Sunday, November 22, 2009

Patti Engineering's Biometric Access Control System Installed at NIH

Law Enforcement Intelligent Devices will install its locker system and Biometric

Access Control System (BACS) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human

Services' National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, MD.  The locker system

will support the NIH's entire police force that is responsible for protecting our nation's

medical research agency.  The project is expected to be completed in

February 2010.


Developed by Patti Engineering, BACS secures, tracks

(via RFID), and provides full accountability for critical assets.  The NIH

officer's equipment and/or weapons now will be marked with an RFID chip

linked to the kiosk. The user logs into the BACS application to access

equipment by placing their finger on the biometric reader for verification.

Then the user selects the authorized equipment and/or weapon listed on the

touch screen, which is then retrieved from a secure locker.


Law enforcement departments throughout the country are using the system

to allow for full accountability of their armory and a credible history

report that links officers to their assigned equipment.  


Based in Auburn Hill, Michigan, Patti Engineering (www.pattieng.com) develops

information and electrical control systems used for retail distribution,

manufacturing plants, water/theme parks, libraries, law enforcement,

military, municipalities, waste water, food industry, ice arenas, and

college/universities.

Hall & Hall Engineers Hires Principal and Project Manager

Hall & Hall Engineers, a land development firm with offices in Hiawatha and Coralville, in Iowa, announces that Ken DeKeyser has joined the firm as a principal and project manager. DeKeyser will deliver public services for clients throughout eastern Iowa. President, Dick Ransom says, “He brings over fifteen years of versatile water resources and civil engineering experience, and an excellent relationship with the development community, local, and state agencies.”

DeKeyser's credentials include: certified professional in erosion and sediment control, certified floodplain manager, Professional Engineer in Iowa and Kansas, and land surveyor intern. He also has a master’s degree in civil engineering.

For more information on Hall & Hall Engineers, visit www.halleng.com.

 

Hall & Hall Engineers Hires Principal and Project Manager

Hall & Hall Engineers is a flexible, full service land development firm that provides a broad range of services and is proud to announce that Ken DeKeyser has joined us as a Principal and Project Manager. Mr. DeKeyser will deliver enhanced public services for our clients throughout Eastern Iowa.

President, Dick Ransom said, “We are thrilled to have Ken joining our firm. He brings over fifteen years of versatile water resources and civil engineering experience, and an excellent relationship with the development community, local, and state agencies.”

Ken is a leader in engineering for Iowa and has provided creative solutions for Municipal projects. His credentials include: Certified Professional in Erosion and Sediment Control, Certified Floodplain Manager, Professional Engineer in Iowa and Kansas, Land Surveyor Intern and has a Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering.

 

Draper Aden Associates Names New CEO

The board of directors of Draper Aden Associates announced that Jeffrey Lighthiser, P.E. will assume the role of chief executive officer and president on January 1, 2010.  Bill Aden, P.E., current president and CEO, will continue to serve as chairman of the board and work full time for the firm. This change is part of a long-planned transition that has been structured to move the firm into the next generation of leadership.

Lighthiser, currently executive vice president and director of marketing and strategic growth, brings 33 years of engineering and management experience to the post. He was instrumental in establishing the Richmond office and served as office manager for 22 years. Jeff also currently holds the position of Site Planning and Engineering Division director and is a member of the board of directors.

Lighthiser is a registered professional engineer in six states and has a BS in Civil Engineering from Virginia Tech.

Bill Aden, co-founder of Draper Aden Associates, will remain active with the firm in business development efforts and will take on special strategic projects for firm growth opportunities. He will continue his role in project work and mentoring.

Draper Aden Associates, founded in 1972, is an engineering, environmental, and surveying firm with offices in Blacksburg, Charlottesville, Hampton Roads, and Richmond, VA.  For more information, visit www.daa.com.

Wilkes Scholarship Established in Honor of Late PennDOT Engineer


The Northeastern Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Society of Highway Engineers has established an endowed scholarship at Wilkes University in memory of Charles "Chuck" Mattei, former district engineer for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Society representatives presented a $50,000 check establishing the scholarship at a recent dinner at Wilkes.

Mattei, who died in 2003, was PennDOT's District 4-0 engineer from 1986 to 2003. He was responsible for many notable projects, including the Interstate 81 interchange at Montage Mountain that was dedicated in his name. Mattei also left behind significant legacies at Wilkes and in Pennsylvania's transportation system. He was an assistant professor of environmental science and head coach of the men's lacrosse team at Wilkes for many years. His wife Dwaine Mattei of Forty Fort, is a Wilkes alumna from the Class of 1974.

Dominic Yannuzzi, an engineer with the Alfred Benesch and Company office in Hazleton, has organized a golf tournament in Mattei's honor for a decade to raise funds for the scholarship. "In my involvement with the ASHE group for the last 15 years, their dream was always to help engineering students in northeastern Pennsylvania," Yannuzzi says. "Every June, other volunteers and I put our hearts into this annual event," he continues. "We know and respected Chuck. It is a wonderful tribute to Chuck's legacy and the dedication he had to northeastern Pennsylvania. It was perfectly clear that the scholarship in the name of Chuck Mattei represented the group's dream."

First established in 2005, The Charles Mattei Scholarship has provided two $1,250 scholarships annually to Wilkes students pursuing engineering degrees. Wilkes President Tim Gilmour said the endowed scholarship will benefit generations of students. "We are extremely grateful to the American Society of Highway Engineers for their commitment to Mr. Mattei's memory and to our students," Gilmour says.

Recipients of The Charles Mattei Scholarship must demonstrate strong academic performance with a grade-point average of 3.0 or higher and show evidence of service to the community and others. Students from northeastern Pennsylvania are given special consideration in awarding the scholarship.

Engineering Resource Associates Acquires Champaign-Based Structural Engineering Firm

Engineering Resource Associates (ERA), a 20-year-old, civil engineering, surveying, and environmental science consulting firm, has acquired Frauenhoffer and Associates, PC, a structural engineering consultant based in Champaign, Illinois. Frauenhoffer and Associates has served clients throughout northern and central Illinois for nearly 30 years. The acquisition will further strengthen ERA’s structural design capabilities and will accommodate growth throughout the Midwest. Rodney Beadle, PE, ERA’s founder and president says, “The acquisition of Frauenhoffer and Associates will position our firm to continue to grow as the economy recovers.”

 

ERA and Frauenhoffer Associates have collaborated extensively on numeroul projects. The similar culture of the two firms and the staff’s familiarity will accommodate successful integration and ensure consistency of service. John Frauenhoffer, PE, SE will serve as ERA’s director of structural engineering services in the Champaign office.

 

The acquisition enhances ERA’s capabilities in providing structural design, structural inspections, and forensic investigations in conjunction with established offerings in the areas of stormwater management, transportation engineering, environmental design, and land surveying. The new team will include professional engineers, structural engineers, certified floodplain managers, professional wetland scientists, LEED accredited professionals, and land surveyors.

 

Engineering Resource Associates has offices in Warrenville, Geneva, Chicago and Champaign, IL. For more information, call (630) 393-3060 or visit www.eraconsultants.com.

ACEC Names Two Langan Engineers 2009 Young Professionals of the Year


Two of the five engineers named by the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) as 2009 “Young Professionals of the Year” work at Langan Engineering & Environmental Services, a site development engineering and environmental consulting firm. This national awards competition program strives to promote the accomplishments of young engineers by highlighting their engineering contributions and the resulting impact on society. To be eligible to compete in ACEC’s highly selective application process, nominees must have a degree in engineering and be 30 years of age or younger.

 

Walter (Kyle) Bogardus, P.E., an assistant project manager at Langan in New Haven, Connecticut, is responsible for the oversight of the production of conceptual, permitting, and construction documents for a wide variety of site development projects. A civil engineer with a bachelor’s degree from The Citadel, he specializes in stormwater management design studies and regulatory permitting.

 

In addition to his civilian career, Bogardus is a captain in the United States Army Reserve, where he is currently serving as company commander of the 424th Engineer Company in Rutland, Vermont. His unit has deployed to Kuwait/Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, to Germany in support of troop construction projects, and to Niger Africa in support of the global war on terrorism.

 

K. Brent Gatlin, P.E., LEED AP, a senior staff engineer at Langan in New York City, has extensive water resources engineering experience and has applied “green” design to city parks, greenways, bicycle lanes, public schools, institutions, and multi-use developments. His expertise has been enhanced through his broad international experience, including performing the site design and layout of the new U.S. Embassy in Panama as well as site improvements for the U.S. Embassy in Moscow and David Farragut High School in Rota, Spain. Additionally, Gatlin worked with Engineers Without Borders on the Cambodia Water Project to design and construct a new dam to provide irrigation for residents dealing with severe food shortages. He also volunteers with New York Cares to help revitalize New York City.

 

Founded in 1970 and headquartered in Elmwood Park, New Jersey, Langan (www.langan.com) provides integrated site engineering and environmental consulting services for private developers, property owners, and public sector clients. Its services include site/civil, geotechnical, and environmental engineering as well as landscape architecture and planning, survey/mapping, BIM-compatible 3D laser scanning, traffic/transportation, CADD/GIS, natural and cultural resources/permitting, and sustainable design consulting. Langan employs more than 500 professionals and has regional offices in New York City; Philadelphia, Bethlehem, and Doylestown, PA; New Haven, CT; Trenton, NJ; Arlington, VA; Miami and Tallahassee, FL; Las Vegas, NV, and Irvine, CA.

 

KS Associates Appoints Michael Malloy, P.E., to Director, Transportation Services


KS Associates, Inc., a civil engineering and land surveying firm in Elyria, Ohio, announces the appointment of Michael Malloy, P.E., to director of transportation services. Malloy will lead KS Associates' Transportation Group, a team of Professional Engineers who specialize in developing solutions for surface transportation and infrastructure projects. The Group serves state and local government agencies as well as private developers.

Malloy has more than 20 years of experience in designing new and rehabilitated roadways, interstates, bridges, intersections, and a variety of transportation-related projects. He has designed more than $60 million worth of projects and has overseen more than $200 million of work. Major project experience includes the I-90 CEI Corridor Project, the I-271 Major Bridge Widening Project over Tinkers Creek, the Central Viaduct I-90 Bridge Approach Deck, and the Main Avenue Bridge Emergency Repair.

Malloy is adept in critical facets of transportation projects, including feasibility and planning studies, stormwater design, NEPA environmental studies, traffic impact studies, maintenance of traffic (MOT), funding assistance, value engineering, and construction services. One of his specialties is bridge design and rehabilitation. While employed at ODOT District 12, Malloy was responsible for the safe and timely repair of 900 state-owned bridges. He also served as the local agency liaison, providing technical expertise and guidance to municipalities.

Malloy has a B.S. degree in civil and environmental engineering from the University of Cincinnati. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in Ohio. Malloy is a member of the Association for Bridge Construction and Design (ABCD) and American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC).

Civil Engineers Travel to Samoa to Study Effects of Earthquake and Tsunami

A technical assessment team from the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) recently traveled to the Samoan islands to study the impact of the September 29, 2009 earthquake and tsunami on the region’s infrastructure. The team examined the performance of systems such as drinking water and sewage, roads and power supplies; looked at the effectiveness of shore protection and coastal management efforts; and gathered information on forces and loading that could aid resilient development efforts.


The group includes representatives from the ASCE Coasts, Oceans, Ports and Rivers Institute (COPRI):

Lesley Ewing, P.E., Team Leader, Coastal Engineer, California Coastal Commission

Jennifer L. Irish, Ph.D., P.E.; Assistant Professor, Texas A&M University

Christopher P. Jones, P.E.; Senior Engineer, Christopher P. Jones & Associates


As part of its disaster response procedure, ASCE forms technical teams to study infrastructure damage caused by natural or man-made disasters. Such studies are conducted so engineers may learn from the disaster and, perhaps more importantly, so those lessons learned may be documented to inform future actions.


ASCE has participated in more than a dozen assessments in the last decade, including studies of the World Trade Center and Pentagon in 2001; earthquake assessments in Italy, China, Peru, Japan, Sumatra-Andaman, Algeria, Alaska, and California; and assessments following hurricanes Katrina and Ike.

PBS&J + RS&H Team Selected as Lead Design Engineers for Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport New South Runway

Broward County recently awarded the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) Expansion of Runway 9R/27L project to the team led by PBS&J + RS&H. The project, an ambitious, $810 million capital improvement effort, is significant because it involves the complete reconstruction of the south runway at FLL, expanding it from 5,000 feet to over 8,000 feet in length. The complex project will span an active federal highway and railroad, require large amounts of fill, and the runway tunnel and taxiway bridges will be bid out as separate design-build projects.

“Building a new runway to meet the FAA's projections for growth is challenging,” says John Zumwalt, chief executive officer (CEO) of The PBSJ Corporation. “Broward County has chosen a team with relevant, recent experience from a project that is stunningly similar to FLL’s. Dale Stubbs, PBS&J’s engineer-of-record for the new 5th Runway at Atlanta, is the project manager for FLL. He understands the complexities of permitting, stakeholder coordination, and developing design resolutions that simplify maintenance for staff and operations for the public during construction..”

Chris Spann, PE, PBS&J national aviation business sector manager explains, “This was a project that we have been tracking for a couple of years and have been pursuing in earnest since the beginning of the year. We can draw on our experience in Atlanta to take months off of the schedule. In addition, our accomplishments in Atlanta completing a similar runway tunnel and taxiway bridge $100 million under budget will enable our team to bring cost saving measures to FLL.”

The project team is rounded out by ten other Broward County-based and small business team members. For more information about the project contact Chris Spann, PE, PBS&J national aviation business sector manager at caspann@pbsj.com.

PBS&J (www.pbsj.com) is an employee-owned company that provides infrastructure planning, engineering, construction management, architecture, and program management services to public and private clients. RS&H (www.rsandh.com) is a facilities and infrastructure consulting firm whose market sector programs include aerospace and defense, aviation, corporate and commercial, education, health and science, public infrastructure, and transportation.

Boeing’s Marc Sheffler Receives Virginia Tech College of Engineering Service Award


In 2007, Marc Sheffler arranged for his company, Boeing, to present a $50,000 check to the Design Team Endowment Fund, founded by the Student Engineers’ Council at Virginia Tech. A few months later, he supplemented that check with another $15,000 check from Boeing for the same cause. In 2009, he presented the Student Engineers’ Council with yet another $20,000 for the Design Team Endowment.


It’s no surprise that Sheffler of Bear, DE, a 1973 aerospace engineering graduate of Virginia Tech, should receive the College of Engineering’s Distinguished Service Award. The honor was bestowed at a meeting of the College’s Committee of 100, a prestigious group of engineering graduates of Virginia Tech.


The Student Engineers’ Council began its Design Team Endowment to support the growing need for funding engineering design teams. “With Boeing’s help over the years, the council should successfully meet its phenomenal three-year goal -- reaching $500,000 by 2010; an amount that will allow the Student Engineers’ Council to grant over $20,000 each year to engineering design teams. These competitive grants ensure the success of several design teams by allowing the students to focus on and improve the quality of their projects, which reflects very well on our College of Engineering at Virginia Tech,” said Richard Benson, dean of the college as he presented the award.


“In addition to providing for the award-winning student design teams, Marc has directed $5000 to our area public school system to support Virginia Tech’s FIRST Robotics Partnership where our students work with secondary schools on a robotics competition,” Benson, the Paul and Dorothea Torgersen Chair of Engineering, added. Sheffler has also coordinated Boeing’s support for the aerospace and ocean engineering department and a number of engineering scholarships at Virginia Tech over the years.


Sheffler joined Boeing in 1973, the same year he earned his bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering from Virginia Tech. He has worked in a variety of positions including the Comanche Air Vehicle Design project. At the time it was built, the Comanche incorporated more low-observable stealth features than any aircraft in Army history. Afterwards, Sheffler was named as an Honorary Fellow of the American Helicopter Society. He is currently Boeing’s senior manager of the Engineering Phantom Works and is located at its Philadelphia, PA office.


As Boeing’s primary point of contact with Virginia Tech, Sheffler regularly spends several days each year on campus, meeting with researchers and students. “If you ever saw one of his emails reporting on the trip, it goes to literally dozens of Boeing employees, informing them of all of the excellent research going on in our College of Engineering.  He matches our research efforts with key decision makers at Boeing,” Benson said. “And whenever, Marc comes to town, he makes time to be with our students. They have held picnics in his honor, hosted him at a local restaurant, and enjoyed several lunches with him,” the dean said.