Flatiron Construction Corp. has distinguished itself as one of the leading infrastructure builders in America.

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One of the greatest strengths of the Roman Empire was its infrastructure – the reason for the saying “all roads lead to Rome” is that because, for a time, it was true. Our nation’s infrastructure is no less important today, and for that reason having a contractor like Flatiron Construction Corp. that matches the scope of its capabilities with the depth of its dedication is just as vital.

Based in Colorado, Flatiron has grown from a small local construction firm into one of the nation’s best-known names in heavy civil construction. The company credits its entrepreneurial spirit and innovation for the growth it has experienced as well as the portfolio of successful projects it has accumulated over the years. Throughout the United States and western Canada, Flatiron has developed a strong reputation for building roads and highways, bridges, transit and rail projects, airports, utility work and electrical projects. The company was founded in 1947, and takes its name from the unique rock formations found near Boulder, Colo. Flatiron’s current headquarters is in Longmont, Colo.

In addition to being capable of building many different types of projects, Flatiron has the capability to build them through a variety of delivery methods. These include design/build, bid/build and public-private partnerships (P3). No matter how the project is brought in, Flatiron says its commitment to working closely with the other stakeholders remains the same.

“At Flatiron, we partner with clients and other stakeholders to develop the kind of close, mutually beneficial working relationships that lead to shared success,” the company says. “In recent years, Flatiron has been recognized by the AGC of California and the AGC of America with partnering awards on various projects.

“When the size or complexity of a project requires a joint venture, Flatiron teams with other industry leaders whose capabilities supplement our own,” the company adds. “Forming a successful joint venture and choosing the right team is a skill that Flatiron has developed over decades.”

At the same time, Flatiron says it is more than capable of tackling any project itself, and says its versatility is what gives it this strength. “The best way to control a project's safety, cost, schedule and quality is to perform as much of the work as possible with your own forces,” the company says.

“At Flatiron, our broad range of abilities allows us not only to build most of our work with our own team of craft labor, foremen, engineers and superintendents, but also to self-perform critical tasks for cost and quality control, as well as to improve safety. This philosophy allows us to properly assess risk and consistently deliver on even the most technically difficult and complex infrastructure projects.”

Bigger Than Ever
Flatiron and large-scale infrastructure projects have gone hand-in-hand for years, but a pair of the company’s latest stand out as big ones even by Flatiron’s standards. The Northwest Anthony Henday Drive project in Edmonton, Alberta, is a nearly $1 billion (Canadian) project also known as the North Edmonton Ring Road. Project Manager Terry Poole says the project is one of the company’s largest to date, spanning 13 miles of new highway with nine interchanges, four flyovers and two railway crossings.

The project is being built as a design/build P3, and Flatiron is serving as the manager on the P3 team, known as NorthwestConnect. Flatiron’s portion of the design/build contract is 66 percent. Construction began in August 2008, and Poole says the project is currently on track to be completed in November 2011.

The fact that Flatiron took on such an enormous project shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone, Poole says. “We go after the big heavy civil projects across the continent, and we also just happened to be 200 and some miles south of here on the Calgary Ring Road project,” he says. “So, it was a much easier endeavor to continue to pursue the opportunities here in Edmonton. It is the type of project that we feel we’re experienced at and have knowledge of.”

Flatiron’s experience in this type of project has helped it overcome the challenges posed by its sheer scope so far, according to Poole. “It’s a much more detailed utility relocation,” he says. “There’s a lot of deep utilities, lots of major utilities, high-voltage power lines, deep gas lines and deep water lines.”
To make all of this work more manageable for the joint venture team, Poole says, Flatiron has created a series of “mini-projects. We’ve broken the job up into various segments, and managed those segments individually.”

The other thing for Flatiron to consider has been the climate, but Poole says the company is prepared to work through the often-harsh winter by keeping the concrete heated if necessary. “The weather up here in Edmonton is always a challenge,” he says. “Obviously, we have to hope for it to stay friendly enough.”

Another huge project Flatiron recently sunk its teeth in is also in western Canada, this time in Vancouver, British Columbia. Flatiron is part of the joint venture team building the Port Mann Bridge project on Highway 1 over the Fraser River. The $1.9 billion project will increase the bridge’s capacity from five lanes to 10 lanes, as well as upgrade 23 miles of Highway 1 on each side of the river. “The new bridge will alleviate the nearly 14 hours of traffic congestion on the existing bridge and reduce travel times by up to 30 percent,” the company says.

The Port Mann Bridge project is being funded by public toll money, and is part of a larger program in the province to address congestion. It is expected to be completed by 2013.

Fully Capable
Projects such as these demonstrate Flatiron’s ability and philosophy, the company says. It says the secret to its success has been to carefully refine its processes over the years. “Flatiron has worked for a wide range of clients for more than six decades,” the company says. “We have a strong management team and proven procedures that have enabled us to safely deliver projects on time and on budget. Flatiron has created and refined the processes essential to successful project delivery.”

This extends beyond the basic general contracting skills the company has, but also has led to Flatiron’s sophisticated systems and processes in other areas, as well. For example, the company says its construction management services draw upon its years of experience in order to provide its partners in the project – the owner and designer – with the full benefit of a seasoned contractor.

“This approach enables owners to benefit from designer and contractor expertise at an early stage in the procurement process, ensuring maximum opportunities for value-engineering,” the company says. “Because relationships are established early, the team forms a true partnership that can be carried all the way through construction and project completion.”

In the realm of design/build projects, Flatiron says its long-standing partnerships with many well-known architecture firms give it an understanding of the process and an available resource that other contractors can’t match. “We have built strong relationships with many of the nation’s top design firms and partner with designers best suited for [the] project,” the company says. “We have extensive experience working with many of this nation’s top design firms and continue to form partnerships that provide clients with top-notch design/build teams.”

The Northwest Anthony Henday Drive project in Edmonton is just one of Flatiron’s successful P3 projects, and the company says it is one of the few American firms to offer extensive experience in this emerging delivery method. “Flatiron is one of a handful of U.S.-based companies uniquely positioned to offer substantial experience leading the design/build portion of a [P3] team, both during procurement as well as during the design/build phase,” the company says.

Flatiron’s engineering capabilities also allow it to provide the best service to clients by giving it a strong technical background through which it can understand the client’s requirements. “Behind every major project stands an engineer, or several,” the company says. “At Flatiron, our engineers have developed creative solutions for some of the most complex issues our clients face. We specialize in value-engineering – working together to find the most cost-effective way to meet project challenges.”

Safety First
Flatiron has the capabilities to handle practically any infrastructure project, but the company acknowledges that none of this is important unless the company works with safety at the forefront of its thinking. “The safety of our employees, clients, subcontractors and the public is the core value of the organization,” the company says. “We empower every employee with the responsibility of maintaining safe job sites.”

The company’s safety program has been recognized many times by the Associated General Contractors of America as one of the best in the nation. It is comprised of several components that focus on specific employee groups and processes. These include all-company safety stand-down meetings designed to create safety awareness, foremen training programs and employee fitness initiatives.

Additionally, each project the company works on features a white board that displays the five highest safety risks for that particular job site. When employees witness something on the job site that goes against the company’s safety training, Flatiron’s “Don’t Walk By” program gives them the authority to stop whatever it is that’s happening and encourages them to take the responsibility to encourage each other to work safely.

“When it comes to safety, Flatiron emphasizes communication, responsibility, accountability, safety procedures, and training and education,” the company says. “Additionally, Flatiron continually strives to improve the quality of existing safety programs, like job hazard analyses, documentation of risk assessments, and subcontractor safety orientation and control.”

The responsibility of improving the quality of the safety programs belongs to Flatiron’s executive safety committee, which is made up of executives from several different divisions.

“The purpose of this committee is to promote and improve company safety culture from the top down and to be in compliance with all OSHA and CalOSHA regulations, as well as the Canadian Safety orders, ultimately ensuring the safety of our employees, subcontractors and others on our projects,” the company says. “This committee reviews new programs or policies that affect the safety culture of Flatiron and tracks the safety activities of managers to ensure they are meeting their safety guide goals.

“Because the committee has members from different divisions, they are able to maintain a centralized focus and view safety from a company-wide perspective,” the company adds. The effectiveness of Flatiron’s safety programs is measured through internal analysis as well as through external evaluations.

“Flatiron also promotes safety internally by recognizing people and project teams that have achieved zero recordable or lost-time incidents,” according to the company. “Flatiron's Stan Washkevich Award is presented annually to the individuals who have done the most to provide a safe environment in which to work, and safety is always highlighted in our quarterly newsletter, Structurally Speaking.”

Giving Back
Although the company is primarily known for the contributions it makes to North America’s infrastructure, Flatiron also contributes some of its time and resources to worthy causes outside of the construction industry, whether through company-sponsored initiatives or through supporting individual employees.

“Flatiron recognizes the importance of giving back to the community and makes it a priority to be involved with the areas in which we live and work,” the company says.

These initiatives have included a college scholarship program that provides worthy Southern California high school students with a chance for a $10,000 scholarship and an internship with Flatiron. “Over the course of the program, the selected students attend classes taught by Flatiron engineers and complete several projects. Participants submit a final essay on what they learned and how they benefited from the program,” the company says.

Another program found the company assisting elementary school students in California with a bridge-building project. Flatiron engineers helped the students build structurally sound bridges using popsicle sticks and then tested them to see which ones could hold the most. “The students had fun, and so did we,” the company says.

After helping to rebuild the I-35W bridge in Minneapolis, Flatiron became one of the largest donors to the memorial for the 13 people who were killed when the original bridge collapsed in 2007. Along with initiatives such as these, the company also supports the efforts of employees who participate in various community fundraisers.

“Over the past 60 years, Flatiron has supported hundreds of worthy causes, and we are committed to continuing our tradition of giving back to the communities in which we live and work,” the company says.