Turner Awarded $61.5 Million Contract by University of North Carolina at Charlotte to Provide Pre-Construction and Construction Services on Energy Production Infrastructure Center in Charlotte, N.C.

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Feb. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Turner Construction Company, the nation's largest builder of education facilities, has been awarded a $61.5 million contract by the University of North Carolina at Charlotte to provide pre-construction and construction services for an Energy Production Infrastructure Center on the university campus. The Energy Production and Infrastructure Center is being designed and constructed to achieve a LEED Silver certification from the United States Green Building Council upon completion in November 2011.

The mission of the EPIC Building at UNC Charlotte is to focus on supporting the academic and research community involved in energy production and infrastructure development.  In order to meet the region's energy demands in the next 25 years, it will require extensive expansion of generation and transmission capacity. The 200,000 sq. ft. facility will provide education, laboratories and outreach services to the research community and the citizens of North Carolina. The scope of work will also include the expansion of a regional utility plant and the extension of an existing road to form a signalized intersection.

Green features of the research facility include chilled beam technology as a result of considerable study associated with NC Senate Bill 668 mandating conservation of energy and water usage in state buildings. Chilled beams utilize the more efficient heat transfer coefficient of water versus that of air. Temperature control is then achieved through water distribution instead of air distribution, resulting in a much more energy efficient mechanical system.

"We are proud to manage the construction of this energy-efficient facility for the UNC Charlotte to benefit the students and communities served by this research center," said Gary Stradowski, Vice President and General Manager of Turner's Carolinas operations.

This will be Turner's second project for UNC Charlotte. Turner completed the College of Health & Human Services in November 2006.  

About Turner

Turner is the leading general builder in the U.S., ranking first or second in the major segments of the building construction field.  During 2008, Turner completed $10.7 billion of construction. Turner is the only builder offering clients a nationwide network of offices across the U.S. Founded in 1902, the firm is a subsidiary of HOCHTIEF, a publicly traded company and one of the world's leading international construction service providers. For more information, visit Turner's website at www.turnerconstruction.com.

HOCHTIEF is one of the leading international providers of construction-related services. With more than 64,000 employees and a sales volume of EUR 18.70 billion in FY 2008, the company is represented in all the world's major markets. The Group's service offering in the fields of development, construction, services, concessions and operation covers the entire life cycle of infrastructure projects, real estate and facilities. In the USA, the biggest construction market in the world, HOCHTIEF is the No. 1 general builder via its subsidiary Turner and, with Group company Flatiron, ranks among the most important players in the field of transportation infrastructure construction. With its subsidiary Leighton (HOCHTIEF share around 55 percent), the group is market leader in Australia. Because of its engagement for sustainability, HOCHTIEF has been listed in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes since 2006. Further information is available at www.hochtief.com/press.

SOURCE Turner Construction Company