New solar energy source powering Valley Metro light rail facility

Valley Metro in Phoenix, AZ chose April 22, Earth Day, as the kickoff to begin powering the Valley Metro Rail Operations & Maintenance Center using solar power. The new solar plant, which consists of 2,800 solar voltaic panels spanning 1.15 acres, is mounted at ground-level and on parking lot shade canopies. It can generate 1.3 million Kilowatt-hours (kWh) of energy savings annually, enough electricity to power 123 homes.

“From reducing greenhouse gases to improving fuel usage, we are involved in a variety of initiatives to protect and preserve our environment,” says Steve Banta, Valley Metro CEO. “Solar energy is a principal addition to our growing sustainability efforts.” Solar power adds to a menu of existing sustainable programs that Valley Metro practices each day, including a large fleet of alternatively fueled bus and trains.

Valley Metro received a Transit Investments for Greenhouse Gas & Emissions Reduction (TIGGER) federal grant to help fund construction and installation of the solar photovoltaic system. Additional funding was received through the APS Schools and Government Incentive program. To date, the APS program has helped more than 32 government agencies, 300 schools and 70 school districts install solar energy.

Last week, Valley Metro received Bronze level status in the American Public Transportation Authority’s (APTA) Sustainability Commitment on the basis of making sustainability a part of the agency’s strategic objectives, developing an awareness program and establishing a sustainability inventory. The new solar facility is a vital part of the agency’s overall commitment to sustainability. Valley Metro is one of eight systems across the country to earn this distinction. “Valley Metro is being recognized for its strong organizational commitment to improving sustainability, for significant progress in water reduction efforts in an arid environment, and for its innovation that led to saving energy in air conditioning on buses,” says APTA President and CEO Michael Melaniphy.

Valley Metro provides public transit options to residents of greater Phoenix and Maricopa County including the planning and operations of a regional bus system and the development and operations of light rail. The first 20 miles of light rail opened December 2008, and eight rail extensions are planned or are under construction that will create a 66-mile system by 2034. Valley Metro also offers alternative transportation programs for seniors and people with disabilities, commuter vanpools, online carpool matching, bus trip mapping, bicycle safety, and telework assistance.

Editor's note: Progressive Engineer magazine ran a feature article on Valley Metro's Metro Light Rail system in the July/August 2010 issue. You can see it at www.progressiveengineer.com/features/lightRail.htm.

Arup selected as prime engineer for Phase II of Hunter's Point South in New York City

Arup, a multidisciplinary engineering and consulting firm that specializes in sustainable designs, announced it has been selected as the prime consultant to design the second phase of work at Hunter's Point South. The vibrant, sustainable, housing community and waterfront park is expanding on 30 acres of city-owned waterfront property in Long Island City, Queens, New York. The firm has been engaged to coordinate engineering, design and related consultant services for the street network and a waterfront park and is providing civil, structural, and geotechnical engineering services as well as design of the roadway and sewer infrastructure. Phase II is consists of 15 acres of the planned development and includes a five-acre waterfront park and a newly developed street grid.

Already recognized internationally as a model of urban ecology and innovative sustainable thinking, Hunter's Point South Phase I has been recognized by ACEC New York with a  Platinum Award in the Special Projects Category in 2014; by AIA New York with an Urban Design Merit Award in 2013; by the American Society of Landscape Architects with an Honor Award in 2014; and the American Society of Landscape Architects with a Merit Award in 2012. The New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) retained the same design team from Phase I to develop Phase II. Along with Arup, Thomas Balsley Associates is the landscape architect lead, and WEISS/MANFREDI Architecture/Landscape/Urbanism is the design collaborator.

Phase I of this complex design and construction project required coordination of approvals with nearly 20 city and state agencies. Arup and its design partners have been retained to deliver similar results in Phase II and will leverage knowledge, an understanding of community concerns, and previously established relationships to pursue all applicable permits required to move the project forward.

Upon completion, Hunter's Point South will include up to 5,000 new housing units, of which 60 percent will be permanently affordable. The city is also planning for 100,000 square feet (SF) of retail and 50,000 SF of community space. Phase I of the waterfront park includes a children's playground, basketball courts, a dog run, a multipurpose play field, and an urban beach. Phase II will be more passive with signature architectural elements, including overlooks of the East River and the Manhattan skyline with large elevated decks and sweeping shade canopies.

"We recognize that the Hunter's Point South infrastructure and waterfront park will serve to support the development of an entire community and provide the city with a valuable new resource," says James DeMarco, Arup's project manager. "We are grateful for the opportunity to contribute to its legacy." This is Arup's fourth project for the NYCEDC. Previous work includes the Coney Island Steeplechase Plaza, the East River Waterfront, and the Green Infrastructure Design for Newtown Creek and Westchester Creek.

Arup handles projects across the world having opened its first U.S. office 25 years ago. The firm was founded in 1946 and now employs some 1,000 people in the Americas. For more information, visit www.arup.com.

GHT principal Jeffrey Salay earns Certified Energy Manager credential

GHT Limited (GHT), a DC metro area mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) engineering firm, announces that Principal Jeffrey Salay, PE, CEM, LEED AP has earned his Certified Energy Manager (CEM) credential from the Association of Energy Engineers (AEE).

According to AEE, the CEM certification “recognizes individuals who have demonstrated high levels of experience, competence, proficiency, and ethical fitness in the energy management profession.” AEE also states that the credential “has gained industry-wide use as the standard for qualifying energy professionals both in the United States and abroad. It is recognized by the U.S. Department of Energy, the Office of Federal Energy Management Programs (FEMP), and the U.S. Agency for International Development as well as by numerous state energy offices, major utilities, corporations and energy service companies.”

Jeffrey Salay partners with building owners and operators to develop solutions for long-term energy efficiency. He focuses on developing energy management strategies that reduce the impact building energy use has on the environment.

As section head of building energy services in GHT’s Operations and Energy Services studio, Salay leads the firm’s efforts to provide ENERGY STAR benchmarking services, conduct ASHRAE energy audits and other energy studies, and design energy efficiency upgrades. He also applies two decades of experience as a mechanical engineer to support the design of high-performance systems for commercial, government, residential, educational, and senior care facilities.

A Professional Engineer, Certified Energy Manager (CEM), and LEED Accredited Professional, Salay earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Maryland. He earned a certificate of training on the Commonwealth of Virginia Construction and Professional Services Manual (CPSM) from the Bureau of Capital Outlay Management (BCOM).

GHT helps optimize building performance by providing sustainable mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) engineering services for commercial office buildings, tenant interiors, and government properties as well as institutional, hospitality, and mission critical environments. GHT's areas of expertise include MEP system design, commissioning, building energy services, and real estate advisory services. Based in Arlington, VA, and founded in 1965, GHT is one of the largest locally owned and headquartered MEP consultants in the Washington D.C. metro area. Learn more about GHT at www.ghtltd.com.

Oregon State to develop new construction safety research lab

The College of Engineering at Oregon State University (OSU) is developing a facility to improve safety for construction workers and the general public. A $1 million grant from Knife River Corporation and MDU Construction Services Group will help support creation of this laboratory, to be called the MDU Resources Group Construction Safety Laboratory. “This lab establishes us as the principal national facility for construction and transportation safety research and education,” says Scott Ashford, the dean and Kearney Professor of Engineering at the OSU College of Engineering.

“We’re delighted to partner with Knife River and MDU Construction Services Group on this critically important project,” Ashford says. “These two companies are industry leaders in safety, and their commitment to our program will allow us to further advance processes and technologies that will help to better prevent workplace injuries.”

When complete, the lab will have two components to create a virtual construction environment that replicates real-world jobsites. An interactive, high-definition projection system will allow multiple users to conduct sample work operations without actually putting workers at risk for injury. And a connected driving simulator will help evaluate driver and worker actions as vehicles pass through a work zone. “This project provides a virtual environment where industry and academia can work together on real-world solutions,” says Jeff Thiede, president and CEO of MDU Construction Services Group.

The lab will also expand and enhance an initiative begun several years ago at OSU to yield major improvements in worker safety by emphasizing prevention through design. This concept emphasizes safety consideration at the very design stage to make buildings, bridges, roadways, and other structures safer both to build and maintain. “There’s a long history in the construction industry of architects and design engineers leaving construction safety up to the builder or contractor, saying it wasn’t really the designer’s concern,” says John Gambatese, an OSU professor of civil engineering, a leader in this new movement, and a national expert in construction design and safety. “Some of this dates historically to the separation between owner, architect, contractor, maintenance, and construction worker. There are also legal and liability issues. But there are many ways we can improve construction safety with this approach.”

OSU researchers and other experts eventually see construction safety, both in design and job-site activities, as becoming one component of green construction concepts and adding a social aspect to the idea of sustainability. Based in part on OSU research, the U.S. Green Building Council recently added a pilot “prevention through design” credit to their rating system for sustainable buildings.

This emphasis on safety is needed, OSU researchers say. Construction is a traditionally dangerous profession, with such risks as falls from elevated heights, electrocution, trench cave-ins, and many lesser workplace injuries. The new laboratory at OSU will be able to simulate some of these situations on the jobsite, helping to identify safer ways to work while also studying improved productivity and minimizing costs, officials say.

Carlos Gittens joins KCI as highway practice leader and office manager in Greenville, SC

KCI Technologies, a multi-discipline engineering firm with offices throughout the eastern and central United States, welcomes J. Carlos Gittens, P.E. as highway practice leader and manager of the firm’s new office in Greenville, South Carolina. He will be responsible for business development, quality control, and project management for transportation projects throughout the state. 

Gittens brings to KCI more than 16 years of infrastructure experience in design and management. His background includes construction management, rail coordination, and extensive utility coordination and management. He has worked with state and municipal organizations on a wide range of projects, including road widening and bridge replacements for the South Carolina Department of Transportation, the South Carolina Port Authority’s Inland Port, University Point Boulevard in Charlotte, and North Carolina Department of Transportation design-build contracts for the new Salem Creek Connector and widening of eight miles of I-85 in Cabarrus County.

“Carlos’ experience and resume offer our Southeast clients a new service line,” says KCI Vice President and Regional Practice Leader W. Merritt King, P.E. “His strong highway design and management skills combined with his rail and utility experience will enhance our transportation capabilities, open up new markets, and broaden our relationships for major highway design-build pursuits.”

Gittens attended the University of Central Florida, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering in 1998 and a Master of Business Administration in 2000. He is a registered professional engineer in South Carolina, North Carolina, and Florida.

Roughly 1,100 KCI employee-owners support clients from more than 20 offices throughout the eastern and central United States. KCI offers environmental, transportation, telecommunications, construction, facilities and land development services to government, institutional, and private-sector clients. For more information, visit www.kci.com. 

Beaudin Ganze Consulting Engineers Completes Ownership TransitionBeaudinGanze

Beaudin Ganze Consulting Engineers (BGCE) has finalized its ownership transition, with Dan Koelliker, P.E., in place as president. He is joined by Debbie Eachus, finance manager; Eric Rubottom, P.E., hospitality and technology services leader; Morgan Royce, P.E., New Mexico business unit leader; and Wes Ploof, P.E., metro Denver business unit leader. Co-founder Denis Beaudin, former president and majority owner of the firm, completed the transition to members of the senior leadership team, all of whom are previous shareholders of the firm and together have an average tenure of more than 15 years with BGCE.

“With BGCE in excellent shape and new opportunities emerging for myself, now is the time to complete our long-awaited, much anticipated succession plan,” says Beaudin. “Each of the owners has held key leadership positions, and has the skills, energy and outlook necessary to steer the course of BGCE into its next chapter of continued success.”

Beaudin’s plans for the future include developing NRG Design Build, a separate entity from BGCE with several shareholders in common. Beaudin completed purchase of NRG on March 23 . “Denis is an entrepreneur,” says Koelliker. “After nearly a quarter of a century at the helm of BGCE, he has the opportunity once again to focus his energies on NRG and see it grow. We are all excited about the opportunities ahead.”

Koelliker noted that most clients of BGCE will likely not see much change in daily contacts and ongoing project work. “The senior leadership team and project staff have been in place for some time,” he remarks. 

BGCE is involved in mechanical, electrical, plumbing (MEP), lighting and technology design as well as commissioning, energy modeling and management, and LEED consulting. The firm specializes in high-end homes, hospitality, healthcare, education, civic, cultural, commercial and mixed-use sectors and has offices in Vail, Denver, and Fort Collins, CO; Jackson, WY; and Albuquerque, NM. For more information, visit www.bgce.com. 

Louis Berger sweeps Engineering Excellence Grand Awards from ACEC Metro Washington

Louis Berger took top honors in both the design and non-design categories from the American Council of Engineering Companies of Metropolitan Washington (ACEC/MW) at its annual Engineering Excellence Awards dinner. The industry organization honored the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool reconstruction as the top design project and the Washington Monument earthquake repair project, which Louis Berger managed jointly with Hill International, as the top non-design project.

The Washington Monument was damaged on Aug. 23, 2011 by a magnitude-5.8 earthquake. Cracks formed in the century-old stone and water damage was discovered inside the monument after Hurricane Irene hit days later. A joint venture of Louis Berger and Hill International was selected to provide comprehensive construction management services for the $15 million restoration. In total, the project repointed 2.5 miles of mortar joints, repaired 1,200 linear feet of cracks, and installed 150 square feet of Dutchman repairs. More than 75,000 man-hours of work were recorded on the project.

ACEC/MW also honored the $34 million Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool reconstruction. Constructed in 1923, the original pool was not supported by structural piles and had settled unevenly for decades, causing cracks and substantial leaking. Prior to the reconstruction, the pool used 30 million gallons of potable city water annually. The National Park Service selected Louis Berger to provide planning, design, and construction management services for the reconstruction. The project involved a full structural rehabilitation of the pool, supported by piles driven into bedrock for the first time in its history. Louis Berger conceived and successfully implemented a new pool design that draws water from the nearby Tidal Basin, minimizing the impact on the city's potable water supply by tens of millions of gallons per year. Circulation systems and a water treatment facility ensure that the water in the pool gets reused and remains clear and reflective.

"The Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool are two of the most iconic destinations in the country," says Tom Lewis, president of Louis Berger's U.S.-based operating company. "To be selected to work on these national icons and to have our work and emphasis on sustainable solutions honored by ACEC is humbling."

The Engineering Excellence Awards celebrate the most outstanding project achievements in the field of engineering around the world. Projects are judged based on originality, innovation, value to the public and the engineering profession, complexity, social and economic considerations, sustainability, and exceeding client needs.

Louis Berger is a $1 billion global professional services corporation that helps infrastructure and development clients solve their challenges. They partner with national, state and local government agencies; multilateral institutions; and commercial industry clients worldwide. Louis Berger operates on every habitable continent and has a presence in more than 50 nations, represented by the multidisciplinary expertise of nearly 6,000 engineers, economists, scientists, managers and planners.