Newsworthy Projects in San Diego 

Two of our recently begun Southern California projects were featured in the San Diego Business Journal for their significant community impact.  

California State University San Marcos (CSUSM) Housing & Dining Complex 

Construction is now underway for the $126M University Village Student Success Housing complex at CSUSM, comprised of a 127k-square-foot, five-story residence hall and an adjacent 10k-square-foot, two-story dining hall. The new housing is intended as an option for low-income freshmen.  

UES is providing geotechnical monitoring, materials testing, and special inspections during construction for the new ground-up buildings and new site work and improvements for the 3.5-acre site. 

Key Team Members on the Project Include:  

Dan Math, RCE, GE – Principal Geotechnical Engineer

Colm Kenny, RCE, GE – Senior Project Engineer

Jay Lynch – Engineering Geologist

Inspectors: Steve Green, Francisco Perez, James Trujillo, James Jackson, Michael Schwarberg, Jesse Rizzi, David Blood

Laboratory: Larry Sachs – Lab Manager

Erik Campbell – CSD Department Manager   

El Centro Police Station 

UES is also providing materials testing and special inspection services for the new headquarters for the El Centro police department. The project consists of phased demolition of the existing police station to allow for the construction of two buildings totaling 44,477 sf.  

The main building is a 32,671-sf, two story building and will include a public lobby, a community meeting/multipurpose space, offices for administration, investigators and records and patrol related functions including: lockers, fitness, report writing areas, etc.  

The second building is a support building of 11,806 sf. The ground floor will house property and evidence, k-9, the fingerprint laboratory and various police support and storage functions. The upper floor may house an indoor police firearms range, depending on the overall cost of the project. Site work includes the development of 128 parking spaces, landscape upgrades and storm water management. 

Key Team Members on the Project Include:  

Michael Balagtas, Project Engineer 

Dan Math, RCE, GE, Principal Geotechnical Engineer 

Alexis Hedden, GEO Project Administrator 

Adam Canfield, Senior Environmental 

John O’Donnell, Special Inspector 

David Hainsworth, Registered Special Inspector 

Jesse Rizzi, Special Inspector 

CVG FEAM Aero Hangar 

The ribbon cutting of the new $45 million hangar at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) took place March 28, 2024, in Hebron, KY. The hangar is a 150,000-sf building consisting of three bays to house Boeing 767 aircrafts.  

During construction, UES provided materials testing and special inspection services including observation of deep foundations, footing review, reinforcing steel for the footings, slabs, and pavements for client Bascon, Inc. Structural steel framing and roofing was inspected for bolted and welded connections. Concrete work was tested for compressive strength and specification review. 

Key Team Members on the Project Include:  

Steven Neltner, Project Manager 

Justin Casey, CMT Concrete Supervisor 

Dennis Leneave, Senior Field Representative 

Brett Stephenson, Field Representative III 

Aaron Marcelino, Field Representative I 

Jacob Landers, Field Representative I 

Award Winning Project in the Southeast

In the bustling heart of Atlanta, Georgia, lies West Midtown. Steeped in history yet undergoing a renaissance of development, this area has seen remarkable transformation over recent years. Among its many architectural marvels and revitalized spaces, one project stands out: The Interlock. Recognized for its groundbreaking approach to environmental and geotechnical challenges, UES’ Atlanta-area team, then operating as Contour Engineering, has earned the prestigious first place in the environmental category for the Engineering Excellence Awards presented by the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) in Georgia for their work on the project.

The Interlock Phase 1 Mixed-Use Development, nestled at the corner of Howell Mill Road and 14th Street, was once a neglected industrial site that presented significant obstacles to redevelopment due to environmental contamination and geotechnical complexities. However, Contour Engineering, working alongside SJC Ventures, devised creative solutions to address these challenges: environmental conditions were controlled via capping onsite impacted media and allowing residential use through the use of an environmental covenant and engineering controls. 

The complex now offers a vibrant mix of residential, commercial, and hospitality spaces with over 300,000 square feet of office space, restaurants, shops, 350 apartment units, 36 townhomes, and a boutique hotel. See the ACEC Georgia overview of this award-winning project here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXFqs_B_ngU and our highlight of the team’s award acceptance in UES in Action. A special congratulations to Principal Engineer Jeanette Hamm, PE, on her oversight of the project.

We’ve also featured this great news on our website for sharing with others outside UES. 

Margaritaville Opens in Ft. Myers Beach

Margaritaville Beach Resort in Fort Myers Beach, FL, opened in December 2023. When the devastating Hurricane Ian hit the Ft. Myers area in September 2022, the then-under-construction Margaritaville suffered minimal damage, with the site becoming a temporary location for various beach/local government operations.

UES completed the materials testing, geo drilling, and pile monitoring on the project, as well as all threshold, structural, fire stops and M.E.P. inspections. The 254-guest resort includes a 4-story main hotel building, a 4-story restaurant building, a 3-story mixed use building and a 1-story amenity building, totaling approximately 220,849-sq. ft.

Congratulations to Project Manager Reggie Snell, Building Inspection & Plan Review Department Manager Rick Harmon, Geotechnical Field Engineer Adam Dornacker, PE, (Geotechnical Drilling and Piles), and Director of Business Development JR Gibbs, and the rest of the Fort Myers team for your great work on this iconic resort, an emblem of the ongoing recovery of the area.  

This was just one of the South Florida projects featured during the March 6 Town Hall. See it and the others on the recording here.

Installation of Auger-cast foundation

Geo borings for foundation design

STRIVING to Solve for a Reno Solar Project

Reno’s Geotechnical Department Manager Nelson Pearson, PE, shared these incredible photos taken by Technician Jonnie Morales as the team performed multiple services for the Windy Lane and Sunny Street Solar projects in New Mexico. We are providing $185k in geotechnical services (borings, geophysics, test pits, pile load testing) for the approximately 1,600-acre site for client NextEra Energy Resources.

Nelson shared that “the project represented a truly national collaboration, and I want to give a huge thank you to the entire UES project team for a job well done!”

A special thanks to the following team members for their contributions:

Engineering Project Manager Todd Hanke, PE (Arizona)

Senior Geotechnical Engineer Lee Mitchell, PE (Las Vegas)

Staff Engineer Conrad Senior (Arizona)

Technician Jonnie Morales (Reno)

Staff Engineer Ryan Bainum (Arizona)

Project Geologist Brendan Kallaus (Irvine)

Staff Geotechnical Professional Katie Bates (Reno)

Staff Geotechnical Professional Ross Brown (Reno)

Tampa Branch Manager Meagen Gonzalez, PE (Florida)

Senior Geotechnical Engineer Martin Jensen, PE (Las Vegas)

Regional Principal Engineer Thomas Vick, PE, PMP (Western Region)

VP, Deep Foundations Tom Ortner (Florida)

Principal/Business Development David Knotts (Atlanta)

Data Center in DC

The UES Chantilly (DC Metro) office is proud to announce that they have been awarded a new, two-story data center with an approximate gross of 215,000 sf from COPT Defense Properties and the end market user AWS. The scope includes geotechnical, environmental (SWPPP), construction materials testing/special inspections and building sciences (IR and Roof Inspections), with estimated UES revenue of $375k. Please note: This project is protected by an NDA, not to be shared outside of the UES team. 

We're excited to highlight three projects from the latest addition to Team UES: InControl Technologies. As we announced in December, InControl Technologies, an environmental consulting firm located in Houston, joined our Texas region, allowing us to expand our environmental services. 

Site Characterization & Regulatory Closures of Waste Management Units at Mitsubishi Chemical America – Beaumont Facility

InControl Technologies provided environmental and engineering consulting services associated with the characterizing sediment in Wastewater Ponds/lagoons and assisting with regulatory closures of several registered solid waste management units at the Mitsubishi Chemical America (MCA) Beaumont plant site in Nederland, Jefferson County, Texas. The Beaumont plant site is currently owned by Jefferson Terminal South LLC (JTS) and was formerly owned by The Chemours Company (Chemours), which was formerly part of E.I. du Pont de Nemours (DuPont). 

JTS currently leases portions of the site to MCA. Lucite International, Inc. formerly manufactured methyl methacrylate (MMA) monomer and methacrylic acid (MAA) at the plant site and merged into MCA in 2021. MMA monomer is utilized as raw material for acrylic resins used in vehicle lamp covers, signs, aquarium tanks, construction materials, paints, and other offerings. MAA is a raw material for paints, adhesives, synthetic rubber, concrete admixture, and other offerings. MCA announced its decision to end MMA monomer and MAA production after determining that upgrading the plant would not be cost-efficient and shut down these operating units. As part of the closure activities, InControl Technologies assisted MCA for the following technical efforts:

• Provided technical assistance in characterization of the three on-site Wastewater Ponds/lagoons by collection of sediment samples to determine the volume and physical properties of the sediment within each pond/lagoon.
• Engaged in assisting MCA with the regulatory closures of the 21 Waste Management Units (WMUs). Of the 21 WMUs, three units were listed on MCA’s Notice of Registration as active, one unit is listed as closed, and the remaining 17 were listed as inactive.
• Assisted MCA with site assessment activities and filing closure requests with the TCEQ. InControl has a team of professionals that have experience in managing the closure of waste management units at industrial facilities, and experience in regulatory compliance and negotiations with the regulatory agencies.

Port of Houston Authority Wingate Site

The Port of Houston Wingate Site is a 4.953-acre property located at 7303 Wingate in Houston, Texas. The property is located in a commercial/industrial area along the Houston Ship Channel and was historically occupied by six aboveground storage tanks. Petroleum products were transferred between the storage tanks and nearby railcars. A limited Phase II ESA completed in 2014 confirmed a release to soil and groundwater at the Site.

InControl’s initial investigation in January 2015 revealed presence of light non-aqueous phase liquids (LNAPLs) in monitoring wells installed at the site. This impact was reported to the TCEQ. The investigation activities continued with the installation of additional soil borings for confirmation and delineation of the LNAPL plume. Permanent monitoring wells were installed to further delineate the extent of LNAPL plume. In November 2017, InControl Technologies initiated recovery of LNAPL utilizing a commercially available Mobile Dual Phase Extraction (MDPE) system. Since traditional MDPE events were generating more water and less product recovery, InControl developed an alternative approach. InControl designed and built an in-house product only pump that only recovered product with no water. Client, the Port of Houston Authority (PHA) was very satisfied with the innovative approach, which resulted in recovery of over 300 gallons of LNAPL with no water to report. Recovered LNAPL product was sampled and characterized for submittal to a recycling facility. The design of the response action program has allowed for flexibility in strategy for recovery of the NAPL, which is anticipated to reduce the overall cleanup cost. More than 1,000-gallons of NAPL have been recovered to date and is being sold as a recycled product as opposed to being disposed as a waste with associated costs.

Per agreement with the TCEQ, quarterly groundwater monitoring and reporting is completed at the site to evaluate the dissolved phase petroleum hydrocarbon plume at the site. The reports discuss the groundwater gradient, aquifer linear velocity, and summary of analytical results. Since the site has no dissolved phase plume, the only remedial efforts deployed is for recovery of mobile LNAPL available at the site. Once the site reaches a stage when LNAPL recovery is impracticable and confirming absence of dissolved phase in groundwater, a Site Closure will be requested with the TCEQ.

Schumacher Plant

InControl Technologies was retained by the client to complete groundwater assessment at the facility and develop a path to regulatory closure. A Sample Analysis Plan (SAP) was developed by a previous consultant in the initial phases of the project. InControl reviewed and updated the SAP for the current project status and TCEQ needs. [read more]

Historical operations at the Schumacher facility resulted in a release of chromium and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to shallow groundwater. A network of groundwater monitoring wells delineated the plume which was traveling toward Country Club Bayou. Sediment and surface water samples were collected from Country Club Bayou to evaluate potential impacts from an upgradient release of chromium and VOCs.

In accordance with the SAP, sediment and surface water samples were collected from various locations along the bayou on a regular basis. Sediment samples were collected from the bayou at an upgradient point to assess potential contributions from additional offsite sources, at the plume intersection, and downgradient to evaluate any cumulative effects. Sediment samples were collected and placed in laboratory supplied containers for transportation to an offsite NELAC-accredited laboratory. The analytical data from the sediment samples were used in conjunction with groundwater and surface water data to complete a risk-based evaluation. Waste Management Units (WMUs) were assessed and closed. The TCEQ agreed the conditions of the Agreed Order were met and no further action was required in August 2022.

Limestone Mine in the Midwest

Thank you to Jim Howe, President of Exploration at Geotechnology in the Midwest region, for sharing these great photos with us from a recent drilling project. Jim shared that the “Site is an active limestone mine in the Midwest. We were tasked with installing a ~100’ NQ core hole from the lowest point in the underground workings, roughly 400’ below ground surface. Our MSHA trained crew of Senior Driller Tony Gilbert and Driller Assistant I Joel Herrman mobilized the drill into the mine following their site training and completed the core hole in a single shift.”

The Virtual Design Consulting (VDC) Group at UES works closely with architects, engineers, and contractors to help integrate and manage subsurface and building information models (SIM/BIM) for design-construction projects across the country. We’re excited to highlight just a few of their recent projects. If you’d like to learn more, you can contact James Slusher, PE, National Director, Virtual Design Consulting (VDC). 

Goldman Sachs – Dallas, TX

UES provided 3D Subsurface Information Modeling (SIM) and Utility Engineering (SUE) to assist the design team with potential underground clashes on the new Goldman Sachs’ complex in Dallas, TX. See an example of clash detection in action here. The SIM process followed general accordance with ASCE 38-22 and utilized several geophysical techniques including GPR, RF, TDEM, and FDEM.

The Pearl Medical Campus – Charlotte, NC

UES provided a 3D Subsurface Information Model (SIM) and Utility Engineering (SUE) of the proposed construction of the Pearl district and medical campus, which is a joint venture between Wake Forest University, Atrium Health, and Wexford Science and Technology. The SIM model followed general accordance with ASCE 38-22 and utilized several geophysical techniques including GPR, RF, TDEM, and FDEM. Additionally, a mobile laser scan was performed to help give the model some context. Construction began in November 2022 with a value $1.5 billion.

National Security Agency Campus Mercury Flora – Fort Meade, MD

UES provided a 3D Subsurface Information Model (SIM) and Utility Engineering (SUE) of the proposed construction of the Records Replacement Building and Mercury Flora building, on the campus of the National Security Agency. The SIM model followed general accordance with ASCE 38-22 and utilized several geophysical techniques including GPR, RF, TDEM, and FDEM. Construction began in April 2023 with a value $500 million.

Florida Power and Light Riviera Beach Distribution Center PDC Building 1 – Palm Beach County, FL

UES provided a 2D Subsurface Utility Map (SUM) and Utility Engineering (SUE) of the proposed construction of a new building near the existing PDC Building. The SUM model followed general accordance with ASCE 38-22 and utilized several geophysical techniques including GPR, RF, TDEM, and FDEM. Additionally, a mobile laser scan was performed to help give the model some context.

Howard Frankland Bridge

In Florida, UES is actively engaged in a project with FDOT’s District 7, serving as Geotechnical Engineer of Record for the proposed Howard Frankland Bridge over Tampa Bay. The proposed bridge will be approximately 3.3 miles long and will include 113 spans supported on two end bents and 112 intermediate piers, with a total construction cost of $860M. Also included in the project are sheet pile walls, MSE walls, toll structures, three additional pedestrian bridges, roadway, and other miscellaneous structures. Estimated for completion in 2025, this project will transform the Tampa area’s longest bridge, connecting Tampa to St. Petersburg, to eight full lanes of traffic with an enhanced pedestrian experience. When completed, it will be the largest bridge (based on square footage) constructed in the State of Florida.

Emergency Repair to the Sanibel Causeway

UES served as Geotechnical Engineer of Record for the emergency repair of the Sanibel Causeway following Hurricane Ian in September 2022. The project, a total cost of $250M, included emergency repairs to the causeway which enabled it to reopen for traffic three weeks following Hurricane Ian, allowing first responders, recovery workers, and Sanibel residents to access the island. The design entailed building the roadway to standards and specifications, constructing permanent bridge approaches, and restoring drainage, lighting, pavement markings, as well as providing access for utility service along the causeway islands. Sheet piles and riprap were utilized to rebuild the sea walls. Sheet piles were also driven to encapsulate the distressed MSE walls and to protect the roadway reconstructed at grade along the causeways. FDOT was recently presented with the 2023 America’s Transportation Award for Quality of Life/Community Development Medium Project Group for the SASHTO (Southern) Region for the Sanibel project. 

Helping the American Magic to Sail Smoothly

Fans of sailing know that the America’s Cup is one of the oldest and most prestigious sporting competitions in the world. American Magic is an American yacht racing team formed to compete for the 37th America's Cup. 

With a design light years from the first Cup winner in 1851, the yacht America, the current American Magic looks like something from a Star Wars movie (photo). Magic along with her captain and crew train like Olympians for the upcoming 2024 race in Barcelona, Spain. 

Since 2018, her winter training ground has been Pensacola Bay which has ideal conditions for yachting. The City of Pensacola is building the yacht a new home after a few years of it being housed in a tent. As the best and brightest firms jockey for selection to design the new berth, as is so frequently the case, Biome Consulting Group is the Ecological Lead on every short-listed team. Biome’s Founding Partner and Permit Team Lead Chris Bosso will ensure that the project complies with all relevant environmental regulations as he oversees application, processing, and issuance of Clean Water Act, Rivers & Harbors Act, and Environmental Resource permitting. Chris and his team are eager to see Magic out of her tent and into a world-class facility.

We're excited to highlight this project from the latest addition to Team UES: Biome Consulting Group.

As we announced in September, Biome Consulting Group, an ecological consulting firm located in the Central Gulf Coast region of Florida has joined the North Florida Region of UES, allowing us to expand our ecological services. Biome’s highly skilled and deeply experienced ecological consultants have decades of expertise in a wide variety of applied ecology and environmental regulatory compliance consulting services.  

Responding to the Deepwater Horizon Incident

In the spring of 2010, a dynamically positioned, semi-submersible offshore drilling rig, Deepwater Horizon, exploded, killing 11 crew members and causing the largest marine oil spill in history. Over a period of 87 days prior to the leak being capped, approximately 4.9 million barrels of oil were introduced into the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem.

The Deepwater Horizon incident became, arguably, one of the most consequential environmental disasters in American history. A multi-agency group convened by the Environmental Protection Agency performed a Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) to measure the extent of the impact and determine the fines which ultimately amounted to roughly $21 billion. In Florida, the very first NRDA project was restoration of the primary dune system on nine miles of Santa Rosa Island, the home of the famous sands of Pensacola Beach. When the contract was let for the restoration work, including installation of over a half million dune plants, the state turned to Biome Consulting Group to oversee the project. The dune has recovered completely and is now covered with sea oats in bloom.

Coastal ecosystems, including primary dunes, are ecologically and energetically dynamic. Impacts from storms and human use require land managers to deploy management strategies to keep these communities healthy. The post Deepwater Horizon dunes require some maintenance this fall. Once again, the State of Florida has engaged Biome’s ecological consultants to provide oversight for the current ecological restoration activities.  

Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix Lights Up the Night

Las Vegas Branch Manager Sam Palmer, PE, P.Eng, CBO/CFM presented at our recent Town Hall (starting at 1:08:00) on the incredibly exciting Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix project. The race will be held November 16-18, 2023, so the finishing touches are being made now. The track is a 3.8-mile street circuit on the Las Vegas Strip, with the main event being a 50-lap, two-hour night race.

Formula 1 is constructing a mix of temporary and permanent facilities, including a 275K SF multi-level garage and paddock club, as they’ve committed to hold a race of this size each year in the city for the next ten years, with each year’s event rivaling the revenue brought to the city by a Super Bowl.

UES project fees of more than $2 million included resurfacing streets (with asphalt layers consisting of base, a leveling layer, and special surface treatments), welding manhole covers (to literally prevent them being sucked off the street by the speed of the cars), and conducting several specialized construction tests such as smoothness and International Rough Index, on a 24/7 schedule as the race approaches. 



Special thanks to Senior Project Manager Shreyansh Paliwal, EIT, and Director of Major Projects Fintan Gaffney for their leadership on this historic project, and to the many team members who contributed to its success.  

UES Awarded Three Florida Power & Light Solar Projects

As presented by Tom Ortner, VP Deep Foundations/Major Projects, during our recent Town Hall (at 1:00:38), UES has been awarded Geotechnical Investigation Projects for three 74.5 MW FP&L Solar Projects, two near Vero Beach and one near Clewiston, FL. Each 500-acre site will include a solar area and substation.



The Major Projects team is providing Project Management and Technical Services while testing will be conducted at up to four Florida branches, including specialized testing out of Fort Myers and Electrical Resistivity testing out of the Tampa branch.

To set UES apart from competitors, the team worked to bring many forms of specialty testing in-house, and also constructed a unique portable tripod system to perform tension testing without the use of a backhoe. UES services include:

• Standard penetration tests (SPT) with Shelby Tube sampling (48)
• Test Pits (28)
• Infiltration Tests (Double Ring) (8)
• Ground Water monitor wells w/ permeability Testing (6)
• Field Electrical Resistivity Testing (28)
• Specialty Lab testing to include, Corrosive, Thermal Resistivity along with standard soil classification
• Pile Testing Phase:
• Installation of W6x9 Test Piles (72 total, installed by UES via a subcontractor)
• Pile Load testing: Lateral, Tension and Compression (108)

2020 at Providence

We’re excited to continue highlighting projects of recent additions to UES. The Village of Providence is a multi-phase, mixed use, planned community located in Huntsville, AL. Geo Solutions has been providing geotechnical engineering, environmental, and material testing services on the development since 2004.

2020 at Providence is a multi-story, luxury apartment, commercial and retail building located in the Village of Providence. Once completed it will include 1-, 2- and 3-bedroom apartments as well as retail and commercial space. The project also includes a nine level, concrete parking deck.



Geo Solutions provided geotechnical consulting services during the design phase of the project as well as materials testing and NPDES inspection services during construction. Services provided included geotechnical soil test and rock core borings, subgrade reviews, field density testing on soil fill, aggregate pier installation monitoring, foundation bearing reviews, steel reinforcement reviews, structural steel reviews, structural masonry reviews, concrete testing, reviews of the hollow core floor system, spray on fireproofing reviews and NPDES inspections.

Work on this project was performed by:

William Kennard, PE – Principal Engineer

Brian Cook – Executive Vice President/Senior Manager

David Martin, PE – Project Manager/Senior Engineer

Barb Lehman, PE – Project Manager

Ethan Abston – Project Manager

Jack Reynolds – Project Manager

United Launch Alliance/Beyond Gravity Expansion

Groundbreaking for a 500,000 square foot, $300 million expansion to the United Launch Alliance (ULA) facility in Decatur, AL took place in October of 2022. The expansion was necessary after the announcement of ULA’s deal with Amazon to build 38 rockets to put internet delivering satellites into orbit.

Geo Solutions began providing geotechnical services on the project in May of 2022 with construction beginning in the Fall of 2022. Geo Solutions is providing materials testing and geotechnical consulting services during construction. Services provided on this project have included a detailed geotechnical investigation consisting of soil and rock core borings, subgrade reviews/proof rolls, field density testing, downhole caisson review, shallow foundation bearing reviews, concrete testing, reinforcing steel reviews, and structural steel reviews. Construction is ongoing.

Work on this project was performed by:

William Kennard, PE – Principal Engineer

Brian Cook – Executive Vice President/Senior Manager

David Martin, PE – Project Manager/Senior Engineer

Ren Porter – Staff Geologist

Steven Grooters – Senior Technician

Emma Sierakowski – Technician

Stepping Up to Help Uvalde Move Forward 

Moving forward after the mass shooting that took place at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas, on May 24, 2022, has been an understandably difficult process. Part of the process involves the building of a new school, ensuring no student needs to return to the site of the tragedy.

We’re humbled and honored to share that UES’ Alpha Testing was invited to be part of the team building the new school. Earlier this year, Alpha’s Vice President Tony Janish, PE, received a call from Ben Harris, PE, VP of Engineering for Huckabee, the architecture firm who spearheaded the project, and one of the largest school architecture firms in the U.S., inviting Alpha onto the team.



“Being asked to participate in this is a big honor,” Tony shared. “The community is still grieving from the tragedy, and, since this district hasn’t had the opportunity to build a new school in decades, the Uvalde school board or staff were not sure where to start. Huckabee and the H-E-B Foundation stepped up and have been running this.”

Huckabee and many others are offering their services free of charge, and Alpha is doing the same. In an effort led by Senior Project Manager Olivia Drew, Alpha has already prepared and provided the geotechnical report, a roughly $30k donated value, and will be donating all CMT services, a roughly $160k value, when construction begins in November. Learn more and see more renderings of the beautiful new school here.

Congratulations to the Alpha team for this tremendous honor, and thank you for all your hard work helping this community heal.

In addition to Tony and Olivia, a special thanks so far to the following Alpha team members for their contributions:

Brennan Romero, Project Coordinator

Carlos Villalobos, Driller

Jessi Baires, Drilling Assistant

Aline Blasizzo, Geotechnical Lab Supervisor

John Massey, Lab Technician

Charlotte Pipe & Foundry’s State-of-the-Art New Facility

SUMMIT, a UES company in our Mid-Atlantic region, performed geotechnical engineering and construction materials testing for the new Charlotte Pipe & Foundry located on a 428-acre property in Oakboro, North Carolina. Relocating from its original nearby location, occupied for more than 100 years, the company’s new cast iron foundry will begin operations next month. The location includes state-of-the-art facilities and a much larger working space for their 500 employees.

The project consisted of nineteen soil test borings and three offset borings to explore the shallow auger refusal conditions. Inspection services included sampling concrete for air content, slump, temperature, and unit weight. SUMMIT provided oversight of construction observation, civil design support services, post-construction support, geophysical surveys and advanced development activities. The project was completed on time and under budget. Specific services included:

• proof roll observations
• foundation soil evaluations
• structural fill testing
• concrete testing
• in-situ sampling of soils
• test pit observation services
• hand-auger borings and penetrometer testing
• rock coring
• pavement design & rehabilitation
• site and project recommendations
• seismic site classifications
• laboratory testing

Work on this project was conducted by:

Richard J. Eller, Jr., PE – Construction Services Manager          

Drew Coffey – Senior Project Manager

Ryan Fitzgerald, CWI, MSI – SI/Structural Department Manager

Todd Brodie – Field Services Supervisor

William Dirr Jr. – Assistant Project Manager

Mimi Hourani – Director of Materials Testing Laboratory Services

Leonard Jefferson – Field Professional

Supported by many other field staff and support team members.

UES on Deck to Support Critical Water Infrastructure in Southern Las Vegas Valley

The Horizon Lateral Project is an approximately $1.6 billion new potable water conveyance system proposed by the Southern Nevada Water Authority. The project is designed to deliver up to 375 million gallons per day to the southern portions of the Las Vegas Valley beginning in approximately 2030.

Two alternatives are currently under consideration. In addition to the pipeline, both alternatives have associated facilities that include pump stations, rate of flow control stations, transmission lines, access roads, and seg­ments requiring tunnel boring machine technology.

Each of the alternatives being considered include 30-40 miles of large diameter pipeline (up to 120-inch), and each alignment traverses lands owned by multiple federal agencies.

UES is under contract to support this project, and members of our Las Vegas environmental team, prior to joining UES, were responsible for developing a series of pre-NEPA Technical Memoranda designed to expedite the NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) process. The resources evaluated included:



Acoustics

Air Quality

Aquatic Resources

Transportation

Visual Resources

Cultural Resources

Environmental Justice

Biological Resources

Hydrologic Resources

Land Use and Recreation

Paleontological Resources

Social and Economic Resources

Geology, Soils, and Minerals Resources

In addition, UES will be coordinating with the Bureau of Land Management in completing the NEPA process, periodically updating the Plan of Development, and participating in Tribal coordination. UES is also providing the biological monitoring of pre-NEPA geotechnical testing.

We're excited to highlight projects from the latest addition to Team UES: Riner Engineering.

Aplin Center, Texas A&M University



Riner Engineering was recently selected to provide geotechnical engineering services for the Texas A&M Aplin Center building in College Station, Texas. A multistory timber-framed structure, the Aplin Center will house new university programs in hospitality, retail studies and food product development. Arch “Beaver” Aplin III, founder of Buc-ee’s and a Texas A&M alum, donated $50 million toward its construction. The building will include outdoor and indoor student recreational space, as well as retail and food service areas managed by students and faculty through the educational programs. The project also includes a pedestrian tunnel underlying an existing roadway which will connect Aplin to adjoining campus facilities.

Houston Airport Systems IAH Terminal Redevelopment Program

Riner Engineering provided geotechnical engineering services to Houston Airport Systems for the new Mickey Leland International Terminal (MLIT), Federal Inspection Services (FIS) Building and the Checked Baggage Inspection and Screening (CBIS) Building at Bush Intercontinental Airport as part of the $1.36B IAH Terminal Redevelopment Program. In addition to Riner’s ongoing Construction Materials Testing services contract on the 325,000 SF FIS building, Riner is providing ongoing geotechnical services for the other projects. 

We're excited to highlight projects from the latest addition to Team UES: Grubbs, Hoskyn, Barton & Wyatt.

Broadway Bridge Replacement

We’re excited to continue highlighting projects of recent additions to UES. The Grubbs, Hoskyn, Barton & Wyatt Team in the Midwest Region provided more than $400k in geotechnical engineering, drilling and laboratory testing for the Broadway Bridge Replacement project in Little Rock and North Little Rock, Pulaski County, Arkansas for client Garver, LLC.

The Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department (AHTD) replaced the Broadway Bridge and its connection ramps on U.S. Highway 70 over the Arkansas River connecting Little Rock and North Little Rock in Pulaski County, Arkansas.

The work generally consisted of a bridge type selection study and designing and providing plans and specifications for the project. The replacement bridge consisted of the design of a four-lane principal arterial on or near the existing alignment. The proposed typical section of the bridge included four (4), 11-ft-wide travel lanes with 4-ft shoulders and a 16-ft shared-use path on the east.

Lead Engineer: Mark Wyatt

Design features of the bridge included:

•      Vehicle entrance ramp to La Harpe Boulevard on the south (Little Rock) end of the bridge

•      Shared Use ramp connections on the Little Rock and North Little Rock ends of the bridge;

•      North Arch Street vehicle access under the La Harpe entrance ramp in Little Rock; and

•      Pedestrian access under the roadway from the parking area to Dickey-Stephens Park in North Little Rock.

I-49 Alignment

The Grubbs, Hoskyn, Barton & Wyatt team are currently at work on the new alignment for I-49 from Alma to Fort Smith, AR for client HNTB / ARDOT. Work began in 2021, with completion expected in 2025. The team is providing more than $4 million in geotechnical engineering, drilling, and laboratory testing with a scope of ±338 borings / 15,105 lin ft.

The future I-49 alignment extends between Highway 22 and Interstate 40, approximately 13.7 miles and will connect Highway 22 in Sebastian County to the Interstate 40 and Interstate 49 interchange in Crawford County. The southern end of the alignment will extend over the Arkansas River to Hwy. 22 in Barling, Sebastian County, Arkansas. The project will consist of bridges and roadway designed and constructed to interstate standards.

Lead Engineer:  Mark Wyatt

Lead Geologist / Project Manager: Justin Ferguson

Gaylord Pacific Resort

Our West Region team is hard at work on a massive, luxury hotel and convention center on the Chula Vista coast.

Construction of the luxury Gaylord Pacific Resort & Convention Center is well under way. This 1.8 million-square-foot project will create a premier meeting, convention, and luxury resort with a 22-story hotel tower showcasing 1,600 hotel rooms. Our team in the West Region has been hard at work supporting this massive project, with nearly $2.5m already billed to date. 

The construction of the 240-foot hotel tower is cast-in-place concrete. Concrete shear wall cores with coupled walls resist high seismic loads in the San Diego area. While the width of the building is only 70 feet, the length is over 700 feet long. The tower also articulates in plan with several 45-degree turns, posing a significant challenge for a post-tensioned slab design. The designs use a combination of shear wall blades and closure pours to ensure an efficient slab thickness.

Our team recently performed the updated geotechnical investigation, the updated Phase 1 Environmental Report, the Environmental Soil Management Plan, and the Hazardous Materials Evaluation of the remaining buildings to be demolished. Our team currently provides all onsite geotechnical, environmental, and materials testing and special inspection services during construction. The project will consist of more than 50,000 cubic yards of grading, surcharged building pads, and 1,700 Auger Cast Pile foundations.

The team is celebrating the recent completion of ground improvement (aggregate piers) for the ballroom, atrium, and parking garage, and the vertical construction of the hotel core is now up several stories.

Work on this project is being conducted by:

Colm Kenny, PE, GE – Project Manager

Steve Green – Senior Soils Inspector/Supervisor

James Trujillo – Senior Soils Technician

Greg Azlin – Lead Inspector

Daniel Azlin – Lead Inspector

James Jackson – Special Inspector

Shane Kepler – Special Inspector

Supported by many other field staff and support team members. Thank you to everyone helping create this new jewel on the Chula Vista coast!

Teamwork Makes the Dreamwork!

Collaboration between the Florida and Texas regions recently secured a ket win for the UES team! The UES Team in Jacksonville recently won a $500k quality control project for Duval County FDOT. This win in a key end market was assisted by the team at Alpha Testing.

“Sean Bowman from Alpha was key in helping us win this project,” said Regional Manager Jeff Pruett, PE. “The contractor (Webber) is out of Texas, and this is their first Florida project. Sean assisted in a Teams meeting and following up with the client. We are looking forward to being able to return the favor and help Texas out.”

The appreciation was mutual with Sean returning the thanks to the Jacksonville team. “Kudos to Jeff Pruett, Joe Hoff and John Barker in helping be responsive for a meeting request on short notice and then knocking the meeting out of the park. Teamwork makes the dream work!”

From left to right: Jeff Wold, PE, Kenny Camp, Dennis Harris, Joe Klausmeier, and Josh Watson, PE.

Work on this project is being conducted by:

On Site Team Leader – Kenny Camp

On Site Quality Manager – Dennis Harris

On Site Quality Manager – Joe Klausmeier

Project Principal Engineer – Jeff Wold, PE

Senior Project Manager – Josh Watson, PE

All supported by additional site inspectors and personnel.

Southeast Region Secures Battery Plant Project

In one of the largest economic development projects in Georgia’s history, Hyundai Motor Group and SK On (a lithium-ion battery producer) is beginning to build an electric vehicle battery manufacturing facility in Kingston, GA, (northwest of Atlanta) set to open in 2025.

Our Contour group in the Southeast Region has secured nearly $2 million in contracts for this project to provide soil testing and earthwork observation, rock verification and quantification of rock discovered during mass grading, settlement monitoring, and NPDES (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System) monitoring. 

The 600-acre site requires an approximate total of 10.2 million cubic yards of material (soil, rip rock, blast rock) to be moved during this project. According to Senior Project Manager Josh Watson, PE, “The site has a very aggressive schedule (approximately 10 months for earthwork). They are working 24/7. We currently have a total 12 people on site working in three shifts.”

Congratulations to the Southeast Region on adding yet another EV battery plant to UES’ docket of major projects.

We're excited to highlight projects from the latest additions to Team UES: Faulkner Engineering Services.

USF Indoor Athletic Facility

The Faulkner team performed CMT services during construction of the University of South Florida's indoor training facility. The team also coordinated structural steel observation and provided paint installation consultation.

Patel High School

The Faulkner team also provided geotechnical and CMT services for Patel High School in Tampa, FL.

Other Notable Faulkner Projects:

• I-75 at SR60, Hillsborough County: Improvements to the interchange included widening of nearly two miles of northbound I-75 with construction of new exit/entrance ramps at SR60. Provided Quality Control services for the three-year project. 
• Regency Holiday Inn Hotel, Orange County: Performed Threshold Inspection and managed CMT services during construction of a five-story hotel. 
• TopGolf, Hillsborough County: Coordinated Threshold Inspection and managed CMT services during construction of a 65,000-sf Golf Entertainment Facility. Provided geotechnical engineering services for building, golf target construction, and net pole system.
• Sunlake Boulevard Extension: Bridge Foundation Design - Project geotechnical engineer for nine (9) bridges along the planned extension of Sunlake Boulevard through the proposed Angeline residential development in Pasco County, Florida.
• Geotechnical engineering services for various lagoons: Provided geotechnical engineering services for various crystal lagoon projects including Mirada, Epperson, Southshore Bay, etc.
• Due diligence geotechnical engineering evaluation for large scale residential projects such as Angeline (approx. 6,300 acres) and Two Rivers (approx. 4,500 acres) in Pasco and Hillsborough counties.
• Provided geotechnical and CMT services for Mosaic Fishhawk office building.
• Provided geotechnical and CMT services for Largo Medical Center.

UES’ Midwest Region Takes on Battery Plant Project

Geotechnology teamed with Burns & McDonnell to provide exploration and geotechnical consulting services for infrastructure upgrades to the planned Panasonic Battery Plant in DeSoto, Kansas. Representing thousands of jobs and billions in investments, the plant will produce batteries for electric vehicles and is the largest single economic impact project in state history.

The infrastructure upgrades include improving approximately 39,000 lineal feet of roadway surrounding the existing Sunflower facility, which is the site for the new Panasonic plant. Improvements include widening roadways to four lanes, construction of roundabouts at major intersections, new culverts, and a new multi span bridge.

Geotechnology’s scope of service included a field exploration phase of two bridge borings, eight culvert borings and 24 roadway borings. Prior to the field exploration, Geotechnology performed subsurface utility surveying to assist in locating underground utilities in the vicinity of proposed boring locations. Laboratory testing on soil samples included a suite of index tests, compressive strength, standard Proctor, and California Bearing Ratio to assist with geotechnical design of the improvements. The team’s report encompassed recommendations for site grading, foundation design for bridge and culvert support (including lateral earth pressures and seismic design parameters), and pavement design. Specific remediation design was required for areas of uncontrolled fill soils and highly plastic (swelling) natural soils. This is a design/build project, and the team is also providing geotechnical consulting services on the owner’s side with Burns & McDonell.



Work on this project was conducted by:

Sheryl Gallagher, PE, D. GE, Joel Weinhold, PE, Denis Theisman, Jake Tombrello, Craig Steiner, Tim Wilson, John Hootman, Ryan White, Angie Coates, and Winston Woods.

Texas Region Wins Big!

Congrats to Rock Engineering’s Round Rock team, led by CMT Manager Bryan Angelo, for securing a construction materials testing contract valued at $421,525. This is a huge win!



This project is a 49-story, multi-family tower located at 80 Rainey Street. This is an 18-month contract where Rock will work with JE Dunn and LV Collective (formerly known as Lincoln Ventures). Bryan will serve as project manager, and Johnny Tinker is the primary onsite technician. Rock will provide full construction materials testing services, including earthwork inspection and testing, foundation/elevated deck inspections, concrete testing, pier and rebar, fireproofing, and structural steel inspections.

Two Bridges are Better Than One

The new twin 900-ft main span cable-stayed bridges between Staten Island, NY, and Elizabeth, NJ, replace the 85-year-old cantilever truss Goethals Bridge, which was functionally obsolete. Carrying three lanes plus inner and outer shoulders of Interstate 278 over the Arthur Kill strait in each direction, a walkway for pedestrians and cyclists is also included on the westbound span.

The bridge provides critical access for commuters and freight traffic. The project included design and construction of over 200 large-diameter rock-socketed drilled shafts to not only support the massive structures, but also resist the consequences of liquefaction and associated lateral spreading kinematic forces. To help inform the design and enhance optimization and economy, multiple static axial load tests were performed using the bi-directional embedded jack method. Multiple lateral load tests were also performed and included both static and lateral Statnamic test methods.

DBA worked as a sub-consultant to Parsons on the $1.5B P3 (design-build) project. The Contractor was a joint venture comprised of Kiewit/Weeks Marine/Massman. The project was completed in 2018 and is operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

Project awards include:

1. ENR New York Best Project
2. ENR New York Excellence in Safety
3. ENR New York Project of the Year (2018)

Work on this project was conducted by:

John Turner, PhD, PE, PG, D.GE

Dan Brown, PhD, PE, D.GE

Robert Thompson, PE, D.GE

Steve Dapp, PhD, PE, D.GE

Aaron Hudson, PE

Eastbound structure (left) under construction with westbound structure (right) open to traffic

Completed twin bridges

A New Home for the Crew

Lower.com Field is Columbus Crew’s new MLS Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. In addition to Crew home matches, the 460,000-square-foot stadium hosts FIFA and U.S. Soccer national team matches as well as concerts and community events. Construction began in October 2019 and was completed in July 2021.

The stadium cost $314 million and is located at the center of the mixed-use Astor Park development. It seats 20,000 spectators and includes 30 suites and 1,900 club seats. The stadium was built 22 feet below grade to bring fans closer to the pitch.

DBA performed the design of the secant wall which provided water cutoff and, in part, earth retention. DBA also performed the design of other earth retention components for the project.

Work on this project was conducted by:

Mark Madgett, PE

Nathan Glinski, EI

Cody Coonradt, PE

And the late Rob Saunders, PE 

When It Absolutely, Positively Has to Be There Overnight

As the demand for the delivery of goods to consumers increases, so does the requirement to expand the distribution network. As a result, FedEx expanded their distribution network with a new 250,000-sf, tilt-up panel facility in the Montgomery, AL, area. 

Carmichael Engineering began providing geotechnical services for this project in the spring of 2021 with the construction of the project beginning in the fall of 2021 with a “fast track” schedule. Carmichael Engineering serviced this project with construction materials testing and geotechnical consulting services throughout the construction phase. The primary challenge for this project was the 275,000 cubic yards of “borrow” material that had to be hauled in from an off-site borrow pit within the five-month requirement during the late fall and early winter months. This required extended hours for hauling and placing fill material.

With the aggressive schedule from the client, the construction team worked diligently to deliver the project. Carmichael Engineering was commended for their effort to keep up with the project demands. The team’s experience and knowledge allowed them to become an asset to the project in providing services and resolving problems that arose during construction.

Work on this project was conducted by:

Brandon Rountree, PE - President

Bobby Towers – Project Manager

Trenton Busler – CWI – Structural Steel Inspector

Monty Blair – Field Technician

James Crumpler – Field Technician

Ethan Foshee – Field Technician 

Pitch Perfect in St. Louis

CITYPARK, a new, state-of-the-art major league soccer stadium, has transformed a major area in downtown St. Louis, and the hard work of many professionals at Geotechnology made it possible. The stadium’s pitch sits 40’ below street level, creating a unique fan experience.

The stadium, which broke ground in 2020, held its inaugural event last month with an international friendly, and will begin hosting St. Louis CITY MLS games in the spring.

In July 2019, Geotechnology started on this project with a combined environmental/geotechnical exploration and generated a preliminary geotechnical report for the project site.

Geotechnical Work

In October 2019, Geotechnology performed a final geotechnical exploration and report for the project, however, the scope of the project and layout of the structures were not yet finalized. The team knew that the field level was planned to be below grade, so a seepage analysis was performed as well. Additionally, Geotechnology performed MASW surveys at two locations for seismic considerations, and resistivity testing to map the top of bedrock and look for potential karst within the bedrock.

Geotechnology was also retained on a consulting basis during the construction phase. Project Manager Brian Sanders said that “The biggest geotechnical challenge we encountered was when an underground water source was discovered during rock excavation. It was located within the footprint of the playing surface, so a pump system had to be designed and installed to handle the water.” 

Environmental Work

Geotechnology was retained from 2019-2022 to perform due diligence environmental activities, asbestos surveys and remediation, heating oil tank removals, beneficial reuse of exported soils, and the associated permitting and disposal of marginally impacted soils on site.

Senior Project Manager Anna Saindon, PE, RG, PhD, shared that “As is typical of complicated large downtown sites, there were many different environmental potential issues to track concurrently. During the series of Phase I Environmental Site Assessments (ESAs), our research revealed over 32 recognized environmental conditions (RECs) that had to be addressed. St. Louis is known for historic heating oil use, which involves unregistered and unregulated tanks. Four unknown heating oil tanks were discovered during construction and were closed, cleaned, and remediated with minimal impacts to the ongoing construction.”

Congratulations to everyone involved in bringing this project to life. There were more than 10,000 Geotechnology hours on this job! Work on this project was conducted by:

Geotechnical Engineer Frank Callanan, PE (retired), Project Manager Brian Sanders, CADD Technician Wayne Holtzman, Engineer Tanner Merz, Environmental Manager Mike Roark, RG, PG, LEED AP Senior Project Manager Anna Saindon, PE, RG, PhD, Senior Scientist Brad Lohrum, Geophysics Manager Doug Lambert (retired), Project Engineer Derek Duson, Engineer Seth Lamble, Senior Driller Jeff Frazer, Geophysics Project Manager Joel Daniel, PG, RG, Driller Foreman Ron Miller, and Senior Engineer Jessie Goodwin, PE, Laboratory Manager Erin Grimes, Project Administrator Jill James, all supported by many other field, lab, and administrative team members as well.

You can read more on the project in the July/August 2023 St. Louis CNR magazine, which includes mention of the contributions of the Geotechnology team.  

King of the Rock (Hill)

The team at SUMMIT has been involved with four projects in Rock Hill, SC, part of the University Center Development. The projects include a Cambria Hotel, Parking Deck B, University Center Apartments and the revitalization of the Powerhouse. The estimate for each project is $50k, totaling $200k for the four projects. SUMMIT performed the construction materials testing and special inspections on all four projects. This project is still ongoing, and we are excited to continue to watch the progress via our drone photos, featured here!

Work on this project is being conducted by:

Ryan Fitzgerald-Project Manager & Principal

Alex Smith-Project Manager

Brian Philbrick-Structural Department Manager

Cody Schmitt-Field Technician

James Hoover-Special Inspector

Jesse Bosnak-Special Inspector

Thank you, team!

Hooray for Y'Allywood

Georgia’s growing film industry, sometimes lovingly referred to as Y’allywood, continues to expand with the construction of Assembly Atlanta in Doraville. Built on the site of the former General Motors Auto Plant (aka the GM Assembly Plant), which was closed in 2008, Assembly Atlanta’s 135 acres will house film and TV studios, offices, and public spaces with long-term plans to add hotels, apartments, and entertainment venues.

Contour has provided geotechnical and environmental services and, since January, has been providing construction materials testing and special inspections for the eight tilt-up studios and various other warehouse and administrative buildings set to be completed by June 2023. The construction team is utilizing an onsite concrete batch plant as well as recycling much of the original concrete from the GM plant, posing additional interesting challenges to the team, mostly in keeping up with a demanding schedule. 

With two general contractors, and multiple structures being completed concurrently, the team has been praised by client the Gipson Company, as well as the GCs, for their organization, responsiveness, and teamwork.

Work on this project is being conducted by:

Tyler Smith, PE - CMT Project Manager

Scott Thomson, PE - Vice President

Barhama Abdalla - Field Engineer

Arturo Cabrera - Field Technician

Paul Hawkins, CWI – Structural Steel Inspector

Dan Hardigree, CWI - Structural Steel Inspector

All supported by dozens of field staff over the life of the project. Thank you, team!

UES Goes Solar in Reno

As highlighted in our feature story, the solar business in the U.S. has been booming, especially in Nevada where the state has invested in renewable energy expansion, and UES was recently on site to complete two solar farm builds, with more on the way. These solar projects are an example of UES’ commitment to making a difference for the world by creating sustainable outcomes for environmental and societal good, as stated in our STRIVE values. 

Two projects were recently completed near Reno:

• The Fish Springs Ranch Solar Energy Center, built on approximately 2,100 acres of private land. It was developed by NextEra Energy Resources, LLC, the world’s largest operator of renewable energy from the wind and sun, and one of the largest wholesale generators of electric power in the U.S. The project is owned by NV Energy.
• The Dodge Flat Solar Energy Center – also being developed by NextEra Energy Resources, LLC. The project includes 1,200 acres of photovoltaic solar fields and a 200-megawatt energy storage system, which is the largest facility of its kind in the United States.

NV Energy is continuing to build solar farms across the state in their commitment to double their renewable energy capacity by 2023.

Nelson Pearson, Geotechnical and Construction Services Manager, out of the Reno, NV office has served as project engineer on both projects. He explains the importance of geotechnical work for these large-scale builds.

“The geotechnical parameters of a solar project affect the project's civil, structural, and electrical design. The more refined and more accurate the geotechnical data we can gather, the more we may be able to help save the developer money due to the sheer size of the projects,” said Pearson. “Geotechnical engineering can help make mission-critical decisions and find avenues for potential cost savings by providing accurate site-specific design parameters and recommendations.”

Bois D’Arc Lake Project Spotlight

Alpha Testing is currently serving multiple elements of North Texas Municipal Water District's (NTMWD) Bois d’Arc Lake Program in Fannin County, TX, providing quality control and construction materials testing services to multiple project teams. Bois d’Arc Lake will be the first new major water reservoir built in Texas in nearly 30 years, designed to meet the water needs of the area’s growing population. Alpha Testing holds contracts with Archer Western and Garney, and coordinates services with multiple general contractors and the NTMWD QA firm.

Projects include:

Archer Western: Bois d'Arc Creek Reservoir Dam and Intake Project

Garney Companies, Inc.: Bois d’Arc Creek Reservoir Program WTP and Pump Stations, Raw Water Pipeline Section A, B, and C, and the Leonard Water Treatment Plant High Service Pump Station

Bois d’Arc Lake will span 16,641 acres. The dam will be two miles long and 90-feet tall, with a 110-foot-tall intake tower. It collects water and filters through the Raw Water Pipeline to the Leonard Water Treatment Plant (WTP). The 90-inch diameter Raw Water Pipeline will travel 35 miles from the dam, delivering untreated water to the treatment plant. The Leonard WTP will include six pumps to filter and treat 90 MGD of water to then go through the Treated Water Pipeline.

Alpha Testing utilizes two on-site laboratories and up to 15 full-time field and laboratory personnel to serve Bois d'Arc Lake. The team’s ability to manage personnel, testing, and massive amounts of data has led to additional project assignments under these contracts, including the pump station and roadways.

Work on this project is being conducted by:

Ken Combs, CET, Executive Vice President & Principal in Charge;

Eric Cleveland, PE, Associate & Materials Testing Engineer;

Josh Hall, PE, Project Manager (Dam, Raw Water Pipeline);

Henok Abebe, Project Manager (Leonard WTP);

All supported by dozens of field staff over the life of the project. Thank you, team!

Project Ascension Spotlight

The first half of the Ascension Island runway is now open! Built by the U.S. military during World War II, the island’s only runway had only received one overlay and minor repairs before the current construction. In recent years, deteriorating conditions of the runway surface meant U.S. and RAF missions to the island were reduced to only one or two flights a week.

More than 200 contractors on the island have demolished the first half of the runway down to the sub grade or existing soil beneath it, rebuilt the base and sub base layers and placed 12 inches of asphalt pavement on top. 

The first half of the runway replacement is now complete and the runway is in use. Teams have now transitioned to working on digging up the second half of the runway.

Congratulations to James Cothran, Austin Segura, Willie White, and the Rockledge Team!