Parsons Brinckerhoff
Encyclopedia
Parsons Brinckerhoff is a professional services firm with 14,000 employees in 150 offices providing construction and operation management, planning, design, engineering, program management, strategic consulting, environmental and sustainability services for clients and communities in the Americas, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia-Pacific regions. The professional services division of Balfour Beatty
, the international infrastructure group, PB is active in both the public and private sectors, and its projects are focused on transportation, buildings, power, water/wastewater, and community development.
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The firm has worked on some of the most notable infrastructure projects of the 20th century, including: the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel; the North American Air Defense Command (NORAD) in Colorado; the rapid transit systems of San Francisco, Atlanta, Singapore, Taipei and Caracas; the I-95/Fort McHenry Tunnel under Baltimore Harbor; Virginia’s Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnels; and Hawaii’s H-3 highway.
Currently, the firm is involved in several major expansions of the public transportation system in the New York metropolitan area, including the extension of the No. 7 line subway, the new Second Avenue Subway, and an extension of the Long Island Rail Road to Grand Central Terminal. Other current and recent projects include: the Epping to Chatswood Rail Line in Australia; the Taiwan High Speed Rail Project; the Kanchanaphisek Bridge in Bangkok, Thailand; the Katy Freeway Reconstruction in Houston, Texas; an extension of the East London Line of the London Overground; and the Medupi Power Station in South Africa.
in October 2009 and operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of the Balfour Beatty Group. PB is organized in six operating divisions reporting to President and Chief Executive Officer George J. Pierson. The divisions include two units representing Europe/Middle East/Northern Africa and Asia/Australia-Pacific and Southern Africa, as well as four units operating in North American in the fields of transportation, power/energy, U.S. federal, and buildings. Heery International
, a long-time Balfour Beatty firm, now operates as PB’s buildings division.
Balfour Beatty
Balfour Beatty plc is a British construction, engineering, military housing, rail and investment services company. It is one of the largest construction companies in the UK, and the 15th largest in the world...
, the international infrastructure group, PB is active in both the public and private sectors, and its projects are focused on transportation, buildings, power, water/wastewater, and community development.
History
Founded in 1885 in New York City by William Barclay Parsons, among PB’s earliest projects was the original IRT line of the New York City subway, designed by Parsons and opened in 1904. Parsons also designed the Cape Cod Canal and charted the course of a railway in China from Hankow (Wuhan) to Canton (Guangzhou) in 1899, a line that is also still in use today. In 1906, Henry M. Brinckerhoff, a highway engineer, brought his expertise in electric railways to the firm. He is known for his co-invention of the third railThird rail
A third rail is a method of providing electric power to a railway train, through a semi-continuous rigid conductor placed alongside or between the rails of a railway track. It is used typically in a mass transit or rapid transit system, which has alignments in its own corridors, fully or almost...
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The firm has worked on some of the most notable infrastructure projects of the 20th century, including: the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel; the North American Air Defense Command (NORAD) in Colorado; the rapid transit systems of San Francisco, Atlanta, Singapore, Taipei and Caracas; the I-95/Fort McHenry Tunnel under Baltimore Harbor; Virginia’s Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnels; and Hawaii’s H-3 highway.
Currently, the firm is involved in several major expansions of the public transportation system in the New York metropolitan area, including the extension of the No. 7 line subway, the new Second Avenue Subway, and an extension of the Long Island Rail Road to Grand Central Terminal. Other current and recent projects include: the Epping to Chatswood Rail Line in Australia; the Taiwan High Speed Rail Project; the Kanchanaphisek Bridge in Bangkok, Thailand; the Katy Freeway Reconstruction in Houston, Texas; an extension of the East London Line of the London Overground; and the Medupi Power Station in South Africa.
Organization
PB was acquired by Balfour BeattyBalfour Beatty
Balfour Beatty plc is a British construction, engineering, military housing, rail and investment services company. It is one of the largest construction companies in the UK, and the 15th largest in the world...
in October 2009 and operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of the Balfour Beatty Group. PB is organized in six operating divisions reporting to President and Chief Executive Officer George J. Pierson. The divisions include two units representing Europe/Middle East/Northern Africa and Asia/Australia-Pacific and Southern Africa, as well as four units operating in North American in the fields of transportation, power/energy, U.S. federal, and buildings. Heery International
Heery International
Heery International, Inc. is an architectural firm that was founded in 1952 by George T. Heery and his father C. Wilmer Heery, Jr., and is currently headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia...
, a long-time Balfour Beatty firm, now operates as PB’s buildings division.
Representative projects
PB's comprehensive range of services, extend virtually across the complete spectrum of construction endeavours serving both the public and private sectors include buildings, telecommunications, transportation, power and energy systems, industrial facilities, urban infrastructure, safety and risk management, and environmental projects.Airports and aviation facilities
- Hong Kong International AirportHong Kong International AirportHong Kong International Airport is the main airport in Hong Kong. It is colloquially known as Chek Lap Kok Airport , being built on the island of Chek Lap Kok by land reclamation, and also to distinguish it from its predecessor, the closed Kai Tak Airport.The airport opened for commercial...
, Hong Kong - Madrid-Barajas Airport, Madrid, Spain
- Ronald Reagan Washington National AirportRonald Reagan Washington National AirportRonald Reagan Washington National Airport is a public airport located south of downtown Washington, D.C., in Arlington County, Virginia. It is the commercial airport nearest to Washington, D.C. For many decades, it was called Washington National Airport, but this airport was renamed in 1998 to...
, Washington, U.S. - John F. Kennedy International AirportJohn F. Kennedy International AirportJohn F. Kennedy International Airport is an international airport located in the borough of Queens in New York City, about southeast of Lower Manhattan. It is the busiest international air passenger gateway to the United States, handling more international traffic than any other airport in North...
, New York, U.S.
Buildings and facilities
- China World Trade Center Tower III, Beijing, PRC
- Shanghai Tower, PRC
- Shimao International PlazaShimao International PlazaShimao International Plaza is a tall skyscraper of 60 stories in Shanghai's Huangpu District. It was completed in 2005 under the design of Ingenhoven, Overdiek und Partner, East China Architecture and Design Institute....
, Shanghai, PRC - Plaza 66Plaza 66Plaza 66 is a commercial and office complex in Shanghai, consisting of a shopping mall and two skyscrapers. The shopping mall has 5 levels with a total area of over 50,000 square metres...
, Shanghai, PRC - China Merchants Bank TowerChina Merchants Bank TowerChina Merchants Bank Tower , or the Shenzhen World Trade Centre is one of the tallest buildings in Shenzhen. It is located in Futian District, Shenzhen, Guangdong province, China....
, Shenzhen, PRC - A Symphony of LightsA Symphony of LightsA Symphony of Lights is a synchronised building exterior decorative light and laser multimedia display, featuring 44 buildings on both sides of the Victoria Harbour of Hong Kong accompanied by music. The technology was developed by Australian firm Laservision and cost approximately 44 million HK...
, Hong Kong - Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition CentreHong Kong Convention and Exhibition CentreThe Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre is one of the two major convention and exhibition venues in Hong Kong, along with AsiaWorld-Expo. It is located in Wan Chai North, Hong Kong Island. Built along the Victoria Harbour, it is linked by covered walkways to nearby hotels and commercial...
, Hong Kong - Cheung Kong CenterCheung Kong CenterCheung Kong Center is a skyscraper in Central, Hong Kong designed by Cesar Pelli. It is 62 storeys tall with height of and a gross floor area of . When completed in 1999, it was the third-tallest building in the city. It sits on the combined sites of the former Hong Kong Hilton, which was...
, Hong Kong - Shun Tak CentreShun Tak CentreShun Tak Centre is a commercial and transport complex on the northern shore of Hong Kong Island in Sheung Wan, Hong Kong...
, Hong Kong - The Harbourside, Hong Kong
- The Arch (Hong Kong), Hong Kong
- Hong Kong ParkviewHong Kong ParkviewHong Kong Parkview is the largest private housing estate in Tai Tam, Hong Kong. It is located at Mount Nicholson, Wong Nai Chung Gap, with the east of Wong Nai Chung Reservoir Park. Its three sides are surrounded by Tai Tam Country Park...
, Hong Kong - Hong Kong Disneyland HotelHong Kong Disneyland HotelHong Kong Disneyland Hotel is the second Disney hotel in the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort in Penny's Bay, Lantau Island, Hong Kong. The theme of the hotel is of a Victorian style, and is located near Disneyland Harbour...
, Hong Kong - Ocean Park Hong KongOcean Park Hong KongOcean Park Hong Kong , commonly known as Ocean Park, is a marine mammal park, oceanarium, animal theme park and amusement park, situated in Wong Chuk Hang and Nam Long Shan in the Southern District of Hong Kong. Founded in 1977 by the then Governor of Hong Kong Sir Murray MacLehose, Ocean Park has...
, Hong Kong - The Venetian MacaoThe Venetian MacaoThe Venetian Macao is a hotel and casino resort in Macau owned by the Las Vegas Sands corporation. The Venetian is a 40-story, $2.4 billion anchor for the 7 hotels on the Cotai Strip in Macau...
, Macau - Macau Fisherman's WharfMacau Fisherman's WharfThe Macau Fisherman's Wharf is the first theme park in Macau. It is located in the Macau Peninsula, near the Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Pier. The construction took 5 years, before an opening ceremony by the Chief Executive of Macau and trial operation began on December 31, 2005...
, Macau - Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyThe Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
, Massachusetts, U.S. - Yale UniversityYale UniversityYale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
, Connecticut, U.S. - National Air and Space MuseumNational Air and Space MuseumThe National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution holds the largest collection of historic aircraft and spacecraft in the world. It was established in 1976. Located in Washington, D.C., United States, it is a center for research into the history and science of aviation and...
, Chantilly, U.S. - General Motors Technical CenterGeneral Motors Technical CenterThe GM Technical Center is a General Motors facility in Warren, Michigan. The campus is home to 16,000 GM engineers, designers, and technicians and has been the center of the company's engineering effort since its inauguration in 1956....
, Michigan, U.S. - Capital Tower, Singapore, Singapore
- Empire Tower, BangkokEmpire Tower, BangkokThe Empire Tower is a skyscraper located in Sathon business district, Bangkok, Thailand, adjacent to Sathon Road and Narathiwat Road, close to Chong Nonsi Station . Empire Tower 1 is currently the 6th tallest building in Thailand and Bangkok. It is the tallest all office building in Thailand. The...
, Bangkok, Thailand - Palm IslandsPalm IslandsThe Palm Islands are an artificial archipelago in Dubai, United Arab Emirates on which major commercial and residential infrastructures will be constructed...
, Dubai, UAE - Burj Al AlamBurj al AlamThe Burj Al Alam is a 108-story, hyperboloid skyscraper under construction in the Business Bay area of Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It is designed to resemble a crystal flower. It is to become one of the world's tallest buildings...
, Dubai, UAE
Energy and power
- Tararua Wind FarmTararua Wind FarmThe Tararua Wind Farm is a wind farm owned and operated by TrustPower. It is located on of farm land on the Tararua Ranges of New Zealand. It has become New Zealand's largest capacity wind farm with a total capacity of 160MW....
, Manawatu Saddle, Palmerston North, New Zealand - Wairakei Power StationWairakei Power StationThe Wairakei Power Station is a geothermal power station near the Wairakei Geothermal Field in New Zealand. Wairakei lies in the Taupo Volcanic Zone.- History :...
, New Zealand
Bridges and highways
- Intercounty Connector, Beltsville, Maryland
- Woodrow Wilson Bridge ProjectWoodrow Wilson BridgeThe Woodrow Wilson Memorial Bridge is a bascule bridge that spans the Potomac River between the independent city of Alexandria, Virginia and Oxon Hill in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. While over the water near the Virginia shore, it crosses the southern tip of the District of...
, Alexandria, Virginia - Route 3 (Hong Kong)Route 3 (Hong Kong)Route 3 is a series of expressways in Hong Kong from Sai Ying Pun on the Hong Kong Island to Yuen Long in the New Territories, via Yau Ma Tei, Kwai Chung and Tsing Yi Island.From south to north, Route 3 can be divided into four parts...
, Hong Kong - First Kurushima-Kaikyō BridgeKurushima-Kaikyo BridgeThe , which connects the island of Ōshima to the main part of Shikoku, is the world's longest suspension bridge structure and was completed in 1999. The bridge is part of the Shimanami Kaidō, an expressway that spans a series of islands and connects Hiroshima Prefecture in Honshū to Ehime...
, Japan - Metro Manila SkywayMetro Manila SkywayThe Metro Manila Skyway is an elevated highway crossing over much of the existing South Luzon Expressway as of the moment. It is located within the Metro Manila portion of the SLEX and crosses through Makati City, Pasay City, Parañaque City, and Muntinlupa City. The Skyway begins in Barangay San...
, Philippines - Mike O’Callaghan – Pat Tillman Memorial BridgeHoover Dam BypassThe Mike O'Callaghan – Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge, the key component to the Hoover Dam Bypass project, was the first concrete-steel composite arch bridge built in the United States, and it incorporates the longest concrete arch bridge in the Western Hemisphere. Opened on October 19, 2010,...
(Colorado River Bridge), Nevada, U.S. - Sunshine Skyway BridgeSunshine Skyway BridgeThe Bob Graham Sunshine Skyway Bridge is a bridge spanning Tampa Bay, Florida, with a cable-stayed main span, and a total length of 21,877 feet . It is part of I-275 and US 19 , connecting St. Petersburg in Pinellas County and Terra Ceia in Manatee County, Florida, passing through Hillsborough...
, Florida, U.S. - William H. Natcher BridgeWilliam H. Natcher BridgeThe William H. Natcher Bridge is a cable-stayed bridge that carries U.S. Highway 231 over the Ohio River. The bridge connects Owensboro, Kentucky to Rockport, Indiana and opened on October 21, 2002. It is named in honor of William Huston Natcher, a former United States Representative who served...
, Ohio River, U.S. - George P. Coleman Memorial BridgeGeorge P. Coleman Memorial BridgeThe George P. Coleman Memorial Bridge is a double swing bridge that spans the York River between Yorktown and Gloucester Point, in the U.S. state of Virginia...
, Virginia, U.S. - Interstate H-3Interstate H-3Interstate H-3 is an intrastate Interstate Highway located on the island of O'ahu in the state of Hawai'i in the United States. H-3 is also known as the John A. Burns Freeway...
, Hawaii, U.S. - Lions Gate Bridge, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- CityLinkCityLinkCityLink is a system of tolled urban Highways in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The company Transurban was awarded the contract to augment two existing freeways and construct two new Toll roads—labelled the Western and Southern Links—directly linking a number of existing freeways to...
, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia - Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge, Charleston, South Carolina, U.S.
Tunnels
- New York City SubwayNew York City SubwayThe New York City Subway is a rapid transit system owned by the City of New York and leased to the New York City Transit Authority, a subsidiary agency of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and also known as MTA New York City Transit...
, U.S. - Yucca MountainYucca MountainThe Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Repository was to be a deep geological repository storage facility for spent nuclear reactor fuel and other high level radioactive waste, until the project was canceled in 2009. It was to be located on federal land adjacent to the Nevada Test Site in Nye County,...
, Nevada, U.S. - SSC Superconducting Super ColliderSuperconducting Super ColliderThe Superconducting Super Collider was a particle accelerator complex under construction in the vicinity of Waxahachie, Texas that was set to be world's largest and most energetic, surpassing the current record held by the Large Hadron Collider. Its planned ring circumference was with an energy...
, Texas, U.S. - Rogers PassRogers PassRogers Pass is a high mountain pass through the Selkirk Mountains of British Columbia used by the Canadian Pacific Railway and the Trans-Canada Highway. The pass is a shortcut across the "Big Bend" of the Columbia River from Revelstoke on the west to Donald, near Golden, on the east...
Tunnel, British Columbia, Canada - Shanghai MetroShanghai MetroThe Shanghai Metro is the urban rapid transit system of China's largest city, Shanghai. The system incorporates both subway and light rail lines. It opened in 1995, making Shanghai the third city in Mainland China, after Beijing and Tianjin, to have a rapid transit system...
Line M8, PRC - Western Harbour CrossingWestern Harbour CrossingThe Western Harbour Crossing is a dual 3-lane immersed tube tunnel in Hong Kong. It is the third tunnel to cross Victoria Harbour, linking the newly reclaimed land in West Kowloon with Sai Ying Pun on Hong Kong Island...
, Hong Kong - Tai Lam TunnelTai Lam TunnelTai Lam Tunnel is a dual 3-lane Route 3 tunnel in Hong Kong. The tunnel and its highway connection itself are also known as Route 3 , which is 10.1 km long connecting Au Tau, Yuen Long and Ting Kau, Tsuen Wan...
, Hong Kong
Rail and transit
- MTA Light RailBaltimore Light RailThe Maryland Transit Administration Light Rail is a light rail system serving Baltimore, Maryland, United States, and the surrounding suburbs.In downtown Baltimore it uses city streets...
, Baltimore, Maryland - Shenzhen MetroShenzhen MetroThe Shenzhen Metro is the subway or underground system for the city of Shenzhen in Guangdong province, China. The system opened on 28 December 2004, making Shenzhen the seventh city in mainland China to have a subway after Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Dalian, and Wuhan. The Shenzhen...
, PRC - Tseung Kwan O Line, Hong Kong
- West Rail Line, Hong Kong
- Ma On Shan Line, Hong Kong
- Light Rail (MTR), Hong Kong
- Taipei Rapid Transit SystemTaipei Rapid Transit SystemThe Taipei Metro, more commonly known as the MRT or formally as the Taipei Rapid Transit System, is a rapid transit system serving metropolitan Taipei in Taiwan. The system is built and operated by the Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation and consists of 89 stations and of revenue track...
, Taipei, Taiwan - Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit AuthorityMetropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit AuthorityThe Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority or MARTA is the principal rapid-transit system in the Atlanta metropolitan area and the ninth-largest in the United States. Formed in 1971 as strictly a bus system, MARTA operates a network of bus routes linked to a rapid transit system consisting...
, Georgia, U.S. - AirTrain JFKAirTrain JFKAirTrain JFK is a 3-line, -long people mover system and elevated railway in New York City providing service to John F. Kennedy International Airport...
, U.S. - Jubilee Line ExtensionJubilee Line ExtensionThe Jubilee Line Extension is the extension of the London Underground Jubilee line from to through south and east London. An eastward extension of the Jubilee line was first proposed in the 1970s and a modified route was constructed during the 1990s...
, U.K. - North East MRT LineNorth East MRT LineThe North East MRT Line is the third Mass Rapid Transit line in Singapore and the world's second longest fully underground, automated and driverless, rapid transit line after Singapore's Circle MRT Line. The line is 20 km long with 16 stations and operated by SBS Transit. Travelling from one end...
, Singapore - Kuala Lumpur Sentral railway station, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- BTS Skytrain, Bangkok, Thailand
- Delhi MetroDelhi MetroDelhi Metro is a rapid transit system serving Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida and Ghaziabad in the National Capital Region of India. It is one of the largest metro networks in the world. The network consists of six lines with a total length of with 142 stations of which 35 are underground...
, New Delhi, India - Cairo MetroCairo MetroThe Cairo Metro in Egypt is the first of only two full-fledged metro system in Africa, and the Arab World. The system consists of two operational lines, with construction having begun on a third line in 2006....
, Egypt