ACEC Nebraska

Honors Doug Alvine With Charles Durham Award

Alvine has been influential in the engineering field for 36 years. Read on to learn more about the impact engineers like Alvine have made on the state of Nebraska as we celebrate Engineers Week.

Aging is di erent for everyone. At best, it is predictable –moving according to plan. At worst, it presents challenges that put you, your family and your caregivers to the test. Care management services from Vandenack Weaver Truhlsen ensure that regardless of what may come, you’re ready. Our team of highly skilled, compassionate professionals provides you with the resources and options that keep you in control of the decisions that are best for you. We then serve as your advocate to ensure your dignity, independence and peace of mind.

Care

Arrange for in-home care

Monitor care in community settings

Create care plans

Provide support

Communication

Attend doctor visits

Facilitate family discussions

Locate reputable specialists

Coordinate with healthcare professionals

Advocacy

Review health insurance claims

Assist with long-term care insurance claims

Locate appropriate housing options

Review Medicare options

BY DAVID KUBICEK

With National Engineers Week upon us, Feb. 19-25 this year, many engineers are exploring its theme “Creating the Future.” The need for innovation has come to the forefront as the industry is still in the grip of an employee shortage. New methods and processes such as mass timber construction and civil information modeling (CIM) are helping the industry to grow efficiently.

Schemmer is leveraging its partners in the construction and contracting industry to help navigate a volatile market by using design-build delivery methods on an increasing number of projects, according to Matthew Hubel, public sector civil engineering team leader.

“Having this integrated team established early in the process provides an excellent method to control costs and schedules,” he said. “We’re also seeing increased use of 3D scanning to gather high-quality data and the use of drones to gather data more quickly or in locations that are difficult or time-consuming to traverse.”

Creative Solutions

Due to inflation and continued supply-chain issues the firm is finding new and creative ways to help its clients and their projects succeed.

“We’re identifying potential risks and delays caused by these issues and finding opportunities to accelerate certain aspects of the project design to allow construction to start more quickly,” Hubel said.

“We’re preparing additional design deliverables to get critical-path materials ordered in anticipation of long lead times. We’re seeing constant innovation of civil information modeling, where more and more of the design and data for a project are performed and stored directly within a three-dimensional digital model that encompasses all aspects of the project.”

Kevin Wenninghoff, Schemmer manager of structural engineering, said the fluctuation in material prices and supply chain issues has increased the need for adaptability and creative solutions.

“We’re often working with contractors to consider alternative materials for projects so we can maximize the value that the project brings to the client,” he said.

Technology in the engineering industry is always changing. That could be new analysis software, new materials, or new construction techniques. One exciting innovation from a sustainability standpoint is mass timber construction, which uses exceptionally strong and versatile wood products that are lighter weight but engineered for high strength ratings like concrete and steel.

“[Mass Timber Construction] has been gaining momentum for years and is spreading throughout the country,” Wenninghoff said.

Alvine Engineering is seeing a shift toward greater decarbonization — how engineering firms can reduce the carbon footprint of the buildings they are designing, according to Principal Steph Guy.

This includes considering the materials that are used in the manufacturing processes of building materials, driving energy usage as low as possible by using uber-efficient systems, and even considering proximity of manufacturing to where the building is being built.

“At the same time, we are being increasingly cognizant of occupant well-being,” Guy said. “Programs like the WELL Building Standard