of adults and children attending at lrutkowski@eqa-lc.com if you plan on joining us!

Get to Know Newbury: South Fayette HS Football

Newbury is proud to be apart of the South Fayette community.  This Fall in South Fayette has been extra special, with the South Fayette Lions football team going undefeated thus far, with only two games remaining in the regular season!  In fact, the Lions are currently rated #3 in the WPIAL Class AA and #10 in PIAA Class AA!

Image via sftouchdownclub.org

If the Lions get a win tonight, they clinch the Century Conference championship!

The 58 Players have been working hard all season to acheive this perfect record.  Before each game, Head Coach Joe Rossi details a preview of Friday night’s game.  Tonight, the Lions take on Steel Valley.  Here is Coach Rossi’s preview:

The Steel Valley Ironmen come into this game with a 5-2 record after beating Seton LaSalle 33-14 last Friday night. They jumped on Seton 20-0 in the 1st quarter and never surrendered the lead. They are led by the three headed monster on offense, quarterback, fullback and tailback. Quarterback Tony Johnson (#2), fullback James Caldwell (#6) and tailback Delrece Williams (#21) pose a serious threat on offense. They will run an option style offense with the ability to also pound the ball. The Lions must pursue to the ball and tackle well if we want to be successful.

Their defense operates out of a 4-4 cover three set. They have a good core of linebackers and a secondary that will not give up the big play. Their best defensive player is Kevin Ohm (#1) who plays defensive end. He has given teams fits as a pass rusher.

The Lions will have to once again win the turnover and special team battle in order to win.

To view all of Coach Rossi’s Friday Night previews, click here.

An article was published about South Fayette’s Lion Football team in today’s Post-Gazette.  “Undefeated South Fayette poses a major problem for Steel Valley”

To view the South Fayette Lions 2009 Roster, click here.

To view photos from the games, click here.

Newbury is proud to be apart of a community so rich with homeown spirit!  We wish the Lions good luck in the WPIAL playoffs and hope to see the Lions make it to Heinz!

UPDATE:  South Fayette defeated Steel Valley 21 to 0 Friday night.  They continue their undefeated season!  Read the Post-Gazette’s take on their pursuit of the perfect season here.

Site Construction Update: October 16, 2009

With Pittsburgh’s weather officially making the transition towards Fall, this is our first construction update in some time, and so much progress has been made!  Whether it be on the residential site, the 84 Lumber site, and the other commercial space, hopefully this site update gives you some insight of all that has been done at Newbury since our last update!

In the below panorama, (click to view it up close!) you can see the earthwork that has been done for the building pads and the surcharges that have been built for the commercial site.

Here’s a few of the action shots, showing the articulated trucks moving dirt for the “surcharge.”  The building pad is at its final grade, four or five feet up, and to compact the existing ground below the building pad where a “surcharge” is built.  At this location, about 12′ of soil is being placed over the building pad, to create the surcharge.  In addition to the 4′ – 5′ of soil required to bring the site up to its final grade.  After the existing ground has settled, the surcharge will be removed, and this soil will be used to grade the parking area.

Another panorama showing the final grade of a building pad.

This photo shows a piezometer, a sensor that measures pore pressure and groundwater.  It checks the progress of the surcharge, so that engineers can determine when the settlement of the existing ground is complete.

Back at the 84 Lumber site, this panorama shows the engineered soil slope (geo-grid wall) and the grading going up the hill.

The next few photos show the continued construction of the stormwater system, with piping and manholes that will carry stormwater to the underground retention structure.

Here is the manhole and pipe after it’s installation has been completed:

Notice the five sections of the manhole:

This panorama shows the continued construction of the geo-grid wall:

More photos showing the detail of the geo-grid wall:

As you can see, big rolls of the fabric material are laid out and then cut a certain length.  They then lay it out against the wire baskets and tie it in, which then reinforces the ground for that full length behind the geo-grid wall.

Want to know how tall the geo-grid wall is?  Each step is a foot and a half.  The wall currently stands are twelve feet!

This panorama shows the progress that has been made over the weeks at the 84 Lumber site:

Now, we move up the hill to the residential portion of Newbury.

Believe it or not, there is an articulated truck down in that hole!  This panorama shows the excavator is loading dirt into the back of the truck.  The articulated truck is in that hole on a haul road, which is actually at what will be the final elevation of the residential site!

This panorama shows what the final grade is and a close-up shot of the haul road.

This panorama shows the fill embankment.  It is in the middle of the first phase of the residential site!

Notice the rock underdrain to allow groundwater to flow down the hill below the fill embankment.  The gray pipe that is visible running along the slope collects any groundwater where the fill embankment ties back into the existing slope, and allows the water to drain to the rock underdrain.

This panorama shows the residential site from the very top, where some excavation has been completed!

And finally two overall progress shots looking down the hill at the commercial site.

First the panorama which was taken at the edge of what will be a cul-de-sac.

And the last panorama, which shows more of the construction equipment in motion!  It’s a pretty steep hill!

Here is a gallery of all the photos used in this blog entry (click on them to view the larger version).

“Positively Pittsburgh”

Recently, Pittsburghers have been enjoying being named “Best Sports City” by the Sporting News; but over the years, Pittsburgh has become the subject of countless accolades!  Whirl Magazine put together a “compendium of some of the city’s most brilliant accolades.”

Here are some of our favorites:

Pittsburgh has the best commercial real estate market in the country, according to Moody’s.  (2009)

Pittsburgh is one of America’s 25 Strongest Housing Markets,  according to Forbes.com.  (2009)

Pittsburgh is one of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Top 25 Solar America Cities.

Pittsburgh is the #1 Most Livable City in America, according to the Economist Magazine.  (2009)

Pittsburgh is #13 for Best Cities for Young Professionals, according to Forbes Magazine.  (2008)

Pittsburgh is one of the Smartest Places to Live in America, according to Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Magazine.  (2006)

Pittsburgh is the #1 Most Livable City in America, according to Places Rated Almanac.  (2007)

Pittsburgh is the #1 Most Romantic City for Baby Boomers, according to Sperling’s Best Places.  (2007)

Pittsburgh is the #1 Most Affordable City to Date according to Match.com.  (2009)

Pittsburgh is the #1 Tourist Destination, according to Frommer’s Travel Guides.  (2008)

Pittsburgh is one of the top 10 of the World’s Cleanest Cities, according to Forbes Magazine.  (2007)

Pittsburgh is #10 out of the 25 Best Walking Places in America, according to Prevention Magazine.  (2009)

Pittsburgh is #16 of the Fittest Cities in America, according to the American College of Sports and Medicine’s American Fitness Index.  (2009)

To read more about the great city of Pittsburgh, click here.

Get to Know Newbury: South Fayette HS Band Program

South Fayette High School takes great pride in its school district.  One shining star amongst this school district is its high school band program.  Affectionately known as “The Little Green Machine,” the Marching Band has been entertaining audiences with its high-energy dance-and-play concept and powerful sound for over sixty years.  Ever since the band’s creation in 1947, every element of every show has been created entirely by its members.

The South Fayette community takes pride in the tradition deeply rooted within its “Little Green Machine.”  In fact, much of what the band practices today has been passed down through generations of South Fayette students and directors, including its three-part audition process and “rookie” spot rotation.  Another key element of the “Little Green Machine” tradition requires all majorettes to successfully complete one full year as an instrumentalist in the band before auditioning to become a majorette.  Even after earning a spot as a majorette, each girl must maintain her skills in instrumental music performance, both in the concert band and every “Little Green Machine” performance by dropping her baton, picking up her instrument, and performing a number with the other band members.

It is through these very traditions that the South Fayette High School Band has earned its respect in the school, pride in the community, and reputation throughout Western Pennsylvania.

Newbury is proud to be apart of the same community as the “Little Green Machine!”

(Source)