Massive Pentagon renovation completed; seen as model for other federal projects

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Drew Ballensky is general manager of Duro-Last Roofing, Inc.’s central U.S. facility in Iowa and company spokesman for Duro-Last’s cool roofing, sustainability and architectural education programs. He is past-president of the Chemical Fabrics and Film Association and chairman of CFFA’s Vinyl Roofing Division. Drew earned his bachelor’s degree in industrial technology from the University of Northern Iowa and master’s degree in business administration from Florida State University. Drew has over 29 years experience in business and industry in various engineering and managerial capacities. He has worked in the U.S. and Canadian operations for a major international manufacturer of pre-engineered steel buildings, was a financial analyst with a major athletic apparel manufacturer and was an owner of a general contracting company.

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June 29, 2011

The remaking of the 6.5 million-sf Pentagon building is complete—17 years after it began. The renovation of the world’s largest office building was completed ahead of schedule and below cost. The project, a complete interior transformation, is considered such a success that its design-build techniques have influenced other federal projects. (http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/after-17-years-pentagon-renovatio...) The Arlington, Va. structure was gutted and rebuilt from slab to ceiling in five phases, one for each section of the building. “We took the building apart and put it together again, with 20,000 people sitting in it,” said Lee Evey, who oversaw the effort for five years. Improvements and upgrades include: • Installation of about 177 miles of cable tray to carry wiring. • Installation of 70 passenger elevators. • Construction of an airy two-story dining atrium of terrazzo, stainless steel, and glass. • Complete upgrade of electric and communications utilities. The Pentagon had not met National Electrical Code standards since 1953, and it averaged 20 to 30 power failures a day before the project.


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Comments on: "Massive Pentagon renovation completed; seen as model for other federal projects"

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Comparisons of construction

Submitted by Concrete Pump Supply (not verified) on Tue, 2011-07-12 12:52.

I wonder if there are any documents comparing the past structural design of the building and innovations now used on the most recent renovation. It would be interesting to see what new innovations were integrated into this project that didn't exist when it was originally constructed. Would also be interested in what the man power numbers were to get this project completed. Very impressive.

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Wow, all of that and under

Submitted by Greg on Sat, 2011-07-09 08:32.

Wow, all of that and under budget. This is a model for many construction projects around the country. This was a great story to read this morning. Congratulations on the finalization and hopefully no more power outages.