Mincon Solar Installation Drills and Pile Drivers are designed to pre-drill through rock, install ground screws and drive piles on solar construction projects. Trimble Groundworks is a purpose-built machine control solution that enables contractors to perform drilling and piling operations quickly, safely and accurately. Equipping Mincon solar drilling solutions with Trimble Groundworks technology provides stakeless navigation, positioning accuracy and as-built data that enables solar contractors and installers to build scalable efficiency into their installation processes. 

“Demand for solar is so high right now that engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) companies urgently need more installation capacity to meet the industry’s growing needs,” said Elliott Duck, vice president of marketing for integrated systems at Mincon. “By equipping Mincon Drill Mast Attachments with Trimble Groundworks machine control, a machine operator can both pre-drill and install solar foundations without the need for someone on the ground checking for accuracy. This innovative workflow helps make solar installation contractors and EPCs more efficient and more scalable, reducing reliance on scarce labor resources.” 

Trimble Groundworks is part of the Trimble Connected Site® portfolio of solutions that provides a high-level of workflow and process integration from the design phase through to the finished project. The integration of Trimble Business Center Software design capabilities in the office and Trimble Groundworks machine control in the field can increase the efficiency and productivity of drilling and piling operations. Trimble WorksManager Software also enables the syncing of data from office to field, to reduce site visits and provide a single source of truth.

“Trimble and Mincon are both industry leaders that share a common goal to deliver technology that significantly accelerates—and improves—the quality of solar farm installations,” said Kevin Garcia, general manager of civil specialty solutions at Trimble. “Our SITECH Northeast distributor initially brought the idea of a Trimble and Mincon collaboration to the table, and we saw right away what a great fit our solutions were for each other. We’re excited by the work that Mincon, Trimble and SITECH Northeast have done to get the Mincon solar drilling and piling products Trimble Ready for the benefit of solar contractors.”

Availability 
Trimble Ready Mincon Drill Mast attachments are available now for customers worldwide. Visit trimble.com/groundworks or https://mincon.com/products/rock-drills/  for more information.

SWE is joined in the collaboration by the National Society of Black Engineers (co-principal investigator Rochelle Williams), Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (co-PI Dayna Martínez), American Indian Science and Engineering Society (co-PI Tiffany Smith), and Women in Engineering ProActive Network (co-PI Stephani Page).

“This award is a testament to the amazing efforts of the Women of Color in Engineering Collaborative’s member organizations,” said Roberta Rincon, associate director of research at SWE and PI for the grant. “With the planning grant that NSF awarded us in 2020, we developed strong partnerships and a sound strategic plan to guide the WCEC’s work in the coming years. We are excited to begin implementing the strategies to address the unique challenges that women of color face in the engineering workforce.”

The grant is made possible through the NSF INCLUDES (Inclusion across the Nation of Communities of Learners of Underrepresented Discoverers in Engineering and Science) program. Aligning with the NSF INCLUDES program’s goal to advance equity and sustain systemic change to broaden participation in STEM, the WCEC aims to increase the diversity of the engineering workforce at the intersections of gender and race by improving the retention of women of color.

“Professional STEM societies, academic institutions, and employers have developed numerous programs and services for women engineers and engineers of color, but women of color engineers are often left underserved by these efforts,” Rincon said.

According to Rincon, women of color comprise less than 6% of engineering professionals. Research shows women leave the profession at higher rates than men, highlighting real-world experiences of bias and discrimination in hiring, promotion, and compensation decisions, which have particularly dire consequences for women of color.

“SWE has increased its focus on addressing the challenges that women engineers of color face,” said Karen Horting, SWE’s Executive Director and CEO. “We are excited to continue the work of the WCEC and grow a network of support to increase the retention and advancement of women engineers of color. Together, we will make real progress towards our DEIB goals.”

Seeking to increase the retention of women of color in the engineering profession, the WCEC will share case studies of promising practices with member organizations, support women of color in their pursuit of professional development opportunities, and increase access and exposure of existing programs and services to women engineers of color and the organizations with which they engage.

The WCEC will expand from its current membership of 29 organizations to include more partners from industry, government, higher education, and professional STEM societies to create a support system that systematically impacts women’s transition from college to career to promotion through their networks in higher education and the public and private sectors.

About SWE

The Society of Women Engineers (SWE), founded in 1950, is the world’s largest advocate and catalyst for change for women in engineering and technology. The not-for-profit educational and service organization is the driving force that establishes engineering as a highly desirable career aspiration for women. To ensure SWE members reach their full potential as engineers and leaders, the Society offers unique opportunities to network, provides professional development, shapes public policy and provides recognition for the life-changing contributions and achievements of women engineers. As a champion of diversity, SWE empowers women to succeed and advance in their personal and professional lives. For more information about the Society, please visit www.swe.org or call 312.596.5223.

Haynes’ career consists of more than 20 years of construction industry experience. In his new role as Vice President, Haynes will take on a wide range of responsibilities, including working closely with the project management teams to promote safety, quality and client satisfaction. Additionally, he will be involved in managing the business operations, including assisting with budgeting, staffing and profit and loss.

“Gyasi’s promotion not only recognizes his dedication and work ethic, but it also underscores our commitment to succession planning and fostering leadership from within,” said KAI Build President Bruce Wood, PE. “His contributions to KAI go far beyond the technical aspects of his work. Gyasi works to promote and live out our core values and create an environment of respect, empathy and collaboration.”

At KAI, Haynes has led the Build team on numerous construction projects including its work with Target and its dozens of store remodels across the Midwest. 

“At KAI, our core values breathe life into community transformation. As a third-generation construction professional, I’ve readied myself for advocacy and trusted advisory roles. Our goal is to foster a community-valuing team that takes care of and protects our customers, reinforcing accountability and accessibility,” said Haynes. “With faith as our guide, we steward resources, meld diverse minds, and cherish giving back.”

Haynes has a Bachelor of Science in Business and Project Management from University of Phoenix and an Associate of Science in Engineering Technology from Gwinnett Technical College.

Outside of KAI, Haynes volunteers as an Executive Board Member for Annie Malone Children & Family Services, a long-standing local St. Louis social service agency dedicated to improving the quality of life for the community by providing social services, educational programs and advocacy. He serves on the board for the ACE Mentor Program of St. Louis, an organization supporting St. Louis area high school students in their exploration of potential careers in architecture, engineering, and construction, and is also the President of Building Futures St. Louis, a group focused on supplementing the education of underserved students in the St. Louis metropolitan area. Haynes and his wife have two children and he enjoys snowboarding, running, traveling and reading books.

KAI Enterprises

KAI Enterprises is a national design and build firm providing delivery-oriented building solutions with a diverse portfolio of experience, in-house multi-discipline professionals, and expertise in both design and construction delivery. Founded in 1980, KAI has grown into one of the largest minority-owned firms in the AEC industry. For more than 40 years, KAI has been instrumental in transforming communities through its expertise in residential, commercial, K-12, higher education, healthcare, science and technology, aviation, mobility, sports and entertainment, government, water and community-focused projects. KAI Enterprises is comprised of four distinct business units—KAI Design, KAI Engineering, KAI Build and KAI 360 Construction Services. To learn more about KAI, visit www.kai-db.com.

Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) composites have emerged as a top contender when it comes to construction material choices for America’s infrastructure. “FRP has been used in construction projects for more than 30 years, but over the last decade the number, size and complexity of projects has grown rapidly,” says Gregg Blaszak, president of Coastline Composites.  “Awareness has also increased among engineers and contractors about the ways FRP’s unique attributes can contribute to a project.”

Coastline Composites is a technical marketing and consulting firm with a focus on developing applications for FRP in the heavy and civil construction industry. The firm partners with leading FRP suppliers like Creative Composites Group (CCG) to offer cost-effective solutions to engineers, contractors, and asset owners. CCG serves major infrastructure markets from rail and bridge to utility and waterfront with design-build and structural fabrication expertise. 

FRP’s growing popularity is also being boosted by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, which, in 2021, introduced innovative materials like FRP into mainstream procurement processes for the first time. In a May 2023 update, the bill earmarked $40 billion for bridges alone and $66 billion for passenger and freight rail. According to Blaszak, pedestrian bridges and passenger rail are two markets that have proved to be “the right fit for FRP.” 

“Lightweight is one of the biggest reasons FRP is selected for a project,” says Blaszak.  “For example, FRP has become the material of choice for the rehabilitation and repair of historic bridges due to their inherent weight restrictions. Cantilevering an FRP sidewalk off of an existing vehicle bridge accommodates bicycles and pedestrians without putting large dead loads on the bridge. It is also less costly and less disruptive than other options. And, in highly congested urban areas with limited access to stage construction equipment, FRP helps contractors accelerate installation. Time is money in construction and FRP saves contractors a lot of time on their projects”.

Aside from its lightweight and quick installation, FRP is not susceptible to deicing chemicals making it well-suited for bridge and commuter rail structures in cold-weather states.  “Traditional materials just don’t last in these types of applications,” Blaszak says. “Most engineers interested in specifying FRP understand the initial price point for composite material may be a little higher, but lightweight, rapid erection and corrosion resistance often lead to lower overall project costs.”

CCG’s proficiency in prefabrication of very large FRP panels offers another advantage. The ability to construct composite components beforehand means the supplier can coordinate design and construction specifications upfront during the fabrication phase of a project instead of at the job site—factors that also contribute to faster installation and reduced costs.

Specifying FRP for a bridge deck or rail platform can be challenging for several reasons. According to Blaszak most engineers are not experts when it comes to the design and detailing of FRP structures. Standard DOT specifications for large FRP structures don’t yet exist. Each project is usually handled using special provisions. Industry guides and specifications offer limited help. The most useful is the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Guide Specification for the Design of FRP Pedestrian Bridges. First published in 2008, the specification is being updated to reflect current best practices. The American Society of Civil Engineers also recently approved a standard for Load and Resistance Factor Design (LRFD) of Pultruded FRP Structures. 

“Composite materials are different from traditional construction materials,” says John Busel, vice president, Composites Growth Initiative, for the American Composites Manufacturers Association (ACMA). “Design guidelines are intended to help engineers focus on the important attributes of composites and construction techniques that will both educate and hopefully prevent over-designed and costly decisions when specifying composites. This results in better, more efficient, cost-effective solutions.”

For engineers who want to source FRP, the first step is to create a special provision that recognizes the design and detailing of a composite structure is the responsibility of the FRP manufacturer. “It’s critical for an engineer to reach out to an FRP manufacturer like CCG when evaluating FRP for their project,” Blaszak says. “Getting the supplier involved early on in the process prevents potential headaches downstream like specifying a product that can’t be manufactured, inadvertently sole sourcing a product, or not meeting budget expectations.”

Pultrusion and vacuum infusion molding are the two most common fabrication methods for heavy and civil infrastructure projects. Both methods have pros and cons, so it is important to work with an FRP manufacturer to help determine the appropriate method or “basis of design.”  “To avoid a pultrusion or infusion molded bias, it’s always a good idea to contact more than one manufacturer or one with the capability for multiple fabrication methods,” Blaszak says.

CCG’s engineered FRP panels use a fiber reinforced foam core encased by two fiberglass facesheets to produce a sandwich structure. The closed-cell foam creates the prefabricated bridge panel’s shape and eliminates the potential for open cavities where water could collect. The durable decking panels support a uniform load of 90 psf for all designs and comply with AASHTO regulatory standards for pedestrian bridges. CCG’s FRP panels can also incorporate custom shapes and functional features such as crowns, cross-slopes, curbs, and drainage systems. For decks or platforms made with pultruded profiles, the supplier uses a continuous manufacturing process to produce high-strength, lightweight FRP structural profiles such as angles, C-channels, and I-beams. Fiberglass reinforcements in the form of roving and mats are saturated with resin and channeled into a heated die. The profile exits the die in the form of the desired cross section or shape. Pultruded profiles have a higher tensile strength than conventional steel yet are lighter weight.

Once the “basis of design” is selected the special provision can be written. “Most specifications are a hybrid of prescriptive and performance requirements,” Blaszak notes. The engineer should prescribe the design criteria (loadings, deflection limits), material types (fiberglass, vinyl ester, or polyester), pay basis, warranty requirements, validation testing, and acceptable tolerances. The FRP manufacturer will determine panel composition, thicknesses, and connection details to meet the project’s performance requirements.

A basic list of “do’s” and “don’ts” can help avoid some common pitfalls. The engineer should prescribe project loads, especially unique loadings not found in industry codes and guides, as well as criteria unique to the project such as maximum allowed weight for FRP or fire/flame/smoke requirements. The FRP manufacturer is responsible for the design, but the engineer should require the supplier to submit test results for unique structural details to validate performance. The engineer should also request that the FRP manufacturer submit calculations and shop drawings sealed by a local engineer with experience in the design of FRP structures.

All FRP bridge decks and commuter rail platforms require a polymer overlay to provide a sufficient degree of wet and dry slip resistance for pedestrians. While the FRP deck manufacturer should specify the non-slip overlay that works best for their FRP decking, it is the job of the engineer to specify the wet/dry coefficients of friction. The FRP manufacturer should be required to submit a 5-year performance history of 10 or more overlay installations on similar projects. For example, a public transportation agency for a commuter rail will want to verify that the overlay selected for a heavily trafficked rail platform has been used on other platforms, not just a remote trail bridge. Most importantly, the engineer should specify that the non-slip overlay be applied in the factory versus the field. For commuter rail platforms, tactile warning tiles should also be factory-applied. Factory application of these components improves quality and accelerates installation.  

Like any other material FRP structures are connected to and supported by a concrete or steel superstructure. The FRP manufacturer should be tasked with the design and detailing of the connections, but the engineer is responsible for specifying stainless steel connection plates and hardware to match FRP’s longevity.

Blaszak cautions engineers not to specify tolerances that are too restrictive and incompatible with the manufacturing method. Construction tolerances should not be any more restrictive than those used with precast concrete structures. Details like drainage, sloping surfaces, and joint materials should be the responsibility of the FRP manufacturer, but the engineer should require joint materials to be installed by trained and certified specialty contractors.

Close collaboration between the engineer and FRP manufacturer during the evaluation and design phase are essential steps that can lead to a project that is successful and on-budget.  “Specifications are demanding to write and tedious to read but often can make or break a project,” says Blaszak.  

FRP’s performance benefits coupled with the growing trend toward sustainable practices has incentivized the industry to expand adoption of FRP as a construction material. Like steel and other traditional materials, FRP is taking its rightful place as another tool in the engineer’s toolbox. 

Dustin Troutman is the Director of Marketing and Product Development for Creative Composites Group

Cairo and its surrounding metropolitan area has seen a significant amount of change over the last two decades.  Where once there was little to break the seemingly endless sands that encompassed the city of Cairo, a series of new developments have been built to support the region’s shifting needs and population.  Places like the New Administrative Capital–which has been under construction since 2015–are being rapidly built and expanded.  To serve the needs of this shifting population, there are several large-scale transportation and infrastructure projects underway throughout Cairo and its surrounding areas with perhaps none bigger than the Cairo Monorail.  After reporting on the Cairo Monorail’s progress over the last several years, Civil+Structural Engineer Media recently had the opportunity to visit the project and experience firsthand the progress being made on this transformational transportation project.

The Cairo Monorail project began in 2020, and is a two-line monorail rapid transit system owned by the Egyptian National Authority of Tunnels (NAT).  To help see this vital project to fruition, NAT sought out Hill International to provide Project Management services on the Cairo Monorail.   The first line is the New Administrative Capital Monorail Transportation System or the East of Nile Line (EoN), which will connect the New Administrative Capital with East Cairo via a 54-km line housing 22 stations and a depot.  The second line will be the 6th of October City Monorail Transportation System or the West of Nile Line (WoN).  This line will be 42-km in length when completed and will house another 13 stations as well as a depot.  When completed, the Cairo Monorail will be the longest driverless monorail system in the world, and will represent the first public transportation links from the New Administrative Capital and the 6th of October City to the Cairo metropolitan area.  In addition, when completed, the Cairo Monorail will significantly reduce CO2 emissions in the region.

In an area famous for sand blowing with the wind, a monorail system represents an innovative solution that eliminates the problem of sand building up along the line.  The monorail system is elevated, with the track resting upon an elevated concrete guideway.  Three years after the project first began, this elevated concrete guideway is beginning to cast an impressive shadow upon the desert landscape as it is rapidly moving towards completion.  According to Waleed Abdel Fattah, President of Hill International’s MENA region, engineering works for the Cairo Monorail are nearing 90 percent completion.  What remains of the engineering work for the project includes the completion of formal submissions for System Assurance documentation, which Abdel Fattah says will be followed by as-built drawings as the project moves through the final construction phases.

East of the Nile (EoN), the project draws a distinctive line through the landscape.  Driving east from Cairo to the New Administrative Capital, the line’s elevated guideway is a source of constant activity, with workers and materials moving endlessly along its length.  On the EoN section, about three quarters of the overall civil engineering work has been completed with about ten percent of the concrete guideway left to finish.  Along the concrete guideway, the 22 stations along the EoN line are taking shape, with each one a beehive of metal framework and construction activity.  Abdel Fattah notes that the station work along this section is at about 45 percent.  Mechanical installation has been completed on half of the switches EoN, and the long spans along the line are “various stages of construction” according to Abdel Fattah.  Systems installations on EoN are currently about 40 percent complete, and the section’s emergency walkways and power rails are in an “advanced state of installation.” 

At the eastern end of the EoN line sits its depot, which, when completed, will serve as the center of control and maintenance for the line.  The EoN depot is quickly taking shape and is about 70 percent complete according to Abdel Fattah.  At the heart of this depot sits the control center for this section of the monorail system, and its completion will represent a significant step in bringing this crucial project to fruition.   Most crucially perhaps in all this progress, all 40 train sets for the EoN line have been delivered, and procurement is complete for all materials for signaling, communications, AFC, platform screen doors, and electromechanical (MEP) systems–putting the project in a tremendous position to push forward through the final steps in completing the EoN line.

West of the Nile (WoN), construction is approximately 52 percent complete–of which line segments are 60 percent complete and stations are about halfway complete.  Progress on the WoN section–particularly in 4 line segments and 5 stations–has been slightly delayed by problems with land acquisition, but Abdel Fattah says that these issues have largely been resolved and work has started in Line Segments 8-12 and on Stations 9-12.  The WoN section will also feature a depot, which is nearing 50 percent completion.  Furthermore, Abdel Fattah says that MEP and Power Supply systems are currently under installation with all the switches in the depot and two switches on the mainline installed.  For the WoN section, six trains have already been delivered in the depot, and nine more are on the way.  For the WoN line, the major challenge to overcome has been with land acquisition and the diversion of utilities, which delayed the beginning of construction on the main structural elements of the line segments and stations.  Abdel Fattah predicts that the next six months will involve a “painstaking phase of diversion of utilities in the Zone 4 area, which is also a highly populated area.”  To overcome these challenges, Hill International and NAT are making all efforts to expedite the diversion of utilities by constant engagement with the government bodies and companies that own these utilities.

As the Cairo Monorail system continues to take shape, static tests have already started in the EoN depot.  With substantial progress in the project’s construction, power cables are finally being installed to form the power ring main for the EoN line.  Abdel Fattah believes over the next six months that we will see the completion of works in all line segments EoN and in the 7 line segments WoN.  Additionally, Abdel Fattah is hopeful that power-on of the systems may happen in the next few weeks, depending on review of local electricity authorities.  After this step is completed, this will begin the formal start of the testing and commissioning phase for the EoN line.  For the WoN line, there is strong evidence to suggest that its depot will be completed within the next six months as well as the start of major installation activities up to Station 7.  Furthermore, for the WoN line, Abdel Fattah expects significant progress in Zone 4’s line segments and stations.

With significant milestones on the immediate horizon, there is reason to believe that this 97-km long system will be in operation in the near future.  Keep following Civil+Structural Engineer Magazine for more information on this transformative project in the near future.

“In the dynamic landscape of the AEC industry, the rise of nontraditional roles like drone operators is pivotal,” said Chad Clinehens, president and CEO of Zweig Group. “As we confront the widening talent gap and the persistent challenge of recruiting and retaining skilled professionals, embracing emerging professions ensures our ability to innovate and meet the evolving demands of modern engineering.”

Sponsored by Garver and Crafton Tull, both AEC firms based in Northwest Arkansas, the drone “golfing” event showcased two teams of students from Rogers High School competing to drop golf balls as close to the pin as possible on the green. Team Garver and Team Crafton Tull, named in honor of the event sponsors, each operated a drone three times over a par-four hole. The victor was determined by the shortest drop time and closest proximity to the pin, with total times and distance measured.

“It’s truly inspiring to witness the passion and dedication my students bring to learning drone operations,” said Jeff Anderson of Rogers High School. “I have no doubt that their strong foundation in drone technology will serve as a catalyst for their success in the dynamic field of aviation and beyond.”

The purpose of the event, which brought together students, higher education, and industry professionals, was to connect the University of Arkansas College of Engineering with high school students to highlight the importance of nontraditional and emerging professions within the AEC space, such as drone operator.

“We are thrilled to be part of this event, and hope to continue partnering with high schools to expose students to these emerging professions,” said Richard Ham, an associate director at the University of Arkansas. “By fostering early exposure and educational programs, we are paving the way for a new generation of engineers equipped with diverse skill sets that will drive innovation and excellence in our field.”

Drones and skilled operators are only becoming more important to modern engineering. For example, drones enable more efficient site surveys, construction monitoring, and remote inspections of inaccessible areas. Operators gather crucial data to support design and decision-making processes. From assessing infrastructure integrity to optimizing project efficiency, drone operators play an increasingly vital role in enhancing engineering outcomes.

About Zweig Group

Zweig Group, three times on the Inc. 500/5000 list, is the industry leader and premiere authority in AEC firm management and marketing, the go-to source for data and research, and the leading provider of customized learning and training. Zweig Group exists to help AEC firms succeed in a complicated and challenging marketplace through services that include: Mergers & Acquisitions, Strategic Planning, Valuation, Executive Search, Board of Director Services, Ownership Transition, Marketing & Branding, and Business Development Training. The firm has offices in Dallas and Fayetteville, Arkansas.

Located near the southern border of Missouri, Table Rock Lake was created in 1958 when the eponymous dam was constructed across the White River to control flooding and generate hydroelectric power.  Designed and built by the US Army Corps of Engineers over a four year period starting in 1954, Table Rock Dam–so named for an overhanging rock formation one mile downstream–created a 43,100-acre lake with a shoreline that stretches roughly 800 miles through the surrounding Ozark hills.  Long before the White River’s waters filled the shores of Table Rock Lake, however, it cut a defined path through the Ozarks–beginning in the Boston Mountains of Arkansas and snaking into Missouri before flowing southeast into the Arkansas River and eventually the Mississippi.  Before any stagecoaches, trains, or roads appeared in the Ozark Hills, the White River served as the region’s only means of transportation.  The region’s first settlers made their way through the region’s hills and valleys on flat-bottomed boats.  These early settlers cut out homesteads for themselves along the White River where it breathed life into the first American settlements in the Ozarks.

As the 19th century progressed, these small homesteads grew into settlements along the river.  Barges and flat-bottomed boats moved goods and people up and down the river, supporting several modest settlements that would grow into cities.  Eventually, these boats were replaced by smaller steamboats, which further increased the region’s ability to support a growing population as the flow of trade and passengers moved up and down the White River.  Several of these towns and cities further enhanced this transportation system by dredging the river to support even more steamboat traffic.  Eventually, the flow of goods and people was shifted to growing railroad networks, and, at the start of the 20th century, the importance of the White River as a source of transportation activity had been greatly reduced.

By the turn of the century, the once-small towns and settlements that had been carved out along the river’s plains had grown into thriving economic centers for the region.  And, whereas the river once carried the promise of economic prosperity, its flow had come to threaten these growing towns with devastating seasonal floods.  Construction of the dam was authorized by Congress in the Flood Control Act of 1941, but the project’s start was delayed by both World War II and the Korean War as well as the construction of nearby Bull Shoals Dam.  Work eventually began on Table Rock Dam in 1954 when the Little Rock District of the Corps of Engineers arrived in October.  The plan was to create a combination concrete gravity dam and earthen embankment.  The concrete section of the dam would be a little over 1,600-feet long, requiring 1.23 million cubic yards of concrete.  Still more, the earthen portion of the dam would be over 4,800-feet long and contain 3.32 million cubic yards of fill.  Table Rock Dam would also feature a 531-foot long spillway with ten crest gates for the control of overflow water.  

Completed at a total cost of around $65 million, Table Rock Dam formed one of dozens of man-made lakes that began to dot the Ozarks.  Whereas the Missouri and Arkansas Ozarks had once been a region devoid of large lakes, the construction of dams like Table Rock over the course of the 20th century transformed the region physically and economically.  By the latter half of the 20th century, Table Rock Lake was but one of several large bodies of water that leapt into existence in the region.  The result was a massive boost to the resort and tourism industries as the region suddenly had thousands of acres of lakeshore that previously didn’t exist.  On Table Rock Lake, the US Army Corps of Engineers built 14 campgrounds and opened it up to the building of commercial marinas.  The massive influx of tourism supported the growth of the town of Branson, which now hosts upwards of 5 million visitors per year.

In the relatively short period of time that American towns and cities have existed in the Ozark region, there has been a tremendous shift in the relationship between these communities and the rivers that cut the first paths through it.  As society’s needs shifted, so too did this relationship.  What didn’t change, however, is the ability for these rivers to provide a means and reason for people to enter the region.  Where once this function operated as a result of transportation, it has now shifted to being the destination–opening the Ozarks to another generation of awestruck explorers.

Luke Carothers is the Editor for Civil + Structural Engineer Media. If you want us to cover your project or want to feature your own article, he can be reached at lcarothers@zweiggroup.com.  

A groundbreaking event was held on July 19, with construction expected to be completed by fall 2024. PARIC Corp. is the general contractor on the project.

KAI designed the 100,000-square-foot, four-story building to meet the job training and retaining demands of St. Louis area hospitals and healthcare system. It will be home to the college’s first bachelor’s degree. The building is also designed to achieve a LEED v4 Silver certification, with accessibility and inclusivity being a major focus.

Features of the new facility include:

• Indoor and outdoor student gathering spaces
• Classrooms expanding capacity for STLCC’s nursing, dental hygiene and radiology technology programs
• Simulator labs to prepare students for careers in emergency medical technology and paramedic technology
• Classroom space for behavioral health support and deaf communications studies programs to support holistic aspects of healthcare and patients with additional needs

“This state-of-the-art building will enable us to provide an even richer environment for the next generation of front-line healthcare heroes in the St. Louis region,” said Florissant Valley Campus President and Chief Academic Officer Elizabeth Gassel Perkins, Ed.D. “Students who study and learn in this facility will be well prepared to excel as they enter the workforce. Of course, we are most excited that this new building will provide an opportunity for the expansion of programs to the North St. Louis County area.”

The college’s Nursing and Health Sciences program currently attracts over 900 students and is projected to grow significantly, with the college’s current facilities not able to meet anticipated industry growth and technological advances.

“The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the growth rate for registered nurses between 2021 and 2031 will be above average at 6%. It also predicts that more than 200,000 job openings for registered nurses each year will occur over the next decade,” said Rick L. Stevens, M.P.H., F.A.C.H.E., President of Christian Hospital and Northwest Healthcare. “We know there’s a big need right now for registered nurses, but there is a big need also for people in healthcare overall, so it’s a great field to be in.”

In 2019, STLCC completed a new Center for Nursing and Health Sciences building, also designed by KAI, at its Forest Park sister campus. The facility was the college’s first new building in over 20 years. The four-level, 96,000-square-foot learning center sits along Oakland Avenue and was designed to achieve a LEED v4 Silver certification.
KAI’s design team worked closely with the campus’ team of staff, user groups and campus engineering to craft a learning environment focused on cultivating job-ready graduates.

“This new building is historic for the Florissant Valley campus because it will not only serve to fill the dire need for healthcare professionals, but it will also establish the entry point of this campus and serve as a landmark for many generations to come,” said KAI Chairman Michael E. Kennedy, Sr., R.A. 

It’s the 1940s in Maywood, New Jersey. A new residential community has sprouted up and the homeowners want to beautify their front lawns, so they go to a nearby property to gather some fresh topsoil. Little did they know that they’re helping to plant the seeds for one of the largest and most high-profile environmental cleanup projects in the nation. 

The soil they gathered was from the grounds of Maywood Chemical Works, a company that disposed of radioactive waste onto their property, as well as on a nearby wetland that’s the headwaters for the Lodi Brook. This waterway carried contamination downstream and spread it onto its floodplains where these new residential communities were being built during the construction boom following World War II. 

Decades ago, these residents and the company were unaware of what they were starting, but today the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York District, is resolving it. 

The agency, in cooperation with partners, is cleaning up the community to make it safe for residents, while at the same time keeping their own workers safe. They’ve been so successful that they achieved 1 million manhours without a lost time accident. This is a significant milestone for the Army Corps and not often achieved in the industry, and something especially important on environmental cleanup projects. The team reached this success by carrying out safety best practices that will be shared here. 

FUSRAP Maywood Superfund Site 

This project is being addressed by the Army Corps under the Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program (FUSRAP), that’s responsible for cleaning up radioactive waste generated during the early years of the nation’s atomic energy program. 

The Army Corps’ New York District is the lead agency implementing the cleanup effort at the Maywood site and has four other active sites in the greater New York City area that it leads. 

Dan Kennedy, project manager, Environmental, Interagency & International Services Branch, New York District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, said, “The FUSRAP has some of the most technically challenging remedial projects in the nation and doing it safely is the most important factor during any remedial action.” 

The Maywood FUSRAP Site is located in a highly developed area of northeastern New Jersey, just 12 miles west of New York City. 

The property where wastes were disposed of covers 153-acres across the Boroughs of Maywood and Lodi and the Township of Rochelle Park in Bergen County, New Jersey. 

In the early 20th century, Maywood Chemical Works sat on 63 acres of this land. For over 50 years, the company processed monazite sand to extract thorium and other rare earth minerals used in industrial products, including mantles for gas lanterns, as well as processed lithium ores for use of lithium in commercial products. 

The chemical and radioactive thorium waste that resulted from this production was stored, treated, or disposed of on the site into pits, piles, and man-made lagoons. 

During flooding events this waste ran into the Lodi Brook and was carried downstream into other waterways, contaminating sediment and soils over a large area near the brook. Fortunately, the groundwater was not contaminated. 

Spread from the Lodi Brook was the primary way the contamination spread in the community, but some residents also used soil from the site as fill on their properties, which added to the contamination. This spread the contamination throughout acres of land and into 92 residential, governmental, and commercial properties. 

Since this waste contained radioactive thorium, a potential human carcinogen—this posed a threat to human health and the environment. The Army Corps is addressing the radioactive portions of the contamination under FUSRAP in collaboration with the EPA Region II, the New Jersey State Department of Environmental Protection, Contractor, Cabrera Services, Inc., and with stakeholders such as the Stepan Company, a current owner of a portion of the site that is responsible for removing the non-radioactive material from, in, and around its property. 

Radioactive material and soil are being remediated and potential groundwater contamination is being treated. All residential contaminated remediation has been completed. 

In addition, on the former Maywood Chemical Works site, the Army Corps safely removed radioactive soil, contaminated buildings, and metal drums that contained remnants of harmful solvents and degreasers. 

Presently, the Army Corps is removing contaminated soil from underneath highways and roads that include hard-to-reach areas around utilities, including beneath the streets in the Borough of Lodi. 

To date, over 830,130 cubic yards of contaminated soil and debris has been safely removed from the site. “This is equivalent to more than 11,000 railcars that we used to transport the material to landfills designed to safely contain these materials,” said John Canby, project engineer, New York District. He added, “Additionally, 135 million gallons of groundwater has been treated, which is equivalent to five oil supertankers.” 

The project is expected to be completed in three years and includes the restoration of the wetland that is the headwaters of the Lodi Brook that carried much of the contamination downstream and throughout the region. 

Throughout the project’s progress, public safety measures have been in place for the community. These measures include continuous air monitoring, disposing of contaminated material to approved off-site locations, decontaminating the trucks that are transporting waste material off the properties, dust suppression measures, and traffic controls. In addition, regular community meetings are held to keep the public informed about the progress of the project and to address their concerns. 

Worker Safety Best Practices 

Not only is the health of the community important, but also the safety of the project’s workers, especially when it comes to FUSRAP projects. Michael Johnson, team leader, New York District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said, “Safety is very important for all construction projects and especially for FUSRAP projects because these projects introduce the workers to potential exposures to contaminants above and beyond your typical construction project hazards.” 

Because of this, the team has implemented a series of worker safety best practices for its workers. The team has been so successful in doing this that they achieved 1 million manhours without a lost time accident. “This type of achievement is rare. This is the only project that I have worked on in the Army Corps that has achieved this milestone,” says Johnson who has worked on this project for 15 years. Following are some of the key worker safety best practices the team is performing that make this project a leader in worker safety. 

A.M. Safety Counseling 

Every morning, the workers take part in a short Daily Tailgate Meeting. According to Johnson, this 30-minute meeting sets the day for the team. During the meeting, they discuss several things including the project’s safety analyses that can include discussing the steps needed to get through the potential hazards of a specific job. They also discuss a safety topic of the day that can include near misses or accidents that happened in the construction industry recently. Following this they hold a Q & A session and then the workers get up and take to the floor for some stretching exercises before heading out to the job site. 

Worker Empowerment 

Workers are encouraged to have open dialogue to reduce workplace accidents. Johnson said, “For example, the workers have Stop Work Authority which means anyone on the job has the authority to stop the project if they observe unsafe conditions or behavior.” 

Safety Incentive Award Program 

Each month, workers receive safety incentive awards for proactively taking steps to ensure safety on the project. According to Johnson, this program is a way to ensure inclusion for the project’s safety commitment. The program is designed to have targeted goals that empower personnel to have “skin in the game” and encourages workers to proactively take ownership of the project safety culture by meeting those safety-oriented goals. In addition, each quarter, workers are selected by their peers as the “Quarterly Safety Performer” recognizing exemplary safety performance and achievement. 

According to Bill Lorenz, vice president of Cabrera Services, Inc., a contractor who plays an integral part in the project’s safety measures says, “We are recognizing and rewarding our employees, not only for noticing and taking actions to eliminate hazards from the job site, but also for making positive observations that illustrate a commitment to safety for everyone on the project.” Cabrera Services, Inc. is headquartered in East Hartford Connecticut. 

Out of sight, but not out of mind 

Johnson said that hazardous waste projects and this one in particular has a unique danger—radiological hazards that are not visible to the naked eye. 

According to Kennedy, another hazard of radioactive materials is that they emit ionizing radiation, which means that a person can be exposed to radiation without even coming into contact with the material. Because of this, specific precautions are being taken to protect workers through how the project is designed and through the use of personal protective equipment. 

The project site is designed to minimize safety hazards. This includes making sure there is ventilation in all work areas and misting water on the soils during excavation to suppress dust and contaminants from becoming airborne. 

In addition, zones are set up on the site to limit worker’s exposure and reduce or eliminate potential cross contamination. The Exclusion Zone is where the workers are performing the remediation work and dealing with the contaminated material, the Contamination Reduction Zone supports the workers in the Exclusion Zone, and the Support Zone supports the Reduction Zone workers and it’s where workers prepare themselves to enter the Exclusion Zone. 

To further limit worker exposure, workers wear personal protective equipment to protect their skin including wearing an outer layer of protective disposable clothing, hard hats, safety glasses and shields, and steel-toe safety boots. 

And at the end of the day, before workers leave the site, their hands, feet, and clothing are monitored using radioactive detection instruments to ensure that radioactive materials are not adhered to a person before they leave the work site. 

Although contaminated soils were accidentally placed onto Maywood, New Jersey’s residential properties, it is no accident that the Army Corps workers who are cleaning up the community have done so without harming the residents or themselves in the process. This can be directly attributed to the safety best practices the workers perform every day that other project managers and engineers can learn from. 

Lorenz added, “Our team’s ability to achieve 1 million manhours without a lost time accident while working on a FUSRAP project is remarkable. There is constantly some sort of high-risk, high-hazard type of activity occurring. We developed, emphasized, and implemented our approach to safety from the start and have routinely engaged employees so that they know they have direct involvement in the program, and its success. With these employees, we’ve been able to create, and sustain a safety culture where our people actively care for one another, and everyone is looking out for each other, to make sure we all go home at the end of the day, safely.” 

Ongoing water shortages in the Colorado River basin and elsewhere in the Western U.S. underscore a widespread reality: water resources management in the West has reached a critical juncture, and profound change is on the horizon. 

We’ve seen expansive growth in the West over the past century, and it’s evident that much of the water infrastructure developed will not meet future needs, particularly if practices from the past are followed. 

The world today is dramatically different from the era when major water supply projects in the West were envisioned and constructed. Our climate is changing, demand for water is growing, facilities are aging, and societal expectations of water resource management are evolving. Implementing changes and financing large capital investments to address these needs will challenge established institutional frameworks. Adapting water infrastructure, management practices, and project financing to meet the needs of tomorrow will not be possible by doing more of the same. 

We need transformative thinking. 

The Effects of Climate Change 

The changing climate amplifies the variability that has long defined water supply in the West. While large water projects were designed based on hydrologic conditions that reflected historical variability known at the time, the frequency and intensity of the extremes has increased, and the trend is projected to continue. 

Most large reservoirs were designed to provide multiple benefits—such as water supply, flood protection, and hydropower generation. Flood reservation pools sized to manage rainfall inflow during winter months gradually decreased during spring months as snowmelt inflow coincided with large agricultural demand patterns. Changes in precipitation patterns due to a warming climate produces less snowpack, which serves as the largest reservoir in the West, and causes earlier runoff that can require flood releases. As a result, inflow exceeds storage capacity and less water is available. 

To provide more real-time management information and balance flood risk with increased water conservation storage, Forecast- Informed Reservoir Operations (FIRO) strategies are being developed. However, longer and more intense droughts accelerate the depletion of stored surface water supplies, increasing reliance on unsustainable groundwater pumping or water transfers, which are costly during times of extreme water shortage. 

Less Supply, More Demand 

Population growth and overallocation has increased water demands on many projects to levels that meet or exceed sustainable levels. In addition, for some projects, regulatory and legal actions require changes in project operations or water use that result in less available supply than expected when projects were constructed, adding to the growing gap between supply and demand. Many Western water managers attempt to balance water supply availability and demand management through a portfolio strategy that includes surface and groundwater supplies, reuse and treatment of impaired water sources (including desalination), water banking and acquisitions, and conservation requirements. But the rapid pace of change in demand and water availability often exceeds the pace of adaptation. 

In some areas of the Western U.S., groundwater pumping to narrow this gap has caused land subsidence that reduces the conveyance capacity of large canal systems to move water when it is most available, or caused other undesirable effects. 

For example, in the California Central Valley, implementation of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) will require significant reductions in groundwater pumping to address adverse effects in eight severely overdrafted groundwater basins. SGMA requires compliance by 2040, meaning additional overdraft is expected to continue while actions to reduce groundwater use are pursued. Recent studies by the Public Policy Institute of California reveal that overdraft far exceeds available local supplies, and extensive land fallowing is likely. 

Addressing Aging Infrastructure 

The imbalance between supply and demand is occurring at a time when many facilities are aging, which has created a unique opportunity. 

Most large water supply projects in the Western U.S. were developed between the 1930s and 1980s, and many need extraordinary maintenance, repair, rehabilitation, or replacement. Simply rebuilding or replacing old infrastructure as originally designed may not be the best approach. Corrective actions to aging facilities that restore or preserve originally authorized benefits should anticipate and design for climate change effects, supply, and demand. Any action taken should also address the need for modernization to offer improved forecasting capabilities, meet environmental protection objectives, coordinate with other water projects, and integrate with renewable power systems. 

Recently, the Bureau of Reclamation was authorized $3.2 billion for extraordinary maintenance in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and additional funding through the Inflation Reduction Act, which provides a downpayment on corrective actions to Reclamation-owned facilities. This fund is almost fully reimbursable, and far more is needed for both federal and non-federal projects, creating a significant funding and financing challenge for water users throughout the West. 

Solutions for Western water will also test existing institutional frameworks. Long-term solutions to water supply shortages in some areas may involve funding projects in one area to benefit users in another location. For example, constructing seawater desalination projects in coastal areas could allow for the use of surface water at inland locations through exchange and operations agreements. The development of such a project could require changes in water rights or contracts, long-term financing plans, and operating commitments to assure water supply and quality is provided over many decades, as expected. 

Transforming water management infrastructure, policies, and financing will be a significant endeavor and will require deep understanding and agreement among a diverse set of participants. Decisions on water management are decisions on the allocation of this precious resource. Over the past few decades, decision-making regarding water resources has become more complex in recognition of human, environmental, social, and economic implications. While many agencies actively engage diverse viewpoints in decision-making, more work is needed to build coalitions. 

Over the next several years, we will see many important decisions made regarding Western water management that will shape the remainder of this century. Our ability to address the past and prepare for the future will depend on the extent that we are willing to transform our infrastructure, institutions, and financing of water projects. 

Bill Swanson, PE, is Stantec’s Practice Leader for Water Resources Planning Management.

The inundation of California with rain and snow over the last several months has brought multiple stormwater realities and concerns to the surface. In addition to damaging floods, the threat of future challenges remains as winter’s snow begins to melt. Combined with the recent drought, California finds itself in a real water management quandary. 

While California has emerged as the poster child for what needs to happen next in the stormwater industry, they are by no means an anomaly. As the climate continues to change, states, cities, and towns across the U.S. will be faced with water challenges. The solution? Education, proper product selection, and planning. 

Challenge Overview 

In 1972, the Clean Water Act, a national regulation, instructed that stormwater must be treated. California then created its own regulations—as did many states—that are implemented today by state water boards dictating how stormwater is to be treated to be sure any pollution is disposed of properly. This helps with the limiting of erosion, flood mitigation, and much more. 

Let’s take a closer observation at what happened—and is still happening—in California. When looking at the immense amounts of rain that have fallen in 2023 in California—30.04 inches as of April 9 representing 148 percent of average, according to California Water Watch—the root of the problem is that the sheer volume of water has overwhelmed existing infrastructure. The built environment—typically urban, very developed areas—is not equipped to handle this volume of water, and the natural water cycle is being disrupted by the amount of impervious surfaces in urban environments. This means water can’t infiltrate the ground as it once did, overwhelming current management infrastructure and increasing flood risk. 

This water is bringing with it more sediment, which creates pollution and safety hazards. The current infrastructure in place cannot handle the amount of water it’s receiving which is causing severe safety impacts—flooding and more—to the population. 

“While the situation can seem overwhelming, there are ways that exist to manage these situations, to target flood-risk areas quickly” said Laraine Sanfilippo, commercial operations director for Oldcastle Infrastructure, a CRH company. “What we’re learning on a very real-time basis is that stormwater must be captured and infiltrated on-site as much as possible. In a nutshell: what was once ‘how fast can we get the water to the ocean’ is now ‘has fast can we capture it.’” 

When it comes to the big and infrequent rainstorms experienced by Californians, it’s all about capturing as much water as possible when the opportunities arise. Just out of a long drought, it’s safe to assume that the next couple of years could be dry for California. Storms and atmospheric rivers provide the perfect opportunity to capture stormwater and save it for years down the road. But are these opportunities being maximized? 

Statewide snowpack levels, as of April 9, are at 238 percent of average. Snowpacks are one of the world’s largest water detention systems and a big part of the California water system as the snow melts and feeds reservoirs and rivers. But with snowpacks at shockingly high levels, the concern is valid that a rapid warm-up in the spring could result in even more flooding. 

“At the heart of the issue is the connection between our natural environment and the built environment,” said Tyler Metcalf, general manager of Torrent Resources, part of Oldcastle Infrastructure, a CRH company. “Episodic droughts historically have caused aboveground resources to be visually depleted; now, with recent rains, our reservoirs, rivers, and streams are full of water, giving the perception on the surface that we are no longer experiencing the effects of prior drought and water supply is at capacity—but that’s not the case. In reality, we have overdrawn groundwater for years and we must replenish our depleted aquifers to ensure one of our world’s most valuable resources, water, is available for future generations.” 

The historic practice of Flood-MAR (flood-managed aquifer recharge) is one method to lessen the impact on the built environment by flooding agricultural land to help alleviate flooding downstream and keep water where it lands for more effective infiltration. Given that agricultural lands are the biggest users of water coming out of aquifers, this makes sense. But forethought is necessary: variances must be obtained in order to flood agricultural lands; by the time the rains arrive, it’s too late to submit a request. Studies are in process throughout the U.S. to evaluate the effectiveness of this method compared to newer technologies that can more effectively infiltrate stormwater and recharge underground aquifers for future widespread use. Results of these studies are expected in the coming months. 

At the end of the day, California—and especially Los Angeles—have made significant infrastructure moves and are ahead of the curve when it comes to stormwater management. But what more can be done to better prepare for and capture the water from the growing number of large storms the state and the country are experiencing? 

Total Stormwater Solutions 

Multiple infrastructure solutions exist, from aquifer recharge and catchment to treatment and the aforementioned Flood-MAR. Which ones are successful depends on investments and planning. 

Sanfilippo recognizes there are multiple options on the market for stormwater treatment and management, infiltration, and detention. “To truly solve the challenge, we need to start planning at individual development sites to ensure the stormwater is treated before it hits the reservoirs.” 

Metcalf agrees: “We cannot hold onto every single drop of water; we need to be smart. We need to understand how our natural environment would have originally infiltrated stormwater and use this to guide the infrastructure path.” 

Deep infiltration is one solution for urban built environments with the goal of capturing and treating water on-site. “The goal is to recharge underground aquifers without affecting the natural flow of water from where it fell to where it’s going to be stored,” continued Metcalf. “We believe the most sustainable strategy is to capture, treat, and infiltrate stormwater at the source without moving water off-site, but this can be a challenge without proper infrastructure, especially as larger storms seem to be occurring more frequently.” 

Another solid option: catchment processes designed to capture and filter out trash that would otherwise wind up in the oceans or reservoirs. 

For the encroaching snowpack, Metcalf has a solution: “Rethinking infrastructure to utilize natural resources more sustainably will help maintain water supply well into the future.” 

The Flood-MAR option, while appealing on the surface, calls for a bit of a geographical reality check. Talking about thousands of acres of land is one thing, but what about solutions for smaller pieces of land? Metcalf explains: “While states are celebrating farmers flooding their land to help recharge groundwater aquifers and build up future resources, there’s already technology—manufactured solutions—that can do this more efficiently and more sustainably in densely populated areas. This is where options like deep infiltration should be considered and utilized. Products such as StormCapture® and MaxWell® offer the ideal technology and sustainability for taking stormwater management into the next phase nationwide.” 

“This ongoing problem has taken decades to evolve to where we are,” said Sanfilippo. “One single solution doesn’t exist—it’s the suite of solutions that’s needed, the branching out into new technologies to handle and manage newly evolving water challenges.” 

The Future of Stormwater Solutions 

“Nationalizing regulations is important,” said Sanfilippo. “Right now, the EPA has broad national regulations, but each state manages their own water to be sure it’s free of pollutants. There are no national regulations that apply to stormwater to ensure a consistent amount of pollutant removal or flood mitigation.” 

In process are ASTM standards for stormwater treatment devices, which, when created, would allow the entire country to be on the same stormwater regulation page, resulting in change on a greater scale. But be prepared: before that happens, we’ll most likely see the same problems we’re seeing in California arise in growing built environment communities with no existing regulations. 

Metcalf believes collaboration is a key element of success: “In some places, pressure is being put on cities to solve the problem, but they don’t have the space to do it. The key: partnerships and collaboration between cities and states.” 

On the product side of the solutions equation, proper maintenance of systems is necessary. 

On-site infiltration is a leading answer, according to Sanfilippo. “It’s not just stormwater—it’s all water. We view all water as one holistic resource, and stormwater is a significant part of that. The best thing we can do is efficiently and safely put stormwater back into the ground the way it was before we were here.” 

Located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the University Lakes are nearly 100 years old. These six man-made lakes were hand dredged by Civilian Conservation Corps workers to a depth of three feet. Changing the Tupelo swamp into a lake system required a large number of workers, but, upon completion, the University Lakes soon became an iconic recreation amenity for the City of Baton Rouge. Because of the area’s attractiveness, neighborhoods began to spring up around University Lakes. However, as development around the lakes increased, the amount of stormwater runoff into the system increased. Over its near century of existence, the lake system has had numerous issues with water quality. Decreased water quality had also resulted in additional complications with eutrophication. These challenges forced the residents of Baton Rouge to start thinking about the future of University Lakes, and a master plan was developed in 2016. This plan explored additional dredging on the lake system and how that dredge could be utilized as an additional recreational amenity. 

The result was a plan to dredge the entire lake system to a minimum of six feet in depth, doubling the current average depth. This additional dredge material would be utilized around the lakes’ edges to create a “living edge” to capture clean water before it goes back into the lakes, stabilize the lake edges, and provide new recreational amenities. In 2021, Sasaki was hired to lead the design from concept all the way to implementation. For the University Lakes project, Sasaki is leading the landscape design as well as being the master designer and lead for the upland civil work on the project. Sasaki is also partnering with Stantec, who is the flood risk reduction designer. 

According to Zach Chrisco, the University Lakes project is fascinating from a civil engineering perspective. Chrisco, a principal and civil engineer at Sasaki, notes the importance of the project in improving water quality for not only the six lakes, but for downstream receiving waters as well. Much of the region’s water flows through or drains into the lakes, and the improvement of the lake system will bring significant benefits to the region. Another significant consideration in the project is flood reduction, and the creation of the lakeside amenities is one way by which it seeks to protect neighborhoods from flooding. To achieve this goal, Chrisco emphasizes the importance of coordination within the teams. This allows them to consider critical water elevations and how the bodies of water can be connected hydraulically. 

For Sasaki’s team, this meant understanding both the minimum depth of water needed to restore the lake system and the volume and amount of material created. The team began exploring placements for the planned programming and amenities, which was influenced by areas where large outfalls exist. Understanding where the excess dredge will be placed meant that the team could accurately develop flood risk reduction solutions. Anna Cawrse, Landscape Architect and Principal at Sasaki, notes that this is an ongoing “back and forth” process between the teams on the project. As new areas are dredged there is a constant evolution of the engineering understanding as different methods are deployed to dredge the lake. The end result is that the plan allows the system to get ahead of flood events by creating additional storage in the lakes and using the additional material to “improve water quality and the lakes.” 

The University Lakes project represents a creative and sustainable approach to the problems the lake system has faced in the past. This is a departure from similar, traditional dredging projects in that the excess material is being used as a part of an innovative strategy to improve water quality and reduce flood risk. The project is also innovative from a landscape architecture perspective. Cawrse notes that because dredge material takes at least 90 days to settle, their strategy for creating the new landscape is “successional.” This means that, even though the team is unable to place any amenities or walkways until the land is settled, they are working to establish the landscape as quickly as possible. In this plan, by the time the land is settled and ready for paths and amenities, the area will already have a “beautiful southern Louisiana landscape,” says Cawrse. 

The University Lakes project is unique in its scale, and this scale is only intensified by its location in an urban, heavily developed area. While other dredging projects have utilized dredge material for reuse, it doesn’t often happen at this scale. Cawrse notes that the University Lakes project—because of its ability to balance the project with community and recreational space—is a good model for similar projects moving forward. Indeed, the ability to move thousands of cubic yards of dredge material sustainably within an area that includes numerous neighborhoods and the state university is indicative of the innovative approaches taken by Sasaki and all the teams that are involved in the University Lakes project. 

The Matilija Dam Ecosystem Restoration Project (MDERP) is currently organized as a public-private partnership under the leadership of the Ventura County Public Works Agency. This collaboration has resulted in countless hours of community outreach and coordination with diverse public-private partnerships including state, local, and federal agencies as well as stakeholders, non-governmental organizations, private funders, and dedicated members of the community. Described as a gateway project toward the removal of the Matilija Dam, the replacement of the Santa Ana Boulevard Bridge over the Ventura River represents a crucial step in improving the long-term environmental health of the river’s watershed. The bridge’s replacement is another step toward the realization of the removal of the Matilija Dam. Design funding for the replacement project came from the California State Coastal Conservancy with construction funding coming from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. A major outcome of the Santa Ana Boulevard Bridge Replacement project is progress in restoring fish habitat, biodiversity, and coastal wetland ecosystems as a part of the larger watershed-scale ecosystem restoration effort. 

One of the biggest environmental challenges that came as a result of the previous bridge structure was its restriction of the Ventura River. Changes to the landscape during the construction of the old bridge narrowed the river, which significantly impacted biological resources and water quality. The old structure was 210 feet long with its replacement being 350 feet long. This widened the Ventura River by 80 feet, which had the effect of restoring the natural channel and morphology with improved water and sediment flows, which will in turn enhance fish passage and instream habitat for steelhead and other native fish. This will also reduce periodic channel maintenance and facilitate the natural ecosystem and geomorphic processes. 

Designing a new bridge that not only facilitated the flow of more water now but also with the future removal of the Matilija Dam, proved to be a major challenge for the teams working on the project. During the design process, the team eventually produced a single column foundation design that pushed the limits on the width of the bridge cross-section. Furthermore, to prepare the structure for increased flows with the removal of the dam, the design required a higher structure. Ultimately, the design team developed a design that was higher and longer and was only supported by two columns in the full 350-foot length of the bridge. The new Santa Ana Boulevard Bridge was designed with one lane of vehicle traffic each direction with a four-foot wide shoulder for bicycle and equestrian traffic. It also includes a six-foot wide sidewalk on one side for pedestrians. 

The project’s superstructure was completed, and falsework was removed, in December of 2021. The following week, six inches of rain fell and the project was hit with a flow of water that overcame the river diversion. Water flowed under all three spans of the bridge and against the newly constructed columns. However, in a moment of perfect timing, the bridge had just been post-tensioned, and the structure escaped with no damage. 

The construction of the new bridge also saw challenges stemming from its structural design. To accommodate for the three bridge spans supported by two single column piers, the bridge is set on a skew and is oblong in shape where the cross-sectional area increases as it flares to be integral with the superstructure. This is because the single column creates a large cantilever of the superstructure at the pier location, especially with the skew. This design increases the load demands on the columns, and, to help mitigate this load demand increase, the bridge’s columns were designed to have a flared top section that was made integral with the superstructure. This design caused some delays in construction as the contractor wasn’t able to utilize existing forms that may have been used on other construction projects. This meant the contractor had to build custom one-time use forms for the flared columns. However, these delays outweighed the alternative, double-column configuration, as it would increase the potential for debris build-up during major storm events after the dam is removed. 

Despite challenges to the design and construction processes, construction on the replacement bridge began in March 2021 and was completed the next year in October 2022 with a final cost of $12 million. This project represents an important first step in restoring and improving the region’s ecological health. By returning waterways to more natural pathways, there will be a significant increase in fish habitat, biodiversity, and the native coastal wetland ecosystem. In addition to its ecological benefits, the new bridge adds pedestrian and bicycle access and addresses the previous bridge’s seismic compliance concerns while also upgrading infrastructure for improved water and climate resilience. In recognition of the new Santa Ana Boulevard Bridge’s innovation and impact, it was named the Structural Project of the Year by the American Public Works Association. 

Gateway to Ecological Restoration 

Project Manager: Christopher Solis, PE 

Design Engineer: Consor North America, Inc. (previously Quincy Engineering Inc.) 

Prime Contractor: Security Paving Company, Inc. 

Construction Management & Inspection: Filippin Engineering 

Environmental Monitoring: Rincon Consultants, Inc. 

AEC firms must offer variety, identify employee interests, and create a positive work environment to retain top talent. 

AEC employees across the industry are getting bored with their current firms because the work has become routine and they desire a variety of projects, personal growth opportunities, a flexible work environment, and the list goes on and on. 

In the one-hit wonder, “Escape (The Piña Colada Song)” by Rupert Holmes, a man reads the personal columns in the newspaper and spots an ad that catches his attention. It’s a woman seeking a man who is into the same things he’s into including those dangerously delicious piña coladas. The man responds to the ad and they arrange to meet at a bar called O’Malley’s where they will plan their escape. Upon arrival, he quickly realizes the mystery person was actually his current partner. They have a drink and talk about how they have more in common than they had known and that they do not have to look any further than each other for what they seek in a relationship. 

Could this same scenario be playing out with the principals and staff in architecture, engineering, and construction firms? A few things to consider: 

The importance of variety. AEC firms can offer a range of opportunities to their employees to keep them engaged and motivated. This can include opportunities for career advancement, training and development, cross-functional projects, and exposure to new clients, projects, and business functions like marketing or strategic planning. Providing variety in the work can help employees to remain engaged, maintain their interest in their job, reduce burnout, and ultimately, retain them within the organization. 

Identifying employee interests and passions. To provide employees with variety and new opportunities, it is important to identify their interests and passions. AEC firms can do this by offering regular feedback and conducting performance reviews. By understanding an employee’s strengths, areas for improvement, and interests, firms can offer tailored opportunities that align with their career aspirations. This approach can lead to higher job satisfaction, engagement, and ultimately, retention. Hundreds of firms participate annually in Zweig Group’s Best Firms To Work For Award program to gain valuable insights into their employees’ feedback. 

Creating a positive work environment. Creating a positive work environment is also critical for retaining top talent. This includes offering a flexible work schedule, promoting work-life balance, and providing opportunities for collaboration and teamwork. Firms can also offer social activities, such as team-building events and happy hours, to promote a positive work culture and foster relationships among employees. According to the 2022 Best Firms To Work For overall results, more than 90 percent of respondents from these firms agreed or strongly agreed that positive relationships were present among employees and leaders. 

In the AEC industry, retaining top talent is critical for the success of the firm. To do this, AEC firms need to provide variety and new opportunities within the organization, identify employee interests and passions, and create a positive work environment. By offering competitive compensation and benefits packages and recognizing and rewarding employees, firms can improve retention rates and drive success. It’s time for AEC firms to take the friendly warning from Rupert Holmes and find ways to keep their employees engaged, motivated, and away from the job posting ads. 

CEO Roundtable Retreat is a unique opportunity for AEC firm leaders to engage and interact with industry peers to discuss current issues facing firms today, explore industry trends and next practices, and confront the biggest challenges they face leading their firms. Join us June 22-23 in Napa Valley, California. Click here to learn more! 

As environmental and climate change concerns continue to grow, there is also a growing recognition of the impact that industries like construction have had on environmental issues. Along with this recognition is progress from within to adopt new standards, practices, and materials that will lessen the construction industry’s impact on the environment. John Meibers, vice president and general manager for Deltek ComputerEase, believes that construction companies will put more emphasis on sustainability in the bidding process, and they will be prepared to use the appropriate materials and processes efficiently, even at a higher initial cost, through careful and intentional software-based project management tools. With over 35 years of experience in the construction industry, Meibers has previously worked as a controller for a larger mechanical contractor for over a decade before spending the last 25 years as the leader of ComputerEase. He focuses on equipping contractors with the tools they need to manage profitability, drive growth, and meet construction requirements. 

Meibers believes that there are a number of reasons construction firms will place an increased emphasis on sustainability with the first being growing environmental and climate change concerns. When it comes to resource depletion, pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions, the construction industry has had a significant impact on the environment, and Meibers points out that increasing awareness of environmental issues will cause construction companies to recognize the need to reduce their environmental footprint as much as possible. Along with an increasing awareness of environmental issues comes regulatory requirements that have already been implemented and will continue to be implemented. These regulations often require construction projects to meet specific environmental standards, such as energy efficiency, water conservation, and waste reduction. 

Meibers believes that construction companies need to incorporate sustainable practices in their projects from the bidding stage itself to remain both competitive and compliant. Within the bidding stage, sustainability initiatives can be viewed as a “long-term cost-saving tactic for the end user.” Sustainable construction practices often result in reduced operational costs over the long-term. For example, energy-efficient buildings can do this by lowering energy consumption, and sustainable construction practices such as using recycled materials and implementing efficient waste management systems can also reduce material costs and disposal expenses. Furthermore, Meibers also believes that, because construction firms heavily rely on market demand and reputation, construction firms will increasingly prioritize sustainability in their decision making processes as their clients and stakeholders do the same. Clients and stakeholders—including governments, businesses, and consumers—are more likely to choose construction companies that demonstrate a commitment to sustainable practices. Thus, according to Meibers, emphasizing sustainability during the bidding process will allow construction companies to enhance their reputation, attract environmentally-conscious clients, and gain a competitive edge in the market. Additionally, demonstrating environmental stewardship and sustainable construction practices will allow construction companies to use their corporate social responsibility platform to help recruit talent, enhance their public image, strengthen community relationships, and align with broader societal expectations. 

As construction companies work to become better prepared to use these sustainable practices and materials, they are turning to a variety of tools they can use to help the process toward sustainability. Meibers notes that, to manage these new ways of completing projects, contractors need to rely on flexible, construction-specific software that proactively manages jobs, inventory, finances, and people with real-time data from any location. Furthermore, Meibers points out that other tools—such as sustainability assessment tools, BIM software, Green Building Certification Systems, and material selection databases—will help guide the construction industry into new sustainable practices. 

However, as the construction industry works to adopt sustainable practices, the process is not without its challenges. As public awareness grows, the market demand, standards, and regulations around sustainability will continue to evolve. Meibers believes that construction companies will have to work to stay ahead of and keep up with sustainable construction practices, which means anticipating shifting expectations from stakeholders and the general public. This also means staying updated on evolving regulations and building codes to ensure their jobs comply with new requirements. Meibers also suggests that, without flexible software to manage requirements, keeping up with these changes will be difficult. In addition to these evolving requirements and market demand, construction companies will also face challenges when it comes to the availability and cost of sustainable materials. Increasing demand for environmentally-friendly materials means that finding a reliable supply can be a challenge, and the availability and accessibility of such products may still be limited in some regions, according to Meibers. 

Construction companies may face difficulties in sourcing sustainable materials in the quantities and quality needed, and, once contractors find the supply needed, sustainable materials sometimes involve higher upfront costs compared to traditional methods. To overcome these challenges, Meibers believes that construction companies will need to navigate the financial implications and balance the initial costs with potential long-term savings and benefits. A further challenge in moving toward more sustainable construction practices stems from the current labor shortage, which is only exacerbated by the fact that integrating sustainable practices often requires specialized knowledge and skills. To overcome this challenge, Meibers believes construction firms need to quickly hire and retain more workers and provide the adequate training so they become skilled laborers. In turn, construction companies will need to create training and education programs so workers understand sustainable practices and encourage the adoption of these methods. 

As new sustainability goals are laid out, and new regulations are introduced, the construction industry is continually changing, and evidence indicates that this change is trending toward sustainability and the adoption of sustainable practices and materials. To stay ahead of this coming change, construction companies will need to invest in software and business practices that promote the adoption and deployment of sustainable building practices and materials. 

For architecture and engineering firms, digital transformation means having real-time, 360-degree visibility into every aspect of your business. Ideally, this includes the ways you manage business development, projects, people, finances, and business intelligence. Complete productivity tools built for the way A&E firms work can give you the insights you need to maintain a competitive edge. Deltek Vantagepoint is one of the leading platforms in this space and here is a quick overview of the advantages they offer to firms like yours. 

1. Customer Relationship Management 

Knowing where the new projects are and how to position your firm to win them is key to survival in the A&E business. The work must also be profitable and worth what it costs you to pursue it. The right CRM and pipeline management platform can help you get early insights on new opportunities, identify the ones where your firm can excel, and nurture long-term relationships with decision makers to help you stand out from the competition. Deltek’s CRM and pipeline functionality helps you boost your win rate and do it profitably. 

2. Project Management 

Your project management technology should enable you to monitor every detail of your jobs in a single hub. From mobilization through close-out, you need to be able to spot trends and risks and make timely adjustments to stay on schedule and on budget. Deltek Vantagepoint not only gives you this kind of end-to-end project control visibility, but also helps you manage resources to stay ahead of shifting client demands and market conditions. 

3. Resource Management 

Imagine what it could do for your business to combine resource management capabilities with your pipeline and project management platform. Solutions like Deltek Vantagepoint help you to optimize your workforce and maximize utilization, matching skills and experience to your book of business and identifying staffing gaps. Having the right people on the right jobs not only boosts productivity, but also promotes client satisfaction and loyalty. 

4. Financial Management 

The overall value of your A&E business, now and in the future, depends heavily on the quality of your accounting records, the reliability of your financial statements, and the consistency and growth of your cash flow performance. Deltek’s integrated platform helps you to balance the needs and preferences of your clients with interactive invoicing control that shortens time to money for you. Some advantages include better information, more flexibility and less paper, all in one digital package. 

5. Business Intelligence 

Managing a thriving architecture and engineering practice demands more than just having access to data or keeping it secure and organized. To stay competitive, you need to be able to get timely, actionable insights that help you make better (and faster) business decisions. In today’s technology market, you should demand intuitive functionality like interactive dashboards and easy-to-use reports that fit the way A&E firms operate. The Deltek Vantagepoint platform can help you stay on top of the health of your firm with deep visibility into challenges and opportunities. 

Continue the Conversation 

Clayton & McKervey advises architecture and engineering firm owners on productivity, profitability, and business process optimization. Our internal practice teams offer deep experience and a track record of success in succession planning, tax strategy, mergers and acquisitions, financial reporting, and incentive programs for key employees. Reach out today to learn how we can help your firm grow. 

We have been paired with that manager. You know the one I’m talking about. The one who mismanages and is not a good leader. The supervisor who’s a bottleneck for every decision, and makes other people in the firm go through them. These supervisors often give us the sense that they don’t have our best interests in mind, making the working relationship simply transactional. Many people are in the same boat, but in the ocean, the tides change. Sometimes it can become overbearing, and you may ask yourself, “When are
they going to leave?” 

As you develop your own leadership and soft skills, thinking about our shared experiences with subpar supervisors can provide insight into how we can do better for ourselves and those around us. Think about it: Bad leadership skills and poor management create an environment where it is hard for employees to grow and develop. In contrast, great leaders create environments where everyone has the space and support to grow and develop. Poor leadership creates deprivation, and the gap between great and poor leadership illustrates some tremendous lessons that help us overcome the barriers created by bad management. Sooner or later, we all move on to better opportunities and new situations.

Reflecting on situations that prohibit us from enacting our full potential forces us to ask questions that will shape our careers in the future: Are you ready to inspire and positively influence others in the best way possible? Once we get into the nitty gritty of things, we realize that being in a leadership position and managing people is an art and is easier said than done. Being an intentional leader each and every day will make you and others perform to the highest level. Here are two fundamental points that will help anyone as they transition into
a leadership position:

1. Create a system. 

An organized system of how you will be managing people will create a consistent and healthy interaction with the ones you lead. This is a curriculum that you have for yourself. Clear expectations and goals will cement the learning experience. Because they will understand what is important to do. Planning this system ahead of time gives you time to put thought into this program and really create an employee experience that stimulates development, but also allows freedom for them to innovate in your company. This may be weekly meetings to check up on a personal level, going out to lunch, setting specified times to review projects, or creating one-on-one sessions that promote certain target learning points. This set curriculum will act as a framework and contribute to their success as an employee, but also your success as a manager. It’s crucial to think about these things before we are propelled into them. What type of leader do you want to be? How will you make decisions? Overall, if you do it with genuine care, there will be greater opportunities for you because everyone wants to work under a manager that elevates everyone’s work while bringing the
best out of people.

2. Look back and learn. 

Write down what you would want to look like as a supervisor, even if you are not currently in that same position. Jot down the ideas, principles, and wisdom you would like to impart. Look back at all your previous managers and focus on what they did right and wrong. Even when setting the procedures and systems in place as discussed above, no one gets it 100 percent right. There will always be tweaks and adjustments to be made. Experiences that you have never been through may cause you to course correct. Adaptability is a leadership skill that must be refined through time. The most important thing is that you must never be complacent. That’s where leaders falter. Thinking you have the perfect program is wrong because there is always more to be lived and learned. There will always be more lessons to learn and more wisdom to be obtained. 

There is always a balance between being rigid and super structured and having too much flexibility to the point where the people you manage are not getting the most out of learning from you. Your future leadership experience will inevitably differ from your own experience in some way—whether the amount of your time, the scope of your work, or the tools needed to get it done. Keeping this in mind, know that this work is strenuous, but it is essential for creating more effective leaders that can Elevate the Industry. This is a journey, so enjoy the people you meet because you can have a great impact on their lives. Diligence and thought toward these leadership skills will be invaluable as you continue to grow and learn, and will help to ensure that your future coworkers will never ask: “When are they leaving?”

Ezequiel Tovar is an analyst within Zweig Group’s Ownership Transition team. He works directly with AEC firms to develop and implement successful ownership transition efforts with financial modeling, valuations, and comprehensive strategic planning.

Civil engineers are responsible for designing resilient urban infrastructure that can withstand the impact of natural disasters, extreme weather events, and changing climate patterns. To achieve this, they must pay special attention to stormwater management, which plays a crucial role in preventing flooding, controlling erosion, and maintaining water quality. A vital component of stormwater management is the construction of stormwater channels. The construction of these channels is an essential aspect of promoting the sustainability and resilience of the urban environment by helping communities withstand flooding and facilitating faster recovery from the impacts of severe weather events. 

Geocells provide a cost-effective and sustainable alternative to traditional channel lining methods and provide some unique advantages. In this article, we will discuss the results of hydraulic tests conducted at Colorado State University to evaluate performance parameters for the use of GEOWEB® Geocells in stormwater channel design and construction. 

Overview of Channel Lining Options Using GEOWEB® Geocells 

The GEOWEB® Channel Protection System incorporates an advanced geosynthetic technology known as geocells, which can be used to facilitate a range of channel lining options for stormwater channel construction. The system integrates high-density polyethylene (HDPE) cells that are interconnected to form a flexible, three-dimensional matrix that is compatible with a variety of infill options. When used in conjunction with permeable infill options such as engineered fill or aggregate, the system allows stormwater to infiltrate the ground, recharge groundwater supplies, and reduce the risk of flooding. When used in conjunction with impermeable infill such as concrete, the system can be designed to resist very high shear forces for protection against scour and undercutting. 

Hydraulic Performance Testing of the GEOWEB® Channel Protection System at CSU 

To evaluate stability threshold conditions and quantify hydraulic forces and infill loss, the GEOWEB Channel Protection System was subjected to a series of hydraulic performance tests at the Hydraulics Laboratory located at the Engineering Research Center (ERC) at Colorado State University (CSU). The hydraulic performance program incorporated a variety of infill materials and geosynthetic products to simulate three different types of channel lining options as summarized in Table 1, and results for each of the major channel lining types are discussed in the sections that follow. 

Vegetated Channel Protection: Hydraulic Test Results for GEOWEB Infilled with Common Soil 

After the completion of multiple tests, no instability was observed for the vegetated channel tests, and the system showed no measurable soil loss. Outstanding performance was confirmed for shear stresses of up to 15.9 pounds per square foot (psf) and at average flow velocities of up to 26.5 feet per second (ft/sec). Moreover, at the conclusion of the tests, an extracted soil sample showed vegetative root penetration to a depth of 1.5 inches, with larger roots interacting with the cell wall perforations. Researchers further concluded that as future growth occurs, root interaction can be expected to increase, further improving system stability as the vegetative cover matures over time. 

Aggregate Channel Lining: Hydraulic Test Results for GEOWEB Infilled with Coarse Gravel, Small Cobbles 

Using data collected from 90 tests, the GEOWEB Channel Protection System with aggregate infill was evaluated on its performance as compared to rip-rap. Results showed that the required rock size for aggregate fill was at least 30 percent smaller than rip-rap as sized by Abt and Johnson (1991) and at least 50 percent smaller than sizes recommended by the Army Corps of Engineers (1994). The ability to reduce rock size highlights the potential to use GEOWEB Channel Protection System as a value engineering alternative to rip rap, especially in areas where larger rock is not locally available. 

Geocell-Reinforced Hard Armor for Channels: Hydraulic Test Results for GEOWEB Infilled with Concrete 

For the tests including concrete infill, it was confirmed that the established performance threshold had not been exceeded, even for the highest flows capable of being delivered to the CSU test flume. It was determined that a system comprised of GEOWEB 30V3 geocells infilled with 3000-psi concrete exhibited the capability to withstand sustained flow velocities of 35.7 ft/sec and shear stresses of 20.9 psf. Stability at severe hydraulic conditions indicates that GEOWEB with concrete can reasonably be expected to perform well in most engineering applications where shear stresses are generally much lower than the maximum level observed in the test simulations. 

A Customizable Solution for Channel Protection 

The GEOWEB Channel Protection System provides a cost-effective and sustainable solution for the construction of stormwater channels that can be customized to meet a wide range of hydraulic conditions to meet your project-specific needs. The GEOWEB Channel Protection System allows for permeable infill options such as vegetation or aggregate, promoting effective stormwater management and infiltration, while reducing the risk of flooding, or concrete infill, as a hard armor option to protect against scour and extreme flow events. 

With its flexible design and permeable infill options, the GEOWEB System is an innovative solution that can help communities establish resilient urban infrastructure that can withstand the impact of natural disasters, extreme weather events, and changing climate patterns. 

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Location: Lakeside, MO, United States 

The Bagnell Dam, which impounds the Osage River to form the Lake of the Ozarks in central Missouri, was completed in 1931. The 148-foot-tall, 2,543-foot-long dam has 12 floodgates. Eight water-wheel turbines in the Osage Energy Center, on the north end of the dam, have been on the job for 85 years and today provide reliable, clean electricity to more than 40,000 homes.

The concrete for the dam originally was placed in 40-foot-wide blocks designed to slide individually in case of a breach. The dam received a structural update in the 1980s when crews tied the dam into the underlying bedrock by installing 277 post-tensioned anchors.

A new $52 million stabilization project began in 2017 adding 27 new high capacity post-tensioned anchors in the dam’s west retaining section, 33 anchors in the spillway, and eight anchors in the east retaining section. In addition, 17,000 cubic yards of concrete—more than 66 million pounds—is being added to the dam’s mass on its downstream face. The new concrete is being doweled into the existing concrete as an overlay to replace deteriorated concrete on the east and west retaining sections.

MC Industrial, the contractor, is using approximately 280 lineal feet of PERI’s SCS single-sided climbing system in combination with VARIO GT24 Girder Wall Formwork to place the new concrete, which is one-sided mass concrete with a wall thicknesses of up to 14 feet.

SCS provides a load-bearing structure for supporting single-sided, non-tied, or two-sided, anchored wall formwork. The system transfers loads from the fresh concrete—without formwork ties—through brackets into the climbing anchors of the previously placed section. This cost-effective, modular system uses multi-piece brackets to easily adapt to project-specific requirements and geometries.

Because the SCS system eliminates the need for form ties, it solved a complicated layout and access problem on the Bagnell Dam’s mass infill pours, which are 55 feet above grade. Simple form design and functionality also helped limit the amount of manpower required.

Requirements

• Optimized labor required
• Engineering and design support

Customer

MC Industrial

PERI solution

• Innovative climbing formwork system provided high production
• SCS allows the loads from the fresh concrete pressure to be transferred without ties through the brackets into the climbing anchors of the previous concreting section 
• Continuous coordination of all formwork processes through a PERI project manager on site

Customer’s benefit

• Providing continuous engineering and site support to ensure safety of crew and to make sure all system benefits are fully utilized
• Saving of anchors through the use of the single-sided SCS climbing formwork

The collection of islands that now make up the state of Hawaii have been inhabited by humans for the better part of the last two millennia. The first to arrive did so in wooden canoes that carried themselves, plants for cultivation, and livestock. These first inhabitants found few edible plants that were native to the islands, and began to cultivate the plants they brought with them. To support this cultivation, inhabitants began to construct irrigation ditches that carried water from the numerous freshwater streams to areas growing crops such as taro, bananas, breadfruit, sugar cane, sweet potatoes, and yams.

The islands’ streams played a particularly important role in their population growth. The fresh, cool water would flow through the irrigation ditches and provide nourishment to the growing crops before flowing back into the stream. These ditches would eventually be enhanced by the construction of dams, which would often be torn down and moved as the need arose. Over time, they cultivated the soil of mountain slopes and valley bottoms—supporting these projects with stone walls to stop erosion. These irrigation systems became part of a much larger network of water infrastructure that supported a burgeoning population.

In addition to having an unparalleled understanding of boat building and crop irrigation, Polynesian inhabitants of the islands also developed a strong tradition of aquaculture. Beginning around 1200 CE, Hawaiians started using lava rocks and packed earth to construct fish ponds that vastly increased the amount of food the islands could produce. Starting from the shoreline, fishponds were ringed by low walls of porous lava rock which allowed water to flow through without enough space for the fish to escape. The locations of these fishponds made them extremely fertile places to create thriving fish farms. These fishponds again benefitted from the cool freshwater streams. Located near the mouths of these streams, Hawaiian fishponds of this time were constructed to benefit from inland irrigation as the nutrient-rich water that resulted flooded the fishponds, supporting a massive number of fish. In the five centuries between the development of aquaculture and the first European contact, native Hawaiians constructed over 350 of these fishponds that produced over 2 million pounds of fish annually.

The nutrient-rich fresh water that provided sustenance for the enclosed fish was part of a much larger network of water-based infrastructure that supported sustained population growth throughout the time prior to European contact. Surrounded by saltwater, the native Hawaiians placed a strict emphasis on the management and maintenance of their freshwater resources. Shallow wells, springs, and streams provided the islands’ inhabitants with fresh drinking water. By creating a system that incorporated upland agriculture, fishing, aquaculture, and gardening, these early Hawaiians shifted to a society that focused more on the land than on the sea. The ability to tap into rich terrestrial and marine resources meant that, long before European contact, Hawaiians had established a sophisticated system of land-use agreements that facilitated the open trade of goods not only within the individual islands but rather between the islands. Thanks to their ability to navigate the seas effectively, trade thrived between the Hawaiian islands, and a thriving economy emerged. This resulted in residents having access to a wide variety of goods and resources, supporting further development and growth.

From this effective utilization of resources, Hawaiians began to specialize in various crafts and trades, which varied depending on the resources on the individual islands. The island of O’ahu, for example, specialized in producing a bark fabric known as kapa. This intricately designed fabric was created by beating tree bark until it became soft and dye-stamping it to create geometric patterns. Similarly, the island of Maui grew to specialize as the primary manufacturer of canoes.

Although surrounded by the vastness of the Pacific Ocean’s salty waters, the Hawaiian islands had developed a system that could not only support a significant human population but rather a thriving and diverse culture and specialized economy. This was done by effectively managing water resources with a flexible and cooperative approach, which allowed populations to shift and efficiently manage the flow of water and resources throughout needed areas.

Along the Texas Gulf Coast, the construction and expansion of ports is a continually-active process. As one of the busiest corridors in the world for shipping, ports along the Texas Gulf Coast are actively working to update infrastructure and facilities to support a massive flow of traffic. McCarthy Building Companies has worked with a number of ports along the Texas Gulf Coast to do just this. McCarthy has continually worked with Port Houston for 30 years, and is currently undertaking projects for Port Freeport as well as demolishing and constructing a strategically important dock for Port Beaumont.

Over their decades in working with ports along the Texas Gulf Coast, McCarthy has been in a constant state of innovation in construction, and has developed technologies that help make projects safer while saving time and money. Their most recent development in this regard is certainly lacking in size, but that hasn’t stopped it from making a big impact on projects in the short time it has been deployed. McCarthy has recently started using a five-foot-long by three-foot-wide unpiloted survey vessel (USV) to assist with their port projects. Using sonar technology, the USV collects data on the seafloor and finds obstructions within the work area. The USV is also equipped with a sound velocity probe that reports the density, salinity, temperature, and conductivity of the water—all of which impact how fast sound waves travel through water, making data it collects more accurate.

Sarah Johnson, senior field engineer for McCarthy’s Marine Business Unit, says that the deciding factor for obtaining the USV was their project at the Port of Beaumont. In 2012, a wharf at the port failed due to an issue with the corrosion of steel piles. As such, a large part of McCarthy’s work at the Port of Beaumont has been demolishing the failed piles and concrete structures then subsequently installing new piles that will resist corrosion. Much of this demolition work is underwater, which is complicated by incredibly murky water that affords at most six inches of visibility. With the complications of access and visibility impairing safety and slowing progress, McCarthy’s team turned to the USV.

Prior to deploying the USV at the Port of Beaumont, divers on the project faced significant challenges and dangers from lack of visibility. According to Adeel Malik, vice president of estimating for McCarthy’s Marine Business Unit, the decision to use the USV at the Port of Beaumont stemmed from a need to map out the collapsed structure that lies beneath the water, adding that the decision to do so has had a significant impact from a safety perspective. The USV utilizes sonar and GPS for depth and horizontal positioning. When deployed, the USV is piloted around the work area and sends back a color map that indicates noticeable obstructions as well as differences in elevation. Additionally, the vessel produces a side scan sonar, which represents the area in more detail. Once the survey is complete, the data is post- processed to produce a detailed map of the space beneath the water.

At the Port of Beaumont, the ability to map beneath the water has proven especially useful as the age of the structure means that there aren’t accurate drawings from the original early-1900s structure. Without the USV, this made locating sections of the collapsed wharf exceedingly difficult. However, the USV’s accuracy has allowed McCarthy’s team to locate obstructions within inches, according to Johnson. After obstructions are identified, a crane operator is given the location directly via GPS, and the obstruction is removed in just a few hours. Malik points out that the USV has cut a significant amount of time out of the project as it eliminates the need to wait for dive teams to carry out their operations. Malik further adds that the USV is crucial in that it gives McCarthy’s teams the ability to assess problems and develop solutions in a much quicker manner, and the ability to connect the vessel’s data with GPS positioning means that work is much more accurate.

This USV technology has also shown additional capabilities outside of locating underwater obstructions. At the nearby Port of Freeport, the vessel was used to record underwater slope depth for toe trenching. Its deployment at Freeport verified slopes were at the correct location and angle, which ensured that ship propellers wouldn’t make contact with the ground. Johnson believes that, while early in its usage, the USV has potential to impact several areas of water-based infrastructure. One example is the work around existing and new pump stations. Many of these projects require extensive survey work, and Malik believes that USV technology can provide an accurate and quick solution to the surveying required—whether it is identifying underwater obstructions or verifying previous survey data. When it comes to surveying around pump stations and levees, Malik further points out that the development of this technology and its potential coincides with a 2018 bill that allocates $5 billion for flood protection in the state of Texas. With more work around flood protection infrastructure, USV technology has significant potential to positively shape the future of water-based projects in the AEC industry.

McCarthy Building Companies has long been involved in shaping port infrastructure along the Texas Gulf Coast. Likewise, the work they are doing now is laying the groundwork for port infrastructure projects in the future. In particular, the deployment of technologies like the USV are instrumental in shaping the way projects will look for years to come. Deploying technologies like the USV that introduce a vast shift in worker safety, efficiency, and accuracy is demonstrative of a commitment toward shaping a better work environment in the AEC industry.

Located in the shadow of the Brooklyn Bridge in lower Manhattan’s historic Seaport, the Tin Building by Jean-Georges is a sprawling culinary destination. While the concept is new—housing multiple restaurants with open kitchens, innovative retail concepts, and a central market—the building itself was constructed in 1907 as the center of the Fulton Fish Market. The Tin Building is a landmarked structure within a landmarked neighborhood. However, in the time the Tin Building has held its place in lower Manhattan, the structure has been subject to several events that necessitated its recent revival. 

In more than a century of existence, the Tin Building has earned its reputation as a historic structure, but its existence has been challenged by both flood and fire. After a fire in 1995 and Hurricane Sandy in 2012, large portions of the building’s historic artifacts and features had been damaged or destroyed. To preserve the structure and protect it from future flooding events, a plan was created to move the building 32-feet to the east and set about restoring the historic characteristics of the building. Mancini Duffy took over as the Architect of Record for the Tin Building project when construction started, and oversaw the execution of the design and construction of the building through its completion. This process included disassembling the historic structure and reassembling it at its new location, while also elevating it six feet to be above the 100-year flood plain. For the restoration process, this meant salvaging, saving, and restoring more than 300 historic artifacts for reassembly. 

Jessica Sheridan, principal at Mancini Duffy, describes the Tin Building project as “unique” in its ability to challenge the frames of reference for the teams working on the project. While all the teams working on the project were immensely experienced in their frame of reference, the unique challenges posed by moving, elevating, and restoring a historic structure meant that “everyone had to support each other,” according to Sheridan. Coordination between teams was also facilitated through BIM 360 and Navisworks. 

One of the primary challenges in this project was raising the building, which was a part of their sustainability and resilience efforts. Since the building had been damaged by flooding during hurricane Sandy in 2012, there was a clear need to elevate the building above the floodplain. However, simply raising the building where it stood would mean the building would touch the FDR elevated highway. This prompted moving the structure 32-feet to the east, which meant dismantling the building. To prepare the new location, the team had to drive in new piles and elevate this new location before reassembling the building. 

To further complicate this process, the team had to prove to the department of transportation that this new building location would not compromise the FDR highway in any way, which became a challenge because—as a further result of hurricane Sandy—many of the historic records were damaged or destroyed. To overcome these challenges, Sheridan says the team had to rely on repeated testing and borings to prove the building wouldn’t compromise the highway’s elevated structure. Another challenge came in the form of sourcing materials, which can be common when restoring historic structures as construction methods change over time. On the Tin Building project, this meant instead of using tin, the team used aluminum in many places to replicate the historic facade. 

Another major component of the Tin Building project, and a major factor that has made it an important place in the community, is its access to the three piers that come together on the site. According to Sheridan, while there is a “static portion of the site that’s connected to Manhattan Island,” the adjacent piers moved between six inches and a foot in either direction. Sheridan continues, saying, “Figuring out the connection points where all the piers came together and the details of the door thresholds … in some of those places was tricky to figure out.” The connection between the three piers is a major historical reason for the Tin Building’s historical significance, which made this an important consideration during the construction process. 

On the interior of the Tin Building project, the goal was to maintain as much of the interior space as possible, which was difficult due to the amount of damage done from the flooding and fire. The interior restoration was framed around 44 of the original cast iron columns. While many of the original columns were able to be restored and reused, an additional four needed to be replicated. Four original columns also no longer fit the height of the space where they were needed, so steel collars were created to extend the columns to the necessary height. These cast iron columns were used to create a canopy over the west side of the building’s interior. Also included in the restoration work were the fine details of the facade such as the cornices and pediments. These elements were rebuilt in the early 2000s, but, according to Sheridan, they weren’t restored in an historically-accurate manner. To restore these elements in a more historically-accurate manner, the team sourced original photographs of the structure and recreated them according to the details shown before the damage and restoration. 

In addition to recreating and restoring the Tin Building’s past, a major component of the project was centered around preparing it for the future. On top of moving the building and raising it above the 100-year floodplain, the building was reconstructed with an interstitial space under the ground floor. Around the perimeter of this space, large wall openings were created to allow water to come in and out in the event of a flood while also alleviating some of the hydrostatic pressure. This also necessitated moving all of the equipment onto the roof, which, according to Sheridan, was “tricky” in that it meant coordinating with all the different restaurants. However, this move was necessary in that it elevated anything critical to the building’s operation. 

Despite the project’s complexity, the Tin Building has now entered a new era of its historic existence through careful coordination and summary execution of an ambitious construction plan. Sheridan herself has been coming to the neighborhood since she was a child, and looks back to her memories of the place as a shopping mall. Despite understanding its importance, Sheridan always felt that the space could be something more, and this project is an important part of the restoration of the entire Seaport area. For Sheridan, the Tin Building restoration represents an important step in “bringing the local community onto the Seaport [to experience] the water.” 

ROLE & FIRM 

Architect-of-Record, Core & Shell: Mancini Duffy 

Design Architect, Core & Shell: SHoP Architects 

Architect-of-Record, Interiors: Cass Calder Smith Architecture + Interiors 

Designer, Interiors: Roman and Williams 

Preservation Architect: Jan Hird Pokorny Associates 

Structural Engineer: Desimone Consulting Engineers 

MEP Engineer: WSP 

Civil/Landscape Engineer: Stantec 

Survey/Pier Engineer: Langan Engineers 

Landscape: James Corner Field Operations 

Landscape: Penmax Engineering 

Traffic Consultant: Philip Habib Associates 

Façade/Waterproofing: Vidaris 

Vertical Transportation: Van Deusen & Assocaites 

Code Consultant: ARUP 

Lighting Design: Tillotson Design Associates 

Kings Cross Station became the largest railway station in Britain when it opened in 1852, and today, it remains one of England’s most important historic buildings. The area surrounding the station has a deep history and, despite its decline following World War II, is once again a London hot spot. 

Over the last 15 years, the Kings Cross neighborhood has undergone an urban transformation. New residential apartments, offices and retail shops, built in and around the area’s historical buildings, have drawn Londoners to a part of the city they used to avoid. 

Global engineering firm Arup has been heavily involved in the transformation of the historic neighborhood, most recently designing the structural elements for Kings Cross R8, two 13-story buildings that combine affordable housing with rental space for small businesses. 

Kings Cross R8 is adjacent to three brick tunnels that serve as the conduit for every train entering and leaving King’s Cross Station. The tunnels were constructed in the 1700s and are sensitive to movement, requiring each design milestone for anything constructed within a certain proximity to the station to get approval by London’s rail network operator. 

Taking time to complete the approval processes could have knocked the project off schedule, but Arup found a way to keep it moving using parametric modeling and BIM. 

Accelerating Design and Embodied Carbon Calculations 

Using the integration between Tekla Structures and Grasshopper, Arup could continue structural work at pace while design-milestone approvals were coordinated in parallel. 

“We had to produce a number of drawings for the network-rail approval process,” said Gordon Clannachan, senior structural engineer and project lead at Arup. “Although these needed to be done at an earlier stage than we would typically do on projects, they allowed the client to fast-track the approvals process prior to the main contractor starting on-site.” 

Parametric design, also called computational and algorithmic design, is guided by a set of interconnected variables, functions, and rules that generate or control the design output to a parametric BIM solution. Based on the parameters the engineer defines, the effects of any change to the design are automatically populated throughout the model. For example, Grasshopper takes the inputs, completes the calculations and produces an output that is applied to the Tekla Structures model. This gives engineers a tremendous productivity advantage by eliminating the time-consuming process of manually applying changes across the model. 

With parametric design at the heart of the project’s workflows, Arup could push and pull data and geometry to and from Tekla Structures, improving the efficiency of everyday tasks. “Using Tekla to automate the model was essential for this work. As the design scheme evolved, we were able to respond very quickly,” he says. 

The value of parametric design is perhaps most keenly felt during the structural analysis. With a manual workflow, determining the most efficient design is ordinarily an incredibly time-consuming process that involves manually changing each variable, running an analysis, noting the results and then repeating it an indefinite number of times. Incorporating parametric design into the workflow transforms this process. In the case of R8, Arup engineers created a script that automated the calculation of loads bearing down on the concrete columns and walls. This helped optimize the design and reduce the amount of concrete in the building’s foundations. 

Arup also used the Tekla-Grasshopper integration to develop scripts for calculating the embodied carbon footprint of structural elements. Arup built the carbon factors into the Grasshopper script and parametrically linked the data. They then used Tekla Structures to create templates to export the embodied carbon of every element by material and various embodied-carbon stages. 

“We have a responsibility to take ownership of the embodied carbon in the structures we design and to use our influence to reduce the carbon impact of our projects,” said Clannachan. “If you really want to influence carbon-related decisions, then you need to automate these calculations.” 

The calculations were reported against targets set for 2030 and beyond. 

Bringing Technology, People, and Data Together 

Connecting the right people to the right data at the right time was essential for keeping the project on schedule. The architecture team, coordinated their work using Trimble Connect, a cloud-based common data environment (CDE) and collaboration platform. The 3D models were uploaded to the platform shared across stakeholders for coordination, clash detection and recording comments, tracking related work and closing out completed tasks. 

“Email exchange isn’t the best way to track model comments, so we kept everything in Trimble Connect,” said Clannachan. “It’s really good to collaborate in a 3D environment so that nothing slips through the net. Trimble Connect also produces fantastic, colorized images for embodied carbon reporting.” 

Making Parametric Design Accessible 

Although parametric modeling may seem complex, direct links between BIM software and visual programming tools, such as Grasshopper, make it possible for structural engineers like Arup to leverage parametric workflows without prior programming knowledge. 

“I always try to look for ways to do each project better than the one before, rather than just defaulting to repeating the same methods,” said Clannachan. “Pushing automation into our workflows makes us more efficient in how we deliver projects and respond to changes. The structural team believed in what we were doing and put a lot of hard work into developing these tools, which we can now use on the next project.” 

With dynamic automation, increased accuracy and rapid iterations, the benefits of parametric design are undeniable. While it can be used for any project large or small, it’s especially advantageous in complex structures with unconventional architecture. Using parametric design takes the modeling process to the next level and makes it possible to streamline work, create high-quality designs, and deliver successful projects. 

Much of the initial attention from infrastructure funding was focused on broadband and electric vehicle deployment. But now, other funding sources are getting lots of attention and bridge repair and replacement is occurring throughout the country. 

The bipartisan infrastructure bill provided $5 billion per year until 2026 just for bridges. That funding is encouraging state and local officials to reimagine how they deliver bridge projects. 

In 2021, it was reported that U.S. bridges had accrued a $125 billion backlog of critical maintenance needs. That was because 42 percent of them had been in service for more than 50 years. The same report found that it could possibly take 50 years to complete the backlog of critical bridge maintenance projects that would be required. That sobering news most likely encouraged elected officials to prioritize expediency related to repairing or replacing bridges in America. 

State transportation departments are now promoting design/build approaches to rehabilitating and replacing bridges because of delivery speed. This past summer, the state transportation departments for Ohio and Kentucky agreed to partner on the $2.8 billion design/build improvement of an interstate bridge between the two states. Earlier in 2022, the state of Missouri established a firm precedent for design/ build delivery of historic bridge projects. The Missouri Department of Transportation requested proposals for the design/build of its $243 million Chester Bridge project and a contract to a design/build team could be awarded as early as March 2023. 

A $75 million bridge project in Washington’s Clark County will call for a design/build team to replace the East Fork Lewis River bridge. Proposals will be requested in March of 2023. Despite being categorized as structurally deficient, the steel truss bridge services 38,000 vehicles—including nearly 7,000 large commercial freight vehicles—daily. The bridge was constructed in 1936 and mounting maintenance costs and disruptions to service have heightened the need to replace the structure. 

Historic bridge projects are being reimagined not only because of available funding but also because of incredible new technological developments. Accelerated Bridge Construction is changing how state transportation departments plan, design, and construct bridges without interrupting traffic. 

In Cape Cod, Massachusetts, an accelerated bridge is projected to cost more than $1 billion. Construction is forecasted for 2026.The Cape Cod peninsula juts into the Atlantic Ocean and its connectivity to mainland Massachusetts depends almost entirely on two bridges that were built in 1935. Those bridges—the Sagamore and the Bourne—are no longer capable of meeting modern transportation demands. The project will include prefabricating and building components off-site as the existing bridge is removed. 

A $400 million project in New York, slated to launch in 2023, will replace a bridge that has served as a lynchpin for rail travel along what has been one of the country’s most heavily used transportation corridors for over a century. The environmental review period has ended and the final design work for replacing the Livingston Avenue Bridge will proceed. Currently, the bridge’s deterioration has caused trains to cross in single-file and at speeds no greater than 15 miles per hour. 

A $1.8 billion bridge project has been announced for Connecticut. The plan is to select a contracting partner in 2023 for work on the Connecticut River Bridge. Within Connecticut, almost all passenger rail and freight services inevitably converge on the Connecticut River Bridge. The 115-year-old structure represents a critical juncture along Amtrak’s widely used Northeast Corridor as it supports freight trains and forms a foundational segment of passenger rail service. The proposed replacement will entail a two-track movable bridge structure with electrification and resilience components that include new tracks, improved signaling, sustainable power supplies, enhanced communication systems, and other security features. 

The Federal Lands Highway Program has become yet another source of funding for bridges. As an example of this program, an allocation of 

$25 million has been announced to repair and preserve Gardner River High Bridge, located in the Wyoming-based portion of Yellowstone National Park. This bridge was built in 1939 and federal funding will be available for a project launch in late 2023 or early 2024. Another $13.1 million allocation will support a project to replace the Sun River Bridge in Montana’s Lewis and Clark County. The project will focus on a 105-year-old, 225-foot-long, single lane, structurally deficient bridge that has historically provided access to numerous state and federal public lands. 

These projects are just a small sampling of the type of upcoming opportunities that will be available in 2023 and 2024. A lack of funding has held public officials back from addressing critical infrastructure needs in past years, but that obstacle has been removed. Not only is funding available, new technology and construction methods are being embraced because of the speed and sustainability that they offer. America is moving quickly now to enhance its infrastructure, and bridge repair is at the top of the priority list. 

Now is the time for interested contractors to approach public owners to ask for more detailed information about projects of interest. Planning documents, design outlines, and cost projections are available for the asking. The public at large and especially the citizens who travel across the bridges are the primary benefactors, but many regions will also benefit from job creation and economic vitality. America’s global competitiveness will be enhanced, and taxpayers will benefit because the country’s infrastructure assets will be upgraded and preserved for another century if this type of work continues. 

The earth’s weather patterns have turned chaotically unpredictable and even dangerous due to climate change and are contributing to a greater risk of increased flooding. As rainfalls intensify, stormwater runoff has become more severe and has caused flooding resulting in significant damage to structures and substantial impacts to daily commerce. 

In recent years, hurricane season in the United States has produced more intense hurricanes, bringing more significant rainfall and higher storm surges to coastal areas. In September 2022, Hurricane Ian made landfall on Cayo Costa, Florida. The Category 4 hurricane slammed the area with 155 mph winds, and 10-15 feet of storm surge, according to the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). As the storm moved across the state, heavy rains and powerful wind caused catastrophic flooding in its wake. After the storm crossed over Florida and was over open water, it regained strength and made a second landfall in South Carolina. It was the first hurricane South Carolina experienced in six years, resulting in heavy rain, high winds, and flooding along the coastline. 

A total of 149 deaths were reported due to the hurricane, and insured losses range from $50 billion to $65 billion. 

Future weather pattern predictions have indicated more intense rain events are expected. According to NOAA’s Atlas ’14 rainfall analysis, rainfall intensities have increased within established recurrence intervals, and increases are expected to continue as global temperatures rise. An example of more intense rainfall occurred in April 2023 where more than 26 inches of rain fell in 24 hours in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. This storm was a record rainfall for Florida that shut down the city and closed the airport, causing in excess of 800 flights to be cancelled. 

It is critical the design approach to infrastructure in flood prone urban areas be considerate of potentially catastrophic rain events to minimize damages due to flooding. Many current stormwater systems are based on outdated design criteria that are incapable of handling future expected greater rainfall intensities and the resulting extreme flood events. Alternative strategies, such as low impact development (LID) may be a key element of an effective solution. 

Urban Flooding Issues 

As development occurs, areas that once were able to infiltrate stormwater become increasingly impervious. The new development increases the volume and speed of stormwater runoff over the predevelopment conditions during a similar rain or flood event. When combined with the effects of climate change, the impact is compounded and points to a future with an even greater increase in urban flooding. 

Furthermore, existing drainage facilities such as storm sewers, creeks, rivers, and bayous located in urban areas can only manage the lower intensities that have guided the design of stormwater systems in the past. The more intense the rainfall, the higher the peak runoff and the greater the volume of runoff. As the amount of impervious cover increases, so does the pace at which runoff can accumulate and travel. June 2023 csengineermag.com 25 

In the past, the expansion and paving of drainage facilities, such as the Los Angeles River and paved sections of bayous in Houston, were the norm. This method of stormwater management sends the water downstream much faster, which helps with urban flooding in the areas immediately adjacent and upstream. 

“This is simply passing the problem downstream to create an even bigger problem,” says Edwin Friedrichs, senior advisor and managing principal in Walter P Moore’s Infrastructure Group. “Too much water sent downstream at one time adds to flooding in the downstream areas and can also create backwater flooding that eventually reaches the areas upstream if the rain event is severe.” 

Aging public drainage systems also create an increasing burden to the public on the cost of maintenance and repair, further reducing drainage capacity when the systems are not regularly maintained in a fully operational manner. 

Low Impact Development 

In most urban areas, the increase in imperviousness and runoff is offset by designing detention ponds to accommodate the excess stormwater runoff due to development. This requires a storm sewer system to send water downstream to the detention pond—typically the detention pond is nearby—where it is slowly filtered and released at a prescribed predevelopment rate. 

The core philosophy of LID is conscious site planning. This means maintaining the natural environment’s ecological systems throughout the construction process and for the lifetime of a development. 

Alternatively, LID can provide a similar effect of reducing peak runoff flows and volumes. Through a distributed network of LID features, detention volume can be provided while slowing down and, in some cases, infiltrating runoff into the soil, reducing the land area and storage volume needed for the downstream detention system. These LID systems also improve stormwater quality by providing vegetated filter and filtration zones that clean the water removing floatables, pollutants, and nutrients from the stormwater runoff. 

Aspects of LID include minimizing land disturbances, conserving natural features, reducing impervious cover, and incorporating distributed natural drainage systems to attenuate runoff. LID projects have increased recently because of the lack of space for engineered structural drainage controls in highly developed, dense urban areas, and to offset the negative impact of development in combined sewer service areas. 

LID is an effective approach to managing stormwater runoff, combining green and gray infrastructure to reduce peak runoff and urban flooding. Municipalities are incentivizing LID design through expedited permitting, tax breaks, and alternative favorable stormwater development requirements, making it innovative, cost-effective, and faster to build. 

Low Impact Development Applications 

LID can be used in street and roadway applications to capture, treat, attenuate, and convey stormwater runoff. This approach can reduce the cost of storm sewer systems, detention facilities, and treatment devices, while providing aesthetic benefits. 

The Bagby Street Reconstruction Project in Houston is an example of LID utilizing bioretention for stormwater treatment, detention, attenuation, and conveyance. The project includes rain gardens that provide a buffer to traffic and thereby enhance pedestrian safety and add to the community’s visual appeal. 

“The installation of rain gardens along Bagby Street treats and captures 33 percent of the stormwater that falls within the right-of-way,” says Marlon Marshall, director, engineering, and construction at Midtown Houston. “Before being discharged into local bayous, stormwater along Bagby Street is now collected in rain gardens, which use native plants, trees, and mulch to filter pollutants that have accumulated on surfaces between rains.” 

According to Marshall, Bagby Street’s LID elements have been valuable flood mitigation assets during Houston’s heavy rains and hurricanes. 

“The green stormwater infrastructure has performed effectively to prevent flooding during major weather events including Hurricane Harvey in 2017. Midtown Redevelopment Authority has been able to successfully leverage low impact development resources to attract development and positively impact the quality of life in Midtown,” Marshall says. 

Additionally, it is the first Greenroads certified project in Texas, highlighting the potential for sustainable and efficient infrastructure design.

Another example of how LID adds value involves master planned developments which offer a greater opportunity for large-scale reuse of stormwater by incorporating LID features. The LID systems can treat the runoff, capture the excess water, and then use the captured water to reduce the potable water needed for irrigation and other potential non-potable water uses such cooling tower makeup water. This approach is essential to minimize the environmental impact of the project. 

City Place, formerly Springwoods Village, in the Houston area employs natural streams, vegetated drainage swales, bioswales, sedimentation basins, and wet ponds to treat stormwater runoff. The treated stormwater is then made available as a non-potable water utility for non-potable demands such as cooling towers and irrigation. By incorporating LID into the overall design and infrastructure systems, master planned communities can create sustainable and efficient non-potable water supply systems that benefit both the environment and community. Captured and reused stormwater can help to alleviate flooding downstream by diverting excess runoff to reduce the demand for potable water treatment and distribution, and to improve the quality of the water released into the downstream systems. 

Finally, LID can be applied to small-scale development projects in innovative ways as well, despite limited space available to accommodate the features. Midtown Park in Houston is an example of this approach, using linear rain gardens to capture, detain, and treat stormwater runoff. 

At Midtown Park, an underground tank captures additional runoff, which is then reused for park irrigation. A bioswale provides overflow capacity for further detention and treatment of runoff on-site. The use of LID reduces the need for above ground detention, allowing the space to be repurposed for a revenue-generating parking facility. Reimagining the surface detention area as a LID park feature adds to the enjoyment of the space. 

“LID was integral in Midtown’s ability to address the dilemma of being ‘under-parked,’” Marshall says. “In the case of Midtown Park, ‘under-parked’ had a dual meaning in that the neighborhood did not have enough park space nor enough parking to meet the demands of its residents and visitors.” 

The “under-parked” dilemma presented an opportunity to include creative LID elements in the Midtown Park design to provide site detention as a park feature while allowing for the development of a 400-space underground parking facility. 

According to Marshall, Midtown Park’s signature LID feature is the “bayou” which serves as the site detention system for the project. The “bayou” is a constructed water channel which mimics the natural bayous, swamps, bottomland hardwood forests, and wetlands of Houston. The site’s LID rainwater collection system stores water from the exposed portion of the top of the underground parking garage and other impervious surfaces in the park in a 70,000-gallon subsurface cistern to be reused on-site for irrigating plant material. 

“Working together with bioswales and rain gardens, the LID features at Midtown Park have proven to enhance economic and environmental resiliency by protecting against flooding while improving water quality,” Marshall says. “During extreme rainfall events, like Hurricane Harvey, the ‘bayou’ has detained stormwater to prevent local flooding and property damage.” 

The successful integration of highly complex green stormwater infrastructure systems has helped to offset operational costs and led Midtown Park to become Houston’s first SITES-certified project, a rating system designed to protect ecosystems. 

LID can also expand to a larger scale with the re-greening and expansion of drainage facilities. This includes the Harris County (Texas) Flood Control District’s Brays Bayou project, which has transformed flood damage reduction projects into multi-use parks and landscapes. 

Additionally, the Los Angeles River Ecosystem Restoration, which involved restoring 11 miles along the river and includes the reintroduction of ecological and physical processes, such as a more natural hydrologic and hydraulic regime that reconnects the river to historic floodplains and tributaries, reduced flow velocities, increased infiltration, improved natural sediment processes, and improved water quality. 

Much of the initial attention from infrastructure funding was focused on broadband and electric vehicle deployment. But now, other funding sources are getting lots of attention and bridge repair and replacement is occurring throughout the country. 

The bipartisan infrastructure bill provided $5 billion per year until 2026 just for bridges. That funding is encouraging state and local officials to reimagine how they deliver bridge projects. 

In 2021, it was reported that U.S. bridges had accrued a $125 billion backlog of critical maintenance needs. That was because 42 percent of them had been in service for more than 50 years. The same report found that it could possibly take 50 years to complete the backlog of critical bridge maintenance projects that would be required. That sobering news most likely encouraged elected officials to prioritize expediency related to repairing or replacing bridges in America. 

State transportation departments are now promoting design/build approaches to rehabilitating and replacing bridges because of delivery speed. This past summer, the state transportation departments for Ohio and Kentucky agreed to partner on the $2.8 billion design/build improvement of an interstate bridge between the two states. Earlier in 2022, the state of Missouri established a firm precedent for design/ build delivery of historic bridge projects. The Missouri Department of Transportation requested proposals for the design/build of its $243 million Chester Bridge project and a contract to a design/build team could be awarded as early as March 2023. 

A $75 million bridge project in Washington’s Clark County will call for a design/build team to replace the East Fork Lewis River bridge. Proposals will be requested in March of 2023. Despite being categorized as structurally deficient, the steel truss bridge services 38,000 vehicles—including nearly 7,000 large commercial freight vehicles—daily. The bridge was constructed in 1936 and mounting maintenance costs and disruptions to service have heightened the need to replace the structure. 

Historic bridge projects are being reimagined not only because of available funding but also because of incredible new technological developments. Accelerated Bridge Construction is changing how state transportation departments plan, design, and construct bridges without interrupting traffic. 

In Cape Cod, Massachusetts, an accelerated bridge is projected to cost more than $1 billion. Construction is forecasted for 2026.The Cape Cod peninsula juts into the Atlantic Ocean and its connectivity to mainland Massachusetts depends almost entirely on two bridges that were built in 1935. Those bridges—the Sagamore and the Bourne—are no longer capable of meeting modern transportation demands. The project will include prefabricating and building components off-site as the existing bridge is removed. 

A $400 million project in New York, slated to launch in 2023, will replace a bridge that has served as a lynchpin for rail travel along what has been one of the country’s most heavily used transportation corridors for over a century. The environmental review period has ended and the final design work for replacing the Livingston Avenue Bridge will proceed. Currently, the bridge’s deterioration has caused trains to cross in single-file and at speeds no greater than 15 miles per hour. 

A $1.8 billion bridge project has been announced for Connecticut. The plan is to select a contracting partner in 2023 for work on the Connecticut River Bridge. Within Connecticut, almost all passenger rail and freight services inevitably converge on the Connecticut River Bridge. The 115-year-old structure represents a critical juncture along Amtrak’s widely used Northeast Corridor as it supports freight trains and forms a foundational segment of passenger rail service. The proposed replacement will entail a two-track movable bridge structure with electrification and resilience components that include new tracks, improved signaling, sustainable power supplies, enhanced communication systems and other security features. 

The Federal Lands Highway Program has become yet another source of funding for bridges. As an example of this program, an allocation of $25 million has been announced to repair and preserve Gardner River High Bridge, located in the Wyoming-based portion of Yellowstone National Park. This bridge was built in 1939 and federal funding will be available for a project launch in late 2023 or early 2024. Another $13.1 million allocation will support a project to replace the Sun River Bridge in Montana’s Lewis and Clark County. The project will focus on a 105-year-old, 225 foot long, single lane, structurally deficient bridge that has historically provided access to numerous state and federal public lands. 

These projects are just a small sampling of the type of upcoming opportunities that will be available in 2023 and 2024. A lack of funding has held public officials back from addressing critical infrastructure needs in past years, but that obstacle has been removed. Not only is funding available, new technology and construction methods are being embraced because of the speed and sustainability that they offer. America is moving quickly now to enhance its infrastructure, and bridge repair is at the top of the priority list. 

Now is the time for interested contractors to approach public owners to ask for more detailed information about projects of interest. Planning documents, design outlines and cost projections are available for the asking. The public at large and especially the citizens who travel across the bridges are the primary benefactors, but many regions will also benefit from job creation and economic vitality. America’s global competitiveness will be enhanced, and taxpayers will benefit because the country’s infrastructure assets will be upgraded and preserved for another century if this type of work continues. 

Bentley experts will be participating in the FIG Working Week 2023 conference in Orlando, Florida, which brings together the international community of surveying and spatial professionals. Bentley colleagues will be featured in presentations at the event, and industry experts will provide insights into Bentley’s iTwin Capture. They will discuss how iTwin Capture can be used to capture, analyze, manage, and share reality data to add real-world insights to digital twins. They will also showcase how iTwin Capture offers the highest-fidelity and most versatile means of capturing reality by creating engineering-ready, high-resolution 3D models of infrastructure assets —whether by digital camera, scanner, or mobile mapping device—to serve as the digital context for design and engineering, construction, and operations workflow.

The conference theme, “Protecting Our World – Conquering New Frontiers,” offers an opportunity for geospatial professionals to expand their presence through technology and experience. As the world and climate change around us, professionals can leverage their knowledge base and tools for measuring, monitoring, and forecasting how to improve the outlook for our future generations.

When:

FIG Working Week 2023 runs from May 28 to June 1, 2023. Bentley colleagues will be at the following events:

Wednesday, May 31, 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

Plenary Session: Tacking the Global Challenges

Dustin Parkman, vice president of mobility, will join a keynote panel of speakers discussing aspects of the theme “Protecting Our World, Conquering New Frontiers” in a variety of international contexts.

Wednesday, May 31, 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

FIG Corporate Member Session – Vesey, Hilton/Waldorf

This panel discussion features Bentley colleagues speaking on the following technologies and practices that help tackle the global challenges facing the industry:

• Pascal Cloutier, product manager, will speak on creating 4D surveys.
• Glen Franklin, application engineer, will review managing 4D survey and big reality data.
• Gen Taurand, product manager, and Scott Becher, senior solutions engineer, will discuss digital twins and AI derived from 4D surveys.  

Wednesday, May 31, 4:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

• Glen Franklin, application engineer will discuss enabling infrastructure digital twins with 4D surveying and reality modeling.

Where:

Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek/Waldorf Astoria Orlando

14110 Bonnet Creek Resort Lane
Orlando, FL 32821

Bentley Booth #300

Galloway & Company, Inc.

Johnstown, CO

Through his proactive and solution-oriented approach to project design and client relationships, his thoughtful guiding and mentoring of his team, and his leadership in giving back to the community, Kyle Pollock has firmly established himself as a leader at Galloway.  Despite being new to the business, Pollock began to take over all aspects of engineering design less than two years into his career. Pollock currently manages over 15 projects for five-plus clients while also directly supervising, leading, and mentoring a team.  He has been recognized for his leadership by being named and associate in the Galloway Associate Program, which is a pathway to partnership.

Accomplishments/Projects: Thompson River Ranch (9 Projects), Project Manager-Johnstown, CO; Nueva Vida Mobile Home Park Revitalization, Project Manager-Colorado; Galloway Lot Certification Department, Engineering Team Lead 

Education: BS in Civil Engineering, Stanford University

Professional/Public Service: Greenhouse Scholars, Alumni; Galloway Gives; Galloway Community Fund

“At APTIM, ESG is not just the acronym of the day; it is deeply embedded in the principles of our culture and heavily informs the path we take as a company,” said APTIM Enterprise Director of ESG Monica Thilges. “We look forward to accelerating our pace in 2023 by continuing to increase our engagement with global standards, reduce our environmental footprint, and increase the diversity of our company and subcontractors.”

The report outlines APTIM’s ESG-related priorities, objectives, and progress with reference to Global Reporting Initiative’s standards and the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals. In 2022, APTIM joined the UN Global Compact, the largest corporate sustainability initiative in the world, and committed to set company-wide emission reduction targets in line with the Paris Agreement through the Science Based Targets initiative. The report also highlights APTIM’s efforts to reduce its consumption of single-use plastics and a new philanthropic partnership with Louisiana State University’s College of the Coast & Environment. 

ESG is a core part of APTIM’s mission and the services it offers, focused on rebuilding communities for resilience against climate change, ensuring the reliability and integrity of critical energy infrastructure, and creating a cleaner and safer environment. For example, APTIM’s projects in 2022 included Hurricane Ian response in South Florida; remediation of the Colorado Smelter Superfund site in Pueblo, Colorado; collaboration on the Atlas of Disaster; and management of the Climate Action Rebate program in Denver, Colorado.

“Sustainability is about following through on our commitments to our teammates, communities, clients, partners, and planet,” said APTIM Chairman and CEO Mark Fallon. “We take great care in the way we engage each of these stakeholders because we are driven to build an equitable and sustainable future.” 

The 2022 ESG Report is available for free download on APTIM’s website. For inquiries about the report or how APTIM can help your business or community become more sustainable, please contact Sustainability@APTIM.com. 

Dillard strives to create designs that not only fulfill the client’s visual desires but offer timeless, fundamental, economical & functional design solutions that present life-enhancing experiences.  She holds her NCIDQ certification, is licensed in multiple states and is an IIDA, ASID, and Allied AIA member. Her portfolio consists of projects ranging from high-end hospitality and entertainment to municipal, industrial, healthcare, and higher education.

In 2023, Verdant Studio is positioned to provide a variety of design services including architecture and interior design for retail, residential, mixed use, multi-family & affordable housing, hospitality, and health care.  For more information on Verdant Studio visit www.verdant-studio.com.

The team is utilizing its local knowledge combined with its global high-speed rail station experience while adapting a systemwide kit of parts previously created by Foster + Partners to design the four Central Valley stations. The joint venture will be providing management and design services as part of the first Notice to Proceed (NTP 1) to complete the design development and configuration footprint for each station site with an option to progress to the second Notice to Proceed (NTP 2), which will include final design, construction ready documents, construction, and commissioning support. The duration for NTP 1 is estimated to be 30 months.

Luke Carothers, Editor, Civil+Structural Engineer Media

Luke Carothers is the Editor for Civil + Structural Engineer Magazine where he has been heavily involved in covering drones/UAVs and their applications in the AEC industry.  As a returning judge for the EDVY Competition, Luke has witnessed firsthand the growth of drone/UAV technology in the AEC industry.  He looks forward to seeing drones change the AEC industry, and sees EDVY as a way of expressing this movement.

Margot Moulton, Videographer and Editor, Zweig Group

Margot’s background in videography and editing began when she was the Art Director for two television stations. She ran around with the production crew as an extra hand at shoots. This gave her just enough experience in lighting, audio and video to jump in head-first when she was offered another position as the lead promotions producer within the same company. Along with the Creative Director, Margot worked in house and on location to film, edit and produce promotional videos of on-air talent, special event and sports content, and high level executive sponsorship commercials. After over 10 years of work in television, Margot joined Zweig Group, where she works to tell stories through video of the people and firms of the one industry that actually builds the world: the AEC.

Adam Kersnowski, Co-Founder and Chief Evangelist, Airworks

Adam brings over 15 years of expertise in drones and construction, having successfully co-founded AirWorks and managed two other companies. As Chief Evangelist, he drives client success, account expansion, business development, and partnerships. Adam is also pursuing a CP certification and is passionate about data collection and remote sensing.  Adam is an advocate for leveraging technology to address climate-related challenges. His commitment to this cause led him to participate in a convening for climate risk monitoring to detect landslide potential in Mocoa, Colombia, organized by MIT’s Environmental Solutions Initiative.  His passion for utilizing drones and data collection to address climate risks is a reflection of his dedication to creating a more sustainable future.

Maxim Baklykov, CEO, TOPODRONE

Maxim Baklykov is a surveyor with more than 20 years of experience in field and office work. In 2018 together with a team of like-minded experts he started the TOPODRONE project. TOPODRONE is a Swiss – based company that designs and produces high-precision surveying equipment for installation on UAVs, vehicles, and backpacks.

Bryan Baker, Drone Pilot for Leica Geosystems

Bryan Baker has been the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Sales Manager for Leica Geosystems Inc. since 2014.   Bryan has been in the Geospatial Industry for his entire career starting at Nikon Instruments as a software developer in the mid 1980’s and has held multiple technical and sales positions over the years.  Additionally, Bryan is an ASPRS Certified Mapping Scientist for UAS (CMS-UAS).  On the aviation side, Bryan is a Commercial Pilot, Certified Flight Instructor, Advanced Ground Instructor, and Remote (UAS) Pilot.   When not working and traveling for Leica Geosystems, Bryan enjoys traveling, giving flight lessons, flying his personal aircraft, and volunteering in the aviation community.  Bryan is a volunteer Drone Pro for FAASafety.gov, a volunteer pilot for Lighthawk, Pilots and Paws, Angel Flight, and a volunteer and flight crew member with the Commemorative Air Force.

Andrea Perotti, IT System and Administrator, Drone Pilot, Casale

Andrea Perotti lives in Gordola, Switzerland, and is an IT Systems Administrator in Casale SA (Lugano Switzerland).  Perotti is passionate about drones and model aircraft.  Perotti conceived and managed the project “Il mio primo drone” to bring young people closer and aware of the conscious use of drones and their potential, a project that achieved a World Record by making all the drones fly simultaneously, piloted by the guys who built them. In their free time, Perotti participates in downhill and Super-G ski races.

Enter for a chance to see yourself featured on the cover of Civil + Structural Engineer Magazine as well as Topodrone LiDAR Post Processing Perpetual License! More info here.

Zweig Group recently released the 2023 Valuation Report of AEC Firms, an annual publication administered by Zweig Group for more than 30 years. 

When it comes to estimating the value of a business enterprise, it is important to understand exactly what is being valued and for what purpose.  Without an established market in which a firm’s shares are actively traded, an appraiser can only estimate the market value through the application of pertinent measures and indicators of value from relevant data.  The compilation of data contained in this report is intended to provide benchmarks and metrics that allow firms to see how their own value ratios compare to industry norms.  

The median firm in the sample had 53 FTE, six owners, book value of $2.4 million, NSR of $7.6 million, $900,000 pre-bonus profit, EBITDA of $1.1 million, and $6.7 million of backlog.

The report contains six different value ratios (value vs. FTE count, net service revenue (NSR), EBITDA, pre-tax, pre-bonus profit, backlog, and book value), comprising Zweig Group’s Z-Value formulas. Four different values (Z1, Z2, Z3, Z4) are calculated based on the reason for the valuation. For example, the Z3 formula is determined by valuations that were done explicitly for internal ownership transitions. Each Z-Value represents a different cross section of the survey sample, and indicates value based on different circumstances. 

Zweig Group looks back on 10-years of valuation data to capture trends, consistency, and variability in these metrics. This most recent report revealed that over the past decade, value/FTE showed the greatest degree of change from year to year. This metric continues to increase at a steady pace (roughly 4.4 percent per year) as inflation and cost of living increases drive prices up. For similar reasons, value/NSR, generally a more stable metric, showed an average year-over-year increase of 1.2 percent. Over the 10-year period, value/EBITDA has historically shown 0 percent average change, however it rose to show an average 1 percent per year increase as we included data from 2022. This indicates we’re in a period of increasing EBITDA multiples over the last few years.

EBITDA is often cited as the gold standard metric for value determination as it represents cash flow through the business. Larger firms are generally valued higher from a value to EBITDA ratio standpoint than smaller firms, because there is greater confidence in the underlying growth of their cash flow. For most firms, as they mature and grow, the relative value of the firm also grows. 

Zweig Group’s 2023 valuation data indicate that most metrics followed their historical patterns of slight year-over-year increases since 2016. For EBITDA multiples, this is the first year we saw the previous high in 2007 get eclipsed. The only metric that continued to buck the upward trend was the equity value/book value metric. Historically firms have carried about 15 percent of their total assets in cash, but over the last couple of years, we have seen firms hold around 28 percent of their total assets in cash which has resulted in higher book values, driving this metric down.

Valuations conducted for the purpose of a potential or actual acquisition yielded  values that were nearly a 40 percent premium compared to values that were developed for minority level internal transactions. We saw an increase in the number of formal valuations submitted with more than 50 percent of the sample representing valuations done by an appraisal and not a formula. The increase in ownership transition activity across the industry has prompted more firms to request a third-party, independent appraisal as they prepare for a transaction. For internal share transfers, the median minority level discount was 16 percent.

To learn more about the 2023 Valuation Report of AEC Firms, visit this link or contact research@zweiggroup.com. 

Will Swearingen is principal and director of Ownership Transition at Zweig Group. He can be reached at swearingen@zweiggroup.com.

Fayetteville, AR, January 26th, 2023– Civil + Structural Engineer Media announces open call for submissions for the 2023 Engineering Drone Video of the Year (EDVY) Competition through April 28th, 2023.  C+S Media is partnering with Topodrone to provide a portion of the judging panel as well as a prize for the top video. 

Videos must be original, composed of video footage gathered with a drone or other UAV/S, and should feature an engineering or construction project.  All submissions should be between 1:00-5:00 minutes in length.  There is no fee to enter.

A panel of prestigious judges will select ten finalists to be voted on by visitors to csengineermag.com.  Details on the members of the judging panel are to be announced at a later date.

The top video, chosen by our viewers, will receive a LiDAR Post Processing Perpetual License from Topodrone as a special prize.  The winning video will also appear on the cover of Civil+Structural Engineer Magazine for the July 2023 issue.  The ten finalists will also be featured in the July 2023 issue. 

Videos must be submitted by April 28th, 2023.

To submit a video: https://live-cs-engineer-magazine.pantheonsite.io/engineering-drone-video-contest-of-the-year-2023/

Last Year’s Winner: https://online.flippingbook.com/view/997847191/

Interested in sponsoring the contest? Sponsorships packages are available, and can be tailored to fit any firm.  Reach out to Anna Finley (afinley@zweiggroup.com).

More information can be found in our Sponsor Packet and Media Kit.

Nomination Rules

• Nominees must be 40 years of age or younger as of Dec. 31, 2022, and working in the United States for a private-sector company (or self-employed), public agency (i.e., federal, state, county, or city), military, a non-profit organization, or educational or research institution. Self-nominations are acceptable.
• Nominees should have a record of demonstrated exceptional ability and professional accomplishments related to the AEC Industry in one or more of the following capacities: management; leadership; teaching; research; and/or public service.

Originally developed by CE News and Structural Engineer Magazine (now C+S Engineer Media), these awards formerly recognized young professionals only in the civil and structural engineering disciplines. As part of their mission to Elevate the Industry, Zweig Group expanded this award to cover the entire AEC industry.

Rising Star Award winners will be featured in a special issue of Civil + Structural Engineer Magazine (read about the 2022 Rising Stars here) and honored at Zweig Group’s annual conference, the Elevate AEC Conference.

The nomination period closes at midnight (Eastern Time) on March 24, 2023.

One of the firms leading the way at this critical moment is WSP who have built equity into their mission, believing it to be a defining measure of progress.  This is particularly true within the transportation industry as it is a vital service for connecting people, places, and opportunities.  Four of the top leaders for WSP’s national transportation and infrastructure industry organizations are women.  These leaders and their organizations are dedicated to the advancement of women and minorities in transportation.

Perhaps the most significant issue facing the transportation sector is managing the new influx of infrastructure in light of a national labor shortage.  This challenge is further compounded when viewed through the lens of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) as the AEC industry works to draw interest from a diverse talent pool.  Alva Carrasco believes that the first step in tackling these challenges is companies being more intentional in their recruitment and retention practices.  Carrasco was a Vice President and Market Lead for WSP’s Transit and Rail West region.  She is also the President of the Board of Directors in Latinos in Transit (LIT), which advocates for, and connects, underrepresented Latinos and other minorities in the transportation industry.  When speaking about solutions to these challenges, Carrasco says, “[they] require commitment and support from multiple entities, which should include local, national, and/or global private firms, school districts, higher learning institutions, and the federal government”, further adding, “an obvious solution includes building a talent pipeline directly from disadvantaged communities to infrastructure jobs.”  On top of attracting young adults through educational opportunities, internships, and subsequent employment, Carrasco further believes that these practices must be supplemented by mentorship, education, and training for these individuals once employed.

When looking at the AEC industry as a whole, there is a clear need to strengthen the workforce pipeline to the transportation industry.  Tanya Adams, WSP’s Senior Vice President of Inclusion and Diversity, points out that when it comes to diversity in the AEC industry, only a small percentage of persons of color, women, and persons with disabilities are represented.  Adams believes that, within this lack of diversity, there is an “opportunity to focus recruiting efforts on historical underutilized communities, where the talent pool is strong and we can find different perspectives about the industry as a whole.”  Adams, herself the Chair of the Board of Directors of the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO), knows that professional organizations offer strong value in reaching diverse populations with job opportunities, paid internship opportunities, apprenticeships, and training programs.  Utilization of professional organizations such as COMTO and LIT will be significantly beneficial to strengthening the pipeline from historically underrepresented communities to the transportation sector.

Another major factor in strengthening this pipeline and increasing diversity in the transportation sector is representation. Jannet Walker-Ford, who is a Senior Vice President for WSP’s National Transit and Rail Business and 2022-24 chair for the Women’s Transportation Seminar (WTS) International Board of Directors, points out that engineering has historically been a challenging career for women and minorities to break into.  Walker-Ford strongly believes that, “increasing the visibility of the many women and people of color in leadership roles at WSP” will provide role models for others who are looking to get into engineering roles.

While the transportation sector continues to strengthen workforce pipelines and become more diverse, there is also a tremendous opportunity to promote equity through infrastructure.  As such, the AEC industry, particularly the transportation sector, have a tremendous opportunity to ensure their projects unite communities and ensure access while also promoting sustainable practices to combat climate change.  Walker-Ford highlights this opportunity, saying, “transportation is a critical sector for addressing equity.”  She continues, “historically, people who live in more vulnerable communities have to travel further to get better jobs, secure educational opportunities, and receive quality healthcare.”  For Walker-Ford, the importance of creating access through better transportation solutions is a “social responsibility we cannot ignore.”

Part of promoting equity through infrastructure comes with using new advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI) to help in urban playing and transportation practices.  Paula Hammond, who is a Senior Vice President and National Transportation Market Leader for WSP, notes that “designing connected data environments and technologies like digital twins allow us to test climate-related scenarios virtually in order to build more resilient solutions.”  For Hammond, who became the first woman board chair of the American Road and Transportation Builders Association in October, AI is key to thinking more equitably, and that leveraging this data can be used for a number of equitable solutions to problems including: storm impact, emergency response, or resource allocation to name a few.  Harnessing and leveraging this data will allow us to elevate existing services and develop innovative approaches that support equity.

The AEC industry is making significant progress in building a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive future, and WSP is one of the leading forces behind this push.  WSP’s leadership is exemplary of the old adage that a rising tide lifts all ships.  As we strengthen our pipelines to underrepresented communities and attract more women and minorities to the AEC industry, we are better equipped to plan and respond to future challenges in a way that benefit a wider and wider swath of the population.

This year marks an important change for the WIFIA program. Its loans are available on a rolling basis and will be disbursed year-round. Recipients of the funding will also benefit from coverage under the AAA Treasury credit rating. This additional incentive provides long-term, low-cost loans for eligible water projects. The loans are scoped for projects above $20 million, and they allow for flexible repayment plans. In some cases, the loans can extend up to 35 years after project completion. 

Federal funding for stormwater projects also continues to stream in from the $65 billion sum authorized by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). This funding includes rules that emphasize certain kinds of projects—especially those relating to vital wastewater initiatives and stormwater infrastructure.  

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provides even more funding for stormwater infrastructure. FEMA grants from last year continue to accelerate landmark stormwater management projects across the country. Cities, counties, and other local entities are lining up for an even greater outpour of funding during this year’s grant cycle. 

This is especially true for projects in the Houston region of Texas, which has experienced devastating storm-surge flooding events in recent years. To address a sequence of stormwater infrastructure needs, city leaders, and county officials will partner on 24 upcoming projects to mitigate the effects of storm-surge flooding. The interlocal agreement, which was approved in late November, stipulates that the city and Harris County Flood District will evenly split the overall cost of the projects. 

One project will construct three stormwater basins to mitigate flooding events and protect residents near Brays Bayou and its network of tributaries. The city recently purchased three parcels of land, and design work will begin very soon on the sequence of $39.5 million in interlocal stormwater projects. 

Another flood-proofing project in the Houston area carries an estimated cost of $96.7 million. This project will be located along Keegans Bayou and Ruffino Hills and requires a land-purchase agreement with the city of West University Place. The effort will include a channel improvement that directs stormwater to a detention facility, thereby mitigating the flooding risks for numerous neighborhoods.

A $26 million project for stormwater Improvements in the Spruce Wash area of Flagstaff, Arizona, is almost ready for the design stage. A bond proposition approved in November unlocked funding for a series of stormwater infrastructure improvements. The project will target an area that was charred by a devastating wildfire. As a result of the damaged landscape, the area has become prone to storm-surge flooding. Site surveying work began in December to lay the groundwork for detailed engineering and design stages. 

Officials in Alexandria, Virginia, have authorized site planning and initial design work for a $50 million initiative related to a storm sewer system and stormwater conveyance projects. The effort will be designed to improve and mitigate flood risks for the Del Ray neighborhood which experienced recurring devastation because of inadequate stormwater infrastructure.  Additionally, design will include ways to further mitigate risks by increasing storm sewer system capacity so water can be safely retained. Other components of the project will include green infrastructure and bioretention elements to capture stormwater run-off and surface pollutants. 

City leaders in Springfield, Missouri, are waiting for completion of design work on a stormwater infrastructure project to mitigate flooding near Jordan Creek. The $26 million effort will include construction of five water retention basins to naturally collect stormwater runoff. A neglected creek will likely become part of the plan. Design for the first phase includes creating a channel along the infilled Jordan Creek that will be landscaped with vegetated banks, native foliage and other assets to aid with water retention during flooding events. Eventually, the city also plans to create a greenspace around the renewed Jordan Creek, which will further expand water retention capacity and allow for development in the area.

In Ohio, a $14 million project will reconfigure a 60-acre park in the city of Shaker Heights. The plan includes numerous green stormwater infrastructure features. This effort became possible after a 170-year-old dam was removed from the site. Preliminary plans for the park include components of stream hydrology since the flow of water from a stream running through the site could impact the park’s stormwater retention design. 

Similar projects are in the design phase throughout America. Funding for water projects in 2023 is readily available. The country’s water infrastructure has moved into high-priority status and there is little reason for public officials not to move quickly to launch critical water-related projects that will improve resources, protect citizens, and prevent future destruction related to weather events.

“I am honored to be selected to the Rogers Lowell Chamber Board of Directors.  I look forward to the opportunity to engage with the chamber and support our community,” stated Mr. Adams.

Jason and his wife are originally from Iowa but have been in NW Arkansas 18 years with their three children. Jason is active in his local church and has served in various capacities, from teaching children’s classes to leading small groups, and helping the men’s ministry. In his free time, he enjoys fishing a local bass tournament series, mountain bike riding, and recently started golfing.

Benchmark Group, Inc. is a full-service Architecture & Engineering firm licensed in all fifty states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, with offices in Rogers, Arkansas and Dallas, Texas. Started in 1978, Benchmark Group provides quality work and excellent service to small local businesses, large national chains, developers, and owners. The company offers their team members state-of-the-art technology, extensive benefits, a commitment to continuing education, and career development. They also support their communities by sponsoring fundraising events and participating in local events.

For more information about Benchmark Group, Inc. visit https://teamofchoice.com/ or email marketing@teamofchoice.com.

In this role, Jenny will be helping to promote LEEA members’ news and more importantly its in-house event LiftEx in Liverpool (November 21-22, 2023) and The 2023 LEEA Awards.

“We are excited to welcome Jenny to the team, following a successful two years at the helm of Hoist magazine. With her experience we hope to further promote the association globally, raise awareness of our events and welcome new members,” said Ross Moloney, CEO, LEEA.

Established in 1944, LEEA is a global trade association for all those involved in the lifting industry. It also aims to promote lifting and height safety industries which have eliminated accidents, injuries and fatalities and educate, influence and enable others so that best practice is a priority.

The association represents its members at the highest level across a range of both public and private bodies, including government departments as well as nationally and internationally recognised professional and technical institutions.

“I’m really excited to be joining the team at LEEA. I admire and respect the association having followed and reported on their news and events over the past two years. They work tirelessly to promote the industry at large and organise in-house events raising awareness of all those involved in the lifting and hoist engineering sector. I am excited to be starting a new chapter in my career,” said Jenny.

Jenny is a British journalist with 22 years of experience working for international publications including The Daily Mail, The Sunday Telegraph, The Sun, The Mirror, and The Press Association. Career highlights include working with the European Union as a host and facilitator for the EU Citizens Dialogues for the UN Food Systems Summit in 2021 and writing the press brochure for the ‘Women Driving Innovation’ campaign for Tetra Pak. She has lived and worked in Montpellier, France for 10 years, writing for several online publications covering the food and beverage industry for William Reed Business Media, and more recently as editor of Hoist, and Dockside Lift & Move magazine, owned by Progressive Media International (PMI). On February 1 2023, Jenny was recruited by PR company Bridger Howes.

Division Manager, SSOE Group

17 Years of Experience in the AEC Industry

During her nearly two decade career in the AEC industry, Adrienne Taylor first found success by developing her technical skills and knowledge, which was a catalyst for early advancement.  After moving into a personnel management position, Adrienne began thinking more about her team, and this shift in mindset has led her to challenge the problems in the AEC industry that restrict advancement for women.  These issues, which are restricting innovation and efficiency according to Taylor, can be solved with improved education, providing opportunities, and following through.

Alejandra Ruiz

Senior Staff Engineer (Civil), LACO Associates

3.5 Years of Experience in the AEC Industry

Alejandra Ruiz is passionate about creating an AEC community that is equitable and diverse–seeking to improve as a leader, coworker, and individual to create more opportunities for women.  Alejandra is interested in learning about procedures and policies that can increase diversity and lead to equitable opportunities for marginalized communities.  Using her experience as a civil engineer and bilingual Mexican American woman, Alejandra is constantly engaged in improving the understanding and knowledge about the needs of these communities.

Alicia Albini

Director of Large Scale Residential, WithersRavenel

27 Years of Experience in the AEC Industry

Alicia Albini’s path to professional success was a difficult mountain to climb, and her non-traditional path led her to develop a customized approach to assisting coworkers, other leaders, and employees with their projects, challenges, and professional development goals.  This approach involves adopting a growth-based mindset and a change in perspective–allowing people to become comfortable with being uncomfortable and opening doors to opportunity, achievement, and positive change.  Alicia’s approach is a customized strategy towards recruitment, inclusion, and retention in the AEC industry that involves a combination of a strength-based approach to professional development, mentorship, proper workload planning, and fostering team cohesion.

Amanda Hartman

Business Development & Marketing Lead, PK Electrical, Inc.

7 Years of Experience in the AEC Industry

Amanda Hartman joins the 2023 Cohort from PK Electrical, Inc., a female-founded and owned electrical engineering firm with offices in Denver, Colorado and Reno, Nevada. Amanda draws inspiration from the founder and CEO of the firm, and has found a passion for promoting and providing resources for women of all ages to pursue a career in STEM.  She has also developed a unique perspective of the AEC industry–providing soft skills and relationships in support of a technical firm–which allows her to bring more minds to the table when solving issues.

Amanda Roehl

Owner, Chief Idea Generator, Pixels and Ink Studio

25 Years of Experience in the AEC Industry

Amanda Roehl possesses a wide range of skills and marketing knowledge, using them to operate a female-owned and staffed firm that serves dozens of AEC and B2B clients throughout the United States as a Drop-In Marketing Team.  Amanda believes that many firms are overlooking the best and brightest talent and customers because they don’t fit the stereotypical AEC persona from previous decades.  She strives to use her marketing skills to discover ways to connect leaders with the resources and tools to affect change.

Amanda Thomas

Civil Engineer, ISG

6 Years of Experience in the AEC Industry

Amanda Thomas has a unique approach to conversations that drive the AEC industry forward, seeking not to be the smartest person in the room but rather learning about people’s experiences and backgrounds to foster new ideas and perspectives.  Amanda’s industry experience has given her the adept ability to communicate technical language to non-technical professionals, which is invaluable when communicating across several disciplines working on the same team.  Skills such as these can be taught to young professionals as a way to build confidence and self-esteem in the workplace.

Amy Kunselman

Sustainment Logistics and Technical Writer, QTEC Aerospace

15 Years of Experience in the AEC Industry

Amy Kunselman has spent most of her working career in male-dominated fields, which has led her to seek ways to address the behaviors that are holding women back professionally without alienating others to the point that they are not willing to listen and learn.  Amy’s perspective has changed significantly throughout her life–professionally and personally–and she has experienced the different ways in which women and men are treated or valued based on their work status.  She is particularly interested in advocating for the LGBTQ+, who she believes are still not given a fair and safe environment to live and work in.

Andrea Narendorf

Director of Business Development, Flatiron Construction

17 Years of Experience in the AEC Industry

Andrea Narendorf’s experience in the AEC industry has developed into a key understanding of the challenges women face when it comes to recruitment, retention, and diversity.  This experience led Andrea to seeking a network of women within the industry who face challenges head-on to find actionable solutions that will continue to build momentum and increase the participation and success of women.  Andrea further believes that exposing girls and young women to individuals who look like them and are successful in the AEC industry will serve to increase not only the number of women in the industry but also their diversity.

Carmen Pemsler

Structural Project Engineer, Tamarack Grove Engineering

1.5 Years of Experience in the AEC Industry

During her professional career, Carmen Pemsler has grown into an advocate for people who are not often prioritized and has worked with several professional development groups, such as serving as the Vice President of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), During her time at Boise State University chapter.  Working with these professional organizations and attending their conferences, Carmen recognized the benefits of the tools and connections being provided and seeks to develop those resources for others.  She is passionate about giving back to her community and frequently volunteers as a mentor to help move students towards careers in STEM.

Chad Coldiron

Principal & Director of Executive Search, Zweig Group

6 Years of Experience in the AEC Industry

Chad Coldiron has spent the last 6 years of his career in the AEC industry in recruiting and executive search and has worked internally within Zweig Group to build a diverse and knowledgeable team.  Chad leverages his robust industry awareness with an expert understanding of both recruitment and retention as well as strategic planning and budgeting to generate change and elevate the AEC industry.

Emily Havelka, MBA, MA, CPSM

She/Her/Hers

Corporate Communications Leader, HED

10 Years of Experience in the AEC Industry

Emily Havelka joins the 2023 Cohort from HED in Southfield, Michigan. An accredited professional services marketing practitioner, Emily is passionate about using marketing and communications as a means to elevating the voices and issues that create positive impact and systemic change within the AEC industry.  

Hannah Barlow

Director of People, Axiom PLLC + Evolve Steel

3.5 Years of Experience in the AEC Industry

Hannah Barlow has cultivated a professional and personal interest in creating healthy, resilient, and curious communities, and she has committed herself to learning, sharing, and applying evidence and brain-based models that allow teams to show up more fully in their humanity at work and drive engagement.  Hannah believes that the AEC industry is deeply in need of this knowledge and practice to combat the systemic burnout and inequity that plague it.  She strives to use these practices to improve her own firm and team and hopes to share it more widely and collaborate with others in the AEC industry to make it a norm.

Jessica Bazan

Central Texas Business Development Leader, O’Connell Robertson

15 Years of Experience in the AEC Industry

15 years as a Marketer and Business Developer in the AEC has given Jessica Bazan a unique insight into working with firm leaders, marketing teams, and design professionals to cultivate and support relationships across all markets.  Jessica uses this insight to work towards empowering women to build careers in an industry where they comprise a small percentage of full-time salary workers.  This has driven Jessica to dive deeper into recruiting and retention challenges, focusing on internal professional development programs and promoting diversion and inclusion.

Kara Koenig

Interior Designer, Hoefer Welker

3 Years of Experience in the AEC Industry

Kara Koenig comes from an AEC industry background, with her grandmother, grandfathers, and father having careers in different fields within it. From an early age, this immersion in the industry meant that Kara was keenly aware of the lack of opportunities for women, young professionals, and people of color. She believes that more opportunities must be created for historically marginalized groups to bring meaningful change to the AEC industry. This includes implementing DEI initiatives, ensuring women are given equal access to promotion and retention opportunities, providing salary education and transparency, and encouraging self-advocacy for minorities.

Katie Fitzpatrick

Marketing & Communications Coordinator, Galloway

1.5 Years of Experience in the AEC Industry

Katie Fitzpatrick is a marketing professional with a wide range of experience from graphic design to event production.  Katie recently began working in the AEC industry and is immersed in gaining the knowledge and tools needed to tell the story of women in the AEC industry.  By learning about the hardships and experiences of women from all different backgrounds, roles, and stages of their AEC industry careers, Katie hopes to tell their stories and use her marketing skills to advocate for women in the AEC industry with the goal of continuing to improve and broaden the influence of women in the industry.

Kellie Delaney

Director of Marketing, HP Engineering, INC

1 Year of Experience in the AEC Industry

Kellie Delaney’s first year in the AEC industry has been spent soaking up information and knowledge in the pursuit of legitimizing and promoting her firm’s fantastic work.  In these pursuits, Kellie is focused on leveraging her skillset and education to create meaningful recommendations, training, and toolkits for decision-makers in the AEC industry.  Kellie believes that it is the responsibility of the AEC industry to help prepare the next generation of workers while not sacrificing the retention of the current workforce, and it is up to us to set the environment where these changes can thrive.

Laci Budd

Senior Marketing Specialist, BHC

5 Years of Experience in the AEC Industry

Laci Budd is constantly challenging herself, and has recently done so by spending the last year completing a professional services marketer certification along with co-chairing BHC’s employee-led DEI committee.  These experiences have changed Laci’s corporate views and expectations in order to better serve those around her.  In challenging herself and expanding her mindset, Laci is constantly striving to bring a voice and encouragement to those who may be struggling in their career while also educating those around her to seek equality for all.

Lalitha Benjaram

Diversity & Inclusion Program Manager, Mead & Hunt

8 Years of Experience in the AEC Industry

Lalitha Benjaram studied Civil and Environmental Engineering in school, and spent the first 8 years of her career working in Mead & Hunt’s Water Resource Group before becoming involved in their Employee Resources Group (ERG) in 2018 and quickly discovering her passion for DEIB initiatives.  Lalitha moved to the role of ERG Program Manager in 2022 and is focused on developing strong programming internally and externally so that her company–and the AEC industry overall–is an environment where currently underrepresented groups feel included, valued, and empowered to stay and take on leadership roles.  She believes that DEIB is a collaboration that can only work by getting people in the AEC industry to work together to improve our approaches.

Laura Morton

Senior Associate, SSOE Group

12 Years of Experience in the AEC Industry

During her time in the AEC industry, Laura Morton has seen four substantial projects through every phase from design to construction, allowing her to develop a well-rounded perspective on the architecture profession.  Laura’s experience has led her to the understanding that buildings and spaces should be designed by architects and engineers that represent the user, drawing from a place of shared experience, culture, or background.  Morton also believes that we can nurture a pipeline of young women, LGBTQIA+ people, and minorities into the design and construction world by providing STEM exposure and the arts, giving us a chance at reaching a more equitable future for the AEC industry.

Lawson Picasso

Communications & Public Involvement Manager, San Antonio Lead, WSP, USA

3 Years of Experience in the AEC Industry

Lawson Picasso’s professional and personal life experience have allowed her to develop a keen understanding of the challenges and needs for benefits that support individuals impacted by social and economic disparities.  Lawson’s professional approach towards diversity and inclusion comes from her background in strategic planning and community-designed engagement.  This approach allows Lawson to foster conversations about addressing equality in the AEC industry. 

Maria Jackie Chang

Senior Project Manager, DBR

11 Years of Experience in the AEC Industry

During her time in the AEC industry, Maria Jacqueline Chang has worked regularly with project owners, architects, engineers, and contractors from the design phase to construction, which allowed her to develop a strong set of communication skills.  Along with being a professional engineer with extensive knowledge in mechanical, electrical, and plumbing as well as experience designing complex systems, Maria is passionate about helping other AEC professionals navigate and work through the challenges they face.

Michele Ouimet

Marketing Director, Colliers Engineering & Design

23 Years of Experience in the AEC Industry

Michele Ouimet has over 25 years of design, communications and marketing leadership experience. Through her proven ability to lead, manage and motivate marketing teams, she has successfully established herself as a leader within the marketing industry. Experiencing the challenges women face firsthand, Michele is passionate about creating a workplace environment that supports woman and provides opportunities for them to grow into leadership positions. To this end, Michele co-founded the firm’s Women’s Organization, an internal initiative that aims to educate, engage and empower its female workforce while developing a stronger identity within the firm and the surrounding communities.

Sarah Welsh

HR Manager, L.A. Fuess Partners

14 Years of Experience in the AEC Industry

Being a woman who has spent nearly the entirety of her working career as a support professional in the AEC industry, Sarah Welsh has a unique perspective of the challenges women face in the industry.  Sarah has been an active member in two different chapters of the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC), serving on the board of directors and chairing various committees.  Her participation in this association and their outreach programs demonstrate her continued passion for promoting STEM and construction careers for women.

Shelby Harvey

Talent Development & HR Lead, BHC

6 Years of Experience in the AEC Industry

Shelby Harvey inhabits several roles for BHC in Overland Park, Kansas, managing their internship and college recruiting as well as co-leading their DEI committee.  Harnessing her passion for ensuring equitable access to opportunities, Shelby uses her position as an HR professional to serve her coworkers, organization, and community.  Using objectivity and empathy, Shelby constantly strives to improve upon ideas, which is only strengthened by her desire to elevate others.

Stephanie Putzke

Principal, Director of Interior Design, Cyntergy- Tulsa, OK

13 Years of Experience in the AEC Industry

In her career in the AEC industry, Stephanie Putzke has learned that the best way for a leader to grow and affect change is to have external support.  Stephanie has repeatedly demonstrated the courage to speak up and suggest change, leaning on her own experiences to shape policy suggestions.  Stephanie seeks to create a platform to share ideas and ask questions that would benefit not only her own leadership skills but also her team and firm culture as a whole.

2023 ElevateHER Advisors

Advisors serve a special role in the ElevateHER program.  Advisors are made up of individuals who have already been through the cohort process.  These advisors work closely with new cohort members, providing guidance, support, and mentorship as they develop new projects that will positively affect the AEC industry.

Christina Turner

PRIME

WeAreAEC 2022

Christina Turner has always been passionate about helping those around her reach their full potential, especially when it comes to supporting women in the workplace, building their confidence, and sharing growth opportunities.  To this end, Christina has several notable achievements including establishing a Women’s Employee Resource Group that fostered a diverse inclusive workplace aligned with the organization’s mission, values, and goals.  She views the ElevateHER movement as a way to bring positive change to the AEC industry for all individuals regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, or ethnicity.

Dathan Gaskill

Zweig Group

Well Engaged 2022

Prior to Dathan’s role at Zweig Group, he was the CFO of Garver, LLC where he helped develop and was the executive sponsor of Connect–Garver’s professional women-based mentoring and support group.  During his long career in both the finance and AEC industry, Dathan has repeatedly demonstrated himself as both a team player and a team builder.

Dawn Kopecky

Barr

Redefining Success 2020

Dawn Kopecky is passionate about attracting younger people to the profession, believing that, for young people to seriously consider a career in the AEC industry, the culture must be more amenable to their value system.  Dawn believes this will make the AEC industry a better place to work for the next generation, helping it become more inclusive, compassionate, and accepting.

Lisa Huddleston

BHC

RouteDEI 2021

Lisa Huddleston’s experience in the AEC industry spans not only two plus decades but also the entirety of North America, with experience in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.  In recent years, Lisa has been focused on leading young professionals and developing greater DEI efforts in the AEC industry.

Emily Waldenmeyer

HP Engineering

Well Engaged 2022

Emily Waldenmeyer has repeatedly demonstrated her tremendous design experience at award winning firms, and has also been instrumental in building from the ground up.  Emily leads from the trenches–teaching, leading, and empowering her team to surpass their goals.  These experiences allow Emily to deliver creative solutions to both complex and simple challenges.

Carrie Casillas

Forensic Analytical

Breaking Bias 2022

Carrie Casillas has over 20 years of experience in managing Human Resources and has served as a coach and advisor to leadership teams in her various roles.  Currently, she manages every aspect of the Company’s employment needs and ensures that all Human Resources initiatives are strategically aligned with the vision, mission, and core values of the organization.

Jennifer Ridd

JQ

DRIVE 2020

Jennifer Riss has over 17 years if experience in structural engineering design and project management.  She believes the ultimate goal of creating an industry-wide culture where individuals of all backgrounds can thrive is important–not just to the individuals, but to the whole industry.

Karen Purcell

PK Electrical

WeAreAEC 2022

Karen Purcell is the founder, owner, and president of PK Electrical, Inc, and she boasts more than 30 years of experience in the design and project management of electrical systems, serving on the Nevada State Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors since 2015.  Karen authored Unlocking your Brilliance: Smart Strategies for Women to Thrive in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math.  Using her experience working through the challenges of working in a male-dominated industry, Karen is committed to encouraging women and helping them follow in her footsteps.

Laurel Stone

StoArc Studio, LLC

TeacHER 2022

Laurel Stone has built an impressive career in the AEC industry, now serving as the Founding Principal of StoArc Studio, an architectural design and project management consulting firm based in Dallas.  While building her career, Laurel has been able to pursue her passions of mentoring emerging professionals and advocating for the career advancement of women in architecture.  These passions are demonstrated through Laurel’s continuing work with various local professional organizations such as the Texas Society of Architects.

Mickey Garcia

SilverEdge Systems Software

RouteDEI 2021

Mickey Garcia has held many roles since joining BHC in 1997 and is currently focused on leading a team that supports the market segments through project set up and invoicing, as well as providing project management training, guidance, and support to the various segment leads, project managers, and project teams.  Mickey has earned several designations and degrees including an MBA with a project management focus in 2019 and a Women in Leadership course in 2020. 

Misela Gonzales-Vandewalle

O’Connell Robertson

WeAreAEC 2022

Misela Gonzales-Vandewalle professional vision is to lead talented teams of problem solvers in designing buildings that enrich the lives of the people they serve.  Coupled with her experience as the daughter of bilingual educators, Misela has shaped her career around education and the shaping of educational environments.  Using her knowledge and expertise, Misela provides students with access to the tools necessary to create a future with greater possibilities, influencing her personal mission to be instrumental in cultivating a more diverse future for the AEC industry.

Stephanie Teetes

Underground Support Services

MentHER 2021

Stephanie Teetes is the founder and President of Underground Support Services, LLC (UUS), leading the day-to-day operations of USS staff in three states.  Stephanie has also successfully navigated the processes for diversity certification, earning USS numerous designations.  Stephanie is a champion for women in business and believes we all benefit when we work together and help one another.

We Are AEC (2022)

Problem:  When one googles “architect” or “contractor,” the images that appear don’t represent the diversity of the various professions.  For instance, women are more than 35 percent of registered architects and 20 percent of firm leaders, yet less than 2 percent of images of architects feature women.  The situation is much worse for engineering and contractors.  While some may feel the imagery depicts the current reality, they don’t, and they certainly don’t reflect the reality of the future.

Thesis: We Are AEC expands the awareness of the AEC industry within the general public through imagery, reinforcing the premise that people from many different walks of life can find fulfillment within these careers.

Proposal:  Super Bowl ads are a major premise that reaches a wide range of people, but they are very expensive.  To raise funds, Team We Are AEC proposed to sell t-shirts that say “We are AEC | Architecture | Engineering | Construction and “I am…” with the options to insert a label including careers such as marketer, drone driver, data analyst, CFO, etc.

To encourage knowledge of the project, we’ll ask everyone who receives the T-shirt to post a video of themselves on social media stating “I am…” and sharing what they like best about that career.

Once enough funds are raised, We Are AEC will create a Super Bowl ad that is a compilation of the “I am…” videos with additional professional content.

Members:

Amanda Prosser, PLA

Christina Turner

Karen Purcell, PE

Kim Pham, EIT

Misela Gonzales-Vandewalle, AIA

Nicole Morris Dress, AIA

Empower Space (2022)

Thesis: Due to fear of speaking up, people are finding increased job dissatisfaction leading to people exiting the workforce and not moving up to higher level roles.  Self-advocacy, confidence, and assertiveness are meaningful tools that everyone can use to increase their job satisfaction by being an active contributor to their own success.  Unfortunately, the opportunities to learn these skills are not evenly distributed in the workforce.  By creating an easily accessible space that is curated to address the common issues and provides an opportunity for mentorship when you need it, more people can learn to speak up.  By building off MentHER Match and Elevators, we intend to provide internet and media options to help employees not feel alone and gain real world examples of finding their voice.  

Objectives: Provide testimonials and additional resources to navigate some of the most common stressful situations that underrepresented professionals are facing within their career.

Long term objectives:

• Collaborate with other organizations to increase their resources, access to mentorship, and testimonies by either including them in this program or linking their program to this one
• Grow podcasts each month to include new episodes and topics that can be searched by date, subject, or name
• Create a plan for the ideas and concepts developed by the Empower Space team to be sustainable and carry on in the future

Members:

Hillary Crabb

Kristin Worrell

Melissa Frausto

Michele Spinowitz

Rachel Paterno

Sam Collins

Tasha Bolivar

Jessica Schmidtetter

Tony Casagrande, PE

Well Engaged (2022)

Thesis: A confluence of factors is impacting our AEC workforce.  Taking care of people, finding people, and retaining people are challenging the industry like never before.  The challenges show no sign of letting up and likely will continue to influence our industry.  We believe wellness is a sound way of thinking about and addressing challenges.  Simply put: healthy people for a healthy business.

What is wellness?

Wellness is a holistic integration of all aspects of the human experience.  It is an active and intentional endeavor to achieve health in many dimensions including, but not limited to, physical, emotional, spiritual, environmental, and social.  We believe wellness programs that are long-term and people-oriented not only create healthy employees but also produce benefits such as preventing burnout, reducing absenteeism, mitigating turnover, aiding in recruitment and retention, and proving productivity.  All add value to organizations and produce well-engaged people.  Our team will deliver tools, demonstrated benefits, a financial comparison, and a way to get wellness started if you haven’t already.

Members:

Ana Ramirez

Chris Haas

Christine Sheng

Dathan Gaskill

Emily Waldenmeyer

Emily Winfield

Kim Thompson Smith

Kristen Jacons

Scott Tanner

Breaking Bias (2022)

Mission: Create gender bias awareness at all levels of an organization by developing a survey along with engaging activities based on research and statistics, that break down defense barriers by using an approach that incorporates psychological safety, humor, and competition that will inform, educate, enlighten, and create a culture committed to breaking bias.

Values:  Our vision is that this awareness goes beyond an organization and becomes a global movement of #BreakingBias where people can share their stories, inspire change, and support each other as we do the work to break biases.

Members:

Carrie Casillas

Carrie West

Jenny Thomason, AIA, NCARB

Jen Harkleroad, PE

Lauren Kirschbaum, EIT

Vanessa Davis, PG

TeacHER (2022)

Thesis: Many AEC firms are struggling to hire due to a shrinking workforce.  In addition, there is a lack of awareness and interest about the AEC field in K-12 students.  The teacHER group is hoping to combat this challenge by creating resources for AEC professionals to go out into K-12 classrooms and after-school programs and get students excited about opportunities in the AEC inclusion.  Our goal is to close the gap and increase diversity, equity, and industry industry-wide.

Target Audience:  Teachers, parents, and members of the community who want to do outreach for K-12 students and want pre-developed curriculum and presentations.

Objectives:

• Create a calendar of important dates for AEC outreach (i.e. Engineers Week, Women in Construction, etc.)
• Create a map of AEC experts through the ElevateHER network that are willing to present to K-12 classrooms
• Create a database of existing resources/curriculum for AEC activities for K-12 students

Members:

Andi Vicksman Godfroy

Anne Brummett

Brittany Boyle

Jennifer Llop-Noy

Laurel Stone

Michelle Huber

Route DEI (2021)

Diversity is not just about race and gender.  Having a DEI program is not good enough.  It is a start, but not the solution to addressing the problem.  Training is educating.  Transparency and authenticity are integral aspects of communication.  Encourage employees to come together to engage and inspire.

Members:

Ana Maria Collins

Mickey Garcia

Lisa Huddleston

Rob Matthews

Will Schnier

Elevators (2021)

Thesis: The Elevators believe AEC firms require a significant lift (hence the team name) to improve in areas of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.  We are in the most competitive recruitment and retention era we have ever seen.  Firms must pay attention to DEI for hiring top talent, sustaining growth, and fostering innovation.

But, it can be overwhelming to find the tools and resources to feel knowledgeable and confident about DEI issues.  Our project aims to make the resources easier to locate, thus resulting in increasing knowledge and action around these issues.

Result:  The Elevators created a centralized, online portal of DEI resources on the ElevateHER website, so anyone–from employees to firm leaders can: 

• Access resources that strengthen individual skill sets
• Foster diverse and inclusive workplaces, or
• Demonstrate a commitment to prioritizing DEI initiatives

The portal includes books, articles, podcasts, and a database of knowledge experts/speakers on topics including: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; Data and Statistics; Human Resources; Multi-Cultural Awareness; Workplace Culture; and Leadership.

Members:

Alixandria Henley

Amy Jones

Rathi Perumal

Lauren Waldon

MentHER Match (2021)

Members:

Christine Manhart

Caitlin Pennington

Jonathan Postell

Julia Jack

Lauren Lint

Maria Lucio

Stephanie Teetes

The Right Fit (2021)

An online toolkit that empowers employees within the AEC industry to advocate for better “work-life fit” policies within their own firms. In 2021, team The Right Fit developed a toolkit to help AEC professionals advocate for a better work-life fit within their own firms. The toolkit included a self-assessment, a policy hub, and sample pitches to help others draft their own asks.

Members:

Erin Conaway

Katie Batill-Bigler

Susan Dawson

LaTonya Whitfield Horhn

Returnship: She is Welcome Here (2021)

Accelerating the connection between employers & returning talent through a back-to-work program.

Members:

Heather Calvert

Jayna Duke

Julia Passalacque

Kaley Konecny

Katie Goodman

She Belongs Here (2020)

There is a proven leaky pipeline of girls and young women falling away from AEC career paths.  Biases start when we categorize children by gender, race, and ability, which kids usually begin to experience when they enter the education system.  Throughout their lives, they are taught or exposed to biases, consciously or unconsciously.  These gender stereotypes and biases often lead to girls thinking they cannot do or be certain things–like architects, engineers, or construction managers.  In order to provide a real solution to the leaky pipeline, we need to start exposing all children to the wonderful world of AEC. #SheBelongsHere

Members:

Shibani Bisson

Melanie Nelson

Angel Farley

Drive- Diversity, Real, Inclusivity, Value, and Equity (2020)

We want our industry to strive to have performance best practices that have beneficial impacts on our communities.  As industry leaders in the built environment, we want to create a world that is representative of the communities we serve in order to better serve them.  That’s why we’re committed to building a certification program that recognizes effort and success, measures inclusion adequately, and strives for continued advancement of inclusive projects to meet the needs of our diverse 21st century world.

Members:

Andrea Dumont

Jennifer Ridd

Mary Heath

Maryanne Wachter

Shannon Acevado

Thy Daniels

Carrot (2020)

Data proves the lack of intentional diversity initiatives is negatively impacting recruitment and retention.  Team Carrot believes that an award program will incentivize firms to deliberately change their practices.

Members:

Liz Bartell

Kristan Greene

Aaron Tippie

Fred Vinciguerra

WeRise (2020)

Team WeRise focused on employee experience and on creating a culture where employees want to stay.  The WeRise deck features a series of discussion opportunities to engage with underrepresented demographics, as well as reassess, evaluate, and improve workplace culture.

This deck provides valuable recommendations that will impact employee satisfaction and retention.  Use these for self-reflection, or as conversation starters with groups or outside the workplace.  Get creative and get talking.  We’ve all heard the adage “we rise by lifting others,” and Team WeRise believes that.  Lift those around you and further the discussion today with this fun and easy-to-use tool.

Members:

Blake Calvert

Dara Davulcu

Elide Pantoli

Ginger Lacy

Jacqueline Devereaux

Janki DePalma

Jason Pereira

Jennifer Porter

Susan Dawson

Susan Osterberg

Veronica Porter

Redefining Success (2020)

The current vision of career progression in AEC firms needs to be redefined in order to attract the top talent to our industry and then retain that talent through their entire career.  The new vision of career progression will include: clear and transparent career pathways, focus on empowering the employee to take ownership of their career development and define their own career success metric, progression that is both vertical (promotion) and horizontal (acquisition or expansion of skills and experiences), and the ability to accelerate or decelerate rate of progression to fit with changes in life outside of work.

Members:

Alicia Eikenberry

Dawn Kopecky

Cindy Sachnoff

Maggie Snape

Previous processes have provided segmented and isolated analysis of individual modes of transportation that must be manually aggregated. The new tool, built as an add-on to existing travel demand software, automatically integrates all modes of traffic and data into one platform. As a result, airports can:

• Reduce Environmental Assessment documentation development time for Federal Aviation Administration approval
• Streamline project development
• Visually compare the traffic performance of mitigation scenarios
• Easily coordinate with stakeholders using a consistent airport-wide traffic model
• Quickly create analyses for roadway construction staging

Putting Existing Data to Work

The tool has already been applied at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City, resulting in streamlined data analysis and standardized development of alternatives. Work that previously would have required months was instead completed in weeks.

“Airports have been collecting increasing amounts of data on facility traffic and demand, but that data has not been converted efficiently into actionable intelligence,” said HDR Senior Traffic Engineer Tony Wang, who developed the new method as part of HDR’s Fellowship Program. “This tool offers a solution that shows the patterns and opportunities hidden in airports’ traffic data.”

The integrated modeling tool mines data from existing sources, integrates airport development and landside travel demand, and allows airports to test future scenarios to optimize planning, design and operations. The information is processed using custom programming scripts developed by HDR, and the integrated model is built in PTV’s VISUM software — an industry standard travel demand and transit planning tool.

“Modeling the demands of all facilities and transportation modes at an airport in an automated tool is a great achievement by Tony and a big benefit for airports,” said HDR Aviation Director Bill Peduzzi. “With this process, we can quickly and accurately assess existing conditions. We can then determine the best future balance of roadways, dedicated lanes, parking and more across an airport, both during construction and in normal operations.” 

Contact Peduzzi for more information about the Airport Landside Multimodal Demand Analysis Tool and its applications for airport design and planning.

in Lifecycle Assessment Together

NASHUA, NH – Microdesk, a leading provider of BIM, Virtual Design & Construction (VDC) and Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) services, announces a new partnership with One Click LCA, the world’s leading construction Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) software provider.  

Building LCA is a science-based methodology for quantifying the lifetime environmental impacts of a building and One Click LCA makes the assessment easy since the science is embedded in the tool. One Click LCA helps to measure and reduce the environmental impacts of buildings, achieve green building certifications, and comply with regulations that are nowadays a mandatory part of planning in many countries.

The environmental targets the construction industry is working to meet also extend to the products used to build its projects. Thus, manufacturers have begun to meet the increasing need to produce Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) to reliably quantify and communicate the lifetime environmental impact of their products. One Click LCA’s Product LCA and EPD solution provide manufacturers with an easy solution to deliver third-party verified EPDs based on U.S. and international standards.  

“Joining forces with One Click LCA gives Microdesk a tremendous opportunity to help our clients achieve and accelerate their goals to decarbonize the AEC industry and support sustainability,” said Michael DeLacey, Chief Executive Officer, Microdesk. “We are committed to providing the most effective and innovative technologies and tools and One Click LCA delivers that with software that adds value to all facets of planning and building while supporting the environment in a meaningful way.” 

“One Click LCA’s mission is to power the makers of a zero-carbon future and addressing the lifecycle impact of buildings and materials is at the heart of what we do,” said Panu Pasanen, Chief Executive Officer, One Click LCA. “Decarbonizing construction requires a whole-life carbon approach across the value chain. Through our partnership with Microdesk and Symetri, we make our LCA offering available for a larger number of companies and with their extensive sales and consultancy team, we ensure the customers’ success in achieving a carbon-free future. This partnership is a remarkable step ahead to accelerate the decarbonization of the construction and manufacturing industries.” 

To learn more about the offering visit: https://www.microdesk.com/software/one-click-lca/

About One Click LCA 

One Click LCA is the world-leading, easy-to-use, and automated lifecycle assessment software that helps calculate and reduce the environmental impacts of buildings, infrastructure, and renovation projects as well as construction and other products. It also allows manufacturers to generate and publish third-party verified EPDs. 

One Click LCA is used in over 140 countries by the leading businesses and other organizations. The software includes all construction material EPDs in the world and complies with over 60 standards and certifications. One Click LCA was founded in Finland in 2001 and has a team of over 110 people on all continents. 

About Microdesk 

Microdesk, a leading provider of BIM, Virtual Design & Construction (VDC) and Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) services, is dedicated to assisting design, construction, and operations teams. It has a more than 30-year history of implementing innovative technologies and processes, sustainable design, and building methodologies. Its enhanced focus on digital transformation is another example of the company’s legacy in bringing new tools to the AEC industry to promote efficiency, sustainability, and the ability to address macro-economic trends including urbanization. 

About Symetri 

Symetri creates and provides technology solutions and services for design, engineering, construction and manufacturing businesses. We empower people to work smarter for a better future by ensuring they have access to the expertise and technology they need to improve their performance and sustainability.   

Symetri was founded in Sweden in 1989 and has grown to a team of over 800 people with offices throughout Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, the UK, Ireland, and the U.S. Symetri is an Autodesk Platinum Partner, Autodesk Authorised Training Centre (ATC) and Autodesk Global Service Provider. Symetri is part of Addnode Group AB, whose B shares are listed on the Nasdaq Stockholm. Addnode Group offers business-critical IT solutions to selected markets in both the private and public sectors.

ERELIS performed two-stage drone surveying to deliver a high-precision 3D model of the reservoir. First, aerial photogrammetry and LiDAR surveys were performed using a DJI M300 drone equipped with a TOPODRONE camera P61 and a LiDAR HI-RES system to

determine the location of possible obstacles. LiDAR scanning provided accurate detection of cables in the water. 

Second, an underwater bathymetric survey using a TOPODRONE AQUAMAPPER mounted to the same drone was conducted avoiding detected obstacles (cables, solar panels and other objects). The flight mission was planned and executed with the UgCS software by SPH Engineering. 

The collected LiDAR & bathymetry data was processed by TOPODRONE Post Processing software. As a result, a georeferenced orthophoto map, a 3D model of the relief and objects, a 3D model of the bottom of the reservoir, contour lines and isobaths were generated. Such 3D models can be used for high-precision assessment of sediment volumes, general monitoring of reservoir banks and visual monitoring. In addition, surveying with a TOPODRONE AQUAMAPPER made it possible to estimate sludge deposits of the reservoir.

“Our company has been performing drone-based bathymetric surveying services for water reservoirs/basins and coastal waters since 2021. The unique ability to use the same UAV (DJI M300) with different kinds of TOPODRONE equipment, LiDAR HI-RES systems, a high resolution camera and AQUAMAPPER, makes it possible to unify equipment use, thereby reducing costs and eliminating the need for additional tools. The aerial and echo-sounding data synchronization at the post-processing stage helps to obtain the full geo-data package that could be used for survey and data digitization, modeling, mapping, aerial photogrammetry, quantities calculation or other output products by client demand,” commented Roman Kirsanov, CEO of ERELIS. “Back in autumn 2022 we had our first AQUAMAPPER client that used the device together with TOPODRONE LiDAR ULTRA for an EU road construction project to build a highway in one of the toughest terrains with a river component in Romania, EU. We are proud to see clients developing new application areas of our equipment, including reservoir characterization and modeling,” added Maxim Baklykov, CEO of TOPODRONE.

To learn more about TOPODRONE LiDAR and bathymetric solutions to perform reservoir characterization and modeling join a free online webinar on February 2, 2023: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_T43KeI2uQU-8jbI7o4N21Q 

About TOPODRONE 

TOPODRONE (https://topodrone.com/) is a Swiss based designer and manufacturer of high-precision surveying equipment for installation on UAVs, vehicles and backpacks. TOPODRONE’s hardware (LiDARs, high resolution cameras and PPK) are used for mapping and 3D modeling. Application areas include but are not limited to forest and agricultural monitoring, construction and urban planning, and bathymetry. TOPODRONE’s advanced post-processing software provides users with easy-to-use innovative data processing workflows for automatic data generation, georeferencing and alignment using GNSS and IMU data post processing, and SLAM algorithms.

Orlowski has more than 10 years of in-depth design industry experience, including leadership of the Phoenix Interior Architecture & Design Studio, overall design implementation and client management. She has successfully managed a wide variety of interior project types including office, healthcare, and industrial.

“Lynne’s keen eye, attention to detail and commitment to the team make her a valuable leader,” said Douglas Gullo, Regional Director, Ware Malcomb. “Her dedication and design excellence have not only impressed clients, brokers and team members in the region but helped her secure multiple design awards. She exemplifies the Ware Malcomb culture with a collaborative spirit and energetic approach, and we are pleased to promote her to Director.”

Orlowski joined Ware Malcomb as a Designer in 2015 and moved into Project Manager and Studio Manager roles before being promoted to Director. Throughout her career, she has built, trained and mentored the Interior Architecture & Design team. Orlowski holds a Bachelor of Science in Design, Interior Design, from Arizona State University and a National Council for Interior Design Qualification.

Ware Malcomb’s Interior Architecture & Design Studio creates design solutions to transform interior environments into market relevant, contemporary spaces.

Prior to joining Bentley Systems in 2020, Ballard served in sales leadership positions with Dassault Systèmes, Autodesk, and Océ after earning a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and Information Sciences from the University of Alabama in 2001. He reports to Chief Operating Officer Nicholas Cumins, who said,

“In addition to leading our Americas account teams to unprecedented ARR growth, Brock has driven our Enterprise 365 subscription program globally, to reach new levels of business partnership with many of the world’s largest infrastructure engineering firms and owner-operators. Brock’s energy, resourcefulness, and collegial leadership have been proven through business development opportunities with our accounts to advance infrastructure by going digital. While we will all miss Gus Bergsma, we congratulate him upon his long-earned retirement and thank him for his relentless focus on delivering success and establishing a high-performing account advancement organization, preparing Brock for success in 2023 and beyond.”

Greg Bentley, Chief Executive Officer, said, “We could not have come nearly so far without Gus’s indefatigable resolve and empathy for both infrastructure engineers, where he started professionally himself, and for our colleagues whose successful careers in sales he, in many cases, launched, and certainly exemplified. Gus has shown the way from cofounding a startup to achieving Bentley Systems’ billion-dollar revenue milestone as a public company. 

“And we now welcome Eric Boyer as our inaugural Investor Relations Officer, reporting directly to me. Eric combines a wealth of experience and strategic acumen to help us create a world-class investor relations function. I look forward to working very closely with Eric to extend and improve our outreach and communications with the investment community globally.”

Boyer brings over 20 years of experience in investor relations and equity research, a deep knowledge of capital markets, and a strong network of relationships. During his tenure as senior vice president and head of investor relations at IHS Markit Ltd., which was a global information services leader, its market capitalization increased from $8 billion to $44 billion. He was also consistently recognized by Institutional Investor as a leading IR professional. Prior to Boyer’s investor relations career, he spent more than a decade as a sell-side equity analyst at Wells Fargo and Deutsche Bank, where he covered various technology and related services sectors and was recognized by The Wall Street Journal’s “Best on the Street” survey for his stock selections. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Logistics and International Business from Penn State University in 1999.

The last twelve months have been a special time for the AEC industry as a whole, and we at Civil + Structural Engineer Magazine have been lucky enough to cover projects from every corner of the industry, featuring projects and firms that made a difference–big or small.  Our last twelve issues have been filled with examples of achievement from around the globe.  Whether its a water infrastructure project that provides clean water to a village of 30 people in Romania or a massive lifting project in Times Square, our aim has and always will be to provide information about projects and thought leadership that are elevating the AEC industry.

This banner year for the AEC industry was nearly universal as we covered projects in Romania, Saudi Arabia, Latvia, Egypt, Canada, France, and the United States to name a few.  This is indicative of the global AEC industry’s constant movement to reexamine the way we interact with, plan, and construct the built environment.  New tools and technologies are being developed and deployed at a rapid pace with the larger effect of revolutionizing the way the AEC industry works.  The digital revolution is nothing new, but the reverberating effects of its adoption and settling are beginning to fuel this revolution.  

These new technologies and capabilities have made many aspects of the AEC industry more collaborative and has given rise to the necessity of collecting and interpreting data.  In turn, this has fundamentally changed the way firms, project managers, owners, and stakeholders interact and think about the challenges that lie in front of the AEC industry.  This paradigm shift has led to a more outward-facing understanding of how projects are constructed.  As more and more processes become digital and new technologies emerge to further augment the way we construct the built environment, firms can no longer exist as silos of data and information.  Rather, to support this new way of planning, constructing, and maintaining projects, firms have had to open themselves up to the outside from a digital perspective.

While this paradigm shift certainly changes the way firms handle data and information about projects, it also changes the way they identify themselves and structure their business.  Firms that previously wouldn’t take a risk on a new or challenging project now find themselves capable of overcoming specific obstacles because they are better equipped to identify, model, and communicate specific issues both internally and with other project stakeholders.  Whether its using drones to provide geotechnical analysis at fractional cost or using more sophisticated BIM models to predict how wind will affect a high-rise construction in New York City, firms are becoming more confident in their ability to effectively use new technologies as part of their planning and growth practices.

As the AEC enters another new year, we do so on solid foundations secured by the trials and tribulations of the previous.  With newly developing tools and a growing foundation of interconnectedness, the AEC industry is imbued with the confidence to tackle the challenges not only of the coming year, but of all the challenges even our youngest children will face.  At Civil + Structural Engineer Magazine, we are excited to celebrate the coming year as the AEC industry rises to meet and overcomes the challenges of all those who depend upon the built environment.

Luke Carothers is the Editor for Civil + Structural Engineer Media. If you want us to cover your project or want to feature your own article, he can be reached at lcarothers@zweiggroup.com.  

WASHINGTON, D.C.–December 15, 2022—The National Building Museum will, for the fifth year, partner with the Architecture & Design Film Festival to produce and host the beloved festival in Washington, D.C. (ADFF:DC) January 26-29, 2023. Throughout the course of four days, the festival will showcase a diverse selection of films from more than eleven countries that investigate design’s impact, environmentally and culturally, on the worlds of fashion, real estate, art, architecture, urban planning, and housing.

ADFF:DC Opening Night kicks off on Thursday, January 26, with Alice Street, a moving documentary about the power of public art and a mural that brought together artists, community leaders and two neighborhoods in the fight to protect history, culture and voice in the face of gentrification. The film will be followed by a Q&A with the director Spencer Wilkinson and community organizer, Lailan Sandra Huen. The evening will also feature an open bar, delicious hors d’oeuvres, and an opportunity to mingle following the screening of the film.

“ALICE STREET”

Friday and Saturday evening’s festivities begin with a Happy Hour, featuring vendors, Little Miner Taco, Don Ciccio & Figli, Other Half Brewing, and Silver Branch Brewing.

Friday evening includes a photography showcase featuring local artists, James Singewald and Steven Cummings, and multiple films exploring international design, the origins of redlining, and modern consequences of discriminatory urban design.

Saturday’s films highlight the exciting world of sustainable fashion. In addition to screenings, visitors can learn more about sustainable clothing at a panel discussion with industry leaders and pick up a one-of-a-kind piece from local vendors Tribute Collective, Bitter GraceorIllicit Rag Vintageat a pop-up market in the Great Hall.

“FASHION REIMAGINED”

The festival concludes on Sunday, January 29, with a celebration of D.C. culture and history featuring a Go-Go brunch with popular D.C. band TOB, a pop-up exhibition of photographer Dee Dwyer’s work documenting the people and culture of Southeast D.C., and a screening of the critically acclaimed documentary Barry Farm: Community, Land and Justice in Washington D.C. The filmtells the story of the fight to protect the legacy of a cherished community that helped define D.C. culture and will be followed by a Q&A with filmmakers Sam George and Sabiyha Shoenfeld.

“We are thrilled to continue our partnership with ADFF and proud that many of the films curated for this year’s festival are timely and relevant to residents in the D.C metro area,” said Aileen Fuchs, President and Executive Director of the Museum. “We are dedicated to offering engaging, immersive programming that inspires and educates about the world we design and build. This year’s festival features films that focus on equity, sustainability, and innovation, all of which are part of the Museum’s guiding Pillars of Impact. We hope visitors will come in from the cold to experience thought-provoking films and discussions; delicious food and beverages; and fun cultural activations around fashion, photography, and music.”

“BARRY FARM”

FESTIVAL SCHEDULE:

Thursday, January 26, 2023

• 5–9:30 pm Opening Night Celebration

Alice Street—2020 / 70 min / USA, Director: Spencer Wilkinson,Co-presented by National Building Museum

Q&A with Spencer Wilkinson follows the screening.

Friday, January 27, 2023

• 5–6 pm Happy Hour with Photography Showcase

• 6–7:30 pm 

Segregated by Design—2020 / 17 min / USA, Director: Mark Lopez, shown with: Committee of Six — 2022 / 37 min / USA, Director: Fred Schmidt-Arenales

A panel discussion follows the screening.

• 6:15–7:45 pm

Robin Hood Gardens—2022 / 90 min / Germany, Directors: Thomas Beyer, Adrian Dorschner

• 6:30–7:50 pm

Grethe Meyer–The Queen of Danish Design—2021 / 61 min / Denmark, Director: Isabel Bernadette Brammer

Q&A follows the screening.

• 8:15–9:45 pm

Maija Isola–Master of Colour and Form—2021 / 90 min / Finland, Director: Leena Kilpeläinen

• 8:30–10 pm  

Builders, Housewives and the Construction of Modern Athens—2021 / 87 min / Greece, Directors: Tassos Langis and Yiannis Gaitanidis

• 8:45–9:50 pm

Beyond the Life of Forms—2021 / 63 min / Italy, Directors: Francesco Conversano, Nene Grignaffini

Saturday, January 28, 2023 

• 5–6 pm Happy Hour with Sustainable Fashion Pop-Up

•  6–7:45 pm

A World to Shape—2022 / 52 min / Netherlands, Director: Ton van Zantvoort

 A panel discussion follows the screening.

• 6:15–7:30 pm

Building Bastille! The Tangled and Improbable Story of the Opera Bastille—2021 / 76 min / Canada, Director: Leif Kaldor

• 6:30–8 pm

Under Tomorrow’s Sky—2021 / 71 min / Netherlands, Director: Jan Louter

Q&A follows the screening

• 8:30–10:30 pm

Fashion Reimagined—2022 / 100 min / UK, Director: Becky Hunter

 Q&A follows the screening.

• 8:45–10 pm

Concrete Landscape—2022 / 72 min / Brazil, Directors: Laura Artigas, Luiz Ferraz

• 9–10:15 pm

GES-2—2021 / 77 min / Russia, Director: Nastia Korkia

Sunday, January 29, 2023

• 10 am–noon GoGo Brunch with Photography Showcase

• noon–1:45 pm

Barry Farm: Community, Land and Justice in Washington D.C.—2022 / 50 min / USA, Director: Samuel George and Sabiyha Prince

A panel discussion follows the screening.

• 2:30–4:15 pm

Bawa’s Garden—2022 / 84 min / UK, Director: Clara Kraft Isono

Q&A follows the screening.

• 2:30–3:40 pm

Alice Street—2020 / 70 min / USA, Director: Spencer Wilkinson

TICKETS:

Opening night ticket prices are $30 for Museum members, $50 for non-members, and $25 for students, which includes screening of Alice Street and the celebratory reception featuring an open bar and delicious hors d’oeuvres. Purchase Tickets

Tickets for Friday and Saturday night are $20 for Museum members, $35 for non-members, and $15 for students per night. Purchase Tickets for Friday, Purchase Tickets for Saturday

Closing Go-Go brunch ticket prices are $30 for Museum members, $50 for non-members, and $25 for students, which includes brunch and screening of Barry Farm: Community, Land and Justice in Washington D.C. Purchase Tickets

The “All Access Pass” is $90 for Museum members, $150 for non-members, and $70 for students and includes the Thursday opening night celebration, Friday night, Saturday night, and the closing brunch and screening on Sunday. Purchase All Access Pass

SPONSORS

ADFF:DC is presented with the Revada Foundation of the Logan Family. Additional support from Design Foundry, Room & Board, Bonstra | Haresign ARCHITECTS, Fabrication Events, Inc., Atmosphere Lighting, Shaw Contract, and MJ Valet.

VENDORS

Special thanks to our featured ADFF:DC food and beverage vendors Little Miner Taco, Don Ciccio & Figli, Other Half Brewing, and Silver Branch Brewing.

Ulteig Engineers, Inc.

Project Location: Silverthorne, Colorado

Category: Transportation + Infrastructure

Started: March 4, 2020

Completed: September 30, 2022

Project Team: 

Owner- Colorado Department of Transportation; EOR- Ulteig Subs- San Engineering; Pinyon Environmental; Collective Marketing; BGC Engineering; Emprise Concepts; Farnsworth Group; Contractor- Kraemer NA

Project Accreditations: 100 Year Design Life

Project Summary: This project was delivered using the CM/GC delivery method on an accelerated schedule with the contractor providing input throughout the design process. The final design called for two buried bridges consisting of a cast-in-place deck on prestressed adjacent concrete boxes bearing on abutments supported by micropiles. In front of the abutments, soil nail walls minimized the height of the abutment stem walls, which reduced the amount of excavation required. This also reduced impacts to I-70 by shortening the duration of construction phases by building most of the soil nail walls while the bridges were under live traffic. CDOT hasn’t often used micropiles on bridge replacement projects, but they were ideal for the mountainous conditions expected at over 10,000 feet of elevation. This project was also a major roadway reconstruction project necessitating the shift of I-70 westbound 10 feet to the south due to an adjacent landslide. Phasing was a crucial consideration throughout design. The final design called for a four-phase solution with an initial phase shifting traffic away from the median while preparing to overbuild in the median during Phase 2. In Phase 3, traffic was shifted onto the structure built in Phase 2, where the remaining bridge is constructed. In Phase 4, the soil nail walls, grading, and final paving will be completed. The phasing solution allowed for three lanes of traffic to be maintained uphill throughout construction, which was critical given the heavy traffic at 36,000 ADT. Due to the complex phasing and topography, earthwork quantities were presented on a per-phase basis, allowing for greater transparency during construction regarding the movement of earth. The design phase of this project was completed in 10 ½ months after kicking off in March of 2020 just prior to COVID19 lockdowns being implemented.  This project was one of CDOT’s first to utilize ProjectWise Share and Bluebeam Revu. Utilizing these pieces of software, we created a collaborative virtual work environment with both CDOT, Kraemer, and the design team accelerating reviews and minimizing redundant feedback. 

Thomas & Hutton

Project Location: Beaufort County, South Carolina

Category: Water + Stormwater + Wastewater

Started: May 21, 2019

Completed: February 1, 2022

Project Team: 

Thomas & Hutton- Civil Engineer

Witmer Jones Keefer, Ltd.- Landscape Architect/Land Planner

Grady Woods Architects- Architect

Terracon- Geotechnical Engineer

DendroDiagnostics- Arborist

Newkirk Environmental Inc.- Environmental Consultant

Coastal Surveying- Surveyor

Bihl Engineering- Traffic Engineer

Choate Construction Co.- General Contractor

J.H. Construction- General Contractor

Project Summary: The sport of golf relies heavily on the expanse and variety of a course. The allure of a distinct golf experience presents a reasonable challenge to players against a backdrop of natural beauty. When Hilton Head National Golf Club lost 27 acres to right-of-way acquisition for Bluffton Parkway construction, Thomas & Hutton client, Scratch Golf Company faced a significant challenge. Nine of their 27 holes became unplayable, three of which were in the direct path of the planned parkway. Hilton Head National experienced a considerable loss of revenue and began to reevaluate the experience they could provide golfers and visitors to the Lowcountry.

Scratch Golf seized the opportunity to repurpose the disconnected course and capitalize on the national trend of reexamining the use of open space and growing “work from anywhere” movement. The luxury RV resort is a by-right use under land development ordinances and a passive use that would generate income for Scratch Golf out of the land cut off by right-of-way acquisition. The vision was for Hilton Head National golfers and visitors to the region alike to play and stay at the resort. 

T&H provided civil design, master pump station design, off-site force main design, nationwide wetland permit assistance, permitting, and construction services for the 60-acre Hilton Head National RV Resort. The property features 341 sites and elevates the standard RV experience offering resort-style amenities including a trail, beach entry pool with lazy river, restaurant, tiki bar, dog park, and playground. The resort is configured with multiple site layouts, accommodating various visitor preferences. Repurposing the golf property posed several challenges, namely promoting positive drainage on the site. T&H designed a storm system that incorporated the existing ponds, doubling as an amenity. A leisure trail was incorporated near the ponds, facilitating connectivity, and providing an additional recreational opportunity. Navigating tree cover and existing golf corridors required an efficient site layout. Trees were protected to offer privacy buffers to an environment conducive to RVing. By carefully grading the site, Thomas & Hutton’s design team created a distinctive resort with extensive tree cover that would otherwise have taken years to mature.

Bridges that stay structurally sound for longer despite normal and extraordinary wear-and-tear can help ensure safe passage for vehicles and pedestrians. Additionally, if these structures do not require substantial maintenance or repair over their service life, they can help maximize the investment made into the infrastructure. While proper design can help create long-lasting bridges, engineers and construction professionals can further enhance a concrete bridge’s lifelong structural integrity with internal curing processes. 

Internally cured concrete cures from within to reduce the potential for early-age cracking caused by shrinkage stress. To provide internal moisture, construction professionals often turn to pre-wetted lightweight aggregate made from expanded shale, clay or slate (ESCS). Because this material has an internal network of unconnected pores, it can hold water for evenly distributed curing throughout the concrete mix. 

In an effort to reduce chloride attack, bridge designers have reduced the permeability of the concrete used to construct a structure. Unfortunately, the measures used to reduce the permeability have also led to concrete that shrinks and subsequently cracks more. With cracks in the bridge deck, the chlorides now have a pathway to the reinforcing embedded in the concrete. 

Concrete bridges that are internally cured more readily resist cracking, chloride attack and reinforcing corrosion, which can make them more durable for longer. Further, if repair is needed, utilizing internal curing in the patching materials will reduce shrinkage contributing to a more viable patch. As such, it can mitigate the need for repeated maintenance on damaged bridge sections. When civil and structural engineers plan bridge projects, it is important to maximize the potential of all materials involved to solve immediate and long-term design challenges. The following will look at how internal curing can be incorporated into bridge construction to create safer and more durable structures.

Easier done than said: incorporating internal curing in bridge construction

First recognized in 1948 and researched extensively in the early 1990s, internal curing can help create a stronger, more resilient concrete by reducing permeability and mitigating shrinkage. It curtails hydration-related stresses and the potential for early-age cracking. In fact, the Indiana Department of Transportation explains in a 2013 report that internally cured concrete reduced the early age autogenous shrinkage by more than 80 percent compared to non-internally cured concretes. Engineers can take advantage of these benefits by specifying structural lightweight concrete made with ESCS aggregate or by replacing a portion of sand with a pre-wetted fine ESCS lightweight aggregate in normal weight concrete.

Prewetting the lightweight fine aggregate for a minimum of 48 hours allows the material to absorb moisture into its network of internal pores. When the pre-wetted aggregate is added to the concrete mixture, it releases this captured moisture to cure the concrete from the inside, increasing cement hydration and reducing the potential for shrinkage-induced cracks. Due to the extra moisture provided, internally cured concrete can also make construction in hot and dry locations more feasible. This was first noted in a 1965 field report presented to the National Sand and Gravel Association and later confirmed in several different studies—from Robert Philleo’s “Concrete Science and Reality” to Wei and Hansen’s 2008 research into hydration and slab warping. Increased cement hydration efficiency and wider optimum curing parameters allow concrete to reach its maximum potential, thereby helping to improve bridge construction.

To reap the benefits of internal curing, a concrete mix typically needs seven pounds of internal curing water per 100 pounds of cementitious material, so incorporating internal curing processes into concrete bridge construction can be easily done with the right preparations. While prewetting lightweight aggregate and batching it correctly does require some additional efforts, its ability to significantly improve the performance of concrete outweighs the additional steps needed to incorporate it into bridge construction.

Internal curing defends against chloride attack

One of the most common reasons for continued bridge maintenance and repair is to prevent chloride attack, which can corrode the metal reinforcement within concrete. This can weaken a bridge, making it deteriorate over time. Internal curing sidelines chloride attack developed from early-age micro- and macro-cracking caused by shrinkage. This can prolong a bridge’s service life and increase its durability, especially in locations near saltwater or where salt-based deicers are frequently used, as these increase the speed at which chloride attack can cause significant damage.

More resilient and compatible repair

Another way internally cured concrete can improve concrete bridge and pavement construction is to improve the efficacy of repairs and reworks. Just as conventionally cured concrete can shrink and crack leading to degradation, it can do the same when used to patch existing concrete. Because internally cured concrete reduces the strain caused by shrinkage, it reduces, both in number and width, the cracking typically seen in high early strength concrete.

The improved performance of internally cured patching or full depth panel replacement permits the repair to last longer than the few year lifespan commonly seen. As noted in a 2016 report by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Association, the benefits of internally cured concrete indicate its performance, in both initial building and repair, “should be superior to conventional concrete pavements, resulting in improved life-cycle cost.”

Example from the field

Along the shores of Lake Erie, the Buffalo, NY metropolitan area has its share of winter weather. Its highways see some of the greatest uses of deicing chemicals in the country. To help to reduce chloride attack and increase service life of their highway bridges, the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) chose to utilize internal curing high performance concrete to construct the bridge decks on the ramps between Interstate 190 and Interstate 290.

Mixes were developed to meet the design requirements on the project. The natural sand was reduced by 30 percent by volume and replaced with saturated ESCS fines. The non-internally cured concrete was used on the approach slabs to have an area of comparison exposed to the same conditions. The mix proportions both with and without internal curing are shown in Table 1.

The 244 pounds of ESCS lightweight aggregate provided an extra 6.4 gallons of water to hydrate the cementitious materials per yard of concrete. This internal curing water is held in the pores of the lightweight aggregate until the concrete set, therefore it does not contribute to the water cementitious ratio of the mix.

To evaluate the effectiveness of internal curing, the bridge decks were inspected 6 months after concrete placement and no cracks were found.  This structure was part of a study that the NYSDOT conducted to evaluate internal curing. The agency has since made internal curing a requirement on all multi-span bridges in the state.

Realizing concrete’s full potential

Internally curing concrete results in stronger, more durable structures. When it comes to bridge construction, this translates to safer passage for vehicles and pedestrians. It also helps departments of transportation at the state level maximize their investments by reducing the amount of maintenance and repair a bridge would need over its service life. And if a bridge needs repair or updating, internally cured concrete can help ensure a more compatible and longer-lasting patch.

Given the relative ease with which internally cured concrete can be incorporated into bridge construction and the significant improvements it can facilitate, using lightweight aggregate made from ESCS to bolster bridge resilience is both feasible and recommended. 

Corey Coffelt joined Buildex Lightweight Aggregates in Kansas City 4½ years ago for business development and sales. He is active in the lightweight industry promotions committees through the Expanded Shale, Clay & Slate Institute. Prior to Buildex, Corey assisted public and private organizations develop environmentally advantageous cost-saving waste and recycle programs utilizing his 33-year background in the waste and recycling industry. 

Kaynemaile Architectural Mesh

Project Location: Santa Clara, California

Category: Environmental + Sustainability

Started: October 18, 2021

Completed: June 1, 2022

Project Team: 

Developer- The Sobrato Organisation

Design Architect Arc Tec- Architectural Technologies, San Jose, CA                          

Architect- HNA/Pacific, Los Angeles, CA,                                                            

General Contractor- Devcon Construction, Milpitas, CA                                           

Installation- BT Mancini, Milpitas, CA                                                                                        

Photography- Lucas Fladzinski Photography

Project Summary: The stunning facade for the Lawson Lane campus in Silicon Valley features Kaynemaile’s new range of three-dimensional, kinetic screens across the parking garage. We worked with design architects Arc Tec and installers B.T. Mancini to complete this stunning facade for the Sobrato Organisation as part of a major office development in Santa Clara CA.

Spanning full height and only connecting to the building at the top and bottom meant that the system could be installed fast. Unlike metal or membrane products that require a complex rigid frame and connection system, each Kaynemaile screen on this project has a self-supporting lightweight internal frame connected to vertical stainless steel cables. A ribbon of Kaynemaile Bronze coloured polycarbonate mesh runs over each frame creating a kite-like structure, providing great air flow through the garage.

The different locations of each projecting section give contrasting light and shadow effects, enhancing the deep wave across the face. The nature of the stainless steel support system combined with Kaynemaile’s lightweight polycarbonate architectural mesh allows it to move to the wind along the San Tomas Expressway, creating a kinetic, expressive building for passers-by.

Kaynemaile’s mesh is made from 100 percent recyclable engineering grade polycarbonate and manufactured to withstand the demands of high temperature and UV exposure zones, plus it’s durable and easy to maintain.

With up to 70 percent solar reduction and compliant air flow all within a self-supporting package this Kaynemaile system is a beautiful addition to the architecture of Silicon Valley.

Ambrusch has nearly a decade of experience in the architecture field – five of them as a laboratory planner. She joined Ware Malcomb as a Project Manager in 2021 and quickly demonstrated a strong aptitude in laboratory design, cGMP, clean rooms, and architecture projects. In the past year, Ambrusch has worked on a wide variety of projects in the Washington, D.C. region and has helped manage the daily responsibilities of the Science & Technology group and mentor the team. 

“Lori has quickly become known in the local industry and has garnered the praise of her clients,” said Michael Christensen, Regional Director, Ware Malcomb. “We are excited to see her leadership and growth as she develops this sector across the East Coast, and we celebrate her promotion to Studio Manager, Science & Technology.”

Ambrusch graduated from Penn State University with a Bachelor of Architecture and Harvard University Graduate School of Design with a Master of Architecture in Urban Design. Post-graduation, she completed Harvard’s Laboratory Design certification course. Ambrusch is also an award-winning and published designer.

Ware Malcomb’s specialized Science & Technology Studio designs a wide array of projects, from specialty labs to one-million-square-foot manufacturing facilities. The team turns obsolete spaces and buildings into relevant, functional and compliant environments. They deliver economical aesthetic and functional design improvements to make spaces blend seamlessly with their existing surroundings. Ware Malcomb’s Science & Technology Studio serves clients in the following industries: bio-tech/bio-med, clean rooms (ISO Rated), medical devices, pharmaceuticals, bulk chemical, BSL – 1, 2, 3, FDA validated/cGMP facilities, electronics, microelectronics/semiconductors, telecommunications, industrial distribution, aerospace, and food processing. 

• Exclusive interviews with the owner, architect and construction team.
• Project design insights involving the building’s two NHL-regulation-size ice rinks, its fieldhouse, elevated track, competition swimming pool and much more.
• Abundant photos, drawings and graphics illustrate phases/element of the design and construction.

This is MBMA’s third Architectural Significance in Metal Buildings folio. Others spotlight Alamo Beer Company in San Antonio and the Michelle and Barack Obama Sports Complex in Los Angeles.
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Founded in 1956, MBMA serves manufacturers and suppliers that work with industry professionals, architects, building designers, educators, building code officials and others to advance the metal building systems industry. The efforts of member volunteers and association staff regularly lead to industry improvements and groundbreaking research. Resources at MBMA.com include technical materials, research reports, videos and design guides. The MBMA blog provides the most current research and new ideas to propel the industry.

Commercial planning was bolstered by a solid increase in office and hotel projects. The institutional component was varied, experiencing growth in recreational and education projects, countered by a decline in the number of healthcare and public planning projects. On a year-over-year basis, the DMI was 28% higher than in October 2021, the commercial component was up 29%, and institutional planning was 25% higher.

A total of 15 projects with a value of $100 million or more entered planning in October. The leading commercial projects included a $206 million expansion to the M Resort in Henderson, NV, and the second phase of the $180 million 1416 Dodge Office Towers in Omaha, NE. The leading institutional projects comprised of the $500 million uCity Square Lab & Office Complex in Philadelphia, PA, and the $294 million life science R&D laboratory complex in San Carlos, CA.

“The sustained upward trajectory in the Momentum Index shows optimism from owners and developers that projects will continue to move forward, even with rising concerns of an economic recession,” said Sarah Martin, senior economist for Dodge Construction Network. “Specific nonresidential segments, such as data centers and life science laboratories, have thrived in 2022 and continue to support strength in planning activity. As we move into next year, however, labor and supply shortages, high material costs and high interest rates will likely temper planning activity back to a more moderate pace.”

The DMI is a monthly measure of the initial report for nonresidential building projects in planning, shown to lead construction spending for nonresidential buildings by a full year. For more DMI insights, watch the video here.

As a WSP vice president, Famularo is responsible for strategic hires, business development, identifying and pursuing project opportunities and managing client relationships, tasks and staff for coastal and marine engineering projects primarily across the eastern U.S.

“To understand Stephen’s commitment to serving his clients’ needs, one need only look at his career-long practice of personally conducting critical investigations of underwater facilities to help teams gather the most comprehensive information possible,” said Bernie McNeilly, WSP USA Northeast region president. “His leadership experience and Marine engineering background will further bolster our thriving practice.”

His arrival comes at a time when WSP’s Maritime practice is experiencing tremendous growth. This year, the firm has hired more than 20 professionals to join the Maritime team along with several significant project wins, including those for the Virginia Port Authority, North Carolina and South Carolina State Port Authorities and the United States Coast Guard. 

“Stephen’s leadership experience and extensive Marine engineering expertise position him to direct our East Coast Maritime practice,” said Kosal Krishnan, national Maritime market leader for WSP. “He has a passion for condition assessment, asset management and designing waterfront facilities to account for resiliency and sea-level rise. He is a strong leader for key pursuits all along the East Coast and working with our local maritime, district and regional leadership.”

Famularo has more than 25 years of experience in waterfront engineering, including underwater inspection, marine structure rehabilitation, service life evaluation, asset management, coastal engineering, climate resiliency planning and structural/geotechnical design of piers, wharves, bulkheads and floating ferry terminals.

As a certified commercial diver, he has conducted above and underwater marine facility investigations throughout the U.S. and the Caribbean.

Famularo was previously vice president of marine engineering at an East Coast firm and has led waterfront construction and rehabilitation projects as both the project manager and engineer-of-record, primarily in the waters of New York and New Jersey Harbor.

Famularo is a graduate of Manhattan College with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, and the University of California at Berkeley with a master’s degree in coastal engineering. He is a licensed professional engineer and board-certified Port Engineering Diplomate by the Academy of Coastal, Ocean, Port & Navigation Engineers.

Wastewater is an industry primed for environmentally conscious transformation. Water shortages are on the rise — as are the costs of wastewater treatment and processing. It’s time for ecologically sound innovation. Enter custom biological wastewater treatment. Naturally derived microbiology allows WWT facilities to pursue environmentally responsible treatment processes.

These processes are paving the way for exceptional benefits not only for the environment, but for wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) operators and the municipalities they serve.

Waste and energy reduction
The cost of mechanical aeration and other forms of aerobic treatment creep higher with each passing year. Microbiology is on the front lines of reducing waste and energy within the WWT process. A reduction in influent biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) loads and the presence of naturally derived soil microbiology reduces energy costs in a substantial way. Aeration energy savings have rippling effects in the efficiency of WWT plants as well as their environmental stewardship.

Environmental Conservation
Wastewater is rife with hazardous materials. This can include suspended and dissolved organic and inorganic substances such as carbohydrates, fats, soaps, synthetic detergents, and a variety of other chemicals, including pharmaceuticals. Spillover, inefficient treatment, or diversion of filtered materials can spawn a whole host of environmental problems — all results of WWT inefficiencies. Instead of adding more chemicals and substances, custom microbiological solutions reduce wastewater contaminants, instead of merely shifting their impact to other areas of environmental concern.

Sludge Reduction
Sludge provides a unique challenge for WWTPs in part because fats, oils, and greases (FOG) require more invasive means of breakdown. Tenacious sludge buildups take a toll on mechanical aeration equipment and can result in breakdowns, inefficiencies, or increased service demands. Microbiological solutions have the power to degrade FOG while mitigating the combustible gasses that accompany it. Anaerobic digestion by facultative soil microbes produces fewer biosolids, and this reduction in organic load speeds the WWT process and increases the total efficiency of plant operations.

Surcharge and cost reductions
Municipal standards for water quality are a growing priority — especially as the country’s water infrastructure comes under increased scrutiny. WWTP operators who meet increasingly stringent standards with microbiological solutions that deliver optimal effluent treatment with guaranteed results exceeding NPDES permit regulations and other government guidelines will avoid fines and surcharges for water pollution. One option available that meets these criteria is the EBS-Di from EnBiorganic Technologies.

Improved Operational Efficiency
Above all, a facultative water treatment process brings a level of efficiency difficult for traditional aerobic systems to compete with because it requires little energy for aeration. Specialized microbiological agents that know their food source and process it efficiently are better equipped to reduce operational costs, environmental impact, complications caused by FOG, and more. Above all, it’s customizable to meet the needs of wastewater contamination profiles. Adapted facultative microbiology performs in all existing WWT processes, dramatically improving performance while reducing energy use.

Demand For Smarter Solutions To Wastewater Treatment
Water has always been a precious commodity. Now, it’s subject to increasing scarcity, driving demand for cleaner water and more efficiency in WWT.

Emergen Research predicts the market for biological wastewater treatment will reach $12.48 billion by 2027 as WWTP operators look for more efficient, sustainable ways to treat the world’s most important resource. Producing higher standards of water and effluent quality with efficiency, fewer waste byproducts, and environmental responsibility efficiently is a vital contribution to rising demand for microbiological WWT solutions. Using more chemicals — and/or ever-increasing amounts of energy — to produce cleaner water with fewer biosolids is not an environmentally friendly solution.

It’s vital for WWT facilities to explore and implement organic solutions. Replace inefficient traditional systems with a microbiological solution to yield positive results for the environment, lower costs, and increase efficiency. 

Quick Fitting’s 304 stainless steel forged body delivers to customers a higher-strength fitting forged from a harder metal than traditional brass and copper fittings. It is additionally more corrosion resistant making it ideal for irrigation and other agricultural applications, such as hydroponics and chemical transfer, as well as a variety of commercial and industrial applications.

“Quick Fitting’s patented-design, machined and pressed retainer, enables higher pressure containment and longer-life than commodity, competitive products manufactured using traditional coining metalworking processes,” said Matt Boucher, CEO of Quick Fitting. Quick Fitting’s unique and patented machined-edge design is of particular benefit with these new products because stainless steel is a harder metal and therefore difficult to coin without introducing micro-fracturing, brittleness, and other weaknesses into the fittings that could result in failures over time. Quick Fitting’s patented release tool, SlipClip, also makes it easier to release pipes from fittings.

The grip rings contained within Quick Fitting’s push to connect plumbing fittings are self-centering, require lower insertion force for the tube or pipe, and help ensure complete and correct installation. Recognizing the importance of this crucial component of its fittings, Quick Fitting manufactures them in the USA at its facilities in Rhode Island so that it can ensure the highest quality in the industry.

Certified by IAPMO, ASSE, and NSF standards, Quick Fitting’s stainless steel is approved by plumbing codes for use in commercial and residential applications, including hot and cold portable water systems and hydronic heating systems. Being NSF 61 and NSF 372 certified, these products comply with lead-free requirements for the Safe Drinking Water Act. Notably, stainless steel fittings do not add lead or any other contaminants to drinking water that could cause adverse health effects. Stainless steel’s 0% lead content makes it unique among fittings that are made from other materials, such as brass, which all have traces of lead.

Quick Fitting manufactures professional-grade quick connection technology that provides customers with products that are designed and built better. Its stainless steel products come with a 75-year warranty program that offers customers peace of mind that the products will last. For more information about Quick Fitting’s stainless steel products, visit www.quickfitting.com/.

With 20 years of experience as a consultant, contractor, and owner, Dandach has overseen numerous multibillion-dollar capital improvement programs from planning through operation. She has directed some of the most technically-complex water and environmental programs in the U.S., encompassing advanced wastewater treatment, water treatment, nutrient removal, and biosolids management.

In her new role, Dandach will augment Brown and Caldwell’s 75-year history of delivering transformative programs to meet resiliency, consent order, regulatory, and growth-driven capital improvements. She will direct a team of industry-leading practitioners and partner with clients to bring generationally significant visions to reality through a portfolio of planning, design, construction, construction management, and commissioning services.

“I am delighted to welcome a leader of Diala’s stature to our growing Southern California business,” said Brown and Caldwell Senior Vice President Dan Bunce. “Her extensive construction background and knowledge of multiple delivery methods will be key to optimizing program management and helping our clients keep communities and the environment safe.”

Dandach is a certified Program Management Professional and Design-Build Professional.

Adding to the strength of Page & Turnbull’s leadership team are the elevations of Tara Ogle, AIA, LEED AP, to associate principal and director of the firm’s Architecture Studio, and James Mallery, AIA, LEED AP, to director of Page & Turnbull’s Los Angeles office. Mallery, who specializes in complex civic, corporate, adaptive reuse, and historical building projects, served as project architect for The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture of the Riverside Art Museum that recently opened in his hometown of Riverside, California. Ogle has an international background in education, cultural, waterfront and parks projects, leading her teams to deliver exceptional projects from San Francisco to New York, Mexico, Ireland and South Korea.

Other key promotions include Christina Dikas, now director of the Cultural Resources Planning Studio, and David Roccosalva, director of marketing and business development, who becomes associate principal.

“The rise of our senior team’s members is a testament to their commitment to superior leadership in architectural excellence and historic preservation,” says principal and firm president Peter Birkholz, AIA, LEED AP. “It has been very rewarding to build on our team’s valuable guidance and the success of our firmwide strategies by elevating people who are essential in making them happen.”

In addition to elevating senior staff, Page & Turnbull has expanded its team of specialized historians, architects and designers, furthering the firm’s continuing success in architecture, historic preservation, and adaptive reuse work.

New cultural resource planners round out the firm’s growing Cultural Resources Planning Studio and its dominance in historic research and analysis, bringing in the architectural historians Walker Shores, Sarah Kefalas, and Maggie Nicholson. The architecture studio has added designers Anna Gruen, Darren Sun, and Kyungmin Hwang in the San Francisco office, Carolyn Geyer in San Jose, and in Los Angeles, Lauren Postlmayr and office administrator Jesus Martinez. Designer/project manager Nicola Gnes will join the Los Angeles office in October.

“It’s always exciting to expand our team. We believe it’s important to work with exceptional people who are passionate about improving communities through architecture and historic preservation,” says the principal John D. Lesak, AIA, FAPT. “We couldn’t be more pleased and more optimistic about the future.”

By Aaron Unterreiner

SITKA, ALASKA – It’s difficult to distinguish the O’Connell Bridge from the Sitka Harbor shoreline, which is remarkable considering the bridge is 1,255 feet long and towers more than 150 feet over the Sitka Channel. Among the vast commercial fishing fleet and hundreds of charter and recreational vessels berthed on the east side of the strait, the iconic cable-stayed bridge comfortably blends into its idyllic surroundings.

The bridge’s harp design features a trio of cables suspended to the deck in each direction from high atop two sets of 100-foot twin towers. Running parallel to each other at an angle as they cut across the Sitka skyline, the bridge’s stayed cables can easily be mistaken at a distance for yet another series of stays hanging from the mast of a docked trawler.

That’s partly what makes this bridge so appealing. It’s a beautiful bridge, but it’s not boastful. It’s a practical piece of thoughtfully designed infrastructure that has seamlessly woven itself into Sitka’s fabric. In many ways, the O’Connell Bridge represents the zeitgeist of Alaska’s economic development over the last 50 years. On Sunday, September 11, 2022, slightly more than a half-century after the bridge opened to vehicular traffic, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Alaska Section designated the John O’Connell Memorial Bridge an Alaska Historic Civil Engineering Landmark. 

“We always seek through the national historic civil engineering landmark program to honor these projects and the engineers who make them happen, for their skills as innovators and risk-takers,” presenter Larry Magura, PE, the ASCE Region 8 Director, said during Sunday’s dedication in Sitka. “That’s honestly what it comes down to – no risk, no reward.

“Engineers don’t do a particularly good job of blowing their own horn and acknowledging their accomplishments, and that’s really one of the reasons we’re here today. This is a beautiful bridge. It’s very iconic, very aesthetically pleasing. And we’re delighted to be here today to participate in putting a state historic landmark designation on the O’Connell Bridge.”

First Things First

While some recognize the O’Connell Bridge as the first cable-stayed vehicular crossing in the United States, the Historic American Engineering Record among them, the bridge at the very least is the first of its kind in Alaska, “and that is a significant achievement,” said Magura, who cited a number of other cable-stayed crossings with close if not entirely discernible start dates, hence the ASCE’s hesitation toward christening the bridge a nationally historic landmark.

If the Alaska Department of Highways bridge designers had their way in the 1960s, the “first” would’ve been undisputed. Roy Peratrovich, Jr. and Dennis Nottingham, the co-founders of PND Engineers, Inc. (PND) and key members of the O’Connell’s bridge design team, pitched the idea of cable-stayed crossings years earlier for both the Susitna River and Copper River crossings.

“I had proposed the first one in 1962 when I had just come back to Juneau in ’61,” said Peratrovich, who was born in Southeast Alaska and earned his civil engineering degree in Washington State in the late 1950s. “That’s when I submitted the drawing of the Susitna River Bridge – 1,000 feet across, two twin towers, a 500-foot middle span. It would’ve worked, but it was way too early. My chief bridge engineer… he was sitting down at his table working over something. I came in with my drawing of the cable-stayed, and he looked at that and started shaking his head, looked up at me over his glasses and said, ‘Roy, it’s too early.’”

Peratrovich stowed the cable-stayed bridge idea in his back pocket. He was eventually promoted from Department of Highways Bridge Design Section Squad Leader to Section Head in 1969.

“Back in ’69, when we started looking at alternate crossings for Sitka – what type to use, where to put it, how would it fit in with existing situations and future improvement to harbor work and all that – I had this cable-stayed, and I said, ‘That would be ideal there.’”

Peratrovich finally got his wish. As design squad chief, his bridge design team included Bill Gute as the design and plan preparation lead and Nottingham on design check and final structural analysis. Fred Kohls was the computer section lead, assisting Nottingham with one of the first computer-aided structural engineering designs in Alaska history.

“We didn’t have the computer programs yet,” said Peratrovich, who deferred to Kohls, Nottingham, and the Department of Highways’ new IBM 1130 Computing System with the unfortunately titled STRESS acronym for its Structural Engineering System Solver software. 

“We had this paper-fed thing, you get this pile of responses and answers in this thing on folded paper that you’d pull out and spread all the way down to Seattle if you let it,” Peratrovich said. “It was just so much paperwork that you gotta go through; it just didn’t have the capabilities for doing structural work that was needed on this job. There was so much deflection analysis that had to be made because you had different deflection capabilities at different points where the cable was attached. It was pretty complicated, but Dennis figured out a way to do it.

“Later on, when the improvements were made on structural analysis, we went back and checked it again,” Peratrovich said, “and, sure enough, it was still working.”

The project was overseen by Department of Highways Commissioner Robert Beardsley. The winning bid for the project was $3.2M in 1970; construction was completed in 1971. Beardsley was succeeded in 1972 by Commissioner Bruce Campbell, who presided over the O’Connell Bridge’s grand opening on August 19, 1972. None of the bridge design team members were present at Sunday’s dedication; Peratrovich, who founded PND with Nottingham in 1979, spoke to PND about the O’Connell Bridge design in 2019 during the company’s 40th anniversary celebration.

“I’ve been with the department for 22 years, and I love these kinds of projects,” current Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities (DOT&PF, formerly known as the Department of Highways) Commissioner Ryan Anderson, PE, said at the ceremony. “There are so many stories – whenever you work in the transportation industry, you look around at everything that was built, there are stories everywhere. This project in particular with the innovative design and the way that people thought about this in 1972 when they built it really is an example for us as a state, as the Department of Transportation, of how we want to move forward.”

Historical Perspective

Alaska State Senator Bert Stedman, who has represented Southeast Alaska in the state legislature since 2003, graduated from Sitka High School in 1974. He was 16 years old when the bridge opened.

“When they built the bridge, it was pretty exciting in town,” Stedman recalled during the ceremony. “I happened to have that summer fishing out of Petersburg and bought a car when I got home. So, once it got shipped up here and I got to drive over this bridge, that was a couple of months after it was built, of course, but it was a big thing for the kids at the time to be able to drive over to Edgecumbe (on Japonski Island) and back. I think the police stayed over here (on Baranof Island), so we kind of enjoyed that until they figured it out.”

The resulting benefits of the bridge, however, were no laughing matter; its presence remains a boon to the City & Borough of Sitka today.

“When we look at this economic development, once the bridge was done, there’s been construction over on Japonski for almost 50 years straight, and you can really see it today with the hospital going on and the expansion of the (US) Coast Guard,” Stedman said. “Without the bridge, my guess is Mount Edgecumbe High School wouldn’t be there; the hospital would probably be in Juneau; the Coast Guard would probably still be there because they like the seclusion and the location; but it was really an anchor point in the economy to get this bridge built, and we’re reaping the benefits now.”

Sitka Mayor Steven Eisenbeisz echoed Stedman’s remarks: “We heard earlier about all of the economic activity that can happen on Japonski Island because of it, and that is on both sides of the island,” he said, referring to Baranof Island where the town center resides. “I don’t think it would be possible without this landmark here in Sitka.”

Ernestine Massey and John Stein of the Sitka Historical Society painted a picture of what life was like in Sitka before the bridge linked the islands, sharing stories of the shore boat crossings – some dangerous, some humorous – that continue to be the way of things in other Southeast Alaska cities such as Ketchikan, which still shuttles passengers via shore boats across the Tongass Narrow to and from the airport on Gravina Island. 

“I think one of the best things about coming here today was my standing-room-only seat in the back, where I got to watch some of our valued Sitkans here up in the front laugh and reminisce about some events that I was not here for – the shore boats, the events, and the construction of this bridge,” said Eisenbeisz, who was born in the mid-1980s. 

“I actually made a comment to the city administrator (John Leach) and said, ‘Hey, John, is that going to be us in 40 years, laughing and reminiscing about this, as well?’ 

“I sincerely hope so,” Eisenbeisz said. “I sincerely hope that I’m around for the 100th-year dedication of this bridge in another 50 years.”

A Dedication Long Overdue

The dedication was two years overdue. Wheels were in motion for a 2020 dedication until the pandemic canceled all plans, travel and otherwise. The bridge’s merits were brought forth to the ASCE Alaska Section by Nottingham, who unfortunately didn’t live long enough to see the dedication come to fruition; Nottingham died March 6, 2022.

“I’m happy to be here to bring this recognition on his behalf,” said David Gamez, PE, the event’s emcee and a past president of the ASCE Alaska Section.

The ceremony was held beneath the bridge’s composite steel reinforced concrete superstructure, between the substructure’s piers on the east side of the bridge. While the traffic busied itself at its usual pace overhead, the O’Connell Bridge Dock gently creaked and swayed in the background, rolling with the ocean waves. It was a gorgeous day – 60s, sunny, a light breeze. The roughly two dozen folding chairs set up for the event didn’t come close to accommodating the attendance, which numbered around 50 people. Over the crowd’s right shoulder was Crescent Bay; to our left Castle Hill. It was fitting that the ceremony took place in the shadow of the Baranof Castle State Historic Site, the national historic landmark where Russian Alaska was formally handed over to the U.S. in 1867.

Gamez was ticking off a number of the challenges the bridge design team faced in successfully completing this project – the high seismicity, climatic conditions, the technology at hand, and the bridge’s proximity to Castle Hill not the least among them.

“In my opinion, it didn’t hurt Castle Hill,” Stedman said. “It’s just part of the community. The bridge blends in very well; the designers did an excellent job.”

The bridge is a bit of an enigma. Approach it from Japonski Island in the west, and the bridge presents itself as an imposing figure in front of its Sitka Harbor and Mount Verstovia backdrop. It’s one of the first things you see, a striking landmark welcoming you to Sitka. Approach it from Baranof Island in the east, and the bridge humbly defers to Castle Hill and Sitka’s rich history, content to rest in the shadows. The road slowly climbs and winds its way out of town, as the bridge thanks you for coming. It’s a hard phenomenon to explain, even for the locals.

“A couple things come to mind when I think of this bridge: one of them is obvious, and one of them is not necessarily so obvious,” said Mayor Eisenbeisz, who spoke last with impromptu remarks. “The obvious one is that this bridge is in just about everybody’s pictures. It’s in one or more drawings that you’ve done in the past. This bridge really is a landmark to Sitka, and Sitkans really do gather around the image of this bridge. So, I want to thank the people who spent the time designing it and thinking of the aesthetics of this, as well, because it does blend in so well with our community. In fact, it’s a focal point on our new city seal, which was recently redesigned. So, that’s how important this bridge is to Sitkans, whether or not they think about it every day.

“Which is my other less obvious point. I don’t know how many times a day you drive across this bridge, but you just really don’t think about it. It’s just there. It just happens to be there – you drive to the hospital, you drive to the airport, you drive to the harbor, whatever your business on the other side of the island, you just cross the bridge. No big deal.”

An enigma. 

“I’m going to think about that a little bit more every time I drive across this bridge now,” he said, “what a convenience and what an asset it really is to Sitka.” 

By Devan Eaton, PE, and Ben Walz, PE

As departments of transportation look to replace aging bridges in high-traffic areas, the use of accelerated bridge construction (ABC) is increasingly among the delivery options they consider. In addition to its growing track record of successful weekend completions, ABC has been shown to increase work zone safety and minimize delays for the traveling public. That was the case for Maine’s Veranda Street Bridge Replacement Project. 

The Veranda Street Bridge carries Interstate 295 over the two-lane divided Veranda Street in Portland, Maine. In 2017, an inspection found the 61-year-old bridge to be in satisfactory-to-poor condition and structurally deficient. As MaineDOT began the process of replacement, we sought a demolition and construction method that would minimize inconvenience to the approximately 54,000 motorists who use the bridge daily and the more than 15,000 motorists who travel Veranda Street daily. Our decision to demolish the existing bridge and deliver the new structure by accelerated bridge construction resulted in one of the largest, fastest ABC projects MaineDOT has undertaken. We began deconstruction on Friday, April 22, at 6:45 p.m., and 60 hours later, on Monday, April 25, at 6:52 a.m., the new bridge was in place, paved, striped, and opened to traffic. 

Cost-benefit analysis 

A cost-benefit analysis revealed accelerating construction of the $21.7 million project would:

• Cut construction time by 50 percent, saving the public years of congestion and inconvenience
• Reduce traffic impacts and travel delays by 80 percent 
• Improve the safety of workers and the public

Further, we learned ABC would eliminate the need to construct a substantial and costly temporary bridge. The money we saved and the benefits we received by not constructing a temporary bridge helped to offset the cost of using ABC.

Selecting partners with experience

A proven strategy for mitigating risk is to contract with partners that have significant experience and a history of delivering success for our department. 

Plans called for replacing the existing three-span bridge with a low-maintenance, jointless, single-span structure, featuring wide shoulders for improved visibility and safety on I-295. Because the new bridge would be shorter, we planned to convert the remaining area underneath the existing structure into embankments prior to the roadway closure. To avoid post-construction settlement-related issues associated with the marine clay present at the project site, the new embankments were constructed using over 9,000 cubic yards of geofoam lightweight fill. Construction of a majority of the new embankments beneath the existing bridge in advance of the closure was critical to limiting the roadway closure to a single weekend. 

“We knew the closure duration needed to be minimized to the absolute greatest extent possible. Achieving that meant devising a solution that allowed the existing bridge foundations to remain in place while also maximizing the amount of embankment built prior to the road closure,” said Tim Cote, project manager for HNTB who provided structural and geotechnical, as well as highway and traffic engineering services for the bridge replacement. “At the same time, post-construction settlement needed to be within acceptable limits. It was a complex set of challenges, but the proposed lightweight fill design was critical to the successful outcome of the project.”

To minimize disruption of traffic on I-295 and Veranda Street, the upper portion of the new northbound and southbound bridges were built on temporary abutments next to the existing bridge. At the same time, the new bridge abutments were built beneath the existing bridge. This approach allowed traffic to proceed on each roadway with minimal interruption. Once the preparatory work was complete, I-295 and Veranda Street were closed, crews lifted the new northbound and southbound bridges off their temporary supports, and “drove” each section into place using Self-Propelled Modular Transporters. The SPMTs’ built-in jacks then raised the decks 24 feet to a new, higher bridge clearance of 15 feet 6 inches. 

“We were able to bring the construction of the bridge decks down in elevation to 8 feet above the ground with the incorporation of Mammoet’s MJS 300 Cradle System, integrated with SPMTs,” said Tom Senior, project superintendent for Cianbro. “This was the first time this system was used to move this type of structure. It afforded us the flexibility to raise both structures to final elevation and lower them into final position.”

A need for closure

Because safety is of the utmost importance to MaineDOT, we chose to fully close I-295 and Veranda Street while the existing bridge was demolished and the new structures were rolled into place. It created a much safer environment for everyone and allowed the work to be completed as quickly as practical. 

“We recognized the challenges and risks to the traveling public in performing construction over an active roadway, which is why the decision was made to choose the alternative option of building the superstructure completely off-line and away from traffic. Using SPMTs allowed us to build the superstructure bridge decks, bridge abutments and lightweight approaches away from traffic,” said Brian Hartness, who served as Cianbro’s second superintendent during the weekend bridge move. 

A significant public information and outreach campaign was implemented to advise the public of the planned closure, strongly encouraging motorists to avoid the area during the interstate closure, and to share the benefits of accelerated bridge construction. These factors were critical to successfully managing traffic and informing the public of the benefits of the project approach. 

We had many in-person meetings and workshops with the public and project stakeholders before the pandemic. During the pandemic, when the project went out to bid and then into construction, we relied on virtual public involvement to maintain our policy of transparency and open communication. We found it to be more effective, efficient, and far-reaching than traditional communication channels. 

Leading up to this project, our virtual public involvement process consisted of pre-recorded presentations played on-demand with public comments collected and responded to as they were received. For this project, we implemented MaineDOT’s first virtual podium meeting. Through this process, we provided a live presentation online. Offering the meeting online gave constituents the opportunity to attend and participate from wherever they were. Following the live presentation, the meeting attendees were invited to type questions or comments in a chat box; those questions were then answered in real-time by project team members. The benefits were significant:

• We engaged a larger, broader audience.
• We were able to correct misconceptions instantly, as would be done at an in-person meeting.
• We made the recorded meeting available on-demand for those who could not attend the live meeting.

The success we experienced with virtual public involvement on the Veranda Street Bridge Replacement Project reaffirms MaineDOT’s intentions to move forward with virtual public engagement as a standard practice in the future.

Earning the public’s trust

Implementing accelerated bridge construction for the Veranda Street Bridge Replacement Project resulted in a new, lower maintenance bridge delivered in record time and with broad public support. The successful delivery of this project allowed MaineDOT to build public trust and further position our DOT as a progressive, innovative agency constituents can count on when every day counts.

Devan Eaton, PE, is project manager for the Maine Department of Transportation.
Ben Walz, PE, is resident engineer for the Maine Department of Transportation.

Who:  IMECE draws industry professionals from nearly every region, discipline, and industry as participants, exhibitors, and sponsors. Engineering management and professionals in aerospace, automotive, medical, R&D, and applied mechanics, and more have registered to attend.  

Keynote speakers include:

Jonathan Yaney, founder and CEO of SpinLaunch, and Creon Levit, director of research and development at Planet Labs, for the October 31 opening keynote: “Doing the Impossible – Reengineering Space Launch”

Vivek Lall, Ph.D., chief executive of General Atomics Global Corporation and recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award by U.S. President Joe Biden, who will discuss the defense, energy, and space sectors and how innovation is driving progress for the future in “Imagining the Future of Engineering” on November 1.

Alba Colón, director of competition systems and technical partnerships with Hendrick Motorsports, who will highlight the engineering work and everyday challenges behind the scenes of the most successful NASCAR Cup Series race team on November 3.

Among the interdisciplinary discussions is a special panel session on “Systems Engineering Requirements for Space Habitats,” featuring: Al Tradros, chief technology officer at Redwire Space; Larry Toups, emeritus at NASA Johnson Space Center; Melodie Yashar, director of building design and performance at ICON; and Morgan Gendel, award-winning “Star Trek” writer and founder of Planetary Shelter LLC. Gendel is the creator of Habolith, a habitat built from regolith that he successfully patented. An ASME member, he is developing the design concept in conjunction with NASA and private industry for use on the Moon, Mars, and as refugee housing here on Earth. Gendel also will be recording footage at IMECE for a new docu-series, “To Boldly Go,” that he is actively pitching to TV studios and networks. 

Where: Greater Columbus Convention Center, Columbus, Ohio

When: Sunday through Thursday, October 30 – November 3, 2022

Hainault has more than 27 years of structural engineering experience and recently celebrated his fourth year with raSmith following the acquisition of Matsen Ford Design Associates, which significantly expanded the cold-formed group. A few of Hainault’s projects with raSmith include the Rose Hotel, Chicago, Ill.; Metreau Apartments, Green Bay, Wis.; Northwestern Ryan Field House & Walter Athletics Center, Evanston, Ill.; National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility, Manhattan, Kan.; Tribune Tower Redevelopment, Chicago, Ill.; and 1122 West Chicago Avenue, Chicago, Ill. Hainault holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Marquette University and currently serves as chair of the Cold-Formed Steel Engineers Institute’s Executive Committee.

In this new role, Gray will work to create content, develop company standards, and train individuals on implementing industry technology into everyday practice.

“Micah is an experienced industry professional with a comprehensive grasp of technology opportunities from pre-design to field implementation,” said KAI Managing Partner Brad Simmons, FAIA. “His initial focus will be elevating the Design & Engineering technology platforms, maximizing their utilization and expanding the knowledge base of our team. Long term, we anticipate Micah driving our technology toolbox to support our comprehensive project delivery and operation excellence between KAI’s Design and Engineering business units, including integration with KAI’s 360 Construction Services and Build teams as well as KAI’s UPCO partners. We are confident his thought leadership in technology and innovation is an important cornerstone to KAI’s continued enterprise growth.”

Gray comes to KAI with over 10 years of A/E/C industry experience. Past roles have included BIM Manager for GMA Architects, Digital Practice Manager for Lawrence Group, and BIM Engineer for Tarlton Corporation.

His areas of expertise include Revit, UAV (drones), Laser Scanning, Construction Technology, Virtual Reality, and rendering engines such as Enscape and TwinMotion. He has participated in several speaking engagements and published multiple articles related to the use of technology in design and construction.

“The KAI Design and Engineering team, KAI’s 360 Construction Services, Build, and UPCO have an opportunity to leverage more technology on projects to increase performance and improve quality assurance,” said Gray. “Brad, Michael, and the team are ready to execute projects on a higher level and I am excited to implement next-generation technology throughout design and construction at KAI.”

Gray has a Bachelor of Architecture and a minor in Business Administration from Drury University in Springfield, Missouri. He is a Licensed Architect in Missouri and a member of the Associated General Contractors of Missouri’s Design and Construction Technology Conference Steering Committee as well as a Steering Committee Member of the Revit User Group of St. Louis.

KAI Enterprises

KAI Enterprises is a national design and build firm providing delivery-oriented building solutions with a diverse portfolio of experience, in-house multi-discipline professionals, and expertise in both design and construction delivery. Founded in 1980, KAI has grown into one of the largest minority-owned firms in the AEC industry. For more than 40 years, KAI has been instrumental in transforming communities through its expertise in residential, commercial, K-12, higher education, healthcare, science and technology, aviation, mobility, sports and entertainment, government, water, and community-focused projects. KAI Enterprises is comprised of four distinct business units—KAI Design, KAI Engineering, KAI Build and KAI 360 Construction Services. To learn more about KAI, visit www.kai-db.com.

Dockworkers and terminal operators moved 741,823 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of cargo containers last month, down 0.9% from September 2021. Imports decreased 7.4% to 342,671 TEUs, while exports increased 1.9% to 112,940 TEUs. Empty containers moved through the Port rose 7% to 286,212 TEUs.

“Consumers and retailers are concerned about inflation, leading to warehouses filled with inventory and fewer product orders from Asia,” said Port of Long Beach Executive Director Mario Cordero. “The respite is leading to increased capacity on the docks and fewer ships waiting off the coast to enter the Port.”

“We appreciate our longshore labor, marine terminal operators, truckers and all of our other industry partners who continue to move cargo quickly, reliably and sustainably,” said Long Beach Harbor Commission President Sharon L. Weissman. “We’re hoping to close the year on a positive note that focuses on our efforts to improve cargo flow while dramatically enhancing air quality.”

Consumers are growing more cautious with spending as the economy faces persistent inflation and aggressive tightening by the Federal Reserve.

The Port of Long Beach has moved 7,342,383 TEUs during the first nine months of 2022, up 3.5% from the same period in 2021. Additionally, the Port processed 2,334,605 TEUs between July 1 and Sept. 30, down 0.3% from the third quarter of 2021.

For complete cargo numbers, visit polb.com/statistics.

The Port of Long Beach is one of the world’s premier seaports, a gateway for trans-Pacific trade and a trailblazer in goods movement and environmental stewardship. As the second-busiest container seaport in the United States, the Port handles trade valued at more than $200 billion annually and supports 2.6 million trade-related jobs across the nation, including 575,000 in Southern California.

“Scott brings an impressive level of leadership, expertise, and proven industry experience to HNTB that will be an invaluable asset to our clients,” said Chris Devery, PE, chief engineer with HNTB Design Build and senior vice president.

Prior to joining HNTB, Lucas held key design-build positions on high-profile infrastructure in Utah, including the groundbreaking I-15 Reconstruction Design-Build project, the Legacy Parkway project and the Mountain View Corridor.

“We are thrilled to have Scott onboard and are confident his addition will continue to elevate HNTB’s presence and influence as a design-build leader in Utah and beyond,” said Dominic Spaethling, HNTB Salt Lake City office leader.

Other high-profile design build projects across the Western U.S. on which Lucas has held leadership positions include the 2.5-mile SR-520 urban freeway construction project for the Washington State Department of Transportation in King County, Wash., and the 16-mile I-405 urban freeway reconstruction project for the Orange County Transportation Authority (California).

Lucas holds a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from the University of Utah. He is a member of several leading industry organizations, including the Design-Build Institute of America and the Institute of Transportation Engineers.

About HNTB

HNTB Corporation is an employee-owned infrastructure solutions firm serving public and private owners and construction contractors. With 108 years of service, HNTB understands the life cycle of infrastructure and addresses clients’ most complex technical, financial and operational challenges. Professionals nationwide deliver a full range of infrastructure-related services, including award-winning planning, design, and program and construction management. For more information, visit www.hntb.com, or follow HNTB on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.

By Mike Lazear, President of Archway Systems, Inc.

According to information at Whitehouse.gov about the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act), a “once-in-a-generation investment in our nation’s infrastructure and competitiveness,” will expend approximately $110 billion on improving roads and bridges, $89.9 billion on new and improved public transit, $25 billion on airports and ports, and $66 billion on rail systems including modernizing existing ones and providing new high-speed rail services. In total, this bill looks to use over $290.9 billion for adding new and improving upon existing infrastructure in America.

Add to that, over $240 billion for water, power, and internet infrastructure for a total of over half trillion dollars for infrastructure engineering and construction projects over the next five years, and the result is a very high demand for firms to design, engineer and construct those facilities. The gold rush of 2022 has started, and no engineering or construction company wants to be left out.

Software, such as Bentley Systems’ MicroStation for computer aided design (CAD), OpenRoads for highway engineering, and Synchro 4D for managing the construction process, all provide the necessary tools to complete infrastructure projects. Unlike common CAD software, MicroStation and OpenRoads can model and prepare drawings for unlimited-sized projects such as those that are already in progress and are coming up under the new law. That feature alone sets MicroStation and OpenRoads apart. There are also advantages for the engineering firms in that they only need the one combination of software for all their projects. According to Bentley Systems, “for over 36 years, U.S. government agencies have relied on powerful Bentley solutions, such as MicroStation, OpenRoads, ProjectWise, and OpenCities, to advance the way they design, operate, and maintain the nation’s infrastructure and public facilities.”

While these programs prove to be crucial in completing projects of this magnitude, their implementation can require assistance. Although one project example was completed before the passing of the infrastructure bill, the case of Los Angeles County Public Works (LACoPW) turning to Archway Systems, Inc., a channel and training partner for Bentley Software in North America, to aid in the implementation of Bentley System’s software provides a good example.

Because Archway has been a partner to the CAD support group at LACoPW for approximately 20 years, the County naturally turned to their longtime partner when they decided to migrate to newer, more productive technology. Archway helped LACoPW convert their systems to the latest MicroStation and OpenRoads by helping build resources and standards such as Feature Definitions that make designers more productive and designs more standardized. They also provided engineer and designer training support and shared their expertise in the newer versions of the Bentley MicroStation, OpenRoads and other software while guiding the migration to the new software.

It took three Archway experts working with LACoPW employees collectively half a year from planning to implementation and training to complete the migration project. With training delivered via videos to be referenced in the future combined with onsite training, and some live remote training, employees of

Archway helped LACoPW with the administrative setup, migration from older versions, and user training for ProjectWise, MicroStation CONNECT Edition and OpenRoads. It is important to note that this is not the full range of software as LACoPW uses a broad range of Bentley products such as Descartes and others.

Since this new generation of Bentley software is all 64-bit which allows access to larger amounts of RAM, and can run on the latest Windows 10/11, there was a need to purchase some new computers. Because LACoPW is an E365 customer of Bentley, the software upgrades were provided as a part of an existing contract.

The CONNECT Edition products include a new ribbon interface which makes it easier for new employees to pick up MicroStation.  A great new command is the Search Ribbon tool which makes it very easy to quickly find any tool on the ribbon. A great new command is the Search Ribbon tool, which makes it very easy to quickly find any tool on the ribbon. They also used OpenRoads, Civil Cells, Feature Definitions and other functions that provided the best way to store standards and make it easy to design and redesign things like intersections.

As a result of migrating to and receiving training on the latest software, the County experienced increased productivity since they spent less time looking for things, benefited from having parts of designs that came in parametric form, and had shortened learning curves.

As stated, the LACoPW project described above was completed before the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act became law, and it is important to note that the Act is national in scope. That said, Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LAC MTA) CEO and spokesperson, Stephanie Wiggins, has called the Act’s $9.45 billion for California public transportation projects “a game changer.” It comes at a time when municipalities across the country need to make infrastructure repairs, upgrades and additions.

According to a fact sheet at Whitehouse.gov, “the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is the largest federal investment in public transit ever, the largest federal investment in passenger rail since the creation of Amtrak, the single largest dedicated bridge investment since the construction of the interstate highway system, and the largest investment in clean drinking water and waste water infrastructure in American history. It also ensures that every American has access to reliable high-speed internet, and it helps in tackling the climate crisis by making the largest investment in clean energy transmission and EV infrastructure in history.”

We are seeing an historic opportunity for the improvement of America’s infrastructure. With it, comes a golden opportunity for engineering and construction companies that can be part of it. Following LACoPW’s example and implementing or migrating to the latest Bentley Systems software could make all the difference.

This past spring, Dr. Lenore Tedesco was looking out her window at The Wetlands Institute that sits in the middle of vast marshland in Cape May County, New Jersey.

Outside, heavy rain and flooding tides associated with the Mother’s Day Nor’easter, were thoroughly soaking the marsh, a low-lying wetland with grassy vegetation that is usually present in areas of transition between land and water.

To her dismay, she saw birds and their chicks being flooded out of their marsh homes. Some of the birds escaped to roads and some were struck by cars.

What pleased Tedesco, who is the executive director of The Wetlands Institute, was that some birds found refuge in the high grounds of several marsh islands that were recently restored with dredged sand and mud.  

These dredging and beneficial use projects are the result of a collaboration between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, North Atlantic Division, and other agencies and organizations. The projects involve dredging critical navigation channels and using the sediment to restore vanishing bird habitats while also enhancing resilience for coastal communities.

Beneficially using sand and mud is of increasing importance to USACE. “One of the Army Corps’ primary missions is to dredge federal navigational waterways to ensure easy passage by vessels,” said Rena Weichenberg, environmental team lead of the planning and policy division, North Atlantic Division. “Sand and mud sediment removed from the bottom of the waterways was often historically placed in permitted ocean disposal sites or confined disposal facilities. There has been a welcomed evolution towards USACE retaining sediment in the system, and beneficially using it to both protect people and to protect, restore, and create aquatic and related habitats.”

Following are two USACE projects taking advantage of dredged material within the North Atlantic Division.

Seven Mile Island Innovation Lab, Cape May, New Jersey

USACE Philadelphia District

In 2019, the USACE Philadelphia District, U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, The Wetlands Institute, and the State of New Jersey partnered to form the Seven Mile Island Innovation Lab in Cape May County. 

The lab is based on a concept pioneered by the Dutch who use a “living lab for mud” to test and demonstrate environmental and social benefits.

The goals of the initiative are multi-faceted – advance and improve dredging and marsh restoration techniques in coastal New Jersey through innovative research, collaboration, knowledge sharing, and practical application. 

Tedesco said, “The lab was created to act as a think tank to advance dredging and marsh restoration techniques. We put together a host of projects where we can test how we can beneficially use dredged material to create resiliency for both our ecosystems and our communities.”  

Seven Mile Island, New Jersey, has proven an ideal site for the lab due to the presence of existing and historic dredged material placement sites, federal and state channels including the New Jersey Intracoastal Waterway, extensive tidal marshes, and a mixture of sandy and muddy sediments.

The Wetlands Institute facility located adjacent to the marsh has served as a meeting space for partners and provides an ideal place to observe the successes of projects.  

The lab is surrounded by 15,000 acres of marshland, providing a habitat for birds, fish, shellfish, and other wildlife. Marshes help to maintain water quality by removing nitrogen and phosphates and act as a buffer from flooding for coastal communities during destructive and powerful storms.

According to Tedesco, one study done by Lloyd’s of London showed marshes play a critical role in reducing damage to infrastructure from coastal storms. These industry models showed during Hurricane Sandy marshes prevented $625 million in direct flood damages across 12 states. In New Jersey, coastal marshes reduced property damages by more than 20 percent. 

Unfortunately, marshes are at risk of decline due in large part to sea level rise, putting coastal communities at risk. Rising waters are also harming ecosystems. Tedesco said, “Marsh grasses grow well over a very narrow range of water depth. During times of naturally slow rising sea level, they can do quite well and keep up with rising water levels by building dense root structures and trapping storm-transported mud and sand.

“If sea level rises too fast, marshes can begin to drown and shift to open-water areas or mudflats. Flooding during the nesting season can destroy bird nests or chicks of American oystercatchers and laughing gulls and many other bird species that depend on the marsh to nest and raise young.”

As part of the lab’s work, dredged sand and mud from the nearby 117-mile New Jersey Intracoastal Waterway have been used to restore drowning marshes and create new habitats that are vanishing, using a variety of techniques. This work provides habitat for long-legged wading birds, beach nesting birds, migratory shorebirds, and other species that use the marsh, and can also increase marsh elevations to protect the marsh itself.

“Sediment is the currency of these ecosystems, and we know these marshes are sediment-starved, so we must work to find innovative ways to utilize the clean sediments that clog navigation channels to enhance marshes and offset sea-level rise,” said Tedesco.

Thus far, USACE and its partners have completed multiple dredging and marsh restoration projects throughout the back bays of Seven Mile Island. 

The goal is to use dredged sand and muddy sediment to fill in low-lying and drowning areas of the islands and increase marsh elevations. This elevated marsh can provide nesting habitat for long-legged wading birds, such as egrets, herons, and ibis, as well as colonial and marsh nesting birds, such as the salt marsh sparrow, which builds a teacup-sized nest on or close to the ground.

Two of the islands enhanced with dredged materials support nesting for 25 percent of the long-legged wading bird colonies in New Jersey including the glossy ibis, little blue heron, snowy egret, tricolored heron, great egret, and black-crowned night heron, according to The Wetlands Institute. Almost all of these birds are considered priority species of greatest conservation or are state endangered species or species of concern in New Jersey.

In the last few years, birds have flocked to the project sites including beach nesting birds and migratory shorebirds including black skimmers, common and least terns, American oystercatchers, sandpipers, plovers, and whimbrel. In addition, diamondback terrapins and horseshoe crabs are also using these habitats, and the team’s restoration work is also enhancing some fish habitats.

Innovation lab team members are monitoring these marshes and placement sites and seeking innovative ways to improve dredging and placement techniques. These projects are always evolving, and the team is using lessons learned to improve them through adaptive management.

The team members find the work rewarding and enjoy working together. “It’s been wonderful. There is a true sense of respect and admiration for each other and a sense of the importance of the work we are all doing,” said Tedesco. 

Philadelphia District’s use of dredged material has proven successful restoring bird habitats endangered by mother nature. USACE Norfolk District, on the other hand, is finding ways to beneficially use dredged sand and mud to create solutions for bird habitats endangered by progress.

Hampton Roads Beneficial Use of Dredged Material Project, Norfolk, Virginia

USACE Norfolk District

During the summer in Norfolk Harbor, Virginia, people used to see an island filled with birds—  thousands of them. For this reason, the locals called it “Bird Island.” 

Its official name is South Island, and for the last 30 years until 2020, it was home to the largest and most productive bird colony in Virginia. Approximately 25,000 seabirds, wading birds and other migratory bird species used the island for shelter, forging and nesting — away from disturbances and predators.

Bird species on this island included the royal tern, sandwich tern, common tern, gull-billed tern, black skimmer, laughing gull, herring gull, and the great black-backed gull. 

In Virginia, many of these species are identified as “species of greatest conservation need.” The gull-billed tern is designated as a state threatened species. With the exception of herring gulls and great black-backed gulls, many of these birds are in peril or need to be protected.

On the federal level, the gull-billed tern and the black skimmer are U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service “species of conservation” and are listed as decreasing on The International Union for Conservation of Nature’s “Red List of Threatened Species.”

South Island is part of the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel complex, a series of bridges, anchoring islands, and tunnels, which is presently undergoing a massive expansion that includes widening lanes and adding tunnels. This has required substantial construction activity on South Island, making the island unsafe and unsuitable for the birds to use as a nesting location.  

Understanding the importance of providing a safe alternative habitat, several agencies teamed together to investigate the feasibility of using dredged sand and mud. These agencies include USACE Norfolk District, the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Virginia Tech Shorebird Team, Virginia Department of Transportation, and Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources.

In Virginia, protecting bird habitats like “Bird Island” is especially important. According to Michelle Hamor, Norfolk District’s chief of the planning and policy branch, in Virginia, seabirds often nest in large groups. Because of this behavior, and because they like open, sandy areas, they typically breed in very few locations, so if a breeding area is lost, it can have profound consequences. 

This is the case with South Island. Several of the species on this island used it almost exclusively as a nesting place. According to Becky Gwynn, deputy director for the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resource, royal terns and sandwich terns nested on South Island and nowhere else in Virginia, and about 50 percent of black skimmers and common terns nested on the island.

As a temporary solution, the team worked together to create a habitat for these birds on Fort Wool, a former Army post on an eight-acre island connected to South Island by a stony jetty. They converted the old post’s parade ground into a 1.5-acre nesting habitat. To increase the available nesting area, three barges were anchored adjacent to Fort Wool, providing an additional acre, for a total of 2.5 acres of nesting habitat overall.

They cleared vegetation on the island to make it attractive to the seabirds and then placed 1,700 cubic yards of barged-in sand over the entire parade ground to provide an appropriate habitat for these species. Dredged sand and mud will be used in future work.

These birds like a habitat that mimics a beach island environment, so the team spread a coarse sand on the parade ground and a sand/pea gravel mixture onto the barges and created gentle slopes that mimic a barrier island. They also placed short sidewalls around the tops of the barges to prevent young chicks from running off the edges. 

To lure the birds to the new habitat, bird call recordings were played and decoys of several tern species and black skimmers were placed on the island.

Their work was successful. “In one site visit the first year, we recorded 3,500 royal tern chicks. We also documented 200 sandwich terns, 1,000 common terns, 150 black skimmers, and thousands of laughing gulls. Only one pair of gull-billed terns was documented on the barges during the first nesting season, but anglers and other observers spotted more in the air. And the gull-billed terns produced two fledglings – chicks that survived to take flight,” said Gwynn. “In 2021, we documented 6,283 royal tern nests, 663 common tern nests, 139 black skimmer nests, and 15 gull-billed tern nests – a real success.”

Not only is this habitat beneficial for birds, but also for coastal communities. Providing these birds a home keeps them away from cars and planes, reducing potential car collisions and bird strikes with aircraft from a nearby airfield.  

The team has plans for this bird colony. Hamor said, “We are conducting a feasibility study to investigate opportunities to create 10-12 acres of permanent habitat using dredged material from federal navigation channels for existing and future seabird colonies, specifically to increase the value and quantity of habitat for shorebirds, wading birds and migratory species.” In addition, this new habitat may encourage the growth of clams, oysters, red drum, seatrout, summer flounder, and striped bass, which can lead to increasing opportunities for commercial and sport fishing.

The Hampton Roads Beneficial Use of Dredged Material Project and the Seven Mile Island Innovation Lab are both successfully restoring vanishing bird habitats using dredged sand and mud while at the same time helping coastal communities.

Tedesco sums up the importance of these projects. A few years ago, she was once again looking out her window at The Wetlands Institute and saw something that absolutely delighted her.  She saw a rare gyrfalcon wander into the area and perch on the high grounds of one of the newly restored marshes. If the marsh had not been restored, that bird would not have had a habitat to forage. Not only was Tedesco excited, but also the hundreds of people who flocked there with telescopes and binoculars for an opportunity to get a glimpse of this bird. 

Tedesco said, “This represents an important example of the multiple benefits of these projects that provide habitats for birds and social and recreational benefits for people.”

Dr. JoAnne Castagna is a public affairs specialist and writer for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, North Atlantic Division. She can be reached at joanne.castagna@usace.army.mil.

By Thomas Renner

When the Port of Alaska opened in 1961, the largest container ships were about 800 TEUs (20-foot equivalent units), which measures the volume of units in 20-foot long containers. In shipping, TEUs are the standard unit of measure.

Since then, however, containerships have increased dramatically in size. Today’s vessels stretch out to 25,000 TEUs, which can take up to 24 bays. Since the early 2000s, containerships have expanded from a high of 8,500 TEUs to today’s shipping behemoths, which can weigh up to 165,000 tons. Larger ships also require more depth at port. For ships above 10,000 TEUs, a depth of 50 feet is required. Many ports are inaccessible due to depth limitations.

For decades, the Port of Alaska did little to meet the needs of the larger vessels. Now, the Anchorage-based port is in the midst of a five-stage, decade-long modernization plan that will serve as a critical piece of infrastructure for the nation’s 49th state. 

The project, which could reach $1.8 billion, will accommodate modern shipping operations; improve port operations, safety and efficiency; and improve resilience to earthquakes. The first stage is the construction of the Petroleum and Cement terminal, which is expected to be completed in late 2022.

“The dock is more than a half century old, is worn out and needs to be replaced,’’ said Jim Jager, director of Business Continuity and External Affairs at the Port of Alaska. “Climate, tides, and seismic conditions all play a part. Cargo handling was much different when this port was built. We’re working with a facility that was built for shipping in the 1960’s and 70’s. Technologies have changed, cargo ships have gotten bigger, taller, and wider. We’re limiting the number of vessels that can dock here.”

Critical Terminal

While the modernization project will involve just about every area of the port, the Petroleum and Cement Terminal is a critical piece of the state’s infrastructure. 

Ninety-five percent of the state’s refined petroleum products enter through the Anchorage-based port. Nearly all the jet fuel required by Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport and the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson military facility also enters through the Port of Alaska. 

It’s not just Alaska residents that rely on the fuel that flows into the terminal. The airport is a global cargo hub, allowing for freighters transporting cargo between North American and Asia to increase payload by refueling in Anchorage. About 50 percent of all air cargo transported between Asia and North American flies through Anchorage. A report from the McDowell group said Boeing projects air cargo between North America and Asia to grow at 4.7 percent through 2037.

While significant, the port’s role as a tactical U.S. defense outpost is perhaps even more important. The Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson is a combination of Air Force and Navy troops. Elmendorf Air Force base is the largest military installation in Alaska, with more than 800 buildings and 6,000 military personnel from all branches of the service. All sorts of military aircraft are housed at the base, including helicopters. All the fuel that is used at the base comes through the Port of Alaska.

“As soon as the port shuts down, the Department of Homeland Security shuts down,’’ Jager said. “We are only 9.5 hours away from 90 percent of the world’s population. We play an important part in the nation’s national defense system.”

A Dock on the Brink

The new terminal replaces one that opened in 1965. The climate took a toll on the terminal, but a 2018 earthquake exacerbated an already serious situation. Pilings, which had shown signs of serious corrosion, were damaged in the earthquake. 

“Engineers say the dock is vulnerable to progressive collapse,’’ Jager told the Anchorage Daily News at the time. Individual pile failures may not cause the overall dock to fail, until they create a failure that moves from one pile to adjacent pilings.

The terminal to be replaced was the port’s primary petroleum terminal and the state’s only dock equipped with a pneumatic bulk cement unloading and transfer system. The new PCT needed to be completed before the existing dock failed or is demolished. It is essential the port maintains capacity to meet Alaska’s needs for fuel and cement.

The PCT is a pile-support dock that is designed to last 75 years, with the ability to survive a 1,000-year seismic event (i.e., an earthquake of a magnitude that has 0.1 percent chance of happening in any given year). 

The PCT trestle and platform are supported by 123 precast concrete units and 2,903 cubic yards of concrete. Several of the precast concrete units weigh more than 250,000 pounds.

The 180-foot piles weigh about 150 tons each and were driven as single units to save time and maintain construction schedules. Each pile has a placement margin of less than six inches to fit precast pile caps. 

Great Northern Engineering designed the project, which included more than 4,400 pages of design calculations, 285 sheets of plan drawings and details and 390 pages of technical specifications. A team from Pacific Pile & Marine drove approximately 200 piles. The project included constructing the PCT trestle and loading platform, building the mooring dolphins, and installation of utilities as well as the petroleum and cement handling infrastructure. Nearly 125 of the piles were later removed.

“They built a temporary trestle while they were building the permanent trestle,’’ Jager said. “They needed something that they could work from. Once they were done, they were able to pull back many of the piles.”

One of the twists in the pile-driving was the inclusion of “bubble curtains” to protect sea mammals by reducing underwater pile-driving noise. Bubble curtains are created by positioning a concentric sleeve and perforated ring around piles that are being driven.

The pile driving also needed to cease at several points when beluga whales entered the vicinity in the Upper Cook Inlet. The whales are an endangered species, and federal regulations prohibit pile driving when endangered marine mammals are sighted in a protected area that extends about 1.5 miles around the PCT site. A team of mammal observers monitored the protected area and notified construction officials to cease construction activities when whales entered the vicinity.

Withstanding Earthquakes

The modernization plan also required the upgrades to withstand the impact of earthquakes. Alaska has more earthquakes than any other region in the United States, and a 9.2 quake near Anchorage in 1964 resulted in 131 deaths.

The 2018 earthquake was certainly a wakeup call for the port. It occurred about 10 miles north of Anchorage, registering 7.1. The National Tsunami Warning Center issued warnings for nearby coastal areas, including Cook Inlet. As a result of the 38-second quake, 20 percent of the pilings of the newest dock at the Port of Alaska – built in 1974 – failed. “Had it continued for another seven seconds,’’ a report in Alaskalandmine.com reported, “widespread liquefaction could have occurred, possibly leading to a total failure and collapse of one or more of the port docks.”

Construction officials took strong measures to guard against future interruption to port services due to earthquakes. One interesting aspect of the project was the installation of three roof hatches on the trestle. Manufactured by BILCO, a manufacturer of specialty access products, the hatches are 10 x 20 feet. Due to the size, the leaves needed to be shipped separately and assembled on site. The hatches allow access to fuel piping expansion joints. 

“The hatches were specified to shelter containment pans, which are installed to protect environmental contamination should the piping expansion joints fail in a seismic event,’’ said Brett Gunderson of Haskell Corporation, a mechanical and structural subcontractor. “The hatches also allow access to the expansion joints should they need to be replaced.” 

Gunderson added: ”The stainless-steel construction was important, but we also chose BILCO because the hatches were very large, and we knew that BILCO would design and fabricate them to operate easily and safely.” 

Unacceptable Failure

Alaska’s reliance on the port cannot be overstated. It has been described as the “economic heart of Alaska,” with more than 3.5 million tons of products coming through the port each year. The port supports $14 billion worth of economic activity in the state, and 90 percent of Alaskans depend on goods handled by the POA.

While the port is not exceptionally large, its importance is unquestionable. “We are a small port, but that’s a function of Alaska being a relatively small state,’’ Jager said. “The size of the facility is never going to be one of the nation’s largest ports. But we do have critical roles, in the state, nation and even internationally. We are incredibly important to the commerce and economic health of many people. This modernization project is something we need to get done. The port is essential to our economy.”

Thomas Renner writes on building, construction, architecture and other trade industry topics for publications throughout the United States. 

President Michele Redmond Holcombe has over 20 years of experience in marketing and sales and is the Marketing Lead for Foundation Technologies, Inc. Her strengths include marketing planning and organization, event preparation and execution, attracting and retaining customers and building key relationships. Michele received her BBA in Marketing from the University of Georgia where she nurtured her love for all things sports by cheering on the National Champion ‘Dawgs.

President-Elect Megan Kopacko has over 10 years of experience and is a Marketing Coordinator at SSOE | Stevens & Wilkinson. She is a passionate marketer focusing on operational and communication marketing for architecture and engineering. Prior to serving as President-Elect, Megan served as Treasurer. She also serves in the Chapter’s DEI and Membership Committees. In her spare time, Megan enjoys spending time with her family and dogs, experiencing new restaurants, and traveling.

Immediate Past President Laura McDonald, CPSM is a Marketing Manager at Terracon and provides marketing support and management for Terracon’s Gulf Coast Division. She supports strategic regional marketing efforts, federal data calls, client interviews, and award submissions. Working in the A/E/C industry for 14 years, Laura has gained most of her marketing experience in the engineering consulting field. She is passionate about mentoring, educating, and sharing with other marketing professionals so that they may elevate the role of a professional services marketer. In addition to providing traditional
proposal management and support, Laura acts internally as the division’s Major Pursuit Champion, Regional Federal Team Champion, is an internal CRM trainer, and was selected to be in Terracon’s Emerging Leaders and Influencers program. These experiences earned her the SMPS Atlanta Chapter Marketer of the Year Award in 2019. Laura is a graduate of ACEC Georgia’s 2020-2021 Future Leaders Program.

Secretary Cecilia Arango, CPSM is Marketing Manager for Thomas & Hutton with 21 years of experience overseeing the firm’s overall marketing operations, communications, and community relations. A member of SMPS ATL since 2006, she is a Certified Professional Services Marketer and serves on various professional and community boards, including past president of the Metropolitan Savannah Rotary, past chair of Savannah Sports Council, Resource Development Chair of Park Place Outreach, and Leadership Southeast Georgia. Cecilia is a graduate of Leadership Georgia (20/21), Leadership Southeast Georgia (2018), and Leadership Savannah (2016). Named a Georgia Trend 40 Under 40, she is an avid runner on a quest to run a marathon in each state and is the founder of running book club, Read, Run & Rant. Cecilia resides in Savannah with her husband and two kids.

Treasurer Callie Peterson graduated from the University of Georgia 2019 with a degree in Marketing, and a focus in Digital Marketing. As Catamount Constructors’ Marketing Coordinator, Callie’s strengths include proposal management, social media, video editing, and event planning. In addition to her role as SMPS Treasurer, she serves on the Membership and Communications Committees. Outside of work, Callie enjoys playing tennis and pickleball, reading, playing with her pup, and cheering on the Dawgs!

Director-at-Large (Chapter Development) Eric Keens, CPSM is a Certified Professional Services Marketer with more than 20 years of experience in marketing, coaching, communications, client and team development, and research for professional design services and engineering firms. A member of SMPS Atlanta since 2008, he has served on the Board for over a decade and was named the SMPS Atlanta Marketer of the Year award for exemplary service in 2018. Eric’s passion for professional development includes formal and informal mentoring, and he applies his passion as SMPS Atlanta’s Director for Chapter Development. In his spare time, he cooks and enjoys recreating recipes from scratch, camping with friends, traveling, and spending time with his Dalmatian mix.

Director-at-Large (Communications) Sarah Batchelor works in Account Services for Modo Modo Agency, a full-service strategic marketing firm serving billion-dollar companies and hyper-growth mid-market companies. She has over 10 years of marketing experience across various industries, including economic development, higher education, and AEC. Sarah has a bachelor’s degree in Economics & Organizational Management from Agnes Scott College, and a Master’s in Business Administration from
East Carolina University. She is an active member of the Atlanta Chapter of SMPS since 2017.

Director-at-Large (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) Felita Bunn is the Marketing Lead for Brown and Caldwell (BC) in Atlanta. She works with client service teams on pursuits for the Mid-South Area and East Business Unit and is involved in pursuit strategy and execution, client account maintenance and facilitation, and other strategic marketing endeavors. Felita holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Public Relations from Norfolk State University and a Master of Arts in Education and Human Development from George Washington University. She was elected Scholarship Director for Society of American Military Engineers (SAME), the DEI Advisor for SMPS ATL, Leadership DeKalb Class 2022 class participant, and a member of Delta Sigma Theta, Incorporated. In her leisure time, Felita enjoys traveling (especially to the beach) and playing golf with her husband.

Director-at-Large (Membership) Molly Miller Patel is the Marketing Coordinator at Eberly & Associates, Inc. Born and raised in Atlanta, Molly lives just outside of the City with her husband and two animals. She joined her firm and the AEC industry shortly after college and just recently celebrated six years with Eberly & Associates, Inc. In her free time, Molly enjoys traveling and exploring new places, but most of all spending time with her family and friends.

Director-at-Large (Programs) Angel Jones, CPSM is the Marketing and Business Development Director for SLS Consulting, LLC. She creates opportunities, builds new relationships, and grows brand awareness to help position SLS for success. Angel is a Certified Professional Services Marketer and uses this knowledge to critically review marketing and business development efforts to determine if they align with and help further the firm’s strategic plan. In addition to her extensive AEC industry experience, Angel is a licensed real estate agent with over 13 years of experience in residential and commercial real estate. Angel holds a BA in Communications from Oglethorpe University in Atlanta, GA. She has a subsequent degree in Theatre and a true passion for performing arts. She lives with her husband on a beautiful little family farm in Powder Springs, GA.

Director-at-Large (Professional Development) Susan Johnson, CPSM has more than 15 years of experience in the A/E/C industry and is a Certified Professional Services Marketer. She graduated from the University of Georgia with a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and a Minor in Spanish. She is a Manager for Client Experience + Marketing at TYLin, where she supports the Rail + Transit Sector. When not at work, she enjoys cooking, traveling, and spending time with her family.

Director-at-Large (Sponsorship) Nate Hammond, PE has over 17 years of engineering and business operation experience and received his Mechanical Engineering degree from Florida State University. Nate is Vice President of Hammond & Associates, Inc. and is the Atlanta Office Managing Director accountable for overall client satisfaction, project management, design production, and quality control for all disciplines including Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing, and Fire Protection.

Coastal Committee Chair Louise Nelson Roux is Marketing Manager for JE Dunn Construction’s Coastal team comprised of the Savannah and Charleston offices. Louise graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in Psychology and minor in Sociology. She has 18 years of marketing experience with 10 in the A/E/C industry. Louise lives in Savannah with her husband, William, and two dogs, Ace and Tiny Bernice. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, boating, cooking
and jogging with her dogs.

Chapter Administrator Joan Borchardt is Owner of Moxie Meeting Planning, LLC and has more than 20 years of experience planning and implementing corporate meetings, regional and national conferences, training workshops, annual award programs, and social networking events. A graduate from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, she earned her Master’s degree from Emory University in Atlanta. Joan is a highly organized and detail-oriented meeting and conference planner with an exceptional ability to multi-task and oversee client events from initial planning to successful
implementation.

For more information on SMPS Atlanta or its newly elected Board of Directors, visit www.smpsatl.org

About SMPS Atlanta
The Atlanta Chapter of SMPS is comprised of collaborative and forward-thinking professionals. SMPS ATL provides opportunities to connect with peers and achieve growth through networking, professional development, and involvement in the architect/engineering/construction industry throughout the state of Georgia. SMPS is the only organization dedicated to creating business opportunities in the A/E/C industry. SMPS was created in 1973 by a small group of professional services firm leaders who recognized the need to sharpen skills, pool resources, and work together to create business opportunities. Today, SMPS has a membership of 7,000+ marketing and business development professionals from architectural, engineering, planning, interior design, construction, and specialty consulting firms located throughout the United States and Canada. For information, visit www.smpsatl.org or www.smps.org

Altair (Nasdaq: ALTR), a global leader in computational science and artificial intelligence (AI), today released results from an independent, international survey, which confirms a surge in worldwide adoption of digital twin technology. The survey of more than 2,000 professionals gauged digital twin technology adoption and assessed how organizations – across all industries – are utilizing it, its business benefits, and environmental impact.

Video: Say goodbye to the crash test dummy?

While the survey confirmed many of digital twin technology’s expected benefits, such as more accurate and accelerated product development, it also revealed this surprising prediction: Two in three respondents (67%) expect digital twin solutions to make the need for physical prototypes obsolete within the next six years.

Additionally, respondents reported an overwhelmingly strong connection between digital twins and the drive for sustainability. 85% of respondents’ organizations are currently using or plan to use digital twin technology to reach their overall sustainability goals.

“There’s little doubt data gleaned from using digital twins gives organizations a world of new insight, helping teams work faster, create better products, generate less waste, and find their next big breakthrough,” said James R. Scapa, founder and chief executive officer, Altair. “But as this study confirms, we are just seeing the tip of the iceberg. The evolution toward a smart, connected everything is changing the world, and as businesses realize the untapped benefits of taking digital twins to the next level, including the convergence of simulation technology, high-performance computing, and AI, the possibilities for revolutionizing industries, business processes, and scientific research are endless.”

More key findings from the survey include:

• Breakneck adoption rates: According to the survey,businesses are adopting digital twin technology at unprecedented speeds.

○      Nearly three in four (69%) organizations are already leveraging digital twins.

○      71% of those businesses began investing in the technology in just the past year.

○      Of those organizations not using digital twins, nearly half expect their company to adopt the technology within three years.

• A need for deeper digital twin understanding is widespread: More than half of respondents stated they have limited knowledge about the technology or find it confusing.Many users (more than one-third) signaled they’d like to learn more about use cases, data optimization, convergence, and other aspects of digital twin technology.
• Sustainability breakthroughs: The survey found digital twins are simulating the way to a net zero future,as 92% of respondents indicated the technology has improved sustainability within their organization. Organizations use digital twin technology for a wide range of functions and reasons, with top use cases including:

○      95% to better inform new product development

○      51% to create smart objects

○      50% to monitor real-world objects in real-time

• Game-Changing Impact: Respondents reported where they see the greatest impacts of digital twin technology:

○      More accurate risk assessments, faster time to market, and improved customer satisfaction (73%).

○      Reduced maintenance and warranty costs (62%).

○      Nearly three in four respondents (73%) said the technology has made their products or processes more energy-efficient and/or less wasteful.

○      Helping companies reach their sustainability goals in the efficient use of resources (76%), energy savings and saving on operating costs (74%), and waste reduction (60%).

Respondents also believe digital twin technology will reshape the way products are developed in the future:

○      43% believe digital twins will make the need for physical testing obsolete within the next four years.

○      36% say the product development timeline will speed up.

○      33% believe the need for physical prototypes will be reduced.

○      28% say fewer simulations will be needed.

○      Respondents from the consumer electronics, architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC), and industrial equipment sectors were the most likely to say their organizations lowered maintenance and warranty costs using digital twin technology.

• International and Interorganizational Impact: The survey also found the C-suite has bought into the power of digital twin technology, buta significant internal disconnect exists between upper management and user-level respondents:

○      81% of management respondents say their organization is using digital twin technology, contrasting with just 58% of user-level respondents.

○      Similarly, 68% of management responses indicated their company was utilizing digital twins to meet sustainability goals compared to just 43% of user-level responses.

○      From a geographic perspective, India leads countries in the adoption of digital twins in the next two years, at 70%, while respondents from the APAC region were the most likely to say their organizations were already leveraging digital twins at 78%.

○      When asked what technologies businesses most associate with digital twins, the U.S. scored the lowest for AI (35%), whereas China (65%) and India (59%) ranked the highest. China and India also lead in predictive analytics with digital twins.

Altair conducted the global survey between May 4 and May 24 and drew 2,007 responses from professionals employed throughout several target industries who have job functions ranging from data science, the Internet of Things (IoT) and analytics, software engineering, research and development, engineering, information technology (IT)/information systems (IS), product development, and executive management. The sample consists of participants from ten countries: the United States, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Spain, and the United Kingdom.

Click here to learn more about the survey and view infographics that contain standout insights: https://altair.com/one-total-twin.

Construction 3D printing is gaining new heights in Texas, as printing begins on the first multistory printed structure in the United States.

HANNAH, PERI 3D Construction, and CIVE, in collaboration with building industry partners, are printing a two-story single-family home that integrates customized architectural design and a resilient structural system that leverages a hybridized construction method.

The 4,000-square foot project showcases the possibilities of 3D printing technology, mass customization and design solutions that integrate conventional construction methods. With a hybridized construction method that combines concrete 3D printing with wood framing, this approach allows the two material systems to be used strategically and aims to increase the applicability of 3D printing in the U.S., where framing is the one of the most common construction techniques. The building design is conceptualized as a series of printed cores that contain functional spaces and stairs. The spatial cores are connected by wood framing to produce an architectural alternation of concrete and framed interiors. The project’s scalable design and construction process is applicable for multifamily housing and mixed-use construction. Using the COBOD BOD2 gantry printer, the project takes advantage of the printer’s modularity for its design layout.

The project is the culmination of a two-year collaborative effort between boundary-pushing design researchers and industry partners. The project is spearheaded by architectural designers and assistant professors at the College of Architecture, Art, and Planning at Cornell University Leslie Lok and Sasa Zivkovic, principals of HANNAH; along with PERI 3D Construction, an internationally leading provider for 3D construction printing, and CIVE, one of the leading engineering and design/build contractors in Houston.

“For the design of the project, we developed a hybrid construction approach that couples innovations in concrete 3D printing with traditional wood framing techniques to create a building system that is structurally efficient, easily replicable, and materially responsive,” said Leslie Lok and Sasa Zivkovic, of HANNAH. “The project also highlights the exciting design potential of mass-customized architectural components to meet homeowner’s needs and to simplify building system integration. These design efforts aim to increase the impact, applicability, sustainability, and cost efficiency of 3D printing for future residential and multi-family buildings in the U.S.”

Collectively, the team has extensive experience in 3D printing. HANNAH is an innovative architectural design practice known for its progressive design solutions, such as demonstrated in the upstate New York Ashen Cabin project, a sustainable building that advances the use of 3D printing concrete and robotic timber construction. PERI 3D Construction has an extensive record of advancing the implementation of 3D printing in building construction. Using COBOD BOD2 printers, PERI has completed six projects in Europe and in the U.S. including the first 3D printed home in Germany and Europe’s largest 3D printed apartment building. CIVE combines structural engineering expertise with bountiful construction experience to create a coordinated workflow.

“We are incredibly proud to not only showcase the possibilities of the BOD2 3D construction printer but also our extensive know-how in planning, engineering and printing on this project, which is the seventh and largest one we printed so far,” said Fabian Meyre-Broetz, CEO of PERI 3D Construction. “We are convinced that it will set new standards from a design as well as printing execution perspective and underlines our role as the forerunner for this new construction technique.”

The project also developed detailed solutions with key building industry partners from construction material to HVAC systems. The team selected Quikrete’s new generation of specially formulated 3D printable concrete for the project. Working with Huntsman Building Solutions and their R&D research team, the building integrates a closed-cell foam insulation system. The hybridized construction utilizes Simpson Strong-Tie’s anchoring systems for both 3D printed elements and wood connections. The residential building deploys Toshiba Carrier’s state-of-the-art Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) technology for an efficient HVAC system that is translatable to larger scale housing and multi-family construction.

“Having the opportunity to be the engineers and general contractor for the first multistory 3D printed structure in the U.S. has been an honor,” said Hachem Domloj, CIVE President. “We can see how this technology and our team’s approach is providing the scalability to larger commercial developments. Collectively, we’re changing the way our country builds, and paving the way for more affordable housing, higher structural integrity, and faster building capabilities. The possibilities of 3D printing are endless!”

Project Team

Architectural design and project planning by @HANNAH.office

3D construction printing solutions by @PERI3DConstruction

Engineering & general contracting service by @CIVE.inc

Industry Partners

Carrier Global

Huntsman Building Solutions

Kohler

Quikrete Holdings, Inc.

Simpson Strong-Tie

Hayes is responsible for maintaining and nurturing key ECA accounts and developing new customers and markets in the Eastern United States and Canada. He will work closely with executives, branch managers, and account managers to develop and grow new business relationships.

Hayes has spent more than six years at ECA Jacksonville in the roles of regional sales manager and branch manager. He has served in the foundation construction industry for more than 21 years, 15 of which were in business development and marketing.

Roberts will manage all aspects of ECA’s Jacksonville branch in Green Cove Springs, Florida including sales, parts, service, and personnel.

A seasoned veteran of the foundation construction industry, Roberts has been with ECA and its Jacksonville predecessor, Pile Equipment, Inc., for more than 20 years. He has held multiple positions at ECA including account manager, sales manager, and most recently, director of Pile Master products and pile driving technologies.

ECA has been a leading supplier of foundation construction equipment for more than a century. We are the exclusive distributor for BAUER Drilling Rigs, KLEMM Anchor and Micropile Drilling Rigs, RTG Piling Rigs, and BAUER MAT Slurry Handling Systems. We also distribute HPSI Vibratory Pile Hammers, WORD International Drill Attachments, Pileco Diesel Hammers, Dawson Construction Products, ALLU Ground Improvement Equipment, Pile Master Air Hammers, DIGGA Dangle Drills, and Olin Concrete Pumps. ECA offers sales, rentals, service, and parts from 10 facilities throughout the Eastern U.S. and all Canadian Provinces. Visit ecanet.com for the latest information on our ever-improving specialty foundation equipment solutions.

WASHINGTON, DC – The American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) Steel Bridge Task Force (BTF), the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) T-14 Technical Committee for Structural Steel Design, and the National Steel Bridge Alliance (NSBA) have established a new award to honor Alexander D. Wilson, a major contributor to the research and development of new technologies for the bridge industry who served as chairman of the Steel Bridge Task Force for more than two decades. The Alexander D. Wilson Memorial Award recognizes individuals who have made significant industry contributions to advance steel as the material of choice for steel bridge supply, production, design, fabrication or construction. It will be awarded annually.

The first award was presented to metallurgical consultant Dean C. Krouse at a meeting of the Steel Bridge Task Force on August 10 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. John Kross, manager, product metallurgy for Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. and current member of the BTF Oversight Council, presented Dean Krouse with the award, which reads: “In recognition of his significant industry contributions to advance steel as the material of choice for bridges by guiding and maintaining the ASTM & AASHTO steel material specifications, introducing High-Performance Steel grades, providing metallurgical consulting, and technical committee participation which have contributed substantially to the advancement of steel bridges.”

 “We are honored to establish this award in memory of Alex Wilson and in recognition of the many contributions he made over the years to advance steel as the material of choice in the bridge industry,” said Robert J. Wills, P.E., AISI’s vice president of construction. “His technical contributions, leadership and guidance have significantly impacted the members and mission of the Steel Bridge Task Group. We are especially honored to present the first Alexander D. Wilson Memorial Award to Dean Krouse, a colleague and friend to Alex and his family. Dean embodies the spirit of this award with his many significant industry contributions to advance steel as the material of choice for steel bridge supply, design, and production. Congratulations to Dean on this well-deserved recognition.”

Wills continued, “Alex had a vision for recognizing and mentoring the next generation of talent for innovative steel bridge research. He oversaw the establishment of the Robert J. Dexter Memorial Award Lecture, which provides promising structural engineers beginning their careers in academia with a platform to present their research and new ideas. It is fitting that during the recent BTF meeting, the 2022 Robert J. Dexter Memorial Award Lecture winner, William Collins, Ph.D., P.E., associate professor at the University of Kansas School of Engineering, presented his research findings to BTF members on ‘Fracture Toughness in Highway Bridges: Potential Opportunities and Ongoing Challenges.’ We look forward to Will’s future contributions to advancements made by the Steel Bridge Task Force.”

About Alex Wilson

As chairman of the Steel Bridge Task Force, Alex presided over a group representing the top steel bridge design experts in the United States. As manager of customer technical services for ArcelorMittal USA, he developed and tested new technologies for the bridge industry, including weathering and High-Performance Steels, both of which provide cost-effective and durable alternatives to competing materials and are widely used in bridge construction today. He conducted research on fracture mechanic evaluations, consulted on steel plate development, published 65 technical papers, and shaped the advancement of new steel bridge material specifications. Looking to the next generation of talent, he oversaw the establishment of AISI’s Robert J. Dexter Memorial Award Lecture.

About Dean Krouse

Dean Krouse retired from Bethlehem Steel Corporation in 1999 after 35 years of service. He has continued to provide expertise on a number of projects as an independent consultant, most notably with regard to structural steel products. Many of his accomplishments have focused on metallurgical consulting, litigation and participation on technical committees established by the steel-producing and construction industries. Most recently, his work was instrumental in maintaining the ASTM and AASHTO steel material specifications; introducing High-Performance Steel grades; and influencing ASTM to officially recognize 50CR, a utility-grade stainless steel, in a revision to ASTM A709, Standard Specification for Structural Steel for Bridges.

In addition to the Steel Bridge Task Force, Dean Krouse has served on several AISI technical committees, including the Corrosion Advisory Group, Welding Advisory Group, Technical Committee on Plates and Shapes, High-Performance Steel Steering Group and the Steel Advisory Group. He has also served on several American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) and ASTM technical committees.

AISI serves as the voice of the American steel industry in the public policy arena and advances the case for steel in the marketplace as the preferred material of choice. AISI’s membership is comprised of integrated and electric arc furnace steelmakers, and associate members who are suppliers to or customers of the steel industry. For more news about steel and its applications, view AISI’s websites at https://www.steel.org and www.buildusingsteel.org. Follow AISI on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter (@AISISteel, @BuildUsingSteel) or Instagram.

The Newest VCI Film for Metals Protection
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Showcasing the durability, cost effectiveness and beauty of metal buildings, Birmingham’s Firehouse Shelter effectively doubled Firehouse Ministries’ capacity to service homeless men in Alabama.

Acknowledged for its incorporation of green building elements, aesthetics, user comfort, and project execution on a challenging building site, the community service project earned an Honorable Mention in Building Design+Construction’s 2020 Building Team Awards, a Metal Building Contractors and Erectors Association (MBCEA) 2021 Building of the Year award and a Varco Pruden (VP) 2021 Hall of Fame award.

The Firehouse Story

While the state of Alabama provides some programs for its homeless, it isn’t anywhere close to meeting the needs of this underserved population. Helping to fill this gap, the non-profit Firehouse Ministries has been supporting approximately 5,000 men per year with meals, showers, beds, and social services since 1983.

However, one of the organization’s main facilities – an old fire station in Birmingham – was too small, running up against code issues and in desperate need of replacement.

Funds were gathered to build a new $5.8 million facility, but as a non-for-profit, Firehouse Ministries was working with an extremely limited budget. In addition, the need to withstand anticipated heavy use made durability a major priority for the new facility. At the same time, the organization wanted to create a warm, welcoming environment, so the building had to offer aesthetics and amenities as well.

Checking all three of these boxes, Poole & Company Architects selected a metal structure for the design-build project.

“The owner needed durability, but didn’t want the building to look like a prison,” explains Craig Fowler, Dunn Building Company, Tennessee Valley Area Manager, Athens, Alabama. “We were able to achieve both goals by cladding this building with insulated metal panels (IMPs). The ribbed panels were turned to run horizontally, creating lines that are aesthetically pleasing, without sacrificing any of that durability.”

The energy efficient IMPs seamlessly blend into a standing seam metal roof, gabled over the chapel, and slightly pitched in the other program areas. In addition to the horizontal ribbed panels, windows, storefronts and fire engine red trim deliver a comfortable, daylit space for the 28,000 sq. ft. structure.

Building Challenges

Before opening its doors at 626 Second Ave., not far from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, the project team had a few challenges to contend with. For starters, the community wasn’t thrilled with the idea of a homeless facility joining the neighborhood, particularly since the previous location required the men to line up outside at meal times and night check-ins. 

To help address this, Poole & Company Architects created a central courtyard where the men can comfortably wait within the confines and privacy of the facility. The landscaped courtyard turned out to be one of the centerpieces of the architectural design.

As for the construction, the crew had little lay-down area as the building butts up against the property line on three sides.

“We had to schedule items to arrive on site as they were needed for installation and avoid having too much stored material,” relates Fowler. “We also stacked materials as we didn’t have the room to spread them out.”

The contractor also had to deal with wet, fatty clay soil, exacerbated by 17 days of rain during the project’s first 35 days. Though it was an added expense, the team had no choice but to bring in sandy clay for the foundation.

In erecting the metal wall panels, because they were horizontal, this required additional framing. “We also had to be diligent with our layout, to ensure that all of the lines and architectural features hit in the correct locations,” notes Fowler.

The metal roof installation was straightforward, though a number of roof penetrations had to be accommodated. This included rooftop HVAC units, exhaust fans, and kitchen freezer condensers and fans, which required roof curbs.

“The greatest challenge was coordinating between all of these items—including the roof curb supplier and the building manufacturer—to make sure all of the opening sizes were correct and the framing was in the proper location.”

To create a long-standing, durable facility, the floors are finished with polished concrete and epoxy-coated concrete. Easy-to-clean and maintain, the selected materials also lend a nice look. And, to support wash downs, hose bibs were built into the walls and all the sleeping areas incorporate floor drains.

At Their Service

Completed in just over a year, the city’s underprivileged men are benefitting from a new, contemporary and comfortable facility where they can re-group and work to get their lives on track.

As Melvin Harris, formerly homeless and now working at the shelter, told Alabama’s WVTM 13 News, “I was on the street, pretty much, and really scared to be out there with no place to go. I just needed a hand up. A lot of the time, that’s all our homeless need – a hand up and a chance.”

With room for 112 people, more than doubling the previous 50-bed space, the new facility also provides respite care, local food programs and GED classes in a new computer lab. There is designated space for disease control, family housing, medical screening rooms, overflow for winter and a chapel for Bible studies or meditation.

Earning kudos from the industry, an MBCEA awards judge remarked, “the overall attitude and relaxed formality addresses the ‘human scale’. The building feels very approachable, and while it may appear a bit ‘Spartan’, it does not feel at all cold. It has a pleasant street-scape and understated interior courtyard. The nuanced imagery of the vaulted gathering space is not without notice and very much in keeping with the ministerial outreach message.” 

The increased demand for quality labor is one of the most significant issues in the construction industry these past few years. According to the Association Builders and Contractors group, “the construction industry will need to attract 650,000 additional workers on top of the normal pace of hiring in 2022 to meet the demand for labor.” 

According to the Bureau of Labor, the construction workforce is forecast to grow seven percent between 2020 and 2030, adding over 100,000 jobs yearly. Women are stepping in to fill more roles in the construction industry, occupying almost eleven percent of the jobs in construction and showing a 94 percent growth in female-owned construction firms over the past decade. 

One of the biggest boosters of employment in the construction industry came from the recent Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, signed into law in mid-November of 2021. In this Act, the US government committed to investing $1.2 trillion into infrastructure and construction over the next five years. This new bill includes $450 billion for highway and public transportation investments and new, 5-year reauthorization of the federal surface transportation programs. The IIJA will deliver generational transportation investments, with 90 percent of the resources for roads and bridges distributed by formula directly to the states.

This funding will affect everyone in the construction ecosystem, creating more jobs than ever. Contractors will need to deploy technology to give them a competitive edge, or they will be left behind. While this bill will provide many new jobs, the workforce shortage is still a challenge companies will need to overcome. Empowering every employee with technology that maximizes their productivity will enable the workforce to handle more work with less need for more workers. Great technology can help employees do the work of two. Still, firms need to be sure that the technology partner they choose to work with is familiar with the industry, can provide support references, and can help businesses reduce the risk of adopting technology. 

The ongoing workforce shortage means many companies will be looking to double or triple the productivity of their current workforce to keep pace with the industry. Technology helps businesses increase efficiency and productivity by automating processes, providing better data, and improving communications. 

Using Technology to Increase Productivity

Firms are learning to get creative about finding and hiring talent and use technology to help workers do more with less. Some of the technology that firms can use to address the labor shortage in construction includes:

• Mobile communications and software keep construction teams informed on what is happening across the jobsite while eliminating paperwork, which takes time away from working on the project.
• Safety management software digitally captures compliance regulations and safety reports and promptly shares them to avoid penalties.
• Digitally manage plans so that everyone is on the same version of the plan. 
• Manage all resources across your company in one easy-to-use construction dispatch scheduling software that allows your dispatcher to track equipment, crews, tools, and rentals.
• Use construction timecard software to minimize time spent capturing time entries each day and eliminate back-and-forth phone calls or drive time to jobs.
• Create and customize proposals digitally that can be shared with project stakeholders.

One of the critical technologies that help recruit and retain talent is a comprehensive safety management program.  

Turn Your Safety Program into a Competitive Hiring & Retention Tool

Each new hire within a construction firm is an investment in onboarding and training. If an employee leaves, companies must make a new investment in a new employee. If a company sees turnover in its crews, an investment in a construction safety program can offset new hire investments. Plus, it improves employee loyalty by showing that your business cares about its people.

Use your safety program as a hiring tool. If you’re recruiting, applicants will search for your company online to learn more about your company. Applicants may be discouraged if online results show an incident or other safety problems. People want to work for companies that care about protecting their employees. Plus, a strong safety record can show a solid commitment to growth. Incidents can damage your company’s reputation and prevent you from bidding on specific projects. A strong safety record may make your company eligible to bid on more projects.

A safety management program can help retain crews long-term and increase loyalty. Companies that work to ensure their employees’ safety, educate them about safety and involve them in safety processes are likely to have more loyal employees. By focusing on safety, you’re showing that you know that your most important business asset is your people.

If an incident or near miss occurs, it can cost your firm money and affect indirect costs like low morale, loss of productivity, and damage to reputation. By collecting and analyzing safety records before any work starts, you can control things that could cause a near-miss or incident after the work starts. A safety management program allows your business and crews to learn from past jobs, prepare for future jobs, and pivot safety efforts when needed.

With mobile tools, crews can collect and send real-time safety data directly from the field in seconds. Using the data collected to teach your crews about safety, your safety management program can help you move away from rule enforcement and towards a progressive, people-based safety culture.

About HCSS

HCSS is the trusted leader in construction software for estimating, field entry, project management, safety, digital plans, 3-D drone imaging, fleet management, and telematics. For 35 years, the company has used annual user group meetings to listen to customers resulting in innovative software to manage every part of the project lifecycle. With 24/7 instant support and a proven implementation process, HCSS has helped improve operations for over 3,500 companies ranging from $1M to billions in revenue across the United States and Canada. HCSS, a 14-time Best Place to Work in Texas, has a unique 12-acre campus in Sugar Land, Texas, with three buildings capable of housing 700 employees. Learn more at hcss.com.

Gen Simmons is Project Manager, HCSS Safety.

Introduction

Several devastating fires in recent years have put a spotlight upon the safety and quality of buildings in the United Kingdom. Following the Grenfell Tower disaster, in 2018 Dame Judith Hackitt, the former chair of the Health and Safety Executive, challenged the construction industry to implement “culture change.” 

Dame Hackitt’s report set out six broad areas for change candidates, notably identifying the prioritization of life safety over the entire lifetime of a building, improvement of competence levels within the design profession and building industry, proper enforcement of regulations, and ensuring that regulation and guidance is risk-based. Dame Hackitt has issued a challenge to the building industry to change its culture to bring about these goals and to ensure the ultimate objective of making buildings safe. The question that is required to answer this is: Are enhanced regulations sufficient to achieve this ultimate objective, or must the construction industry also institute a true culture change within a more robust regulatory environment in order to bring about the objective? 

This paper will discuss recent legislation designed to improve building and fire safety, but also assert that culture change is necessary and must come from not just an improved regulatory regime, but also by more effective utilization of mechanisms available within design and construction contracts. 

Legislative Actions Expected to Bring Sweeping Changes

The Fire Safety Act 2021 and the Building Safety Act 2022 will bring widespread changes to the construction industry and will impose new statutory obligations on architects. This includes giving new powers to the Architect’s Registration Board to ensure continuing professional development is carried out by architects throughout their careers, as well as the ability to list disciplinary outcomes on an architect’s register entry. The Building Safety Act amends the Architects Act 1997 by giving the Board the power to monitor and assess the competence of architects and also provide that the Board will establish a new appeals committee.

To achieve culture change, the regulatory framework to address key areas of high-risk projects must be successfully addressed. Some of these key areas include effective solutions for means of escape in buildings; the extent of spread of fire on external walls; compartmentation for certain types of buildings; and a more transparent and effective testing regime.

Additionally, inspection duties, workmanship on site, robustness of construction information and specification all play an important role in culture change. Dame Hackitt argued that penalties for non-compliance with regulations must be tougher, with duties and responsibility delegated to the client, the principal designer, and the principal contractor. The Building Safety Act reflects these proposals; however, fundamental questions remain on how these duties will be performed in practice. 

The current environment in the building industry whereby the scope of the architect (and consultants) roles and responsibilities have been reduced, combined with the increasing adoption of contractor-led procurement methods and design delegation, has led to the diminution of quality, and consequently impacted on building safety.

With the increase in design and build contracts and value engineering, there are many examples where uncontrolled and undocumented changes have been made to the original design intent often resulting in poor quality. Managing quality should be improved by evaluating the whole process of design as well as construction over the life cycle of a building. The concept of building safety must rise to be a top priority within the culture.  

The Importance of Design and Construction Contracts in Bringing About Culture Change   

The Hackitt Report clearly confirms construction contracts are an important part of a culture change to bring about the ultimate objective of building safety. Construction contracts should be utilised as much as possible to ensure that safety requirements and quality are implemented. Furthermore, these contracts must clearly and unambiguously define delegated roles and who is accountable for the enumerated responsibilities. Construction contracts should be written to prevent over-reliance upon the delegation of technical and contractual risk to the subcontractor which has, and can, lead to poor quality outcomes. Construction contracts should also specifically identify safety requirements in higher risk buildings. Effective third-party inspections and the mechanisms for quality should be clearly delineated and should not simply be an afterthought, as is much too common.  

Competence is also an important driver for culture change. The construction industry must establish a regimen to first prove, and then monitor, competence. Building professionals must increase their awareness level of their liability to monitor key scopes related to building and fire safety and to ensure that a proper quality control and assurance program is in place from the outset of the design and build processes, and then implement such processes. Professional bodies are undertaking greater scrutiny of competence and robustness of its members. This includes the publication of the Architect’s Registration Board Competency Guidelines for Fire and Life Safety Design (published in March 2021) and the Royal Institute of British Architects mandatory Health and Safety Test. 

The architectural profession is at the forefront of the movement for culture change and the proposed regulatory improvements. Architects are often involved in the design of complex, high- risk projects including those with large basements and complex facades and cladding systems. The responsibilities of an architect typically include the coordination of increasingly complex elements of buildings including security systems, water, ventilation, fire safety, and acoustics. However, notwithstanding this current framework, should the architectural profession be placing a higher priority on ensuring that the design of higher risk elements – such as basements and cladding – have safety as a primary feature? 

To achieve culture change, a holistic view needs to be taken of fire and life safety from both the architectural profession and construction industry.

Conclusion

Culture change is challenging and can only be realised by addressing the entirety of the processes at the core of the design and construction over the life cycle of a building. The utilisation of design and construction contracts in that process is a fundamental part of any shifts that can bring about such change. The solution to the challenge is the combining of a robust regulatory regime with clear design and construction contracts which provide suitable mechanisms for quality, inspection, accountability, and enforcement.  

Matt Cousins is a Chartered Architect with the Royal Institute of British Architects, a Forensic Architect, and Expert Witness with Sense Studio, a part of J.S. Held’s Construction Advisory Services Practice. He has 20 years of experience working for architecture practices in London on complex projects, including schools, commercial projects, hotels, and government buildings. He has worked on a number of cases for Sense Studio, including the investigation of building defects and he is the author of the Architect’s Legal Pocket Book. He can be reached at mcousins@jsheld.com.

The 100-year-old former bus garage here is now providing the city with 21st century ecological benefits.  The Greyline Station has a retention system that gathers rainwater from its five-acre site and holds some of it for reuse.

Redeveloped and opened in 2020, the 65,000 square foot complex now has retail spaces, an event venue, restaurants, a public market and even a radio station.  The new owner of the former Lextran public bus system’s headquarters and maintenance garage used stormwater best management practices to have a closed cycle for on-site rainfall runoff including collection, treatment, detention, and reuse.  Stantec, Inc., the global engineering firm, was given the assignment to improve water quality while reducing the impact of flooding from impervious surfaces typically found in a city setting.  Another important component of the project was to have a continuing program of public education about sustainable stormwater development.  With room for new construction at a premium, Lexington saw that the Greyline project could serve as a model for sustainable redevelopment of existing buildings.

“Our goal,” explained Samuel Lee, P.E.,  Stantec’s Lexington, Kentucky office lead engineer on the project, “was to remove and retrofit existing impervious surface areas with permeable alternatives such as turf grass and pavers.  The system would capture, retain, infiltrate, and recycle rainwater runoff, and have a detention system that would attenuate peak discharges and reduce runoff velocities.  The roof runoff flows in a combined leader, treated with baffle “snouts”, and goes into two parallel, 48-inch diameter pipes for underground detention that would supply greywater for mop sinks, toilets and irrigation.  The leaders would also tie into an above ground cistern, an aluminum tank which we recycled from an agricultural site.  For additional detention and irrigation plus parallel stormwater infiltration, the other BMPs would include a bioretention basin, permeable pavers parking area, and planting strip along North Limestone, adjacent to where Greyline is on West Loudon Avenue.”  In December 2021, the project was honored with the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) Kentucky Chapter’s Engineering Excellence Grand Award, and is eligible for the ACEC’s 2022 National EEA competition.

Built in 1928, the building housed Southeastern Greyhound Lines and was Lexington’s largest private employer by the 1940s, and later taken over by Lextran.  After being empty for decades, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2014 to stave off demolition.   

“This all started from a Neighborhood Association meeting,” explained the building’s owner, visionary and one-man force behind the area’s urban revitalization, Chad Needham of Needham Properties (Lexington, KY).  “Lextran wanted to keep the land, but they didn’t want the building.  The association, however, decided that we would fight to keep the building and was able to have it designated as a National Historic Landmark.”

Needham started renovating old buildings nearly 23 years ago, with his entire focus on the northside area of the city.  He now has 40 buildings that range from 3,000 to 5,000 square feet within four blocks of each other.  “The Greyline is by far the biggest.  It is five acres and has about 100,000 square feet of building space on it.  There are four buildings on the site.  The old bus garage is the largest and handles all of the roof water collection.  It’s kind of a cool building that’s almost a hundred years old and just sat here empty for years.  So, I was sitting in this neighborhood meeting thinking:  What would be the coolest thing to do with this corner?”

“I’ve been to several public markets.  Pike Place Market out in Seattle is fantastic.  We have a couple local ones. Columbus has the North Market,  and D.C. has the Eastern Market.  Could we take this site and do something like that?  And I thought a public market would be the coolest neighborhood hub.”

“But what could be created in a 65,000 square foot building that would be financially viable?  And could we engage the neighborhood in doing that?  The answer was to create a mixed-use building with affordable retail,” he continued.  “Everyone talks about affordable housing, which is very important, but could we do essentially affordable retail and what does that look like?  That was the mission I set out on.  When you do redevelopment, especially in Lexington, there’s some offsetting you have to do.  There’s stormwater offset, which here has to do with a consent decree with the EPA.”

“We had a few challenges and hurdles of what to do with this site.  It did flood.  And we came up with this great way to collect all the roof water and store it to be used as gray water to flush the toilets and for our landscape irrigation.  Plus, this really helps the tenants with their water bill which can be about $400 depending on the square footage, compared to probably a  thousand dollars.  This type of catchment system and reuse benefits all the tenants.”

The urban redevelopment project was completed with Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government’s Water Quality Management Fee and the Stormwater Quality Projects Incentive Grant Program, which uses funds collected through the Water Quality Management Fee to help fund projects in the city.

The system Lee designed separates floatable pollutants such as oils/grease and trash with baffle treatment units, while removing dissolved constituents filtered in a bioretention basin that has a mulch/sand layer and vegetative uptake.  To detain stormwater runoff and remove suspended pollutants (TSS) in the underground detention unit, Lee used a total of 240 linear feet of thermoplastic pipe from Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. (ADS) (NYSE: WMS).  The watertight 48-inch diameter ADS HP Storm pipe was installed in two parallel runs and can hold 22,500 gallons of runoff.  To make connections and to convey water from the roof, 12- and 15-inch ADS N-12® high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe was used along with six- and four-inch ADS N-12 dual wall perforated pipe as an underdrain for the bioretention basin and other areas.  Two ADS Nyloplast® EnviroHoodsTM were attached to the inside of two of the Nyloplast structures to prevent the outflow of floating debris and oil.

Three other InsertaTees were installed as underground inspection ports.  The crew also used 1,000 yards of geotextile fabric along the side walls of the excavation to keep fines from migrating into the #57 stone backfill.

The HP Storm high-performance polypropylene (PP) pipe for gravity-flow storm drainage applications provides stiffness and premium joint performance.  The ADS design couples advanced polypropylene resin technology with a proven, dual-wall profile design for superior performance and durability.  The pipe is corrosion resistant and is unaffected by salts, chemicals and hot soils.  Burial cover can range from one 

foot to 39 feet.  The pipe meets or exceeds ASTM F2881 and AASHTO M330.  “ADS has a good name in underground detention in our area,” Lee stated.  The Columbus-based firm has a manufacturing plant in Livermore, Kentucky and a distribution center in Lexington, plus other plants and yards in the region.  In total, ADS has 63 plants and 32 distribution centers worldwide.  

Working alongside of Lee was Eric Dawalt, P.E., president of Ridgewater, LLC, a Winchester, Kentucky-based design/build firm.  “We were involved in the design and managed the construction of the project for Stantec, the engineer of record,” he explained.  “ADS and EcoGro (Lexington, KY) were also part of the team.  Together, we worked to find a solution to the site constraints.  It was the depth.  We had a really shallow depth that we had to put the system in and it had to be able to drain back into the existing storm sewer.  That’s why we went with the 48-inch pipe rather than a bigger diameter pipe or tanks.  We had only about six feet to work with and included the two feet of cover.  The ADS pipe had to connect back into an existing storm sewer with positive drainage.  That’s why we made the pipes long and skinny rather than big and fat.  We looked at fiberglass tanks and also field-welded corrugated metal pipe, which would be quite expensive because of the field installation cost, mainly because doing a weld inside a four-foot diameter pipe is quite laborious.  

“The welded fittings were a critical component.  ADS did these at its nearby Winchester, Kentucky  plant.  This is a big plus for the ADS system over others that bid on the project because we didn’t have to do any field welds inside,” Dawalt continued.  

“We just had to fit it together.  If there was one reason other than the price and materials, it was the installation of putting the pipes together that was a whole lot easier than getting a field crew out and welding the pipes together in the field.  That was a big solution that ADS was able to provide.  Can’t say enough about how easy the HP storm was to install.  

“Everything below water level was a welded fitting.  That was one of the things we went through with the design.  There had to be only welded fittings below water level because of the tendency of the area to flood.

“The system was not designed for a specific storm event.  What we were trying to do was provide the required detention volume that had been proposed in the grant,” Dawalt explained.  “One of the other things we were able to do, was, which wasn’t necessarily part of the grant and Chad paid for it, to put in the EnviroHood water quality units that have a baffle system to get out any trash, and it works great.,” Dawalt said.

“In doing this old building,” Needham stated, “we wanted to make it a little more ecologically friendly and do a stormwater project here, and that was kind of cool.  I think that also makes us unique as we’re a developer, and definitely an urban developer.  The stormwater system also makes financial sense especially since we got a really nice grant from the city when we presented the plan.  I was not familiar with the pipe and so I was really excited when all that pipe got delivered on the truck.  But that was a cool way to use that pipe, and I really hadn’t known that before.  We were excited that Sam and Eric brought that to the table.  It was a cool idea and a cool plan.  We’re pleased with it.

“It’s always fun to talk about on a tour.  People seem very interested in taking an old building and bringing in some new conservation techniques.  This method is a good example of how it can done for an old building of this size and at what scale you have to 

do that.  It can be done.  Plus, it’s a great tool for me to talk about to prospective tenants and a great neighborhood discussion.  Also, it just brings a new layer of appreciation on top of an old building being redone.  That I think speaks to definitely the general public and to new tenants.”

The Greyline project will also serve as a stormwater educational center for local universities, engineers, contractors, surrounding municipalities and other local organizations including the Kentucky Stormwater Association, which will give tours of Greyline during its conferences and meetings.  There is a permanent educational display to explain the stormwater system and its resulting benefits to visitors.

Additional information can be found at the ADS website: www.adspipe.com.

It can be all too easy for businesses to fall into the trap of viewing health and safety as a paperwork process. However, at Land & Water we believe it is a behaviour. As an organization, we have the reputation of thinking outside of the box – whether it is designing carbon out of project, building habitat creation schemes or health and safety, our teams work tirelessly to deliver projects for clients in a way that manages risk, but also maximizes the potential benefits of a project. 

It is a firm belief that outstanding health and safety starts internally. Like all responsible businesses, our staff receive on-going training, risk assessments are conducted and we are up to date with legislation. But outstanding health and safety should also priorities wellbeing. After all if we are to expect our team to work on site safely, be alert, focussed and conscious of their actions we must ensure that their wellbeing is prioritized. 

As a result of this Lynn Puttock has been appointed to the role of Wellbeing Director. In this position Lynn has done an outstanding job of bringing the discussions around wellbeing to the forefront of our organization. Seeing the importance in mental wellness, Lynn was our company’s first accredited Mental Health First Aider ensuring that the team knew that there was always someone trained and ear ready to listen to any concerns. This also meant that the business had someone able to spot warning signs of declining mental wellbeing. 

Within her current role Lynn has helped create an internal mental health support website for the Land & Water employees in order for them to access 24/7 wellbeing assistance. She also continues to regularly visit sites and ensures all employees have access to the correct training including Mental Health First Aid courses. The nature of the work that Land & Water does means that our teams are spread throughout the UK and as a result Lynn has spearheaded the drive to ensure that we have a network of fully trained Mental Health First Aiders working within the business. With 18 qualified personnel our team has plenty of support on offer. 

As a business we are also passionate about fostering the next generation of talent in the construction industry and health and safety is an intrinsic part of this process. It is inextricably linked to career development and is viewed by our team as part of the upskilling and progression process. 

We recently sent our Apprentice Lizzie Asbury on a powerboat training course – the benefits of which are twofold: Lizzie has now been upskilled and is able to take charge of the daily waterborne monitoring on projects such as the one we are carrying out at Blenheim Palace; but she can also do this work safely. 

Speaking about the course Lizzie said: “The course was great fun and we learnt so much over the two days including how to pull up alongside a jetty and hold off from a buoy. I was a complete beginner but now I feel I have the confidence and skills to go out on the safety boat at Blenheim to take DO readings by myself.”   

Team members also recently took part in a safety stand session with Canal & River Trust, Kier Group and Arcadis at the Airedale swing bridge project. Attendees were encouraged to discuss health and safety openly, focusing on sharing best practice across the Trust’s partners. Not only do discussions like this highlight valuable learnings, they also foster relationships with clients. They appreciate that we are in their corner, we want a project to be successful and safety is inextricably intertwined with this. 

Looking for Schemes that support a holistic approach to how business support their staff is another great tactic to ensure that health and safety remains a priority.  Recently Land & Water received its Investors in People accreditation. Receiving this accreditation recognizes that Land & Water Group has robust principles and practices in place to support its people and create a positive working environment. The Investors in People accreditation also recognized the business’ ongoing commitment towards our team as we continue to strive for the sustainable growth of the organization. Going through the accreditation process meant that we had to look at our internal processes, policy and ethos in hyperfocus. As well as highlighting many areas in which we excel, it is also inspiring to see the many areas in which we can continue to grow. 

The group carries out many high profile construction projects in Europe via its European subsidiaries, in the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland and Austria. The Gotthard Base Tunnel, the longest railway tunnel in Europe, which was completed in 2016, and Gaasperdammertunnel in Amsterdam, the longest land tunnel in the Netherlands, are among such projects.

While providing an interview with Nikkei Asia, Japan’s leading finance and economics publication, Rönesans Holding President Dr. Erman Ilıcak announced that Rönesans is planning to expand its partnerships and cooperations with Japanese companies. He went on to say that within this framework, cooperation negotiations with Japanese companies continue for various projects with a total value of 3 billion dollars.

Rönesans Holding President Dr. Erman Ilıcak stated that existing partnerships and current negotiations with Japanese companies to establish new partnerships and collaborations are going exceptionally well: “We predict that our annual average revenue will reach 5 billion dollars in the forthcoming years. Potentially we can obtain more than approximately 1 billion dollars, corresponding to 20%of our annual revenue, from cooperating with Japanese companies in the Turkish, African, Balkan, and Central Asian markets.”

Bringing the Engineering-Procurement-Construction-Financing model to foreign markets

Ilıcak shared that Rönesans plans new projects with Japanese business partners in different geographies with the EPCF model (Engineering-Procurement-Construction-Financing). He highlighted that with this model, Rönesans could successfully bring the end- to-end business process to developing countries with strong Japanese business partners, increasing those countries’ capacity to implement infrastructure and social reinforcement projects.

In addition, Ilıcak announced various exciting current projects, including hospital construction and operation projects in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, a solar energy production facility in the Petrochemical Industry Zone in Ceyhan (Turkey) that produces green hydrogen, where investment is ongoing, and factories in various other countries that focus on the decarbonization of iron and steel. In addition, Ilıcak noted that they are making steady progress with Sojitz, their partner in the Başakşehir Çam and Sakura City Hospital in Istanbul, with various hospital investments abroad.

Rönesans Holding President Dr. Erman Ilıcak was awarded the highest state medal of Japan, ‘Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon’ by the Emperor of Japan Naruhito for his substantial contributions to promoting economic exchanges between Japan and Turkey.

20% of Rönesans’ revenue will come from partnerships with Japanese companies

Ilıcak stated that Rönesans Holding continues its growth in international markets: “We predict our annual average revenue will be 5 billion dollars. We can make more than $1 billion, equivalent to 20% of our annual revenue, from cooperating with Japanese companies in the Turkish, African, Balkan, and Central Asian markets. By combining our extensive experience and knowledge, plus our outstanding workforce in these countries, with the financing and technology resources our Japanese partners provide, we have achieved exceptional results in engineering-procurement-construction-financing (EPCF) and public-private partnerships (PPP). With these cooperation, we are highly competitive over a wide geography.”

78% of Rönesans’ revenue comes from outside Turkey

Dr. Erman Ilıcak pointed out that as of the end of 2021, 42% of Rönesans Holding’s revenues came from the Commonwealth of the Independent States, 31% from Europe, 22% from Turkey, and 5% from other geographies.

In the news, Rönesans Holding, of which IFC / the private sector arm of the World Bank owns 4%, was mentioned as Turkey’s largest contracting company as well as 28th in the world and 9th in Europe in the ENR (Engineering News Record) ‘World’s Top 250 International Contractors’ list. It was also stated that Rönesans Holding has more than ten years of experience in partnership and cooperation with various Japanese companies and that a total of 4 billion dollars has accumulated from joint projects with Japanese companies to date.

“Clay’s knowledge and experience will be invaluable to us as we continue to implement our strategic growth initiative,” said Bowman Chief Executive Officer Gary Bowman. “Clay is passionate about the development and execution of effective people strategies and has extensive experience guiding a growing public company like Bowman through the human capital challenges of achieving increasing scale. We are confident that Clay will be a terrific addition to our executive leadership team.”

Before joining Bowman, Worley worked at NCI, Inc. (now Empower AI) as senior vice president and chief human resources officer. He also served as NCI’s chief ethics officer and was responsible for the development and execution of all human capital and talent management strategies, programs, and systems to build a diverse, productive, collaborative, and ethical culture. Prior to NCI, Worley was vice president of HR at DXC Technologies (formerly Hewlett Packard Enterprise) where he served as the senior HR executive supporting over 9,500 employees.

“At Bowman, I intend to focus on our investments in human capital and work to optimize our HR infrastructure to help everyone be more successful,” stated Worley. “I look forward to collaborating closely with our team of strong and experienced HR professionals to continue building a department oriented toward supporting, encouraging and empowering our current and future employees. Acquisitions, competitive benefits, robust professional development programming and a thoughtful and thorough integration process are all critical to Bowman’s success. I am confident we will be up to the challenges.

In May 2022, Worley was honored by the Washington Executive Council with its 2022 Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) of the Year in the Public & Private Company category. Worley is an advisory board member of BioPharma Global and has been a board member of the HR Alliance DC since 2014.  At the HR Alliance DC, he is dedicated to giving back to the HR community and advocating for growth and development through a program that targets highly marginalized communities and provides HR support.

Worley’s involvement in the HR field is also exemplified by his many professional memberships including the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM), HRCI, a credentialing and learning organization for the human resources profession, and the Human Capital Institute.

Worley earned a BS in Business Administration from the University of Louisville and furthered his studies at the University of Maryland – Robert H. Smith School of Business from which he earned a Master of Science in Business Administration.

This will include discussing the fast adoption of digital twins, the accessibility of modern hardware, and the challenges of different industries during various sessions. The new terrestrial mapping solution for mobile phones, the viDoc RTK rover – combining single point measurement, photogrammetry, and LiDAR with centimeter accuracy – will also be exhibited with hands-on live demonstrations. Thanks to presentations by thought leaders in 3D modeling, attendees will share ideas with other innovators and go home with insightful tips and tricks on how to get the best out of mapping technology. Sessions range from beginner to advanced, so everybody is welcome to take their mapping knowledge to the next level.

“More than 60% of employees in Pix4D work in R&D, and this has allowed us to put innovation first. The Pix4D User Conference is a great window for us to share what we have been working on, exchange ideas and welcome feedback from industry professionals who have always played an active role in the development of our solutions.” – Christoph Strecha, CEO of Pix4D

The Pix4D Conference was first hosted in 2019 in Denver and the 2021 meetup took place online with over 4,000 registrants worldwide. The 2022 Pix4D Conference in Denver will be hosted at pop-culture themed The Curtis hotel, with a training session about its next-generation software for large scale mapping and fast vectorization, PIX4Dmatic and PIX4Dsurvey on October 12th and the main event on October 13th. Surveyors, GIS experts, 3D modeling enthusiasts, and people passionate about photogrammetry are all welcome to attend, regardless of being a Pix4D user.

About Pix4D (generic company profile)

Pix4D (pix4d.com) develops cutting-edge software and hardware that converts images taken by hand, drone, or plane into accurate and georeferenced survey-grade 2D mosaics, 3D models, and point clouds. Founded in 2011, Pix4D is rapidly expanding from its headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, to offices in Berlin, Madrid, Bucharest, Denver, Shanghai, and Tokyo.

Pix4D is best known for PIX4Dmapper, the industry-leading photogrammetry software for drone mapping, and other software solutions like PIX4Dfields for agriculture, PIX4Dreact for emergency response, PIX4Dcloud for online drone mapping, progress tracking, and site documentation,  PIX4Dinspect for automated industrial inspection and asset management, PIX4Dmatic for large scale or terrestrial mapping and PIX4Dsurvey for efficient terrain modeling and vectorization.

Pix4D is the exclusive distributor of the viDoc RTK Rover worldwide.

 NEW YORK— Jerry Jannetti has been promoted to the role of Southeast region president for WSP USA, a leading engineering and professional services consultancy, where he will provide leadership for the transportation, buildings, energy, environment, water and advisory markets in the region.

Jannetti succeeds Stephen Dale, who has resumed his role as chief general counsel. Jannetti currently serves as the New York district leader for WSP and will continue to serve in this role until his successor is appointed. He will be based in Florida for his new position.

“Jerry will bring his leadership acumen gained over the last 30 years to deliver on our strategic priorities for the rapidly growing Southeast region,” said Lou Cornell, WSP USA CEO and president. “In the Southeast, we are helping our clients capitalize on infrastructure investments in the booming region, provide mission critical and advanced manufacturing facilities, and navigate the energy transition and imperative for sustainable, resilient communities. He will lead our multi-disciplinary teams in driving innovative solutions to local problems while leveraging the vast expertise of our global experts.”

In his new role as the Southeast region president, Jannetti will collaborate with U.S. and regional leadership to deliver on the strategic priorities for the region and advance WSP’s goals of being a trusted partner to clients, as well as the employer of choice for current and prospective staff.

Jannetti has held several leadership positions in his nearly 28 years with WSP and has contributed to the firm’s tremendous growth and success in that span. As New York district leader, he partnered with various leaders across the business to achieve growth objectives and lead client care efforts to advance WSP’s position and brand in the market.

Prior to his role as New York district leader, Jannetti was the transportation area manager for WSP’s Mid-Atlantic region and the Northeast transportation regional manager. He expanded the firm’s capabilities into a more diverse operation by delivering work across the transportation market, including highways, bridges, aviation, ports, tunnel, rail and transit systems.

He served as the firm’s principal-in-charge for the Champlain Hudson Power Express power transmission line, East Side Access project, Second Avenue Subway project and the Canarsie Tunnel rehabilitation project in New York City. In addition, he was the firm’s principal in charge for the B&P Tunnel Replacement project, InterCounty Connector project and Purple Line light rail project in Maryland.

“Jerry’s passion is to find ways that each market sector could help clients be successful,” said Bernie McNeilly, Northeast region president at WSP. “For example, under Jerry’s leadership the Property & Buildings structures team was recently awarded a U.S. Patent for a modular sheer wall for use in New York City supertall buildings, which will expedite and simplify construction. Our team is also about to begin work on a project that will add resilience to the lower Manhattan shoreline, protecting it from destructive super storms, such as Sandy. I am excited to see what his leadership will bring to the Southeast.”

Jannetti is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts at Lowell with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering.

The Southeast Region covers Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington, D.C. and West Virginia. WSP’s work in the region includes the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel, the largest highway construction project in Virginia’s history; high-containment laboratories for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; innovative shore power solutions at PortMiami, the largest passenger port in the world; and the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Program.

About WSP USA

WSP USA is the U.S. operating company of WSP, one of the world’s leading engineering and professional services firms. Dedicated to serving local communities, we are engineers, planners, technical experts, strategic advisors and construction management professionals. WSP USA designs lasting solutions in the buildings, transportation, energy, water and environment markets. With more than 12,000 employees in 200 offices across the U.S., we partner with our clients to help communities prosper. wsp.com

Even Roman Roads Don’t Last Forever

From the beginning of time, a good indicator of a society’s level of development has been how efficient its road system is. While many ancient civilizations built roads, the Romans were renowned for their engineering skills including the construction of roads, bridges, aqueducts, and more. The Romans needed to build efficient and durable roads to transport goods and people throughout their empire. Maintaining the road networks was a priority for the Romans and the government was responsible for funding maintenance and repairs of public roads. And although the road network gradually disappeared after the fall of the Roman Empire, it became the basis for infrastructure corridors throughout Europe and the Middle East.

Highway System Transforms U.S., Spurs Mobility, and Increases Commerce

As in ancient Rome, the U.S. requires a safe, reliable, and durable road network to efficiently move people and goods to their desired destinations. And from the day President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956, the Interstate System has been an integral part of our life. While created in part to help defend the nation in the event of an emergency, the interstate highway has also spurred and speeded the development of commerce throughout the country with trucks transporting everything from durable goods and mail to fresh produce. It is part of the National Highway System (NHS), a network of strategic highways including other roads that comprise the largest highway system in the world.

Investment in America’s infrastructure is long overdue

With the Interstate Highway now over 60 years old and many other roads and bridges even older, investment in America’s infrastructure is long overdue. Without safe roads and bridges, commerce and business are impacted as is the quality of life for U.S. citizens. 

The World Economic Forum now ranks the United States 13th when it comes to the overall quality of infrastructure. And, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) 2021 Report Card, more than 45,000 U.S. bridges and 1 in 5 miles of roads are in poor condition. Of the more than 617,000 bridges across the United States, 42 percent are at least 50 years old, and 46,154, or 7.5 percent of the nation’s bridges, are considered structurally deficient, meaning they are in “poor” condition. In fact, the American Society of Civil Engineers  gives bridges a “C” grade. While structurally deficient bridges are not inherently unsafe, they require substantial investment in the form of replacement or significant rehabilitation, and they present a higher risk for future closure or weight restrictions. 

Roadways in Distress

America’s roads are critical for moving an ever-increasing number of people and goods. Unfortunately, the growing wear and tear to our nation’s roads has left 43 percent of our public roadways in poor or mediocre condition, garnering a D grade from ASCE. The growing backlog of road rehabilitation in the U.S. has resulted in motorists paying over $1,000 each year in wasted time and fuel. Additionally, while traffic fatalities have been declining, there are still more than 36,000 people who die on the nation’s roads every year, and the number of pedestrian fatalities is on the rise. To make our roads safer, federal, state, and local governments need to prioritize strategic investments dedicated to improving and preserving roadway conditions that increase public safety on the system we have in place, as well as plan for the construction of new roadways.

Challenges and Opportunities

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) was established to provide funding mechanisms to enable state DOTs and their partners to invest in our roads and bridges. And the historic Bridge Replacement, Rehabilitation, Preservation, Protection, and Construction Program (Bridge Formula Program), will allow states to fix an estimated 15,000 bridges nationwide.  

But there are challenges in addition to obtaining funding that impacts the construction, rehabilitation, and maintenance of our road and bridge infrastructure. Once that funding becomes available, DOTs and their partners may face staffing challenges as they plan and design infrastructure projects. In addition to a competitive job market for engineers, the retirement of experienced personnel sometimes called the “silver tsunami,” could leave DOTs and their partners without experienced engineers and the knowledge base needed to expeditiously produce project designs and get them out to bid. It will be important to proactively shape the future transportation workforce, providing resources to fill skills gaps, recruiting future workers and providing the tools and technology to get the work done.

Investment in the Future

It is important to invest in the future through programs that encourage younger generations to pursue careers in the transportation industry. For example, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials’ (AASHTO) TRAC & RIDES program is also part of their effort to address transportation workforce issues, and it is designed to attract new entrants to the industry. The educational outreach program is sponsored by AASHTO with state department of transportation and industry partner support. TRAC & RIDES is an acronym for Transportation and Civil Engineering and Roadways in Developing Elementary Students. the program seeks to encourage elementary, middle, and high school students to pursue science, technology, engineering, and math or STEM-based careers in the transportation industry.

The Benefits of Digital Delivery and Digital Twins

Innovative technologies and processes can help DOTs and their partners do their jobs better and faster. One such process is digital delivery where projects are delivered using digital models, data, and supporting field tools for roadway design, structures design, and construction. Digital delivery incorporates streamlined processes to manage asset information as it changes through project development. All project elements are contained within a digital model that can include 2D and 3D model elements with attached attributes and references. Contractors and construction inspectors can use digital models on the project site and the as-built deliverables are an accurate representation of the constructed project.

Digital delivery makes it easier to review the design intent and develop high-resolution 3D visuals, providing improved design quality. It can make a significant impact on reducing project cost over-runs and the 3D design enables designers to test “what if” scenarios to refine constructability and optimize project cost. It improves design efficiency and contractors can benefit from a more complete representation of the design intent delivered in a more directly usable format. This enables enhanced construction planning and less time to extract information. Lastly, digital delivery improves as-built records, saving valuable time. Instead of marking up PDF plans, contractors will collect digital as-built records.

When the Minnesota Department of Transportation received funding to transform TH 169 into a freeway system, they retained WSB to oversee the final design. The project included converting four traffic intersections into interchanges, relocating utilities, and designing roadway, drainage, and bridge elements. WSB selected Bentley’s open modeling, visualization, and construction simulation applications to help save the client over USD 4.8 million. Leveraging Bentley applications saved 18 months relocating utilities and accelerated the construction schedule by three months on MnDOT’s first project to use digital delivery methods. Synchronizing the 3D model with 4D construction scheduling identified potential conflicts, which helped to accelerate construction activities by three months to save USD 485,569. Using the Bentley iTwin platform to create digital twins early in the engineering process facilitated collaboration that supported seamless data and model integration throughout construction and operations.  

Digital twins provide civil engineers with the ability to visualize assets across their entire lifecycle to track change and to perform analysis that optimizes asset performance. Contractors, construction firms, and road and bridge owner-operators can leverage digital twins to allow project teams to gain more visibility into the design. Digital twins also allow managers and owners to understand the implications of design decisions early in the process and help them achieve improved performance across the asset lifecycle.

Built in 1938, the existing East 138th Street Bridge in New York City needed to be replaced to eliminate vertical clearance issues and optimize vehicle and pedestrian traffic demands. New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) initiated a USD 48 million project to replace the aging bridge structure with a new 100-foot, single-span bridge. Located in a heavily congested area, the team needed to create the construction sequencing plan and accommodate existing utilities. To achieve this digital context, they required integrated hybrid modeling technology to generate a dynamic 3D model of the complicated superstructure and pedestrian components. NYSDOT wanted to use a digital twin as the primary contract document and public outreach tool for contractors, stakeholders, and the community to virtually visualize the design intent and construction plan. With Bentley’s comprehensive, integrated modeling and iTwin technology, NYSDOT was able to accurately design and generate a digital twin that helped identify and resolve costly issues prior to construction. By providing the contract digital twin to project bidders, contractors could digitally visualize their work to calculate more accurate bids, resulting in the winning contractor’s bid being 15 percent lower than the engineer’s estimate.

Taking Advantage of IIJA Grants for Digital Delivery

Included in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is a new USD 100 million grant program that encourages state departments of transportation to accelerate their usage and deployment of Advanced Digital Construction Management Systems. These systems are generally defined as commercially proven digital technologies and processes for the management of construction and engineering activities including, but not limited to, commercial cloud-based advanced decision-support technologies for infrastructure planning and coordination, commercial building information modeling, and digital 3D design software.

This new grant money, included in the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Technology and Innovation Deployment Program, allows states to purchase technology platforms, train personnel, develop best practices, and develop guidance to assist in updating regulations to allow project sponsors and contractors to fully capture the efficiencies and benefits of advanced digital construction management systems, among other uses. As digital transformation in the construction and engineering sectors is a priority for the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) and the FHWA, this program is a great way for states to take advantage of this momentum.

Summary

Rome wasn’t built in a day and the aging infrastructure in the U.S. won’t be fixed overnight, but with proper planning, funding, tools, technology, and resources we can start laying the foundation for the future. 

Meg Davis is the Industry Marketing Director for Bentley’s road and bridge solutions from concept through operations. In this position, she is responsible for the marketing and positioning of Bentley’s road and bridge industry products and solutions. She joined the company in 2011 and previously held the position of Senior Product Marketing Manager for the road and rail asset performance products. Meg has worked in the transportation industry for over 25 years and has held marketing leadership positions at several companies providing transportation asset management software solutions. She holds an undergraduate degree from UC Berkeley, an MBA from the University of San Francisco, and resides in San Diego California.

The bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), passed November of 2021, outlines a heavy investment in infrastructure in the United States, delivering more than $550 billion in new spending over the next five years, with $110 billion directed towards projects such as improvement of highways, bridges, tunnels, and roads. The approval has spurred further planning efforts to determine how the funding can be invested in transportation infrastructure and to consider safety improvements towards making the nation’s roadways safer for all communities and modes of travel.

The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee’s Subcommittee on Highways and Transit recently held a hearing “Addressing the Roadway Safety Crisis: Building Safer Roads for All”, which focused on solutions to improve the nation’s roadway infrastructure and reduce traffic deaths, especially in disenfranchised urban areas.  The hearing came on the heels of the release of the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA)’s 2021 traffic fatality data. The study estimated U.S. traffic deaths have climbed to 42,915, the highest number in 16 years. With a 10.5 percent increase since 2020, the United States is now experiencing a traffic safety crisis more severe than any other industrialized nation. According to a recent report by Smart Growth America, car-centric road design and insufficient roadway infrastructure disproportionately affects communities of color. The numbers indicate that Black pedestrians/cyclists were struck and killed by drivers at significantly higher rates than white, non-Hispanic Americans.

Subsequent efforts coming out of the IIJA seek to promote programs aimed at reimagining the nation’s urban transportation and traffic infrastructure by providing opportunities to rebuild safer and more equitable communities. Recent initiatives include:  

Safe Streets and Roadways for All (SS4A)

The Safe Streets and Roadways for All (SS4A), funded by IIJA, provides $1 billion in grant funding annually over the next five years to local government entities (not states) for planning and implementation of safety improvements aimed at achieving a “Vision Zero” goal. Vision Zero is a strategy to eliminate all traffic deaths and serious injuries by increasing safe and equitable mobility. 

Although aimed at local government, SS4A does create a new opportunity for states to provide technical assistance to municipal bodies on how to collaborate on best practices for planning, design, operation, and maintenance of public roads. By guiding ways to prioritize human safety  over vehicle speeds and throughput, states can foster a data-driven multimodal outlook to help tailor investments to communities in need of traffic calming and transportation alternatives. 

Reconnecting Communities Program 

Federal Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg’s $1 billion pilot program is aimed at helping reconnect cities and neighborhoods that have historically been racially divided by road projects. The program allows cities and states to apply for federal aid to rectify harm caused by roadways that were built to segregate lower-income, Black communities. 

Large divisive highways resulting from creation of the interstate highway system during the mid-20th century developed dangerous barriers to walking and biking that still exist today. The United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) has designed the Reconnecting Communities Program to be widely applicable and deal with all types of transportation infrastructure barriers. 

Updating the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD)

Did you know that one Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) document dictates how nearly every street in the United States is created? The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), often referred to as the “Traffic Engineer’s Bible” by traffic engineers, governs the engineering design of pavement markings, road signs, stop sign traffic control, and traffic signals on public streets. 

Historically, it emphasized design standards related solely to motor vehicle traffic, indicative of the priorities in place when the manual was last comprehensively rewritten in 1971. While the MUTCD has progressed substantially since the last comprehensive rewriting, including the most recent 2009 Edition and 2011 Supplement, the manual has lagged recent industry developments over the past 13 years, including numerous studies on the benefits and nuances of multimodal transportation design through “complete streets” initiatives at local levels, and technologies shown to enhance roadway safety such as the use of “Pedestrian-Actuated Rectangular Rapid-Flashing Beacons” (RRFB).  RRFB initially had FHWA interim approval, had it revoked, and then reinstated—causing much confusion across the industry. The lack of a recent MUTCD edition has forced engineers to review FHWA publications to sort through policy statements and interim approvals to verify the latest rules. 

The IIJA has mandated that USDOT, which oversees the FHWA, revise and adopt a new version of the MUTCD by May 2023. Proposed revisions to the manual are expected to make pedestrian and multimodal safety paramount to traffic design, provide a framework for reducing speed limits, remove red tape for traffic-calming tools, and more. This is welcome news for engineers and planners who are eager to have clarity on FHWA policies and enhanced guidance for engineering standards affecting pedestrian, bicycle, and transit facilities.  

Engineering’s Role

IIJA funding and program initiatives are only part of the solution. To truly transform our roadways for equitable safety, we as engineers must provide a holistic multimodal approach to transportation engineering. We are now at a pivotal time in history where we can move to orchestrate more efficient movement while providing the accessibility to transform all our communities for the better. 

One of the leading solutions to reducing carbon emissions is the replacing of traditional gas engine cars with electric vehicles.  Particularly within the United States where billions of dollars are being allocated to improving and maintaining vehicle infrastructure, electric vehicles represent a viable solution for limiting carbon emissions in some capacity.  However, current limitations on electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure need to be removed to demonstrate their viability.

Although many experts project a steep rise in the number of EVs on the road over the next few years, there are currently large areas of the country that have inadequate infrastructure to support this rise in EVs.  Several programs, initiatives, and private entities are pushing to extend the current network of EV charging stations in the United States, making longer distance trips to any part of the country a reality for EV users.  Programs such as Electrify America and the Electric Highway Coalition and companies such as Tesla are leading the push for the further development of EV charging infrastructure.  

The absence of a robust EV charging infrastructure network results in anxiety for EV users.  Like combustion engines, EV have a limited range of travel before refueling.  However, unlike gas cars, EV users don’t have the luxury of a charging station at every exit like we see with gas stations.  This causes what is known as “range anxiety” where EV users are less likely to take long trips in their vehicle.  Although EV charging infrastructure is becoming more widespread, there are still significant portions of the map that don’t provide easy re-charging options for EV users.  Matthew Selkirk, a Project Engineer at Dewberry, says that this lack of EV infrastructure means that EV users are often “siloed” in their options, meaning they are forced to travel certain routes.  This is especially prevalent in rural places like Western Louisiana, Western North Carolina, or rural Texas, according to Selkirk.  

With current projections seeing the number of EVs on the road increase significantly over the next few decades, it’s critical that infrastructure projects be undertaken that reduce the level of range anxiety and prevent siloing.  The majority of EV users make a single trip to work and back every day, totalling less than 50 miles.  For this, an at home level 2 EV charger is ideal, requiring a hard wired connection to the home’s electric panel.  However, as more EVs are on the road, their capacities have to expand if they are to replace gas powered cars.  According to Dave Revette, a Professional Engineer at Dewberry, one of the first steps in this process is constructing adequate Level 3 EV charging stations along various routes across the country.  Level 3 EV charging consists of DC, fast charging ports that power the battery at a vastly quicker rate than a level 2 charger or plugging into an outlet at home.  By constructing these Level 3 EV charging stations along alternative fuel routes, range anxiety can be reduced, and EVs will become a much more viable option for users on longer trips.

Much of our current EV charging infrastructure in the United States has been in development for over a decade, and, according to Selkirk, there has been a significant amount of development during that time.  Selkirk also believes that the development of these new infrastructure networks mirrors a shift in the way vehicle infrastructure is designed and developed.  Much of the new EV charging infrastructure is being constructed with exclusivity, meaning it is separate from the existing fueling stations.  There is a recent trend in EV charging infrastructure towards greenfield development.  While this is a positive in its future effect of fueling infrastructure, this means that instead of small scale, rapid-deployment engineering projects, many of these are becoming larger in scale.  By requiring “full blown site civil design”, according to Selkirk, the lead time on these greenfield EV solutions is increased from one month to three or four.  The end goal of the numerous different initiatives to improve EV charging infrastructure–both public and private–is to create a robust, nation-wide network of easy-to-access stations.  One of the biggest challenges of doing such a thing is inherent to its very nature.  The process of creating an EV charging network that spans multiple states and jurisdictions creates opportunities in some places and challenges in others, which has partially resulted in siloing.  

Despite the challenges posed by working across numerous jurisdictions, the rate of construction for EV charging infrastructure is on the rise as a result of both public and private partnerships between different entities.  As these new networks are being built out, this is an opportunity to learn from our past infrastructure mistakes, using this as a space to build a network that is designed with traditionally underserved communities in mind.  In doing so, EVs and the infrastructure necessary to support them represent fertile ground to build a future transportation network that is designed from the standpoint of sustainability and equality.

Luke Carothers is the Editor for Civil + Structural Engineer Media. If you want us to cover your project or want to feature your own article, he can be reached at lcarothers@zweiggroup.com.  

Both walls are 10 feet tall from foundation to roadway grade. Each wall added a length of highway shoulder about 500 feet long. The walls were built using concrete panel facing, steel soil reinforcements, and lightweight cellular concrete (LCC) for backfill.

The existing foundation had bearing and settlement limitations. Even though the proposed walls were not significantly tall, a new MSE wall filling in the existing slope using granular soil or crushed stone backfill material would create too heavy of a new load for the foundation. Either the wall volume would have to be below a certain weight, or else the foundation would need improvement prior to installation of the wall.

To optimize project schedule and cost, the contractor, Kiewit, considered factors such as the size of the walls, material availability, and installation speed. RECo’s engineering department did a calculation to show that the weight of the MSE wall volume with LLC would less than the original weight on the foundation with the original slope. Ultimately, the lightweight backfill option was chosen, using Cell-Crete. The LCC material, with a unit weight of 36 lb per cubic-feet, is about 70% lighter weight than typical select granular backfill.

Using LCC for backfill requires a modified MSE installation process. A conventional MSE wall is built by repeating the process of compacting lifts of backfill, laying soil reinforcement on top of the fill, then compacting more fill on top. However, LCC is poured as a liquid and requires that the soil reinforcements be located in the middle of a lift rather than at a joint in the LCC lifts. This means that the soil reinforcements are supported off the ground using rebar stakes to make sure the LCC flows below and above the soil reinforcements. Other measures must be taken to contain the LCC liquid pour, which is not necessary when using granular backfill. Once the LCC cures, results in a lightweight wall mass.

The use of lightweight cellular concrete for MSE backfill is becoming more common across the country as a solution for weak foundations, or even simply for project constructability. In the case of the H-1 Freeway widening, it proved to be the best alternative to produce a new lightweight embankment with the strength to carry the highest volume of traffic in Hawaii.

DALLAS-FORT WORTH, TX and LINCOLNSHIRE, IL – National civil engineering and surveying firm Manhard Consulting has acquired an established DFW-area surveying firm, Realsearch of Texas, LLC, welcoming its staff of eight to the Manhard family and the firm’s Fort Worth office at 505 Pecan Street, Suite 201.

“Incorporating the Realsearch team into our organization allows us to offer all our services under one roof,” said Don Manhard, Jr., President and CEO. “Integrating surveying and engineering improves our communication and efficiency and ensures personalized, detail-oriented attention for each client and each project, which is a hallmark of how we work.”

The firm was led by Jeremy Deal, who joins Manhard as a senior project manager. Deal, a professional surveyor and UT Arlington civil engineering graduate, adds to the firm’s surveying and engineering capabilities along with his years of experience working on projects in the DFW metroplex, including:

• Sapphire Bay, a luxury mixed-use resort development in Rowlett, Texas

• Bishop North, a multi-family development in the Bishop Arts District of Dallas, Texas

• StayOvr at the Star-Frisco, a multi-family/hospitality development in Frisco, Texas

“Our experience collaborating with Manhard allowed us to get to know and trust one another,” said Deal. “This gives us the opportunity to grow our volume of surveying work in DFW while supporting Manhard’s commitment to the area, and it provides additional opportunities for our staff to learn and grow within a larger organization.”

Manhard associates have worked with Deal and his team for years, finding success together based on a shared work ethic and focus on client service. Given the metroplex’s rapid growth and population gains, teaming up provides more options to respond to the market. For example, the low inventory of homes means rising prices and demand for developers to plan and execute more home building. A steadily growing populace needs additional infrastructure and industrial development to manufacture and deliver goods in the last mile, along with healthcare, education, and retail development. Manhard has decades of experience supporting developers’ work to bring these types of projects to fruition.

This addition of Realsearch of Texas to Manhard Consulting gives the firm 12 offices nationwide, with four in Texas–Dallas, Fort Worth, Plano, and Austin.

About Manhard Consulting
Manhard Consulting is celebrating its 50th year of finding solutions and delivering results as a full-service civil engineering and surveying firm that serves public and private clients nationwide. With more than 275 employees, 12 offices across the United States and more than 10,000 clients, Manhard Consulting continues to lead the industry as one of the most responsive, innovative, and technologically advanced civil engineering and surveying firms in the country. Learn more about Manhard on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Cross has expertise that spans a wide range of transportation-related services, including roadways and bridges, trails, pedestrian walkways and stormwater drainage. His career includes leading teams and projects as a city engineer and working for more than 12 years for the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT). His tenure at ODOT included administering the agency’s construction program within an 11-county division in southwest Oklahoma.

Having led dozens of transportation and infrastructure projects, Cross can shepherd cities through projects that will add capacity for rapid growth, as well as through rehabilitations to upgrade aging facilities.

“In addition to his impressive experience and depth of knowledge, David puts an emphasis on high-level customer service, which is one of our firm’s leading values,” said Brandon Huxford, Freese and Nichols’ Transportation Group Manager in Oklahoma. “He knows how to build relationships and develop trust with clients because he understands the issues they face and the solutions they need.”

Cross is a Registered Professional Engineer in Oklahoma and Texas and a Certified Floodplain Manager. He received his BS in Civil Engineering from Oklahoma State University.

Freese and Nichols, Inc., is a professional consulting firm serving clients across the Southeast and Southwest United States. Since 1894, we have planned, designed and managed public infrastructure projects with client-centered innovation in mind. We are the first engineering/architecture firm to receive the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.

In this newly created role, Koeninger will lead STV’s approach to client relationships and develop programs and processes that increase the efficiency and effectiveness of initiatives that support growth. She is based in Dallas, Texas.

“Stephanie is one of the leading client account management experts in the nation. She brings a wealth of knowledge, experience and energy to STV that will help elevate the service we provide our clients,” said Greg Kelly, P.E., president and CEO. “We are excited to welcome her to our growing STV team.”

Koeninger is a market growth and account strategy development executive with over 20 years of broad professional services experience. Prior to joining STV, she served as the executive director, growth and strategy at KPMG, where she led sales and marketing teams that managed enablement programs for account management, relationship management, sales effectiveness, lead management, opportunity management and voice of the client. Her extensive background includes program strategy, process design and execution, training design and facilitation, technology enablement, reporting/analytics, and adoption to support the overall client experience and strategic growth of the business.

Koeninger graduated from Abilene Christian University with a degree in International Business. She is certified as a SAFe Agilist and a Six Sigma Green Belt.

For more information about STV, visit www.stvinc.com.

Santa Clara, Calif., – July 20, 2021 – LYT, a leader in intelligent connected traffic technology solutions, and TriMet, provider of mass transit transportation services in the Portland, Oregon metro area, are jointly deploying LYT’s next generation Transit Signal Priority (TSP) software solution as part of TriMet’s Division Transit Project.

Incorporating LYT’s TSP software, LYT.transit, will allow traffic signals to prioritize bus travel, improving timing and reliability for transit riders. The Division Transit Project is paving the way for longer buses moving efficiently and reliably at frequent service intervals, enabling riders to reach their destination faster and on time. Improving the timing of TriMet’s public bus transportation will improve traffic flow.

The Kirkland-based firm INRIX last year released their 2020 survey of global traffic congestion and showed that the Portland metro area ranks 14th worst in the nation and 115th worst in the world. Portland area commuters lost 27 hours being stuck in traffic during 2020¹.

“TriMet is one of the most progressive transit agencies in the nation, leveraging modern technologies to improve transportation for the people across the Portland Metro Region,” said Timothy Menard, Founder and CEO of LYT. “Our goal is to improve the way people move through our cities while improving safety and reducing congestion for communities. By adopting LYT’s solutions, agencies like TriMet can leverage artificial intelligence, machine learning technologies, and real-time information and analytics to improve the intelligence of their operation, benefitting travelers and residents alike.”

Once it’s completed this fall, the Division Transit Project will speed up bus service with longer buses, more frequent service and the newer Transit Signal Priority system between downtown Portland, east Portland and the suburb of Gresham. LYT’s technology is now installed in 58 intersections and the entire Division Transit Project will be set to begin moving passengers on September 18, 2022.

“We awarded the Division Transit Project to LYT based on their technology and expertise. LYT has completed setup and we are now beginning operational training and testing along the Division Street corridor,” said A.J. O’Conner, Director Intelligent Transportation Systems at TriMet. “By moving buses faster and more efficiently, our riders will be able to rely on TriMet buses more and ultimately more people will have the confidence to get on board.”

For the last 100 years the humble traffic light has been reliant on its simple social sensors. LYT connects the signal to information that is far-reaching to move the point that LYT connected the traffic lights back to the road users. LYT unlocks the power that’s inside the signal and influences the decisioning and operations of that signal in the cloud using artificial intelligence. By leveraging machine learning and artificial intelligence to tap into what’s happening at the street level, LYT is making signals operate more efficiently and smarter. LYT’s solutions are offered and implemented very quickly for entire cities.

About LYT

LYT is an intelligent connected traffic technology provider that offers a cloud-based platform that orchestrates today’s Intelligent Transportation Systems. LYT’s AI-powered machine learning data enables a suite of transit signal priority solutions that utilize pre-existing transit tracking sensors and city communication networks to dynamically adjust the phase and timing of traffic signals to provide sufficient green clearance time while minimally impacting cross traffic. LYT is headquartered in Silicon Valley and serves municipalities across the US. Learn more at LYT.ai.

About TriMet

TriMet provides bus, light rail, commuter rail transit and paratransit services in the Portland, Oregon, metro area. TriMet connects people with their community, while easing traffic congestion and reducing air pollution—making the Portland area a better place to live. For more information about TriMet, please visit www.trimet.org.

“The cost of paying staff to watch their computers churn through opening large Revit files or processing large  volumes of data can be significant,” said Glynnis Patterson, Director of Software Development, Ideate  Software. “Ideate Automation is a scripting tool that works with Ideate Software to run those time-intensive  tasks in the background while staff works on other activities, or even during non-working hours.” 

Ideate Automation runs silently, which means it can run unattended on a dedicated computer or on a person’s  computer while they work on other things. And because the automation is scripted, the resulting data is  standardized and free from end-user errors.  

On its own, Ideate Automation can be used to export PDF files. Below are examples of how it can work with  Ideate Software solutions. Here is a short overview video. 

• Ideate BIMLink, which enables users to export data from Revit software to Microsoft Excel for easy  editing, can drive Ideate Automation to produce document issue records, export health check data,  prepare COBie data drops, and generate quantity takeoff data. 
• Ideate Explorer, which allows users to search for elements not found in the Revit browser, can drive  Ideate Automation to export Revit model warnings data. 
• Ideate StyleManager, which helps Revit users analyze, delete, or merge non-standard styles, can drive  Ideate Automation to audit model information. 
• Ideate Annotate, which ensures the legibility of tags, text, dimensions, and other annotative elements,  can drive Ideate Automation to review annotation clashes. 

Ideate Automation is available to customers with Bundle subscriptions for an additional charge, and it is free to  customers with Enterprise subscriptions. Visit www.ideatesoftware.com for more details or to get a free trial. 

About Ideate Software – Ideate Software, an Autodesk® AEC Industry Partner and Autodesk® Authorized  Developer, empowers Revit users to gain unprecedented control over their data. We developed Ideate  BIMLink, Ideate Explorer, Ideate Sticky, IdeateApps, and Ideate StyleManager to solve persistent problems in  architecture, engineering, and construction, and owner-operator (AECO) workflows. We developed Ideate  Automation to boost the power of our Revit plugins by running time-intensive activities in the background. 

Autodesk and Revit are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries and/or  affiliates in the USA and/or other countries. 

Microsoft Excel is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and other countries. All  other brand names, product names or trademarks belong to their respective holders.

“Conrad has risen to the challenge of running the Boston Division and in his tenure has shown he has the technical ability, drive and ambition to make the office a prominent engineering provider in the Northeast.  I look forward to working with him and his excellent staff for decades to come,” said David Crutchfield, PE, Vice President and Corporate Secretary at RMF, who oversees the firm’s offices in Charleston, South Carolina; Atlanta, Georgia; and Boston, Massachusetts. 

With over 15 years of experience in the AEC industry, Hertz has developed a reputation for navigating challenging and complex projects across a range of typologies––including science & technology, education, and corporate-commercial. Highly skilled in managing stakeholder relationships with owners, operators, OPMs, occupants, and architects on each new project, Hertz brings a unique ability to integrate the holistic project goals with the MEP systems to deliver a quality design solution. He holds a B.S. from the University of Vermont and is a graduate of Tufts University’s Fletcher School. 

Hertz has played an integral role in growing RMF’s presence in the greater Boston area, helping to cultivate a team of professionals that has nearly tripled since he first joined the firm in 2020. Refining his capabilities with expanded responsibilities as Division Manager, Hertz will be tasked with steering that multidisciplinary team through a building landscape that increasingly prioritizes sustainability, decarbonization, and energy efficiency. Hertz will also continue working in partnership with engineering teams from RMF’s other office locations to strengthen the firm’s collaborative spirit and best-in-class talent offering in building and utility engineering services. 

“This is an incredibly exciting time to be building in an inherently future-forward city like Boston,” said Hertz. “We are continuing to see a need for greener, more flexible, and increasingly innovative spaces; I’m thrilled to be leading a team with the technical expertise to meet that demand with inventive new ideas.”

Cavaggioni graduated in Business & Administration from the Luigi Bocconi University of Milan, where he also obtained an Executive Master in Marketing & Sales. After holding positions of increasing responsibility – with a passion for sales and marketing – both in the industrial sectors (Saint Gobain and Hilti) and in the automotive sector (he was EMEA manager of the Alfa Romeo and Maserati brands for Europe and China), he recently held the position of Vice President Sales & Service for North America at the Palfinger Group, a multinational active in industrial lifting systems.

Alberto Cavaggioni, CEO of RINA Consulting, said: “It is really exciting for me to move from the world of industry to that of services, especially to enter a company like RINA Consulting which is very active on issues of social interest such as energy, industry, mobility and infrastructure. I thank Ugo Salerno and Roberto Carpaneto for their trust and the 3,000 people – whose great skills and passion I have already appreciated – and with whom I will work side by side to further grow the company, especially in foreign markets”.

“Alberto’s experience and knowledge will allow us to continue down the path that led RINA Consulting to be recognized as Italy’s top engineering consultancy in 2021 and one of the most important in the international market. We want to continue to provide our expertise to public and private stakeholders to help realise the most important projects both in Italy and globally” added Roberto Carpaneto, President of RINA Consulting.

RINA Consulting is RINA’s engineering consultancy unit. It has established itself as one of the key players in the infrastructure, energy, industry, transport and logistics markets internationally. With around 3,000 experts across 3 dedicated business units – Energy & Mobility, Industry, Infrastructure – as well as a dedicated Research & Development team, it has a turnover of around 272 million euros, equal to 51% of the Group’s total.

As a health and safety requirement, routine internal pressure vessel inspections must be carried out at plants across the world but the process of closing down production, depressurising the vessel and transporting any fluids or liquids is extremely costly. 

In addition, these inspections in hazardous environments are currently carried out by humans and there is a high level of risk involved.

To combat these problems, a remotely controlled robot, Chimera, has been developed by a collaboration of companies across the UK for use across all industries, including oil and gas, nuclear and water.

Chimera is a machine which can withstand hazardous environments and is built in two components to allow a great deal of flexibility so it can climb internal vessel walls, and is attached to a tether to enable the machine to be controlled remotely by an operator from a safe distance.

The robot will have a camera attached to relay live images back to the operator and an ultrasonic phased array inspection system and LIDAR scanner will also be included to create a 3D map of the internal structure to paint an accurate picture of the state of the vessel and identify damage.

A slender ‘snake’ arm can also be attached to carry out any minor repairs needed in such a confined space.

Cumbrian engineering firm Forth has developed the robotic platform of the Chimera project and has successfully trialled the machine to prove that the concept model accurately carries out its functions.

Joshua Oakes, a Project Engineer at Forth, said: “Maintenance inspections need to be carried out routinely on pressure vessels the world over and the process of having to stop production and draining or transporting any fluid or gas is a long, and very expensive, one. On average, it can cost £40,000 per day to shut production down, and these inspections can go on for days.

“It also requires people to conduct the inspections and it can be hard getting in and out of the confined spaces, and very dangerous due to the substances which have previously been stored in the vessels.

“Chimera removes the human element from hazardous environments, and lets the work get carried out from a safe, remote distance.

“The job can also be completed in hours rather than days, with production not having to be stopped at all.”

The Chimera innovation will come equipped with four heavy duty magnets each with a pull of 116kg worth of weight so it can climb interior walls and ceilings.

The machine features a four-track drive and the operator will be able to steer each track individually to ensure it can be easily controlled.

The purpose of it being constructed in two separate parts is twofold: to allow for a greater deal of flexibility and to enable the machine to be dragged back should power be lost in the machine’s motors.

To reduce the risks of losing power, a water cooling system has been included on the machine to keep the electrics cool during use.

The team at Forth has proven the concept of Chimera with partners, and has successfully trialled a working model.

They are now looking to gain financial backers to progress the process of the innovation to the next stage, allowing the machine to be modified and adapted into a commercial piece of equipment.

The Innovate UK-backed programme has also been supported by The Welding Institute, Headlight AI, Sound Mathematics, the University of Nottingham, Rolls Royce, Metallisation and Race.

The enhanced workflow enables architecture, engineering, construction, and operations (AECO) companies to streamline collaboration between the multiple stakeholders working together on a project in a VR environment. This reduces the potential for errors and miscommunication and helps unlock valuable insights in real time.

The BricsCAD BIM solution leverages OpenBIM and certified IFC (Industry Foundation Classes) workflows, making it easy for Vrex subscribers to virtually meet inside the model, perform visual inspections and exchange buildings and project data in a compliant manner from any location.

Rahul Kejriwal, CEO of Bricsys, says: “BricsCAD BIM equips Vrex users with an AI-powered design tool supporting flexible workflows, and feature-rich tools that have an IFC-first approach, paving the way for successful projects and better products. This partnership is another exciting step in our mission of providing industry-leading software solutions as the construction sector continues to digitize.”

Easy to use, both platforms support the exchange of BIM Collaboration Format (BCF) issues via interface services such as BIM Track, BIMsync and BIMcollab to allow easy communication of issues emerging during the virtual meeting to be resolved within BricsCAD BIM.

Hans Fredrik Johansen, CEO of VREX says: “Vrex integrating with BricsCAD is another step towards the global BIM integration we want to achieve. With Vrex-BricsCAD anyone, regardless of their experience level, can step into the 3D model and understand them instantly. It allows for crystal clear communication across teams and seamless collaboration in a virtual reality environment.”

About Bricsys

Bricsys (www.bricsys.com), part of Hexagon, is the global technology company that creates the BricsCAD® family of computer aided design (CAD) products and the Bricsys® 24/7 project collaboration platform. We are relentlessly committed to the success of our customers by offering cost-effective, mission-critical CAD software with industry-leading product support.

Established in Belgium in 2002, Bricsys NV has approximately 300 employees around the world, partners in more than 80 countries and 1,200 registered application developers.

© 2021 Bricsys NV. All rights reserved.

About Vrex

Vrex is the collaboration platform that uses virtual reality to make complex project models easy to understand. The highly scalable and secure SaaS platform can easily serve the largest AEC projects from design and planning through construction and maintenance. Leading architect-, construction- and engineering- companies use Vrex to unlock project insights and enable clear communication between stakeholders — minimizing errors, misunderstandings, and saving time & money across the building process. https://www.vrex.no/

Carl has spent the majority of his career successfully scaling professional services organisations by driving sustainable, controlled growth that benefits clients and large-scale projects.

In the early 2000’s Carl was part of the Executive team that led Detica (now part of BAE Systems) from an organisation of 200 people to over 2000, through a combination of organic and inorganic growth, in only five years.

At Deloitte, Carl helped scale the Consulting business and led Deloitte Ventures, which focussed on using analytics and software to automate elements of the service delivery model.   In addition, he was one of Deloitte’s Quality Assurance partners ensuring method and approach were consistent and delivering the very best for clients. His experience of managing risk in periods of major organisational growth through quality assurance and automation of tasks using technological innovation chime perfectly with Wood Thilsted’s focus on agility, technology, quality and cost management.

Carl Bates said: “I am particularly excited to be joining Wood Thilsted at such an exceptional moment. The world’s future depends on a successful transition to clean energy and Wood Thilsted is playing a key role in designing the foundations and infrastructure for offshore wind power that is such an integral part of this transition. I look forward to working with the team to ensure we continue to deliver the highest quality innovative services and advice for our clients.”

Wood Thilsted CEO and Co-Founder, Alastair Muir Wood said: “We are excited that Carl has agreed to lead Wood Thilsted’s board. His vast experience of scaling organisations whilst maintaining quality, continuing to drive innovation and building systems and processes that align to this growth, will be invaluable as we continue to work on the world’s most exciting and ambitious offshore wind energy projects.”

Carl will take up his role as Chair of the board effective this month.