Waterproofing | Terra-Petra

31Aug2016

Mixed-use project, called Metropolis, is unprecedented for Downtown L.A.

August 31, 2016

building envelope, building waterproofing, los angeles, Terra-Petra City of Los Angeles, Environmental Construction, Environmental Engineering, Environmental Health, Uncategorized, Waterproofing

If you travel down through the Downtown LA area on a regular basis, you have probably noticed the every-changing skyline. As an environmental engineering firm, Terra-Petra is taking part with many of these new projects. One of which is called the Metropolis (you can't miss this large mixed-use community steadily growing along the 110 freeway). The Terra-Petra Waterproofing Division is consulting on the building envelope waterproofing system for the Metropolis project and inspecting all of the waterproofing as it gets installed.

Read more about Metropolis and other projects currently being led by Chinese developers in Downtown Los Angeles.

27Jun2016

Terra-Petra performs subterranean waterproofing inspections for new Academy Museum project

June 27, 2016

Terra-Petra

below grade, below grade waterproofing, city of Los Angeles, Environmental Construction, Environmental Engineering, Methane Barrier Installation, waterproofing City of Los Angeles, Construction Industry, Enivronmental Engineering, Terra-Petra News, Uncategorized, Waterproofing

Terra-Petra heads environmental engineering and waterproofing design, inspection and systems for the new $300-Million Academy Museum project at Wilshire and Fairfax Avenue which is slated to complete in 2018.

STEVEN SHARP
June 14, 2016 for Urbanize.LA.

Even June Gloom failed to put a damper on construction at the LACMA campus on the Miracle Mile, where the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' (AMPAS) long-awaited museum is well underway.

The $300-million undertaking, located at Wilshire Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue, will create a showcase for AMPAS' vast collection of filmmaking artifacts, including tens of thousands of still photographs, screenplays, production and costume design drawings, manuscripts and storyboards. These assets will be displayed through a series of galleries, exhibition spaces, educational spaces and on-site theaters.

The museum, designed by the famed Italian architect Renzo Piano, will restore the May Company Wilshire department store, a Streamline Moderne structure built in 1938. North of the historic building, the project will add an eye-catching spherical glass structure, replacing a surface parking lot and a 1946 annex to the department store.

Completion of the Academy Museum is expected in Spring 2018.

15Mar2016

Wilshire Grand Tower Topped Off March 2016 – Video Recap

March 15, 2016

Terra-Petra

Environmental Engineering, korean air, Los Angles, tallest building, Terra-Petra, Turner Construction, west, wilshire grand City of Los Angeles, Construction Industry, Environmental Construction, Environmental Engineering, Los Angeles Economy, Methane Mitigation Design Projects, Uncategorized, Waterproofing

Wilshire Grand Center is a 335-meter (1,099 ft) skyscraper under construction in the Financial District of Downtown Los Angeles, California. The tower will become the tallest building in Los Angeles, the tallest structure and the second tallest building west of the Mississippi River upon completion. The building will be part of a mixed-use hotel, retail, observation decks, shopping malls and office complex, expected to revitalize downtown Los Angeles and the area surrounding the building. The development of the complex is estimated to cost $1 billion. The plans currently include 67,000 square feet (6,225 m2) of retail, 677,000 square feet (62,895 m2) of Class A office space and 900 hotel rooms. InterContinental is the tower's hotel component, comprising 900 rooms and suites occupying the 38th to the 70th floors. Estimated date of completion March 8, 2017. Terra-Petra is proud to have been a part of this project during initial record concrete pour.

26Jan2016

Terra-Petra contributes to new projects transforming Downtown LA

As one of the most well-known environmental engineering and building waterproofing companies in the Los Angeles basin, Terra-Petra is currently working on or has completed some very high-profile projects in the Downtown LA area. Some of the most notable projects, among many others, include:

The Wilshire Grand Tower – the Wilshire Grand skyscraper will one day be the tallest west of Chicago. (Terra-Petra photo of project start to the right.)

The Metropolis, a $1B development is one of the largest mixed-use projects under construction on the West Coast.

Oceanwide Plaza will break ground in spring 2015. This $1B project will have a total of three towers and an expansive above-ground outdoor space. A five star hotel and 200k SF of commercial space will be included. There will be 504 condos and 183 hotel rooms.

South Park Mega-Project (Chinese developer Shenzhen Hazens) is a three towers along Figueroa Street across from L.A. Live. A 30-story hotel tower would rise at the northwest corner of Flower and Eleventh streets. A 30-story condo tower would be at Figueroa and Eleventh streets, and a 42-story condo tower would be at Figueroa and Olympic.

According to the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS), the "flurry of activity" in the recent years is defiantly the biggest construction boom they have witnessed since the 1980s.

However, LADBS does say that it is yet to be seen if it's the biggest boom in history or not.

Stay tuned.

4 DEVELOPMENTS THAT WILL TRANSFORM FIGUEROA
Los Angeles Mixed-Use Jan 14, 2016 Jerry Liu, Bisnow, LA

We already told you about some of the mega-projects that will reshape Sunset Boulevard, perhaps one of the most famous thoroughfares in the world. But if you're really following what's hot in LA, it's all about Downtown. So we decided to take a look at some of the developments that will reshape the future of one of Downtown's most notable streets:

1. Circa
Location: 1200 Figueroa Players: Hankey Investment, Jamison Services, Falcon California Investments, Highlands Capital, Harley Ellis Devereaux, LendLease. Completion date: Late 2017. The $500M project will build twin 35-story towers housing 648 luxury condos on top of a seven-story retail podium. There will also be 48k SF of retail and 1,770 parking spaces. This project broke ground in summer 2015 and features a curved glass look that offers a panoramic view of LA, and many other neighboring high-rises, including the Metropolis. Bisnow chatted with Hankey president Scott Dobbins this week to get the latest status update on the development.

2. Oceanwide Plaza
Location: Figueroa and 11th Players: Oceanwide Real Estate Group. Completion date: 2018, condos hit the market in 2017. Breaking ground in spring 2015, this $1B project will have a total of three towers and an expansive above-ground outdoor space. A five star hotel and 200k SF of commercial space will be included. There will be 504 condos and 183 hotel rooms total. Chinese firm Oceanwide had previously acquired the development from New York City-based Moinian Group. This will be the first real estate venture for Oceanwide outside China.

3. Shenzhen Hazens
Location: Entire block bounded by Figueroa, 11th Street, Flower Street and Olympic Boulevard Players: Shenzhen Hazens, Gensler Completion date: After 2020. It's no secret Chinese firms are transforming the LA landscape. Shenzhen Hazens will add to the mix with a $700M redevelopment in the Luxe Hotel area. The project plans to break ground in 2017 and will be split into two phases. Phase 1 would build two 30-story towers, one residential and one hotel. Phase 2 would completely replace the Luxe Hotel with a 42-story residential tower. Expect the finished mega-project to have 650 luxury condos, 250 hotel rooms and 80k SF of retail space. We caught up with Shenzhen Hazens Group executive project director Sonnet Hui recently to get more on the company's plans.

4. MyFigueroa
Location: Four miles of streets from Downtown LA to South LA. Players: LADOT, Troller Mayer Associates, Melendrez, GEHL Architects. Completion date: 2017. Promising to make it easier for transit and bicycle users, this project will start in late spring 2016 and complete in 2017 under a $20M budget. It will link USC and Exposition Park to Downtown LA with better signals, signage, crosswalks, transit platforms, bikeways and trees. There will be on-street, fully separated bike lanes on each side of Figueroa for 27 signalized intersections. There will also be a lot more accommodations for public transit, including for the Silver Line and the upcoming streetcar service.

3Mar2015

Terra-Petra’s Continuing Education in Waterproofing

March 3, 2015

Terra-Petra

below grade, building, envelope, Josh Heidt, waterproofing Terra-Petra News, Training and Continuing Education, Uncategorized, Waterproofing

Terra-Petra is committed to having the most knowledgeable CQA/CQC inspection crew in the industry and fully supports participation in both internal and external continuing education opportunities. This commitment was demonstrated last week, as Terra-Petra’s Senior Waterproofing Consultant Josh Heidt hosted our annual refresher course on Building Envelope Waterproofing Basics at our Downtown Los Angeles office (February 26, 2015).

The half-day course covered a variety of building waterproofing issues from the basement to the roof including subgrade prep, subterranean walls, decks, planters, air vapor barriers, doors and window flashings, roof assemblies, material terminations and tie-ins. The primary focus of the course was to identify and effectively mitigate potential trouble areas in the surface preparation and membrane and drainage installations. Josh explained the invaluable role of a waterproofing inspector on a project—it’s the inspector’s job to ensure that the building stays dry.

Josh Heidt offers over 25 years of experience in the waterproofing industry and has a wealth of knowledge to pass along having specified and designed numerous waterproofing systems for several high profile projects throughout the U.S. He’s currently serving as the lead consultant on numerous projects for Terra-Petra’s Waterproofing Division ranging from high-end single family homes in the Hollywood Hills to high-rises in Downtown Los Angeles. Josh knows what works, what doesn’t work, and why things don’t work. He is an amazing resource that our inspection crew took full advantage of by picking his brain with questions throughout the course.

During the presentation material samples were passed around, war stories were shared, many questions were asked, laughs were had by all and most importantly a lot of information was being processed and learned by the inspectors. Terra-Petra is fortunate to have such a knowledgeable, engaging and entertaining public speaker on our team to lead these important training and continuing education classes as well as to bring some fun to the learning process.

29Sep2014

Terra-Petra going “underground” (aka below grade) in Denver and beyond…

We are very excited about the new opportunities that have developed for Terra-Petra in the Denver area, as well as the state of Colorado, and other surrounding states including Wyoming, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, Nebraska, Kansas, and Oklahoma as of late. One of our key contacts that we met with is working for Haselden Construction out of Wyoming. The company is working on the final stages of a hospital building project in Laramie. Terra-Petra is looking to take on some potential future waterproofing design consulting projects with Haselden. We would also like to plan to work with Haselden in the Wyoming area and support them with more below grade waterproofing, as well as some environmental consulting needs in the near future.

It looks as though the “wild-west” area is booming again thanks to certain industries – particularly with regard to below grade waterproofing needs. There are also many construction sites that are subject to some sort of contamination issue due to the fact that Denver, for one, is growing very fast. Multi-unit housing complexes going up in droves to support (population) growth in this area. The oil, mining, and legal marijuana industries, in particular, are driving this kind of speedy growth.

To that end Denver appears to also have plenty of waterproofing requirements, but they also have their share of environmental concerns. However, the Denver area still does not have a tremendous amount of regulations in place with regard vapor barriers and mitigation systems (like there are in cities like in New York or Los Angeles). So owners/developers in the Denver, as well as in many of the surrounding (Rockies/Midwest) areas, are now in a rush (or will soon need to be in a rush) to put these specific measures in place for current/older and new buildings —and this will become more and more of a necessity in order to maintain the clean environmental conditions in the area(s). We all know that there are many environmentalists residing in places like Colorado, so the consensus is that it is just a matter of time before tighter measures and regulations are put into place and owner/developers will be required to go down certain mitigation paths to better conditions.

Terra-Petra is looking to be the “go-to” environmental engineering firm as the construction industry (in the “wild west” area) continues to catch on to a growing environmental protection concern where building and land development is concerned. Yes, there are plenty of big environmental engineering firms located in Denver including URS and AECOM. This indicates that there is a market for larger scale environmental projects now and on the horizon. It’s going to be another wild ride in the west!

15Sep2014

Family House Mission Bay, San Francisco breaks ground September 17th

September 15, 2014

Terra-Petra

below grade, Family House, Methaned Mitigraion, Mission Bay, San Francisco, Terra-Petra, waterproofing Methane Barrier Installation, Methane Mitigation Design Projects, Northern California Projects, Uncategorized, Waterproofing

We are very excited to be a part of this fantastic project. Terra-Petra will handle the methane mitigation as well as below grade waterproofing design and inspection.

Click on the image to download the entire San Francisco Business Times supplement.

17Feb2014

Terra-Petra boots-on-the-ground for World Record Concrete Pour DTLA Wilshire Grand

February 17, 2014

Terra-Petra

AC Martin, below grade waterproofing, concrete pour, Environmental Engineering, Korean Air Wilshire Grand, los angeles, Terra-Petra, Turner Construction, world record Environmental Construction, Environmental Engineering, Environmental Health, Events, Los Angeles Economy, Uncategorized, Waterproofing

Terra-Petra had "boots on the ground" during the record breaking concrete pour for the new Wilshire Grand Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles – February 16, 2014. We were charged with the responsibility of performing the below grade waterproofing system inspections during this world record pour. We would like to thank Korean Air, General Contractor – Turner Construction, and the design team led by AC Martin for allowing us to be part of this historic occasion.

22Dec2013

Terra-Petra named methane design engineer and subterranean waterproofing consultant for Korean Air Wilshire Grand project

Terra-Petra is proud to announce its role as the methane mitigation design engineer and subterranean waterproofing consultant for what will be the tallest building west of the Mississippi, the Korean Air Wilshire Grand project. Once completed, this 73 story skyscraper will top out at 1,100 feet tall and offer 5 levels of subterranean parking below grade. Earlier this year, Terra-Petra contracted with the prestigious architectural design firm of AC Martin Partners to prepare the methane mitigation and waterproofing system construction documents.

Terra-Petra had a very tight window in which to complete our design work, given the discovery of the methane mitigation design requirement only weeks before the foundation only permits were to be pulled. Fortunately, due to the strong capabilities of the Terra-Petra design team, we were able to deliver the necessary drawings on time in order to ennsure the project remained on schedule with no delays.

On November 21, 2013, Terra-Petra attended a pre-construction meeting, with Turner Construction, to discuss the installation of the methane mitigation/waterproofing system for the project (which is scheduled to start in December). Terra-Petra will also be performing the Deputy Methane Barrier Inspection (DMBI) work for the duration of this project.

“It's not every day that you get to say you had a hand in designing the tallest building west of the Mississippi. I am very appreciative of the opportunity that AC Martin has given Terra-Petra to be a part of this prestigious project. You never want to start behind the 8 ball and have to design to an extremely expedited schedule as we had on this project, but we did it! I feel that the work Terra-Petra has carried out is a testament to who we are as a company; knowledgeable, responsive, dedicated and really good at what we do. Needless to say I am very proud of my team," said Justin Conaway, Terra-Petra's Vice President and General Manager.

According to the Wilshre Grand Center's website: “Starting in 2012, the property at the site of the former Wilshire Grand Hotel will be cleared to make way for a visionary new hotel and mixed-use building. Under the leadership of Korean Air, the developer of the project, the new building will revitalize the property and allow the site to continue being the indelible landmark it has always been. Doors will open to L.A. and the world in 2017, building upon the Wilshire Grand’s rich history."

Additional highlights:

This innovative project will be a completely new and unique experience in Los Angeles’ downtown. When the doors open in 2017, the project will be one of the most advanced, sophisticated, sustainable and unique buildings in Southern California.
With a unique “sky lobby” offering unparalleled views of the city and a breathtaking infinity pool, the building will rise 73 stories in the air as Los Angeles’ second tallest building.
900 state-of-the-art hotel rooms, which will be operated by a flagship luxury hotel brand, will set a new standard for hospitality in Los Angeles.
400,000 square feet of Class ‘A’ office space will attract high-end business leaders and make the building a global engine for business.
45,100 square feet of new restaurant and retail space housing world-class restaurants will make this an epicurean delight and drive downtown’s food and cultural renaissance.
Pedestrian friendly access to downtown, as well as local and regional transit connections, will make the project a central and easily accessed location for visitors and Angelenos.
Innovative outdoor space and exterior plazas will invite guests and visitors to experience the true Los Angeles lifestyle and climate

For more information go to: www.wilshiregrandcenter.com.

Related articles and websites:

http://www.wilshiregrandcenter.com/
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-property-report-20130808,0,976227.story#axzz2lJN2SaRf

19Aug2013

Building Waterproofing Experts Project Update: Waterproofing System Design and Inspections in West Hollywood

August 19, 2013

Terra-Petra

City of Los Angeles, CQA, DMBI, Enivronmental Engineering, Terra-Petra News, Uncategorized, Waterproofing

Terra-Petra and Building Waterproofing Experts (BWE) provide the installation of a below grade waterproofing system designed for a proposed new hardware store at the corner of Melrose and Westmount in West Hollywood, California. Details and more photos on: Building Waterproofing Experts News Blog.

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