BE Magazine - Volume 5, Issue 1 - (Page 33) GEOSPATIAL USACE Paves Way for Expansion MicroStation accelerates $370 million Fort Carson, Colo., Army base enlargement Danny Klima, PE U.S. Army Corps of Engineers W hen the Department of Defense’s Base Realignment and Closure Commission called for the shuttering of several U.S. bases in 2005, it meant expanding some bases that would remain open. One base that made the cut was Fort Carson, Colo., and as a result the Omaha District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is providing master planning for a $370 million Brigade Combat Team-Heavy (BCT-H) complex, which will provide living and working quarters for a heavy brigade unit being relocated to the installation. The complex is one of several projects to support a 9,000-troop increase at Fort Carson between fiscal years 2006 and 2009. The BCT-H project comprises five barracks, a brigade/battalion headquarters, a projects within a three-year period. An inhouse staff designed the road realignments and a motorpool complex using Bentley’s MicroStation and InRoads solutions. This helped to facilitate coordination between all of the projects. The barracks, brigade/battalion headquarters, and dining facility are being designed and constructed using design-build contracts. The $170 million motorpool complex comprises six separate motorpools with each motorpool supporting a different battalion. The size of each motorpool varies depending on the battalion’s function. The six motorpools are 1-1/2 miles long encompassing a 230-acre area. Each motorpool includes a company operations facility (COF), tactical equipment maintenance facility (TEMF), and storage building located within a concrete hardstand. The COFs provide administrative and supply facilities for unit personnel functions The motorpool’s concrete hardstand provides parking for over 1,800 tracked and wheeled tactical vehicles including Abrams tanks, Bradley fighting vehicles, HEMTTs, and HMMWVs. Located along the north side of the motorpools are eight privately owned vehicle (POV) parking areas that provide parking for 1,900 vehicles. A concrete road was constructed along the south side of the motorpools to provide access for tanks and other tactical vehicles between the motorpools and the existing tactical vehicleaccess road system. Accelerated roadways Before construction of the motorpool complex could begin, two major installation roads had to be relocated. They were separated into two projects in order to maintain traffic to installation areas. One of the road relocation projects required realignment of v USACE provided master planning for the complex and designed several of the projects in-house dining facility, and a motorpool complex. Additionally, two roads will be realigned and widened to increase traffic capacity, improve safety, and provide more efficient access to the new facilities. Incremental funding and contracting limitations required the entire complex to be designed and constructed in 11 separate and equipment storage. Each TEMF contains repair bays to service Army tactical equipment, and a core area that contains administrative, maintenance, and storage space. The team designed the motorpool complex to achieve a LEED Silver rating to meet the USACE’s sustainable design and development policy. the main drainage channel through the base as well as construction of a new bridge. A drainage-channel realignment required mitigating existing wetlands. Also, gas, electrical power, communications, sanitary sewer, and water utilities had to be relocated from the site of the motorpool complex. Design of the two road projects began Volume 5, Issue 1 | BE MAGAZINE 33 Leo A Daly
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