PSI promotes David Sabol to executive vice president

Professional Service Industries has announced the promotion of David Sabol, P.E. to executive vice president. Sabol will oversee PSI operations in Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. “I feel privileged for the opportunity and am very excited to work side by side with such top notch employees to grow PSI to the next level,” Sabol says.

Based in PSI's North Tonawanda, New York office, Sabol previously served as senior vice president. His 26 years of geotechnical engineering experience includes both shallow and deep foundation system recommendations and specialty recommendations. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Physics from Mansfield University and his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Penn State University. He has been a member of the PSI team since 1990.

PSI provides a range of environmental, engineering, and testing services, including environmental consulting, geotechnical engineering, construction materials testing and engineering, industrial hygiene services, facilities and roof consulting, nondestructive evaluation, and specialty engineering and testing services. Headquartered in Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois, PSI operates from about 100 U.S. offices with some 2300 employees.

Baxter & Woodman receives ACEC-IL Engineering Excellence Award for stormwater project

The American Council of Engineering Companies of Illinois (ACEC-IL) has honored Baxter & Woodman and the Village of Glenview, IL with an Engineering Excellence 2016 Merit Award. Baxter & Woodman, a civil engineering firm, won praise for construction engineering of the $10 million Harms Road Regional Stormwater Project. “It has been exciting and rewarding to oversee the construction engineering on this important regional flood reduction project that has created so many obvious wins,” explains Baxter & Woodman project manager Christopher Buckley, P.E., BCEE.

The system design protects village residents from river backflows while allowing local storm flows to drain at the same time. The project included new 54-inch and 84-inch storm relief sewers, three innovative backflow preventers within the storm flow diversion chambers, and two high-capacity stormwater pumping stations with backup generators. Since one of the pumping stations was located within Cunliff Park, owned by the Glenview Park District, the project evolved into a partnership between the village and the park district to install the required flood protection measures and renovate the park at the same time. The project illustrated how the combined efforts of multiple stakeholders can achieve results beneficial to many constituents.

“ACEC-IL looks closely at four criteria to judge award winning projects -- exceeding client expectations; social, economic, or sustainable design consideration; originality; and complexity -- so we are thrilled to be selected for an award,” says Baxter & Woodman’s vice president and COO Lou Haussmann, P.E. “Although we have been providing engineering services for almost 70 years, this kind of recognition and the opportunity to collaborate with a client like the Village of Glenview is always an honor,” he adds.

KS Associates uses laser scanning to capture details in the dark on rail project

The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA) is reconstructing the Westbound Mainline (Track 8) and rehabilitating an Auxiliary Platform of Track 7 beneath the Tower City RTA Terminal. KS Associates used 3D laser scanning technology to perform an existing conditions survey for the project.

The beauty of laser scanning for this project is the scanner's ability to capture data in the dark. Even in the dimly lit areas beneath Tower City, the scanner performed effortlessly, capturing thousands of data points, including areas the design team may not know they needed at the beginning of the project.

Laser scanning also improved safety, as surveyors were able to minimize time on active rail lines. And eliminating disruption to rail service was especially critical, considering Tower City is the busiest hub of RTA's rail network, with all rail lines converging here.

Based in Elyria, Ohio, KS Associates is a civil engineering, transportation engineering, and land surveying firm that provides planning, design, and construction phase services for public infrastructure projects. The firm specializes in transportation, potable water, wastewater and stormwater; coastal engineering services; site development engineering services for institutional, commercial, and residential uses; land surveying and mapping services; and 3D laser scanning services.

Steven Blake, former Arcadis North America CEO, dies at 59

Steve Blake, a member of the Arcadis executive board from 1999 through 2003 and again between 2010 and 2013 and CEO for Arcadis-U.S. for more than 15 years before retiring in 2013, died on January 16 at his home in Hayden, Colorado after a brief fight with cancer. He was 59.

Prior to joining Arcadis, an engineering firm, Blake held management roles at Geraghty & Miller. Within months of the 1993 merger between Geraghty & Miller and Arcadis, Blake was appointed CEO for the Dutch firm’s U.S. business. During Blake’s tenure with Arcadis, the firm grew organically and through strategic mergers and acquisitions to rank No.12 on ENR’s list of the Top 500 Design Firms at the time of his retirement.

According to Neil McArthur, global chief executive officer for Arcadis: “All of us at Arcadis are deeply saddened to hear of Steve’s death and offer our support and thoughts to his wife and family. Steve had a huge impact on everything and everyone he touched during his life and career. He was able to see the bigger strategic picture but also understood the operational details to make it happen. His plan for Arcadis North America was hugely successful, growing our business five times and profitability 10 times over a 10-year period. He was also a hands-on leader, leading from the front, and incredibly hard working. Steve was a passionate and inspirational leader and fully embodied our passion to improve quality of life and be recognized as the best. He was larger than life, and he will be sorely missed - his legacy will endure.”

Blake was a member of the Society of American Military Engineers, the Construction Industry Roundtable, the National Ground Water Association and the U.S. National Water Well Associates. A registered professional engineer in Oklahoma and a registered geologist in Arkansas, he held a bachelor’s degree in watershed sciences from Colorado State University and a master’s degree in hydrology and water resources science from the University of Arizona.

John Jastrem, CEO of Arcadis’ North America region commented, “Although I wasn’t fortunate enough to work with Steve, I know he was a very successful businessman and a highly respected leader, and I see evidence of this in the company he led for so many years. Steve recognized talent and team spirit, and he empowered the team to 'go make something happen!,' and Steve appreciated every employee and celebrated their accomplishments.  Each of us at Arcadis are part of Steve’s legacy.  He will be missed, but not forgotten.”

Arcadis offers design, consulting, engineering, and project management services through 28,000 people in over 70 countries. The firm supports UN-Habitat with knowledge and expertise to improve the quality of life in rapidly growing cities around the world.  For more information, visit www.arcadis.com.

Merrick's Jennifer Speers leads rocket test stand design effort

Merrick & Company was contracted by NASA at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville, AL for the architectural and engineering design of the liquid hydrogen fuel tank (LH2) test stand for the new Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. Leading the design and overseeing project construction is Merrick structural engineer Jennifer Speers, PE, SE. MSFC recently hosted a media day to showcase the rising construction of the two-tower test stand, which included attendance by NASA’s director Charles Bolden and astronaut Butch Wilmore.

“Jen has been tireless in her devotion and technical attention to all phases of this project. The fact that she is the only woman on the technical or construction team is overshadowed by the fact that she is simply one heck of an engineer. Designing a structure of this magnitude that can withstand the forces the SLS rocket fuel tanks will experience during launch is a monumental technical feat,” according to Chris Sherry, PE, Merrick senior vice president and COO.

The 215-foot test stand will be completed by 2016 to allow for testing to begin in 2017. The first launch is set for 2018 and will include an asteroid landing, a manned Mars mission, and an unmanned mission beyond Mars. For additional coverage and an interview with Speers, visit http://goo.gl/GMtfsS.

Merrick & Company , an engineering, architecture, design-build, surveying, planning, and geospatial solutions firm, serves domestic and international clients in the energy, national security, life sciences, and sustainable infrastructure markets. The employee-owned company maintains offices in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit www.merrick.com.

GZA subsidiary Huff & Huff receives Engineering Excellence Honor Award from ACEC Illinois

Huff & Huff, a subsidiary of environmental and geotechnical consulting firm GZA, has announced that it will receive a 2016 ACEC (American Council of Engineering Companies) Illinois Honor Award for Engineering Excellence for a remediation project. This involved redeveloping a strip mall that housed a former dry cleaning establishment into an athletic recreational center for the Village of Woodridge and the Woodbridge Park District.

Huff & Huff was tasked with remediating the site to maintain a tight construction schedule.  The firm used its license from NASA for Emulsified Zero-Valent Iron (EZVI), to cost-effectively accomplish its goal. EZVI destroys chlorinated solvents using a combination of a chemical reaction with micro-scale iron and microbial degradation stimulated by the fermentation of the vegetable oil contained in the EZVI.

The Engineering Excellence Awards are presented to projects that encompass both the public and private sector. Huff & Huff was selected for the honor award for its innovative and effective approach to remediation that maintained the client’s construction schedule while also creating a significant cost savings.


Each year, ACEC member firms submit projects that are judged on a rigorous set of criteria, including complexity, innovation, and value to society. These projects are judged by a panel of industry experts, which includes military and government officials, ACEC National and International leadership, educators from college and university engineering departments and leadership from other organizations dedicated to the built environment.

Founded in 1964, GZA is a multi-disciplinary firm providing environmental, geotechnical, ecological, water, and construction management services. With corporate offices in Norwood, MA, GZA has over 550 employees and operates 27 offices in the New England, Mid-Atlantic, Great Lakes and Appalachian regions. For additional information, visit www.gza.com.  

Founded in 1979 and located in Oak Brook, Illinois, Huff & Huff is a multidisciplinary firm providing environmental, civil, and biological engineering services. Areas of expertise include natural resource assessments, wetlands, remediation design, wastewater design, stream surveys, sustainable solutions, environmental site assessments, air quality, underground storage tanks, risk assessment, hazardous waste management, and transportation-related environmental issues. Huff & Huff became a wholly-owned subsidiary of GZA in October 2014.  For additional information, please visit www.huffnhuff.com

Proposed Virginia Beach light-rail project draws interest from engineering firms

More than a dozen firms are interested in designing and building the proposed light-rail extension from Norfolk to Town Center in Virginia Beach , according to documents released by the city of Virginia Beach. While the 3-mile project has not been officially approved, the city is keeping to its timeline, which includes soliciting interested design and build companies. The city asked for letters of interest in mid-October and got 13 responses by the time the window closed on Nov. 13. Five letters of interest were from a group of companies:

* Herzog, Branscome, CH2M, Clark Nexsen

* Skanska , Balfour Beatty , AECOM

* Kiewit , E.V. Williams , McLean , HDR, Mass Electric Construction Company

* Lane, VHB, Burns Engineering, L.K. Comstock National Transit, RailWorks Track Systems

* Parsons Construction Group, Stacy and Witbeck, Inc.

Three were from potential teams:

* Sacyr Construction USA , Orders Construction Company

* Dragados USA

* VIAS USA

Five others said they want more information on certain parts of the project:

* ARUP, project and construction management

* Infrastructure and Industrial Constructors Southeast, heavy construction

* Spann and Associates , civil engineering and construction

* GET Solutions Inc. , geotechnical engineering

* Inner Circle Concepts, architecture

Five letters of interest were from a group of companies:

The city will ask the firms to show their qualifications starting Jan. 31 . Companies that qualify will be asked to submit a proposal for work in December 2016 , if the city decides to pursue the project.

By July 2017 , funding would be allocated and a contract awarded, according to city documents. The light-rail line would be delivered by July 2019 .

"The City is seeking Design-Builders that are committed to quality, have proven experience in light rail design and construction, will bring innovative design-build approaches to ensure timely completion, and are willing to partner with the City for the mutual success of the project," the letter to interested companies stated.

Design-build projects use a single entity for design and construction services. Norfolk's light-rail project used a design-bid-build process, said Philip Shucet , who oversaw the project as head of Hampton Roads Transit.

Parsons Brinckerhoff and URS did most of the design work, then the design plans were put out for bid, he said. Contractors submitted bids based on the design. The 7.4-mile Norfolk line, which cost about $318 million to build, faced cost overruns and delays.

More than 10 construction companies worked on the project, but Skanska did most of the track, and Truland, now out of business, did the overhead electrical system. W.M. Schlosser built the stations and storage and maintenance garage. The trains were built by Siemens.

HRT is set to release its results from a recent request for proposals for the Virginia Beach project train cars in January.

Editor's note: This originally ran in the Virginian-Pilot newspaper in Norfolk, VA and then was picked up by ENR MidAtlantic Insider online magazine