May 2005.
That was the month and year the Norfolk District began the Fort Belvoir Community Hospital construction project. On Aug. 31, ahead of the Sept. 15 Base Realignment and Closure deadline, this state-of-the-art hospital opened its doors to its first patient.
In fact, the first baby was born at FBCH at 4:33 p.m. Aug. 31.
What an accomplishment!
It took our team 46 months to build a hospital that normally takes 110 months to build.
After five years of construction we can see the finish line – the fruits of our labor. Fort Belvoir Community Hospital, or FBCH, is unique - the design integrates concepts of generous exposure to natural light. The site plan also incorporates fully and partially enclosed outdoor courtyards, landscaped with pedestrian paving, low maintenance planting, water features and other materials providing visual and healing comfort.
The Norfolk District has been managing the construction of the state-of-the-art hospital complex -- the hospital, a central energy plant, a new helipad, an ambulance shelter and parking for 3,500 cars.
The exterior includes a terra cotta rain-screen system, which is energy efficient and constructed rapidly (an important factor in an aggressive schedule). The installed rain-screen system is used to clad the exterior of the buildings and has a high insulating value, eliminates indoor mold and mildew, better dissipates heat, and is extremely low maintenance. With this design, 91% of water for landscaping comes from collected rainwater stored in the underground cistern, saving 1.6 million gallons of water a year.
Here are some things you might not know about this amazing facility:
• 200,000 cubic yards of soil were removed to build this hospital, which equals a line of dump trucks 240 miles long?
• It took 85,800 tons of concrete and 5,300 tons of steel to build this hospital
• Two trees were replanted for each tree removed due to construction
• 92% of construction waste was recycled
• There are 5,642 miles of wire and 40 miles of duct within the ceilings, walls, and floors, which equals the distance from Norfolk to Los Angeles ... and back
Evidenced-based Design (Design decisions based on the best available research)
• Light-filled, color-driven signage with “You are Here” campus maps
• Bedside patients control their environment
• Natural, simulated indoor-outdoor nature views promote stress reduction
• Green roofing nature views reduce storm water, temperature spikes
• 60% of site restored with native, adaptive plants
• 4,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions avoided annually
Annual Sustainable Return on Investment
• Energy reduction: $1,284.097
• Water reduction: $474,470
• Greenhouse gas savings: $163,461
• Air Pollutants Savings: $558,039
It’s the teamwork -- the can-do spirit, expertise and dedication -- that made this project successful. We'll always be proud to have been part of the FBCH team!
Showing posts with label U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Show all posts
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Friday, August 19, 2011
Building Strong at Joint Base Langley-Eustis
The Norfolk District’s sustainable design and construction program has just completed two significant new construction projects associated with Base Realignment and Closure 2005 at Joint Base Langley-Eustis. Both were designed and constructed to the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environment Design, or LEED, Silver rating standards or better. These projects are the new U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, or TRADOC, Headquarters and the Joint Task Force – Civil Support facility.
Our customers are receiving substantial benefits that include significant reductions in energy, water and resource consumption. That translates into a large cost savings over the life span of the new buildings. Most importantly, reducing the demand for resources and energy means scarce resources and dollars are available for other military missions.
Here are a few examples of significant savings for these two projects:
Energy Savings
•BRAC 2005 facilities at Fort Eustis are projected to save 1.14 million kilowatt-hours of electricity and more than 7.2 billion Btu of natural gas each year compared to traditional building practices. That’s enough electricity and gas savings to heat, cool and power 100 homes for a year.
•At current energy costs, BRAC 2005 facilities at Fort Eustis are projected to save $143,000 per year.
Water Savings
•The water-saving designs for BRAC 2005 facilities at Fort Eustis are projected to save 1.1 million gallons of water compared to traditional building practices.
•At current potable water costs, this is the equivalent of more than $6,000 per year in water cost savings.
Use of Recycled and Regional Building Materials
•The value of recycled content used in building materials on these facilities was more than $3.5 million.
•The value of regional building materials (materials that were extracted, harvested, processed, manufactured and transported from within 500 miles of the project site) used on these facilities represents close to a $5 million impact on the regional economy.
Resource Recycling
•The use of aggressive construction waste reduction and recycling programs resulted in the elimination of 13,500 tons of construction waste (the equivalent of more than 1,000 trash trucks) that otherwise would have gone to landfills.
This is just another example of the difference the Corps (and our team at the Norfolk District) makes in our community. For more information about the Joint Base Langley-Eustis projects, visit our website at http://www.nao.usace.army.mil/
Our customers are receiving substantial benefits that include significant reductions in energy, water and resource consumption. That translates into a large cost savings over the life span of the new buildings. Most importantly, reducing the demand for resources and energy means scarce resources and dollars are available for other military missions.
Here are a few examples of significant savings for these two projects:
Energy Savings
•BRAC 2005 facilities at Fort Eustis are projected to save 1.14 million kilowatt-hours of electricity and more than 7.2 billion Btu of natural gas each year compared to traditional building practices. That’s enough electricity and gas savings to heat, cool and power 100 homes for a year.
•At current energy costs, BRAC 2005 facilities at Fort Eustis are projected to save $143,000 per year.
Water Savings
•The water-saving designs for BRAC 2005 facilities at Fort Eustis are projected to save 1.1 million gallons of water compared to traditional building practices.
•At current potable water costs, this is the equivalent of more than $6,000 per year in water cost savings.
Use of Recycled and Regional Building Materials
•The value of recycled content used in building materials on these facilities was more than $3.5 million.
•The value of regional building materials (materials that were extracted, harvested, processed, manufactured and transported from within 500 miles of the project site) used on these facilities represents close to a $5 million impact on the regional economy.
Resource Recycling
•The use of aggressive construction waste reduction and recycling programs resulted in the elimination of 13,500 tons of construction waste (the equivalent of more than 1,000 trash trucks) that otherwise would have gone to landfills.
This is just another example of the difference the Corps (and our team at the Norfolk District) makes in our community. For more information about the Joint Base Langley-Eustis projects, visit our website at http://www.nao.usace.army.mil/
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Fort Lee Takes the Gold
The Norfolk District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers continues to work hard to successfully design, implement and execute a robust program at all levels of project planning design and construction to ensure the armed forces are getting the full value and benefits they deserve. The 2005 Base Realignment and Closure, or BRAC, created a more than $1.2 billion surge in construction at Fort Lee near Richmond, Va.
The mandatory completion deadline for BRAC projects is September 15, 2011 - a date that is a little more than two months away. I am proud to say the projects at Fort Lee have met that deadline. Over 20 construction projects consisting of 40 major facilities include headquarters, dining halls, general and specialized instruction, field training, dormitories (student barracks), retail and athletic complexes, medical and military offices, site infrastructure and bridges, were built.
With that distinction of providing a service to the proud men and women who serve in uniform, also came the first LEED Gold certification for the North Atlantic Division.
The USGBC’s Green Building Certification Institute, or GBCI, awarded the Air Force/Navy Dining Facility with a LEED Gold certification in November 2010. The project was constructed by a service disabled veteran small business owner.
Five more projects are currently on‐track to achieve a LEED Gold certification from GBCI. Additionally, program managers here have created, reviewed and monitored the execution of sustainable design and construction guidelines and compliance documentation across all the BRAC military facilities projects.
The tangible benefits delivered to the armed forces are substantial! While LEED Gold and Silver certified projects are important honors and recognitions of achievement, the armed forces and Norfolk District customers are receiving significant reductions in energy, water, and resource consumption and large cost savings associated with reduced energy demand over the life span of the new buildings. Most importantly, a reduction of demand for resources and energy results in more scarce resources and dollars being available for key military mission requirements.
Some of those energy, water and recycled savings include:
• BRAC 2005 facilities at Fort Lee are projected to save nearly 14 million kilo watt hours of electricity and more than 520,000 Therms (52 Billion BTUs) of natural gas per year than would be the case if traditional building practices were used. It's enough electricity and gas savings to heat, cool and power a large subdivision of 1,200 homes for a year.
• At current energy costs, BRAC 2005 facilities at Fort Lee are projected to save an estimated $1.4 million per year in total energy cost savings.
• BRAC 2005 facilities at Fort Lee are projected to save 30 million gallons of water per year than would be the case if traditional building practices had been used.
• At current potable water costs, this is the equivalent of $150,000 per year in water cost savings.
• The value of recycled content used in building materials on these facilities was nearly $46 million.
• The value of regional building materials (materials that were extracted, harvested, processed, manufactured and transported from within 500 miles of the project site) used on these facilities represents more than a $63 million impact on the regional economy.
• The use of aggressive construction waste reduction and construction waste recycling programs resulted in the elimination of 75,000 tons of construction waste (the equivalent of more than 5,600 trash trucks) that otherwise would have gone to landfills.
The mandatory completion deadline for BRAC projects is September 15, 2011 - a date that is a little more than two months away. I am proud to say the projects at Fort Lee have met that deadline. Over 20 construction projects consisting of 40 major facilities include headquarters, dining halls, general and specialized instruction, field training, dormitories (student barracks), retail and athletic complexes, medical and military offices, site infrastructure and bridges, were built.
With that distinction of providing a service to the proud men and women who serve in uniform, also came the first LEED Gold certification for the North Atlantic Division.
The USGBC’s Green Building Certification Institute, or GBCI, awarded the Air Force/Navy Dining Facility with a LEED Gold certification in November 2010. The project was constructed by a service disabled veteran small business owner.
Five more projects are currently on‐track to achieve a LEED Gold certification from GBCI. Additionally, program managers here have created, reviewed and monitored the execution of sustainable design and construction guidelines and compliance documentation across all the BRAC military facilities projects.
The tangible benefits delivered to the armed forces are substantial! While LEED Gold and Silver certified projects are important honors and recognitions of achievement, the armed forces and Norfolk District customers are receiving significant reductions in energy, water, and resource consumption and large cost savings associated with reduced energy demand over the life span of the new buildings. Most importantly, a reduction of demand for resources and energy results in more scarce resources and dollars being available for key military mission requirements.
Some of those energy, water and recycled savings include:
• BRAC 2005 facilities at Fort Lee are projected to save nearly 14 million kilo watt hours of electricity and more than 520,000 Therms (52 Billion BTUs) of natural gas per year than would be the case if traditional building practices were used. It's enough electricity and gas savings to heat, cool and power a large subdivision of 1,200 homes for a year.
• At current energy costs, BRAC 2005 facilities at Fort Lee are projected to save an estimated $1.4 million per year in total energy cost savings.
• BRAC 2005 facilities at Fort Lee are projected to save 30 million gallons of water per year than would be the case if traditional building practices had been used.
• At current potable water costs, this is the equivalent of $150,000 per year in water cost savings.
• The value of recycled content used in building materials on these facilities was nearly $46 million.
• The value of regional building materials (materials that were extracted, harvested, processed, manufactured and transported from within 500 miles of the project site) used on these facilities represents more than a $63 million impact on the regional economy.
• The use of aggressive construction waste reduction and construction waste recycling programs resulted in the elimination of 75,000 tons of construction waste (the equivalent of more than 5,600 trash trucks) that otherwise would have gone to landfills.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Update from the 2011 Environment Virginia Symposium
At Environment Virginia Symposium 2011 with most of the Water Resources Division and the entire Regulatory Branch. I’m proud of our team – it’s clear they are well respected throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia. It’s great to have them in a collaborative forum to share their experience and good ideas. I always learn a lot from them.
The Symposium is off to a great start and our VMI hosts have done a fabulous job again this year!
It was nice to run into our friends at the Virginia Department of Natural Resources and especially Secretary Doug Domenech and Assistant Secretary Anthony Moore.
I look forward to introducing Assistant Secretary Moore tomorrow during the Plenary Session on the Chesapeake Bay and the Virginia Watershed Implementation Plan.
COL Andy Backus
The Symposium is off to a great start and our VMI hosts have done a fabulous job again this year!
It was nice to run into our friends at the Virginia Department of Natural Resources and especially Secretary Doug Domenech and Assistant Secretary Anthony Moore.
I look forward to introducing Assistant Secretary Moore tomorrow during the Plenary Session on the Chesapeake Bay and the Virginia Watershed Implementation Plan.
COL Andy Backus
Friday, March 25, 2011
We Are Norfolk District
It's a question I'm asked a lot -- by family, friends, even by people I meet at the local supermarket. In fact, I suspect we'll hear it many times at upcoming events such as the Environment Virginia Symposium, AirPower Over Hampton Roads, and the Virginia State Fair.
What does the Norfolk District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers do, exactly?
Truth be told, I can hardly contain my enthusiasm as I launch into the Corps' storied history and explain how the men and women of our district continue the legacy of service to the Commonwealth of Virginia and the nation through programs that range from environmental restoration to military construction.
It's a mission so complex and diverse that there is no easy answer, no 30-second sound bite that ties it all into a neat little package. Yes, it's science and engineering, but it's also real estate and contracting and so much more ...
What does the Norfolk District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers do, exactly?
Truth be told, I can hardly contain my enthusiasm as I launch into the Corps' storied history and explain how the men and women of our district continue the legacy of service to the Commonwealth of Virginia and the nation through programs that range from environmental restoration to military construction.
It's a mission so complex and diverse that there is no easy answer, no 30-second sound bite that ties it all into a neat little package. Yes, it's science and engineering, but it's also real estate and contracting and so much more ...
In formal settings such as civic group meetings and new employee orientation, the answer to the question came as a 45-minute slide presentation that often reduced our fascinating mission to bullets and images that left the audience stifling yawns. Even the most enthusiastic audience only has so much tolerance for slides, right?
So, we made a video.
Now, our story is told by real employees: the people who live and work in your communities, the people who execute these missions every day, the people I'm privileged to lead, the people who serve YOU.
They are the Norfolk District.
I invite you to take a look and leave feedback. You can find the HD version of "We Are Norfolk District" here.
Building Strong
COL Andy Backus
Friday, March 12, 2010
Creating a new era of water resource management
It all started with a simple question: How can the Norfolk District best deliver enduring and essential water resource solutions through collaboration with partners and stakeholders?
That particular question was posed by none other than the U.S. Army’s Chief of Engineers and Commanding General of the U.S Army Corps of Engineers Lt. Gen. Robert L. "Van" Van Antwerp, when he introduced the Corps’ Campaign Plan.
For the uninitiated, the USACE Campaign Plan is the organization’s guiding document -– a roadmap for establishing our priorities, focusing our transformation initiatives, measuring and guiding our progress, and adapting to the needs of the future.
Under the second goal of that plan, Corps employees are charged with delivering enduring and essential water resource solutions through collaboration with partners and stakeholders –- and that’s precisely what prompted the question.
In truth, most of my senior managers believe the district has a long, successful history of achieving that goal and I agree with them; however, we all agree that there’s room for improving our organizational synergy and collaboration, and establishing a holistic watershed approach.
Let me explain.
The Corps began its water resources program in 1824, when Congress first appropriated money for improving river navigation. This act laid the foundation for the growth of perhaps the largest water resources development agency in the world. Since then, the Corps has been involved in navigation, flood risk management, dam and levee operations and maintenance, hurricane response, coastal protection, supporting inland and port navigation, environmental protection, aquatic ecosystem restoration, water supply and recreation.
Yet, for the long history of accomplishment in these areas, there’s been no single champion for water resources issues within the Norfolk District. Instead, these efforts were traditionally spread amongst two divisions and three branches: the Planning and Policy Branch, the Regulatory Branch and the Operations Branch.
That all changes this spring, when the Norfolk District brings those three branches together under a newly formed Water Resources Division.
On the surface, this may seem like a simple organizational realignment, but the reality is that we’re creating an entirely new community of practice of scientists, engineers, program managers and technical experts focused on water resource management issues.
This group, headed by a senior federal civilian employee on my executive staff, will focus its energies on collaborative, holistic management of the James, Rappahannock, York and Chowan River basins, and the small coastal basins for which Norfolk District is responsible –- a move that affects roughly 60 percent of Virginia’s geography and about 49 percent of its population!
I am excited by this change and look forward to hearing suggestions from our customers, partners and stakeholders on how this new division can better meet their needs.
Building Strong!
COL Andy Backus
USACE Campaign Plan
http://www.usace.army.mil/about/campaignplan/Pages/Home.aspx
That particular question was posed by none other than the U.S. Army’s Chief of Engineers and Commanding General of the U.S Army Corps of Engineers Lt. Gen. Robert L. "Van" Van Antwerp, when he introduced the Corps’ Campaign Plan.
For the uninitiated, the USACE Campaign Plan is the organization’s guiding document -– a roadmap for establishing our priorities, focusing our transformation initiatives, measuring and guiding our progress, and adapting to the needs of the future.
Under the second goal of that plan, Corps employees are charged with delivering enduring and essential water resource solutions through collaboration with partners and stakeholders –- and that’s precisely what prompted the question.
In truth, most of my senior managers believe the district has a long, successful history of achieving that goal and I agree with them; however, we all agree that there’s room for improving our organizational synergy and collaboration, and establishing a holistic watershed approach.
Let me explain.
The Corps began its water resources program in 1824, when Congress first appropriated money for improving river navigation. This act laid the foundation for the growth of perhaps the largest water resources development agency in the world. Since then, the Corps has been involved in navigation, flood risk management, dam and levee operations and maintenance, hurricane response, coastal protection, supporting inland and port navigation, environmental protection, aquatic ecosystem restoration, water supply and recreation.
Yet, for the long history of accomplishment in these areas, there’s been no single champion for water resources issues within the Norfolk District. Instead, these efforts were traditionally spread amongst two divisions and three branches: the Planning and Policy Branch, the Regulatory Branch and the Operations Branch.
That all changes this spring, when the Norfolk District brings those three branches together under a newly formed Water Resources Division.
On the surface, this may seem like a simple organizational realignment, but the reality is that we’re creating an entirely new community of practice of scientists, engineers, program managers and technical experts focused on water resource management issues.
This group, headed by a senior federal civilian employee on my executive staff, will focus its energies on collaborative, holistic management of the James, Rappahannock, York and Chowan River basins, and the small coastal basins for which Norfolk District is responsible –- a move that affects roughly 60 percent of Virginia’s geography and about 49 percent of its population!
I am excited by this change and look forward to hearing suggestions from our customers, partners and stakeholders on how this new division can better meet their needs.
Building Strong!
COL Andy Backus
USACE Campaign Plan
http://www.usace.army.mil/about/campaignplan/Pages/Home.aspx
Monday, August 10, 2009
Welcome!
Welcome to the Norfolk District blog!
It’s been said that emerging media provides the forums that make up the 21st Century town square, where people exchange ideas and information and debate the hot topics of the day.
I’ve asked for this forum to serve exactly that purpose. Through this site, Norfolk District leaders will join me in sharing our ideas and questions, both great and small, with you: employees, supervisors, retirees, family members, friends, customers, partners and stakeholders.
It’s my goal to create the kind of open, honest dialog that makes the Norfolk District a better place to work and helps us deliver creative, sustainable solutions to our customers, partners and stakeholders.
This is your direct line to me, and I look forward to your comments and feedback.
Colonel Andrew W. Backus, P.E.
District Commander
Norfolk District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
It’s been said that emerging media provides the forums that make up the 21st Century town square, where people exchange ideas and information and debate the hot topics of the day.
I’ve asked for this forum to serve exactly that purpose. Through this site, Norfolk District leaders will join me in sharing our ideas and questions, both great and small, with you: employees, supervisors, retirees, family members, friends, customers, partners and stakeholders.
It’s my goal to create the kind of open, honest dialog that makes the Norfolk District a better place to work and helps us deliver creative, sustainable solutions to our customers, partners and stakeholders.
This is your direct line to me, and I look forward to your comments and feedback.
Colonel Andrew W. Backus, P.E.
District Commander
Norfolk District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
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