The Georgia Contractor May-June 2014

Volume 10, Issue 3 May | June 2014

GEORGIA PORTS AUTHORITY LOW COUNTRY POWERHOUSE

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Georgia Contractor

GEORGIA

CONTRACTOR

w w w. t h e g e o r g i a c o n t r a c t o r . c o m Editor-in-Chief: Roland Petersen-Frey Managing Editor: Daniel Simmons | (770) 521-8877 Art Director: Pamela Petersen-Frey | (770) 521-8877 The Georgia Contractor is published bi-monthly on a calendar year basis. It is a magazine designed around the construction industry associations and their members. It is supported by associations and their members. Executive, editorial, circulation, and advertising offices: 1154 Lower Birmingham Road, Canton, Georgia 30115 • Phone: (770) 521-8877 • Fax: (770) 521-0406 e-mail: rfrey@a4inc.com. Send address changes to your association and/or to A4 Inc. Opinions expressed by the authors are not necessarily those of any of the associations or publisher nor do they accept responsibility for errors of content or omissions and, as a matter of policy, neither do they endorse products or advertisements appearing herein. Parts of this magazine may be reproduced with the written consent of the publisher.

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On The Cover ~ While the Port of Savannah has been around since the City’s founding in 1733, the current Georgia Ports Authority was founded in 1945, taking over the World War II U.S. Army’s Quartermaster Depot’s in Garden City in 1948.

Atlanta Technical College . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 CLP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

See the story on page 6.

Columbia Engineering. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Georgia 811 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Back Cover Georgia Power Company . . . . . . . . . . . . Inside Front Cover Georgia Trade School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Go Build Georgia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 IEC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 JAT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Metro Power. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 New South Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 RHD Utility Locating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 S&ME . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 May | June 2014

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CONTENTS

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Georgia Ports Authority the low country powerhouse

Workforce Division of the Georgia Department of Economic Development Record Turnout at tenth annual CEFGA CareerExpo, SkillsUSA event The drones are coming!

Georgia aiming workforce development efforts at ensuring Georgia remains Number One for business Tyler Ford - welder at Georgia trade school A look at commute mode share in the Atlanta region Serve to be great: five leadership lessons from a prison, a monastery, and a boardroom Deal and Governor’s Office of Workforce Development congratulate six school systems AFS expands alternative fuels use with largest public CNG station in Georgia

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Contractor News

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Lessons Learned

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McCarthy Building Companies tops out new lab facility at Georgia Tech

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Georgia Contractor

Record Turnout at Tenth Annual CEFGA CareerExpo, SkillsUSA Event

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381 Companies Engage Thousands of Georgia Students 2014 CareerExpo attendees stand in line for one of the event’s most popular activities—operating a large Komatsu excavator and learning about career opportunities in heavy equipment operations.

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AFS expands alternative fuels use with largest public CNG station in Georgia American Fueling Systems (AFS) is a leader in the effort to increase alternative fueling infrastructure and has designed its facilities to help make the transition to CNG both easy and seamless.

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Workforce Division of the Georgia Department of Economic Development Deputy Commissioner Ben Hames

Deal and Governor’s Office of Workforce Development congratulate six school systems

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Ben Hames

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Governor Nathan Deal

The four dispensers can fill eight vehicles simultaneously at 10-12 GGE/minute—the highest fill rate in the market.

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Georgia Contractor

Georgia Ports Authority, the low country powerhouse

By Raymond L. Cox, P.E. | Program Manager | CH2M HILL

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or those who do not live near the low country of the Georgia and South Carolina coast, you may not realize the impact that the Georgia Ports Authority has on your life. While the Port of Savannah has been around since the city’s founding in 1733, the current Georgia Ports Authority was founded in 1945, taking over the World War II U.S. Army’s Quartermaster Depot in Garden City in 1948. From this humble beginning the GPA has grown into an economic driver affecting the entire state of Georgia and the southeast region. Today, the Georgia Ports Authority directly employs almost 1,000 trained logistics professionals and accounts for more than 352,000 jobs statewide, contributing $18.5 billion in income, $66.9 billion in revenue, and $2.5 billion in state and local taxes to Georgia’s economy. As the fourth largest U.S. container port and the third largest U.S. auto port, GPA is a critical conduit for raw materials and finished goods flowing to and from destinations around the world. Chances are that many of the goods you buy every day passed through one of the Georgia ports.

The Georgia Ports Authority consists of numerous terminals across the state including the Port of Savannah (Garden City Terminal and Ocean Terminal), Port of Brunswick (Colonel’s Island Terminal, Mayor’s Point Terminal, and Marine Port Terminal), Port of Columbus, and Port of Bainbridge.

But GPA is more than an industrial center and mover of cargo. They are a neighbor and part of the community.

Led by the Board of Directors and the Chief Executive Officer, Curtis Foltz, May | June 2014

GPA has implemented an environmental sustainability program well beyond that required by any law or regulation.

They have done and continue to do what is right for their community, the state, and the environment. The Georgia Ports Authority is widely recognized as a sustainability leader among east and gulf coast ports.

GPA has voluntarily undertaken many projects to decrease the use of diesel fuel consumption and the related CO2 emissions. Conversion of their entire ship to shore fleet of cranes at the Garden City Terminal from diesel to electric saves 1,857,000 gallons of diesel fuel annually. A first of its kind in the U.S., GPA is transforming their rubber tired gantry cranes to electric, cutting their diesel fuel use by 95 percent.

GPA is also looking into the use of alternative fuel vehicles and upgrading their equipment fleet to further reduce diesel fuel use. Overall, it is estimated that the GPA conserves more than 6.85 million

gallons of diesel fuel each year through equipment upgrades and energy savings programs. These efforts have been recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Southeast Diesel Collaborative has awarded GPA a Community Leadership Award.

At the Earth Day 2014 event, the Georgia Ports Authority celebrated the creation of fourteen acres of wetland and their incorporation into the filtering system for site drainage providing protection for the Savannah River’s water quality. In 2013, the Georgia Port Authority dedicated a grove of twenty six southern live oak trees, including two over 360 years old, as a protected area and central to the values of the Georgia Port Authority. These wetlands and protected tree stands have resulted in wildlife rich areas.

Innovation is no stranger to the Georgia Ports Authority. When silting became a problem along the Savannah River berths, they developed a system 7

of low velocity water jets installed under the wharves to keep the water moving and reduce siltation along the berths and the channel. When low dissolved oxygen levels in the Savannah River were noted, the Georgia Ports Authority installed air bubblers to increase the supply.

Unlike many public agencies, the Georgia Ports Authority leadership is also willing to try new technologies. The Georgia Ports Authority is currently installing 23,000 linear feet of Rubber Tire Gantry runways using a concrete that includes no portland cement. Using coal fly ash pozzolan with a chemical binder, the concrete achieves strength in as little as seven days, with less shrinkage and higher density than standard concrete. Once past the initial learning curve, the contractor has been able to place 1,000 feet of runways on a seven to ten day cycle, thereby minimizing the disruption to the container storage operations. Bid against standard portland concrete, the higher flexural strength resulted in a thinner section and the winning bid. The material has the potential to be used elsewhere in the Georgia Ports Authority for apron slabs, roadways, and other locations where closures must be minimized.

As lighting technology changes, so does the GPA’s approach to such.

After installing a number of trial lighting types, the Georgia Ports Authority recently completed the removal of old high pressure sodium lights and replaced them with energy efficient High Energy Discharge (HID) lights throughout the Garden City Terminal’s container yards. Going from 12 to five fixtures per pole, the GPA saw a 30 percent reduction in their lighting costs, as well as better, whiter light and less sky upglow. The replacement of older light fixtures with fluorescent or Light Emitting Diode (LED) in warehouses for improved lighting and reduced energy costs is ongoing.

Time and safety is money at a busy port. The Georgia Ports Authority is always looking for ways to save time in 8

cargo turnaround cycles as well as ways to improve the safety of the staff and truckers on the terminals. A new cross terminal roadway was placed in Garden City serving as a central throughway from one end of the terminal to the other, reducing travel time. A round about intersection was developed to eliminate an accident prone four way stop and has been so successful that others are being planned. These and other improvements have reduced truck turn times by eight minutes each, saving costs to the consumer and also reducing truck emissions by reducing idle time of the more than 2,000 trucks that service the Garden City Terminal each day. At the Port of Bainbridge, a recent agreement with the local fire protection service and recent improvements has substantially improved the response time and protection of the terminal facilities.

Where is GPA going?

With the planned deepening of the Savannah River channel, new ship to shore cranes, and other improvements, the Garden City Terminal is expected to continue to increase its share of containerized cargo. The Colonel’s Island Terminal facility is set to double in size to accommodate the increasing demand for roll on/roll off (RO/RO) auto imports and exports. Coordinating and partnering with the Georgia Department of Transportation’s Jimmy Deloach Connector improvement project,

the Georgia Ports Authority is developing plans for new transit gates that the connector will directly serve. Once completed, the 8,000 trucks that visit the Garden City Terminal each day will have a limited access roadway direct from Interstate 95 and eventually to Interstate 16. Brampton Road from the Garden City Terminal to State Route 21 and 80 is also scheduled for improvement, reducing truck travel time and congestion. These new roadways and gate improvements are expected to reduce traffic on the local streets, reducing congestion, and provide safer travel.

The Georgia Ports Authority is on track for another record breaking year.

A the end of the Georgia Ports Authority’s third quarter in March, they achieved the highest month on record in March, moving 2.61 million tons of cargo—a 15.5 percent increase over the same month a year ago. Containers saw a 12-percent increase in March and have seen a 6.8-percent increase over last year.

Offering deep water facilities close to blue water and effective connections to the population centers of the Southeast by rail and road, the Georgia Ports Authority delivers top notch service for containers, autos, grain, paper, and just about everything its customers and the consumers want.

The Georgia Ports Authority … A neighbor.

A community leader. A low county economic power house.v Georgia Contractor

Workforce Division of the Georgia Department of Economic Development

By Ben Hames | Deputy Commissioner

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want to introduce myself as the new Deputy Commissioner for the Workforce Division of the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD), formerly the Governor’s OfWorkforce Development

fice of (GOWD).

Prior to stepping into this role, I served as the Governor’s Deputy Chief Operating Officer, a postion in which I supported and oversaw the work of approximately sixty state agencies and authorities including GOWD. I am excited to now be in a position devoted solely to the improvement of Georgia’s workforce.

As you are aware, Georgia’s economy is both strong and growing. In fact, since 2011, we have attracted more than 1,100 new businesses that have spawned almost 90,000 new jobs. In total, we have added approximately 235,000 jobs during that same timeframe. Last Novemeber, Site Selection magazine announced Georgia as the Number One state in the nation to do business. We have a very strong ecosytem for business of which we can be proud!

However, Georgia businesses, like their peers across the nation, face real challenges, none more diffuclt to address than a shortage of skilled workers.

A trained workforce is the raw material that fuels our economy, and it is my goal to work with public and private sector leaders to build a workforce that matches Georgia’s needs. To achieve that goal, we must base our efforts on a real-time understanding of the economic conditions businesses are encountering and we expect to be aided in this by Governor Deal’s decision to May | June 2014

Ben Hames reposition our agency under the umbrella of Georgia Department of Economic Development.

Already, our office has had the opportunity to take advantage of the strategic realignment by helping lead the Governor’s High Demand Career Initiative which is bringing all state entities involved in workforce and economic development together with business leaders representing Georgia’s diverse economy with the goal of ensuring that Georgia has the economic development infrastructure in place to meet the workforce needs of our busisnesses. We believe this Initiative will help guide our future investments in workforce development.

Whether it’s addressing the skills gap or working with disadvantaged populations, the key will remain proactive communication with everyone involved in the workforce development system.

I look forward to working with you as we strive to link our citizens with the resources they need to find meaningful and rewarding employment, making a positive impact not only in their lives, but for their families and in their communities! v 9

Volunteer technical chair Blake Sketo of Holder Construction Co. guides a group of TeamWorks competitors at the 2014 CEFGA CareerExpo and SkillsUSA State Championships.

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Georgia Contractor

Record turnout at tenth annual CEFGA CareerExpo, SkillsUSA event 381 companies engage thousands of Georgia students

By Scott Shelar | Exective Director of CEFGA

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harles Crosby owns his own construction company in Atlanta. Every year he carves out three full days to volunteer for the CEFGA CareerExpo and SkillsUSA State Championships.

He is one of more than 1,000 industry volunteers who make the event happen. This year, he decided to do a little something extra. He reached out to a middle school in his own community—Sandy Springs—and invited them to the event. His extra work paid off. Sandy Springs Charter Middle School showed up with a busload of 44 students.

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“When I overheard one of the Sandy Springs students tell her teacher this was the best field trip ever, then I saw other students hugging their teacher and telling her ‘thank you,’” Crosby said.

“That was a good moment.”

This year’s edition of the CEFGA CareerExpo and SkillsUSA State Championships was the biggest and best in the event’s ten-year history. There were 7,212 total attendees, including 5,111 students. While most of the students were from high schools, the event did see a record number of middle school students with 637.

The event featured a record 381 participating companies and organizations, including presenting sponsor the Governor’s Office of Workforce Development.“This career expo is an exceptional showcase of Georgia’s talented young people,” said Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal. “I applaud the efforts of

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the Construction Education Foundation of Georgia and SkillsUSA for providing students with firsthand job experience that enhances their education and guides them toward rewarding careers.”

“Our volunteers, exhibitors and sponsors stepped up big again to make this the best event ever,” said Scott Shelar, Executive Director of CEFGA.

What - The CEFGA CareerExpo is Georgia’s largest event designed specifically for young adults to explore more than 30 Career Pathways, ranging from Tile Setter to Safety Professional and from Line Worker to Heavy Equipment Operator.

The CareerExpo is divided into different ‘Worlds.’ Each World is designed to be fun, interactive, and educational, with a specific focus on how academics (math, science, etc) are used on the job

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A young competitor focuses on his work in the SkillsUSA Sheet Metal competition on March 14, 2014 at the Georgia International Convention Center. and what types of careers are available.

Students interact with hundreds of industry professionals from more than 380 companies, apprenticeship pro-

grams, colleges, and universities.

The SkillsUSA State Championships take place on the ‘center stage,’ and feature the best high school and

Georgia Contractor

technical college talent in the state.

Four hundred students compete in 26 different skill competitions (e.g. Carpentry, Masonry, Plumbing, Electrical, Welding). Students are judged by industry volunteers on project completion, accuracy, safety, and other industry-based criteria.

Winners of the State Competition advance to the National Championships in Kansas City, June 23-27, 2014.

Why To encourage Georgia students to consider and explore careers in construction and energy.

Scope The event covers an area the size of six football fields, divided into 13 Worlds and 26 SkillsUSA Competitions.

The Numbers for 2014 7,212 Attendees 5,111 Students 963 Influencers 1,138 Industry Volunteers / Employers 233 Schools 381 Companies CareerExpo Participants (partial list) Participating Companies and Organizations: Holder Construction Company, Brasfield & Gorrie, New South Construction Co., Parrish Construction

Matt Rawlins (right), President of Rawlins Mechanical, visits with CareerExpo attendees in the World of Plumbing and Mechanical Contracting at the 2014 CEFGA CareerExpo.

Group, CLP, Labor Ready, Lowe’s, PlumbWorks, Ivey Mechanical, FtizgerMetroPower, DPR Hardin, Southern ald & Sons Plumbing Co., Rawlins MePolytechnic State University, HB NEXT, chanical Contractors, Plumbing & Pyramid Masonry, AGC Georgia, Mechanical Association of Georgia, GUCA, Goodman, Independent Electri- Mechanical Contractors Association, cal Contractors, Atlanta Electrical Con- McKenney’s, Technical College System tractors Association, Masonry of Georgia, Governor’s Office of WorkAssociation of Georgia, Georgia Power, force Development, Go Build Georgia Georgia Energy and Industrial Con- and Georgia Tech. More information struction Consortium, OSHA, Georgia may be accessed online at Trade School, Superior Plumbing, www.cefga.org. v

Students go to work in the SkillsUSA State Championships Plumbing Competition on Friday, March 14 at the Georgia International Convention Center.

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The drones are coming!

By Tate Jones | President | LandAir Surveying

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hroughout the history of engineering, you can pinpoint technological advances that totally changed the way we approach projects for our clients. Think about it: the slide ruler, HP calculator, GPS, computers, faster computers, CAD software, the internet, laser scanners…

All of these advances represent significant paradigm shifts in our industry and changed our lives and work in a major way.

Drones or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) will have at least as big an effect on our lives as any of the technologies mentioned above. They will fundamentally change the way we engineer, survey, and construct. They will allow us to do things that up until now have not been possible.

As a disclaimer, let me say that I do not sell any type of drones or UAVs or provide that service. As the president and owner of LandAir Surveying, I have been studying this technology and collecting articles from around the world regarding the current uses of drone technology and some of the successful workflows. That said, here’s where I think this technology is headed in our industry.

Legal status Currently, the United States is the only country on the planet whose citizens and businesses are forbidden to use this technology for commercial use. The FAA has been tasked to come up with new rules and regulations for the civilian and commercial use of drones by September 2015. By their own admission, they do not expect to make the deadline.

The only case that has been prosecuted by the FAA was overturned by 14

Hex-copter Photograph provided courtesy of Joe Harrington Skycraft Media Judge Patrick Geraghty of the National Transportation Safety Board. Geraghty heard the appeal of the $10,000 FAA fine against Raphael Pirker and ruled Thursday that there was "no enforceable FAA rule" or regulation that applied to a model aircraft such as the one Pirker was flying. The FAA has appealed and reaffirmed their rights of control until the appeal runs its course.

Some companies have begun to sell drone services; others are in a ‘wait and see’ mode.

What’s at stake here? According to the Association of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Systems, the economic benefit of drones in the United States over the next ten years is $80 billion and thousands of new employment opportunities. The opportunity loss comes to $25 million a day! And remember: companies in Asia, Europe, and Africa have been using drone technology for over 20 years.

drones are much larger and have longrange capabilities.There are two categories of SUAVs: fixed wing, which are shaped like a small airplane, and multi rotor.

Fixed wings use a basic airplane design, can cover a large area, and carry a good sized payload. They can stay aloft longer as they usually have one motor and require less battery power.

The second type of SUAV is the multi-rotor. The Hex-copter pictured

Types of drones So what are these machines and what can they do? For this article, I will limit my discussion to SUAVs or Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. Military Georgia Contractor

above is a custom UAV built for the specific purpose of high precision photography.

Both are excellent at what they do, but have very different uses. The flight time aloft for all UAVs depends on several common factors. Weight is a big factor. A payload of 5 lbs is a lot. Wind speed is also important as it takes energy to maintain a course in windy conditions, as is the size and weight of the airframe. Multi-rotors are generally heavier than fixed wings, but are more versatile in their flight characteristics.

Fixed wing models can cover more area because they are aerodynamic.

These drones are used to map large sites up to several hundred acres per flight and have the ability to make multiple flights per day. These aircraft are excellent for long corridor documentation. Industries that would use these would include agriculture, mining, transportation, power generation, and large construction projects.

I deliberately use the term ‘documentation’ in place of mapping. The reason is that most of this type of aircraft can carry multiple sensors. High resolution 16 megapixel cameras are the most basic sensor, but the advantage of these systems over traditional systems is that they can be flown at an altitude of 300 to 400 feet above ground level (agl). This greatly increases the quality of data.

Other common sensors are infrared sensors which can detect water, multispectral sensors, which can see bands of light that the human eye cannot see, and thermal sensors, which can detect heat changes. These systems can detect crop damage before it is discernible by the human eye.

Both systems can produce engineering-quality topographic data with the right software and survey grade control points. And with the correct workflow, they can achieve an accuracy of one to two centimeters.

Multi-rotor copters are opening up applications that have never been considered before due to the cost of a heliMay | June 2014

Photograph taken from http://www.ted.com/talks/andreas_raptopoulos

Photograph Provided Courtesy of Joe Harrington Skycraft media copter and pilot. These aircraft typically have four, six or eight propellers and are excellent for close range documentation. Engineering applications would include structural bridge inspection, tower inspection, urban corridor mapping, thermal imaging, and general open space documentation.

Case Study I: Construction Documentation Joe Harrington, an avid drone pilot and the owner of Skycraft Media, works for the Beck Group.

He flew his drone over a construction site and took this photo of the con-

crete deck of a building under construction prior to the final slab pour. He then created an ortho photograph of the image. Because he had a model of the proposed building and a scaled photograph, he ‘mapped’ the photo precisely on the Revit model.

With this complete, he was able to use the relation of the photo on the Revit model to index the elements below the slab after it was poured.

“I believe the precision is +/-6” or so, but for this purpose, it is plenty accurate,” he said. “Mainly, we are looking to document the actual as-built condition of the post-tensioning cables 15

buried in the elevated slabs. Often, in future renovation work, they will penetrate the slab and hitting one of these steel tendons can be extremely dangerous and costly to repair.”

To my knowledge, this was the first time this type of documentation was ever attempted. Beck used this inhouse and did not pay for the service, but the experiment worked, and I am sure it will become a nationwide best practice.

One clear photograph taken by a UAV—combined with a precise 3D model—can prevent a future construction accident that could cost thousands of dollars.

Case Study II: Drone Transportation Corridors of the Future Andreas Raptopoulos and his colleagues have a dream of building a drone transportation corridor throughout third world countries. (You can visit the link below to see his TED presentation.)

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His proposition is to build a transportation network of drones that can carry packages of medical supplies and critical necessities to areas with few roads.

One billion people in the world live in areas where there are few or no reliable transportation corridors. To build roads to all of these places would take decades and cost billions. His plan?

Build a network of drone vehicles that can fly autonomously from station to station.

Landing platforms and distribution centers would be constructed in known safe areas and packages delivered by drones guided by GPS and charged by solar-powered batteries. The estimated delivery cost is six cents per mile. This system could get medicine to clinics in hours instead of days.

Consider this on a larger spectrum.

With our major cities clogged with overstressed transportation corridors, what could a secondary aerial drone delivery system do? Trust me, it will hap-

pen. Who would spend the money for it —Amazon, FedEx, UPS? They certainly understand the benefits of this new technology.

Drones will impact our lives, our business, and hopefully our profit margins. They are definitely here to stay, and their impact on our future will be significant.

Tate Jones has over 40 years of experience in land and aerial surveying and was one of the country’s earliest adopters of 3D laser scanning technology. A nationally recognized expert in the field of 3D data capture and drone technology, he has worked with hundreds of clients in the engineering, architectural, and construction industries.

Contact Tate at tjones@lasurveying.com or visit www.landairsurvey ing.com.

Notes http://www.ted.com/talks/andreas_rap topoulos_no_roads_there_s_a_drone_f or_that v

Georgia Contractor

Georgia aiming workforce development efforts at ensuring Georgia remains number one for business By the Go Build Georgia Team

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n the global competition for investment and jobs, Georgia often wins. In fact, since the beginning of 2011 Georgia has attracted more than, 1100 new businesses, each one representing a vote cast for the magnetic ecosystem our state has created for business – the intersection of selling points ranging from sunny weather and an accommodative regulatory structure to a diverse and talented workforce. Regarding the latter, none other than CNBC has ranked Georgia’s workforce the best in the nation two years running.

Despite those accolades, Georgia companies, large and small, tell us that their biggest challenge is a shortage of the well-educated, highly-skilled workers they need. For that reason Governor Deal has tasked the state team, from the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) to the University System of Georgia (USG), to more fully identify and address the shortages in our workforce pipeline. This year, we have ramped up that effort through a public-private partnership, the Governor’s High Demand Career Initiative (HDCI), which brings state leaders together with business leaders under a mandate involving both a ‘not-to-do’ and a ‘to-do’: “do not create a thick written report to be placed on my shelf,” do “find out what is broken and fix it.”

This commonsense approach which envisions more closely tailoring our education and training efforts to the real-time demands of business is, at May | June 2014

once, powerful for its impact and novel for its practicality.

We believe the two-way dialogue will help connect the dots in areas where Georgia postsecondary programs and other existing state assets can be more fully utilized, but we also anticipate that the HDCI will lead to radically revised and even new programs within Georgia’s economic development infrastructure.

Through 12 meetings around the state with up to 100 companies providing formal reports, the HDCI will provide a real-time picture of workforce issues across Georgia. We expect to learn some new lessons as well as new details regarding certain workforce issues already on our radar, such as the one we face in the skilled trades where employers are unable to fill positions in construction, plumbing, pipefitting and truck driving to name a few.

To address this skilled trades gap, we launched Go Build Georgia almost three years ago in an effort to change the public perception of careers in the skilled trades, and in the last two legislative sessions, the General Assembly passed legislation whereby the HOPE Grant will pay 100 percent tuition for Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) students in seven in-demand areas to include skilled trades career paths such as commercial driving, practical nursing, welding, and diesel mechanics. It is our hope that the HDCI will provide still further insight on how we might address the workforce gap in the skilled trades.

Whatever the results of the HDCI,

it will be driven by the voice of Georgia business and our mandate is clear: double down on workforce development to ensure that our state’s infrastructure works for business.

In the medical devices sector where Georgia’s education and workforce resources are aligned to deliver the highly–skilled workforce this cuttingedge sector demands, that is exactly what is happening. Here, Georgia’s topranked workforce training system Quick Start has delivered comprehensive workforce solutions for new and expanding life science companies including Accellent, Alcon, AngioDynamics, and Ethicon.

TCSG has instituted a broad range of targeted, fast-track certification programs to meet the growing demand for talent and careers in life sciences. In 2012 alone, USG awarded more than 4,700 Bachelor of Science degrees in biotech and health-related programs, and the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University graduated 190 students, to say nothing of rapidly growing enrollments.

The ecosystem Georgia has created in the medical devices sector is a model we hope to replicate in other industries. To do that, we are seeking to hear from and deliver for business and we believe this is one more powerful example of our state team’s commitment to ensure that Georgia remains the number one state in the nation in which to do business! v 17

Tyler Ford - welder at Georgia trade school

By Tyler Ford

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hen I first started welding, I didn’t know much about it.

All I knew was how to use an angle grinder, a file, and that I need a hood. I went through Georgia Trade School and learned a lot in their program and now I am a certified welder in Stick (SMAW), In Mig, (GMAW) and in Fluxcore (FCAW). I am now working in the field for Laser Tech Metals in Fayetteville, Georgia and enjoying every single bit of it. I have built roof access ladders for Waffle House to projects for a company in Malaysia. While at Georgia Trade School, I learned the basics and now I am expanding on that from veteran welders in my great line of work. When you are on the job, you learn tips and tricks that only experience can teach.

For anyone looking to get into the trades, now is a great time and learn all you can when you can. I chose the industry of welding because I have been around construction my whole life.

While I enjoyed that work I saw welding as a great opportunity to expand and grow on my previous knowledge. I have always enjoyed working with my hands, taking a set of drawings or an idea and making it a reality. When all is said and done and I see the pile of completed products that I have had a hand in

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building and creating, I feel a sense of accomplishment. Thanks to Georgia

Trade School for everything they have done! v

Georgia Contractor

A look at commute mode share in the Atlanta region

By Alice Grossman and Yanzhi (Ann) Xu | The Georgia Institute of Technology

he city of Atlanta is known for Coca-Cola, CNN, hiphop music, mediocre sports teams, and most infamously, for traffic congestion. With 88 percent of people reporting driving as their primary mode of transportation to work in the 2011 Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) travel survey, the congestion, air quality, and long commute times resulting from high levels of traffic shouldn’t be too surprising. By examining the transportation modes chosen by commuters in the Atlanta Region and trends in what types of people choose different modes, engineers, planners, and decision makers can make better decisions to make Atlanta a less congested, healthier, cleaner, and more pleasant city in which to live and work.

The ARC conducted an activity travel survey in 2011 in conjunction with the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) that surveyed 25,810 people in the Atlanta Region.

People who participated in the survey recorded all of their trips for an entire day including the mode of travel and purpose of the trip. Among all the participants, 11,591 of them reported trips to work. Here we focus on these commuters and their mode choices. The commuters that participated in the survey are all 16 years old and older, meaning that they are all eligible to obtain a driver’s license.

As expected, most people get to and from work by car, with 93.5 percent of commuters in the survey either driving or riding to work as a passenger. The Overall Individual Mode of Transportation to Work chart shows

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May | June 2014

the complete modal split for commuting to work in the Atlanta Region at the individual person level. Also, overall, 3.9 percent of people commuting in Atlanta take a public train or bus and 2.1 percent walk or bike.

Examining commute mode by age groups reveals trends in who is driving, walking, biking, and taking different types of public transportation. While driving is the overwhelming mode of choice for commuters in every age group, those under the age of 25 are more likely than people 25 years or older to carpool (riding as a passenger) or choose to use an active mode of transportation like bicycling or walking.

The percentage of drivers is especially low for those between 16 and 18, indicating that these teenagers are somewhat reluctant to drive even though they are eligible for a driver’s license.

The Non-Personal Vehicle Transportation Commute Mode Choice chart depicts a closer look at the alternative modes of transportation used when commuters choose to not use a personal vehicle (either drive or ride as a passenger). Teenagers and young adults (through the age of 34) boast the highest percentages in using alter-

native transportation modes for commuting. The share of biking generally decreases as age increases, but the same cannot be said about walking.

People 65 years old and older have the second highest percentage of walking to work, right next to the 16-18 age group. This observation highlights the need of pedestrian infrastructure that can accommondate both the young and the senior populations.

The results shown in this article shed some insight into how young people are currently traveling to work.

The younger the commuter, the less likely that he or she is going to drive.

Young people (under 35) are also walking and biking more than the rest

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of the population. It can be argued that the trend towards choosing an active commute in Atlanta may grow as these people grow up as long as they are not forced to change their habbits.

If new bicycle and pedestrian infrastrcutre in Atlanta makes bringing your children to school by bike or by foot a safe and viable alternative, maybe the city will not lose active commuters as young adults start families.

To become a more desireable destination for recent college graduates and young professionals, the Atlanta Region will need to cater to their lifestyle choices as they differ from the rest of the population. A walkable, bikable, transit oriented region caters to the commute choices of young people in the 21th century. Encouraging an

energetic, vibrant population and sustainable mode choices will help At-

lanta get on the map for young people across the nation. v

CLP: Closing the Skills Gap One Job at a Time Closing the Skills Gap – what does that mean?

To CLP it means providing workforce solutions to our customers and creating opportunities to put people to work every day. We change lives of our customers and workers by doing one thing and doing it well: skilled trades staffing! We provide qualified workers to customers throughout Georgia and the entire United States. We partner with some of the largest and best construction companies to provide safe, reliable employment opportunities to thousands of workers each day.

CLP is proud to align with CEFGA as its placement program leader. We take certified students and work with our customers and CEFGA members to place these students as temporary workers or as temporary to permanent employees, affording you the cost benefit of testing a workers skills set and match for values prior to signing that person on permanently.

This model creates win-win for both the employer and the employee. We invest in the students training and meeting our customer’s priorities and objectives remains our clear directive.

The CEFGA System, a construction Workforce Development Plan for Georgia, is shown below:

AWARE NE SS WEBSITES, OUTREACH, MEDIA TRAINING/EDUCATION HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE LEVEL SKILLED TRADES PROGRAMS PLACEMENT/EMPLOYMENT EMPLOYMENT THROUGH CLP, LABOR UNIONS, AND PRIVATE INDUSTRY TERRY DAUGHERTY | CLP RESOURCES 8975 Roswell Road Suite 207 Atlanta, GA 30350 678-710-0826 678-710-0829 fax 404-987-9325 cell tdaugherty@clp.com www.clp.com 20

Georgia Contractor

Serve to be great: Five leadership lessons from a prison, a monastery, and a boardroom

By Matt Tenney

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recent Gallup poll shows that only 30 percent of Americans are actively engaged at work. And honestly, that doesn’t come as a big surprise. From dull, unfulfilling tasks to job-related stress to long hours to grueling commutes to unsatisfactory paychecks, there are many (many!) reasons why people might not enjoy their work. And, of course, there’s the number one reason of all: “I hate my boss!”

According to Gallup’s chairman and CEO, fully 20 percent of American employees are actively disengaged because they have ‘bosses from hell that make them miserable.’ In turn, these employees ‘roam the halls spreading discontent.’

But wait—there’s good news. Managers can turn this depressing situation around and create the ultimate win-win.

By developing both the aspiration and the ability to more effectively serve and care for the people on their teams, managers can become leaders people actually want to follow.

When the focus is on serving team members, leaders can create a team culture that people want to be a part of, that produces superior results, and that has a positive impact on society as a whole. When this happens, leaders win too, because they get promoted faster and create the conditions for sustainable, long-term success. Perhaps more important, they actually enjoy going to work each day, and the people on their teams do as well.

In my new book, Serve to Be Great: Leadership Lessons from a Prison, a Monastery, and a Boardroom, I share an abundance of case studies, research, and tactics to help leaders make the shift to servant leadership.

May | June 2014

Matt Tenney Servant leadership doesn’t mean that we assume some menial, meek persona; it simply means that our motivation for leading people is to be of service to others. I believe that somewhere inside each of us is the aspiration to devote ourselves to serving others.

That said, it can be challenging to effectively serve the people on our teams, even if we want to. When we’re under stress—like the pressure to hit a goal or ‘make the numbers’—we tend to focus more on the short-term and can often sacrifice the relationships that are a foundation of long-term success. With training, you effectively serve team members even when the conditions are challenging.

Here, I share five tactics to help leaders achieve higher levels of success by consistently serving and inspiring greatness in others.

Focus on developing your influence as a leader. The qualities that make a great leader are quite different from those that make a good employee. An employee’s worth is judged based on how well she carries out the different tasks in her job description. But a leader’s worth is judged based on how

well she is able to influence the behaviors of those on her team. (That’s why one of the most common mistakes organizations make is promoting people to leadership positions based on their job performance. Job performance offers little to no insight into whether or not a person will succeed at leading a team to success!)

The most effective way to build influence with others is to consistently demonstrate that you truly care about them and have their best interests in mind. Herb Kelleher, founder and former chairman of Southwest Airlines, is a great example of how great leaders develop influence. He consistently showed employees how much he cared by doing things like coming in on Thanksgiving Day to help baggage handlers load suitcases onto planes.

When he wrote a letter asking employees to find a way to save $5 a day for the second half of a year, he signed it, “Love, Herb.” Employees knew that he meant it. And, as a result of the influence Herb had built, employees saved much more than $5 a day on average, helping Southwest keep their then 30-year streak of profitability going.

Create a culture of servant leaders.

Can you imagine being able to attract the most talented people in your industry, ensure that they’re fully engaged while they’re at work, and feel confident that they’ll stay on your team for the long haul? What would that do for your organization? Clearly, a great workplace culture—which is responsible for all three achievements—is one of the most important competitive advantages you can possess.

The key to creating a highly effective workplace culture that people want to be a part of is to make sure that team 21

members feel cared for, and that they’re a part of something meaningful and inspiring. This is accomplished easily when you build a culture of servant leadership. An e-commerce company called Next Jump is a great example of the power of building an organization full of people who are devoted to serving others and serving the greater good.

The leaders at Next Jump consistently show how much they care. The company actually does the employees’ laundry for them. But they also find ways to help employees grow their ability to serve each other and the greater good. The most coveted award at Next Jump is a $30,000 package that goes to the employee who is voted by his or her peers to be the most helpful, selfless person in the company.

A culture like the one at Next Jump produces extraordinary results.

In 2012, the company accepted only 35 new hires out of almost 18,000 applicants. That’s a hire rate of 0.2 percent. And, although turnover in the tech space averages around 22 percent, at Next Jump, it’s less than one percent. This is despite the fact that highly talented employees there often receive phone calls from other companies offering two to three times the salary they currently receive.

Focus on your most important customer. Organizations that deliver world-class customer service have a few things in common. First, they spend very little money acquiring new customers because they’re able to keep the ones they have and because those customers are constantly referring others.

Second, they don’t have to compete on price because their customers are willing to pay more for the excellent service they receive. And perhaps most important, their external customers aren’t their number one priority. The members of their organization are.

The best way to ensure that your customers are consistently well cared for is to treat your team members with the same care you expect them to deliver to the customers. By listening well 22

and treating team members with kindness and respect, leaders develop team members who do the same for customers.

Make serving others a habit. Hardwiring servant leadership into your behavior is all about being mindful of seemingly small thoughts, decisions, and actions. For example, each time you’re about to interact with someone, ask yourself, how can I help this person? or, how can I contribute to this person’s happiness? You don’t need to have an immediate answer. Just adopting this attitude changes the dynamic of an interaction in positive ways. I also suggest starting each day by taking at least five or ten minutes to contemplate the question, what can I do to better serve the people on my team today?

The practice that made the biggest difference in my life is using the question, how will this help me to serve others? as a filter for decisions. Before I do something or consume something, I look at it from this perspective. This question helps me to waste less time pursuing things that don’t really matter, and has gradually made serving others the motivation for everything that I do.

Practice mindfulness to become the Ultimate Leader. Mindfulness training—a simple, science-based practice for training attention and developing emotional intelligence—was the foundation of the transformation that I underwent in military prison. In Serve to Be Great, I describe how the practice of mindfulness helps leaders become the best they can be.

Most people want to do a better job of serving and caring for the people around them. Mindfulness training helps us close the gap between intention and action. The practice has been proven to be extremely effective at increasing resilience during stressful situations, which will allow you to live up to your ideals of serving and caring for others even when you’re under intense pressure to hit a goal. The practice also gradually makes kindness, compassion, and a spirit of service your natural re-

sponse to the people around you.

Beginning the practice is very simple. Just pick a simple activity like drinking water and make an effort to let go of thinking and be fully present for that activity. Commit to being mindful each time you drink water for a week. The next week, continue with drinking water and add another activity. After a couple months, you’ll be practicing mindfulness during most of your day. You’ll notice that you’re happier, more resilient to stress, and more present for the people in your life.

Being successful as a leader and living a meaningful, enjoyable life are not mutually exclusive. In fact, the two actually fuel each other. The very things that make life truly rich are the same things that create and sustain long-term success in both business and in life.

The best news is that it’s all highly trainable. Any one of us can become an extraordinary, highly effective leader who enjoys going to work each day because we know that we’re making our world a better place. v

About the Author: Matt Tenney is the author of Serve to Be Great: Leadership Lessons from a Prison, a Monastery, and a Boardroom. He is also an international keynote speaker, a trainer, and a consultant with the prestigious Perth Leadership Institute, whose clients include numerous Fortune 500 companies. He works with companies, associations, universities, and nonprofits to develop highly effective leaders who achieve lasting success by focusing on serving and inspiring greatness in the people around them. Matt envisions a world where the vast majority of people realize that effectively serving others is the key to true greatness. When he’s not traveling for speaking engagements, he can often be found in Nashville, Tennessee.

For more information, www.matttenney.com.

visit

Georgia Contractor

Deal and Governor’s Office of Workforce Development congratulate six school systems overnor Nathan Deal and the Governor’s Office of Workforce Development (GOWD) are pleased to recognize Columbia, Effingham, Glynn, Jackson, Meriwether, and Murray County Schools for having 100 percent of the system’s high schools organized with a Go Build Georgia High School Team.

“Go Build Georgia High School Teams serve as a great resource for our state, educating young people on the opportunities in the skilled trades and building a strong workforce,” said Deal.

“Special thanks to these educators for their commitment to Georgia’s youth and the economic future of our state.”

The Go Build Georgia High School Teams program launched in October 2012 to provide the next workforce generation with the necessary resources to make informed career decisions after graduation. The teams, made up of teachers, counselors, and local business leaders, promote the values and opportunities available in the skilled trade industry.

“I applaud the efforts of these schools for gaining 100 percent Go Build Georgia High School team participation,” said Ben Hames, executive director for GOWD. “With more than 220 teams across the state working to close the skilled labor gap, we are proud of these educators and look forward to experiencing the far reaching benefits of a skilled, available workforce in Georgia.”

The Go Build Georgia program seeks to close our state’s skilled labor gap by dispelling misconceptions about the industry and building a pipeline of workers. The online Web site, www.gobuildgeorgia.com, provides data, information, and guidance to students and parents about careers in the industry and help on how to get started. Featured skilled trade occupations highlighted on

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May | June 2014

Governor Nathan Deal

the Web site include welders, pipefitters, truck drivers, electricians, plumbers, industrial maintenance, civil engineers, and in-ground utility contractors.

“Through the Golden Isles Career Academy, Glynn County has been involved in Go Build Georgia since its launch in 2012. It is important that we close the skills gap so that upon graduation, students have the opportunity to move right into the workforce if that is their chosen career path,” said Howard Mann, superintendent of Glynn County Schools. “Our CTAE instructors use resources like the Go Build Georgia Web site as a career exploratory tool for students to learn more about the opportunities and to get them excited about the potential for success after high school.”

“The Murray County School System recognizes the value of preparing students for careers in the skilled trades, and we believe the GBG High School Teams are an important step in making information available,” said Vickie Reed, superintendent of Murray County Schools. “We appreciate the support we are receiving from the Go Build Georgia program as we strive to make our mission, ‘Committed to student success, no exceptions, no ex-

cuses’ a reality for all students.”

“We are excited to take yet another step in our journey for education excellence,” said Randy Shearouse, superintendent of Effingham County Schools.

“Working together as a community, we are building on the success of our school system’s Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education program by participating in the Go Build Georgia initiative. Both of our high schools work to incorporate the importance of learning a skilled trade and good work habits.”

“The Go Build Georgia High School Teams Program helps our teachers better promote careers in fields experiencing a shortage of high-skilled workers,” said Sandra Carraway, superintendent of Columbia County Schools. “Through the program, our students are exposed to the value of learning a trade, as we seek to dispel their misconceptions about the industry and inspire them to consider building a career as a skilled tradesman.”

“Jackson County is very proud to have achieved 100 percent participation in the Go Build Georgia Initiative.” said April Howard, superintendent of Jackson County Schools. “Not only does the experience equip our students for success, ultimately the program empowers our communities by providing a more skilled work force which promotes our economic development.”

“This is another exciting step in preparing our graduates for the world of work,” said Carol L. Lane, superintendent of Meriwether County Schools. “We are seeing more and more jobs come to Meriwether County, and programs such as Go Build help us show that we are able to produce top notch employees.”

Contact: Hope Peterson (404) 316 - 5509 v 23

AFS expands alternative fuel’s use with largest public CNG station in Georgia

By Joey Kline & Khurram Saleem

American Fueling Systems built the largest public CNG fueling station in Georgia in just seven months, and useage has increased 37 percent for the year 2013.

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he demand for cleaner burning alternative fuels such as Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) is growing at a staggering rate. More and more municipalities, counties, and companies are starting to transition their fleets to run on CNGpowered vehicles primarily because of the low cost of fuel and the stability of price when compared to gasoline and diesel. On average, CNG is 30 percent cheaper than gasoline and 40 percent cheaper than diesel. CNG also offers many environmental benefits that make it a clear choice in order to meet new

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EPA emissions standards. CNG offers a 30 percent reduction in carbon emissions and a 90 percent reduction in fine particulate matter when compared to gasoline and diesel. These advantages, along with the fact that natural gas is a domestically sourced fuel, are increasing the need for more and more reliable fueling locations.

American Fueling Systems (AFS) is a leader in the effort to increase alternative fueling infrastructure and has designed its facilities to help make the transition to CNG both easy and seamless. AFS, like many of its peers in the marketplace, must strike a balance be-

tween top-tier performance in the production and dispensing of CNG and meeting the unique needs from the variety of users of these facilities.

In September 2012, AFS opened the largest public CNG fueling facility in the state of Georgia. AFS, in partnership with the Department of Energy’s Petroleum Reduction Grant, designed and built this facility located at 4420 Buford Highway NE in Chamblee, Georgia in a mere seven months. Located on a one-acre lot behind PeachtreeDeKalb Airport, this CNG station was the first to be located on a major thoroughfare in the state of Georgia, and

Georgia Contractor

The compressors are housed in a protective unit, and are capable of producing 240 GGE an hour. the first with a marquee advertising the price; currently, that price is $2.39/GGE, and it has not changed since January 2013.

This facility produces CNG at a rate of 500 Standard Cubic Feet per Minute (SCFM). The industry is based on a single rate of conversion that is the primary basis for pricing and production.

One Gasoline Gallon Equivalent (GGE) equates to 125 cubic feet of natural gas.

Using this conversion, AFS is able to produce four GGEs of CNG per minute.

Unlike traditional petroleum stations, CNG facilities focus primarily on producing CNG on an as needed basis with very little in storage. Therefore, it is imperative that the developer and engineers work together to better understand the total and peak consumption of that particular facility.

This AFS CNG station features two J-W Power compressors. Each compressor is 125 horsepower and has a flow rate of 250 SCFM. With a combined flow of 500 SCFM, this compressor system is capable of producing approximately 240 GGE/hour. This compressor package was chosen for its ability to not only satisfy the customer demand upon opening of this facility, but also to handle projected demand as May | June 2014

it grows over the coming years. The compressor skids are sized to accommodate the next biggest compressor unit, which means that if the compressors need to be upgraded in the future, the larger compressors can simply be bolted in place and made operational seamlessly. This flexibility of design is evident in all other areas of AFS stations as well.

Prior to entering the compressors, natural gas flows through a gas dryer manufactured by PSB Industries, whose purpose is to eliminate any moisture and/or particulate matter in the gas. Despite the fact that Georgia has gas with very low moisture content, the gas dryer ensures that the CNG going into customers’ fuel tanks is of the highest quality. The gas exiting the dryer is fed directly into the J-W Power compressors.

Within the compressors, the natural gas is compressed in four stages, at ever-increasing pressure. From the compressor, the gas, which is now pressurized at 4,500 psi, flows either to one of two three-bank storage cascades manufactured by CP Industries, or to one of eight hoses on the four Tulsa Gas Technologies CNG dispensers.

Whether the gas flows to the storage

tanks or to the dispensers is decided by the Priority Panel, which is manufactured by J-W Power. The Priority Panel also decides to which of the four dispensers the gas flows, and is controlled by sophisticated computer software that allows the panel to intelligently route the CNG to where it is needed at any particular moment.

The storage cascades are capable of storing approximately 200 GGE of CNG and serve as complements to the output of the compressors. With the added storage, customers are able to fuel their vehicles at 10-12 GGE/minute.

All piping connecting the compressors, storage tanks, priority panel, and dispensers is seamless stainless steel. To avoid possible choke points, the piping was installed with a goal of minimizing the use of mechanical joints and sharp bends wherever possible. Within the equipment enclosure, all piping is above ground. This feature ensures that as the station grows in the future, connections between new pieces of equipment will be seamless and not require a shutdown of the station to dig up underground piping. The only underground piping is from the priority panel to the currently operational dispensers as well as those planned for future expansion.

Each dispenser is coupled with a stand-alone payment processing system manufactured by Fuel Master. The payment system is equipped to accept all major credit and fleet cards. In addition, customers that have the capability to be invoiced (as opposed to paying by credit card at the point of purchase) can simply enter their unique identifying number and begin fueling. All transaction data is captured by the payment system and downloaded to AFS’s servers at our headquarters. This capability allows the AFS analytics team to study customer data, and ultimately draw business conclusions that help guide internal decision-making as well as client’s future vehicle acquisitions.

The station features two canopies that are each 17.6 feet high. There are four dual-hose dispensers that allow 25

The four dispensers can fill eight vehicles simultaneously at 10-12 GGE/minute, which is the highest fill rate in the market. eight vehicles to fuel simultaneously.

Also, AFS installed an empty concrete pad under the second canopy to allow for the addition of another alternative fuel in the future. Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) both have the potential to serve more customers in the area surrounding this station, and are viable options for expansion at a later date.

During its first full year of operations, this CNG station dispensed a total of 136,430 GGEs of CNG and ended 2013 with consumption up 37 percent for the year. For the first three months of 2014, the consumption has been even higher, and with more and more fleets looking to CNG as their fuel of choice, this station is well on its way to achieving the short-term goal of 20,000 GGEs per month.

The United States is the largest natural gas producer in the world according to Energy Information Administration. The abundance of natural gas, 26

coupled with stable prices and reduced carbon emissions, is making CNG the fuel of choice for many of the nation’s fleets. All of these factors have contributed to the recent surge in demand for CNG, especially in and around the logsistical hub of Atlanta. There are sig-

nificant resources being poured into CNG infrastructure development in and around the state of Georgia, and AFS, with its experience and impeccable market reputation for expert design and engineering services, is poised to be at the forefront of this energy revolution.v

Georgia Contractor

Contractor News Veterans Programs in Savannah, Georgia | Go Build Georgia Team Did you know that more than 60,000 veterans are expected return from active duty by 2016? And, in the same timeframe, it is projected that we will need to fill more than 60,000 skilled trade jobs. But, that’s not the whole story because there is an easy way to fill that gap with qualified workers— our veterans!

Governor Nathan Deal has made veterans employment a priority in the state and, in Savannah, Georgia the Local Workforce Area (Coastal Workforce Services) is making that a reality through training programs that help ease the transition process for returning heroes.

To ensure that veterans have the training businesses need today, each program targets a specific, in-demand skill set.

‘Helmets to Hardhats,’ an 18-week training program is designed to train pipe welders and provid certification nationwide. For Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) training, ‘Troops to Trucks’ will officially launch in May with six veterans already registered.

The local area is partnering with Savannah Technical College and Ogeechee Technical College for the programs.

One of the biggest hurdles our returning veterans face is transferring their unique and mastered skills into professional certifications which employers can easily recognize. Georgia Tech is getting involved with the local area through the university’s Vet2 training program, a four-week education and transition program that assists them in converting their specialized military knowledge into the civilian workforce.

Lastly, with growing economic projects such as the Savannah Port, May | June 2014

the Savannah area is a hub for manufacturing and logistics. To meet that need for our state’s growing industries, the local area is working with The Coastal Logistics Group to provide onthe-job training for veterans in those sectors.

“By offering a variety of access points to training programs, we hope to help Georgia veterans enhance existing skills and acquire gainful employment at little to no cost, “ said Odie Donald, Executive Director of Coastal Workforce Services. “With guidance from the Georgia Workforce Division, we’ve partnered with area technical colleges, regional military installations, local employers, and community leaders to craft impactful programs that meet real business

needs, and we look forward to seeing the far-reaching impact for years to come!” v

State Officials Brief House Panel on P3 Successes Representatives of Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Florida discussed their experiences with P3s at an April 30 roundtable hosted by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee’s Panel on Public-Private Partnerships. They shared best practices, including how best to transfer risk, realize cost efficiencies, and protect the public interest.

In his testimony, Bryan Kendro, director of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Office of Policy &

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Public-Private Partnerships, noted that many of the current state contracting vehicles do not allow for states to guarantee long-term construction quality.

“One of the things that people have come to understand is that [a] P3 isn’t a solution to funding,” Kendro said. “It’s merely a procurement tool that allows us to deal with projects more efficiently and effectively and accelerate the delivery of projects.”

While 33 states and one territory currently have legislation authorizing P3s for transportation projects, each P3 law is tailored to meet the transportation needs of the state. Virginia’s P3

legislation, which has been a model for other states, has allowed the state to build a sophisticated process to tailor the risk-transfer for each project implemented by the state.

“A public-private partnership procurement also adds other efficiencies such as life cycle cost savings that are achieved through the appropriate transfer of risk and maintenance risks to the concessioner,” Douglas Koelemay, director of the Virginia Office of Transportation Public-Private Partnerships, told the panel of lawmakers.

Leon Corbett, project finance office manager at Florida Department of

Transportation, told lawmakers that the private sector has a higher interest in innovation.

“When you have the private investment involved, there is an incentive built in,” Corbett said. “They are going to innovate in their design.”

The Panel on Public-Private Partnerships is tasked with examining the use of, and opportunities for, P3s across all modes of transportation, economic development, public buildings, water, and maritime infrastructure.

Reprinted by permission - NCPPP v

White House Transportation Bill Would Allow Tolls on Interstate Highways The $302 billion surface transportation bill the White House released Tuesday would reverse the long-standing federal prohibition on charging tolls to use interstate highways.

“We believe that this is an area where the states have to make their own decisions,” Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx told the Washington Post. “We want to open the aperture, if you will, to allow more states to choose to make broader use of tolling, to have

that option available.”

The administration’s major shift on tolls comes in light of the recent news that the Department of Transportation estimates the Highway Trust Fund to be bankrupt by August, which could cause major disruptions in surface transportation construction this summer. According to the American Road and Transportation Builders Association, most states rely on the federal government for half of their transportation funding.

The trust fund, paid for by an 18.4cent gas tax, has eroded as vehicles have become more energy-efficient.

The White House’s bill also calls for the expansion of a popular loan-guarantee program used by state and local governments to fund transportation projects and would increase funding for transit systems and intercity rail from $12.3 billion to $22.3 billion.

Reprinted by permission - NCPPPv

McCarthy Building Companies Selected for Grady’s ER Expansion McCarthy Building Companies southeast division recently began construction on Grady Health System ‘s (GHS) new 90,224-square-foot emergency department tower located just north of the hospital’s main campus. The premier level-one trauma center will receive not only the new addition for patient treatment and administrative areas, but also heavy renovations to another 77,599 square feet of existing space to improve the convenience and comfort of those visiting the ER. “The Emergency Department expansion will allow us to enhance patient care by improving not just the physical space, but also by creating a state-ofthe-art facility that provides patients, physicians, and staff the best treatment environment possible,” said John M. 28

Haupert, Grady’s president and CEO. Grady anticipates a more than 15 percent surge in demand over the next five years, or 135,000 annual emergency visits by 2018. To accommodate the projected growth, the new fivestory tower will include additional treatment areas; ten exam rooms for imaging and procedures; 12 exam rooms and clinical support for behav-

ioral health plus two floors for physician support and administration.

The renovated layout of the hospital’s current emergency department will provide more private ‘mini’ treatment rooms to accommodate patients’ families more comfortably. The entire area will have a redesigned and updated look and feel, including the intake, security, public entrance, and waiting areas; 35 Georgia Contractor

exam rooms and two resuscitation rooms; the staff support area; plus the creation of 15 new exam spaces.

“Grady is known nation-wide for its superior trauma expertise, and we are proud to be a part of building its future,” said Kevin Kuntz, president of Mc-

Carthy’s southeast division. “Nothing is more important to a community than the health of its citizens, and we are incredibly pleased to help Atlanta’s flagship hospital continue to serve this city.”

The construction of the emergency department expansion will be multi-

phased; the new tower will be constructed first, followed by the multiple interior renovations. Completion is expected in 2016.

Freeman White Inc., of Charlotte, North Carolina has been contracted to provide design services for the project. v

William A. Pinto Presented Lifetime Service Award For Service to Georgia’s Commercial Construction Industry

DPR Hardin Regional Manager Russ Brockelbank (left) presents ABC of Georgia’s Lifetime Service Award to Bill Pinto (center). ABC Chapter President Bill Anderson (right) helped with the presentation.

William A. Pinto recently received a Lifetime Service Award from the Atlanta-based Associated Builders and Contractors of Georgia Inc. (ABC).

ABC presented this prestigious award to Mr. Pinto for his support, involvement, and commitment to the association and its members during his extensive career in Georgia’s construction industry.

“Since it was founded back in the 1970s, ABC of Georgia has achieved its many accomplishments due largely to the service of leaders like Bill Pinto,” stressed Sam Stiteler, 2014 chairman of the board of directors, ABC of Georgia. “Bill has always been a champion of ABC and its principles of free enterprise and open competition.”

Mr. Pinto’s involvement in ABC began back in the 1990s. He was instrumental in helping ABC create CEFGA – the Construction Education May | June 2014

Foundation Georgia. Bill then got even more involved by joining and chairing numerous ABC committees and leading several important initiatives.

“Bill Pinto’s service to ABC and its members has been extraordinary over the past decades,” said Bill Anderson, ABC of Georgia president. “It was truly an honor and a privilege to have worked with him during this time.”

Pinto achieved silver level in ABC national’s Beam Club Hall of Fame by recruiting 92 new ABC members during his years of involvement. His leadership during the years leading up to his chairmanship of the Georgia Chapter board in 2002 helped the chapter grow to over 400 total members. He also played a pivotal role in the fundraising and construction of the Georgia Chapter’s headquarters facility in Sandy Springs, which opened in 2009.

Pinto Receives ABC Lifetime Service Award To ensure the Georgia chapter’s continuity on the ABC national board, Pinto also served as chapter representative for ten years. At the national level, he served on the ABC BizCon committee for two years and as committee chair.

He also participated on the workforce development committee for several years. A strong advocate of ABC’s principles of free enterprise and open competition in the construction industry, Pinto was a regular contributor to ABC’s federal PAC and attended nearly every ABC national legislative conference in Washington, D.C. where he was instrumental in conveying important issues to Georgia’s congressional delegation. He went on to serve on the editorial board of ABC national’s award-winning Construction Executive magazine. During his career, Pinto was involved in building some of Atlanta’s most prestigious projects before retiring from the industry as president of Hardin Construction Company.

ABC of Georgia represents 300 commercial and industrial contractors, suppliers, and service firms, representing more than 10,000 employees. Associated Builders and Contractors Inc. (ABC) is a national trade association with 22,000 members representing more than 19,000 construction and industry-related firms. Founded on the merit shop philosophy, ABC and its 72 chapters help members win work and deliver that work safely, ethically, and profitably for the betterment of the communities in which they work. v 29

Lessons Learned Construction Engineering Services

Observations and Lessons from the School of Experience:

CBR and Pavement Design

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avement is the durable surface intended to support traffic.

Without the pavement, most natural soils would quickly rut and fail to support wheel loads.

The most common pavements are asphalt and concrete. A pavement section typically includes: a wearing surface (asphalt or concrete), an aggregate base course, and a soil subgrade. Pavement design considers: the traffic loading conditions, the number and mix of trucks and cars that will use the road over its life, the expected design life of the pavement, an estimated growth in traffic volume, the importance of the roadway, serviceability requirements, and the strength of the subgrade.

This Lessons Learned will concentrate on the strength of the subgrade, which has a significant impact on the design and thickness of the pavement section. If the subgrade ‘pumps’ or cannot support a single pass of a loaded truck tire without rutting, the subgrade is judged unstable and any pavement placed above will likely fail prematurely. The stronger or better the subgrade, the thinner the pavement section needs to be to spread out and

support the applied wheel loads.

Obviously, thinner pavement sections cost less. Conversely, if testing indicates the subgrade is weak or poor, the subgrade may need stabilization and/or a thicker pavement section to support traffic over the design life of the pavement.

To measure the strength of the subgrade in a reproducible way for design, a laboratory test known as the California Bearing Ration (CBR) was developed by the California Division of Highways around 1930. Since then, the test has been widely adopted by numerous states, counties, U.S. federal agencies, and other countries. Because of softer rock in the area, some states like Florida have adopted a similar test known as the Limerock Bearing Ratio (LBR). The CBR test compares the force required to penetrate a standard size piston 0.10 inches into a compacted soil sample with the force required to penetrate the same piston the same depth into a standard crushed rock sample. The CBR test is usually performed in the laboratory on undisturbed or compacted samples which are soaked in water before the test to simulate worst case field conditions.

The table below shows typical CBR

General Soil (USCS Soil Type)

CBR Value

Graded Aggregate Road Base (GAB)

100

Natural Gravel (GW, GP, GM, GC)

20-40

Medium to Coarse Sand (SW, SP)

10-40

Silty or Clayey Sand (SM, SC)

5-40

Low Plasticity Clay or Silt (CL, ML)

15 or less

Highly Plastic Clay or Silt (CH, MH)

15 or less

Organic Clay or Silt (OL, OH)

5 or less

30

ranges for various soil types.

In spite of its qualitative nature, the CBR test process still remains the most generally accepted method of determining subgrade strength, and as such this information, along with information on traffic flows and traffic growth, is used to design pavements.

One of the most commonly used documents on roadway design using CBR information is the ASSHTO Guide for Pavement Structures, 1993 and 1998 Supplement.

We hope this Lessons Learned will be useful to you on future projects. If you need any assistance on pavement design, please contact your nearest ECS office.

Respectfully, ECS Corporate Services, LLC v

Georgia Contractor

McCarthy Building Companies tops out new lab facility at Georgia Tech Under Construction, EBB Already Serving as Research Site for Students

he highly anticipated Engineered Biosystems Building (EBB) at Georgia Tech received its final beam today as the southeast division of McCarthy Building Companies completed the 225,000 square foot building frame at a ceremony this afternoon.

With the foundation and core framework complete, students, faculty, and the surrounding community will notice a dramatic increase of activity at the site as the building enclosure materials are added and interiors prepared for build out.

“We are pleased to celebrate this milestone in the construction process,” said Steve Swant, executive vice president of administration and finance at Georgia Tech. “We look forward to what EBB will add to the institute’s various research opportunities.”

In fact, EBB is already providing research results. Several teams of Georgia Tech engineering students and researchers have used the construction site to conduct experiments. Students used both GPS and unmanned aerial vehicles to track equipment and personnel to analyze productivity and safety. Another student team used augmented reality to check product installations via hand-held tablets in the field to compare them against BIM digital planning documents. One additional study is monitoring masonry productivity and how the application of BIM can enhance the efficiency of this trade.

“We are so excited to reach this point of the project,” said Ben Watkins, McCarthy’s project director. “Providing hands-on opportunities for the stu-

T

May | June 2014

Photo Credit: Cooper Carry/Lake Flato

dents here at Georgia Tech and becoming part of this campus community is an added benefit of constructing this state-of-the-art lab. They aren’t just waiting for its completion; these engineering students are taking advantage of having a large-scale construction project in their backyard.”

In terms of engineering, EBB construction provides some striking features: • About 40,000 cubic yards of dirt was excavated from the site.

•

About 10,000 cubic yards of concrete was used in the infrastructure.

•

The basement level is approximately 40 feet’ underground.

•

The building has a permanent

foundation drainage system to accommodate the groundwater present at such a deep elevation.

•

EBB has seven stories; five above ground, a basement level, and a mechanical penthouse.

Topping out presentations are a traditional milestone in the construction process and signal the completion of the foundational framework. Several university officials and community leaders were on hand to celebrate alongside the construction team.

Students and community members are following EBB construction progress on social media. They monitor web cameras mounted nearby that capture the building activity time lapse and also receive traffic and safety updates via Twitter @georgiatechEBB and on Facebook. v 31