Davis Constructors and Engineers is honored to be the winner of two Excellence in Construction Awards for our work on the SWS Central Transfer Station for Meeting the Challenge of a Job Over $15 Million — Vertical Building and Sustainability.
The Solid Waste Services Jack E. McAllister Central Transfer Station is a $93 million, three year and 26 acre project that included spaces for residential and commercial waste disposal, administration offices, and trash collection fleet operation. The entire project spanned seven buildings and is anchored by a 97,000 square foot tipping facility. The goal of the transfer station was to extend the life of the current landfill into the 2070s and is envisioned to increase the Municipality of Anchorage’s landfill diversion efforts over the next 50 years. The project is the municipality’s largest Construction Manager at Risk, or CMAR, project, which allowed construction to begin early and run parallel with design revisions.
Three pre-engineered metal buildings (PEMBs)–Alaska’s largest span of pre-engineered metal buildings through creative design selections–reduced steel costs by $6 million, and approximately 8,000 square feet of steel armor plating along the tipping wall interior, reinforced with nearly 2,500 linear feet of welding, underscored the project’s commitment to structural integrity and durability.
Throughout the entire process, the longevity and sustainability of the new state-of-the-art Central Transfer Station was our number one priority. The new facility prioritizes user-friendliness for Anchorage residents and collection agencies. It accommodates SWS Collection Vehicles, third-party Commercial Collection Vehicles, commercial Contractor Vehicles, and private sector Residential Vehicles, offering convenient waste management for solid waste, recyclable materials, household hazardous waste, and white goods, with a strong emphasis on material diversion and reuse options.
Davis ensured that the Central Transfer Station itself was more sustainable by incorporating insulated metal panels for thermal resistance and maintaining stable indoor temperatures, capstone microturbines that convert a high percentage of fuel into electricity, solar panels, and electrical charging stations. In an attempt to expedite the drop off process, and help cut emission costs, we added additional bays within the Central Transfer building, and angled them in such a way to allow for easier access both in and out of the space, thus decreasing turnaround time. The old transfer station had a life span of some twenty years and took in 80 percent of Anchorage’s trash. That combination proved deadly, not just for the city’s infrastructure, but also for the city’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions, of which had increased due to commercial waste haulers and residents increased drive time from the Glenn Highway into the old transfer station in Anchorage. This new, larger transfer station preserves the life of the landfill, while simultaneously making space, through recycling and reusing, for new ways to reduce the amount of waste that gets tossed into the landfill.
The Parker, Smith & Feek Excellence in Construction Awards are given in recognition of exceptional projects completed by contractors and presented at the annual AGC of Alaska Conference. Davis submitted a package on the projects for consideration and was judged against others in their respective categories by independent industry professionals. Davis’ submissions were reviewed on the following criteria: meeting the challenge of a difficult job, excellence in project management, contractor’s innovation in construction techniques or materials, contractor’s state of the art advancement, contractor’s sensitivity to the environment & surroundings, excellence in client service, and the contractor’s contribution to the community.
Read more about the awards in the latest issue of AGC Magazine here: