In addition, 170 steel piles for support of excavation have been drilled, as well as 438 tie backs for support of excavation.
A new global headquarters for Marriott International will soon be rising in downtown Bethesda, Md.
The new office building at 7750 Wisconsin Ave. will be near the Bethesda Metro. According to reports, the land is owned by the Bernstein Companies and Boston Properties, which will jointly own and develop the office building.
In addition, plans are for an adjacent 244-room Marriott Hotel, which will be developed and owned by the Bernstein Companies. Marriott International will manage both the office building and the hotel.
Hensel Phelps is the general contractor for the project and Gensler is the architect.
"This is not just any class A office building," said Brandon Johnston, project executive. "This building will be a landmark in Bethesda. We are grateful the development team has trusted Hensel Phelps with such a great project. We have assembled a great team of trade partners and Hensel Phelps staff to execute the project."
The base building construction period runs until 2021 with delivery of the constructed building to Marriott in the second quarter. The Marriott Hotel is expected to open in the first quarter of 2022, with anticipated move-in of Marriott associates in the third quarter.
"The project is located in the heart of Bethesda and it takes time for the community to get adjusted to building a major project like this," said Alex Paschalides, project manager. "We spend a lot of time planning site logistics with our owner and trade partners to ensure the impacts are minimized as much as possible."
According to the project website, the new office building will be "a cutting-edge and sustainable workplace, offering state-of-the-art technology, modern amenities, and access to a range of transportation options, including the Bethesda Metro and the free Bethesda Circulator bus, along with parking on site and at nearby garages."
The office building will be 21 stories tall and the Marriott Hotel will be 12 stories tall.
The building will include 785,000 sq. ft. of office space and will be designed to LEED GOLD standards. For Marriott employees, there will be new opportunities for flexible, collaborative workspaces, a childcare center, a fitness center and a cafeteria.
For the community, the full-service Marriott Hotel will include 244 rooms and more than 8,000 sq. ft. of flexible meeting and event space. There will be a coffee shop, a roof-top bar and lounge and a contemporary neighborhood restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner with the option of outdoor dining on a pedestrian plaza.
"Our current focus is to complete mass excavation and get to subgrade so we can start building foundations," Paschalides said. "The support of excavation includes many different types of excavation support techniques such as drilled piles, tie backs and bracing. The major challenge with scheduling and coordinating this work is manpower and equipment needs change from week to week. The other major challenge with the current stage of the project is we are expecting to have to blast rock to get through the last 10 to 20 feet of excavation. Blasting in a downtown environment has to be executed to perfection."
According to the project newsletter in mid-February, contractors were performing nighttime underground utility improvements and restoration work (paving) along Woodmont Avenue, which is anticipated to continue through July 2019. During this time, sections of the southbound lane may be closed for utility access, but two-way traffic will be maintained as often as possible.
Excavation and hauling activities also will continue for the next several months. Blasting of bedrock took place in March, and concrete pouring operations are expected in May.
Major subcontractors include Berkel & Company Contractors, for support of excavation; Goldin & Stafford, for earthwork; Blueridge Inc., for site utilities; Schuster Concrete, for concrete structure; Gordon Contractors, for roofing and waterproofing; Harmon Inc., for glass and glazing; Bowers Mechanical, for mechanical; and Perlectric, for electrical.
Paschalides reported that the total mass excavation for the project is 140,000 cu. yds.
"We have already removed 60,000 cubic yards," he said.
In addition, 170 steel piles for support of excavation have been drilled, as well as 438 tie backs for support of excavation.
41,000 sq. ft. of wood lagging is being installed, and 90,000 cu. yds. of concrete will be used for foundations and structure, as well as 250,000 sq. ft. of glass and glazing (mostly unitized curtain wall).
Throughout the state of Maryland, Marriott reportedly supports more than 10,000 jobs across corporate offices and nearly 100 hotels. More than half the locations are in Montgomery County, with more than 3,500 people based at Marriott's headquarters. The company reported that both state and local leaders worked to keep Marriott in Montgomery County to retain the economic base and jobs the company provides.
Marriott International has been located in Montgomery County, Md., for more than 60 years.
Its current headquarters is located on Fernwood Road, and has been there since 1978.
"With its acquisition of Starwood Hotels & Resorts in September 2016, Marriott's portfolio has grown to 30 leading hotel brands spanning 127 countries and territories with more than 700,000 individuals wearing the Marriott badge worldwide," the project website states. "As Marriott strives to be the world's favorite travel company, it needs a headquarters that empowers and enables its associates to accomplish this global mission."
CEG
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