PRESIDENT'S COLUMN   I was first introduced to the contracting business about 20 years ago. Managing and bidding projects around the Bay Area and the Western United States, I frequently crossed paths with Underground Construction engineers and managers. As our paths crossed, I would often hear of the different types of projects that Underground was constructing all around the country. Whether it was airport projects in Dallas, mass transit projects in Atlanta, utility projects in Washington D.C. or downtown San Francisco, or industrial projects at the various Bay Area refineries, I was always intrigued by the versatility that this company possessed. About five years ago, I found out first hand how versatile the company is when I joined the Underground team. Underground's versatility is one of our greatest strengths. Being able to construct airport fueling facilities, heavy industrial civil installations, utility projects, or cable and conduit work for the telecommunication and electrical providers are what make this company unique. Being able to provide these services to our clients in a safe environment, at a fair price, and in a professional manner are what makes Underground a great company. Just take a look at some of our current projects. Several large aircraft fueling and fire protection projects are ongoing in Miami, Florida; nearly 5,000 miles away, we are installing a seven-mile fiber optic system in Hilo, Hawaii. In between Florida and Hawaii we are installing electrical facilities, steam lines, gas distribution systems, glycol facilities, communication systems, and more for over 25 clients. As we look into the future, we see that our versatility is the key to our success in terms of providing a service for our customers and providing a safe, stable, and progressive work environment for all of our employees. Chris Ronco Stanford University by Ben Lyon   Once again Underground Construction Co., Inc. is placing pre-cast utility corridors and steam lines at Stanford University. In the past, when a steam line would develop a leak, the entire line would have to be excavated and replaced. The Trenwa® pre-cast trench sections will now allow the University Steam Shop to access a portion of the line through the concrete lids for needed repairs without excavating the entire line. The project required almost 1,000 cubic yards of excavation to place 28, 10 feet long x 5 feet wide, 6,000-pound pre-cast trench sections. High clearance shoring jacks were employed to allow enough space below the shoring to place the pre-cast sections.  Superintendent Jeff Smith and his crew poured a concrete slab to sub-grade the length of the trench. Once the slab had cured the sections were placed on the slab and slurry backfilled. Next the crew placed an 8 inch steam line and a 4 inch condensate line on pipe supports and guides in the trench sections. The crews are now in the process of insulating the pipe, placing the lid sections on the trench, and backfilling the excavation. The lines will be flushed and tied-in right on schedule for the opening of the new Chem-Bio building. We thank Jeff Smith and his crew for working safely and keeping the project on schedule. Back to Top of Page