The Boat Building

Some of you probably don't know that I have two identities. In the blog world I am known as "Cool Breeze", keeper of all that was ever cool and will ever be cool. In the real world, I am known as "The Surveyor", at least that is what BHE calls me anyway.

I wanted to share a little bit of what I do with the world and I couldn't think of a project to share with you until this one came to mind. This particular job lasted a good while for us and is probably one of the bigger ones we have worked on in our business tenure of the last 13 years.

The picture really doesn't do it justice. From the air, this building is shaped like a football. Both sides are curved and it is six stories high. There is also a building adjacent to this that was much too big to include in the picture. The James River is located behind the new building.



Below is a portion of an article that I found online describing the new building:

by Peter Galuszka

Rising just behind the World War I-era Victory Arch on the historic waterfront of Newport News, the building has a dramatic presence. Its curved, glass-enclosed angles mimic the lines of a very large ship. When the $58 million Virginia Advanced Shipbuilding and Carrier Integration Center (VASCIC) opens in July, nautical themes will truly come into play.


Advanced nautical themes, that is. Navy personnel, engineers from nearby Newport News Shipbuilding and researchers from 11 Virginia universities will get to work developing a complex system of radars and other electronics for the (CVN-X), the next generation of nuclear aircraft carrier whose construction is expected within a few years. The system will guide carrier strike aircraft to target, coordinate with other ships and identify airborne, surface and underwater threats. “The warfare system will be the future of all warfare systems for the next class of carrier,” says Irwin F. Edenzon, vice president for Technology Development & Carrier Fleet Support at Newport News Shipbuilding.


What did I do on the job you ask? We provide all the layout for building construction: Wall locations along with steel support columns and all foundation locations, all new site improvements, curbs and parking areas and storm water management facilities.The site covered approximately 6 acres with a tolerance level of 1/4 inch.