DALLAS , TX — For its work on the Southwest Airlines Wings project, McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. has been awarded the TEXO (The Construction Industry Association) 2019 Distinguished Building Award for the category of General Contractor for projects over $75 million. TEXO selected winning projects for the Distinguished Building Awards based on difficulty in construction, original construction techniques involved, final appearance, quality of the finished product and the timeliness of the project’s completion.

The Southwest Airlines Wings project consisted of a new office building and Leadership Education and Aircrew Development (LEAD) Center and took approximately two years to complete. The complex includes a six-story, 425,000-square-foot office building, a 1,950-space parking garage and an attached 375,000-square-foot LEAD building that houses 18 flight simulator bays.

McCarthy served as the construction manager at risk with architect BOKA Powell on the project. The LEAD Center was designed and built to protect the equipment it houses against natural and man-made disasters, and McCarthy, which self-performed concrete work, had to determine the right materials to meet that need. The LEAD Center is built with a pre-cast hardened structure designed to withstand the forces of an F3 tornado (wind speeds of 210 mph). It also includes a blast slab, two-layer roof and a 20-by-20-foot elevator, which is the largest elevator ever built in a flight simulator facility. Additionally, the team added additional reinforcing and large columns to increase structural rigidity.

“The Southwest Airlines Wings project was not without its challenges of critical timing, manpower and weather but the team was able to deliver a complex, world-class project with an exceptional safety record and on time,” said Joe Jouvenal, McCarthy’s Southern Region President. “McCarthy is very proud of our work for and partnership with Southwest Airlines and is excited to share this award with all the teams involved on this exciting project.”

McCarthy utilized technologies such as laser scanning during construction to maintain quality on the job site and save time and money. Building information modeling was used to assist crews with precise installation of all structural components. Teams used a model for coordination of MEP for concrete lift drawings to ensure plates, electric panels and wires were not missed. These methods ultimately help the client track placement of all building elements for future repairs and renovations.

McCarthy also won a Diamond Safety Training and Evaluation Process (STEP) Award for the Southwest Airlines project. STEP determines merit through 20 key components of safety and is judged by the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) National Environment, Health & Safety Committee. To qualify for the Diamond-level award, the company must show an incidence rate of at least 50 percent below the national Bureau of Labor Statistics average for their specific NAICS code and maintain it for at least three uninterrupted years. They must also have an EMR at or below 0.700 (0.800 for companies with fewer than 100 employees).

Winning TEXO’s local Distinguished Building Award and the Diamond STEP Award qualifies McCarthy to enter Southwest Airlines Wings to compete in the state and national ABC and Associated General Contractors awards.