The Georgia Engineer June-July 2014

G e o r G i a

ENGINEER

®

Infrastructure / technology Volume 21, Issue 3

June | July 2014

GeorGia DoT’s LonG Journey To PubLic PrivaTe ParTnershiPs

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G e o r G i a

ENGINEER Publisher: A4 Inc. 1154 Lower Birmingham Road Canton, Georgia 30115 Tel.: 770-521-8877 | Fax: 770-521-0406 E-mail: p.frey@a4inc.com Editor-in-Chief: Roland Petersen-Frey Managing Editor: Daniel Simmons Art Direction/Design: Pam Petersen-Frey Georgia Engineering Alliance 233 Peachtree Street | Harris Tower, #700 Atlanta, Georgia 30303 Tel.: 404-521-2324 | Fax: 404-521-0283 Georgia Engineer Editorial Board Thomas C. Leslie, Chair Michael L. (Sully) Sullivan, ACEC Georgia, President Gwen D. Brandon, CAE, ACEC Georgia, Chief Operating Officer ACEC/Georgia Representatives B.J. Martin, PE Lee Philips

ASCE/G Representatives Daniel Agramonte, PE Steven C. Seachrist, PE ASHE Representative Jenny Jenkins, PE GSPE Representatives Tim Glover, PE ITE Representatives Daniel Dobry, PE, PTOE John Edwards, PE ITS/G Representatives Bill Wells, PE Shaun Green, PE Kay Wolfe, PE SEAOG Representative Rob Wellacher, PE WTS Representative Angela Snyder

The Georgia engineer is published bi-monthly by A4 Inc. for the Georgia Engineering Alliance and sent to members of ACEC, ASCE, ASHE, GEF, GSPE, ITE, SEAOG, WTS; local, state, and Federal government officials and agencies; businesses and institutions. Opinions expressed by the authors are not necessarily those of the Alliance or publisher nor do they accept responsibility for errors of content or omission and, as a matter of policy, neither do they endorse products or advertisements appearing herein. Parts of this periodical may be reproduced with the written consent from the Alliance and publisher. Correspondence regarding address changes should be sent to the Alliance at the address above. Correspondence regarding advertising and editorial material should be sent to A4 Inc. at the address listed above.

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aDverTisemenTs AECOM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 American Engineering Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 AMEC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Burns & McDonnell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Cardno TBE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Columbia Engineering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 CROM Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 EcoWise Civil Design & Consulting Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Edwards-Pitman Environmental Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Engineered Restorations Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Facility Design Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Georgia Power Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Hayward Baker. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Back Cover Hazen & Sawyer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 HDR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Heath & Lineback Engineers Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 HNTB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 ITE Summer Seminar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 JAT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Keck & Wood Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Kennedy Engineering & Associates Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Kimley-Horn and Associates Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 MH Miles Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Pond Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Photo Science Geospatial Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Prime Engineering Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Reinforced Earth Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 RHD Utility Locating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 ROSSER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 S&ME. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Schnabel Engineering. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Stevenson & Palmer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 STV. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Terrell Hundley Carroll Right of Way Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 T•H•C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 TTL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 T. Wayne Owens & Associates, PC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 United Consulting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Inside Front Cover Willmer Engineering Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Wolverton & Associates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

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CONTENTS

GEORGIA ENGINEER JUNE | JULY 2014

Georgia DOT’s long journey to public-private partnerships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Future batteries might need to learn to breathe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Solar roadways: highways made of glass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Georgia Ports Authority, the low country powerhouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 The real impact of leadership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 The drones are coming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 HNTB celebrates its first century . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Professional engineer, structural engineer registration in Georgia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Enhancing mobility with intelligent interchanges and intersections. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Georgia Engineering News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 ACEC Georgia News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 ASEC Georgia News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 ASHE Georgia News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 GEF News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 ITE Georgia News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 ITS Georgia News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 SAME Atlanta News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Ron Koger named interim president of SPSU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

soLar roaDs: hiGhWays maDe oF GLass 12 June | JuLy 2014

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visiT us aT TheGoerGiaenGineer.com

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FEATURE

RUSSELL MCMURRy | CHIEF ENGINEER & DARRyL VANMETER | DIRECTOR OF INNOVATIVE PROGRAM DELIVERy | THE GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Georgia DOT’s long journey to public-private partnerships In November, the Georgia Department of Transportation finalized the contract for our first Public/Private Partnership (P3) highway construction project – a $599 million agreement with Northwest Express Roadbuilders (NWER), a joint venture of Archer Western Contractors, LLC, and Hubbard Construction Company.

Along with its lead engineering firm, Parsons Transportation Group, NWER will design and build the department’s Northwest Corridor (NWC), a reversible, barrier-separated managed lane system extending 30 miles alongside busy Interstate Highways 75 and 575 northwest of Atlanta. Archer Western and Hubbard are contributing $60 million to what in effect is a private equity bridge loan for the project. Preliminary construction activities are now underway, and the variable-price toll lanes are expected to open to traffic in 2018.

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Photo credit: Atlanta Journal Constitution

Building the Northwest Corridor will be the department’s largest single investment by far. Expenses incurred to date push the project’s total cost to nearly $834 million; a huge undertaking, but one worth the price.

When it opens, the NWC will restore a mobility option to a corridor that routinely carries as many as 230,000 vehicles a day; the project also will be a key building block and linchpin of the department’s Managed Lanes System Plan—our ambitious strategy to extend this mobility choice throughout Metropolitan Atlanta.

Like our colleagues in other state transportation departments, Georgia DOT has watched the gap between available funding and needed funding inexorably widen each year. And because of what we refer to as our problem of prosperity— Georgia’s continuing economic and population growth—the gap here is widening at a quick pace. In Metropolitan Atlanta alone, for instance, we need to find literally billions of unidentified new dollars to keep pace with a population predicted to grow from five to eight million people in just the next 30 years. We were hopeful when what we first called Public Private Initiatives – partnerships injecting substantial sums of private sector capital (and innovation) into public sector projects – began to receive serious consideration. Chicago getting $1.8 8

billion for its 99-year lease of the Chicago Skyway in 2005 was encouraging; Indiana’s $3.8 billion, 75-year Toll Road lease a year later downright exciting.

Georgia DOT also was considering public/private ventures. Our General Assembly had authorized them in 2003, and we received several unsolicited proposals to convert existing roads to tollways and build new tolled lanes on others, including the Northwest Corridor. As we examined the offers though, we realized they essentially were stand-alone projects—not interconnected to one another or to an overall managed lane strategy. Moreover, some weren’t on roads we considered our most pressing priorities. It became apparent that the state needed to establish its own managed lane agenda and that the department needed to drive that agenda’s implementation. Working with subsequent General Assemblies and our immediate governing body, the legislatively elected State Transportation Board, unsolicited public/private proposals were prohibited and comprehensive plans developed for managed lanes in Metro Atlanta and a continually evolving, tiered agenda of potential P3 projects. (This remains one of—if not the only—prospective P3 projects blueprint in the country; the public/private industry now knows what Georgia DOT considers viable P3 oppor-

tunities, our priority for development of those projects, and how they would link to and complement future efforts.)

A constant in the department’s evolving P3 landscape has been the Northwest Corridor. Atlanta’s aforementioned growth and the equally increasing freight traffic on I-75 make the corridor a highest priority.

We continued negotiations on an unsolicited NWC proposal until well into 2009.

Even there though, the scope of improvements had to be adjusted as we came to better understand the varying types of P3s and their attendant requirements. Our initial corridor iteration, featuring truck lanes and a bus rapid transit network, came at a prohibitive price approaching $4 billion.

Transferring that risk to a private sector partner, we learned, has its own cost.

Understandably, as any private entity’s investment in a project increases, so too does its desire to control the circumstances that affect recouping that investment. ‘Partnerships’ become more complicated, however, as private sector business considerations and decisions must acknowledge prevailing public sector opinion and meld with governance’s public policy. There likely is no universally applicable public/private template. What works in Chicago may not work in Atlanta; what’s right for Indiana may not be right for Georgia. And what applies in Atlanta, Georgia, may be inapplicable in Dallas, Texas, or Miami, Florida.

Each state, each community, and each project must find its own unique balance, its own appropriate terms.

For instance, from virtually the first moments we began considering public/private partnerships and the tolling scenarios they usually necessitate, public sentiment expressed by Georgians was that, while they could support tolls or user fees that financed new capacity, they did not believe tolls should be charged on what were previously free general purpose lanes, “roads already paid for,” as they described them.

In 2005, the State Transportation Board voted to incorporate that view into department policy.

The board and the department remained committed, however, to fashioning a viable environment for public/ private enGeorGia enGineer

deavors. In 2007, the board declared that any new capacity added to limited access roadways in Metropolitan Atlanta would be managed lanes. The expectation remained that Public Private Initiatives, rechristened Public Private Partnerships, or P3s, would be a common, if not predominant, delivery mechanism. In a 2010 solicited procurement, three consortiums were short-listed for consideration as the group to build a revived Northwest Corridor and also conduct preparatory engineering and environmental work on managed lanes on Interstate Highways 285 and 20 on Atlanta’s west side. Later that same year, Republican Congressman Nathan Deal was elected governor.

In the literally hundreds of meetings

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and thousands of conversations throughout the years of consideration of the NWC and other potential public/private projects, it became apparent that the price of securing the billions, or even hundreds of millions, of dollars in private investment we initially had envisioned would be steep. A concession agreement essentially giving a private partner decades of control of the roadway, the authority to set the toll rates and first rights to the toll revenues, usually accompanied by restrictions on the department’s ability to add or expand ‘competing’ infrastructure, would be necessary, reasonable business expectations perhaps for a private partner; something less, at least in Georgia, from a public opinion, public policy perspective. Late in 2011, Governor Deal and

the Transportation Board halted the procurement and directed the department to find other delivery options.

Still remaining was the shared commitment of the Governor, board and department to the NWC project and a public/private partnership program that would be right for Georgia, a ‘better way forward.’ Emerging from that commitment—the design/build/finance hybrid P3 with NWER that now, a decade later, is constructing the Northwest Corridor, the first real new capacity we’ve been able to add to Metro Atlanta’s Interstate System in decades. No, there wasn’t a pot of billions of private-sector dollars at the end of a P3 rainbow, but there were private-sector innovations and alternative technical approaches that are saving Georgia DOT hundreds of millions of dollars.

Moreover, there now exists a framework of shared knowledge from which to embark on future public/private partnerships that will be in keeping with Georgia public opinion and consistent with Georgia public policy. In the years to come, that knowledge base will prove to be just as important and beneficial to Georgia as the Northwest Corridor itself. v

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Future batteries might need to learn to breathe Translation by Daniel Simmons | Staff Writer arely have the Lithium-Ion Batteries established themselves in energy storage than attention is drawn to new technologies. Batteries with cathodes made of oxygen could store multiple times the storage capacities of today’s systems and are viewed as the ideal solution for economic energy and for electric mobility storage. Still, before these new systems are commercially available, the battery technology has a way to go.

The search for more powerful batteries is a world-wide effort. Particular attention is being paid to the Lithium-Oxygen batteries, which can achieve an energy density of 1000 Wh/kg- five times the capacity of the current lithium-Ionen batteries.

Instead of graphite or lithium titanate, these new technologies use anode lithium metal and oxygen serves as the cathode.

“Oxygen diffuses into the battery instead of the cathode material being the rigid part of the battery. This allows for the new battery to be light and compact,” explained Kai-Christian Moeller, Director of the Project Group of Electro Chemical storage at the Fraunhofer Institute of Chemical Technology, (Germany).

The car industry has shown particular interest in these Lithium-OxygenBatteries as they would allow cars to go farther without being recharged and would be equal to gasoline-engine-powered cars.

The range aimed for is 650 miles before recharging. The current lithium-ion batteries allow for a range of up to about 250 miles. “We hope to bring these LithiumOxygen batteries to market within the next five or ten year,” explains Reinhardt Loeser of the Association of e-mobility.

This technology also looks like a promising option for the storage of excess electrical transmission generated by green energy. Today, lithium-ion and Redox

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Flow Batteries serve as storage of wind and solar overflow power which have the size of containers, but due to its high energy density the physical storage units would be much smaller while offering the same storage capacity.

One of the problems of this technology is the life cycle of the batteries. When unloading, electro-chemical reaction occurs in the cathode and in the conductive electrolytes, which causes irreversible damage to the batteries. Much research is needed to solve this problem, but the long and short is that in order for the battery to be recharged during the discharge process, the cells, which acquired oxygen, would have to release oxygen into the atmosphere, or, if you like, they would need to learn to breathe.

The lithium-oxygen battery is an open system with a constant flow of air throughout. However because the lithium metal anode is highly reactive, it needs to be protected from external influences. The micro porous polymer membrane used in the current batteries would not offer the protection needed.

Other research relates to the use of sil-

icon rather than lithium, which is a rare material, while silicon is available in unlimited quantity and it offers the same energy density of 1000 Wh/kg. The feeling is that the silicon oxygen battery could be as reliable a storage system as lithium-oxygen.

Still, researchers think that it might take until around 2030 before final power storage systems will be commercially available.

What might be more feasible, even though not much considered, is the Lithium-sulphur battery, which could be commercially available within ten years. It doubles the energy output of the current lithium-ion system. The problem with the sulphur storage is its stability, which has not yet reached acceptable levels. Sulphur expands during charging and contracts during discharge, which puts pressure on the Cathode. Additionally sulphur dissolves in the electrolyte, and thus the active material gets lost.

In short, lithium-air batteries could make electricity storage systems for renewable energy much more compact and ultimately will increase the range of electric cars to a more acceptable 600+ miles before recharging. v

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Solar roadways: highways made of glass

By Daniel Simmons | Staff Writer n 2009, Scott Bursaw won a $100,000 grant from the US Department of Transportation in response to its request for a new paving surface that could pay for itself over time. His winning idea involved using interlocking, hexagonal, solar panels as pavers for the nation’s roads and highways, which could (theoretically) create enough revenue through power generation to pay for themselves and more.

The idea is pretty simple at it’s most basic level: replace roads with solar panels.

After all, we have no shortage of open space that is currently being occupied by paved road surface and if we covered even a small portion of that in solar panels, we could generate enough energy to satisfy the entire country’s annual demand. Furthermore, Bursaw’s design involves embedding microprocessors, LEDs, and heating elements in each panel, which would allow them to use the energy they generate to do a wide variety of other things, such as changing road markings dynamically and eliminating the need for salt and snow plows by heating the road’s surface. Now, before getting into any of the technical details associated with the project’s feasibility, implementation, and maintenance costs, or potential hazards, let me first note how the idea’s popularity has recently taken off like wildfire.

As of right now, the Solar Roadways project has raised over $1.8 million of their $1 million goal on Indiegogo and is one of the most popular projects that the fundraising website has ever hosted. A $1 million goal is incredibly ambitious in the first place, especially considering the fact that the average successfully funded project on Indiegogo is under $4,000 and, to date, only four projects have raised over $1 million. Not only did Solar Roadways aim for the $1 million mark, but they’ve almost doubled it, and there are still 18 days left

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on their campaign.

But let’s remember where this money came from and why it was donated. This money came from average people browsing the internet who think that the project sounds cool. These people, the majority of those who donated money, are just your average internet users who came across a crowdfunding project that they would like to see come to life. This money wasn’t raised from investors who had demanded feasibility studies and cost projections. The project isn’t moving forward because it has undergone the scrutiny of underwriters who are deeply concerned about the security of their investments.

Instead, this project has been catapulted into the public eye because of money that Solar Roadways has been able to raise from thousands of small contributions by average people who have been romanced by what is essentially an abstract description of a cool-sounding technology.

And when you think of all it promises, who could say no? Solar Roadways would mean no more power plants, no more dependence on foreign oil, no more

salt trucks or snow plows, and a whole host of other benefits for the telecommunications industry, not to mention the fact that it would make nighttime cityscapes look like something out of Tron, which definitely helps. But when you take a serious look at the feasibility of such a technology and how it might actually be implemented, Solar Roadways start to look astonishingly impractical, and those $2 million that they have raised starts to look like pocket change.

Let’s start with the obvious: cost. Currently, most of our nation’s roads are paved with asphalt, a relatively cheap, very recyclable byproduct of the oil industry. When you get down to it, asphalt is only five percent asphalt/ bitumen and the other 95 percent is aggregate; i.e. rocks. Even in theory, you couldn’t ask for a cheaper, more plentiful resource with which to pave your roads than rocks, and even then it’s not exactly cheap. Even though asphalt only costs around $125 per ton, it costs somewhere in the neighborhood of $650,000 to pave a single mile of four-lane highway. Again, that’s with a material that’s mostly rocks.

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Now imagine paving that same mile of highway with Solar Roadways pavers, each of which is essentially a miniature computer, containing a microcontroller, printed circuit board, a number of LEDs, wiring, heating elements, and a tempered glass surface.

Speaking of the tempered glass surface, let’s take a look at how much a full scale implementation of Solar Roadways would cost in terms of glass alone. On his Web site, Mr. Bursaw bases all of his calculations for the power generating potential of Solar Roadways on a coverage area of 25,000 square miles, or 60 billion square meters; roughly every paved surface in the contiguous United States. The pavers will use ½ inch thick tempered glass for their surface material, which costs around $300 per square meter. Just to be generous, let’s assume a 50 percent discount due to ordering in bulk. Even after that the price of all that glass, and remember we’re only talking about glass here, is in excess of 10 trillion dollars; or ⅕ the combined GDP’s of every country in the world. Just for the glass.

Let’s stay on the topic of this glass surface for a little longer, because it has a few other properties that would seem to be problematic as well, namely, traction. While glass isn’t exactly known for its ability to provide traction, the Solar Roadways team claims to have overcome this challenge by molding the glass with a textured surface in order to meet the traction demands of vehicles while simultaneously meeting the light permeability requirements of solar power generation. Mr. Bursaw even addresses this very issue on his Web site, “We sent samples of textured glass to a university civil engineering lab for traction testing. We started off being able to stop a car going 40 mph on a wet surface in the required distance. We designed a more and more aggressive surface pattern until we got a call form the lab one day: we'd torn the boot off of the British Pendulum Testing apparatus! We backed off a little and ended up with a texture that can stop a vehicle going 80 mph in the required distance.

Great! Problem solved, right? Well, June | JuLy 2014

while this does seem to address the traction issues associated with paving a road in glass, it says nothing about what will happen over time. That is, after even a single year of having dust and grit dragged across them by countless cars, trucks, and the occasional fully-loaded 50 ton tractor trailer, what’s going to happen?

Glass scratches and it scratches relatively easily. Furthermore, sand and stone grit are powerful abrasives; ancient Egyptians used to use it to polish and shape granite. This poses a problem that, over time, will result in diminished traction due to the wearing away of any molded texture on the surface while simultaneously decreasing the glass’ ability to pass light through to the solar panels beneath. It is difficult to imagine that this isn’t a problem that Bursaw, an engineer, would have foreseen but there is certainly no mention of it in the various project descriptions and analyses available from his Web site. But hey, maybe we can just pay to have them replaced since we’ll be making so much money from generating electricity. Let’s take a look at that next.

In 2013, the United States consumed around 3.75 trillion kilowatt hours. That is the result of all electricity produced, plus imports minus exports. At an average cost

of 10.8 cents per kilowatt hour, this generated a total revenue of roughly $378 billion.

Now, Bursaw claims that a full scale implementation of Solar Roadways would be able to generate three times the amount of electricity that the United States uses in a single year. Assuming for the sake of argument that the value of that extra energy as an export is roughly the same as it is when consumed domestically, and ignoring the fact that the Solar Roadways themselves would require a significant amount of energy for melting ice and powering LED lights, that would put the (roughly estimated) gross earning potential of Solar Roadways at just over $1 trillion.

Now, let me remind you that the project began in response to a Department of Transportation grant for a road that would pay for itself. That’s the big idea here. Of course, generating clean electricity for the entire country is a noble goal, and it certainly is interesting to imagine all the possibilities that such a technology would open the door to, but I’m afraid to say that Solar Roadways might not be the way to go just yet. Given the enormous amount of repair and maintenance work that it would require and the astronomically high cost of using simple computers as pavers, it seems like even $1 trillion per year in gross income won’t come anywhere close to breaking even. But that’s not to say that the idea couldn’t be tweaked and modified or that advances in materials science couldn’t come up with a strong, durable, inexpensive substitute for glass in this scenario.

But all of this does beg the question, “Why put the solar panels under the road in the first place?” If it is even remotely financially feasible to pave roads in solar panels (to the point that the DOT rewarded a grant for the idea), why not take the driving surface issue out of the equation and just install them alongside the road? They wouldn’t have to be so small and modular, we could angle them to face the sun, they wouldn’t have to contain microprocessors, heating elements, or LEDs, and there would be no concerns about cars abbraising their surface. But that wouldn’t be half as cool. v 13

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GeorGia enGineer

Georgia Ports Authority, the low country powerhouse

By Raymond L. Cox, P.E. | Program Manager | CH2M HILL 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, GPA has implemented an environmental sustainability program well beyond that required by any law or regulation. They have done

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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 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 15

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 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 16

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 enGineer

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The real impact of leadership

By Alesia Latson illiam James, the famed American philosopher and psychologist, once said, “When two people meet there are really six people present. There is each person as they see themselves, each person as the other person sees them, and each person as they really are.” As a leader, how do you see yourself ? And even more important… how do the people you lead see you?

Realize that every action you take and every interaction you have leaves a lasting impact on others. You can have the best of intentions, but if your impact isn’t aligned with the intention, then your leadership may not be as effective as it could be. Why? Because in the end, what matters is not who you think you are, but the experience that other people have with you.

Now before you say, “I don’t care what other people think of me,” realize that you

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don’t need to care what they think. You do, however, have to care about the impact you have on others, on your organization, and your industry. Your impact leaves a lasting mark. What mark do you want to leave in the world?

In order to make sure you have a positive impact and are viewed as a leader others actually want to follow, take the following steps.

Detail the kind of impact you want to have.

Most leaders have never detailed their personal creed. But doing so can be incredibly powerful. Therefore, get clear about who you think you are. Who are you and what do you stand for? What do you value?

What is your personal creed or stance in the roles that are most important to you in your life? How do you want to be known in your company and industry?

Once you have those questions answered, ask the most important question of all: “How do the things I just detailed show up when I’m frustrated or when things aren’t going well? Who am I then?” It’s easy to be all of those lovely things when everything is going well. But what about when things aren’t going well? How do you want to show up during the hard times? How do you want to be known when things are tough? How do you want people to experience you in the midst of adversity? Most leaders lose credibility when things are bad because they haven’t thought about who they are in those situations and the kind of impact they’ll have.

Find out how others view your impact.

There are two ways to get information about your impact: you can ask for feedback either indirectly or directly. An indirect approach is doing an online and anonymous survey of some sort using a tool like Survey Monkey. While it’s simple to do, the results are not always specific.

A direct approach is to talk with someone you trust face-to-face and ask specific questions so you can get key insights. The secret to making direct questions work is to phrase them properly. If you ask someone, “Can you give me feedback on my leadership style?” you won’t get the information you need. That’s a difficult question for most people to answer because it’s not focused enough, and no one wants to hurt another person’s feelings. Additionally, if they’re not prepared for the question, they can feel like they’re being put on the spot. Therefore, ask a more focused question, like, “During today’s meeting, I think I may have sounded defensive when I told Chris that the idea would never work. How did it land for you? What was your experience of being in that meeting?”

Notice that you’re not asking for an evaluation. You’re pointing out a specific GeorGia enGineer

incident or behavior and asking the person about their personal experience during that moment—the impact you had. Of course, this doesn’t guarantee that the person is going to tell you the truth, but it does create a condition where they’re more likely to be open. change your impact, not you.

If the results of the feedback you receive don’t align with your personal perceptions about yourself, it’s time to make some changes—not to you, but to your impact.

First, get curious about the mismatch, not furious about the information. A good question to ask yourself is, “Under what conditions might a person experience me this way?” This validates not that you agree with the feedback, but that it is a legitimate perception. Because here’s the truth: you might be a motivating, empowering, and uplifting kind of leader, but under certain conditions, even the most esteemed person can come across as harsh, cold, and defensive. So you need to get mindful of the kinds of conditions that can hinder your success. In other words, know your blind spots so you can shed some light on them.

With this new knowledge, you can take steps to consciously alter the impact you have on others. If taking one approach isn’t getting you the results you want, what other approach can you try? No matter what approach you try, you’re still the same person, just doing certain things in a dif-

June | JuLy 2014

ferent way to have a more positive impact.

As long as the new approach you try supports your values and what you deem important, then you’re acting in integrity and in alignment with your goals.

Get real There’s no avoiding it: all leaders leave a lasting impact. What’s yours? And is it the legacy you want? When you can align who you think you are with how others perceive you, you’ll be the kind of leader people naturally gravitate toward, and your enduring mark on the world will be a positive one. v

about the author Alesia Latson is a speaker, trainer, coach and founder of Latson Leadership Group, a consulting firm specializing in management and leadership development. With more than 20 years of experience, Latson helps organizations and leaders expand their capacity to produce results while enhancing employee engagement. For more information on Alesia’s speaking and consulting, please contact her at alesia@latsonleadershipgroup.com or visit www.latsonleadershipgroup.com.

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The drones are coming!

By Tate Jones | President | LandAir Surveying 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.

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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 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 20

Hex-copter Photograph provided courtesy of Joe Harrington Skycraft Media 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.

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 drones are much larger and have long-range 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 multirotor. The Hex-copter pictured 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 five 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 abilGeorGia enGineer

ity 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 helicopter 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 concrete 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.

June | JuLy 2014

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

Photograph Provided Courtesy of Joe Harrington Skycraft media 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 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 in-house 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 21

see his TED presentation.)

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 happen. 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 rec-

ognized 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. v

www.ted.com/talks/andreas_raptopoulos_no_roads_there_s_a_drone_for_that

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GeorGia enGineer

HNTB celebrates its first century

By Rob Slimp | CEO | HNTB Corporation was a big year for beginnings.

The First World War broke out; the Panama Canal welcomed its first steamship. And in Kansas City, Missouri, HNTB was born.

The firm’s partners espoused the principles of technical mastery and delivering innovative, high-quality work. By doing so, they helped solve the challenges of moving a growing country across its waterways via ever more modes of transportation. Focusing at first on railroad bridges, HNTB grew to encompass a full range of infrastructure services. The company’s first 100 years reflect the growth, struggles, trials, and triumphs of the U.S. infrastructure industry. Like the industry and America itself, the story of HNTB is one of adapting and improving in order to thrive amid numerous changes. Indeed, the founders of HNTB would be amazed if they could see all the changes that have taken place.

HNTB traces its official beginning to the creation of Harrington, Howard & Ash in 1914. But HNTB's roots go back even further—to 1886. That was the year when John Alexander Low Waddell opened an engineering office in Kansas City and distinguished himself as a designer of moveable bridges for railroads. The South Halstead streetcar bridge in Chicago, completed in 1895, was the realization of a groundbreaking lift-bridge design.

Project A1, a vertical lift steel bridge over the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon, opened on July 21, 1912. It was an unparalleled technical achievement: the world’s only bridge with two moveable decks in which the lower level could be raised independently from the upper.

HNTB’s long, productive history in

1914

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The Flint River Enclosure, constructed in the 1980s, contains the flow of the Flint River as it passes underneath Atlanta Hartsfield International Airport.

Georgia began in Atlanta in the early 1920s. As a city that grew up around a railroad, a system of elevated roadways was necessary to span the tracks and provide pedestrian and vehicular access between the north and south halves of the city. The Spring Street Viaduct was one of those elevated roadways and was de-

signed by Harrington, Howard, and Ash in 1922. It stood for nearly 75 years until its recent replacement.

The firm then known as AshHoward-Needles & Tammen was barely a year old when the stock market crashed on Oct. 29, 1929, triggering the Great Depression. It survived through the next few 23

years on backlogged projects. One was the Burlington-Bristol Bridge over the Delaware River, which was the longest vertical-lift bridge in the world when it opened in 1931.

But the intrepid firm soon found itself struggling, and it was forced to lay off employees in order to survive. It was still hanging on when President Franklin Roosevelt, elected in 1932, committed $3 billion to spending on public works such as roads and bridges. The firm worked hard to cultivate relationships with government officials in Washington.

In 1933 the firm won two early projects awarded by the Public Works Administration and its sister agency, the Emergency Reconstruction Finance Corp.: a lift bridge over the Harlem River in New York and the South Omaha toll bridge over the Missouri River in Nebraska. The work allowed the firm to turn the corner, indeed to expand, at the height of the Depression.

In 1941, the firm reorganized as

1887 HNTB’s roots go as far back as 1887 when Dr. John Alexander Low Waddell opens a consulting practice in Kansas City, Missouri.

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Howard, Needles, Tammen & Bergendoff, the name that—later turned into the acronym HNTB—exists to this day. And as HNTB, the firm helped meet the challenges of World War II through projects such as the Army’s Southwestern Proving Grounds in Arkansas, a 49,500-acre testing site for aerial bombs and artillery shells.

Dr. John Alexander Low Waddell

1941 The firm changes its name to Howard, Needles, Tammen & Bergendoff. HNTB broadens its scope to include highway design and aviation making it a leader in the transportation industry.

A month before the Japanese surrender ended the war in 1945, HNTB secured a project that had been suspended by the war: the Maine Turnpike. The first 47-mile section opened on December 13, 1947. HNTB soon took on numerous other toll road projects, including the New Jersey Turnpike.

In 1954, HNTB’s track record with toll road financing helped it land a huge proj-

1989 HNTB’s aviation practice grows so expansive that one of every four domestic airline passengers in the United States is using an airport served by HNTB.

GeorGia enGineer

John Lyle Harrington ect in Miami, where it was chosen to support a bond sale to expand Miami International Airport. HNTB also won the contract to design the expansion. The successful delivery of the Miami job catapulted HNTB into a new line of business, and by the end of the 1960s the firm had almost 300 airport projects under its belt.

HNTB's aviation achievements in Georgia have taken flight from a design office the firm opened in Atlanta in 1968. One year later, HNTB joined in one of the most amazing feats of airport construction in history. While providing design services for Hartsfield Atlanta International Air-

Henry C. Tammen

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port, the firm was part of an effort to replace 10,000 feet of runway and taxiway in 40 days. HNTB continued to serve the airport as part of its general engineering consultant team for a period of 27 years, and was instrumental in leading the airport through its major mid-field expansion program in the 1970s and 1980s.

As aviation took off, so did the highway market. When America started building the interstate highway system in 1956, HNTB's track record with bridges and turnpikes helped it win initial assignments locating and estimating costs for more than 1,000 miles of interstate and design-

Ruben Bergendoff

ing 1,500 miles of highway, including the Akron North Expressway in Ohio.

Currently, one of the biggest challenges to departments of transportation is the need to ease traffic congestion while providing a transportation network that meets public needs. One of the most cutting edge solutions is priced managed lanes, and HNTB is in the forefront.

Priced managed lanes, also referred to as express lanes, are tolled lanes operating in the middle of non-tolled highways. The price to use the tolled lanes varies to ensure a speed of at least 45 miles per hour.

Enoch Needles

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In Georgia, HNTB is providing technical, advisory, and procurement support services to GDOT for the I-75/I-575 Northwest Corridor reversible priced managed lanes project. This project involves the construction of approximately 30 centerline miles of new barrier-separated priced managed lanes. These lanes will be dynamically priced to maintain an optimal speed floor and a reliable travel time. The Northwest Corridor will be Georgia's first transportation project delivered through a design-build-finance model, which enables large, complex projects to attain greater efficiency.

Other major HNTB projects in Georgia include the I-85/I-285 Interchange, the MARTA Dunwoody Station, and vari-

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ous aerial and underground line sections throughout the MARTA system; the Georgia 400 Toll Plaza; and the Wall Street Viaduct replacement. HNTB’s ongoing efforts include the design of various sections of the Governor’s Road Improvement Program, the planning and design of metro-Atlanta’s HOV system, GDOT P3 advisory services, MARTA GEC, Norfolk Southern Rail and bridge design, and federal aviation projects.

As I said earlier, HNTB’s commitment

to integrity has remained constant during our first century. We have turned down business, declined partnerships, redone work, and spent millions of dollars to do the right thing and make things right for a client—knowing that doing what’s in a client’s interest is also in the firm’s interest. Integrity has served as our bedrock value for 100 years, and integrity will guide us through the next century as well. *Being HNTB: The Story of HNTB, by Peter S. Hawes, served as the basis of this article.v

GeorGia enGineer

Professional engineer, structural engineer registration in Georgia

By Robert M. Weilacher, PE, LEED APBD+C | President | SEAOG

B

ackground: reasons for updating Professional engineering registration of structural engineers in Georgia

Since April 2011, the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying, NCEES, has set a 16-hour structural exam as the standard for demonstrating minimum competence in the practice of structural engineering, the only professional engineering discipline requiring more than an eight-hour exam. An NCEES task force worked for two years evaluating structural engineering examination content and surveying hundreds of practicing structural engineers. That study concluded that an eight-hour multiple choice exam cannot demonstrate adequate knowledge of structural engineering principles in today’s practice environment.

Building codes, referenced structural standards, structural design methodology, and material science have advanced exponentially in the last 25 years, and if Georgia’s professional licens-

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ing laws are to continue to at least minimally safeguard the public, our means of licensing structural engineers in the state must advance accordingly.

NCEES has also refined their model law standard, used to assist states in developing professional engineering laws, to include a model law structural engineer (MLSE), which has been adopted by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) through their consensus process, specifically requiring the 16-hour structural exam to license structural engineers, in addition to certain other education and experience criteria.

The 16-hour structural exam contains an essay component in addition to the multiple choice questions and tests for breadth and depth of knowledge with integrated design, analysis, and detailing questions pertaining to entire structural systems, not just isolated components. The intent is to comprehensively assess the knowledge that is really needed to design and detail complex structures and to understand and comply with ever evolving building code and design methodology advancements. The professional practice of structural engineering is vital to the life safety of those using and occupying the structures we design. The rationale for enhanced examination is simple - engineers who possess a more complete and robust skill set demonstrated by passing the 16-hour exam will better safeguard the public - which is the driving force behind all of our licensing laws.

The Structural Engineering Licensure Coalition (SELC), which represents all four national structural engineering organizations (NCSEA, ASCE-SEI, CASE, and SECB), has endorsed the MLSE standard and advocates that jurisdictions require compliance with that standard for engineers who design significant structures.

SELC also recommends that the licensing

board in each jurisdiction designate which categories of structures must be designed by an engineer meeting the MLSE standards, including passage of the 16-hour exam.

Many states have already decided not to accept standards less than those recommended by the NCEES model law and have changed their laws. Structural engineering licensure in some form is now a requirement in 15 state jurisdictions. At least seven other states, including Florida, Texas, Oklahoma, and Connecticut, are currently in the process of creating similar requirements, and there are a half dozen other states just beginning the process.

In recognition of the NCEES Task Force studies and structural exam content, and since Georgia currently has no designated form of structural registration, the Georgia Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (PELS Board) requires, by policy, the 16-hour exam for all new applicants whose primary experience is structural engineering. This current Georgia policy is not a law and is not consistent with the growing national consensus for licensing professional and structural engineers or with the licensing policies of other jurisdictions.

Goal: review and revise Georgia Law for the Practice of Professional structural engineering to best serve the engineering community and the citizens of Georgia The new NCEES Model Law with its standard of a 16-hour structural exam is triggering a revision in licensing laws across the country. SEAOG believes it is critical that we proactively address the exam intent and licensing consequences in our state, and manage the transition to the 16-hour exam in an equitable way that is beneficial for all Georgia citizens, owners, and code officials, and is fair and reasonable for all 27

interested parties. SEAOG has met with several engineering and other affected groups representing transportation engineers, civil engineers, GDOT engineers, geotechnical engineers, architects, and others. In addition, we have sought comments from a broad array of structural engineers in the state, within our own organization, and from ASCE-SEI. When informed and educated, there is a wide consensus among engineers and other construction related professionals that advanced qualifications for structural engineers for certain categories of construction will indeed better safeguard the public by providing identifiable credentials to the public, to clients, and to building officials. Such credentials could be assured prior to execution of any project, a far better tactic for protecting the public than the current practice which relies on sanctioning registrants for inadequate standard of care only after engineering problems with a built project are demonstrated.

SEAOG has attempted to address and incorporate all of the concerns we have encountered, but certainly remain interested in hearing from others. SEAOG’s goal is to have the support of all other engineering and affiliated groups in the state.

engineer of record for a ‘designated structure’ in the State of Georgia. A PE, SE registrant could also serve as engineer of record for non-designated structures or for non-structural work if that work is within the registrant’s area of expertise as currently required by board rules.

‘Designated structures’ will be defined by the PELS Board of Georgia. A joint SEAOG/ASCE-SEI/ASCE-GI committee was formed to propose a definition of the types, kinds, and classes of structures that will be regulated in the state of Georgia as a ‘designated structures.’ That joint committee recommended that the Rule adopted by the PELS Board contain the following definition of a designated structure: 1. For bridges and other transportation structures under the jurisdiction of the state of Georgia or other county or municipal agencies: a. A designated structure is as defined by the Georgia Department of Transportation 2. For buildings and other structures requiring a building permit as required by the International Building Code with Georgia Amendments in current effect in the state of Georgia:

a.

A Designated Structure is any building or other structure which meets any one of the following criteria: i. Has risk Category of III or IV in accordance with Table 1604.5 of the International Building Code with Georgia Amendments, ii.

Has a covered gross area of 25,000 square feet or greater, or

iii. Has an occupied floor elevation that is 30 feet or more above the average ground level of the building or other structure.

In order not to affect the livelihood of current Georgia PE’s, a transitioning or grandfathering clause will be contained in the legislation that will grant PE, SE registration to Georgia PEs who currently practice structural engineering. Any Professional Engineer currently registered in Georgia who submits a signed affidavit to the board within a stipulated timeframe that he/she is now practicing structural engineering as defined in the proposed statute will be

Proposal: revise current Pe statutes to create a Pe, se, Describe Designated structures, and Grandfather current Pe’s seaoG proposes that Title 43, chapter 15 of the Georgia statutes be revised such that the engineer of record in responsible charge of structural design of any designated structure must be a “Professional engineer, structural engineer”, (Pe, se) as defined in the statute revisions, and that a definition of ‘designated structures’ be established by rule of the PeLs board.

The term ‘Professional Engineer, Structural Engineer’ would mean a professional engineer with specialized knowledge and expertise in the practice of structural engineering acquired by professional education and practical experience. Passing the 16-hour structural exam will be a requirement for becoming a new PE, SE. Only a PE, SE would be able to serve as 28

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granted PE, SE registration without further examination. clarifications: The information provided below clarifies the recommendation that the joint SEAOG/ASCE-SEI/ASCE-GI committee is providing to the PELS Board. Ultimately, the PELS Board will set the rule governing this designation. if you are currently a registered Georgia Pe, practicing structural engineering…

Any Professional Engineer in the state of Georgia currently practicing structural engineering can transition to a PE, SE by submitting a signed affidavit as noted above. Professional Engineers may continue to design non-designated structures in Georgia as a PE, without transitioning to a PE, SE. if you currently practice structural engineering in Georgia, but are not yet registered If you are not yet registered, you must take the 16-hour exam to be able to be an engineer of record for designated structures, or you may opt to take the eight-hour civil exam with structural emphasis if you will not be engineer of record for designated structures. Another option is to take the eight-hour exam first to become a PE, followed by the 16-hour exam to become a PE, SE. The law would be a change from the current board policy in which all applicants with structural experience are required to take the 16-hour exam. if you are a Geotechnical engineer…

Only PE registration (not PE, SE) would be required to be engineer of record for geotechnical related studies and reports, whether related to a designated structure or not, and for structural design of foundation related structures which have the primary purpose of providing lateral support of earth only, such as retaining walls, soil nail walls, or soldier piles, so long as design of such structures is within the registrant’s area of expertise. Likewise, design of soil modification systems which have the primary purpose of enhancing June | JuLy 2014

soil capacity to carry vertical load , such as rammed aggregate piers may be done by a Georgia PE (without a PE, SE registration) so long as such work is within the registrant’s area of expertise. if you are a civil engineer…

The engineer of record for any civil work not qualifying as a designated structure may be done by a PE or a PE, SE, so long as such civil work is in within your area of expertise.

Note that the ‘designated structure’ definition indicates that the Georgia Department of Transportation will govern when and if a ‘Professional Engineer, Structural Engineer’ is needed for bridges and other transportation structures.

GDOT engineers will need to conform to GDOT policy regarding registration and examination requirements. if you are a specialty engineer and not an engineer of record…

Any specialty engineer (defined in Georgia rules as responsible to the engineer of record for a project) who performs and is responsible for structural design for specific and discreet portions of a project such as curtain wall, cold-formed-metal framing, or wood trusses, and is not the engineer of record for a project would normally need a PE and not a PE, SE even if the project which his/her portion is a part of is a designated structure.

It is possible that a governing jurisdiction or owner would require the PE, SE if that component constituted the majority of, or critical part of, the primary structure of the building. That would be at the discretion of the governing entity or owner. In either case, the engineers currently registered may transition to a PE, SE by submitting a signed affidavit as noted above. conclusion SEAOG strongly believes that the proposed law modification is important and in the best interest of the people of Georgia. It embodies the latest national standards related to structural engineering practice and licensing and elevates both the qualifications of those engineers who do structural

design and the safety of the public. Advanced materials and analysis techniques required for today’s significant structures also require an advanced level of demonstration in structural competency.

SEAOG has expended substantial energy and effort in making this proposal fair and reasonable, and we believe it addresses the concerns of all stakeholders.We are very grateful for the time and effort that all the people from multiple other organizations have invested to review our proposal, help us understand and input their thoughts, and help us shape it into something we can all support without reservation. Any readers of this article that may have additional concerns or questions are urged to contact SEAOG (www.seaog.org). v 29

Enhancing mobility with intelligent interchanges and intersections

By Pete Rahn | HNTB’s National Transportation Practice Leader & Jim Barbaresso | HNTB’s National Intelligent Transportation Practice Leader nnovative technology, designs, and delivery methods are producing safer, more efficient facilities faster Innovative designs, technology, and alternative delivery methods are helping departments of transportation dramatically expand the capacity, safety, and mobility of urban interchanges and intersections without the cost of physical expansion and the need to acquire right of way.

I

Technology dramatically expands capacity According to an October 2013 HNTB America THINKS survey, many Americans expect their travel experiences to greatly improve in the next two decades thanks to innovation. One of the most exciting innovations in interchange and intersections is adaptive traffic signal control.

According to the Federal Highway Administration, DOTs can expect improvements in efficiency, ranging from ten percent to as much as 50 percent in areas where signals are particularly outdated.

Unlike conventional signal systems, adaptive traffic signal control collects realtime traffic information and then adjusts the signal timing plan to facilitate maximum throughput at an intersection. The software is smart enough to respond on a cycle-by-cycle basis to the level of traffic currently on the system, providing an amazing increase in efficiency. adaptive signal control technology: • Continuously distributes green light time based on prevailing traffic conditions • Improves travel time reliability by progressively moving vehicles through green lights • Reduces congestion by creating smoother flow 30

• •

Prolongs the effectiveness of traffic signal timing Reduces vehicle idling, which reduces harmful emissions

Although the technology can greatly improve efficiency, it requires a significant amount of stationary sensing equipment and the software can be complex, which explains why only two to three percent of traffic signals in the United States have this technology. As the technology evolves, we may see greater adoption and adaptive traffic signal control used to its highest potential as part of an integrated corridor management program or as probe vehicle data availability increases. no-tech or low-tech designs improve safety, capacity Today, there are collision-resistant intersections, where high-speed, right-angle crashes are things of the past. Roundabouts, displaced left-turn intersections, median U-turn intersections, restricted crossing U-turns, and quadrant roadway intersections are surprisingly effective in keeping project costs down while driving safety and efficiency up.

Cost-effective diverging diamond interchanges are helping resource-strapped DOTs bring relief and greater levels of safety to congested highway junctions by eliminating left-turn crashes and rear-end collisions. innovative delivery speeds construction At a time when public agencies have a significant backlog of transportation infrastructure needs and insufficient funding to address those needs, design-build and dynamic-design-bid-build (D2B2) are delivery methods being used for massive interchanges and large intersections. Further, D2B2 conforms to conventional procurement processes and can be instituted

almost immediately.

Executed on the right projects, designbuild and D2B2 also can enhance a DOT’s credibility among key decision-makers and constituents, putting the agency in a favorable position to receive additional funding when it is available.

There is no doubt the future will bring even more advances. HNTB has been providing infrastructure solutions for 100 years. We have seen tremendous advances in interchanges and intersections. One day, likely within the next 50 years, we could see the elimination of traffic signals once vehicle-to-vehicle communication becomes mainstream. Until then, DOTs can rely on innovative technology, design, and delivery methods to produce safer, more efficient assets faster. v about the authors Pete Rahn is HNTB’s national transportation practice leader, where he develops and directs strategies that enhance HNTB’s service to state departments of transportation across the country. Rahn has served as director of the Missouri Department of Transportation and cabinet secretary of the New Mexico State Highway and Transportation Department, making him one of only a handful of people who have led a DOT in two states. He also is past president of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. Contact him at (816) 527-2034 or prahn@hntb.com.

Jim Barbaresso is HNTB's national intelligent transportation systems practice leader. His 35-year transportation career is a mix of public- and private-sector experience. Prior to joining HNTB, he was vice president for 10 years at a company specializing in ITS. Before that, he served 18 years in various capacities at the Road Commission for Oakland County, Mich.

Contact him at (313) 961-3330 or jbarbaresso@hntb.com.

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GeorGia

ENGINEERING NEWS

Dataforensics‘ pLog Tablet | Tim Kassa appointed Transportation Planning Lead in Georgia Dataforensics is proud to announce the next evolution in geotechnical and environmental field data collection—pLog Tablet.

Dataforensics, developer of geotechnical and geoenvironmental data management solutions, announces that pLog Tablet for Android is now available for immediate download from the Google Play store. e evolution of pLog now allows users a new range of hardware options for field data collection, furthering the digital data collection model that Dataforensics has been a proponent of from the inception of the company ten years ago. is iteration of pLog greatly enhances usability by allowing users to leverage new hardware options with bigger screen sizes, faster processors, greater storage capacity, integrated GPS, and real time data sharing.

(Availability of cellular network as well as WIFI connections will determine real time capabilities). pLog Tablet features include: • A new, customizable user interface with greater flexibility. Customize which data collection parameters are shown in each module and in what order the items are shown.

•

Graphical Log Preview. e ability to view a standardized borehole log in graphical format as data is entered has been a common request from our users. at dream is now a reality as you can view the log graphically on the data collection device so you can better visualize the investigation as it is happening.

•

Real-time data sharing. e ability to send the data and/or the standardized log report electronically directly from the field makes sharing data with your colleagues a simple process enabling better communication between field and office staff.

June | JuLy 2014

•

A simpler, direct data export to gINT. Users will no longer be required to synchronize their handheld/tablet with their PC before working with their data in gINT. pLog Tablet will directly export field data to gINT, eliminating confusion for the user and simplifying installation and reducing the IT resources necessary to run the system.

•

More streamlined navigation. No more tapping between screens to input a specific type of data –all data can be accessed for a particular module from one screen.

“pLog Tablet is a major milestone in the effort to move the geotechnical and geoenvironmental field personnel towards digital technology. pLog Tablet streamlines the data collection process even further to create even greater efficiencies in the process. We can’t wait for users to experience pLog Tablet” said Scott Deaton, President of Dataforensics.

availability pLog Tablet for Android is now available from the Google Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id =com.dataforensics pLog Tablet for Windows is available directly from Dataforensics.

Dataforensics is a leader in developing and deploying geotechnical and geoenvironmental software applications which help geologists, geotechnical and environmental engineers, and engineering technicians accomplish field and office work in less time, with more accuracy, and with higher quality data. Dataforensics leads the digital data collection effort in geotechnical/geoenvironmental investigations and will further push the industry with pLog for Android and Windows 8.v Tim Kassa appointed Transportation Planning Lead in Georgia Tim Kassa is the newly appointed transportation planning lead for AECOM's

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Tim Kassa

multimodal planning practice in Georgia.

In this role, Tim will apply his 12 years of experience in transportation policy research, federal and state agency coordination, technical analyses, and performance measurement to the management of multimodal transportation studies on a local, regional, and statewide level for AECOM's transportation clients.

Prior to joining AECOM in 2013, Tim worked as planning branch chief for the office of planning at the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT). As branch chief, he led the research and development efforts for the planning office; served as GDOT's project manager during the Transportation Investment Act of 2010; collaborated with elected officials and stakeholders across the state; and partnered with metropolitan planning organizations to assess urban transportation needs and future plans for programmed projects on the state highway network.

Tim earned his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science at the University of Georgia and Master of Public Administration at Georgia State University. He is a member of the American Planning Association. v White house Transportation bill Would allow Tolls on interstate highways Reprinted by permission - NCPPP May 2, 2014 The $302 billion surface transportation bill the White House released Tuesday would reverse the long-standing federal prohibi32

tion 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. v newcomb & boyd consultants and engineers announces Promotions Newcomb & Boyd announces the following promotions: Director of Energy and Sustainability Services William L.S. Stafford, PE, LEED AP and Electrical Engineer Justin L. Ziegler, PE have become Associate Partners in the firm.

Audio-Visual Consultants Josef H. Henschen, CTS-I and Douglas L. Dillman, CTS-D, CTS-I; Electrical Engineers Richard O. Dozier, PE and Nicholas A. Mazzolini, PE; and Mechanical Engineer Walker C. Jones, PE have become Senior Associates in the firm.

Acoustical Consultant Jessica S. Clements, INCE; Commissioning Engineer K. Pawn Chulavatr; Communications Engineer Jason E. Barton, PE; Mechanical Engineer Salvatore M. Lizzio; and Plumbing Engineer Robert C. Grant, PE have

Justin Ziegler

stanton stafford become Associates in the firm.

Newcomb & Boyd is a multidiscipline consulting and engineering firm providing creative solutions for facility design, construction, and maintenance. The firm offers clients a single source for mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection, energy management, building automation, commissioning and retrocommissioning, systems training, acoustics, audio-visual, communications, theatrical systems, security, and lighting needs.

Newcomb & Boyd serves clients throughout the United States and internationally. The firm was founded in 1923 as Robert S. Newcomb, Consulting Engineer; the name was changed to Newcomb & Boyd in 1931 when Spencer W. Boyd became a partner. v GeorGia enGineer

June | JuLy 2014

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acec Georgia Jay Wolverton, PE Chair ACEC Georgia

In our technology-dependent world, a career like engineering can be thought of as ‘last century.’ It doesn’t necessarily have the

News excitement, the constant movement, and the global reach of the more obviously innovative or technology-driven fields that are attractive to today’s high school and college graduates. But it has its place, and we are dependent on engineering to build our future.

After all, engineering is the basis of the creation of the latest technologies. Engineering may seem ‘old school’ but it’s a place for innovation and new ideas. In fact, the word engineering comes from the Latin word ingenium, meaning cleverness.

The first engineers were definitely clever; they invented things like the pulley and the wheel, new and innovative technologies for the ancient world that continue to change

and build our world even to this day.

Today’s engineers are creating some of the world’s coolest and newest technologies - cars that run on their own with zero emissions, environmentally-friendly and sustainable buildings that create their own alternate energy sources, and water treatment options that create a smaller footprint and cost less to maintain. Engineering is forward-thinking, and we need to work as a community to make our youth aware of the future of engineering.

The movement towards STEM (Science, Technology Engineering, and Mathematics) education includes engineering for a reason—it’s included in the science, technology, and math-driven world of our

Political Advocacy

The Value of ACEC Georgia Serving your firm’s business interests through:

• Advocating at all levels of government to advance policies that impact the business of engineering in Georgia.

• Monitoring the regulatory issues and government agency actions that affect engineers.

• Working for a more pro-business climate and defending against unfair business practices.

• Fighting to protect the professional engineering practice.

Business Development • Providing networking opportunities, meetings, and programs that put you in contact with potential clients, industry peers, and the leaders of the engineering profession.

• Hosting the Georgia Engineers Summer Conference, Transportation Summit, P3 Summit, and other programs that expand your professional knowledge and network.

• Offering informative and relevant seminars, programs, and webinars with presentations from leaders who affect our industry and community.

Firm Operations • Providing a forum for the exchange of business and professional experiences.

• Offering programs and resources on best business practices for member firms.

• Sponsoring the Future Leaders Program to build the next generation of leaders within member firms and the engineering profession.

• We provide executive development training for emerging leaders and firm management.

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future. A report by the Joint Economic Committee of the U.S. Congress in 2012 stated that at least 50 percent of the economic growth in our country can be attributed to the skills associated with STEM, and that to remain competitive in our technology-driven future, we have to increase these skills in American children.

We need to build up our industry to the youth and pass the torch of our industry to the next generation of clever, forward-thinking, and innovative engineers.

As we progress in our careers, we need to let those behind us understand what a necessary and rewarding job it is to be an engineer.

Likewise, the time has come for me to pass the torch as President of ACEC Georgia. I am thrilled to welcome Darrell Rochester in this role and look forward to working with him to do our part to push our industry forward. It has been an honor to serve you this year. I am passionate

about the work that ACEC Georgia does and will continue to be active and involved. As always, you can reach me at

jay.wolverton@wolverton-assoc.com or by phone at 770-447-8999. I would love to hear from you. v

ACEC GEORGIA MEMBER FIRMS

Board of Directors Jerry (Jay) Wolverton, Chairman Darrell Rochester, Chairman-Elect Roseana Richards, Treasurer / Charles Ezelle, Secretary Don Harris, Vice Chair / John Heath, Vice Chair / Doug Robinson, Vice Chair David Wright, National Director / Edgar (Eddie) Williams, Past Chairman Anita Atkinson / Jim Case / David Estes / Scott Gero / Rob Lewis / David McFarlin / Kevin McOmber / Taylor Wright

Committees Darrell Rochester, Government Affairs/PAC David Wright, ACEC PAC Champion Rob Lewis, Business Development Jim Case & Don Harris, Firm Operations John Heath, Coalitions Doug Robinson, Communications Brannen Butts & David McFarlin, Leadership Development Charles Ezelle, Membership Eddie Williams, Nominating Eddie Williams, Past Presidents/Chairmen David Estes & Rob Jacquette, Programs Scott Gero, Transportation Forum

June | JuLy 2014

Staff Michael “Sully� Sullivan, President & CEO Gwen Brandon, Chief Operating Officer Jennifer Head, Member Services Manager Mia Wilson, Finance Manager

Forums Bill Griffin, Building Systems Corky Welch, Environmental Chris Marsengill, Transportation Brannen Butts, Leadership

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asce Georgia

News thers Conference, a joint venture with the South Carolina Section of ASCE. This was the first conference the Georgia Section has hosted which gave us opportunities to meet members from our neighboring state. All reports from conference attendees were positive, so we look forward to planning more of these in the future.

Katherine Gurd, P.E., President American Society of Civil Engineers, Georgia Section www.ascega.org Katherine.Gurd@aecom.com •

Hello members and friends! We have had such an exciting year so far.

• In January, we released the Georgia Infrastructure report card at the state capitol. We got some good local publicity and are still trying to promote this valuable tool. If you have not reviewed it yet, I encourage you to do so at: http://www.ascega.org/georgia-report-card/ •

In February, we had some GA ASCE members take the report card to their state and local legislators, and we hosted a legislative appreciation reception with the Georgia Section of ITE and ITS Georgia.

•

In March, we held the Founding Fa-

•

Also in March, we had six Georgia Section Members visit Washington, DC to participate in the ASCE 2014 Legislative Fly-In. As part of this event, Georgia ASCE members were educated on active legislation important to the civil engineering community and got to meet with their Senate and Congressional staff about infrastructure funding. We also took copies of ASCE’s Report Card for America’s Infrastructure and the Georgia Infrastructure Report Card to all our elected officials. I’d like to thank Rebecca Shelton, Melissa Wheeler, Ray Wilke, Joe Castronovo, and David Frost for making the trip to DC with me and taking on this important work.

To close out March, we hosted our fourth annual Middle school competition—‘What Do Civil Engineers

Do?’ with the winning students recognized at our May meeting.

•

In May we have Georgia State Legislative Representatives talk to us about their perspectives on transportation and infrastructure.

•

Finally to close out our year in June, we have Congressman Rob Woodwall give us the National Perspective on transportation and infrastructure.

As you can see, Infrastructure and Government Relations have been hot topics for the Georgia Section this year. Our goals have been to mobilize many of our members to meet with their legislators to not only provide them with our report card as important research on our state and local infrastructure, but to make sure they are aware that ASCE is available to them as a technical resource.

If you are interested in getting involved in government relations, ASCE National’s Government Relations program is a great place to start. Programs like ‘Key Contact’ can help you become engaged in important legislative issues for our profession and can keep you abreast of timely information on legislative activities year round. ASCE’s Key Contact Program is the Society's grassroots advocacy program. Through the Key

ASCE/GEORGIA SECTION 2013 - 2014 BOARD OF DIRECTORS President: Katherine McLeod Gurd, P.E.

Shaukat.Syed@dnr.state.ga.us

AECOM | katherine.gurd@aecom.com President-Elect: Rebecca Shelton, P.E. Gwinnett County DWR rebecca.shelton@gwinnettcounty.com Vice President : Richard Morales, M.Sc., P.E. LB Foster Piling | rmorales@LBFoster.com Treasurer : Dan Agramonte, P.E. O’BRIEN & GERE | Daniel.agramonte@obg.com External Director : Shaukat Syed Georgia EPD, Watershed | Protection Branch

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Internal Director : Christina Vulova, P.E. ARCADIS U.S. Inc. | christina.vulova@arcadis-us.com Secretary : Julie Secrist, P.E. T.Y. Lin International Group | Julie.Secrist@tylin.com

Savannah Branch Director : Laurel M. Webb O’BRIEN & GERE | laurel.webb@obg.com NE Georgia Branch Director : J. Matthew Tanner, PE Breedlove Land Planning Inc. mtanner@landplanning.net

Technical Director : Luis E. Babler, P.E. Geo-Hydro Engineers Inc. | luis@geohydro.com

South Metro Branch Director: Bob Nickelson Portland Cement Association BNickelson@cement.org

Younger Member Director: Benjamin L. Moss O’BRIEN & GERE benjamin.moss@obg.com

Past-President: Lisa S. Woods, P.E. JACOBS | lisa.woods@jacobs.com

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Joe castronovo, ray Wilke, rebecca shelton, Kat Gurd, and melissa Wheeler at the asce Dc Fly-in.

Contact Program, members can learn about public policy issues important to the civil engineering profession and help advance the priorities of the profession through interaction with elected leaders.

The Key Contacts program provides member resources for civil engineers to learn about and participate in public policy at all levels. The program provides: • Briefings when there are important legislative issues to act on

•

•

•

A platform for members to research legislation at the federal and state levels

members that have helped us have such a

Advice on contacting your officials at federal and state levels, and

us to take on this valuable work: AECOM,

Materials to use for at-home visits with legislative officials.

In closing, I’d like to thank our board

successful year. I’d also like to thank our sponsors whose contributions have allowed ATG, Belgard Hardscapes, CH2MHill, Haywood Baker, John Group International, and LBFoster. Please contact me if your firm is interested in supporting the Georgia Section.v

united states secretary of Transportation, anthony r. Foxx, speaking to the asce Fly-in Delegation June | JuLy 2014

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ashe Georgia Michael Bywaletz President American Society of Highway Engineers / Georgia Section

News 2014 ashe Golf Tournament On Thursday, May 8, ASHE held its annual golf tournament at River Pines Golf in Johns Creek. As always, the tournament was a huge success with 124 participants.

All proceeds from the tournament went directly to the Jim McGee Memorial Scholarship fund. ASHE Georgia sincerely appreciates our generous sponsors that make our events possible. Thanks to Ashley Chan, Nikki Reutlinger, and Jenny Jenkins for planning another successful tournament. We look forward to another great time next year—see you there! v

President ~ Michael Bywaletz, Gresham

Smith and Partners First vice President ~ Brian O’Connor,

T.Y. Lin International second vice President ~ Rob Dell-Ross,

City of Roswell secretary ~ Mindy Sanders, Lowe

Engineers Treasurer ~ Richard Meehan, Lowe

Engineers co-Treasurer Rick Strickland, Michael

Baker Corporation Past President ~ Ron Osterloh, Pond &

Company national Director ~ Nikki Reutlinger,

Atkins Director ~ Shawn Fleet, Heath and

Lineback Director ~ Karyn Matthews, GDOT chairs nominating committee chair ~ Tim

Matthews, GDOT Program chair ~ John Karnowski,

Foresite Group membership chair ~ Scott Jordan, Cobb

County scholarship chair ~ Sarah Worachek,

Gresham Smith and Partners ashe student chapter Liason ~ Jennifer Stephan, T.Y. Lin International Technical chairs ~ Dan Bodycomb,

AECOM; Chris Rudd, GDOT communications chair ~ Jenny Jenkins,

McGee Partners social chair ~ Holly Bauman, ARCADIS Golf Tournament chair ~ Ashley Chan,

HNTB chris haggard, brian o'connor, mindy sanders, Jacob achorn 38

Web site chair ~ Pervez Iqbal, Parsons

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2014 ashe Golf Tournament sponsors Eagle Sponsors: AECOM ARCADIS Ecological Solutions Edwards-Pitman Environmental Inc. McGee Partners, Inc. Southeastern Engineering Inc. Birdie Sponsors: United Consulting Gresham Smith and Partners Heath & Lineback Engineers Inc. Thompson Engineering Foley Products Company Par/Hole Sponsors: American Engineers Atkins Baker Cardno TBE CH2M Hill Clark Patterson Lee Collins Engineers Inc. ECS HNTB Keck & Wood, Inc. Kimley Horn & Associates Landair Surveying Long Engineering Mulkey Engineers & Consultants Parsons STV Terrell, Hundley & Carroll THC T.Y. Lin Transystems Wolverton & Associates Door Prizes/Goodies: CH2M Hill Pond & Company United Consulting Group URS Corporation

June | JuLy 2014

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GeF

News James R. Crowder, PE President Georgia Engineering Foundation

•

GEF maintains a central web site for electronic filing of applications

•

GEF certifies that applications meet the basic requirements

The Georgia Engineering Foundation’s scholarship application process began on April 1st and concludes August 31st.

Make sure your Georgia engineering students go to www.gefinc.org to start the application process.

Since 1971 the Georgia Engineering Foundation, on behalf of Georgia’s engineering organizations, has given out more than 800 scholarships to Georgia students who have demonstrated competence in academics, have begun developing engineering careers, have been involved in school and community activities, and have expressed a financial need.

Selected students will be awarded their scholarship checks at the spectacular Dunwoody Country Club at our Annual Banquet on November 13, 2014.

Chartered in 1971 as a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit organization, GEF is able to receive tax-deductible donations which are used in awarding engineering scholarships to deserving students.

GEF provides the following scholarship services in which all member organizations are welcome to participate: • GEF obtains applicants through advertisements with Georgia high schools, colleges, and universities. On average, 200+ applicants are received for 40 scholarships annually.

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•

•

•

Certified transcripts

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Resident of Georgia

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Appropriate letters of recommendation

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Enrollment or acceptance in an ABET-accredited College or University (does not necessarily need to be a Georgia College or University)

GEF establishes interview committees GEF conducts personal and, if necessary, telephone interviews with all applicants

•

GEF establishes an award committee that makes final selection of applicants for each scholarship award

•

GEF organizes an annual award banquet and program for scholarship awardees, guests, and donors

Engineering firms have the opportunity to be a sponsor for the 2014 Annual Awards Banquet at the following Levels: Platinum at a $1,200 contribution Gold at a $800 contribution bronze at a $400 contribution • GEF provides donors with certified documentation of their donations meeting IRS requirements.

Ways to provide tax-deductible gifts to the Georgia Engineering Foundation (GEF) • Individual scholarships •

Personal donation to the General Scholarship Endowment Fund

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GEF determines the scholarship criteria

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GEF determines the amount of the award

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GEF determines the frequency of the award

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Personal donation for a Named Scholarship

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Donor can determine the scholarship name (person/firm/society) Donor can determine the criteria

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•

Donor can determine the frequency of the award

•

Benjamin Mays Math & Science High School

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Universities and colleges may join as Associate Members;

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Personal donation for a Lifetime Scholarship

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Rockdale Magnet School

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State Science Fair Awards

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Donor contributes a principal amount which GEF invests as a permanent endowment providing an annual scholarship from earned proceeds.

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Future Cities

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MathCounts

Associate Member Organizations are comprised of educational, civic, or other non-commercial interested groups active in Georgia, who, by associate membership in the Foundation, may contribute to, and be assisted by, the Foundation.

•

Donor can determine the scholarship name (person/firm/society)

•

Donor can determine the criteria

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Donor can determine the frequency of the award

become a member of the Georgia engineering Foundation •

Engineering Organizations pay an annual fee based on local membership.

Each Member Organization is entitled to a seat on the Board of Directors.

Anyone with a passion for advancing the engineering profession can volunteer to work with the Board of Directors, and may seek an officer position on the Board and become a voting member.

Life Memberships are awarded to those who served as President of GEF. v

annual Pass-through scholarship • Donor can be an engineering society, engineering firm, private firm, university, etc.

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Donor can determine the scholarship name (person/firm/society) Donor can determine the criteria

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Donor can determine the frequency of the award

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Donor provides funding to GEF each year

What other activities does GeF provide for your organization?

The GEF BOARD, May 2014, working for you.

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GEF is an organization which promotes engineering as a profession for future generations.

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GEF relies upon volunteers from each of its member organizations to promote, administer, and select the scholarship recipients, as well as support other educational endeavors for the following organizations:

•

Exploring Engineer Academy, now in its 15th year

June | JuLy 2014

41

iTe Georgia Jonathan Reid, PE Georgia Section, Institute of Transportation Engineers

Greetings from Georgia ITE headquarters again to all Georgia Engineering Magazine readers! As we’ve moved from spring (aka the ‘yellow season’) to the heat of summer, I hope that everyone is engaging in some fun, get-away summertime activities. Sum-

News mertime for Georgia ITE members means one thing—Summer Seminar at St. Simons Island! Definitely our premier event of the year, and we are proud to tell others that ours is the largest conference of the year held at the historic King and Prince hotel. If you can make it to any one ITE event this year, please come and join us July 20th through 23rd. It is not only an excellent source of technical training and PDH hours, but the camaraderie of professionals, friends and family has no equal (the beach and pool ain’t all that bad either).

The very first year I took my family, upon return they all pleaded for me to be sure to come back every year, certainly a motivating factor to getting on the ITE Board (now I have to attend on official business and all…..) It’s not too late to sign up—see the details on our Web site at http://www.gaite.org/summer-seminar/.

Well, enough self-aggrandizement about our best-in-the-world conference and onto the key magazine topic of innovation—one of my favorite topics to write about. I have long held the opinion that if companies and organizations—and in particular engineering companies—are not constantly innovating their approach to customers, product, and delivery, their product will quickly become a commodity and the industry will lose the interest of the best and brightest thinkers of tomorrow. Most of our members dwell in the realm of transportation planning and design, and by the nature of the industry often provide commodity work product. Most firms offer a standard fare of services and professionals, as how many new or different ways are there to design a roadway, traffic signal, or bridge? And we all follow the same standards (engineers love our standard refer-

example of a continuous Flow intersection (Dayton, oh) 42

GeorGia enGineer

ence materials) that drive us toward uniformity in design, and for the right reasons.

Motorist safety is dependent on uniformity of design, and there is risk in innovation (read, potential for lawsuit) when deviating from national and/or state design standards. However, despite these constraints, I believe there is a great deal of room and need for innovation in our industry.

Some projects require innovation to bring needed projects to fruition that have, for some reason, been stalled in the past. Perhaps environmental regulations presented roadblocks. There is a historic or natural resource in the way. There are always financial constraints, especially when right-of-way costs can approach one-third of the construction budget. We must be willing to look for innovative solutions that fit within affordable impacts and construction costs, without sacrificing safety or the useful life of the project.

These special non-run-of-the-mill projects should challenge and excite the engineer towards finding innovative solutions.

In the last decade, the transportation industry has evolved to meet challenges in need of innovation through an initiative called ‘context sensitive solutions’ (CSS).

Though certainly a key component, CSS is more than design that is sensitive to its environment as its name might imply. CSS is a “collaborative, interdisciplinary approach that involves all stakeholders in providing a transportation facility that fits its setting…that leads to preserving and enhancing scenic, aesthetic, historic, community, and environmental resources, while improving or maintaining safety, mobility, and infrastructure condition.” When followed, CSS principles have led to numerous landmark transportation projects that would have never been built without innovation and collaboration on many levels. ITE has been a leader in the development of a context sensitive design framework and guiding principles and publications, including a CSD Recommended Practice Guide, supplemented by information and materials on its national Web site: (see http://www.ite.org/css/). While whole books have been written about CSD, its core principles guide engineers in the deJune | JuLy 2014

velopment of innovative solutions in harmony with the goals of the project, its stakeholders, and the motoring public.

If there is any silver-lining to the economic doldrums of the last half-decade, it has forced transportation engineers to think differently about how we best serve the public trust with the finite dollars that are allocated to the many transportation challenges we face. I have heard the mantra that we as engineers need to ‘work smarter’ my entire career, but only lately has that mantra been a call for survival. In my postgraduate days, I researched and wrote a lot about ‘innovative’ intersection designs.

Roundabouts were part of that discussion, but there were a number of other burgeoning designs with strange names like ‘continuous flow intersections,’ ‘superstreets,’ ‘quadrant roadways,’ and ‘diverging dia-

mond’ and ‘contraflow left’ interchanges.

Most of these designs were not yet implemented in the United States, but showed a lot of promise of potential operations and safety improvement to us traffic-engineering types. Well, when the economic downturn suddenly elevated attention to cost-saving measures and with increased federal attention to safety, these innovative intersection designs got more attention. A number of these designs got their first test on US roadways and many exceeded expectations in operational and costs savings.

The most celebrated design of late is the diverging diamond, which through its innovative crossover design, eliminates the need for left turn storage lanes on interchange cross streets, which in turn reduces bridge costs and in some cases has negated the need to widen or replace sufficient

Board Position President Vice President Secretary/Treasurer Past President District Representative District Representative District Representative Affiliate Director

Member Jonathan Reid Andrew Antweiler Sean Coleman Dwayne Tedder David Low Vern Wilburn Marion Waters Meg Pirkle

E-mail reid@pbworld.com aantweiler@roswellgov.com sean.coleman@kimley-horn.com dwayne.tedder@urs.com dlow@roswellgov.com vwilburn@wilburnengineering.com marion_waters@gspnet.com mpirkle@dot.ga.gov

Phone (404) 364-5225 (678) 639-7540 (404) 419-8700 (404) 406-8791 (770) 594-6422 (678) 423-0050 (770) 754-0755 (404) 631-1025

Committee Activities Activities Annual Report Audio/Visual Awards/Nominations Career Guidance Clerk Comptroller Engineers Week Finance Georgia Engineer magazine Georgia Tech Liaison Historian Host Legislative Affairs Life Membership Marketing/Social Media Membership Monthly Meetings Newsletter Past Presidents Public Officials Education Scholarship Southern Poly Liaison Summer Seminar Technical Web site Winter Workshop

Chair(s) Kate D’Ambrosio David Low Mark Boivin Dwayne Tedder Amy Diaz Elizabeth Scales Jim Pohlman Amy Diaz Charles Bopp Dan Dobry Chris Rome Charles Bopp Meredith Emory Bill Ruhsam Don Gaines Patrick McAtee Sunita Nadella Andrew Antweiler Vern Wilburn Todd Long Scott Mohler Betsy Williams Bryan Sartin Marco Friend France Campbell Vamshi Mudumba Jonathan Wallace

E-mail kdambrosio@dot.ga.gov dlow@roswellgov.com markboivin@alltrafficdata.net dwayne.tedder@urs.com amy.diaz@jacobs.com escales@thompsonengineering.com j.pohlman@icloud.com amy.diaz@jacobs.com charles_bopp@hotmail.com ddobry@croyengineering.com crome@fg-inc.net charles_bopp@hotmail.com meredith.emory@kimley-horn.com bill@jbwr.net dgaines@gcaeng.com pmcatee@thompsonengineering.com sunita.nadella@parsons.com aantweiler@roswellgov.com vwilburn@wilburnengineering.com tlong@dot.ga.gov scott.mohler@urs.com betsy.williams@transcore.com bryan_sartin@gspnet.com marco.friend@jacobs.com france.campbell@aecom.com VamshiM@LAIengineering.com jonathan.wallace@arcadis-us.com

Phone (404) 635-2842 (770) 594-6422 (404) 374-1283 (404) 406-8791 (678) 333-0283 (404) 574-1985 (404) 790-3569 (678) 333-0283 (678) 380-9053 (770) 971-5407 (770) 368-1399 (678) 380-9053 (404) 201-6133 (404) 931-6478 (404) 355-4010 (404) 574-1985 (678) 969-2304 (678) 639-7540 (678) 423-0050 (404) 631-1021 (678) 808-8811 (770) 246-6247 (678) 518-3884 (678) 333-0408 (404) 965-9738 (770) 423-0807 (770) 431-8666

43

bridge structures. Because of the cost savings and improved safety and operations being realized by these first US projects, several of these interchange types have been built in the metro Atlanta region and many are being considered elsewhere in Georgia. And to continue that trend of design innovation, it is likely that Georgia will see its first continuous flow intersection (in Cumming) and contra-flow left interchange (in Augusta) opened by 2015.

These and other innovative design solutions have tested Georgia’s design engineers and have helped engender trust with the pubic that engineers can think innovatively. And to survive and thrive as an industry and attract the top thinkers of tomorrow, I believe that is a good thing.

The Institute of Transportation Engineers is an international educational and scientific association of transportation professionals who are responsible for meeting

44

Proposed Design of contra-Flow Left interchange in augusta Ga

mobility and safety needs. ITE facilitates the application of technology and scientific principles to research, planning, functional design, implementation, operation, policy development, and management for any mode of ground transportation. Through

its products and services, ITE promotes professional development of its members, supports and encourages education, stimulates research, develops public awareness programs, and serves as a conduit for the exchange of professional information. v

GeorGia enGineer

iTs Georgia Tom Sever, P.E. ITS President

The ITS Georgia annual meeting is always a successful and rewarding event that is of great benefit to our member organizations and individual transportation professionals who attend. It is an event that I look forward to and enjoy every year.

In 2013 for example, we recorded 130 registrants, 16 sponsors and 24 exhibitors.

The meeting is a great place to catch up on Professional Development Hours, see the latest ITS technology, and share experiences with colleagues. We also recognize the best of ITS in Georgia on a project, organization, and individual basis. This year promises to be even bigger and better.

For 2014, we are teaming with ITS

News iTs Georgia mission We believe that ITS is a valuable tool for improved management of any transportation system, regardless of the inherent complexity of the system. ITS can help operate, manage, and maintain the system once it has been constructed.

We believe that ITS should be systematically incorporated into the earliest stages of project development, especially into the planning and design of transportation projects.

We believe the best way to achieve this systematic incorporation into the process is through a coordinated, comprehensive program to ‘get out the word’ on ITS to constituencies that might not otherwise consider the relevance of ITS to their transportation system.

Florida and Gulf Region ITS (GRITS) to hold a joint annual meeting in Mobile, Alabama, called the ITS 3C Summit. Having several states involved in one meeting will provide those attending the opportunity to see more exhibits and new technology and have more varied technical sessions. I would like to thank Grant Waldrop, our current vice president for leading the ITS Georgia involvement as well as our other members who have contributed to the planning of the 3C Summit.

This four-day event will be filled with many opportunities for participants to learn about ITS, network with fellow con-

Track 1 Session 1 Session 2 Session 3 Session 4

Technology and innovation New ITS Technology and Deployments Automotive V2V and V2I Initiatives TMC and Ops of the Future Telematics

Track 2

operations and Traveler information/Dissemination Social Media and ITS Making Sense of Data Collection and Dissemination Multimodal Ops and Travel Information TMCs and 511 Operations

Session 5 Session 6 Session 7 Session 8 June | JuLy 2014

ITS GEORGIA CHAPTER LEADERSHIP President Tom Sever, Gwinnett DOT vice President Grant Waldrop, GDOT secretary Jennifer Johnson, Kimley-Horn Treasurer Ashlyn Morgan, Atkins immediate Past President

Scott Mohler, URS Directors Mark Demidovich, GDOT Eric Graves, City of Alpharetta Winter Horbal, Temple Inc. Keary Lord, Serco David Smith, DeKalb County Transportation Prasoon Sinha, ARCADIS Mike Holt, Parsons Brinkerhoff, Yancy Bachmann, World Fiber, Kenn Fink, Kimley-Horn, Kristin Turner, Wolverton Associates state chapters representative

Shahram Malek, Arcadis ex officio Greg Morris, Federal Highway Administration Andres Ramirez, FTA

Track 3 Session 9 Session 10 Session 11 Session 12

safety and mobility ITS Safety Studies and Results First Responders/TIM Mobility and Data across Modal Platforms Integrated Corridor Management and Cross Platform Studies

Track 4 Session 13 Session 14 Session 15 Session 16

Planning, Funding, and measuring Funding ITS Freeway/Toll Performance Measures ITS Planning Arterial ITS/ATMS Performance Measures 45

ference attendees, and have fun in a relaxing environment. A series of sessions will be offered featuring informative presentations and challenging discussions. Industry experts will share best practices, lessons learned, and new strategies to ensure further success of ITS. In addition, training and professional tours will be available to

provide participants with the knowledge and tools necessary to effectively plan and deploy ITS technologies in their own jurisdictions.

There will be four general sessions and four tracks from which to choose. The tracks are currently listed in the box below.

Be sure to mark your calendar for Sep-

tember 14-17. Visit www.its3csummit.com for more details. Sponsorship and exhibit opportunities are still available.

Below is a list of the remaining ITS Georgia chapter meetings for 2014. Join us for networking and informative topics. We will also hold a meeting in Atlanta later this year to recognize our award winners.v

our chapter meetings are the fourth Thursday of each month January—august. Join us for networking and informative topics.

Thursday, June 26, 2014 Thursday, July 30, 2014 Thursday, august 28, 2014

Kari Watkins/John bartholdi muhammad rauf shahram malek

onebusaway/Georiga Tech city of roswell Tcc Technologies reviving Legacy infrastructure

Wavetronix/mike Kline Temple inc.

Temple inc.

OUR 2013/2014 SPONSORS

Control Technologies Utilicom Temple Arcadis Atkins World Fiber Technologies

Kimley-Horn & Associates Southern Lighting & Traffic Systems Delcan Gresham Smith & Partners Grice Consulting Jacobs

same Atlanta Pamela Little, P.E. President, SAME Atlanta

SAME Atlanta Post was honored to provide three $1,000 scholarships to ROTC students at Georgia Tech on Friday, April 25, 2014. Colonel Donald L. Walker, Commander of the South Atlantic Divi46

Parsons Brinkerhoff Quality Traffic Systems URS Transcore

News sion of the US Army Corps of Engineers, was in attendance to present Navy ROTC Midshipman Sean P. Sweeny, Army ROTC Cadet Matthew R. Brooks, and Air Force ROTC Cadet Addison H. Fisher their awards.

Atlanta Post is gearing up for a great golf tournament this year. Our goal is to raise $35,000 for the SHARE Initiative at the Shepherd Center. $35,000 is enough to provide one patient with a full eight-12 week treatment program for a service man or woman who has sustained a mild to moderate traumatic brain injury or PTSD. The tournament will be held on August 25, 2014 at the St. Marlo Country Club in Duluth. Sponsorships and registration will be open soon. This year's event is expected to offer great prizes to the winning foursome and to winners of individual events (closest to the pin, longest drive, etc.). We

hope that you can join us!

Building our membership continues to be a priority in 2014. SAME is an engineering organization dedicated to “developing and enhancing relationships and competencies among uniformed services, public- and private-sector engineers, and related professionals, and by developing future engineers through outreach and mentoring,” (from the SAME Mission Statement). I am often asked if you have to be an engineer to join—the answer is no. I am also asked if you have to be former or current military—the answer to that is also no. We are a diverse group of professionals dedicated to preparing for and overcoming natural and manmade disasters and to improving security at home and abroad.

Learn more about the benefits of SAME membership on our Web site at www.sameatlantapost.org.

GeorGia enGineer

If you are already a member, join us for a meeting and maximize your membership by getting involved. We have volunteer opportunities on our financial committee, veteran’s and community outreach committee, communications committee, programs committee, golf committee, and scholarship committee. If you are interested in getting involved or golf sponsorships, please let us know! For more information, please visit www.sameatlantapost.org. v

From left to right: 1st Lieutenant Christie Lamond, US Army Corps of Engineers; Army ROTC Cadet Matthew Brooks; Air Force ROTC Cadet Addison H. Fisher; Colonel Donald L. Walker, Commander of South Atlantic Division US Army Corps of Engineers; Pamela Little, President of SAME Atlanta Post

ron Koger named interim president of sPsu University System of Georgia Chancellor Hank Huckaby has named Dr. Ron Koger as interim president of Southern Polytechnic State University (SPSU).

Dr. Koger, who is currently SPSU’s vice president for Student and Enrollment Services, will take over the responsibilities from current President Lisa Rossbacher, who will step down this summer to assume the presidency of Humboldt State University in Arcata, California.

Dr. Koger will become interim president on July 1, 2014, but Dr. Rossbacher has appointed him acting president during the month of June, when she will be traveling and using vacation time. He will remain interim president until the consolidation of SPSU and Kennesaw State University (KSU) is completed in January 2015. Dr. Daniel Papp is president of KSU and will continue as president of the consolidated institution.

“Ron has a long history with Southern Poly and is the right person at this important point in the institution’s history June | JuLy 2014

to help provide leadership and guidance to faculty, staff and students,” said Huckaby. “We are glad he has accepted this important leadership role.”

“I have known and respected Ron for 17 years since I started at Southern Poly as interim president," said Dr. Papp. “His experience and expertise will serve SPSU well, and I look forward to working with him as we bring our two universities together.”

“Ron’s experience in higher education and his deep knowledge of Southern Polytechnic’s programs and people will serve the university well,” said Rossbacher.

“His strong commitment to building community and supporting students will greatly benefit SPSU in the coming months.”

“I am honored to have been asked to lead Southern Polytechnic,” said Dr. Koger. “I hope to maintain the incredible momentum President Rossbacher has built and preserve the rich heritage exemplified by our alumni.”

Dr. Koger has been in his current po-

sition at SPSU since 2000. Prior to this, from 1997-2000 he served as vice president of enrollment management at the university.

During his years at SPSU, Dr. Koger also has taught as an adjunct faculty member, and was interim chief information officer and interim executive director of Advancement.

He came to Southern Polytechnic from the University of Alabama in Huntsville, where he was assistant vice president for Enrollment Services and also taught.

Dr. Koger has served in both teaching and administrative positions at universities in Indiana, Illinois, and Kansas, and also has worked in the health care industry and as a secondary school teacher.

He received a bachelor of science in education degree from Pittsburg State University, Pittsburg Kansas, and both his master’s and doctoral degrees in education from the University of Kansas in Lawrence. v 47