Sunday, December 27, 2015

Virginia Tech researcher explores using SERS for detecting environmental pollutants



Rapid pollutant detection can prevent widespread outbreaks. While many techniques exist for detecting such contamination, they generally require highly specific instruments for each contaminant. Peter Vikesland, professor of civil and environmental engineering at Virginia Tech, and Haoran Wei of Zaozhuang in Shandong, China, a doctoral student in environmental engineering, describe challenges related to deploying surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) for detection in their paper published by Scientific Reports, “pH-Triggered Molecular Alignment for Reproducible SERS Detection via an AuNP/Nanocellulose Platform.”

SERS has great potential for ultrasensitive chemical analysis and detection of multiple contaminants in a range of environments. Capable of detecting single molecules without excessively expensive equipment or sample pretreatment, SERS has promised rapid field and point-of-use detection that could prevent pollution or biohazard threats and stop outbreaks before they begin. But that promise has gone largely unfulfilled.

One problem is that many of the substances that SERS could potentially detect are moderately hydrophobic, or water-repellent, thus making it harder to attract them to the hydrophilic, or water-loving, gold or silver nanoparticle surfaces used for SERS. Efforts to use molecular traps to better bind target molecules have been explored, but they have added complexity to the material synthesis and tend to produce background signals that complicate data analysis.

In the paper, Vikesland describes a study he and Wei conducted using bacterial cellulose as a SERS platform created by synthesizing nanocomposites made of bacterial cellulose interlaced with gold nanoparticles. Bacterial cellulose makes an excellent base for a SERS substrate. It is low-cost and easily fabricated, and its fibers are nanoscale in diameter and retain their 3-D structure in water.

The study used this platform to attempt to detect a number of common pollutants — carbamazepine, atrazine, and melamine, among others. By manipulating the suspension pH, the authors were able to consistently and reproducibly increase the SERS signal due to the increased affinity for the pollutant to the substrate at low pH.

A SERS platform based on bacterial cellulose could finally help fulfill the promise of this exciting technology. The platform can be synthesized in a one-step process and it can be reused many times. The protocol could simplify and reduce the cost of detecting many compounds. The platform is easy and cheap to synthesize and provides short sampling and detection times.

Vikesland also leads an international team of researchers as the principal investigator for a five-year $3.6 million Partnerships in International Research and Education grant from the National Science Foundation. They seek to halt wastewater-derived antimicrobial resistance dissemination.

Thursday, December 17, 2015

ACEC California announces Engineering Excellence Awards that showcase unique projects


The American Council of Engineering Companies, California (ACEC California) recently unveiled the 2016 recipients of its Engineering Excellence Awards, highlighting some uniques projects in the state. In all, 24 California firms representing 27 projects were named, the majority of which were public works projects completed in partnership with local government entities throughout the state. Because of their selection by ACEC California, Honor Award winners are eligible to enter the ACEC national level Engineering Excellence Awards competition. 

"Each year, the recipients of the ACEC California Engineering Excellence Awards represent some of the most innovative solutions to complex public and private sector challenges, including traffic congestion, water resource management, alternative fuel infrastructure, and structural building projects, to name a few," says Brad Diede, executive director for ACEC California. "Engineering continues to help California thrive, and I am deeply proud of our industry accomplishments that directly improve Californians' lives."
 
ACEC California's annual Engineering Excellence Awards entries are accepted into one of 12 project categories: studies; research and consulting engineering services; building/technology systems; structural systems; surveying and mapping technology; environmental; waste and storm water; water resources; transportation; special projects; small projects; energy; and industrial and manufacturing processes and facilities. An independent panel of judges from the public sector evaluated the projects and made the award selections.
 
Honor Awards were granted to 14 firms, including Cornerstone Structural Engineering Group of San Francisco for its work on the San Francisco Zoo-South American Rain Forest Exhibit in San Francisco and the R.B. Oliver Bridge Replacement in Tulare County. Cornerstone was contracted by Tulare County in 2010 as the prime consultant to design the state-of-the-art bridge replacement project. Because of the design team's knowledge of the Kings River and partnering between the design team and the County of Tulare, the final design of the project was delivered in less than 2 years, an unprecedented pace for a $20 million bridge replacement project. The project also included development of new bat habitats, which have increased the bat population at the bridge to four times its original number.

Cornerstone provided the structural engineering services required to create the San Francisco Zoo's South American Rain Forest Exhibit, its newest exhibit, as well as seismically retrofit the historic WPA building. The Aviary features a realistic rainforest ecosystem, full of colorful free-flight birds, exotic plants and trees, a two-toed sloth, and the Zoo's first significant herpetological collection, which will include a 15-foot long green anaconda as well as rare tree frogs, turtles, lizards, and snakes.

Mark Thomas and Company of San Jose received an Honor Award for its work on the I-280/ I-880/ Stevens Creek Boulevard Interchange Project in San Jose. The I-280/I-880/Stevens Creek Boulevard Interchange Project, delivered for the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA), improved this highly congested facility. The existing interchange was a full cloverleaf configuration originally constructed in 1959. Since that time, the cities of San Jose and Santa Clara have grown tremendously, and the facility had become outdated. Additionally, the interchange is adjacent to the busiest shopping area in Santa Clara County, including Valley Fair and Santana Row. The reconfiguration allowed for increased traffic capacity, enhanced bicycle and pedestrian facilities, and  accommodated the Stevens Creek Boulevard Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) alignment. Lastly, the project design incorporated aesthetic treatments and sustainable stormwater handling facilities.

McMillen Jacobs Associates of Walnut Creek was honored for its work on the Bay Tunnel in Menlo Park/ Newark, the first tunnel excavated under the San Francisco Bay. The $288 million project is a successful and significant part of San Francisco Public Utilities Commission's (SFPUC) $4.6 billion Water System Improvement Program to upgrade the Hetch Hetchy Water System, which brings water through gravity-fed pipes from Yosemite National Park to the San Francisco Bay Area. The Bay Tunnel extends 5 miles under the Bay, replacing the aging water pipeline infrastructure built in the 1920s and 1930s that presently traverses the Bay on wooden trestles. The tunnel provides up to 224 million gallons per day of high-quality drinking water to about 2.6 million of SFPUC's customers in the Bay Area.

Walter P Moore of San Francisco, received an award for its work on the Air Traffic Control Tower and Intergraded Facilities Building at San Francisco International Airport. The iconic new tower, which replaced SFO's long outdated 1960s-era control tower, is the first air traffic control tower delivered through a partnership between the airport and the FAA. The tower relies on an innovative vertical post-tensioned system to self-right the structure during a major seismic event, ensuring that air traffic controllers remain fully operational after a magnitude 7.5 earthquake. This is crucial since the airport is just four miles from the San Andreas Fault.

Stover Engineering of Crescent City and COWI (formerly Ben C. Gerwick, Inc.) of Oakland were cited for their work on the Crescent City Harbor Inner Boat Basin Reconstruction Project  in Crescent City. This $32.7 million tsunami-damage repair project is the first known marina in North America designed to withstand a significant tsunami event. Marinas currently have no established design criteria for tsunamis, so the project required engineering judgment to justify the repairs to both funding and permitting agencies. Modeling performed to establish the tsunami loads was validated by a subsequent tsunami that occurred prior to final design of the project.

Monday, November 30, 2015

GHT principal Ray Smith elected to Building Commissioning Certification Board Examination Committee


GHT Limited (GHT), a DC metro area mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) consulting engineering firm, announces that principal Ray Smith has been elected to the Examination Committee of the Building Commissioning Certification Board (BCCB). The Examination Committee consists of national subject matter experts who collaborate and employ best practices to create the Certified Commissioning Professional (CCP) examination forms. The committee’s responsibilities include writing, reviewing, and approving questions; creating and approving the form; and setting the passing score for a minimally competent practitioner.

The BCCB was formed in 2004 as an administratively independent arm of the Building Commissioning Association (BCA) for the purpose of recognizing building commissioning professionals who meet the standards of the BCA. Its mission is to provide commissioning professionals with the premier industry-recognized commissioning certification program that accurately validates their professional skill level, is accepted as the standard within the industry, and is recognized within the building community and governmental agencies.

Ray Smith specializes in optimizing the performance of MEP systems in new and existing buildings. As Section Head of Commissioning and Building Operations Consulting in GHT's Operations and Energy Services (OES) studio, he works closely with facility owners, managers, and operators to solve problems, develop strategies for operational excellence, and provide commissioning services that focus on long-term performance goals. He has more than 40 years of experience in the built environment, including three years of building operations experience. His unique combination of design and field experience and MEP system performance expertise makes him a resource for MEP studies, troubleshooting, forensic evaluations, concept option studies, payback analyses, post-installation training, and all levels of commissioning.

GHT provides mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) engineering solutions for the built environment. Their approach integrates proven techniques with the latest technologies and sustainable design practices. In addition to MEP design and commissioning for base building systems and interiors, GHT offers operations and energy services that enhance building performance and real estate advisory services that inform investment decisions. For 50 years, GHT has strived to improve efficiency and value for commercial, institutional, and government real estate in the Washington, DC region.

Sunday, November 22, 2015

Sanborn Head celebrates new Boston Bruins training facility




Stan Sadkowski and Amy Blomeke of Sanborn, Head & Associates were part of the recent Topping Off ceremony for the new Boston Bruins’ Training Facility at Warrior Ice Arena.  As part of the Boston Landing Development, Sanborn Head is working with NB Development Group to provide geotechnical engineering, environmental engineering, LSP services, and construction administration services for the majority of the Boston Landing development, including the new practice rink for the Bruins.

As Mayor Walsh mentioned at the ceremony, “This is more than a hockey rink. Boston Landing is an economic engine for Brighton, Allston and the entire City. This development is a great way to introduce people to the city of Boston.” The other projects on this site include the New Balance Corporate World Headquarters, a state-of-the-art indoor sports complex (including track), and a new MBTA Commuter Rail Station.   

Sanborn Head was one member of a larger design and construction team that includes the HYM Investment Group, Elkus Manfredi Architects, John Moriarty & Associates (JMA), Beals Associates, McNamara/Salvia, WSP, and the NB Development Group.

Sanborn Head provides geotechnical engineering and environmental consulting services to real estate development, industrial, solid waste, energy, and public sector clients.  More information can be found at www.sanbornhead.com.  

Monday, November 16, 2015

Duke engineers help Siri hear through a cocktail party


People trying to talk to Siri, the operating system used on various Apple devices, may soon no longer have to look like they’re about to eat their iPhones, thanks to a new technology demonstration that solves the problem of crowd noise. In a crowded room with voices coming from every direction, the human auditory system is incredibly good at homing in on a single voice while filtering out the background jabber, but computers are not.

A new approach from engineers at Duke University, however, may soon improve their performance in loud environments. They have developed a sensor that uses metamaterials -- the combination of natural materials in repeating patterns to achieve unnatural properties -- and compressive sensing to determine the direction of a sound and extract it from the surrounding background noise. Once miniaturized, the device could have applications in voice-command electronics, medical sensing devices that use waves, like ultrasound, and hearing aids and cochlear implants. Their study appeared in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

“We’ve invented a sensing system that can efficiently, reliably, and inexpensively solve an interesting problem that modern technology has to deal with on a daily basis,” says Abel Xie, a PhD student in electrical and computer engineering at Duke and lead author of the paper. “We think this could improve the performance of voice-activated devices like smart phones and game consoles while also reducing the complexity of the system.”

The proof-of-concept device looks a bit like a thick, plastic, pie-shaped honeycomb split into dozens of slices. While the honeycomb’s openings may all look the same, their depth varies from hole to hole. This gives each slice of the honeycomb pie a unique pattern.

“The cavities behave like soda bottles when you blow across their tops,” says Steve Cummer, professor of electrical and computer engineering at Duke. “The amount of soda left in the bottle, or the depth of the cavities in our case, affects the pitch of the sound they make, and this changes the incoming sound in a subtle but detectable way.”

When a sound wave gets to the device, it becomes slightly distorted by these cavities. And that distortion has a specific signature depending what slice of the pie it passed over. After being picked up by a microphone on the other side, the sound is transmitted to a computer that can separate the jumble of noises based on these unique distortions. The researchers tested their invention in multiple trials by simultaneously sending three identical sounds at the sensor from three different directions. It was able to distinguish between them with a 96.7 percent accuracy rate.

While the prototype is six inches wide, the researchers believe it could be scaled down and incorporated into the devices we use on a regular basis. And because the sensor is made of plastic and does not have any electric or moving parts, it is extremely efficient and reliable.

“This concept may also have applications outside the world of consumer electronics,” Xie reports. “I think it could be combined with any medical imaging device that uses waves, such as ultrasound, to not only improve current sensing methods but to create entirely new ones.
With the extra information, it should also be possible to improve the sound fidelity and increase functionalities for applications like hearing aids and cochlear implants. One obvious challenge is to make the system physically small. It is challenging, but not impossible, and we are working toward that goal.”

This work was supported by a Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative under a grant from the Office of Naval Research.

Monday, November 2, 2015

GAI wins Pennsylvania Turnpike construction inspection services contract


GAI Consultants has been selected to provide construction services on an open-end contract basis for several construction packages on the Pennsylvania Turnpike’s Southern Beltway between SR 0022 and I-79 in Allegheny and Washington Counties. Projects to be inspected under this agreement will include roadway, bridge, and interchange construction
·          GAI will serve as a subconsultant to L.R. Kimball and will provide inspection support for the construction management team already in place. Each agreement will be for a maximum cost of $6.5 million or for a 48-month period, whichever comes first, with inspection services assigned on an as-needed basis. Possible assignments include inspection for the following design sections:

o   Section 55W, wetland/streams/terrestrial mitigation
o   Section 55-A-1, Exit 6 and Exit 9 interchanges
o   Section 55-A2, Exit 11 interchange
o   Section 55-B, mainline side road improvements
o   Section 55-C1, Exit 16 interchange
o   Section 55-C2-1, I-79 widening
o   Section 55-C2, Exit 18 interchange
o   Section 55-S
In business since 1958, GAI is an employee-owned planning, engineering, and environmental consulting firm providing local expertise to worldwide clients in the energy, transportation, development, government, and industrial markets. The firm has offices throughout the southeastern and midwestern United States. For more information, visit www.gaiconsultants.com.

Saturday, October 24, 2015

Parsons Brinckerhoff expands staff in San Diego office



WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff, a global engineering and professional services organization, has added three professionals to the staff of its San Diego, CA office. Joining the firm are Miguel Galvan, senior supervising engineer, Richard Bottcher, senior engineering manager, and Darryl Carty, senior architectural manager.
Galvan will be responsible for designing stormwater management systems along major highways and rail corridors in Southern California. He has nearly 20 years of experience in urban grading, urban drainage system planning and design, stormwater pollution prevention, and erosion control design. Prior to joining WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff, he was a senior supervising engineer for a California engineering firm, providing stormwater engineering services to numerous agencies, including the California Department of Transportation, the San Diego Association of Governments, the Guam Department of Public Works, the Orange County Transportation Authority, the California Transportation Corridor Agencies, Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority and many cities and counties in California. Galvan received a B.S. in civil engineering from San Diego State University.
Bottcher will be responsible for managing stormwater projects in Southern California. He has 32 years of experience in stormwater management, drainage design, hydraulics, hydrology, and stormwater treatment studies throughout California, with special expertise in stormwater systems along major highways and rail corridors. He has served as a program manager, project manager, and planning and design engineer for transportation drainage system design, storm water pollution prevention, hydromodification assessments, watershed management, flood control design, pump station design and groundwater/surface water hydrology. He previously served as the regional stormwater manager for a California engineering firm, providing engineering services to numerous agencies and municipalities in California and for clients in the Middle East. Bottcher holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in engineering from Cornell University and is a registered professional engineer in the State of California.
Carty will provide architectural design services for transit and transportation projects in Southern California. He has over 38 years of experience managing architectural design for complex projects, including rail transit systems, fare collection studies and implementation, airport master plans, airport terminals and concourses, public safety facilities, vehicle maintenance facilities, air cargo and industrial storage facilities, parking decks, and water and wastewater treatment plants. Prior to joining WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff, he served the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) as deputy program manager and project manager for an automated fare collection system. Carty received M.A. and B.A. degrees from the College of Architecture at the University of Florida.
WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff provides services designed to transform the built environment and restore the natural one. The firm’s expertise ranges from environmental remediation and urban planning to engineering iconic buildings and designing sustainable transport networks to developing the energy sources of the future and enabling new ways of extracting essential resources. Approximately 34,000 employees, including engineers, technicians, scientists, architects, planners, surveyors, program and construction management professionals, as well as various environmental experts work for this organization in more than 500 offices across 40 countries worldwide. For more information, visit wspgroup.com/usa.

Friday, October 16, 2015

White House honors FIU bridge expert Atorod Azizinamini


The White House and the U.S. Department of Transportation have honored Atorod Azizinamini, chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Florida International University’s College of Engineering and Computing, for his innovations in making the nation’s aging bridges safer. Azizinamini has been named a 2015 White House Transportation Champion of Change. The White House Champions of Change Program highlights the stories and examples of citizens across the nation who are leading projects and initiatives that move their communities forward.

The U.S. Department of Transportation and the White House Office of Public Engagement hosted White House Champions of Change, focused on Beyond Traffic: Innovators in Transportation for the Future. Azizinamini and the other honorees were recognized as leaders in advancing transportation and change that benefits the country’s transportation system. They also participated in panel discussions. “At FIU, we are providing efficient and economical solutions for the many challenges we face with our bridges and infrastructure,” Azizinamini says. “Being named a Champion of Change is recognition of the impact we have had.”

Azizinamini has devoted his career to developing solutions for aging bridges. Currently, about 24 percent of more than 610,000 bridges in the United States are deficient, and about 45 percent of all U.S. bridges are shorter than 60 feet. To address this issue, Azizinamini invented the Folded Plate Steel Bridge System, which provides an economical, long-term solution for replacing outdated short-span bridges. It allows on-site construction of a bridge over a few days, using less costly materials and lasting longer, resulting in lower costs and limited impact to traffic. In 2014, with support from the second Strategic Highway Research Program, Azizinamini developed the first comprehensive guide to enhancing the service life of bridges. The first application of the guide was at the Tappan Zee Bridge in New York.

Azizinamini is director of FIU’s Accelerated Bridge Construction University Transportation Center (ABC-UTC), focused on developing technology and methods to improve bridge design and construction. The ABC-UTC was established by the U.S. Department of Transportation in 2013 and works closely with the Federal Highway Administration and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials to advance accelerated bridge design and construction through research, workforce development, and technology transfer.

“Dr. Azizinamini’s visionary bridge designs are what our country needs for the 21st century – cutting-edge, cost-efficient, and safe,” says Ranu Jung, interim dean for the College of Engineering and Computing. “In addition to his contributions to bridge engineering, he has ensured that our students learn to think in terms of finding solutions and impacting the local, national, and global community.”

Friday, October 9, 2015

Fluor awarded FEMA contract to support disaster-related operations in Texas


Fluor Corporation has announced that the company has been awarded a contract by the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to provide architectural and engineering services to support disaster-related operations in Texas following the severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, and flooding that swept through the state in May. Fluor’s contract is one of two task order contracts announced by FEMA for disaster response services in Texas. The contract was issued under the Architects and Engineers Technical Assistance Contract, which carries out the statutory authorities of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act. The contract has a six-month base period with an additional six-month option period.

Fluor will support FEMA in the restoration of vital infrastructure, public facilities and services, rehabilitation and reconstruction of private and commercial properties, restoration of the economic base and coordination with voluntary agencies and administration of assistance to households and individuals. “We are proud to be part of this important humanitarian effort,” says Bruce Stanski, president of Fluor’s Government Group. “For almost two decades Fluor has provided technical support services to the FEMA Public Assistance Program. Regionally, we have supported relief efforts for Hurricanes Gustav, Ike, Katrina and Rita. Nationwide, we have assisted individuals and communities to recover from the devastation of floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes and other natural disasters.”

Since 1997, Fluor has worked closely with FEMA to provide technical assistance in disaster-stricken locations. This has covered tornadoes in Kansas, river floods in North Dakota, earthquakes in California, and hurricanes along the Gulf Coast. In 2005, Fluor supported FEMA’s delivery of aid to victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and Fluor continues to provide disaster recovery support to restore infrastructure in Louisiana 10 years after the hurricanes.

Fluor is a global engineering and construction firm that designs and builds some of the world's most complex projects. The company creates and delivers solutions for its clients in engineering, procurement, fabrication, construction, maintenance, and project management on a global basis. For more than a century, Fluor has served clients in the energy, chemicals, government, industrial, infrastructure, mining, and power market sectors. Headquartered in Irving, Texas, Fluor has 40,000 employees worldwide. For more information, visit www.fluor.com

Saturday, October 3, 2015

EPA awards green infrastructure grant to Kansas State University

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded a $20,000 grant to Kansas State University to carry out a green infrastructure demonstration and training project on its campus in Manhattan, Kansas. Faculty and students will create “living laboratories” to conduct green infrastructure monitoring at two on-campus sites, the rain garden at the International Student Center and the meadow at the Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art.

According to the project narrative, faculty will devise a “green infrastructure monitoring curriculum” that will offer “technical training on water quality analysis, runoff modeling, and overall ecological health assessments.” Students from different disciplines will collaborate on the monitoring program. They will record and analyze data to gauge performance, then develop communication materials, including brochures and a touch screen at the museum. “Measuring green infrastructure’s impact is important and so is training individuals who can make contributions to the field,” says Ken Kopocis, EPA’s deputy assistant administrator for water. “By giving students hands-on experience with green infrastructure monitoring, this project achieves both objectives.”

Green infrastructure uses vegetation, soils, and natural processes to manage wet weather runoff, treating stormwater as a resource rather than a waste. It can enhance resiliency for communities and landscapes faced with water pollution and climate change impacts by increasing water supplies, reducing flooding, combatting urban heat island effect, and improving water quality.

The award encourages sustainable stormwater management by educating the next generation of scientists, designers, and engineers about green infrastructure. By supporting demonstrations and training, colleges and universities can advance the implementation of green infrastructure to protect water quality. This award builds on the success of EPA’s Campus RainWorks Challenge, in which faculty and student teams design green infrastructure projects for their campuses. Kansas State won a $2,000 first-place prize in 2013. EPA also awarded a $20,000 grant to Mississippi State University to design and construct a 1,500-square-foot rain garden to manage runoff from a nearby building.

Sunday, September 27, 2015

Mehmet Boz to lead KCI’s civil engineering practice in Central Texas



KCI Technologies, a multi-disciplined engineering firm with offices throughout the eastern and central United States, welcomes Mehmet Boz, PhD, PE, ENV SP to the firm as civil practice leader and San Antonio office manager. His responsibilities include operational oversight and business development with a goal of growing the firm’s civil engineering practice in Central Texas.

Boz has over 10 years of experience in civil development, municipal and utility infrastructure projects, as well as green building and sustainable infrastructure rating systems. He has been actively involved in a wide range of sustainability activities throughout South Central Texas. Prior to joining KCI, Boz served as a project manager for national engineering firms, where he managed water-related civil infrastructure projects and helped lead and influence strategic planning.

“KCI is committed to expansion in the four major market areas within Texas—San Antonio, Austin, Houston, and Dallas,” says Vice President and Texas Market Leader Michael Perez, PE. “Mehmet comes from a large architecture-engineering firm environment and has amassed extensive municipal and water/wastewater experience within the San Antonio market. His established relationships and recognized leadership will be the catalyst that helps us build and expand on the utility and mechanical/electrical services that we already offer locally.”

Boz holds bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees in civil engineering from the U.S. Air Force Academy, Norwich University, and Mississippi State University, respectively. He is a registered professional engineer in Texas and Louisiana and earned his Envision Sustainability Professional accreditation from the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure. Boz is involved in low impact development as chair of the Texas Land and Water Sustainability Forum and a number of committees, including serving on the board of directors for the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) Central Texas – Balcones Chapter, Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI) - Technical Committee, and as secretary of the American Society of Civil Engineers Environmental and Water Resources Institute (EWRI) Residuals Management Committee. He was just recently elected vice president of the San Antonio Chapter of the Water Environment Association of Texas, and serves an advisor to the buildingcommunityWORKSHOP (bcWORKSHOP) on low impact development matters in the Lower Rio Grande Valley region in South Texas.

KCI Technologies' 1,100 employee-owners support clients from more than 20 offices, offering environmental, transportation, telecommunications, construction, facilities and land development services to government, institutional and private-sector clients. For more information, visit www.kci.com