|
OAKLAND GLOBAL NEWS
Monthly Updates on the Oakland Global Trade & Logistics Center Project
|
|
|
Oakland Global News, March 2014
|
|
Dear Reader,
Oakland Global News is a monthly newsletter for readers interested in staying current as the Oakland Global Trade & Logistics Center (former Oakland Army Base) project evolves.
|
|
Oakland Global Hiring Surpasses Goals
Oakland residents have performed 52 percent of the work hours on the Oakland Global Trade & Logistics Center project since October 2013, surpassing the promise that Oaklanders would account for half of the project’s work hours, according to a recent City of Oakland report.
In more good employment news for Oakland, the project has contracted with local businesses for 81 percent of construction work thus far and has hired local trucking firms for 100 percent of its trucking jobs — far exceeding the city’s local business contracting rules.
“The jobs numbers reflect collaboration and hard work by a dedicated team made up from both the public and private sides, but as the project work becomes more technical, the challenge will be even greater, so there is hard work ahead,” said Phil Tagami, CEO of California Capital & Investment Group, the City of Oakland’s partner on the project.
The recent data shows that the project is going above and beyond not only city laws, but also jobs policies memorialized in a community benefits agreement that distinguishes the project in its efforts to employ union laborers and local residents. A lengthy dialogue that included community and labor groups led to the community benefits, which were then incorporated into a binding agreement signed by the City of Oakland and developers in 2013.
Under the benefits agreements, each contractor involved in Oakland Global must ensure the following: At least 50 percent of project work hours are performed by local residents; for each construction trade, 20 percent of work hours are handled by apprentices; and at least 25 percent of work hours performed by apprentices are completed by disadvantaged workers. In addition, a job center has been created in West Oakland to help individuals obtain job training and employment on the project and elsewhere.
Contracting is governed by City Council Ordinance 1310, which was enacted to ensure that Oakland firms received consideration for work in construction, professional services contracts and the purchase of commodities and general services.
The West Oakland Job Resource Center is an important tool in the achieving the job policies goals. It is open to the public Tuesday – Friday 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the West Oakland Library, 1801 Adeline Street. Several hundred individuals have attended orientations at the center since it opened in spring 2013. Most of those participants have been referred to pre-apprenticeship programs, apprenticeships, employment and public services.
|
|
Army Base Timber Will Get New Life
Old growth is good wood
 |
|
Kevin Bohm inspects Douglas fir beams
|
Old growth Douglas fir timber beams, posts and trusses are being preserved for reuse as warehouse deconstruction and demolition is in full swing at the former Oakland Army Base.
In the past several weeks, laborers deconstructed two, 20,000 square foot, circa 1941 warehouses at the former base’s north end, and a third is underway. All tolled, the three structures will produce 74,700 board feet of wood – or the equivalent of about 1,800 3ft. x 6ft. desks.
During the next several months, five additional, larger buildings will be partially or completely deconstructed. Much of their timber also will be preserved, according to Kevin Bohm, who is leading the deconstruction and demolition effort.
“We are extending the life of this wood that served an important purpose for many years at the Army Base,” said Bohm. “That’s a good result both environmentally and historically. Putting this timber back in the stream of commerce completes a cycle that started more than 60 years ago.”
Compared to younger wood, old growth timber features denser growth rings, and as a result, is much stronger. Also, saw mills previously cut old growth into larger pieces (such as 10 in. x 20 in.), than are typically available today.
Preserving the old growth wood helps the Oakland Global Trade and Logistics Center project comply with city and state rules requiring construction and demolition debris recycling. The centerpiece of those rules comes from Section 15.34.010 of the Oakland Municipal Code. Its intent is to “divert at a minimum 50 percent of construction and debris from landfills; process and return the materials into the economic mainstream thereby conserving natural resources; and stimulate markets for recycled and salvaged materials.”
The city now requires 100 percent recycling / reuse for asphalt and concrete and 65 percent waste reduction for all other materials. Oakland Global’s deconstruction and demolition project is specifically designed to meet those rules. When the work is complete, an estimated 3,150 tons of salvaged materials will be sold and recycled across the Western United States and Mexico.
|
|
Deep Dynamic Compaction = Soil Strength
Process is critical to building on fill and bay mud
Deep dynamic compaction testing is underway on the former Oakland Army Base. The testing will determine the degree of compression needed to stabilize soil so that it will support large and heavy logistics warehouses to be built as part of the Oakland Global Trade & Logistics Center project.
In plain English, deep dynamic compaction (DDC) can be summarized as the following: “Hoisting a ten-ton plate connected to a crane and dropping it 50 feet to the earth.” (See photograph below). The impact of the free falling plate creates waves that densify the soil.
Test drops concluded on Friday, March 28 and monitoring will continue for 30 days. Deep dynamic compaction is necessary because the former base was constructed on unconsolidated fill material, which reduces soil stability and can lead to liquefaction. As a result, the soil must be “wicked” of water and compacted. Wicking drains moisture and consolidates bay mud. In a process known as “surcharging” dirt also is added and tamped down to create a dense building surface.
“The operations of surcharging and DDC will minimize any long term building settlement as well and minimize the immediate possible liquefaction effects during a major seismic event,” said Dan Nourse the project’s soils expert.
Liquefaction occurs when saturated or partially saturated soil substantially loses strength and stiffness in response to an applied stress, usually earthquake shaking or other sudden change in stress condition, causing it to behave like a liquid. As an example, sections of bay fill along the San Francisco waterfront suffered severe liquefaction during the 1989 Loma-Prieta earthquake, which led to the damage and collapse of nearby buildings and homes.
|
|
Transportation Ballot Measure Clarified
Transportation Commission lists needs
In recent weeks Alameda County released transportation project priorities and upgrades that would receive funding if voters approve Measure BB, a transportation bond tax initiative scheduled for the November ballot.
The half-cent sales tax would fund two broad categories of work over 30 years: 1) Capital projects with specific dollar amounts, including everything from expanding Bart to improving pedestrian corridors; and 2) Operations and maintenance investments, such as reinstating canceled bus service and maintaining streets. Former Oakland Army Base infrastructure upgrades, including roadway and truck route improvements, also could receive support.
BB follows Measure B1, which in 2012 failed to obtain a necessary two-thirds majority of voters by the narrowest of margins – 0.14 of a percentage point. Unlike the previous bond measure, BB does not lock in the half-cent permanently.
The Alameda County Transportation Commission says that the new transportation tax — which is expected to raise $7.8 billion — is critical to quality of life in the county.
“Over the term of this plan, Alameda County’s population will grow by almost 30 percent and the senior population will double,” according to a report released in January. “This means more demand on our streets, highways and transit. Without new funding, Alameda County will lose job opportunities, experience increased traffic on degraded streets and highways, suffer potential cuts on buses and BART and see more costly transportation services for youth, seniors and people with disabilities.”
|
|
Army Base Photography
As a recurring feature, the Oakland Global News presents photography from the Army Base.The photos and captions below are by Dan Nourse.
 |
|
Wick drain installers
|
 |
|
Stacked tongue and groove Douglas fir
|
 |
|
Warehouse roof beams
|
Dan Nourse, a project manager with Oakland-based Roje Consulting, focuses on Oakland Global’s environmental remediation, site elevation increase and site surcharging. Dan was instrumental in the redevelopment of Emeryville and West Oakland. He is a self-taught photographer and uses photography to capture the progress of redevelopment projects as well as producing artful images along the way.
|
|
|
|
