Former Vice President of Jacobs Engineering Group Joins Dulles, Va. Engineering Consulting Firm

Alpha Corporation, a woman-owned engineering and construction consulting firm with offices throughout the country and its headquarters in Dulles, Va., recently named industry-veteran, Kathleen Linehan, P.E., as its new president, effective July 22, 2019. Linehan, formerly vice president for Jacobs Engineering Group (formerly CH2M Hill) of Arlington, Va., brings nearly 30 years of experience in the engineering consulting business.

“We are entering an exciting new time at Alpha as we approach our 40^th anniversary—expanding and innovating our services with a continued commitment to excellence” said Kate Curtin Lindsey, board chair and CEO of Alpha Corporation in Dulles, Va. “Kathleen brings the perfect blend of experience and know-how to lead us through the next 40 years,” said Lindsey. “In addition, as a female CEO in an overwhelmingly male industry, I can’t help but note that Kathleen is a terrific role model for women and girls focused on STEM.”

Linehan’s professional experience is a broad and deep mix of engineering and construction management. She led many Washington, D.C. construction projects, including: program manager for the South Capitol Street Bridge and 11th Street Bridge project, project principal for the Virginia Department of Transportation Mega Projects, project advisor for St. Elizabeth’s Hospital East Campus, principal in charge of the Anacostia Waterfront Initiative and various roles for the Federal Highway Administration and D.C. Department of Transportation.

Most recently, Linehan served as vice president for Jacobs Engineering Group (formerly CH2M Hill), a $15 billion design, engineering, construction, and technical services firm based in Arlington, Va. She is a registered professional engineer and earned her master’s degree in public administration from the George Washington University in Washington, D.C. and her bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Marquette University in Minnesota where she now serves on the Civil Engineering Advisory Council. Linehan is also on the executive committee for the Federal City Council and board of directors for the Anacostia Watershed Society in Washington, D.C.

About Alpha Corporation

Headquartered in Dulles, Va., Alpha Corporationis a woman-owned multidisciplinary construction consulting firm providing engineering, program and construction management, project controls and technology services with offices in Baltimore, Miami and Virginia Beach, Va. Established in 1979, Alpha’s clients include public and private sector organizations responsible for a broad range of building, civil infrastructure, energy/utilities and transportation projects. To learn more, visit https://www.alphacorporation.com, or visit us on Facebook at AlphaCorpUSA, Twitter@alphacorpUSA and Instagram @alphacorpusa.

Due to the growing demand for high-speed data connections, particularly 5G, microtrenching is sweeping across the U.S. Recently, it has been deployed in several cities, including Austin, New York, San Francisco, San Antonio and Charlotte. For urban areas especially, microtrenching is the best way to bring fiber optic cable to homes, businesses and government agencies. The process is fast, less invasive and minimizes interruption to traffic flow.

PND Engineers, Inc. marks its 40th anniversary in 2019 and looks forward to bringing innovative design to clients across Alaska, as well as the Lower 48, for many more years to come.

“PND really appreciates our contractor clients and especially enjoys challenging work in construction engineering, design-build projects, and value engineering,” PND President Jim Campbell said.

Founded in Anchorage in 1979 by Roy Peratrovich, Jr. and Dennis Nottingham, PND specializes in civil and structural engineering, roads, geotechnical engineering, river hydrology, coastal and marine work, surveying, and the design of bridges, buildings, and other structural systems. Other areas of expertise are planning, research, and construction management, with the goal of offering clients a superior product at a lower cost. PND’s headquarters are in Anchorage, Alaska, with additional offices in Palmer and Juneau, Alaska; Seattle, Washington; Portland, Oregon; Houston, Texas; and Vancouver, B.C., Canada.

Projects designed by the firm are seen throughout Alaska and the Pacific Northwest, and increasingly across the Lower 48 and overseas. Sample signature works include the Juneau Cruise Ship Docks and Kodiak and Unalaska container terminals in Alaska; Tudor Road Trail Crossing and Clark Middle School in Anchorage; the CD5, Liberty, Northstar, and Point Thomson developments on the North Slope of Alaska; and hundreds of roads, buildings, and waterfront designs in every region of the state.

Research and development over the years has led to patents for OPEN CELL SHEET PILE technology, used for docks, heavy load marine terminals, bridge abutments and cofferdams; development of SPIN FIN piles, which are equipped with angled plate fins that rotate into the ground to achieve extreme pile capacities; the GUNDERBOOM environmental barrier system, used for oil spill control, beach protection, marine/aquatic life exclusion, particulate control, and reservoir protection; and the FreeSpan STRAND BRIDGE design, an innovative solution for crossing waterways and wetlands that complies with environmental restrictions.

The firm’s designs have earned many accolades from prestigious national, regional, and local organizations, such as the Construction Innovation Fo­rum, Inc. NOVA Award in 1998 for our OPEN CELL SHEET PILE bulk­head technology, and the Associated General Contractors of America’s Aon Build America Awards in 2010 for the Umm Qasr Pier and Seawall project in post-war Iraq, and in 2011 for the St. Paul Island Fur Seal Observation Towers and Walk­ways on Pribilof Islands, Alaska.

In 2004, Nottingham was awarded the Associated General Contractors of Alaska’s Hard Hat award – an honor generally reserved for a contractor – for his work on development of construction technologies and procedures that have benefited the petroleum, mining, and construction industries in Alaska and worldwide. In 2014, he was elected into the inaugural class of the Alaska Innovators Hall of Fame.

“After 40 years in business, PND is a proven and proud Alaska engineering firm, with deep roots in Alaska’s construction history, and over 100 engineers, scientists, and expert technical staff committed to the service of our clients,” Campbell said.

Visit PND at any of its offices or learn more at pndengineers.com.

Integrating BuildingConnected with PlanGrid solves a major problem for project managers, who typically use the same designs, plans, estimates and other documentation during preconstruction as in the construction phase. Historically, managers have needed to manually transfer these files and documents into field collaboration software, a time-consuming and repetitive process that can result in missing files or data errors – and ultimately, miscommunications and project delays.

Now, project managers can create PlanGrid projects directly in BuildingConnected. With a simple “push to PlanGrid” button, all project files in BuildingConnected are automatically sent to PlanGrid where they can be accessed immediately from mobile devices in the field. By transferring design and preconstruction files into PlanGrid, managers can sidestep manual project creation and ensure that accurate and holistic data is available to field teams.

“Successful project execution starts the moment we win a deal. Our team immediately goes into overdrive to make sure we maximize efficiency throughout the entire build process, connecting workflows and seamlessly transferring complex data from the design and planning phase into the hands of workers on the jobsite,” said Mike Mehrwin, VDC manager, CRB. “By taking advantage of the BuildingConnected and PlanGrid integration, we’ll be able to close the gap between the preconstruction and building process and enable deeper collaboration between our office and field teams.”

“The construction industry has struggled with transferring information from one project to another, and across the different phases of a building project. It’s easy to feel insecure about the logistics of kicking off a job when the right tools to facilitate workflows don’t exist,” said Dustin DeVan, vice president, preconstruction products at Autodesk. “By reducing errors and the need for rework, this integration will help to mitigate overall project risk and help to ensure more predictable outcomes. Project managers can now feel more confident as they transition from precon to site construction.”

Autodesk positions construction teams for success with product integrations

The BuildingConnected integration with PlanGrid follows quickly on the heels of other integrations between construction solutions Autodesk has acquired in the last 12 months, such as:

• BIM 360^Ⓡ Ops and PlanGrid – Now available, the integration allows owners using BIM 360 Ops to easily manage work order tickets created in PlanGrid for more efficient building maintenance.
• PlanGrid and Revit^Ⓡ – Users now have access to Revit Building Information Modeling (BIM) data, in either 2D or 3D, directly within PlanGrid on their mobile devices.
• BIM 360 and Assemble – Specifications and other project documents stored in BIM 360 are now available for viewing in Assemble models; Issue creation is now available in Assemble, and tracked and managed via BIM 360 issue management workflows.
• Assemble and Navisworks^Ⓡ – New publishing capabilities allow project teams to access an increasing number of file types to bring coordinated models from Navisworks to Assemble.

“By connecting our portfolio of construction solutions, we’re empowering customers to realize meaningful workflows across the entire project lifecycle, whether it’s delivering design files from the office to the field or referencing an accurate as-built during building operations,” said Jim Lynch, vice president and general manager, Autodesk Construction Solutions. “Autodesk is reimagining the construction business for the digital age, and we look forward to the positive impact this integration will have for our customers.”

Green Badger does this by pairing its cloud-based technology with project-specific training, LEED tips and tricks, and ongoing project team support. Green Badger’s cross-platform, cloud-based solution connects teams so that everyone has access to real-time updates, can document from the field, and automate repetitive and time-consuming tasks. When your team completes documentation, you can easily export your project data and upload to LEED online and get on with your next job!

Tommy Linstroth is a LEED fellow and founder of the LEED compliance software Green Badger (https://getgreenbadger.com/).

Linistroth has personally been involved with more than 50 projects achieving LEED certification, with another two dozen underway.

Projects he’s worked on include:

• The first building in the Southeast to be both LEED-certified and in the National Register of Historic places
• The first all-retail LEED shopping center in the nation
• The first LEED McDonald’s restaurant
• Sustainable Fellwood, one of the largest green affordable housing developments – part of the LEED for Neighborhood Developments pilot program and LEED for Homes program – in the nation

Before starting Pvilion, Mr. Touhey worked as an engineer in the wind and ocean current energy industry designing and developing unique technologies for turbine controls. In 2009, he gained experience in solar fabric as an engineer for FTL Solar, a predecessor to Pvilion. There he met Pvilion Co-Founders, Robert Lerner, and Todd Dalland, which led to the development of Pvilion as a technology company.

Mr. Touhey received his Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Trinity College in Hartford, CT. He is an adjunct professor at Columbia Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation and a visiting lecturer at Cornell University College of Architecture. Recipient of Grant funding from NASA, Department of Defense, NYSERDA, Member of ATP Board of Directors and recently named to Forbes 30 Under 30, Mr. Touhey is often called on to share his expertise in the integration of flexible solar cells and textiles with Industry Leaders, Designers, International Brands, Universities, and Research Facilities.

New Yorkers are not used to looking to affordable housing developments for innovations, but Penn South and Rochdale Village are energy leaders. They are showing the way for New York City, as it addresses energy priorities in the 21^st century.

Penn South, composed of 10 buildings and nearly 3,000 units, stretches from 23^rd to 29^th Streets between Eighth and Ninth Avenues. It is 57 years old. Rochdale Village is one year younger and consists of 20 buildings in Greater Jamaica. Both provide affordable housing to moderate and middle-income New Yorkers through New York’s Mitchell-Lama program.

Both have their own cogeneration power plants, which produce all the electrical power, heating, air-conditioning, and domestic hot water for their entire residential developments and other amenities with no connection to an outside utility company. (Other affordable housing complexes are partially off the grid.) Cogeneration is a more efficient use of fuel than traditional power generation because otherwise-wasted heat from electricity generation is put to productive use.

Both housing complexes are examples for the rest of New York City because many districts and facilities could be well-served by cogeneration, in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and neither complex is dependent on Con Edison.

Land & Water is celebrating 25^th this year and the company is thinking towards the future. One of the most important aspects of the company’s work is safeguarding and improving environments for the next generation to enjoy. An integral part of Land & Water’s master plan is to invest in UK infrastructure to build sustainable end-to-end relationships with key partners.

As part of this plan, Land & Water purchased Coldharbour Lane Jetty, a new facility which has achieved full planning permission to act as a marine logistics centre which will support major infrastructure projects along the Thames Estuary. The wharf, which has three fully operational shipping berths, will handle waste spoils from construction works and allow them to be shipped to the company’s adjacent habitat creation site at Rainham Marshes. The hub will also act as a transport node for materials and products to be shipped onto barges for onward distribution into London.

James Maclean, CEO of Land & Water comments: “I am convinced that innovative logistics solutions will unlock future supply chains into London as the days of diesel-fuelled heavy trucks delivering commodities into the capital are numbered.

Our sustainable hub at Rainham offers the ideal solution, taking advantage of our close proximity to the A13 and M25 trunk roads, linking them directly to water transport, unlocking the River Thames as a liquid highway. We hope our hub will be able to feed a fleet of electric distribution vehicles deep inside the city, which will have a positive long-term effect on the environment, and ease congestion.”

This new facility saves 86 articulated lorry movements into and out of the capital for every 1,200-tonne barge that leaves the hub. It also provides Land & Water a major operational foothold in the Thames, allowing the company to offer credible logistics solutions to its clients and the London basin.

James continues: “This long-term, cost-effective solution has already attracted three separate businesses to trade with Land & Water at the facility. We hope many more will come to use this strategic asset, located just inside the M25 on the banks of the River Thames.”

With this investment, Autodesk expands its existing relationship with Factory_OS by supporting the build-out of the Factory Floor Learning Center, a space dedicated to education and research on industrialized construction and changes needed in public policy to optimize its benefits. This work will be led by the Terner Center for Housing Innovation. The investment will also help establish a team to scope and build a new Rapid Response Factory. This second factory space offers an opportunity to both explore additional machining techniques and to meet the demand for quick turnaround housing needed after natural disasters and emergencies. Together, Autodesk and Factory_OS will provide greater software collaboration to streamline design, fabrication and supply chain management.

Citi is backing Factory_OS through its Spread Products Investment Technologies (SPRINT) initiative within the ICG division, which formed in 2018 to invest and engage new technology partners, and Citi Community Capital, the bank unit through which Citi works to finance all types of affordable housing and community development projects. In 2018, Citi reported over $6 billion of lending to finance affordable rental housing projects and was recognized as the Country’s largest affordable housing lender for the ninth consecutive year.

“Autodesk and Citi are playing a critical role in our continued growth and expansion,” said Rick Holliday, CEO of Factory_OS. “We’re proud to stand alongside two companies that share our vision for transforming the construction industry, and care deeply about addressing the housing crisis that exists not only in our backyard but also in urban centers nationwide.”

Added Andrew Anagnost, CEO of Autodesk: “Factory_OS is a pioneer that is revolutionizing the approach to modularized homebuilding and making the dream of affordable housing in cities, a reality. We’re honored to support their mission, in collaboration with Citi, of giving families safe and affordable homes to call their own. I have no doubt our continued collaboration will serve as a springboard to addressing the growing housing crisis nationwide.”

“Bringing innovation to affordable housing is critical in addressing one of the nation’s most pressing challenges,” said Matt Zhang, Head of Spread Products Investment Technologies at Citi. “We’re excited to be part of this envisioning process and together, with Factory OS, we can help bring transformational changes to meet the growing demand for safe, high-quality affordable housing.”