The Military Engineer - July/August 2010 by The Society of American Military Engineers

Water Planning & Management

SPECIAL REPORT: Project Delivery Methods

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President’s Message 2010-2011 Focus Areas I am humbled by this incredible opportunity to lead the Society of American Military Engineers team; it is a great honor to follow such a motivating leader and patriot as Lt. Gen. Robert L. Van Antwerp, P.E., F.SAME, USA. In this, the first of many correspondences I will make as SAME President, I would like to talk about what it means to be a team, and why it is so important to the future of SAME. Without each and every member of our team—the uniformed services, military and civilian alike, our industry partners and our Sustaining Member Companies—SAME would fail. The strength of a team is dependent on its members. Our team is large, diverse and interdependent. Although being part of SAME certainly makes us better individual professionals, when we combine our talents we become game changers—changing the future of our profession and our nation. That is why our first focus area for this year addresses increasing uniformed and civil servant members—the core and focus of the military engineer society—as well as emphasizing the value of membership to each and every member. We set the stage last year for growing uniformed service membership with an outstanding (and unprecedented) measure to waive annual dues for military members, and with a new dues structure for our civil servants employed by a uniformed service. This year, as we continue to grow, we’ll tackle the challenge of making SAME exciting and rewarding, especially for our newer or undecided members. We need to continue to attract field experience, technical expertise and innovative leadership to strengthen our SAME team. To recruit these professionals to our cause, we must create value for our members and the clients we jointly serve. The heart of this effort will be at the Post level. At all great Posts, members at all levels are identifying needs in their community, leading teams and getting involved. We have to be brilliant at the Posts. We need active, passionate members and leaders as well as innovative programs to recruit and retain quality members. That level of involvement inspires others to get involved and continues to build on our success. The next step is to make sure we are communicating and advertising the value of SAME membership, particularly among our uniformed personnel and civil servants. As SAME President, I challenge all members to spread word of the value of SAME membership, so we can continue to build SAME to last. Engineering is a profession that requires diligence and focused development at all levels, from formal education through apprenticeship to advanced development of our seasoned professional engineers. As true professionals, we must be committed to finding our replacements and honing their skills. We all need mentoring and coaching throughout our careers to help us prepare for an uncertain tomorrow. As such, our second focus area for this year is to formalize our “Mentorship Continuum,” targeting each critical stage in a member’s development. This continuum focuses on children to interest them in architecture, engineering, and science with a robust K-12 outreach program; offers construction camps for motivated high-school students; provides college scholarships to those who want to pursue a degree in architecture, engineering and related fields of study; grooms young professionals to be successful; and challenges seasoned professional engineers to become active mentors to grow future engineers. We will be challenging our national committees, councils and the Academy of Fellows to be active parts of this mentoring continuum. Finally, like a scrambling quarterback making the best of a broken play, many of the challenges we are facing in the A/E/C community—shrinking budgets, aging infrastructure, energy security and changing policies—are forcing us to change the way we think and forcing us to deviate from our original play. With tough competition for resources, we need to be creative. We need to work together to develop sustainable solutions that will look holistically across our posts, ports, camps and bases. As such, the third SAME focus area is to build sustainable installations. Open lines of communication and the ability to leverage members’ strengths and expertise is the difference between good organizations and great organizations. SAME needs synergy at all levels—up, down and across—to ensure our team can create new solutions when and where needed to move the ball, the team and the vision to build sustainable installations down the field. We will be working to further define how SAME and its members can contribute to our national security through building and maintaining sustainable installations. There is much work to be done! But I know that the talent and energy of our team can do anything to which we set our collective mind. I look forward to tackling these focus areas with you, and challenge you to get involved wherever you can. Together, as family and as a team, we will make SAME brilliant; we will build great engineers, we will build great leaders and we will build SAME to last. Maj. Gen. Timothy A. Byers, F.SAME, USAF SAME President 2010-2011 2

The Military Engineer

July-August l 2010

Contents July-August 2010 • Volume 102, Number 666

www.same.org/TME

Water Planning & Management: 58-70

On the Cover: The Inner Harbor Navigation Channel Surge Barrier in New Orleans, La., is one of many projects supporting the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ mission to achieve a level of 100-year risk reduction by 2011.

Leader Profile 55 Honoring Women Who Serve in Uniform

Main Theme: Water Planning & Management 58 Jetty Maintenance in the North Pacific Protecting the Columbia River’s

65 Legacy Enables Future Applications Cataloging historical coastal

61 California’s Fragile Gem

67 Securing Santa Maria

hub of commerce

Balancing economy and ecology in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta

63 Treasures of the Deep Finding more than sediment on the floor of Galveston Bay

USACE photo

geospatial products for USACE

Levee assessment in the wake of Katrina

69 Underwater Acoustical Imaging Coast Guard Station Indian River secures its shoreline

Special Report: Project Delivery Methods 71 Opportunities for Innovation Alternative delivery methods and

75 IDBB at Fort Belvoir

their unique benefits

73 An Installation in Transition On time and on budget in Germany

The challenges and advantages of integrated design-bid-build

77 Respect, Collaboration and JOC

Job order contracting for projects large and small

Special Insert: SAME Strategic Plan

with a listing of the 2010-2011 Board of Direction The Military Engineer l No. 666

Focus Features:

Departments

JETC Highlights 81 2010 JETC Highlights Photo highlights of the 2010 JETC

2 President’s Message 6 Government & Industry News 18 Military News EDITORIAL OFFICE 30 Sustainability News 607 Prince Street Alexandria, VA 22314-3117 42 Technology News 703-549-3800 plus ext. Fax: 703-548-6153 80 Executive Director’s Message www.same.org 84 New Products & Services EDITOR IN CHIEF 86 Small Business News L. Eileen Erickson

Engineers in Action 92 Louisiana Guardsmen Protect Gulf Coast Engineers respond to the historic oil leak Historical Perspective 95 USACE Water Resource Planning The North Atlantic Division’s

Ext. 140; erickson@same .org

EDITOR

water-planning legacy

John M. Nank Ext. 141; jnank@same.org

Exclusively in TME Online • Starting July 22, learn about how a project team overcame challenges to repair a failing breakwater at a vital supply link between the United States and the Middle East in “Staying Afloat in the Azores,” by Thomas F. Kenny, M.SAME, and David J. Werren. • Beginning Aug. 12, read about how a complex specialty facility was constructed at Naval Support Facility Dahlgren, Va., in “Integrated Design-Build Delivery,” by Kimberly Cutlip, M.SAME. ...only

at www.same.org/TME

ADVERTISING COORDINATOR Emma Inwood Ext. 145; einwood@same.org

COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST Amanda G. Johnson Ext. 144; ajohnson@same.org

WEB MANAGER

Josef M. Scarantino Ext. 143; jscarantino@same.org

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Meighan Altwies, M.SAME milnews@same.org

ADVERTISING INDEX AECOM Technology Corp. 21 AEROTEK 37 AMEC 31 ARCADIS 14 Big Ass Fans 39 Bobcat 51 Burns & McDonnell C4 CDM 10 CH2M HILL 41 Coastal Enviornmental Group 8, 9 Concentric Security 18 Conti Federal Services 11 EMCOR Inc. 15 Fluor 27 Gannett Fleming Inc. 79 Grunley Construction 6 HDR 23 HNTB Federal Services 35 Isco Industries 30 Johnson, Mirmiran & Thompson 54 Kalwall Corp. 42 Kleinfelder 53 L.R. Kimball 19

Luster National Inc. 46 M.C. Dean C3 McDonough Bolyard Peck Inc. 34 Megadoor 24 Michael Baker Corp. 5 MWH 25 PARSONS 20 PBS&J 12 Perini 43 Pond & Company 34 SAME 32, 38, 40, 44, 52, 54, 94 Siemens 13 Sika Sarnafil 16, 17 Simpson Strong-Tie 29 Sol Inc. 26 Stratasys 36 Terracon 22 Tetra Tech 7 The Shaw Group 45 The Warrior Group 28 U.S. General Services Administration 33, 85 Univ. of Florida 91 URS C2 Weston Solutions Inc. 1

The Military Engineer (ISSN 0026-3982) is published bi-monthly by the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME), 607 Prince St., Alexandria, VA 22314-3117; Tel: 703-549-3800; editorial, ext. 141; advertising, ext. 145. © 2007 The Society of American Military Engineers. All rights reserved; reproduction of articles prohibited without written permission. Periodicals postage paid at Alexandria, Va., and at additional mailing offices. Rates: Single copy: Member, $3; Non-member (U.S.), $15; foreign, $30. One-year subscription $88 in the United States and Canada; $168 elsewhere. Two-year subscription $168 in the United States and Canada; $316 elsewhere. Three-year subscription $210 in the United States and Canada; $435 elsewhere. Agency discount available; Air Mail extra. For details go to www.same.org/subscribe. Annual subscription rate for SAME members is $15 and is included in dues. Address Changes: Send mailing label with changes to The Military Engineer Circulation Department, 607 Prince St., Alexandria, VA 22314-3117; allow 60 days for change to take affect. Article Submittals: We invite and encourage manuscript submissions for possible inclusion in The Military Engineer. TME editors consider each manuscript on the basis of technical accuracy, usefulness to readers, timeliness and quality of writing. SAME reserves the right to edit all manuscripts. Before submitting an article, please read the Writers’ Guidelines at www.same.org/tme. Submission of an article does not guarantee publication; unsolicited manuscripts will not be returned. Disclaimer: Statements and opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not reflect official SAME or TME policy unless so stated. Publication of advertisements does not constitute official SAME endorsement of products or services. Postmaster: Send address changes to The Military Engineer Circulation, 607 Prince St., Alexandria, VA 22314-3117.

Wendi Goldsmith, M.SAME sustainability@same.org Jill M. Jackson, M.SAME technews@same.org

ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES Mid Atlantic/Northeast Emma Inwood or L. Eileen Erickson Ext. 145; einwood@same.org Ext. 140; erickson@same.org West Emma Inwood Ext. 145; einwood@same.org North Central Heather R. Alexander 703-765-1905 e-mail: h.r.alexander@gmail.com South/Southeast

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REPRINTS

Gail Hallman, Sheridan Reprints 717-632-8448, ext. 8175 e-mail: ghallman@tsp.sheridan.com

PUBLISHER

Dr. Robert D. Wolff, P.E., F.SAME

The Military Engineer

July-August l 2010

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Government & Industry News Compiled by John M. Nank, M.SAME

Army Launches Acquisition Review The Department of the Army announced in late May the launch of a detailed, comprehensive review of its acquisition organizations, policies, workforce and processes, including how it acquires and manages equipment. The study, commissioned by Secretary of the Army John McHugh, is intended to examine the full range of acquisition practices—from requirements to funding to management and oversight of key acquisition programs. The analysis will build upon progress made in acquisition reform following the 2009 implementation of the Weapons Systems Acquisition Reform Act and will identify areas for growth, improved efficiencies and cost savings. The assessment will also incorporate lessons learned from eight years of war that often included nontraditional acquisition processes.

A primary goal of this effort is to provide a plan for near-term actions that will improve the effectiveness of the Army acquisition process. The study will look at key acquisition processes such as Department of Defense (DOD) 5000 series documents, rapid acquisition processes, technology development and testing. The Army review is taking place simultaneously with a DOD-led examination of acquisition challenges and opportunities, and will include an assessment of recent relevant studies and laws, including those articulated by the 2010 Quadrennial Defense Review and the Gansler Commission Report on expeditionary contracting. This Army assessment will be conducted by an independent panel co-chaired by the Gil Decker, a former Army acquisition executive, and Gen. Lou Wagner, USA (Ret.), who once served as the Army Dep-

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uty Chief of Staff for Research, Development and Acquisition, and later as Commander of the Army Materiel Command. The 120-day study will provide interim status updates at the direction of the Secretary of the Army. (Contributed by Lt. Col. Jimmie Cummings, USA, Office of the Chief of Public Affairs, Office of the Secretary of the Army)

GSA Invests $4 Billion in Green Construction Projects The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) in early April marked a major milestone in its implementation of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. To transform federal buildings into higherperforming, greener buildings, the agency announced that it awarded construction projects to more than 500 companies creating jobs in all 50 states, two territories and the District of Columbia by investing $4 billion of Recovery Act funds. Since the passage of the Recovery Act, GSA has infused funding into 391 projects. The agency made its Recovery Act funds go further through lower-than-anticipated competitive bids, funding $173 million of additional work to equip U.S. federal buildings with cost-saving, energyconserving, sustainable features at no additional cost to the taxpayer. “By delivering on time and under budget on these green-retrofit projects, we’re not only making more cost-saving building improvements than anticipated, but creating new opportunities for more than 500 companies nationwide,” said Vice President Joe Biden. Answering the president’s call to stimulate the economy and put people back to work, GSA streamlined operations to quickly award contracts and begin construction on green projects nationwide. GSA anticipates that all new construction and major modernization of buildings will achieve at least a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council for GSA’s use of cutting-edge and sustainable design and technology. “GSA’s aggressive Recovery Act obligaThe Military Engineer

July-August l 2010

clear solutions for a complex world Tetra Tech is developing clear, sustainable solutions for the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most complex projects. We have more than 40 years of experience supporting U.S. Department of Defense missions, including civil works, facilities design, environmental compliance and conservation, installation restoration, munitions response, and construction projects. From water resources to military transformation to energy efficiency, Tetra Tech offers comprehensive A-E services that address the full project lifecycle. Tetra Tech provides clear solutions in consulting, engineering, program management, and technical services worldwide. www.tetratech.com

When it comes to controlling dangerous flood waters they know they can bank on us.

Site of Lock & Dam #3 on the Mississippi River near Diamond Bluff, WI

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S o l v i n g

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Any site. Any situation. Every time. Over the last decade, Coastal has successfully completed hundreds of environmentally sensitive remediation, design/build and construction projects nationwide. We’re currently teaming up with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – St. Paul District to restructure nine channel closures of approximately two miles of the embankment upstream of Lock & Dam #3 on the Mississippi River near Diamond Bluff, WI. The project includes the construction of riprap erosion protection along adjacent embankments and the building of a concrete control structure approximately 40 feet long by 7 feet high. We will also improve an access road that helps support maintenance of the structures. The 4.7-acre construction footprint (2.1 acres of which are designated wetland) will require over 1,200 lineal feet of steel sheet pile driven to a depth of 40 feet, 16,000 cubic yards of excavation and fill material, and capping of embankment excavations with riprap over geotextile. When completed, the project will help ease dangerous flooding problems as well as the minds of ® ® everyone in proximity of the river.

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Government & Industry News tions put people back to work across the country and leverage our buying power to invest in green jobs, energy-efficient technologies, and both traditional construction and emerging green markets,” said Martha Johnson, Administrator of GSA. “By creating a greener, higherperforming federal buildings portfolio, GSA’s Recovery Act investments will save taxpayer dollars in energy efficiencies and build a more sustainable economy.” Work is ongoing at hundreds of GSA Recovery Act projects across the country, including the construction of a new energy-efficient courthouse in Austin, Texas, the installation of a solar roof on the Veterans Affairs building in downtown Philadelphia, Pa., and the conversion of a former World War II munitions plant in St. Louis, Mo. GSA was appropriated more than $5.5 billion under the Recovery Act to convert federal facilities into high-performance green buildings and construct energyefficient federal buildings, courthouses

Remediation of Radium Sites, NJ

(continued)

and land ports of entry. In addition to creating jobs, these projects will deliver lasting progress towards building a more sustainable national infrastructure while reducing the federal government’s consumption of energy and water, and increasing the use of clean and renewable sources of energy. (Contributed by Caren Auchman, GSA)

NAVFAC Pacific Awards Largest Contract in Command’s History Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Pacific awarded a $4 billion maximum capacity, indefinite-delivery indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) design-build Multiple Award Construction Contract (MACC) May 10 to seven companies for projects at sites in Guam and other areas in the NAVFAC Pacific area of responsibility. The contract is the largest ever awarded by NAVFAC Pacific. The seven companies are: CNMS, A Joint Venture; Core Tech-AMEC-SKEC LLC; dck-ecc pacific guam llc; Guam MACC Builders JV;

Hensel Phelps-Granite-Traylor Pacific JV; Kiewit-Mortenson Joint Venture; and Tutor Perini Corp. “This is certainly a major milestone,” said Capt. Paul Fuligni, P.E., M.SAME, CEC, USN, NAVFAC Pacific Vice Commander. “We are very pleased to announce this contract award in support of the Guam military relocation. “We now have in place a large contract vehicle that we can use immediately for construction projects on Guam and elsewhere unrelated to the relocation. More importantly, this contract will be available to award construction task orders for the military relocation after the Environmental Impact Statement Record of Decision (ROD) is signed,” Capt. Fuligni added. The MACC is awarded for a base period of 12 months and includes four one-year option periods. Options are for time only and do not adjust the maximum contract amount. All work under the MACC will be initiated by task orders that are competed among the seven companies.

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Integrated solutions for environment, infrastructure, and national readiness.

The Military Engineer

July-August l 2010

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Government & Industry News Projects will require incorporation of sustainable features such as LEED building standards. Work will include new construction, renovation and additions or upgrades to a variety of facility types, including but not limited to barracks, dormitories, administrative facilities, communication facilities, educational

(continued)

facilities, medical facilities, dining facilities, recreational facilities, retail facilities, industrial facilities, warehouse facilities, ranges, operational training facilities, roads, streets, bridges, site utilities, infrastructure, waterfront-marine facilities, piers, wharves, dredging, aviation facilities, including hangars, runways and

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aprons, and other base development facilities. “This is a remarkable contract tool, which establishes strong partnerships between the Navy and the successful offerors,” said Capt. Peter Lynch, P.E., CEC, USN, NAVFAC Marianas Commanding Officer. “We are especially pleased that we will be enhancing existing partnerships with several Guam-based businesses participating in this contract award.” The term of the MACC is not to exceed 60 months. The contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, with eight proposals received. (Contributed by Don Rochon, NAVFAC Pacific Public Affairs)

HHS Announces $1 Billion in NIH Recovery Act Awards U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced in May $1 billion of Recovery Act funds that have been awarded to construct, repair and renovate scientific research laboratories and related facilities across the country. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) administered the grants, which are expected to create or sustain jobs nationwide and to help foster scientific advances that may lead to improved human health. A total of 146 grants to institutions in 44 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico were awarded to upgrade and construct buildings, laboratory spaces and core facilities that are crucial to biomedical and behavioral investigators. “This unprecedented Recovery Act investment in research facility construction will not only give our world-class scientists the modern facilities they need for impact research, it will also help create and maintain jobs in varied business sectors and in all regions of our country,” said Sebelius. The awards are part of $100 billion federal government investment in science, innovation and technology the Obama administration is making through the Recovery Act to spur domestic job creation in emerging industries and create a foundation for economic growth. The Military Engineer

July-August l 2010

How can we defend our building against inefficiency?

We deliver solutions to the military that combine building automation and energy efficiency with the highest levels of safety and control. Military facilities require building automation and electrical distribution systems that focus on precision and safety as well as energy efficiency and sustainability. Siemens is an expert at integrating new and old building technologies to meet current and future military requirements. The results are complete building environments that meet safety, security and efficiency concerns and achieve executive order requirements. To learn more about our military and federal government solutions, call 1-800-SIEMENS or go to usa.siemens.com/fedsolutions.

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Government & Industry News “These Recovery Act dollars will provide state-of-the-art facilities for hundreds of researchers to conduct cutting-edge science with the latest technologies,” said NIH Director Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D. “At the same time, they will create job opportunities nationwide.” Environmental impact is a key component of the Recovery Act and was a prominent theme of the related NCRR construction application and awards process. The construction grants awarded through the Recovery Act encouraged, and in many cases required, grantees to implement several primary elements of sustainable technologies and design principles. These elements ensure energy efficiency, reduction of the environmental impact of building materials and minimized use of compounds that deplete the ozone. More information about NCRR’s Recovery Act grants can be found at www.ncrr. nih.gov/recovery/construction. (Contributed by Health and Human Services Press Office)

(continued)

People

Services Group, Skelly and Loy. James J. Hagan, F.SAME, was named Federal Business Development Manager, U.S. Operations, ARCADIS. David C. Jeanes, P.E., forHagan mer President, Steel Market Development Institute (SMDI), has received the 2010 Market Development Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Iron and Steel Institute’s SMDI. Thomas B. Lowery, P.E., was named Director of End-Use Energy, MACTEC. Jeannine M. Nelson, Federal Sector Business Development Director, was promoted to VP, ECS Group. David A. Pezza, P. E., retired as Deputy Chief of Engineering and Construction, Headquarters USACE, on June 1. Jackie Robinson-Burnette was named Chief of Small Business Programs, Headquarters USACE. Richard A. Schrader was appointed Chairman, Parsons Brinckerhoff.

Timothy B. Anenson was named VP and Regional Manager, Pacific Region, GEI Consultants. Peter Bahm, P.E., was Anenson named Director of Construction, Architect of the Capitol. Michael Della Rocca was named to the Board of Directors, Halcrow Inc. Brian J. DuChene, P.E., was named VP, MACTEC. DuChene Karen Durham-Aguilera, P.E., was announced as Director of Contingency Operations and Homeland Security, Headquarters U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), effective Dec. 31, 2010. Mark Freitas, P.E., was named Principal Geotechnical Engineer, GEI Consultants. Barbara J. Gundy, Ph.D., has been promoted to Assis- Freitas tant VP, Cultural Resources

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The Military Engineer

July-August l 2010

Our GOvernment wOrk is impOrtant. But not nearly as important as his.

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Government & Industry News

(continued)

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www.sustainabilitythatpays.com The Military Engineer l No. 666 SS_PromiseAD_TME_Sidebar.indd 1

6/2/10 9:59:12 AM

Rear Adm. (lower half) Scott A. Weikert has been nominated for appointment to the rank of Rear Admiral, U.S. Navy Reserve. Adm. Weikert is currently serving as Deputy Commander, First Naval Construction Division, Norfolk, Va.

Contracts, Acquisitions and Recognition A joint venture managed by AMEC is among the winners of a $4 billion contract for design and construction work to support the U.S. Defense Policy Review Initiative in the Pacific region. A major element of the initiative will involve the relocation of U.S. Marine Corps forces from Japan to Guam. Bay West Inc., in conjunction with jointventure partner BEM Systems Inc., was awarded an IDIQ Construction, Operations & Services 2009 (ECOS09) contract by the Air Force Center for Engineering and the Environment. The five-year, $350 million contract supports environmental, minor construction, operations and services to customer worldwide. Contech Construction Products Inc. has announced the acquisition of Plastream Pipe Technologies Pty Ltd, an Australian company based in Adelaide, Australia. Conti Federal Services Inc. received an IDIQ Multiple Award Task Order Contract (MATOC) for horizontal construction services by the USACE Galveston District. Greenhorne & O’Mara Inc. has been awarded a $3 million, two-year agreement with the Prince George’s County (Md.) Department of Public Works & Transportation. Hanson Professional Services Inc. has been selected as one of 30 national finalists for the 2010 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award. The award is the U.S. government’s highest recognition given to employers for support of their employees serving in the National Guard and Reserve. MACTEC has been awarded a MATOC for comprehensive technical design-build and construction services. The contract includes all U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service regional and central offices and other bureaus within the Department of the Interior.

McDonough Bolyard Peck Inc. was awarded a $25 million, Recovery Act-funded IDIQ contract by the GSA Mid-Atlantic Region to provide construction management services at the Walter E. Hoffman Courthouse in Norfolk, Va. Parsons was selected by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency to provide base operations services including facility management and operations, campus planning and engineering, logistics, transportation, environmental, occupational health and safety, and security. PBS&J Constructors Inc., doing business as Peter R. Brown Construction Inc., won a $32.3 million design-build contract with the USACE Fort Worth District for a three-story, 240-unit modular housing building at Fort Hood, Texas. RTI Laboratories has received accreditation through the DOD Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program, a requirement of providing testing services for DOD. RTI currently has contracts with multiple USACE districts and Air Force bases. STOA Architects was awarded an openend contract with the Armory Commission of Alabama for architectural services for Army National Guard sites throughout the state. URS Corp. was selected by the City of Seattle (Wash.) Department of Transportation to provide construction management services for Phase 2 of the South Spokane Street viaduct rehabilitation and reconstruction of the surface roadway. The Southern California Chapter of the Construction Management Association of America has named Weston Solutions Inc. a winner of its prestigious 2010 Project Achievement Award–Outstanding Construction Management in the $50 million to $100 million category. Weston was recognized for its role as construction manager for the large-scale soil remediation project at Pier A West at the Port of Long Beach, Calif.

Submit Government & Industry News items, with high-resolution (300-dpi) electronic images, to John M. Nank, M.SAME, at industrynews@same.org. 17

Military News Compiled by Meighan Altwies, M.SAME

Seabees Improve Conditions for Displaced Haitians Seabees from the Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 7 Air Detachment are improving roads and installing engineering controls to improve living conditions for the more than 40,000 residents of Camp Petionville, an internally displaced persons (IDP) camp in Port-auPrince, Haiti. The engineering work is part of a larger IDP camp improvement program involving eight other camps identified by Joint Task Force (JTF) Haiti J7 engineers as needing road and engineering control improvements to mitigate the effects of the country’s rainy season, which historically begins in mid-April. “The natural terrain mixed with the numerous impermeable living structures created a situation that needed immediate action,” said Lt. Jason Killian, CEC,

USN, Camp Petionville Project Supervisor, deployed to JTF-Haiti via Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Washington. “The engineering mitigations will save lives and reduce the overall number of people that need to be relocated by over 17,000.”

Camp Petionville is situated on the base of steep terrain common throughout Petionville, a suburb of Port-au-Prince where the Petionville Club, a nine-hole golf and resort club, resides.

The improvement suggestions come from assessments made by JTF-Haiti engineering experts comprised of NAVFAC, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and Air Force civil engineers, and the Seabees themselves. JTF-Haiti, along with the U.S. Agency for International Development, non-governmental organizations (NGO) and with the cooperation of the Haitian government, is working feverishly to improve the contours of the land to better handle the impact of Haiti’s rainy season on Camp Petionville. One of the assets for the Seabees, who serve primarily as advisors and mentors to other engineering assets at Camp Petionville, is an all-Haitian labor force generated by an NGO-run “cash-for-work” program that enables local Haitians to perform more detailed engineering work, such as digging drainage ditches and marking paths for road improvements throughout

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Military News (continued) the campsite. By utilizing the empowering program, local Haitians are helping their fellow countrymen prepare for the upcoming rainy season and stimulating their own economy. (Contributed by Mass Communications Specialist James G. Pinsky, USN)

Airmen Completing First of Two Humanitarian Projects in Africa Thirty-four members of the North Dakota National Guard’s 119th Wing’s Civil Engineer Squadron deployed to the West African nation of Ghana in April. Their mission is to work on two major construction projects that were kicked off by the Michigan Air National Guard’s 127th Wing. The North Dakota National Guard has partnered with Ghana since 2004 as part of a program sponsored by the U.S. Department of Defense. The program aligns states with partner countries to encourage the development of economic, political and military ties. During the past six years,

more than 180 North Dakota Guardsmen, Ghana military members and civilians have taken part in the program’s events and workshops. The current mission is providing valuable training on contingency skills for the airmen while helping Ghanaians. The Civil Engineer Squadron finished painting a complex at the Acota Academy at Burma Camp, a Ghanaian military complex near Accra, Ghana’s capital. Installing doors and windows was the only task that remained after Michigan and North Dakota airmen had replaced walls, redone

electrical work, installed fans and air conditioning, plastered the exterior walls and more at the building that will be used to train the Ghanaian armed forces. Many of the North Dakota airmen also worked on a second project in Takoradi, in Ghana’s western region: a complete renovation of a medical laboratory facility colocated with the Ghanaian Armed Forces’ 2nd Battalion. (Contributed by North Dakota National Guard)

Louisiana Guard Builds Bridge for Oil Response Effort The Louisiana National Guard’s 205th Engineer Battalion built an improved ribbon bridge in St. Bernard Parish, La., to be used in support of operations related to the oil leak off the state’s coast. About 50 members of the 2225th MultiRole Bridge Company, based in Marrero, La., built the 300-ft temporary wharf near the Frank “Blackie” Campo Marina in Shell

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Military News (continued) Beach, La., so that oil booms can be picked up and distributed to fishermen who are working in support of the mission. After transporting their boats and equipment to the Campo Marina in two separate convoys, the Guardsmen staged and accounted for all pieces. They loaded the boats into the bay, dropped each bridge section one-by-one into the water and transported them into the open bay for construction. Once the sections were transported to the working area, a crew connected each component until the whole bridge was completed. As a last order of business, the bridge was inspected and given final approval after the work met and surpassed standards. A team of 10 Guardsmen will be on site daily to maintain the bridge. See page 80 of this issue of TME for more on the oil response effort. (Contributed by Sgt. Michael L. Owens, USA, Louisiana National Guard)

NMCB-133 Supports Canadian Forces NMCB-133’s Detail Six gave others a break this spring by adding creature comforts in an otherwise harsh environment at a combat outpost in southern Afghanistan. Det. 6’s crew of 28 personnel hit the ground, tools in hand, excited to improve the living conditions in support of the troop surge. Dust flew from the ground as a Canadian helicopter carrying the personnel landed at the combat outpost (COP) in Tarnak, Afghanistan. As they stepped off the helicopter’s back ramp, Det. 6 was greeted by members of the Canadian Armed Forces. Det. 6’s mission was to construct tents with wood frame bases and floors to accommodate more than 150 troops. They also built several watch towers around the COP’s perimeter to strengthen security for the troops in southern Afghanistan. Det. 6 had soon erected the tents and

began construction of several watch towers—better known in the Naval Construction Force as “Crow’s Nests”—that would be placed at vital areas on the perimeter to increase observation and security for force protection. Det. 6 returned to Kandahar Air Field, Afghanistan, after the mission at the COP was completed. (Contributed by Utilitiesman 2nd Class Jon Dean, USN, NMCB-133)

USACE to Deliver New Fire Training Facility at Ramstein Flames burst from an aircraft’s fuselage. Clad in silver suites and oxygen masks, firefighters rush in from a nearby airfield fire truck to douse the flames with retardant and rescue any crew members caught inside. But today, the firefighters are really trainees. And the fire is actually regulated by a nearby control tower.

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This scene is just another exercise that will await firefighting trainees once the new $3 million facility on Ramstein Air Base, Germany, is completed later this year. The future facility’s construction, being managed by the USACE Europe District, will provide realistic training via a mock aircraft to the U.S. Air Force’s in Europe Fire Training School. Unlike others of its kind, this liquid gas-fired training facility has some unique aspects constructed into it, according to Bernhard Ochsenreither, the Project Engineer, Ramstein Resident Office. For one, the mock-up is a combination of both a C-130 and C-17. One wing of the aircraft has a propeller engine as the C-130 does, and the other wing has the jet engine of a C-17. Additionally, the aircraft has full wings whereas many mock-ups cut off portions of the wing.

And along with the aircraft, a control tower will be constructed nearby, which will help generate and control the burn. From there, trainers can control the intensity of the fire and also shut it off if need be, said Lynn Anderson, the district’s Project Manager. Although an unusually cold and long winter temporarily halted construction, contractors, USACE employees and others sped up construction to keep the project on track, Ochsenreither said. Construction kicked off in November 2009 and officials expect the facility to be completed by the end of 2010. The $3 million facility is just one of roughly $145 million in projects USACE is managing for the U.S. Air Force, said Scott Deetz, Resident Engineer, Ramstein Resident Office. (Contributed By Rachel Goodspeed, USACE Europe District)

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In turning over the first shovel-full out of ground April 26, the U.S. military started a two-week project to create a network of pipe linking the water and wastewater treatment facilities on Camp Bucca, Iraq. Together, the facilities will provide the necessary groundwork for activation and operation of a new multimillion-dollar water treatment plant that will increase or introduce water to several nearby municipalities including az-Zubayr, Safwan and Umm Qasr. “The issue with the [new] water treatment plant is, we don’t produce enough gray water to run it, so we’re trying to pump fresh water into it,” said Capt. Kenneth Ditch, USA, Commander of the 606th Forward Support Company, 1st Battalion, 377th Field The Military Engineer

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Military News

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Artillery Regiment, 17th Fires Brigade. Col. Dan Lund, Camp Bucca’s Commanding Officer, explained the importance of keeping the water flowing through the microbial filters. “The plant operates at a minimum of 620,000-G to 640,000-G [of gray water] per day,” he said. “Once you turn it on, you can’t turn it off, because they are active filters—if they’re not used, then they die.” The wastewater treatment plant harnesses Camp Bucca’s sewage and creates gray water—non-potable water that can be used for anything from firefighting to agriculture to washing vehicles—but not enough to operate the new plant by itself. Camp Bucca’s water treatment facilities tap into the region’s aquifer—the ninthlargest in the world—to create fresh water. This includes an established water treatment facility on post and another operated by private-sector firm KBR that produces 850,000-G daily. The KBR treatment facility is not permanent, however, and will leave with U.S. forces. “At the present time, for the operation of the camp, we are probably using about 140,000-G to 150,000-G [of fresh water],” said Col. Lund. Combined, the water and wastewater treatment facilities will ensure the new plant can operate and keep the microbial filters intact—a major concern as each filter carries a hefty $800,000 price tag—until municipal pipelines can be connected to supply the necessary operating water flow, Capt. Ditch said. To cut down on costs, 4,200-ft of 8-in pipe needed for the project was culled from excess found in theater and delivered to Camp Bucca. An additional $16,000 was needed for connectors, switches and valves to complete the network. “The new water treatment plant should be [running] in the next 60 days and will have a capacity of 1.2-million-G per day,” said Col. Lund. From the new plant, another pipeline will be laid, stretching about a half-mile from Camp Bucca, ultimately joining with existing main lines to flow into local municipalities. The plant will require about nine employees to operate, each needing about three months of training. Iraqi officials plan to have a third party operate the plant

until the personnel are trained. Camp Bucca is the former site of a theater internment facility (TIF) that held more than 22,000 detainees at one point in 2007, and closed down in 2009. To his knowledge, the Camp Bucca TIF was the largest ever in U.S. history, said Col. Lund. After its closure, the TIF was deconstructed and is now the site of an Iraqi Marine training facility that also will benefit from the new water treatment plant. The Marine training grounds are slated to return to Iraqi control July 4. (Contributed by Spc. Samuel Soza, USA)

RED HORSE Airmen Build Facilities for Warfighters As 30,000 servicemembers continue to pour into the region as part of the troop surge in Afghanistan, a 15-man team of airmen with the 1st Expeditionary Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Squadron Engineers (ERED HORSE) group are paving the way to ensure warfighters in the country have facilities they need to win the fight. “Our mission here is to construct the facilities that directly support the jointcoalition warfighter,” said Capt. Nick Anderson, USAF, 1st ERED HORSE Officer in Charge. Although the team has been in country less than a month, it’s working on six projects worth about $2 million. The projects include a new RED HORSE compound, a K-SPAN metal tent for the U.S. Army’s inbound 502nd Bridge Maintenance Brigade, building a foundation for a new fire station, grading a burn pit, constructing an evaporation pond to collect wastewater, and a river bed extension to prevent flooding, all to be completed by mid-July. While a regular RED HORSE squadron comprises 70 to 130 airmen, the team of total-force airmen has had to adjust as a The Military Engineer

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Military News

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result limited resources and personnel. Normal decisions that may take a month can take two days. “When we do surveys, we normally have an officer and an engineering assistant survey a site and put it into a system we use called CAD to calculate the exact dimensions of a work site,” said Master Sgt. David Hughes, USAF, 1st ERED HORSE Site Supervisor. “Our guys have to do the site surveys with their equipment and draw plans by hand in a couple of days. With the troop buildup we don’t have time to sit around to make a decision. We have to trust our guys and make a decision.” As RED HORSE squadrons continue to support joint and coalition forces, they’re enabling expeditionary combat power on the air, and the ground airmen here are paving the way for a successful troop surge. (Contributed by Tech. Sgt. Oshawn Jefferson, USAF, USAFCENT Combat Camera Team)

NMCB-3 Supports Afghanistan Troop Surge Construction mechanics from NMCB-3, homeported in Port Hueneme, Calif., are up-armoring vehicles bound for Afghanistan in support of the president’s Afghanistan surge strategy. A majority of the Naval Construction Force’s Civil Engineer Support Equipment (CESE), such as rollers, scrapers, graders and bulldozers, are not yet equipped with additional armor.

The CESE will be used by multiple Naval Mobile Construction Battalions as they meet the demand to build or expand bases throughout Afghanistan in response to the increased military presence. Twelve construction mechanics from NMCB-3’s Alfa Company are assigned to the 31st Seabee Readiness Group’s Construction Equipment Division (CED) to help up-armor CESE in line for shipment to Afghanistan. NMCB-3 also is expected to deploy to Afghanistan next year, and the Seabees understand that the same armor they are installing now will be protecting them when it is their turn to deploy and continue the mission. “Working with CED to armor mission-critical CESE has helped us return our focus to CENTCOM and training for the missions we will face in only a few months,” said Lt. James Sullivan, USN. NMCB-3 is one of the Navy Expeditionary Combat Command’s warfighting support elements, providing host-nation construction operations and security in support of overseas contingency operations. (Contributed By Construction Mechanic 3rd Class Kevin Chambers, USN, NMCB-3 Alfa Company) Submit Military News items with high-resolution (300-dpi) electronic images, to Meighan Altwies, M.SAME, at milnews@same.org.

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President Sets Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Target for Federal Operations President Barack Obama announced that the federal government will reduce its greenhouse gas pollution by 28 percent by 2020. Reducing and reporting greenhouse gas pollution, as called for in Executive Order (E.O.) 13514 “Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy, and Economic Performance,” signed Oct. 5, 2009, will ensure that the federal government leads by example in building the clean energy economy. Actions taken under E.O.13514 are intended to spur clean energy investments that create new private-sector jobs, drive long-term savings, build local market capacity, and foster innovation and entrepreneurship in clean energy industries. As the single largest energy consumer in the U.S. economy, the federal government spent more than $24.5 billion on electricity and fuel in 2008 alone. Achieving the fed-

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sustainability news Iraqi Leaders, U.S. Forces Honor Earth Day, Open Landfill Iraqi leaders and U.S. forces celebrated Earth Day in April by opening the first landfill in Baqubah, Diyala Province, Iraq, providing the public an environmentallysafe location to dispose of solid waste.

The Baqubah Qada Landfill was first conceived in July 2009 by the 37th Engineer Battalion—Joint Task Force (JTF) Eagle, the 1-25 Stryker Brigade Combat Team, the Diyala Provincial Reconstruction Team and the Diyala Provincial Government. Solid waste management throughout Diyala had remained a relatively consistent problem and became a

(continued)

Administration Officials Release Progress Report on Climate Change Adaptation Task Force

serious health risk for Baqubah residents. The landfill quickly became a top priority for Diyala province leaders and construction began on Oct. 22, 2009. “At the present moment, other than the one we’ve built in Baqubah, there are no other functioning landfills in the province,” said Capt. Greg Sablan, USA, the JTF Eagle Commander’s Emergency Response Program (CERP) Project Manager. “This is the Government of Iraq’s first stab at completing the loop on solid waste management. Because Baqubah is the capital of Diyala, it sets the example for all other future programs like this in other qadas [cities].” Plans for the landfill were developed as a CERP project for the preservation of local civic cleanup activities, the No. 1 priority for the Provincial Government. Construction was planned, coordinated and executed by members of JTF Eagle, their Iraqi partners from the 5th Iraqi Army Field Engineer Regiment and the Diyala Province Director General of Municipalities. (Contributed by Capt. Meghan E. Keefe, USA)

In 2009, CEQ, the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) initiated the Interagency Climate Change Adaptation Task Force, which includes representatives from more than 20 Federal Agencies. When President Barack Obama signed E.O. 13514 on Oct. 5, 2009, he called on the task force to develop, within one year, federal recommendations for adapting to climate change impacts both domestically and internationally. On March 6, CEQ, OSTP and NOAA released an interim task force progress report. The report outlines the task force’s progress to date and recommends key components to include in a national strategy on climate change adaptation. The components include integration of science into adaptation decisions and policy; communications and capacity building; coordination and collaboration; prioriti-

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sustainability news zation; a flexible framework for agencies; and evaluation. In October 2010, the task force will report to the president on the development of domestic and international dimensions of a U.S. approach to climate change adaptation and what federal agencies are doing to support this effort. The task force also will recommend additional aspects to consider in the development of a comprehensive national strategy. In preparing its October 2010 report, the Interagency Climate Change Adaptation Task Force will refine recommendations around structural issues like improving the integration of science into policy development and developing a framework for federal agency adaptation. It also will continue to work on cross-cutting topics like water resources management and international adaptation. The task force will establish additional workgroups, including those to inform the national strategy in the areas of communications, coordination and collaboration across government and with part-

(continued)

ners, evaluation and other priority issues. In addition, the task force will hold a series of regional outreach meetings, conduct pilot activities and accept public comment on its interim progress report for 60 days on the CEQ website at www.whitehouse.gov/ ceq/initiatives/adaptation. (Contributed by CEQ)

UTEP Announces Ph.D. Track in Energy Science and Engineering The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) is gearing up to meet the current energy research demands for the 21st century. UTEP’s Mechanical Engineering Department in May began offering coursework for the new Energy Science and Engineering (ENSE) doctoral track within the interdisciplinary Ph.D. program in Environmental Science and Engineering. “During the last two decades, the U.S. energy research and development enterprises have experienced a ‘missing generation’ of energy engineers and professionals,” said Ahsan Choudhuri, Ph.D., Chair of UTEP’s

Department of Mechanical Engineering. “There are simply not enough graduate students enrolled in energy disciplines at U.S. universities to replace the engineers and scientists who plan to retire within the next five to eight years. This has now become a serious workforce crisis and poses a serious threat to America’s energy security and sustainability.” “The goal of this new program is to create unique interdisciplinary energy research and educational opportunities for students and to bring UTEP to the forefront of creating diversity in the energy R&D workforce,” Choudhuri said. “Next generation energy engineers must innovate transformational technologies for affordable, abundant and low-carbon energy and lead entrepreneurial ventures to commercialize those innovations,” said Richard Schoephoerster, Ph.D., Dean of UTEP’s College of Engineering. “This new doctoral track evolves from our vision of educating a new pedigree of qualified engineers with the ‘soft skills,’ business acumen

The Military Engineer

July-August l 2010

WE BUILD ONE THING: CONFIDENCE Following the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, HNTB proudly supported our USACE, FEMA, state and local clients to revitalize and protect the Gulf Coast region and New Orleans. Our proven performance and innovation in civil, structural and geotechnical engineering, as well as technology, construction management and public involvement, consistently elevate HNTB from vendor to trusted adviser. We continue to leverage this expertise to support clients in other key regions around the country from Dallas, Texas to Sacramento, Calif. who are faced with the dangers of decaying levee systems. Let us help you overcome your flood management challenges.

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sustainability news and strategic foresight required to meet the needs of the 21st century energy industry.” The ENSE program will include research topics such as fossil fuel power generation efficiency improvement, carbon capture and storage, high-capacity renewable power generation and aerospace propulsion. (Contributed by Arleene Barrios, UTEP)

Vice President Announces New Energy-Efficiency Effort

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Vice President Joseph Biden announced in April the selection of 25 communities for up to $452 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding to “ramp-up” energy efficiency building retrofits. Under the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Retrofit Ramp-Up initiative, communities, governments, private-sector companies and nonprofit organizations will work together on pioneering and innovative programs for concentrated and broad-based retrofits of neighborhoods and towns—and eventually entire states. These partnerships will support large-scale retrofits and make energy efficiency accessible to hundreds of thousands of homeowners and businesses. The models created through the program are expected to save households and businesses about a $100 million annually in utility bills, while leveraging private-sector resources, to create what funding recipients estimate at about 30,000 jobs across the country during the next three years. In addition to the $452 million Recovery Act investment, the 25 projects announced will leverage an estimated $2.8 billion from other sources over the next three years to retrofit hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses across the country. Overall, the program funding was eight times oversubscribed, with more than $3.5 billion in applications received for the just over $450 million in Recovery Act funds available. This is indicative of the significant demand for investment in energy-saving and job-creating projects like these. Grantees will employ innovative financing models to make these savings accessible, for example by offering low- and no-interest loans that are repaid through property tax and utility bills. In implementing these projects, grantees will deliver verified energy savings and incorporate sustainable business models, to ensure that buildings will continue to be retrofitted after Recovery Act funds

(continued)

are spent. DOE will use lessons learned from these programs to develop best-practice guides to comprehensive retrofit programs that can be adopted and implemented by other communities across the country. The Retrofit Ramp-Up projects, which are part of the overall $80 billion Recovery Act investment in clean energy and energy efficiency, complement the Obama administration’s Recovery through Retrofit initiative, which lays the groundwork for a self-sustaining and robust home energy efficiency industry. The awards are the competitive portion of DOE’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program, which was funded for the first time under the Recovery Act to help state, local, and tribal communities make strategic investments in improving energy efficiency, reduce energy use and fossil fuel emissions. For more information regarding the specific project awards, visit www.energy.gov/news/documents/Retrofit_Ramp-Up_Project_List.pdf. (Contributed by The White House, Office of the Press Secretary)

EPA, NREL Partner to Develop Renewable Energy on Potentially Contaminated Sites The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) are evaluating the feasibility of developing renewable energy production on Superfund, brownfields and former landfill or mining sites. Superfund sites are the most complex, uncontrolled, or abandoned hazardous waste sites identified by EPA for cleanup due to the risk they pose to human health or the environment. Brownfields are properties at which expansion, redevelopment, or reuse may be complicated by the presence of contaminants. EPA is investing more than $650,000 for the project, which pairs EPA’s expertise on contaminated sites with the renewable energy expertise of NREL. The project is part of the RE-Powering America’s Land initiative, which aims to decrease the amount of green space used for development, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and provide health and economic benefits to local communities. The project will analyze the potential development of wind, solar, or small hydro development at 12 sites. The analysis will include determining the best renewable The Military Engineer

July-August l 2010

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sustainability news energy technology for the site, the optimal location for placement of the renewable energy technology on the site, potential energy generating capacity, the return on investment, and the economic feasibility of the renewable energy projects. The 12 sites are located in California, Florida, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, West Virginia and Wisconsin. Some of the sites under consideration for renewable energy projects have completed cleanup activities, while others may be in various stages of assessment or cleanup. Renewable energy projects on these sites will be designed to accommodate the site conditions. Launched in September 2008, the REPowering America’s Land initiative aims to promote the developing of renewable energy on potentially contaminated sites. EPA partnered with NREL to do an initial screening to determine sites that may be used for renewable energy projects. (Contributed by NREL)

(continued)

NREL Study Shows 20 Percent Wind Energy is Possible by 2024 DOE’s NREL in January released the Eastern Wind Integration and Transmission Study (EWITS). This unprecedented two-and-a-half-year technical study of future high-penetration wind scenarios was designed to analyze the economic, operational and technical implications of shifting 20 percent or more of the Eastern Interconnection’s electrical load to wind energy by the year 2024. The study identified operational best practices and analyzed wind resources, future wind deployment scenarios and transmission options. Among its key findings: • The integration of 20 percent wind energy is technically feasible, but will require significant expansion of the transmission infrastructure and system operational changes in order for it to be realized. • Without transmission enhance-

•

ments, substantial curtailment of wind generation would be required for all 20 percent wind scenarios studied. The relative cost of aggressively expanding the existing transmission grid represents only a small portion of the total annualized costs in any of the scenarios studied. Drawing wind energy from a larger geographic area makes it both less expensive and a more reliable energy source. Increasing the geographic diversity of wind power projects in a given operating pool makes the aggregated wind power output more predictable and less variable. Wind energy development is a highly cost-effective way to reduce carbon emissions as more wind energy comes online, less energy from fossil fuel-burning plants is required, reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

SAM E

IF MA

The Fourth Annual SAME/IFMA Facilities Management Workshop “Achieving Organizational Objectives Through FM” Aug. 26-27, 2010 Omni Shoreham Hotel SAM E I F D.C. MA Washington, Join members of the military services, federal public agencies and private companies to share best practices in facility management.

Day One

Participation in this one-of-a-kind workshop is limited! Visit www.same.org/fmworkshop for more information and to register online.

▪ Session 1.1 Best Practices in FM ▪ Session 1.2 Asset Management ▪ Lunch and Keynote Address by Maj. Gen. Del Eulberg, USAF (Ret.) ▪ Session 1.3 A Government Perspective ▪ Prize Giveaway at Table Top Exhibits ▪ Welcome Reception sponsored by Centennial Contracting Inc.

Day Two

▪ Session 2.1 Energy ▪ Session 2.2 Sustainability ▪ Table Top Exhibits ▪ Closing Remarks by Dan Geldermann, P.E., CFM, Associate, Facility Engineering Associates, P.C.

PLUS—IFMA will offer the Certified Facility Manager® Exam Review course Aug. 24-25. Go to www.ifma.org/learning for details and registration.

The Military Engineer

July-August l 2010

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sustainability news •

•

Carbon emissions are reduced by similar amounts in all scenarios, indicating that transmission helps to optimize the electrical system and does not result in coal power being shipped from the Midwest to New England States. Reduced fossil fuel expenditures more than pay for the increased costs of additional transmission in all high-wind scenarios.

The EWITS Executive Summary and the full study can be downloaded for free at www.nrel.gov/ewits. (Contributed by NREL)

Energy Savings Underway at Portsmouth Navy Sites High-efficiency lighting construction and compressed air repairs are currently underway as part of an Energy Savings Performance Contract (ESPC) encompassing more than 90 buildings at four U.S. Navy sites in Portsmouth, Va., in an effort managed by the Naval Facilities Engineering

(continued) Command (NAVFAC) Mid-Atlantic. The contract, awarded in December 2009, will result in a total annual energy savings of 39-million-BTU and an estimated annual cost savings of nearly $687,000. “More than 90 buildings will receive the high-efficiency lighting upgrades,” said Ensign Andrew Bessette, USN, Assistant Public Works Officer, Public Works Department Portsmouth. “This energy conservation measure will provide for the replacement, or retrofit, of existing light fixtures with highefficiency lamps, ballasts and reflectors.” In addition to high-efficiency lighting retrofits and the compressed air repairs now under construction, the scope of work on the contract includes direct digital controls (DDC) upgrades to 14 facilities, including 59 electric meters being installed through the DDC monitoring system to assist in monitoring and billing of utilities to facilities; and 2,200-ft of direct buried steam and condensate line replacement at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, to begin in July. Norfolk Naval Shipyard, along with the Scott Annex

and St. Julian’s Creek Annex sites will also receive energy-saving upgrades. An ESPC is a contract with an energy services company (ESCO) to implement energy improvements. ESPCs always provide a savings guarantee and often include operation and maintenance of the equipment over the contract term. The ESCO develops and finances the capital cost of the project, installs it and is repaid over the contract term from the energy costs savings. Wade added that this type of contract allows the Navy to make significant strides in energy conservation, environmental stewardship and sustainability without impacting the current utility budget. Expected completion date for work is May 2011. (Contributed by Annalisa Cachin, NAVFAC Mid-Atlantic Public Affairs) Submit Environment & Energy News items, with high-resolution (300-dpi) electronic images, to Wendi Goldsmith, M.SAME, at sustainabilitynews@same.org.

Oct. 19-21 | Baltimore, Md.

Earn your PDHs at SAME University (SAME U)! SAME U offers a collection of educational workshops geared toward architects and engineers, construction and project managers, designers, contractors and contracting professionals working with DOD and other federal agencies. The following workshops and review courses are being offered in Baltimore, Md.: • • • •

LEED for DOD New Construction Projects Project Management for DOD Practioners Building Information Modeling (BIM) for DOD Projects Sustainable Design for Existing Buildings within the DoD Community

• Design-Build for DOD Projects • CMAA—Construction Management Standards of Practice • Best Value Source Selection for DOD Projects

Space is limited, so register before Oct. 4 to guarantee your spot and receive the early registration rate! Rates increase Oct. 5. (Government credit cards will not be charged until two weeks prior to the event date.)

Registration opens Aug. 1. For more information, visit www.same.org/SAMEU. 40

The Military Engineer

July-August l 2010

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Technology News Compiled by Jill M. Jackson, M.SAME

ERDC Demonstrates Bridging Capability for Military and Emergency Operations The Lightweight Modular Causeway System (LMCS) under development by the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) addresses Department of Defense (DOD) requirements for vessels to conduct autonomous offloading operations at austere sites. The focused on helicopter transportability, LMCS is designed to be transported and employability and the ability of engineer rapidly deployed from vessels, support troops to employ the system as bridging in a fast-flowing river. 70-T vehicles and survive 20-ft waves. A CH-47 Chinook helicopter was used Because LMCS uses concepts from fixed bridging and floating causeway to sling load and fly two LMCS sections systems (10-ft by 20-ft modular sections with the tubes inflated and deflated at air with attached inflatable tubes similar to speeds of up to 90-knots. Both configurapontoons), researchers also saw poten- tions worked well and successfully demtial application for expedient bridging. onstrated the capability of flying and deIn late April, LMCS bridging was demon- ploying LMCS by helicopter. Twenty members of the 6th Engineer strated in the Arctic Edge 2010 exercise at Battalion to use the LMCS— Fort Richardson, Alaska. The scenario to 6392 KW UpdMilitary Eng 1-2pg 1/5/10 9:58were AM tasked Page 1 replace an earthquake-damaged bridge their first experience with the system—to

cross the fast-flowing Eagle River. Using only forklifts for emplacement, the LMCS bridge spanned a 70-ft gap across the river and vehicles were crossing it by mid-afternoon. The engineers said they could cut emplacement time in half with more experience and training on the system. The Army is pursuing transition of LMCS to the armed forces for operational field use if funding is obtained. The fielding of the first LMCS is planned for 2014, with five systems total through 2018. With the successful demonstration of its rapid bridging capability for disaster and emergency response operations, it is possible that the LMCS will find a niche for application in these areas, as well. (Contributed by ERDC)

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The Military Engineer

July-August l 2010

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Technology News

(continued)

the Pentagon, the Office of Naval Research (ONR) highlighted its microbial fuel cell, a device that could revolutionize naval energy use by converting decomposed marine organisms into electricity. These fuel cells convert naturally-occurring fuels and oxidants in the marine environment into electricity, offering a clean, efficient and reliable alternative to batteries and other environmentally-harmful fuels. The fuel cell can be a viable power source for long-term operation of autonomous underwater unmanned vehicles, in-water sensors, and devices used for surveillance and monitoring the ocean environment. Named one of TIME magazine’s “Top 50 Inventions for 2009,” the fuel cell’s powerful return of clean energy could reduce carbon emissions in the environment and change the way we fuel our vehicles and supply power to our homes. “Microbial fuel cell research is a great example of naval needs propelling advanced technology that also has potential benefit to the public” said Rear Adm.

Nevin Carr, USN, Chief of Naval Research. “The Secretary of the Navy issued five energy goals to the Department of the Navy last October at ONR’s Naval Energy Forum and this fuel cell research will help provide part of the solution.” “Think of it as a battery that runs on mud,” said Linda Chrisey, Ph.D., ONR Program Manager. “They are sustainable, environmentally friendly and don’t involve hazardous reactants like a regular battery might because they use the natural carbon in the marine environment. For example, we are working on a 4-ft-long autonomous underwater vehicle that will settle on the seafloor and recharge its batteries using this fuel cell approach. We are already able to power many types of sensors using microbial fuel cells.” Leonard Tender, Ph.D., research chemist in the Center for Bio/Molecular Science and Engineering at the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), has been a central figure in the development of the fuel cell. “We work on the intersection of microbi-

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ology and electrochemistry,” Dr. Tender said. “The most fascinating aspect of the program is how these micro-organisms function and the mechanisms by which they take fuel, metabolize it and generate electrical current.” Working with scientists from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Dr. Tender and his team started to investigate electricity-generating microorganisms. The most promising, called Geobacter, was discovered in the Potomac River immediately downstream of the Washington, D.C., headquarters of NRL. The discovery of the tiny Geobacter microbe by Derek Lovley, Ph.D., of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst holds the key to understanding microbial energy conversion. Geobacter uses hair-like extensions, or pili, to generate electricity from mud and wastewater. Researchers have developed a strain of Geobacter that is eight times more efficient than other strains at producing power. (Contributed by John M. Castagna, ONR)

Senior-level SAME Sustaining Members (Vice Presidents, Senior Executives and Principals) and government employees ranked 05/GS14 and above should mark their calendars to attend this exclusive networking event, featuring thought-provoking discussions from key subject matter experts. Save the date! November 8-9, 2010

www.same.org/execforum

Network with your peers.

The Military Engineer

July-August l 2010

COMPLEX DESIGN-BUILD PROJECT, MEET TRUSTED EXPERT SOLUTION When it comes to a challenge, Shaw’s commitment to excellence shows. In the largest design-build civil works project ever undertaken by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Shaw is leading the project management, design, and construction of the 10,000-foot-long, 26-foot-high Inner Harbor Navigation Canal Surge Barrier in New Orleans to reduce the risk of hurricane/storm surge related damage. Shaw’s engineering and construction experts are dedicated to safe and successful project execution.

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ENVIRONMENTAL & INFRASTRUCTURE • POWER ENERGY & CHEMICALS • FABRICATION & MANUFACTURING www.shawgrp.com The Military Engineer l No. 666

Technology News

(continued)

Improving UAVs Using Holographic Adaptive Optics

SAVEing Soldiers from a Major Killer

U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR)-supported holographic, adaptive, optics research may help transform software into computer-free electronics for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), high-energy lasers and free-space optical communications that will enable each to run faster and more efficiently.

For every soldier lost in combat in the years 1980 to 2005, three soldiers died in vehicle crashes. Many of these crashes could have been prevented and lives saved by the Synthetic Automotive Vehicle Environments (SAVE) project. SAVE uses new simulator technologies developed by ERDC and hands-on driving instruction to teach soldiers and civilians improved driving skills in off-road or austere environments. The U.S. relies primarily on technology and improved roadways and vehicles to reduce crashes, but this is not the case for soldiers in deployed environments. Enhanced driving techniques often overlook skills required to control vehicles safely when unexpected hazards occur on unimproved, narrow, gravel, or dirt roads. The goal of SAVE training is to teach those skills. During initial training, students spend time in a new simulator capable of moving in reaction to simulated road surfaces and driver inputs. This provides a very realistic sense of how driver actions control a vehicle in challenging situations. The simulator combines commerciallyavailable hardware with ERDC-developed software to virtually recreate any type of scenario in any environment.

Geoff Andersen, Ph.D., Senior Researcher at the Laser and Optics Research Center at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., is leading a team of researchers who have successfully demonstrated the latest type of adaptive optics, which incorporate holograms. The conventional, computer-based technology that has been in use for over two decades is no longer suitable for some military applications—including UAVs—because of required calculations and high computing costs. The new technology will be able to be incorporated on UAVs because it is very compact and lightweight. “We will see hugely-improved images from these new surveillance platforms that holographic adaptive optics will make possible,” said Dr. Andersen. “The current system for UAV imagery, lasers and optics is computer software driven, but the next phase is to replace that with an electronics system called High Altitude Large Optics [HALOS]. Such a system would be orders of magnitude faster than anything else available, while being much more compact and lightweight.” It is hoped that HALOS will become the standard in adaptive optics of the future. It may also create entirely new markets for sharper telescopes and camera images that will be used for military purposes. (Contributed by Maria Callier, AFOSR) 46

These tools allow students to learn key vehicle control concepts like eye placement, effective braking and acceleration, vehicle weight transfer and rollover avoidance. Through repetition, students gain the skills that make proper motions and reactions automatic. A critical element of the simulator is the understanding of high speed-loose surface vehicle-tire interface and terrain dynamics. This is put to the test during the Beta phase of training, as students take The Military Engineer

July-August l 2010

S O C I E T Y O F A M E R I C A N M I L I TA R Y E N G I N E E R S

2006-2011

Strategic Plan June 1, 2010. This version supersedes all previously released versions.

www.same.org SAME

•

607 Prince Street

• Alexandria, VA

22314

• 703-549-3800

• www.same.org

S O C I E T Y O F A M E R I C A N M I L I TA R Y E N G I N E E R S

2006-2011 Strategic Plan MISSION To promote and facilitate engineering support for national security by developing and enhancing relationships and competencies among uniformed services, public- and privatesector engineers, and related professionals.

VISION To be a premier global engineering organization leading the professional and personal growth of all members in support of military readiness and development of solutions to national security challenges.

VALUES Integrity

Unwavering commitment always to do what is right, regardless of consequences.

Patriotism

Support our national ideals and take pride in our country.

Public Service

Recognize the critical contribution that public servants play in supporting the economic and environmental needs of the nation.

National Security

Recognize the dedication of our national security team, composed of the uniformed services, civil service and contractors, in defending freedom.

Technical Competence

Deliver high-quality solutions.

Excellence

Strive for the highest standards of performance in all actions, both personal and professional.

Environmental Stewardship

Preserve, protect, conserve and restore our national resources through sustainable practices. SAME

•

607 Prince Street

• Alexandria, VA

22314

• 703-549-3800

• www.same.org

Goal 3: Relationships

Foster inter-disciplinary, inter-agency, inter-service, international, and publicand private-sector sharing of information, technology and business practices.

Goals Objectives

Objectives

Goal 1: National Security and Emergency Response

Support national security engineering and emergency response-related priorities and programs, domestically and internationally, including preparedness and response to natural and manmade disasters.

Objectives

1.1 Educate SAME members and develop SAME programs based on requirements of the National Security Strategy, National Response Framework and the National Infrastructure Protection Plan in order for members to be in a position to respond to public agency requirements. 1.2 Foster dialogue and relationship building between the private sector and government entities responsible for the National Security Strategy, National Response Framework and the National Infrastructure Protection Plan implementation. 1.3 Promote opportunities to SAME Sustaining Member Companies in the accomplishment of national security and emergency response programs, to include facilitating collaboration between small and large businesses and supporting the small business goals of responding agencies. 1.4 Assist federal agencies in carrying out their missions in support of the National Security Strategy, National Response Framework and the National Infrastructure Protection Plan.

Goal 2: Education and Training

Promote, enhance and reinforce the professional and technical competence of present and future SAME members through outreach, training and continuing education programs.

Objectives

2.1 Provide educational forums to increase knowledge and understanding of emerging technologies and best practices in planning, architecture, engineering, construction and facility asset management. 2.2 Provide relevant, accessible and cost-effective training opportunities to support and encourage the personal and professional development of members and their ability to obtain and retain licensure and certification in their chosen fields of interest. 2.3 Establish and maintain mentoring programs. 2.4 Exhibit executive leadership to encourage and permit midlevel civil servants, NCOs, junior officers and Young Members time off to participate in SAME activities, especially training and educational events. 2.5 Inspire primary and secondary (K-12) students to enter architecture, engineering, construction and related career fields through engineering and construction camps, jobsite tours, scouting merit badges and patches, and related outreach programs. 2.6 Promote the engineering career field at colleges and universities through Student Chapters, mentoring programs, scholarships and career planning seminars. SAME

•

607 Prince Street

3.1 Maximize networking opportunities for public and private organizations to develop professional relationships and solve common problems. 3.2 Develop partnerships and alliances with other professional societies and related associations, and conduct joint workshops and seminars. 3.3 Actively seek new members in companion fields such as surety and insurance, finance, law and contracting, and establish associations with them to increase long-term retention. 3.4 Promote diversity of SAME membership, professional disciplines, small and large companies, and federal, state and local public agencies at the Post, Regional and National levels. 3.5 Use web-based and traditional communications portals to effectively convey timely and accurate Post, Regional and National information that will aid public-private cooperation, advance education and training, and promote exchanges among SAME members.

Goal 4: Relevance

Develop and conduct high-interest programs that inspire global membership growth and active involvement of SAME members at Post, Regional and National levels.

Objectives

4.1 Promote and facilitate opportunities for government officials to provide current and forecast information on service policies, programs, projects and requirements to SAME Individual and Sustaining Members. 4.2 Conduct Regional and joint-Regional conferences and monthly Post programs to support the technical, professional and business interests of SAME members. 4.3 Participate in conferences of other professional associations, when feasible, to add value for SAME members. 4.4 Link Fellows, Young Members and NCOs to K-12 outreach, college outreach and mentoring programs. 4.5 Promote Post involvement in community service. 4.6 Establish and conduct outreach programs and events to support deployed forces and their families, to include active, reserve, national guard, civil service and contractors. 4.7 Facilitate industry and government dialogue to improve understanding of programs, trends and technologies.

Goal 5: Recognition

Recognize internal and external accomplishments of SAME members.

Objectives

5.1 Develop, publish and implement an active recognition program at Post, Regional and National levels: • recognize leadership, technical and managerial achieve ments of SAME members; • recognize Individual Members, Sustaining Member Companies and Public Agencies that conduct mentoring programs; and • recognize outstanding military and public service, as well as service to SAME. 5.2 Publicize and promote internal and external recognition of the accomplishments of SAME members and Posts: • nominate members for non-SAME awards; • publicize SAME award winners in external media; and • publicize SAME members’ achievements recognized by other organizations.

• Alexandria, VA

22314

• 703-549-3800

• www.same.org

2010-2011 Board of Direction

Mission Committee Chairs: • College Outreach: Ben Matthews, P.E., Jacobs •

Education and Training: Col. Marvin Fisher, F.SAME, USAF (Ret.), PBS&J

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national officers President Maj. Gen. Timothy A. Byers, F.SAME, USAF

Engineering & Construction Camps: Lt. Col. Scott Prosuch, F.SAME, USA (Ret.), Tetra Tech

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Environmental: Col. Jack Norris, USA (Ret.), AECOM

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1st Vice President Rear Adm. Christopher J. Mossey, P.E., CEC, USN

Facility Asset Management: Lt. Cdr. Dan Geldermann, P.E., CFM, USN (Ret.), Facilities Engineering Assoc. Inc.

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International: Chris Williams, CH2M HILL

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K-12 Outreach: Lt. Col. Mary Matthews Hains, P.E., F.SAME, USAF (Ret.), AMEC

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Readiness & Homeland Security: Capt. Jay Manik, P.E., F.SAME, USCG (Ret.), CDM

The SAME Board of Direction consists of 40 voting members and six non-voting members.

Vice President and Chair, Academy of Fellows Rear Adm. Gary A. Engle, P.E., DBIA, F.SAME, USN (Ret.), URS Vice President Col. Ronald B. Brown, CPC, DBIA, F.SAME, USA (Ret.), Sundt

Council Chairs: • Noncommissioned Officer: CUCM (SCW) Tim Bray, USN • Small Business: Lt. Col. Tony Price, USA (Ret.), Lindbergh & Assoc. • Young Member: Heather Cross, Stanley Consultants

Executive Director Robert D. Wolff, Ph.D., P.E., F.SAME (Non-voting) Treasurer Vincent A. Laino, Weston Solutions Inc. (Non-voting) Counsel Harold I. Rosen, Esq., F.SAME The Law Office of Harold Rosen (Non-voting)

Elected Directors:

Past President Lt. Gen. Robert L. Van Antwerp. P.E., F.SAME, USA Regional Vice Presidents • Carolinas: Capt. Len Dillinger, P.E., USN (Ret.), PB • Europe: Col. Robert Moriarty, P.E., USAF • Great Lakes: Joan Freitag, Hanson Professional Services Inc. • Lower Mississippi: Ashlyn Graves, Evans-Graves Engineers Inc. • Middle Atlantic: Capt. Ben Pina, P.E., LEED-AP, CEC, USN • Missouri River: Jerry Adams, F.E., F.SAME, Berger Devine Yaeger Inc. • New England: Alan Fillip, MACTEC • North Atlantic: Judy Cooper, PB • Northwest: Capt. Bob Schlesinger, USN (Ret.), P.E., LEED AP, Baker • Ohio Valley: Marci Snyder, Woolpert • Pacific: Col. John Lohr, USAF • Rocky Mountain: John Shaler, P.E., AECOM • South Atlantic: Capt. Michael Blount, P.E., USN (Ret.), Balfour Beatty Construction US • South Central: Mike Thompson, P.E., Thompson Engineering Inc. • Southwest: Col. Janice Dombi, USA • Texoma: Glen Turney, P.E., e2M SAME

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Technology News their newfound knowledge out to a closed dirt track for real-world experience. In specially-fitted vehicles with mounted sensors monitoring every action and reaction, drivers run through a series of highspeed maneuvers involving skids, braking and sudden stops. ERDC researchers then analyze the data to develop a greater understanding of road surfaces, terrain and dynamics that will ultimately enhance virtual teaching environments for both soldiers and civilians. As the program—some of the most advanced research in this area—progresses, its results, training and simulations will help decrease the number of vehiclerelated deaths in the military and civilian worlds. (Contributed by Dr. Sally Shoop, ERDC)

AFCEE Begins Construction of First-Ever Cyber Warfare Intelligence Center The Air Force Center for Engineering and the Environment (AFCEE) recently

(continued)

began construction on a new 38,000-ft2 cyber command center at Lackland Air Force Base (AFB), Texas. The facility will be the home for the 68th Network Warfare Squadron and the 710th Information Operations Flight, which are currently located at the former Brooks AFB, Texas. Scheduled for completion in early 2011, the facility will be the pioneer command center for cyber warfare. Officials from the 67th Network Warfare Wing recently held a groundbreaking ceremony to officially commence construction. “This building will be the first of its kind in the nation, as well as the first step in the

new warfare—cyber warfare,” said Col. Bradford Shwedo, USAF, Commander of the 67th Network Warfare Wing. Air Force officials chose Lackland AFB to be the hub of cyber command operations in part because of its proximity to other cyber-related commands such as the National Security Agency’s Texas Cryptologic Center; the Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Agency; the 67th Network Warfare Wing; the Joint Information Operations Warfare Command; and the Air Force Cryptologic Support Group. The facility’s construction is one of the Base Realignment and Closure projects being managed and executed through AFCEE and constructed by TolTest Inc. The facility will serve as an office building for 400 employees. Some features include a sensitive compartmented information facility, a more modernized operational area, a closed-in patio, and an additional 4,000-ft2 for a 100-space parking lot and a new two-lane road.

The Military Engineer

July-August l 2010

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The Military Engineer l No. 666

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Technology News

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conventional sutures, staples and glues are used that might stimulate an inflamin repairing skin wounds, reconnecting matory response,” said Dr. Kochevar. “An severed peripheral nerves, blood vessels, immediate, water-tight seal is formed Thesurfaces SAME leading Executive between the tissue to re-Forum brin tendons and incisions in the cornea. together senior executives from in the near term and Dr. Irene Kochevar, a Harvard Medical duced inflammation in the long term.” School professor and Massachusetts Gen- better scar formation uniformed services and the priv The researchers aresector planning to con- issues eral Hospital Wellman Center researcher, to discuss and her colleague at Wellman, Associate tinue to evaluate the effectiveness of the of shared interest. Professor Robert Redmond, are pleased new technology and how it can be even with the initial lab bench experiments more effective in theater. Currently, they SAME Sustaining Mem are seeking Senior-level a shorter treatment time that that led to a pilot clinical study. (Vice Presidents, stronger bond.“WeSenior are ap- Executive “We have demonstrated that this tech- yields an even challengeand by identifying nology is very helpful in medicine for the proaching this Principals) government empl mechanisms Air Force because it produces better heal- the basic molecular ranked 05/GS14responand above sho sible for light-activated crosslinking,” she ing and functional outcomes than the Treating Battlefield Injuries with mark their calendars to attend same wounds that were treated with con- said. “We believe that this information Light-Activated Technology exclusive networking event, featu will show us how to improve the efficiency Airmen’s traumatic battlefield injuries ventional materials,” Dr. Kochevar said. thought-provoking discussions f of the nanosuturing The process of creating the bonding or and effectiveness may be more effectively treated by using a nanosutures new light-activated technology developed key subject matter experts. November 8-9, 2010is accomplished by applying technology on the battlefield.” as a result of research managed by AFOSR a dye to the wound or damaged tissue and (Contributed by Maria Callier, AFOSR) then exposing and supported by funds from the Office NewofOrleans, La. it briefly to green light. The Save the date! November 8-9, 2 the Secretary of Defense. The new treat- dye absorbs the light and that helps it to Submit Technology News items with highment for war injuries includes using a molecularly bond proteins on the tissue resolution (300-dpi) electronic images, to Jill M. Jackson, M.SAME, at technews@ process or technology called photochem- surface. www.same.org/execforum “No glues, proteins or other materials same.org. ical tissue bonding, which can replace The building also will be designed and constructed in accordance with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) requirements. “We are excited about the opportunity to design and construct the Intelligence Operations Center for the Air Force Reserve Command and the Air Force Space Command, which will be essential to the execution of their cyber warfare capabilities,” said Mark Stough, AFCEE Project Manager. (Contributed by Summer Allen, AFCEE)

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The Military Engineer

July-August l 2010

Leader Profile

Honoring Women who Serve in Uniform For this special Leader Profile, The Military Engineer spoke with Brig. Gen. Theresa Carter, P.E., USAF, Rear Adm. Katherine Gregory, P.E., CEC, USN, and Rear Adm. (S) Paula Brown, P.E., CEC, USN, about the opportunities available to women as uniformed military engineers. These women are the first female officers to advance to general or flag officer rank in the civil engineer branches in the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy.

Brig. Gen. Theresa Carter, P.E. USAF

Rear Adm. Katherine Gregory, P.E., CEC USN

Rear Adm. (S) Paula Brown, P.E., CEC USN

The Military Engineer l No. 666

What would you tell young women today about career opportunities in military engineering? Have more opportunities opened up for women during your military career?

PB: Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be where I am today. When I joined the Navy in 1982, the Civil Engineer Corps only allowed four new women accessions a year; now we will take all qualified women applicants. At that time and for a decade later, women were not allowed in Seabee battalions. Starting in 1993, female officers were allowed in battalion leadership positions; I jumped on that opportunity and was selected as an executive officer. Women are now in almost all senior leadership positions: battalion commanders, regimental commanders, surface warfare officers, pilots and, recently, on board submarines. It is a very exciting time, and the sky is the limit. (Although as a pilot, you can reach that one, too!) KG: Engineers are in high demand in the military, and the rewards are tremendous. A career as a military engineer provides both the opportunity to use technical skills to solve tangible, immediate and important problems, and also the opportunity to lead people. Young military personnel tend to be assigned jobs with greater responsibility than their civilian counterparts, and the satisfaction of working and

being responsible for a team of people (military and/or civilian) who resolve an issue, build or repair a facility, or enable military forces to execute their mission safely is immensely satisfying. During my career, the opportunities for women have significantly increased. Today there are no positions or jobs in the Navy engineer community to which women are not assigned. TC: I see tremendous opportunities for young women in military engineering, both now and in the future. Our young officers are gaining incredible leadership experience at a very young age, and I’m convinced the junior officers of today will raise the bar even higher 10 to 15 years from now as general officers leading Air Force civil engineering. Our skill set is in high demand—both in garrison and in a deployed environment—and any officer, male or female, who exhibits the drive, determination and leadership to make the mission happen will succeed. I do believe more opportunities have opened and will open for women in the military. For example, speaking specifically about civil engineering, we are not as reluctant to deploy women to key leadership positions in the Central Command area of responsibility. I think opportunities for women in the military will continue to grow, and I expect in the next 10 years we’ll see the first female four-star in the Air Force and, perhaps, the first female Air Force Chief of Staff.

“I see tremendous opportunities for young women in military engineering, both now and in the future. Our young officers are gaining incredible leadership experience at a very young age, and I’m convinced the junior officers of today will raise the bar even higher.” Brig. Gen. Theresa Carter, P.E., USAF

How did you become interested in becoming a military engineer and what influenced your decision to make military engineering a long-term career choice?

PB: I went into engineering because I excelled in math and science as a young student and my parents encouraged engineering. I loved math and solving complex puzzles. My interest in the military was due to a very strong Navy influence when we lived overseas. Being a military engineer has blended the best of both worlds: I get to solve complex problems with an incredibly professionally-competent team, use my engineering training to help make rational decisions, and support our service members and their families as well as those in disadvantaged countries. Being a Civil Engineer Corps officer and Seabee allows me to help build better facilities, identify overall energy savings and environmentally-protective options, and support humanitarian and disaster relief opportunities. As a reserve officer, I get to participate in the Navy and contribute to my home community. I cannot think of a better long-term career choice. 56

TC: I initially went to college to study computer science, but I quickly decided I needed to do something different. I had to choose a technical degree to keep my ROTC scholarship, and I entered the freshman engineering program at Purdue, selecting industrial engineering as my degree choice. When I filled out my dream sheet for assignments, I wanted to be a human factors engineer or behavioral scientist. I only added civil engineering because I had to include three career field choices. I wasn’t happy when I received my assignment and learned I was going to be a civil engineering officer at Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., and I considered requesting an education delay to pursue a master’s degree. Fortunately, I had a very wise commandant of cadets who told me I needed to be in civil engineering and I would do well in that career field. While I didn’t believe him at the time, over the last 25 years I’ve called him every time something good happened in my career simply to say “Thank you, you were right!” Early in my career I had an opportunity to deploy for a three-week exercise in Southwest Asia and saw for the first time the huge impact military engineers make in a contingency environment. I was excited to see our ability to quickly transform a barren desert into a thriving tent city capable of supporting air combat operations. The following year, when Iraq invaded Kuwait, our squadron and most of the 363rd Tactical Fighter Wing at Shaw Air Force Base deployed in support of Operation Desert Shield. Once again, though on a much larger scale, engineers led the way in quickly bedding down personnel and equipment needed to support nearly 40 F-16s. It was not only what we did, but also how we did it, with a can-do, will-do attitude, that convinced me this is a great job and great way to make a difference. KG: I was initially interested in the opportunities the Navy offered for adventure and travel (which I have enjoyed greatly). As I grew more senior, I appreciated more and more the opportunity to work with

very dedicated people who are team-oriented and focused on achieving a common mission. The sense of teamwork and dedication to getting a job done— whether repairing a bridge in Iraq, building a new base in Europe, renovating a hospital in the U.S., or just fixing a utility problem for families is housing—makes it fun, interesting and rewarding to come to work every day.

“We need to find a way to support women who want their own military careers, are expected also to support their spouses’ careers and yet still allow some extra time to be able to have their own families.” Rear Adm. (S) Paula Brown, P.E., CEC, USN

What advice do you have for junior officers on the importance of higher education, professional licensure and certifications in their military careers?

KG: Nothing is more valuable than an education, and the more education a person can receive, the more able he or she is to achieve his or her goals in life. Education provides people the ability, confidence and courage to take on and succeed at the most interesting challenges, and that success provides the greatest satisfactions in life. Licensing and certification are demonstrations of the education and competence a person has, and open doors for great jobs and assignment opportunities. While attaining certifications and licenses is sometimes difficult, it is well worth the effort in the long run. The Military Engineer

July-August l 2010

TC: I’m a big advocate for advanced education—be it a master’s degree or professional military education—and I have advised subordinates that earlier is better. As for professional registration, I believe our engineers should also pursue certification. Each service views registration differently, and in the Air Force it is not a requirement for promotion. That said, I believe it is important to our professional credibility as engineers when we work in a joint setting or with our industry partners. I recognize the difficulty associated with meeting application requirements and the impact deployments have on testing availability, but I encourage our young engineers to set a goal of earning registration as early in their careers as possible. I had to wait to take the test for two years due to a Gulf War deployment and assignment at Shemya Air Force Base, and I found it difficult to refresh my skills in areas that I didn’t use on a routine basis. I also tell our junior officers to stick with it if they don’t pass the first time. The industrial engineer exam is only offered once a year, so for me it was a three-year process to finally earn my license… but it was also one of the most satisfying accomplishments I’ve had in my career.

PB: When I joined the Navy, being a licensed professional engineer was not a priority. Today, to be a competitive Civil Engineer Corps officer and eligible for many of our key staff and command positions, you must be a professional engineer or registered architect. We have developed a professional culture that sets us apart from other services, and I am proud to have made the decision to obtain professional engineering registration. As a reserve officer, being a professional engineer has opened doors in my civilian career, as well. The Navy was (and continues to be) gracious with assisting Civil Engineer Corps officers in getting master’s degrees, and I feel that is another way to distinguish our corps. As we continue to pursue leadership in the energy and environmental arena, we need to understand and gain those certifications to remain credible within the civilian community.

PB: A major challenge will be keeping our best and brightest young officers in the Navy or Navy Reserve. We have a habit of burning out our best people as we continue to place more demands on their time, especially in this period of war. Women in particular are pulled in many directions. We need to find a way to support women who want their own military careers, are expected also to support their spouses’ careers and yet still allow some extra time to be able to have their own families. As senior leaders, we need to demonstrate that work-life balance is important to all our service members, both military and civil service. We need to look for options to transition between active and reserve status and perhaps allow some periodic time off to pursue all these opportunities. We also need to make sure we keep up with changes in technolgy.

The Military Engineer l No. 666

“Military engineers are increasingly needed to assist in non-traditional roles such as nation-building, humanitarian assistance and disaster recovery, and training of allied military forces. These are great opportunities for engineers to use their skills to make a real mark on the world and help promote longterm peace and stability.” Rear Adm. Katherine Gregory, P.E., CEC, USN

What do you see as the major challenges in military engineering that you will be facing as you become a senior military engineer leader?

KG: Military engineers face many of the same challenges engineers and public leaders at large face: how to become less dependent on carbon fuels; how to reduce our impact on the environment and correct existing environmental problems; how to ensure we are able to get our jobs done with the limited resources available. Additionally, military engineers are increasingly needed to assist in non-traditional roles such as nation-building, humanitarian assistance and disaster recovery, and training of allied military forces. These are great opportunities for engineers to use their skills to make a real mark on the world and help promote long-term peace and stability, which few people every have the opportunity to do. TC: In garrison, the biggest challenge will remain balancing limited resources against a growing list of requirements. This problem isn’t new, but it is compounded by the growing demands on our military to recapitalize aging weapons systems and care for our people while also carving out the dollars needed to maintain and sustain our installations. Our transition to an asset management philosophy and the deployment of next-generation of IT resources will provide the tools we need to decide where to spend our limited resources. Right-sizing our installations by eliminating old and inefficient facilities will help us use our resources wisely and help us meet mandated energy reduction goals. On the expeditionary side, I believe our focus will be on sustaining and renewing the force as we approach nearly a decade of deployments in Southwest Asia and assess the impact on our personnel and equipment as well as our tactics, techniques and procedures. Will we be able to retain enough engineers as junior officers to sustain the career field? What will be the new “normal” deployment tempo? While these may seem like daunting and difficult challenges, I am excited to be in a position to work with my counterparts in the Air Force, in our sister services and in industry to develop and implement workable and sustainable solutions to these problems. 57

A victim of ever-increasing Pacific storms, the North Jetty at the mouth of the Columbia River has lost more than 2,100-ft to erosion since it was completed in 1917.

Jetty Maintenance in the North Pacific U.S. Army Corps of Engineers photo by Billie Johnson

ew people give much consideration to how their iPods, highdefinition televisions or new cars traveled from manufacturing plants in Asia to their local big-box stores or automotive showrooms. The idea that their new purchases traveled across the ocean within the holds of freighters remains foreign even to many people familiar with the concept of international trade. Nonetheless, that is exactly how most consumer electronics purchased in the United States enter the economy. And before they pull along dockside, the ships must pass through one of several U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) navigation projects. One such project is located along the coastal margin of the Pacific Northwest, between the states of Oregon and Washington, at the mouth of the Columbia River, where ships must pass between two massive rubble-mound jetties constructed between the 1880s and 1917. This entrance, which was designed to

By Matt Rabe, Eric Bluhm and Fritz Moritz

train meandering ribbons of shallow channels into a predictable 60-ft-deep entrance channel, has long held the ominous moniker “The Graveyard of the Pacific” due to its treacherous conditions and the more than 2,000 shipwrecks that have taken place there since the mid-1800s. Vigorous wave-current interaction at the river’s mouth is caused by the confluence of large ocean waves interacting with a prominent and spatially-variable ebb-tidal delta, a 2.5-M estuarine tidal range and the riverine flow regime of the Columbia River. This makes the coastal inlet one of the most dangerous in the world. Notwithstanding their robust construction, the jetties are not immune to the forces of the Pacific Ocean. Both jetties have receded considerably due to more frequent and the ever-increasing strength of Pacific storms. Of primary concern are critical portions of the North Jetty (Washington) and the South Jetty (Oregon), which could breach during a

large storm event. Engineers have seen steady deterioration along several key reaches of both jetties. If either structure were to fail and ocean currents were able to flow unabated through the jetty, sandy deposits located on the ocean side of the structure would be transported through the jetty and deposited directly into the navigation channel. A breach would cause the channel to begin filling in, immediately affecting navigation at the mouth of the river, thus requiring emergency jetty repairs and dredging to restore channel depth.

A Hub of Commerce The Columbia River and the Snake River, the Columbia’s largest tributary, compose the primary export gateway for 11 states. For example, 25 percent of wheat exports from Kansas come down the Columbia River and more than 47 percent of total wheat exports from the United States is shipped via Columbia River ports. It is the largest wheat and The Military Engineer

July-August l 2010

Water Planning & Management A Complex Effort

Stronger, more frequent Pacific storms have caused the steady deterioration of three aging Columbia River jetties that support annual international trade worth $18 billion.

barley export gateway in the United States and the third-largest grain waterway in the world. Wheat and other grains grown in the Midwest and Pacific Northwest reach regional ports by rail and barge, and then are exported via the Columbia River to countries throughout Asia and the Middle East. Conversely, the Columbia River is the second largest import gateway on the West Coast for foreign-made automobiles, according to the Pacific Northwest Waterways Association, a trade group representing numerous riverine interests. Toyota, Honda and Hyundai (and their sister brands), import about 450,000 vehicles annually through the Port of Portland, located 106-mi up the Columbia River from the mouth. Approximately 20 percent of the vehicles offloaded in Portland are delivered to regional destinations, and 80 percent are loaded onto railcars to be delivered as far away as the East Coast. In all, more than 100,000 vessels accounting for $18 billion of waterborne commerce transit the inlet each year. The Military Engineer l No. 666

In the past decade, coastal engineers with USACE Portland District have tracked stronger and more frequent winter storms along the Oregon and Southwestern Washington coastlines. As a result, the jetties are experiencing forces greater than they were designed to withstand. Engineers evaluated the changing climate conditions offshore the Columbia River inlet by comparing “design waves” using offshore wave records based on two different time periods: observed waves from 1984 to 2009; and wave data records for 1984 to 1999. A 10-year event is one expected to occur, on average, once every 10 years. The 10year offshore (storm) wave height based on the 1984-2009 data record is 41-ft, compared to a 35-ft 10-year wave height based on the 1984-1999 data record. The size of jetty armor stone required to resist wave action is a function of wave height raised to the third power. By this measure, increasing the design wave height, for a given jetty, from 35-ft to 41ft would require an increase in armor stone weight of 60 percent.

In 2004, USACE began interim repairs to the most critical and badly-damaged sections of the North Jetty. From 2005 to 2007, similar repairs were made to the South Jetty. During these repairs, nearly 220,000-T of rock were put in place, with boulders ranging from 4-T to 25-T each. At the same time, the Portland District initiated a major rehabilitation study of the jetties to identify a permanent solution. In early 2010, USACE announced a 20-year, $400 million to $500 million plan to rehabilitate both main jetties and an auxiliary jetty that also supports the entrance. One aspect of this review is a dialogue with industries likely to participate in the repairs. General contractors experienced in jetty repair are providing feedback on the USACE plans, and support industries such as large crane and trucking operators are providing information regarding the capability and availability of required equipment. The three jetties interact with each other and the inlet’s morphology to secure the federal deep-draft navigation channel. The stability of the present inlet and adjacent coastal margins are dependent upon the inlet’s three jetties and the tidal shoal morphology, on which the jetties were constructed. Over time, the tidal shoals, spits and jetties have evolved to function symbiotically. The interaction between jetties and morphology can be summarized by noting that the jetty is a long, thin, narrow backbone of solid material, resting upon a very doubtful foundation, against which the forces of nature have accumulated large quantities of the shifting sand. These shoals break the force of the waves and protect the jetty from destruction. Jetty integrity and the permanence of the navigation channel through the inlet depend upon the amount of sand that can be maintained at the inlet and along the jetties. Due to the complexity of the jetty system and the potential range of alternatives, alternative selection was an iterative process that involved several levels of technical and project analysis. Numerous plans were run using modified cross-section layout and/or timing of 59

USACE coastal engineers are concerned that weakened sections of the Columbia River’s South Jetty could breach during a strong winter storm and cause sands to fill in the navigation channel at the river’s entrance.

repair. Each of the jetties was evaluated separately and had different emphasis in the criteria for plan selection. Jetty rehabilitation alternatives were formulated based on variation of jetty cross-section resilience, maintenance options and implementation sequences. Estimates of future lifecycle outcome were made for a range of jetty maintenance strategies and rehabilitation alternatives. Selection of a “best” plan to manage the future lifecycle of each jetty was based on the optimization of initial rehabilitation cost, future maintenance costs, jetty reliability, the expected timing and location of future jetty repairs, and environmental effects of jetty lifecycle management.

Working for the Future As with the 2004-2007 interim repairs, future repairs will again focus attention on the most critical and badly-damaged sections, but also will stabilize the outermost tips of the jetties. Additionally, repairs will be made to the sections of the jetties closest to the shoreline, which have not been repaired since construc60

tion. Finally, engineers have designed additional features—perpendicular groins—to address erosion concerns along the length of both structures. Several challenges face engineers as they approach this repair. First is the transportation and placement of up to

“As environmental impacts are quantified, functionallyequivalent mitigation strategies will be developed for threatened species.” 1.5-million-T of rock, with each rock weighing 35-T to 50-T. In the late 1880s, engineers used a rail system to transport and dump rocks at the ends of the jetties. Today, dump trucks and cranes lock each stone into place to maximize structural integrity. Second, the inlet sees the migration of millions of juvenile salmon each year as they make their journey to the ocean. Similarly, hundreds of thousands of re-

turning adult salmon—many protected under the Endangered Species Act—pass this same area on their return to upriver spawning grounds and hatcheries. Consequently, during construction, avoidance and minimization are key requirements for environmental compliance. As environmental impacts are quantified, appropriate and functionally-equivalent mitigation strategies will be developed for threatened and endangered species and the estuary and affected wetlands. At the conclusion of this project, repairs will strengthen the jetty structures, extend their functional life, and maintain deep-draft navigation on the Columbia River, protecting this gateway and tens of billions of dollars of commerce well into the 21st century. Matt Rabe is Chief of Public Affairs, Eric Bluhm is Project Manager and Hans Moritz is Coastal Engineer, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Portland District. They can be reached at 503-808-4511 or matt.rabe@us.army.mil, 503-808-4759 or eric.v.bluhm@us.army.mil, and 503-808-4864 or hans.r.moritz@us.army. mil, respectively.

The Military Engineer

July-August l 2010

Water Planning & Management

California’s Fragile Gem By Rob Vining, M.SAME, and Gen. Barry R. McCaffrey, USA (Ret.)

alifornia’s Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is many things to many people. It is home to 52 mammals, 22 reptile and amphibian species, 225 birds and 54 fish, including 130 listed endangered species. It is the source of potable water for two-thirds of California’s population. It also is the lifeline for the nation’s largest agriculture industry, which produces as much as 25 percent of the nation’s food supply. Yet, outside of California and the engineering community, few people are aware of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and its critical role in the world economic market and to national security. The delta is in a state of crisis that puts California, the eighth-largest world economy, at significant risk. Absent timely remedies to address key ecological and water conveyance problems, a doomsday scenario may become reality.

A House of Cards

Soil subsidence, seismic activity, species decline and increased salinity at the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta are placing a delicate ecosystem, water supply and national food supply at risk.

The Suisun Marsh, the largest brackish marsh on the West Coast, lies immediately west of the

Photo courtesy HNTB Corp.

If a series of delta levees were to simultaneously fail, the impact to California,

the United States and the world would be staggering. Some experts predict the California agricultural industry could be permanently destroyed by a major flood. In fact, California’s Department of Water Resources (DWR) indicates that in a failure scenario “the export of fresh water from the Delta could be interrupted for about 18 months.” In addition to crippling California’s $27 billion agriculture industry, a major flood would ruin water quality for Southern California’s 25 million residents. Lack of potable water for 18 months would spiral the region into a sanitation crisis. California’s civil infrastructure also would be severely affected. The delta stores natural gas to accommodate peak wintertime demands, while electricity and gas transmission lines crisscross the region. Vital roads, including Interstate 5, state Route 4 and state Route 12, and several rail lines pass through the delta, as do the deepwater shipping channels leading to ports at Stockton and Sacramento. As the April 2010 eruption of Icelandic

The Military Engineer l No. 666

volcano Eyjafjallajokull demonstrated, natural disasters can have a devastating effect on supply chains critical to global commerce. One recent study analyzed the economic consequences of multiple levee failures caused by a large earthquake. It predicted, among other calamities, shipping to the Port of Stockton would shut down, and disruptions of power and road transportation lines would occur. The total cost to the economy, over five years, was estimated at $30 billion to $40 billion.

The Four S’s The Sacramento Delta levees have become increasingly unstable. Unfortunately, with more than 200 existing federal, state and local agencies claiming jurisdiction over delta issues, remediation response has been painfully slow. Yet, a consensus has emerged citing “Four S’s” as the cause of delta problems: seismic, subsidence, species and salinity. Seismic. One of the most significant threats is seismic activity; and seismic forecasts are alarming. According to DWR, “A seismic event is the single greatest risk in the Delta Region.” The DWR’s Delta Risk Management Study goes further to indicate that “a major earthquake of magnitude 6.7 or greater in the vicinity of the Delta Region has a 62 percent probability of occurring sometime between 2003 and 2032.” Subsidence. Subsidence, or loss, of soil around the levees is a concern in the delta because it undermines structural integrity and increases water pressure on levees, thus increasing the probability of failure. The earthen levees, many built during the 1860s, are comprised of peat soil and material dredged from local rivers and canals, which is now known to be susceptible to subsidence. As a result, more than 50 of the delta’s marsh islands are sinking at a rate of 1-in to 3-in every year. Species. Once-thriving native plants and wildlife are diminishing due to throughdelta conveyance, according to The Nature Conservancy. Native fish species like the delta smelt and Chinook salmon are at an all-time low. These declines ripple through the natural ecosystem and critically affect commerce. For example, partly due to low river levels, commercial salmon fishing off the coasts of California and Oregon has been shut down for the past two years, causing losses of nearly $300 million 62

and devastating fishing communities. Salinity. Salinity threatens the potability and taste of water supplies, the productivity of farmland and the viability of organisms within aquatic ecosystems. A levee failure during low flow conditions could allow salt water to flow up the delta from the San Francisco Bay and destroy the region’s ecosystem and freshwater supply. During one incident, an island was flooded under low-flow conditions, and chloride levels reached 440-parts per million (ppm) at the Contra Costa Canal intake—a measure well above the California standard for drinking water of 250-ppm.

Walking a Tightrope Fervent debate among issue groups has slowed progress. With many plants and wildlife under protected status, levee system repairs are constrained and challenging. To further mitigate the impact to endangered species, some groups are advocating for increased limitations on water diversions to the south. On the economic front,reducedwaterconveyancehasdriven unemployment in many agricultural areas as high as 27 percent, according to California labor force data. There is no silver bullet to repairing the Sacramento Delta’s environment or creating sustainable conveyance. There are, however, currently three project options under consideration to address the water conveyance issue: • East Conveyance Alignment: The eastern alignment conveyance option runs along the eastern edge of the delta and includes 19 new bridges, 49-mi of canals, four short tunnels, eight siphons and 730 acres of forebay. • West Conveyance Alignment: The western alignment conveyance option runs along the western edge of the delta and includes 20 new bridges, 34-mi of canals, 17-mi of long tunnels, 12 siphons and 720 acres of forebay. • All-Tunnel System: Some argue that the all-tunnel system, which would divert water through a 43-mi-long tunnel under the delta to south of the San Francisco Bay, would best protect the environment and secure California’s fresh water supply. Advocates say it leaves a smaller footprint and is more economically feasible than the east and west conveyance proposals.

Bridging Troubled Waters Given California’s budget crisis, financing delta improvements could prove difficult as constituencies compete for scarce resources. While economic interests such as sport fishing and agriculture advocate for enhanced conveyance, environmentalists, pitted against each other, argue for preservation of plants and animals. Representatives from the state and federal governments must answer to each constituency. Despite the rancor, California’s legislature took a step in the right direction in passing the “Comprehensive Water Package,” which set requirements for future delta governance, enacted conservation policy, triggered groundwater elevation monitoring and improved delta water diversion accountability. This package also memorialized the “Co-Equal Goals” for reliable water supply and ecosystem conservation.

A Collaborative Approach A collaborative approach—from policymaking to funding—will be critical to saving California’s San Joaquin Delta. On the federal side, advocates must work with federal officials to identify suitable grants and appropriations. At the state and local levels, flood management agencies must work together to coordinate funding requests and promote policy that meets the state’s goals for water infrastructure programs. It also will be critical to develop economic incentives to encourage private investment. Water departments must make the case to their customers that restoring the delta should be a top priority through public involvement and educational outreach programs. Given the dire consequences of inaction—irreversible environmental damage, loss of drinking water for 25 million people, compromise of the world’s eighthlargest economy, transportation interruptions and loss of land, homes and possibly even lives—the United States and the state of California cannot afford to delay.

RobVining, M.SAME, is NationalWater Resources Practice Leader, and Gen. Barry R. McCaffrey, USA (Ret.), is a member of the Board of Directors and National Security Expert, HNTB Corp. They can be reached at 703-253-5905 or rvining@hntb.com, or 703-824-5160 or brm@mccaffreyassociates.com, respectively.

The Military Engineer

July-August l 2010

Water Planning & Management

Treasures of the Deep By Robert Gearhart, Amy Borgens and Janelle Stokes

mproving the nation’s waterways sometimes leads to fascinating archeological discoveries in the murky depths. Such is the case of the Texas City Channel Deepening Project. Galveston Bay, Texas, contains several busy waterways that enable ships to travel from the Gulf of Mexico past the island city of Galveston and on to the ports of Texas City or Houston. In 2009, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Galveston District began a three-year project to deepen the nearly 7-mi-long Texas City Ship Channel from 40-ft to 45-ft. When complete, the Texas City Channel Deepening Project will enable better access and maneuverability within the channel for large oil tankers bringing crude to nearby refineries and other large ships carrying petrochemical products. In 2005, as preparation for the project, the consulting firm PBS&J surveyed a section of the 46-ft-deep bay floor using sonar and a magnetometer, which measures variations in magnetic fields—and essentially finds iron. The investigations, required by Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, found vague outlines of artifacts strewn over roughly a quarter acre of the bay floor. After consulting with the U.S. Navy History and Heritage Command and the Texas Historical Commission, USACE decided on a $3.2 million, multi-phase recovery of the artifacts.

in the Union’s battle strategy against the Confederates. USS Westfield was originally built in 1861 in New York City as a Staten Island Ferry for Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt, the famous shipping tycoon. The steam-powered ferry had a shallow draft, measuring only 13.5-ft from its deepest submerged point up to the waterline. USS Westfield served only five months in Vanderbilt’s ferry service before it was sold to the Navy in 1862 and converted into a gunboat. USS Westfield’s shallow draft allowed it to serve a unique purpose. It was used to tow large, sail-powered gunboats over shallow sandbars along the Mississippi River. The sail-powered boats, loaded with cannons and ammunition, were then positioned strategically where they could unleash their firepower at cities on the shore. USS Westfield participated in the capture of New Orleans, La., and the bombardment of Vicksburg, Miss., for control of the Mississippi River before being deployed to Texas.

A project to deepen the Texas City Shipping Channel in Galveston Bay turned up more than sediment when workers unearthed artifacts from a Civil War-era gunboat.

A Dahlgren cannon and 18 shells, among other artifacts from the Civil War-era USS Westfield, were recovered from the floor of Galveston Bay in preparation for a major dredging project now underway there. The artifacts will be displayed to the public at a future date.

A Storied Past, A Watery Grave

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Photos by Amy Borgens

USS Westfield was a Civil War gunboat that met its demise in battle long ago. From a historical perspective, USS Westfield is a significant find. Few ships associated with the Civil War have ever been found in Texas, and USS Westfield is the only Union gunboat discovered to date. It also played a unique and critical role 63

On the morning of Jan. 1, 1863, USS Westfield ran aground a 7-ft sand bar north of Pelican Island in Galveston Bay just as Confederate steamers were launching an attack on Union soldiers occupying Galveston. Union forces were routed during the brief Battle of Galveston; however, USS Westfield remained grounded during the entire engagement. As the Union fleet prepared a hasty retreat, Capt. William Renshaw ordered the heavily-armed USS Westfield destroyed to prevent its capture. Capt. Renshaw poured turpentine over the deck and laid a fuse trail from the powder magazine, but when the fuse was lit, he and 13 of his crew were killed by a premature explosion. USS Westfield was extensively salvaged in early 1863 by Confederate troops, who removed portions of the gunboat’s machinery, six cannons, and thousands of pounds of iron and brass. The boiler remained visible for 23 years following the wreck before disappearing in 1886 during a hurricane. In 1906, the site was deemed a navigation hazard and was dynamited. Over time, tidal effects produced a marked lowering of the ship’s elevation. Shifting currents have scoured nearly 40-ft of sediment from beneath USS Westfield’s remains. Luckily, the site had never been dredged, and after 146 years under water, the ship’s wooden frame had disintegrated, leaving only artifacts behind

The Excavation Begins Removal and documentation of USS Westfield’s artifacts had to be completed before the $71 million dredging project for the Texas City Ship Channel could commence. Archeological recovery of Westfield’s remains began in mid-November 2009 and was completed six weeks later. The area of the excavation site was divided into a series of 15-ft by 15-ft units. Because of the low visibility in the murky water, archeologists used sonar to guide commercial divers to the locations of larger artifacts. Items recovered include a 9-in Dahlgren cannon, 18 shells, plates used as armor on the exterior of the vessel and steam machinery (boiler and fire box). The Navy Supervisor of Salvage assisted with the heavy lifting needed to recover artifacts and sediment from the seafloor at the wreck’s hazardous location near the 64

Archaeologists screen sediment for small remains from the shipwreck site. More than 7,700 artifacts were collected and transported to the Conservation Research Lab at Texas A&M University in Bryan.

mouth of Galveston Bay. After large artifacts were hoisted from the water onto a barge and placed in water-filled storage containers, sediment from each of the site’s units was collected using an environmental clamshell dredge. Sediment was then shipped to a separate facility in Freeport, Texas, for screening and documentation. Artifacts screened from the sediment were cataloged and photographed over an eight-week period beginning in December 2009, and then transported to the Conservation Research Lab (CRL) at Texas A&M University for stabilization. Potentially explosive shells posed a particular challenge. Round shells, unlike solid iron shot, are hollow and filled with gunpowder. A timed fuse seals the gunpowder in the shell. When the recovery operation began, it was not known how many shells were resting on the channel floor, or whether any of them would be capable of detonation after they were raised. To ensure the safety of the recovery team, USACE assumed all of the shells were live. A team of ordinance specialists from the Navy took control of the 18 shells. The munitions were kept wet so that fuses could not be lit accidently by sparks as they were transported to shore. Once on land, a team of U.S. Marines took the shells to a special blast zone in an isolated area, separated from the nearby Galveston District headquarters by an earthen levee. Using closed-caption television, a remotely-controlled drill press penetrated the shells under water. Black gun powder was washed out, rendering the munitions inert and saving the shells for future conservation and museum display.

USS Westfield’s New Life Construction of the Texas City Channel Deepening Project is now in full force and will be completed by 2013. In total, more than 7,700 artifacts were collected from the shipwreck site and transported to CRL. There, items are being kept in water to prevent further deterioration while they are being assessed. At a later date, CRL will use various chemicals (depending on the material being conserved) to provide long-term stabilization, so the artifacts can be stored or displayed in air without risking further decay. Thanks to USACE, the Naval History and Heritage Command, and Texas Historical Commission, the public will soon have the opportunity to learn more about and view remnants of military history from our nation’s greatest civil conflict. All of the artifacts from the site are the property of the Navy, under the jurisdiction of the Naval History and Heritage Command, which retains permanent ownership of all sunken military ships and aircraft. Once conservation is completed in 2012, a selection of artifacts, including the Dahlgren Cannon, will be displayed in various museums under long-term loan agreements with the Navy.

Robert Gearhart is Group Manager, Hydrographic Survey and Nautical Archaeology, and Amy Borgens is Nautical Archaeologist, PBS&J. They can be reached at 800-880-5949 or blgearhart@pbsj.com, and 800-880-5949 or aaborgens@pbsj.com, respectively. Janelle Stokes is Regional Environmental Specialist, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Galveston District; 409-766-3039 or janelle.s.stokes@usace. army.mil.

The Military Engineer

July-August l 2010

Water Planning & Management

Legacy Enables Future Applications By Joseph F. Paschall, GISP, PMP, M.SAME, and William C. Padgett, GISP, M.SAME

Under the guidance of the USACE Navigation Business Line, the USACE Mobile District’s Spatial Data Branch initiated a USACE coast-wide effort to catalogue an enormous volume of navigation and coastal data products from the 21 coastal districts around the country, and link them into an integrated data-sharing framework that can be accessed by USACE staff and viewed by the public. The resulting contract, funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and awarded in summer 2009 to Northrop Grumman, will result in a product that will catalogue a rich archive of USACE products, greatly increase the amount of legacy information available for consideration in designing future projects and provide a mechanism for accessing the current state of project elements.

Enhanced Efficiency The requirements of the Navigation & Coastal Databank (NCDB) program

The USACE Mobile District has undertaken the monumental task of cataloging the geospatial products of coastal districts nationwide and integrating them into an enterprise-wide geo-database.

USACE districts maintain innumerable computeraided design and drafting files, which were the premier geospatial products for planning for decades. These files still provide critical source data for local projects, but require significant effort to digitize and database before they can become enterprise assets.

Image courtesy USACE

or more than a century, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has employed a vast array of engineering products in support of water management and navigation projects to help create our nation’s waterway infrastructure and enable safe navigation. The earliest engineering charts used in our expansion and development were made of linen, parchment and paper. Later, computer-based technologies enabled architectural-grade drawings to be stored digitally on disks and tapes. More recent advancements enable current products to be examined in relation to other associated data layers within a geographical information system (GIS) and stored on local hard drives and servers. However, until now many of these historical geographic assets remained within the districts where they had been created—in some cases more than a century hence—in archaic formats difficult to use in a modern work environment.

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stemmed from a need for an enterprisewide solution for USACE to use and store engineering data and products related to coastal navigation projects. Prior to this project, even the districts that had data management capabilities were not linked into one another’s data. Furthermore, many districts had no data management at all, and information management had become a challenge. The archives of many districts’ data holdings were characterized by various soft-copy formats, some obsolete media formats and hundreds of thousands of hardcopy mapping archives, many of which are on non-standard source material. The benefits of an enterprise solution include creating a standard “onestop shop” for navigation and coastal data, improving efficiency, accelerating implementation of enterprise practices throughout USACE and enhancing the decision-making ability of the Navigation Business Line. The desired final product will leverage ESRI’s ArcGIS Server Geoportal extension for metadata discovery. With the Geoportal extension, users can reduce time and redundancy of data production by connecting geospatial data and service producers and consumers, maintain data integrity by allowing organizations to easily share the authoritative version of data among its users, and enable search and discovery of existing geospatial data by allowing users to create and post metadata efficiently. The end user will be able to search and view metadata, view live map services, download data and manage, publish and store metadata.

Concept to Reality TheresponsibilityofbringingtheNCDB from concept to reality was entrusted to the Mobile District’s Spatial Data Branch, which teamed with contractor Northrop GrummanIntegratedIntelligenceSystems (NGC). The daunting task was initiated through a team effort in which the Mobile Districtcoordinatedacrossthedistrictsand withtheUSACEEngineeringResearchand Development Center to ensure supportability, while the Navigation Business Line workedonthecreationofnationally-standardized analysis tools and the establishment of visualization applications. 66

The NGC program management team was meanwhile preparing a program management plan and initiating efforts to staff and manage GIS analysts for the program. The first of three orientation sessions for the 43 oncoming NCDB GIS analysts began in Mobile, Ala., in August 2009 and was followed by similar sessions in September and October. The orientation sessions, conducted by the NGC NCDB management team under close integration with the Mobile District Spatial Data Branch, focused on priority data sets. Following the weeklong sessions, analysts deployed in pairs to their respective districts, where they integrated with the local GIS groups to begin the execution phase of NCDB. During the first few months of the program, the NGC and USACE teams faced challenges in separate venues. Harnessing the data-mining and problem-solving power of 43 GIS professionals across 20 states required significant project communication tools. To leverage the knowledge of the field staff to solve technical questions, NCDB used weekly teleconference calls, a dedicated file transfer protocol site, and a web-based project forum site to share insights, documents and tools. This allowed the NGC teams to solve many of their own problems and to consolidate issues so that one point of contact could transfer questions and comments between NGC and the Mobile District. The USACE team, meanwhile, was working on an inventory solution to provide a Spatial Data Standard for Facilities, Infrastructure and Environment-compliant geo-database to ensure quality of collected data, and on an infrastructure solution for publishing and harvesting metadata. The overall solution will ensure USACE has easy access to navigation and coastal features in a user-friendly format. At completion of the program, each district will have a consistent folder structure for data storage, layer files and metadata, and have their data housed in a geo-database.

Preparing for the Future As we approach operational capability of NCDB, the program’s public portal will initially allow users from

the general public to search the metadata for information in their areas and use contact information to request a copy of the data. The next phase of the public portal will allow users to search the metadata for information and then download it straight from the portal. Plans also call for integrating NCDB into search tools currently in use with the U.S. Geological Survey’s Geospatial One Stop and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Integrated Ocean Observing System program. NCDB also will be integrated with USACE’s desktop eCoastal system, an enterprise GIS system that offers engineering and decision support tools for coastal and navigation analysis that has been implemented at several coastal districts, and will eventually be offered in a web-based format. With this enterprise-wide solution, a number of engineering and decisionsupport tools can be developed at the Navigation Business Line to simultaneously benefit all the coastal districts in the conduct of their own projects. These tools’ utility will be exponentially increased by enabling database searches across the districts. Because individual districts often have projects that extend across multiple jurisdictional boundaries, sharing information between districts via a web-oriented architecture ensures continuity. Each district can benefit from sharing recent and historical project information, which can then be used to help make better decisions going forward. This unique data integration framework uses an historic legacy of engineering products to enable future applications. Through the NCDB program, USACE has leveraged Recovery Act funds to capitalize on a legacy, create real value for the present and better prepare for the future within the realm of water management and navigation.

Joseph F. Paschall, GISP, PMP, M.SAME, is Senior Program Manager, Integrated Intelligence Systems, Northrop Grumman Information Systems; 256-830-3684 or joseph.paschall@ngc.com. William C. Padgett, GISP, M.SAME, is Chief, Spatial Data Branch, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Mobile District; 251-694-3721 or clint.

The Military Engineer

July-August l 2010

Water Planning & Management

Securing Santa Maria By Col. Thomas Magness IV, P.E., LEED AP, M.SAME, USA, Erik B. Johnson, M.SAME, and Steven Mano, M.SAME

n June 1963, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) completed a four-year project to construct approximately 17-mi of levee along the Santa Maria River. The river serves as the northern border for the California city that shares its name, about two hours up the coast from Los Angeles in Santa Barbara County. At the time, Santa Maria was a small town surrounded by bountiful agricultural lands. As time passed, the city and the levee evolved. By the dawn of the new century, the population of Santa Maria edged toward 100,000. Housing and other developments bumped up to the riverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s edge. The levee also changedâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;primarily as a result of challenges to its integrity from periodic flood events. These transformations were natural and of little cause for concern. Then came Hurricane Katrina.

A New Era, A New Challenge

A nationwide assessment

In the aftermath of Katrina, USACE initiated a comprehensive assessment of flood-control structures across the United States to identify those that posed the greatest risk to life and property. At the same time, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) stepped up efforts to revise flood maps, an effort that encompassed many areas in California, including Santa Barbara County. As part of its flood map revision work, FEMA asked the USACE Los Angeles District to determine whether the Santa Maria levee could be accredited for continued participation in the National Flood Insurance Program. That request launched a new examination of the levee that included analysis of historical reports and updated geotechnical and hydraulic investigations. The result was a determination by the Los Angeles District that the le-

of flood control structures following Hurricane Katrina resulted in the funding of a critical USACE levee project in central California.

The Suey Crossing Bridge is located near the midpoint of the more than 6-mi of levee included in the Santa Maria Levee Improvement Project in Santa Maria, Calif.

Photos courtesy HDR

The Military Engineer l No. 666

A Long and Winding Road

U.S. Highway 101 crosses the Santa Maria Levee just north of the city of Santa Maria.

vee was not compliant with requirements of the National Flood Insurance Program and USACE standards required to protect against the Standard Project Flood. This prompted FEMA to undertake a revision to area flood insurance maps to meet the requirements for participation in the National Flood Insurance Program. The map revision would place up to 80 percent of structures (both residences and businesses) in Santa Maria within the 100-year flood zone. In turn, this would prompt a requirement for property owners to purchase costly flood insurance policies for the first time. In addition, USACE was required to bring the project back in to compliance with the original congressional mandate.

Tailor-Made for Stimulus Funds If ever there was a project tailor-made for stimulus funding, the Santa Maria Levee Improvement Project meets the criteria. By the time the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was signed in February 2009, the levee project was shovel ready, with a design and plan in place. The infusion of more than $40 million in federal stimulus dollars supplemented $6.7 million secured by local Congresswoman Lois Capps (D-Calif.) of the 23rd California Congressional District under the 2009 Omnibus Appropriations Act. As it is built over the next year, the project is expected to create up to 800 jobs and spur more than $120 million investment in the local economy. 68

The path that led to the levee repairs now underway began long before the Recovery Act came into existence. Congresswoman Capps’s characterization of this project as “in the right place at the right time” is a good description of a process that can be traced back to three years after the levee was completed. In December 1966, the first of what became a periodic series of flood events damaged the Santa Maria levee. This storm undercut about 400-ft of the levee with flows that hit at an estimated 16-ft per second, carving out two crescentshaped impressions midway up the levee. The local sponsor repaired the damaged areas and excavated a pilot channel to divert flood flows away from the area. A later report concluded that the only reason the levee did not suffer a complete failure was the short duration of the peak flow. Barely two years later, in February 1969, another flood event caused even greater damage. Meandering storm flows pushed against the levee at about 18-ft per second, eroding about one-third of the levee in one area. Emergency repairs were made and USACE convened a board of experts to recommend modifications. Additional flood events occurred in 1980 and 1998, each delivering a different level of damage to the levee. By the time Katrina hit in 2005, local officials in Santa Maria were on edge. On Sept. 20, 2005, the Chairman of the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors expressed his concerns to the Los Angeles District and asked for expedited review and remedial construction to repair the levee so it would provide, “…the protection it is intended to provide and that it needs to provide.”

Time to Act The Los Angeles District quickly determined that the underlying and recurrent problems with the Santa Maria levee were the result of a deficiency in the original design that did not account for the impact of directly impinging flows from meandering low flows. In the 45-year history of the levee, such flows had resulted in one complete breach and several near breaches. Based on this data, the Los Angeles District concluded that there was not a “defensible technical basis” to certify the levee without action to repair the underly-

ing deficiency. Repairs would be directed at a 6.5-mi segment of the levee that protected the areas most vulnerable to threats to safety and economic vitality. Engineering consultant HDR was hired to perform an erosion alternative analysis of the levee that would provide a basis to select an appropriate repair methodology. This 2007 report narrowed a long list of options to a few preferred techniques. From this, the Los Angeles District selected a combination of soil cement and sheet pile wall for a three-phase project to reinforce the Santa Maria levee. Soil cement was selected for the majority of the levee repairs, with a small area designated for sheet pile repairs to avoid potential impact on the California red-legged frog—a species classified as threatened by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service—that was documented in that portion of project area in the draft environmental assessment. The sheet pile method avoided the need to clear surrounding growth and the associated disturbance of native habitat for a 1,700-ft-long stretch of the levee.

On the Road to Recovery With funds in place, designs complete and the first of several contracts let for construction, work is underway to repair the Santa Maria levee system. Much has changed in the 50 years since the levee was built, but the commitment of USACE to meet its mission to provide residents of Santa Maria with flood protection based on 1954 congressional mandates has not. Hurricane Katrina was a wake-up call for communities across the United States to pay more attention to local levee systems. The Santa Maria story shows that lessons can be learned and that good has come from that call. This fast-track project is on schedule for completion before the 2011 rainy season, good news for residents and business owners of Santa Maria. Col. Thomas H. Magness, IV, P.E., LEED-AP, M.SAME, USA, is Commander, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District; 213-452-3961, or thomas.h.magness@usace.army.mil. Erik B. Johnson, M.SAME, is Energy and Resource Management Marketing Manager, and Steven Mano, M.SAME, is Water Resources Section Manager, HDR Engineering Inc. They can be reached at 714-730-2301 or erik.johnson@hdrinc.com, and 714-730-2301 or steven. mano@hdrinc.com, respectively.

The Military Engineer

July-August l 2010

Water Planning and Management

Underwater Acoustical Imaging By Lt. Cdr. Jorge Martinez, USCG, Lt. Colleen Symansky, PMP, M.SAME, USCG, Lynn Stock, P.E., and Elizabeth Burkhart, P.E., LEED AP, M.SAME

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Urgent Action Required

Acoustical scanning

A recent USACE hydrographic survey identified a large scour hole just offshore of the southwest corner of the station’s bulkhead. The scour hole measured approximately 50-ft wide and 90-ft deep, scouring at about 2-ft to 3-ft a year. A smaller scour hole measuring 20-ft by 50-ft deep also was identified adjacent to the station’s west wall. This location was coincident with a steel sheet pile bulkhead section that had been added to the west wall in 2005 in reaction to the shoreline erosion. The sections were driven to a toe elevation of 32-ft while the scour hole’s elevation was not yet affecting the depths along the toe of the bulkhead. Shortly after the project completion, station personnel identified sinkhole formation and a tilting light pole along the west bulkhead. The light poles were removed promptly and their concrete foundations soon began to descend into the sinkholes. An underwater inspection of the bulkhead confirmed that the unarmored toe of the west bulkhead had

technology was employed to help avoid a large-scale failure of the shoreline surrounding Coast Guard Station Indian River, Del.

Structural failure along the bulkhead near Coast Guard Station Indian River, Del., alerted personnel of the possibility of a more widespread, potentially catastrophic shoreline failure.

Photo by Lynn Stock

mall Boat Stations of the U.S. Coast Guard are, by their very nature, located near some of the most difficult, high-incident coastal waters in the United States. Coast Guard Station Indian River in Rehoboth, Del., is no exception. Located near the mouth of the swiftlymoving Indian River, the station’s area of responsibility stretches north to the Maryland-Delaware border and south to the southern side of the Delaware Bay. The same treacherous conditions that threaten boater safety also threatened the unit’s waterfront structures. Attempts to stabilize the shoreline included both traditional steel sheet pile bulkhead sections and riprap toe armoring around the perimeter. Despite these efforts, the structural stability of the southern and western bulkheads, as well as the safety of the operations buildings behind them, was still in jeopardy. Since the construction of the Indian River inlet jetties in the late 1930s, properties along the banks of the inlet have had ongoing localized accelerated erosion. When Station Indian River was constructed in 1964, the bulkhead shoreline on the north side of the river was aligned with the adjacent existing shorelines; the station’s southern boundary is now 350-ft south of its closest neighbor. The shoreline erosion and high flow rates have been studied by federal agencies including the Coast Guard and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) as well as the Delaware Department of Transportation. Both the Coast Guard and Delaware Department of Transportation have maintained a compressed cycle of underwater structural inspections and hydrographic surveys at their sites to keep a close watch on their structures’ stability.

Old Timber Sheeting STA. 0+30 STA. 0+50 STA. 1+00

W.L. Elev. +3.0’

Timber Fender STA. 1+88 New Bulk- Old Bulkhead Section head

STA. 3+00

STA. 3+41

An underwater acoustical scan of the west bulkhead performed in 2008 shows the newlyplaced rip rap.

Image by Brian Dilworth

Channel Bottom Elevation on 10/8/08 Newly Placed Riprap

kicked out as the scour hole grew not only in depth, but in width towards the station. Backfill had begun migrating under the toe of the bulkhead and into the river; the waterfront structure was no longer stable and the station was in jeopardy. The Coast Guard installed a real-time monitoring system on the bulkhead, the operations building and the ground behind the bulkhead. The system recorded the locations of multiple sensors every four hours and used an integrated, webbased, automated alarm system to trigger automatic e-mail notifications to the project team. A major concern was that the bulkhead’s southwest corner and south wall would also fail in a similar manner. Although the failure of the northern end of the west wall was relatively limited, failure of the corner and the south wall would be catastrophic. The Coast Guard tasked Collins Engineers with the design of a short-term emergency repair to stabilize the bulkhead and buy time until a more permanent solution could be implemented. The bulkhead wall had been constructed in several phases, with the sheet piles of the southwest corner and south bulkhead driven to a depth of 50-ft—more than 15-ft lower than the failed section. Underwater inspections had identified the presence of riprap along the toe, but the extent of the armoring had never before been quantified.

Another Dimension As part of the design effort for the west bulkhead repairs, an underwater acoustical scan of the entire bulkhead sections was performed. The scan identified and dimensioned all existing toe armoring and confirmed the lack of armoring along the west wall. The scan accomplished two things: It allayed fears about the imminent failure of the southwest corner and the south wall, and it identified where additional toe armoring was necessary. Using 70

the elevations and the slopes of the existing toe armoring, an analysis confirmed the toe of the south wall was stable, though it was literally feet from the hole. Consequently, it could be concluded that the failure of the bulkhead sections nearest the large scour hole was not imminent. The scan also was used to design the emergency placement of toe armor, pinpointing the locations where riprap was required along the west bulkhead. The scans provided a 3-D measured view of the failed bulkhead. Riprap was then placed far enough off the face of the wall to ensure that no stone was piled on top of the toe of the sheets. Use of the scans, even in these emergency conditions, allowed an optimized design of riprap placement to ensure infrastructure safety. Approximately 1,000-T of 6-in to 6-ft diameter stone was placed at the toe of the bulkhead from the north end of the western bulkhead towards the center of the bulkhead in November 2008. The riprap temporarily stabilized the bulkhead as a more permanent structural solution was designed and materials were procured. A second underwater acoustical scan was performed that verified the contractor’s correct placement of the riprap. The results of this scan, as well as the proper placement of the rip rap, alleviated fears of a sudden and catastrophic failure of the bulkhead while awaiting the temporary repairs. Again, the elevations and slopes of the toe armor were verified by the scan.

A Temporary Fix A temporary repair was completed in 2009 to further stabilize the wall while a long-term solution was studied. The sheetpile bulkhead was built to a toe elevation of 65-ft with a new tieback system installed to support the increased size of the sheet piles. The sinkhole was then backfilled behind the bulkhead and the bulkhead has remained stable since completion.

The underwater acoustical scans provided benefits beyond their intended use. The scans and their images were initially obtained only for use by the structural engineers and the construction engineers. The Coast Guard engineers charged with the successful execution of this project quickly learned that the images were an important tool in explaining both the need and the urgency of the repairs to non-technical decision makers within the organization and local area. Because they could “see” the problem, the Coast Guard personnel charged with funding allocation could more easily understand the problem and its urgency. Similarly, the scans were included in all environmental permitting applications, highlighting both the problem and its urgency. Permits were readily obtained for the bulkhead repairs, a process that normally takes several months. Since 2008, the Coast Guard has made efforts to study the hydraulics at the site and move toward a permanent, long-term solution. Proposals for a design-build project to replace most of the bulkhead sections were requested and submitted in early 2010. The proposed rehabilitation includes the realignment of the bulkhead, eliminating the southwest corner of the station in its entirety. It also provided additional armoring of the north shoreline of the waterfront adjacent to the west bulkhead to curb shoreline erosion. Lt. Cdr. Jorge Martinez, USCG, is Executive Officer, USCGC EAGLE (WIX 327); 860-439-1562 or jorge.martinez@uscg.mil. Lt. Colleen Symansky, PMP, USCG, is Construction Project Manager, USCG CEU Cleveland; 216-902-6268 or colleen.a.symansky@uscg.mil. Lynn Stock, P.E., is Structural Engineer, and Elizabeth Burkhart, P.E., LEED AP, M.SAME, is Federal Programs Lead, Collins Engineers Inc. They can be reached at 312-704-9300 or lstock@collinsengr.com, and 312-704-9300 or eburkhart@ collinsengr.com, respectively.

The Military Engineer

July-August l 2010

Project Delivery Methods

Opportunities for Innovation By Anthony Ferruccio, P.E., Douglas Smith and Candice Somerville, M.SAME

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from conventional construction to alternative project delivery methods. Behind this shift is the realization that traditional methods have become part of the problem rather than the solution. Owner and client needs are changing in every market thanks to a rising demand for accountability and better value. Owners and clients need: • projects completed faster than ever, without sacrificing cost and budget; • “one-stop shopping”—one firm to hold accountable for delivery and quality; • fewer claims from designers and contractors, and an absence of adversarial relations frequently evident during traditional delivery methods; • sustainable results that balance ecological, social and economic factors; and • lifecycle value that considers both construction and operation costs.

With aging infrastructure reaching a crisis mode and funding for projects diminishing, today’s owners require the cost-efficiency, creativity and agility afforded by alternative delivery methods.

Lessons Applied Collectively, owner and contractor perspectives on how and when to best use alternative delivery methods re-

The USACE Inner Harbor Navigational Canal project in New Orleans, La., utilized the designbuild delivery method to meet an expedited, congressionally-mandated completion date.

Photo courtesy USACE

he adoption of alternative project delivery methods on publiclyfunded projects is accelerating rapidly, and the future belongs to those ready to respond. The benefits—increased efficiency, reduced risk and innovative approaches—offer rewards to all stakeholders, including owners, contractors, consultants and taxpayers. Finding new and more creative ways to complete public works construction projects saves time and money and provides our best hope to integrate into mainstream use emerging best practices in significant areas such as sustainable design and renewable energy. Public infrastructure, including transportation, water resource systems and public buildings, continue to be in a steady state of decline nationwide. The collapse of the Interstate 35W Mississippi River Bridge in Minneapolis during an August 2007 evening rush hour thrust this issue into the national spotlight. Frequent brownouts and even blackouts in the electric grid and storm-related discharges of sewage into rivers and harbors also highlight the need for immediate infrastructure improvements. Many of our cities and states have already reached crisis mode. Concurrently, sharp and perhaps long-term shortfalls in tax revenues, and a resulting drop in municipal, county, state and federal budgets, have translated into decreased funding for infrastructure repairs. Adding to the urgency is widespread dissatisfaction with the lengthy design-bid-build delivery schedules attached to traditional project delivery. These challenges can be met with creative engineering innovation and environmental advocacy. One of the available paths—already in use by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and other influential public entities—involves the shift

mains a continuing challenge. Nonetheless, actions can be taken to help derive full advantage of the move towards alternative delivery adoption. Match the Right Delivery Method to Desired Outcome. The debate over one project delivery system versus another is too often based on the perceived advantage for the individual entity. Each method comes with a particular set of advantages and potential drawbacks. As a first step, contracting authorities must examine closely the constraints and desired outcomes for the specific project needs, and solicit recommendations on selecting the right project delivery method. On the New Orleans Inner Harbor Navigation Canal (IHNC) project performed for the USACE Hurricane Protection Office, the desired outcome and accompanying constraint was clear. Congress mandated a 2011 completion for the hurricane defense systems for New Orleans. A designbuild delivery system, where design and construction could occur simultaneously to meet the mandated delivery date, was the proper choice. Based on both the diligent procurement of USACE, and the efforts made by the selected contractor team, the project is on schedule to meet the mandated completion date. Another alternative delivery method utilized to expedite overall project delivery is the early contractor involvement (ECI) method, which allows the owner to engage the services of a general contractor to provide preconstruction services concurrent with the ongoing design effort. Many procurement departments are seeing greater acceptance of ECI because it offers the early participation of a construction expert and the ability to delay setting a fixed price until more is known about preexisting site conditions and other project risks. Cultural and Behavioral Change. Any project delivery system is only as effective as the ability of the individual team members to make it work successfully. A primary obstacle to success with alternative delivery methods remains the ability to integrate the entrenched cultural differences between the designer and the contractor. Indeed, in some cases, these cultural differences may exhibit outright disrespect and hostility, alongside significantly different expectations about how to communicate on specific project needs 72

and objectives. Both disciplines are used to autonomy, and are generally staffed with TypeA personalities, with strong wills and an ability to act decisively. Designers are not always open to and comfortable with contractor input during the design process. Contractors are reluctant to contend with the ambiguity of the design process, and may feel that designers lack the sense of urgency inherent in the design-build or ECI process. Given the enormous changes taking place with technology, energy conservation and sustainability, firms looking to participate on public projects must invest in improving collaboration skills and overcoming systemic resistance so that disciplined integration occurs on all fronts. Invest in Responsive Contracting Support. The speed and flexibility of alternative delivery systems relies heavily on a strong partnership between the ownerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s contracting and administration team and the hired design and construction team. Progress must continue in aligning owner and contractor expectations, and public agency leaders should invest in preparing their delivery systems and staff for continual improvement in project delivery. One helpful step is to ensure that key individuals have the benefit of an in-person connection. In this fast-paced world, it can be easy to let e-mail carry the load in communicating. But when the administrative and support team can meet and build rapport with service provider teams, a greater understanding of the needs and preferences on all sides emerges. For this reason, the co-location of the parties under one roof often helps to facilitate communication in ways that greatly enhance and expedite understanding. During the planning and negotiation of infrastructure projects, a healthy and educational dialogue on contract support and the response time needs also should take place. Expectations can only be met once they are fully understood. Once this foundation of mutual understanding, respect and aligned expectations is built, tremendous results can follow. The IHNC project in New Orleans started with extensive inperson outreach and coordination with the pool of potential bidders, and continued through formal partnering sessions with the chosen contractor and daily personal

interaction between USACE and the engineering and construction team members. Integrate Sustainability and Ecological Innovation. USACE has established a greenhouse gas reduction target calling for a 23 percent decrease to be achieved by 2020. Reaching or exceeding this target is a key metric of meeting the requirements of Executive Order 13514, the sustainability directive issued by President Obama guiding federal leadership in environmental and energy performance. Virtually all public-sector owners are implementing similar strategies for sustainable outcomes. Alternative delivery systems, with their emphasis on up-front scoping and â&#x20AC;&#x153;whatifâ&#x20AC;? analysis, offer an ideal opportunity to consider ecology first on every project. Renewable energy provides a perfect opportunity to fulfill the promise of collaboration inherent in alternative project delivery systems. The size and significant land impact of most infrastructure projects provides ample room for integrating alternative energy innovation including solar, wind power, geothermal and hydroelectric power. However, constraints exist that may interfere with the selection process, for instance, when a design-build proposal has higher up-front costs that are intended to save operation expenses and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Summary With the new wave of alternative project delivery systems gaining mainstream acceptance, owners will increasingly rely on engineers, consultants, contracting officers and constructors who are able to take projects from cradle to grave while providing innovative turnkey results. The sooner stakeholders can shed traditional project thinking and divest singular self interest, the better we can meet the infrastructure challenges of this and future generations. Anthony Ferruccio, P.E., is Executive Vice President and Division Manager, MACTEC Inc.; 770360-0619, or tcferruccio@mactec.com. Douglas Smith is Chief Operating Officer, Bioengineering Group; 978-740-0096, or dsmith@ bioengineering.com. Candice Somerville, M.SAME, is President, Outside the Box LLC; 804-347-8803, or candice.otb@ gmail.com.

The Military Engineer

July-August l 2010

Project Delivery Methods

An Installation in Transition By Rachel V. Goodspeed

together to iron out project-specific differences in standards, processes, criteria and preferences,” Col. Kem said. “That just wasn’t going to work here. The magnitude and timeline demanded an entirely new model for collaboration.”

A Holistic Perspective Because the projects were located in Germany, U.S. engineers were required to follow a U.S.-German agreement to work through Bauämter, or German state construction offices. That extra layer of bureaucracy have could have potentially slowed down these critical projects, said Peter Barth, the USACE EB-G Regional Program Manager, were it not for a unique solution: the development of a Baudeinstelle, or construction service location, where highly-qualified professionals from both the U.S. and Germany could come together and dedicate their time solely to the Grafenwoehr program. According to Barth, the Baudeinstelle

Unique project delivery methods brought a new community to fruition on time and on budget in Grafenwoehr, Germany.

Part of the more than $700 million EB-G program, the completed Netzaberg military family housing area includes 800 homes on the border of Grafenwohr Training Area, Germany.

USACE photo by Justin Ward

he U.S. Army’s biggest construction project in Europe since the 1950s was delivered on scope, on time and, most importantly, on budget. However, for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Efficient Basing Grafenwoehr (EB-G) was not business as usual. The U.S. Army Europe initiative to consolidate command and control headquarters and six battalion-sized elements in Germany consisted of more than 150 projects valued at close to $1 billion, with the USACE Europe District managing about $100 million each year since 2001. Succeeding in bringing these massive construction projects to fruition required innovative approaches to organization and acquisition, said Col. John Kem, P.E., M.SAME, USA, USACE Europe District Commander, in a speech during the official EB-G transition ceremony in April 2010. “Normally, each U.S. Army construction project in Germany is dealt with individually, with U.S. and German experts coming

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was probably the most important factor to the success of this extraordinarily large and fast-paced program, as it shortened lines of communication. Rather than waiting for e-mails or playing phone tag, Barth said the group—comprised of members from USACE, the Grafenwoehr Army Garrison and Bauämter—could walk down the hall to deliver a message. “We made the communication process more efficient just by utilizing face-to-face meetings and verbal communication. We had open communication with the garrison and with the Bauämter and we identified problems very early so we could come up with the right ways to compensate.” Moreover, the team provided continuity uncommon within many military construction projects. “On the U.S. side, we are challenged with the rotation of people every few years,” Barth said. “Programming began in 2000 and construction began in 2002—that’s 10 years for this program. We had to take the approach of keeping people as long as possible.” Additionally, rather than approaching the EB-G effort as individual projects, the team looked at the effort as a whole program. “We needed to know what the impact of one project would be on another if it was not constructed, and what the impact would be to the garrison if we completed one facility that cut off access to the construction site of another facility,” Barth said. “When you see it as a program, you see the benefits and impacts of each project to the next.” By taking this program perspective, the team could discern the utility needs to support all the new facilities and in what sequence infrastructure needed to be constructed. Any traffic issues, earth management, site accessibility and even contractor access to the post all needed to be considered on the whole.

Meeting Unique Challenges Soil management provided a unique challenge. Grafenwoehr’s training area was a German military site during World War II until it was bombed. At the time, environmental contamination was not as scrutinized as it is today. “We had to do a significant cleanup of the site—oil spills, waste from the war and even an anti-aircraft gun buried in the ground,” Barth said. 74

“The challenge here is that we really had to include host-nation federal agencies like the water protection board. They were very concerned about limiting contaminations, coordinating cleanup and the use of partially-contaminated material.” Despite the environmental concerns, the EB-G team came up with a plan to reuse crushed asphalt and concrete rather than disposing it in a landfill and purchasing gravel, saving roughly $1.5 million. Keeping projects on budget and on schedule was one of the most challenging aspects of the EB-G program, according to Barth. Despite the holistic approach, the program team still had to piece-meal the program into bite-sized, $2 million to $20 million projects that allowed multiple local contractors to participate—an approach that differs from similar stateside projects and could have caused delays. “One contractor means less layers and less schedules to coordinate—less individual projects,” he said. “But it was give and take. Breaking down the program to individual projects benefited the local industry, which helped garner public support from the German community.” Another cause for potential delays was the German weather. With budgets approved mid-October, contracts could not be awarded right away due to harsh winter conditions. “It was a permanent struggle to deliver the projects in time,” Barth said, as some projects had to be split into parts that could be worked immediately and parts that were weather-dependent. To save time, the team worked to develop contracting and solicitation methods that shortened the time the Bauämter needed for an award. “We really tried to have an interactive process during the award process,” Barth said. “The Bauämter would work on their bid package while we worked parallel on our award package. We had preliminary discussions with them about where the bid is and if we would need additional money.” Another time-saving technique was the decision to bring in U.S. companies to design the larger projects that required an understanding of U.S. administrative processes. “We pulled in U.S. design companies for the schools, for example, because they had an excellent understanding about what our school needs would be,” Barth

said. “So the U.S. company came up with the basic design and got together with the German company to convert that design into German specifications.” Finally, the push to use or adapt available U.S. military design standards played a critical part in keeping the program on time and on budget. “Even though the German architects have a tendency to bring in a little of their design culture, we really were sticking to the plan in making repetitive designs and constructed 12 similar barracks buildings or six similar-looking vehicle maintenance shops,” Barth said. At the same time, the team added efficiency features to make the facilities greener and easier to maintain. “We have to meet host-nation standards in terms of energy conservation, which are pretty high, so a lot of the facilities are very efficient in terms of reusable energy and even in terms of using local construction materials so we didn’t have to import it from all over the world.”

A Station of Choice In total, EB-G provided the facilities to change the former 1,000-soldier garrison into an installation that could support more than 3,500 soldiers and 5,000 family members. “It is an understatement to say it was a lot of work,” Col. Kem said at the transition ceremony. ”But somehow our engineers, architects and master planners made it look easy.” Projects included the Netzaberg Housing Area with 830 three- and four-bedroom units; a shopping center that boasts a 250-seat food court, post exchange, commissary and concessions mall; troop billet buildings, company buildings and motor pools; a physical fitness center with a running track and multi-purpose field; upgraded medical facilities; and a modern dining facility. “This program has turned Grafenwoehr from the Army’s premiere training facility outside the United States to a truly modern, highly-developed community,” Col. Kem said. “It’s a station of choice and a community of excellence.” Rachel V. Goodspeed is Technical Writer-Editor, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Europe District; (DSN) 314-570-2847 or rachel.v.goodspeed@ usace.army.mil.

The Military Engineer

July-August l 2010

Project Delivery Methods

IDBB at Fort Belvoir By Christian E. Jahrling, M.SAME, Terence Williams, P.E., LEED AP, and Aimee O. Alix, LEED AP, M.SAME

zation. “Both are derivatives of the traditional design-bid-build approach that give the owner more flexibility in the design phase. The idea is to gain benefits of the CM-at-Risk and design-build approaches, while still maintaining the owner control feature that traditional design-bid-build offers. Kansas City District’s ECI strategy on Leavenworth’s Lewis and Clark Center contained a price ceiling, similar to a CMat-Risk-type contract. Subsequently, North Atlantic Division adopted the approach for the Fort Belvoir Community Hospital and National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency campus, but changed the term to IDBB. Since these projects were much larger scale, the ceiling price was bid, not stipulated. It was expected that the owner and contractor would engage in firm fixedprice negotiations at a production point at

The Fort Belvoir Community Hospital, currently under construction in Virginia, illustrates the benefits and challenges of the integrated design-bid-build project delivery approach.

This rendering shows the completed Fort Belvoir Community Hospital, a BRAC-mandated 1.3-million-ft2 facility being delivered on a fast-tracked schedule by the USACE Norfolk District.

Rendering by Dennis Allain

volution of the integrated design-bid-build (IDBB) concept began in 2000 with the construction of the Lewis and Clark Center at Fort Leavenworth, Kan. Called early contractor involvement (ECI) by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Kansas City District team, which oversaw the project, the approach was the inspiration for the USACE North Atlantic Division’s IDBB approach for two Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC)mandated projects at Fort Belvoir, Va.: the Fort Belvoir Community Hospital (FBCH) and the National GeospatialIntelligence Agency (NGA) campus. “There is confusion about ECI and IDBB, but they are essentially synonymous terms,” explains Kim Denver, Director of the USACE National Contracting Organi-

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the 85 percent design mark.” According to Col. Andrew Backus, USA, USACE Norfolk District Commander, IDBB was an attractive delivery method for the FBCH due to “five words: size, complexity, urgency, uncertainty and funding constraints. BRAC law imposed a hard completion date, so this is a fundamental shift in priorities from the traditional approach to military construction. “With the FBCH project, the BRAC timing requirements and the heightened scrutiny of medical care in the National Capital Region really made time ‘first among equals’ in the time-cost-quality triple constraint. That is not to say we aren’t closely watching cost and quality, but it has clearly been a paradigm shift.” IDBB was attractive for FBCH for other reasons, as well. The owner can select both designer and builder specific to their expertise with the project type. The owner also controls both contracts directly and can initiate construction immediately even as design is taking shape. Additionally, the owner can optimize ECI in the design process and designer participation in the field during construction. Lastly, there is an opportunity to foster a “win-win” attitude throughout the entire team by designing and building a world-class facility in record-breaking time.

Case Study: Fort Belvoir Community Hospital The FBCH project was originally slated as a MILCON replacement hospital for the existing DeWitt Hospital on Fort Belvoir. After BRAC was passed, the project was included in the BRAC program as a community hospital. FBCH is a 1.3-million-ft2 facility with 55 primary and specialty clinics and 120 patient beds, two parking structures with 3,600 parking spots, a central utility plant and a helipad. Overseeing and reviewing the medical aspects of the hospital for USACE are the Medical Facilities Center of Expertise and Standardization, the Health Facilities Planning Office and various user groups that will ultimately occupy and operate the facility. World-Class Care. What started as a napkin sketch in February 2007 evolved into a complex design capable of delivering world-class medical services to the soldiers and families who will use the hospi76

tal. The concept is based on the principles of Evidence-Based Design (EBD), which integrates features proven to enhance healing while improving the workplace environment for the healthcare staff. The four principles of EBD include: provide patient- and family-centered care, and care of the whole person; improve healthcare quality and safety; provide a positive work environment; and design for maximum standardization, future flexibility and growth. Each principle is supported by specific design features within FBCH and augmented by the team’s commitment to sustainability. FBCH is designed to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Silver certification and significantly reduce energy consumption. Once operating, the hospital will consume 27 percent less energy than a typical hospital, equating to nearly $500,000 in annual savings. It will also reduce CO2 emissions by 4,000-T; reduce potable water consumption (up to 1.6-million-G annually) by using captured rainwater for irrigation; and has already recycled more than 3,500-T of waste during construction. Schedule. Hospital design started in November 2006, and a 10 percent design was issued for bid in early 2007. Turner/ Gilbane was the successful bidder and worked with USACE and HDR/Dewberry to value engineer the project within budget. Based on the value engineering model, both design and construction moved forward aggressively. By the time design was substantially complete, construction was already 50 percent complete. The construction contract set an aggressive 1,264-day schedule for construction that would prove extremely difficult given that the contractor was leaning forward with the design team. Having the construction contractor working in the designer’s office the first year was extremely helpful in getting an early start on the project, but construction quickly caught up to design. The project schedule was sequenced to work from the outside garages toward the center. This meant starting the central utility plan and parking garages first, then the clinic buildings, followed by the hospital tower at the center. This sequence was initiated for three main reasons: the central critical care building would likely take the longest to design and had the highest risk for rework

potential from hyper-fast track; the construction of the two-story clinic buildings before the tower would allow the team to benefit from having built the “world’s largest mockup”; and workforce concerns prevalent prior to the economic downturn forced the team to consider completing the less-complicated work earlier to allow a full workforce focus on the last building. The IDBB acquisition method increased flexibility, risk and effort for the government while turning a 10-year project into a five-year project.

Lessons Learned Because of the novel acquisition approach for the FBCH, the USACE Norfolk District contracted with McDonough Bolyard Peck to formally gather and analyze lessons learned for the project, an effort to be completed in three phases. Phase one yielded 38 lessons linked to contract planning and execution, leadership and staffing, processes and procedures, and collaboration and partnering. Of these, a critical takeaway related to the IDBB acquisition process: “Transition from cost-mode to firm-fixed-price mode in an IDBB acquisition is a process to which significant prior planning and management effort must be devoted in order to succeed. Negotiations continue between the owner and contractor as of this writing. The three biggest ‘take-aways’ from this project so far are: (1) design should have a head-start before construction gets started, or it will impact the ability for both the designer and builder to work efficiently. At a minimum, the site infrastructure and foundations package should be completed before construction begins; (2) BIM provided a distinct advantage to the builder in the shop drawing process for better coordination; and (3) the IDBB process meant the owner is doing both design and construction administration simultaneously. This concurrent dual role requires additional staffing.” Christian E. Jahrling, M.SAME, is Vice President & General Manager, Turner Construction Co.; 703-464-3163 or cjahrling@tcco.com. Terence Williams, P.E., LEED AP, is Vice President, HDR Inc.; 703-518-8500 or terence.williams@ hdrinc.com. Aimee O. Alix, LEED AP,M.SAME, is Estimator, Turner Construction Co.; 703-841-7034 or aalix@tcco.com

The Military Engineer

July-August l 2010

Project Delivery Methods

Respect, Collaboration and JOC By David C. Carrithers, M.SAME

tions, especially in older buildings that have had multiple alterations and lack original plans. Unknown conditions often create change orders, which increase costs to the owner. Additionally, all federal facilities owners, including military facilities, have a clock ticking with the alarm set for 2015. Executive Order 13423 requires agencies to reduce greenhouse gases through a 30 percent reduction in energy intensity at federal facilities by the end of FY15. Federal agencies must ensure that at least half of renewable energy comes from new renewable sources and reduce water consumption by two percent annually. JOC allows owners, contractors and subcontractors to collaborate from the beginning to develop plans, specifications and requirements for renovation, repair, or construction projects, on time and within budget. For green renovations, stakeholders can coordinate Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification requirements, review current conditions, possible construction concerns

Job order contracting can help military facilities and engineers achieve their goalsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;from sustainable upgrades to small business requirementsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;on projects large and small.

A key element of developing a responsive local subcontracting base as part of a JOC program is safety training and safety fairs.

Photo courtesy Centennial

he McGraw-Hill 2010 Construction Outlook Report predicts an 11 percent increase in the construction market this year. Specifically, it predicts that institutional buildings will stabilize, helped by the growing amount of energyefficient system upgrades in federal buildings and continued strength for military buildings. With this increase in work, military facilities owners, construction managers and engineers need the best tools to effectively reduce project backlogs. Simultaneously, they need to get project funds into the local economies. One necessary tool is job order contracting (JOC). A professional JOC program can help military facilities managers and engineers achieve their goals on routine renovation projects as well as large, complicated construction efforts. A JOC program is based on a competitively-bid indefinite delivery-indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract between an owner and a JOC construction contractor. The contract typically has a base year with two to four option years. The contract sets parameters such as the types of work that can be done, location of the work, design criteria and maximum amount of work to be awarded. It also has a unit price book that establishes a unit price to be paid for more than 40,000 construction line items. While JOC programs offer many benefits, its collaborative environment also fosters green solutions and directs funding to the local economy and small, minority and disadvantaged businesses to help owners achieve success.

Going Green Unlike new construction, where owners can control the design and construction specifications from the beginning, renovations often leave many unanswered quesThe Military Engineer l No. 666

and acceptable solutions. Owners know the firm fixed prices for delivery orders prior to issuing notices to proceed. JOC programs are based on a contractor’s performance and ability to deliver results. This type of procurement creates a partnership between an owner and contractor, as potential barriers, including profitability, schedule, scope and services, are agreed to before construction begins. This partnership nurtures sustainability projects through communication, coordination and documentation, and cost control. Communication. Collaboration among building owners, managers, construction providers and designers is crucial. Involving contractors during the design phase of renovation projects introduces additional viewpoints and construction knowledge, speeds construction, reduces costly material increases and hastens occupancy, reducing vacancy expenses. In Marketing Green Building Services: Strategies for Success, author Jerry Yudelson writes, “...most developers and designers find that the process for creating green buildings requires an integrated design effort in which all key players work together from the beginning. Developers and owners have discovered a cost savings of one to three percent (of initial budgeted capital costs) in building design and construction through the use of integrated design approaches. There can also be time savings as well: considering all design elements upfront often prevents costly and time-consuming redesign after value engineering has jettisoned the first design in an effort to beat changes in costs, budgets or project requirements.” Coordination and Documentation. Developing a partnership is particularly important when owners try to incorporate sustainability goals into projects. This is due to the fact that the unique requirements needed to achieve LEED certification—such as job site management, water efficiency, and energy and atmospheric controls—require a contractor who provides careful coordination, documentation, procurement and construction. Cost Control. Critics of green building claim it is more expensive because of the numerous standards, construction materials and methodologies required. JOC achieves better value because it requires 78

lower costs for overhead, construction, procurement and delivery as compared to design-bid-build. It reduces potential litigation and legal fees through joint scoping of projects in a team environment. Furthermore, JOC cultivates a “best thinking” environment prior to construction. Because scopes are developed to the budget using the unpaid principal balance, there are no surprises at project completion. JOC allows owners to direct the level of sustainability applied to any project— from simple energy savings to complete buildings renovations.

ing the SBE/MBE/WBE to ensure they meet jurisdictional requirements. Additionally, JOC contractors may conduct local subcontractor and safety fairs to build awareness for the need for quality subcontractors desiring to complete each project as safely as possible. Fort Lee, Va., where a JOC program has been utilized for nearly 10 years, recently used JOC to quickly start American Recovery and Reinvestment Actfunded projects that helped local small subcontractors stay in business. By monitoring subcontractors’ workloads, experience and capabilities, JOC contractors spread the delivery orders around so that one subcontractor isn’t overburdened with projects, thus ensuring all work is completed on time, and multiple SBEs/MBEs/WBEs receive a fair share of the delivery orders over the term of the contract.

“JOC allows owners, contractors and subcontractors to collaborate from the Achieving More with Lesss beginning to develop While small business set aside JOC proplans, specifications and grams bring value and have a necessary requirements for renovation, place in the mix of contracting efforts, there also is value in large business JOC prorepair, or construction grams. A large, unrestricted JOC progras managed by professional JOC contractors projects on time, and with defined SBE/MBE/WBE targets are within budget.” incubators for developing smaller busiFunding Local Economies While upgrading facilities, owners also must meet requirements that ensure that local small and disadvantaged businesses work on their projects. Here too, JOC delivers tremendous value. Owners using JOC programs will benefit from the ability of JOC contractors to target specific business segments to meet the agency’s requirements. Experienced JOC contractors develop databases of Small Business Enterprises (SBE), Minority Business Enterprises (MBE) and Women Business Enterprises (WBE) subcontractors to call on to obtain fair and reasonable prices. Because JOC is performance-based, it is the JOC contractor’s responsibility to contract with the “right” subcontractors— those who will provide the best service, quality and can complete the project safely and on time, not necessarily the one with lowest price. JOC contractors commit to building and developing the local economy by mentor-

nesses into viable longer-term partners for larger design-build and standalone construction projects. By allowing experienced JOC contractors to train, guide and develop these local smaller subcontractors, the best of both worlds of contracting (large and small businesses working together) can be attained. JOC has supported the Department of Defense for nearly 30 years. JOC is more than a procurement tool and construction delivery method. It is an approach that lets public owners and contractors work together in a trusting relationship to achieve more with less time and resources, through mutual respect, collaboration and communication. New resource demands, the need for responsive solutions and requirements to support local small businesses will continue to grow the demand for JOC.

David Carrithers, M.SAME, is Vice President of Marketing, Centennial Contractors Enterprises; 703-885-4615 or dcarrithers@cce-inc.comv.

The Military Engineer

July-August l 2010

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Executive Director’s Message Report on May 7, 2010, Board of Direction Meeting The 2010 Joint Engineer Training Conference & Expo (JETC) was an outstanding success, with more than 2,500 attendees—a new record for SAME. Of particular note were the Ice Breaker at the Georgia Aquarium, the Honors Luncheon (where SAME recognized 31 award recipients), the six technical tracks, the 300-booth exhibit hall and the Society Ball. The conference was conducted flawlessly by the SAME HQ staff and the many volunteers from the Atlanta Post—it was a great team effort with outstanding results. We have received 364 responses to our attendee survey and 147 to our exhibitor survey; we will review these comments carefully to continue to improve JETC to be SAME’s premier annual event. The SAME Board of Direction met immediately following the conference in Atlanta on May 7. One of the important agenda items was the proposed guidelines for the awarding and tracking of Post scholarships. The SAME Strategic Plan encourages SAME members to promote engineering at colleges and universities through Student Chapters, mentoring programs and scholarships. SAME Posts collectively award more than $1 million annually for academic scholarships. In 2009, the Board of Direction established a task force to develop guidelines to assist Posts in developing and administering effective scholarship programs tailored to local needs and preferences. After publishing the guidelines in draft, the task force reported to the board at the May 7 meeting. The guidelines were approved and have been published and distributed to Posts. This is the first time SAME has had guidelines for its scholarships programs. Congratulations and thanks to board member Ernie Drott, task force chair, the task force members, and the individuals and Posts that provided feedback on the draft guidelines. The board also broadened the language in the SAME Strategic Plan and in the scholarship guidelines to support “architecture, engineering and related degrees” rather than simply supporting engineering degrees. One of the key features of the guidelines is to suggest that Posts establish a mentoring relationship with scholarship recipients. To support this goal, the guidelines recommend greater use of multi-year scholarships—two-, three-, or four-year scholarships requiring students to return to the Post to discuss progress toward a degree. SAME is investing in the future of the individuals receiving scholarships and therefore the guidelines suggest that scholarship recipients should be a member of SAME while pursuing a degree. Student membership is free, and it is hoped that the affiliation with SAME will continue when the individual graduates from college and enters the workforce. The board also approved the new Readiness and Homeland Security (RHS) Streamer, which has gone through several revisions in the past three years. The RHS Streamer has seen the lowest level of Post participation despite its importance to the SAME mission. It is the hope of the board that the revisions in the criteria will allow more Posts to achieve the RHS Streamer. In the past several years, SAME has transitioned from a FAST START PLAN to a gap analysis to the new version, which simply requires Posts to collaborate with federal, state and local agencies responsible for emergency response, maintain appropriate training and education of a Post Readiness Committee, and engage members of the Post in the national dialogue on matters of importance to national security. A key feature of the new criteria is the linkage to products produced by The Infrastructure Security Partnership (TISP) and the SAME Directory of Member Companies and Organizations. These documents are considered important assets to SAME’s involvement with and support to government agencies responsible for planning and response to manmade and natural disasters. I have very much enjoyed my years as SAME Executive Director, and I hope you feel that I have been doing a good job for SAME. I became Executive Director in September 2002 and was due to complete my third three-year term in May 2011. I still have a great passion for SAME and the energy to continue to work with the HQ staff and the many volunteers to make SAME an outstanding organization. In accordance with the SAME Constitution the “Executive Director will be appointed by the Board of Direction on the recommendation of the President for three-year terms and may be re-appointed for successive terms.” In 2008, the board approved a succession plan that will allow for a one-year recruitment of a new Executive Director. Therefore I requested that the board approve a fourth three-year term rather than beginning the recruitment process for a new Executive Director. This would allow me to continue to serve SAME as the Executive Director until May 2014. The board approved this extension. I look forward to leading and managing the SAME HQ staff, and continuing to work with regions, Posts, committees and councils during the next four years. As always, please feel free to give me your comments and suggestions at rwolff@same.org.

Dr. Robert D. Wolff, P.E., F.SAME Executive Director

The Military Engineer

July-August l 2010

Highlights from the

SAME 2010 Joint Engineer Training Conference & Expo May 4-7, 2010 | Atlanta, Ga.

ith more than 2,500 uniformed, civil service and private-sector professionals in attendance, the 2010 Joint Engineer Training Conference & Expo (JETC), held May 4-7

in Atlanta, Ga., might very well have been the most successful JETC ever. Featuring a rousing keynote address from Gen. Charles Campbell, USA, Commanding General of U.S. Forces Command, a robust six-track technical program, a bustling exhibit hall and numerous opportunities for networking and socializing, 2010 JETC truly offered something for everyone. With that in mind, it is never too early to start making plans for next yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s conference. Sponsorships are now available for 2011 JETC, to be held May 24-27, 2011, in Grapevine, Texas. Visit www.same.org/jetc for more information!

2010 JETC ATLANTA, GA 2010 JETC AT LANTA, GA 2010 JETC ATLANTA, GA 201 JETC ATLANTA, GA 2010 JETC ATLANTA GA 2010 JETC ATLANTA, GA 2010 JETC ATLANTA, GA 2010 JETC ATLANTA, G 2010 JETC ATLANTA, GA 2010 JETC AT The Military Engineer l No. 666

Green Booth Contest Results

ongratulations to ECC, which was awarded first place in the inaugural SAME Green Booth Contest. Held in the 2010 JETC exhibit hall, the competition was an integral part of the conference’s theme of environmentally-friendly solutions and sustainable design. Contestants were judged according to six categories, with all entrants being evaluated independently by Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design-accredited judges. ECC’s booth included such designs as a compact fabric display to reduce shipping costs and carbon footprint; a projector that reduced energy consumption by 54 percent compared to traditional lights and eliminated the need to reprint out-of-date booth panels; a solar energy cart that powered the booth’s laptop and projector; and brochures and giveaways made of recycled materials. Visitors also were encouraged to take a spin on ECC’s giveaway prize for the conference: a bicycle attached to a generator. The generator powered blenders that the company used to make organic smoothies for conference attendees. To cut down on the environmental impact of transportation, furniture was purchased locally and donated to Habitat for Humanity following the conference. Included in the furniture was a couch made from repurposed Army tents, neatly tying together the conference’s twin themes of military engineering and sustainable design. Runner-up Burns and McDonnell wanted to make certain its display made a difference at every stage. The booth’s backdrop was 2,138-lbs of locally-purchased food. Boxes from the food were used to construct the booth, which also included environmentally-friendly giveaways, locally-procured plants and 100 percent post-consumer recycled carpeting. After the conference, all the food and plants were donated to local charities. Micah Group used living plants and repurposed building supplies to create the majority of its display and gave away spruce trees to booth visitors. All leftover plants were donated to local charities following the conference. Woolpert’s backdrop included a lightweight, modular design that was 100 percent recycled and recyclable. The firm’s giveaways were completely recyclable and biodegradeable, an iPad was used to e-mail fliers and brochures, cutting down on wasted printed materials, and even the presenters’ clothing was made from sustainable bamboo fabric. Contributed by Chris Reece, P.E., LEED AP, Rolf Jensen and Assoc. Inc.

010 JETC ATLANTA, GA 2010 JETC ATLA ETC ATLANTA, GA 2010 JETC ATLANTA, TLANTA, GA 2010 JETC ATLANTA, GA 20 A, GA 2010 JETC ATLANTA, GA 2010 JET 010 JETC ATLANTA, GA 2010 JETC ATLA ETC ATLANTA, GA 2010 JETC ATLANTA, 82

The Military Engineer

July-August l 2010

Photos from the 2010 JETC and presentations from the technical sessions are online at www.same.org/JETC.

ANTA, GA 2010 JETC ATLANTA, GA 201 , GA 2010 JETC ATLANTA, GA 2010 JET 010 JETC ATLANTA, GA 2010 JETC ATLAN TC ATLANTA, GA 2010 JETC ATLANTA, G ANTA, GA 2010 JETC ATLANTA, GA 201 , GA 2010 JETC ATLANTA, GA 2010 JET The Military Engineer l No. 666

Products & Services Compiled by SAME Staff

Body Armor Systems that Distribute the Load

Daylight Modeling For Pre-Construction Visualization Kalwall Corp. has developed a unique service to help architects validate effective daylight plans when using Kalwall translucent building systems. Just as traditional and 3-D computer modeling show a finished design’s appearance, site-specific daylight simulation demonstrates the impact of size, type and placement of skylights, windows, or translucent wall systems. Computer-generated charts and lightlevel schematics simulate the effects of various daylighting alternatives, enabling designers to analyze how light will behave before plans are finalized. Beyond the building itself, consideration is given to positioning on the site relative to topography, the compass and local climate. The modeling process considers factors such as the presence of mountains, trees, or reflections from other buildings; whether proximate structures will create urban canyons during certain times of the day or year; and whether uncontrolled sunlight will generate glare and shadows while blinding occupants, overheating the space and overworking the HVAC. 800-258-9777; www.daylightmodeling.com.

Pivot Fan Works in Tight Spaces Pivot 180 by Big Ass Fans is the first oscillating Big Ass Fan engineered to mount on a column and cover an area equivalent to four tennis courts. The 6-ft-diameter Pivot 180 is the perfect air movement solution for areas with ceiling obstructions or tight spaces. It oscillates horizontally to provide 180° of air flow covering an incredible 100ft by 200-ft area at the flip of a switch. And, Pivot 180 uses the same proprietary airfoil and winglet combination of the standard Pivot to quietly distribute gentle breezes where you need them most. The fan’s compact right angle drive is designed for high efficiency, low noise and a long service life. 877-BIG-FANS; www.bigassfans.com. 84

To alleviate discomfort and reduce the fatigue that impacts the soldier’s tactical effectiveness, a new generation of body armor system is being developed. A body mapping pressure system by Sensor Products Inc. called Tactilus is enabling a highly-skilled team of designers and engineers to develop new vests and carriage systems that optimally distribute the load that soldiers carry. The Tactilus pressure mapping sensor system shows pressure points that develop when soldiers stand in place and when they perform ballistic motions—such as jumping, running quickly, turning, crouching, or crawling on their bellies. By viewing images and statistics from sensors located beneath their vests, scientists can see how these pressure points move with the body in real time as they perform their maneuvers. The project is being directed by KDH Defense Systems of Johnstown, Pa., through a contract with the U.S. Air Force. Arlene Gleicher, 973-884-1755 ext. 5826.

Improved Water Quality for Storage Reservoirs Tideflex Technologies’ Tideflex Mixing System (TMS) improves the quality of drinking water in finished water storage reservoirs. TMS is a combination of patented Tideflex Check Valve technology and a piping manifold that separates the inlet and outlet. TMS can be installed in new or existing water storage tanks of all shapes and sizes to eliminate stagnation and short-circuiting. Operating on the differential pressure that is already in place, TMS keeps energy costs low, while the all-elastomer construction of the Tideflex Check Valve renders the system virtually maintenance free. 412-279-0044; www.tideflex. com.

Environmentally-Friendly Controllers Building Technologies PXC controllers are tangible evidence of Siemens’ commitment to protecting the environment. The company’s ISO 14001 environmental policy centers on the controller’s complete lifecycle: from the early stages of development to its environmentally-compatible recycling and ultimate disposability. To accomplish this, Building Technologies PXC controllers use less material and more recycled materials, reduce energy use and eliminate lead, as well as implement other measures to voluntarily achieve European Union environmental standards for hazardous material content (RoHS Category 9) and recyclability (WEEE). Siemens controllers can be counted as high achievers, embodying sustainability principles at every stage of the product lifecycle. www.usa.siemens.com/buildingtechnologies. The Military Engineer

July-August l 2010

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Small Business News Helping USACE Help You: A Guide to Small Business Firms The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) provides vital public engineering services in peace and war to strengthen our nation’s security, energize the economy and reduce risks from disasters… and oh, by the way, we have a pretty remarkable Small Business Office, with a dedicated staff and district small business specialists to assist you in your endeavors with us. You are probably wondering about the title of this article. “Helping Us Help You”? Yes. We need small business firms that are responsive and responsible to assist us with our mission. Here is a quick step-by-step guide that will assist you in completing our mission. 1. Update requirements. Make sure your firm is up to date on all requirements, such as Central Contractor Registration, Online Representations and Certifications Application, U.S. Small

Custom-engineered, sustainable building solutions from concept to completion.

Business Administration (SBA) certifications, etc. 2. Update your company profile. Make sure that your profile within the Dynamic Small Business Search Engine is up to date. This is your free marketing tool to the government. Depending on the procurement, we utilize this site to see if we are able to set procurement aside to small business firms in the various socioeconomic categories. Helpful hints to enhance your profile can be found at the USACE South Pacific Division and Southwestern Division Small Business Office websites. 3. Monitor procurement websites. There are various ways of doing this; for example, you can sign up in FedBizOpps to receive notifiers, or use the bid match service that is provided by most Procurement Technical Assis-

tance Centers across the nation. We also use the Army Single Face to Industry website for procurements less than $25,000. 4. Respond to “Sources Sought.” If you see a “sources sought” in FedBizOpps and you are interested in the potential procurement, please respond. This is another method of market research that we utilize to determine if the small business community is capable of performing the work. It’s imperative that you read the entire announcement. Answer the questions directly. If the question calls for a yes or no response, it’s OK to say yes or no. Helpful hints on understanding the purpose and how to respond to a “sources sought” can be found at the USACE South Pacific Division and Southwestern Division Small Business Office websites.

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5. Marketing. Where do you begin? First, you need to do your homework. Who buys what you sell? One of the quickest ways to obtain that information is by going to the Federal Procurement Data System. There are various reports regarding all purchases (minus classified buys) by all federal agencies. The report can be downloaded into a spreadsheet format for easy sorting. There are similar non-government sites available to the public, as well. Review various agency websites; some sites have a workload projection or understanding the mission for a particular district. Re-evaluate your business card. Does it really showcase your firm? What is the most effective method to communicate your abilities to an agency? Are you selecting small business conferences that are strategic to your business plan? Are you making good use of your resource part-

ners? These are people that assist you in getting your foot in the door. Among these people are the agency’s small business specialists. For a list of USACE small business specialists, you can visit our headquarters website at www.usace.army.mil/CESB. You have completed steps 1 through 5. Now what? Start bidding or proposing. This is the best marketing tool in your tool box. It shows that you are interested and your capabilities on a specific procurement. If you are not the successful offeror, request a debrief; this is how you learn and improve your bidding/proposing capability when seeking government procurement. We do realize there are costs associated with this; however, start out slow and go after the smaller projects first and then build from there. For further information, please contact your local small business specialist. (Contributed by Melea Crouse, Assistant Associate Director, USACE South Pacific Division/Southwestern Division)

Requesting Debriefings Following Unsuccessful Bid The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and the Air Force Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (AFFARS) provide the procedures that an Air Force Contracting Officer (CO) must follow for both pre- and post-award debriefings of offerors excluded from the competitive range, unsuccessful offerors and successful offerors. If you are not familiar with the procedures, you need to read FAR 15.505 and 15.506 and AFFARS 5315.5. FAR applies to all federal agencies, and each agency will have its own supplement that may or may not have the same procedures as AFFARS. The most important thing an offeror requesting a debriefing must remember is that the debriefing must be requested and received by the CO within three calendar days after receipt of notice of exclusion from the competition, or within three calendar days after the date on which the offeror received notice of contract award. While FAR does

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Small Business News allow an untimely debriefing request to be accommodated, if the request for a debriefing is not timely, the offeror’s request can be denied. A debriefing is not a debate, nor is it an opportunity for an offeror to question the subjective judgment of the Source Selection Authority (SSA). Do not expect a page-by-page analysis of your proposal or a point-by-point comparison of proposals. Rather, a debriefing is meant to be an open and frank discussion to allow the CO to show the integrity and fairness of the source-selection process. Each offeror will be given sufficient information so that they know the basis of the SSA’s integrated assessment. Each proposal received is evaluated against the evaluation factors included in the Request for Proposals (RFP). An unsuccessful offeror should walk away from a debriefing knowing how his or her proposal was evaluated against these factors and how the successful offerors proposal was evaluated against these factors. The debriefing must include the ratings, strengths, weaknesses, deficien-

(continued)

cies and past performance confidence assessment for both the unsuccessful offeror who requested the debriefing and the successful offerors. If there was more than one successful offeror, the information will be provided for all of the successful offerors. The successful offerors information will be redacted appropriately. No one will ever see unsuccessful offerors information except that offeror. After an offeror has received the debriefing, they should: know why they were unsuccessful and why someone else was successful; have confidence their proposal was treated fairly; be assured their proposal was evaluated in accordance with the RFP; and be able to identify shortcomings in their proposal and use them as a learning tool for future proposals. FAR gives the CO latitude in how and where the debriefing will be conducted. The debriefing may be face to face, telephonic, or in writing. The needs of the offeror are given consideration, but the CO has the final decision. The ground rules will be laid out in the notice of ex-

clusion from the competition or in the notice of contract award. Pay close attention to the instructions, as failure to follow them may result in a debriefing request being denied. Many times unsuccessful offerors will ask about a source selection or make comments about how it went. When I ask if they requested a debriefing and they say no, I do not even know what to tell them. Why would an offeror not request a debriefing? Debriefings can be of great assistance both to offerors new to the industry and to experienced offerors. You have a right to a debriefing and you can benefit from it. The primary value of a debriefing is to learn from your mistakes and have a better proposal next time around. It is your job to take the critical information given during the debriefing and use it to improve your competitiveness or use it to make a nobid decision in the future. (Contributed by Mary S. Urey, Chief, Small Business Programs, Air Force Center for Engineering and the Environment)

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Doing Business with the Navy Following are some tips for help you get ready to do business with the Department of the Navy (DON). For a document explaining all 10 steps, visit the DON website at www.donhq.navy.mil/ OSBP/marketing. Identify your Product or Service. Know the Federal Supply Classification (FSC) code (www.dlis.dla.mil) and North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code (www.census. gov/naics) for your product or service. Obtain a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number, register in the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) system, and obtain a Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) code. Dun and Bradstreet maintains the DUNS company identifier system utilized by both government and corporate officials searching for background information on companies. Go to www.dnb.com/us to obtain your DUNS number. You must be registered in the CCR (www.bpn.gov/ccr) to be awarded a contract from the Department of Defense (DOD). A CAGE code is a five-position code that identifies contractors do-

ing business with the federal government, North Atlantic Treaty Organization member nations and other foreign governments. The CAGE code request process is now incorporated in the CCR registration. Explore subcontracting opportunities. The publication Subcontracting Opportunities with DOD Prime Contractors lists all major DOD prime contractors by state and provides a point of contact (Small Business Liaison Officer) within each firm. Investigate potential opportunities with these firms. SUBNet, the SBA’s Subcontracting Network, is used by prime contractors to post subcontracting opportunities. Seek additional assistance as needed in the Navy and DOD marketplace. Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (PTACs) are located in most states and partially funded by DOD to provide small business concerns with comprehensive information on how to do business with the DOD. They provide training and counseling on marketing strategies, business development, financial and contracting issues, and procurement regulations.

Familiarize yourself with federal, DOD and Navy contracting procedures. Be familiar with Federal Acquisition Regulations (www.acquisition.gov/far), the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (www.acq.osd.mil/dpap/ dars/dfarspgi/current/index.html), and the Navy Marine Corps Acquisition Regulation Supplement (acquisition.navy.mil/ content/view/full/3464). Identify the Navy/Marine Corps contracting activity that purchases your product or service and contact the Small Business Specialist on site. Each U.S. Navy or U.S. Marine Corps major buying activity purchases supplies and services that support its own mission. Each buying activity has an assigned Small Business Specialist who is your focal point for upcoming procurements and source for counsel on small business matters at that particular activity. From the Navy Office of Small Business Programs homepage, locate a contracting activity that purchases the product or service your company offers. Each contracting activity’s page provides a list of Small Business Specialists assigned to each subordinate buying activity

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Small Business News and direct links to each Navy and Marine Corps major contracting activity homepage, many of which contain procurement forecasts and solicitation information. Identify current and future Navy and Marine Corps procurement opportunities. DON Acquisition One Source (acquisition.navy.mil/rda/home/acquisition_one_source) provides information on business opportunities. Investigate Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) contracts. Many Navy and Marine Corps supplies and services are purchased using FSS contracts and the General Services Administration (GSA) SmartPay Card. Contact GSA (www.gsa. gov) for more information. Investigate other DOD programs. There are several DOD small business programs that may be of interest to you, including the Indian Incentive Program, Mentor-Protégé, Small Business Innovation Research and the Historically Black Colleges and Universities/ Minority Institutions Program. Information on these programs, DOD publications and much more is available for download from the DOD Office of Small

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Business Programs website at www.acq. osd.mil/osbp. (Excerpt from DON website)

SBA Adds Eight New Veterans Business Outreach Centers Eight new Veterans Business Outreach Centers (VBOC) funded by SBA will join seven existing SBA centers to provide entrepreneurial development services to eligible military veterans and reservists who own or start small businesses. SBA is providing a total of $2.5 million in grants to the centers, continuing funding to the existing centers, and new funding for the new centers. “Our service men and women have made invaluable contributions and sacrifices for our country and supporting them as they pursue their life’s dreams to start or grow their own business is one of our highest priorities,” said Karen Mills, SBA Administrator. “Through these centers, we stand ready with a myriad of support, from entrepreneurial education and training to linking them with opportunities to compete for federal contracts and access much-needed capital—critical

tools that will help them take their business to the next level, drive economic growth and create jobs.” Services provided by the VBOCs include outreach, assessment, long- and short-term business training, counseling, directed referring, electronic or online assistance, and other technical assistance services to veterans, servicedisabled veterans, and reservist business owners and entrepreneurs. New VBOC locations include: Rutgers University, Newark, N.J.; Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Va.; University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pa.; Fayetteville State University, Fayetteville, N.C.; New Mexico Department of Veterans’ Services, Santa Fe, N.M.; Southwest Louisiana Business Development Center, Jennings, La.; Chippewa Cree Tribe, Box Elder, Mont.; and University of Guam, Mangilao, Guam. In addition to the grants to the VBOCs, SBA recently awarded grants to 10 local SBA Small Business Development Centers to increase entrepreneurial assistance to veterans. (Contributed by Dennis Byrne)

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July-August l 2010

The Military Engineer l No. 666

Louisiana Guardsmen Protect Gulf Coast T

he National Guards of several Gulf Region states were on standby in late May as oil-tainted waters approached shore following the April 20 explosion of the BP Deepwater Horizon oil rig. All but conceding the open waters of their state’s coast to the oil slick, various engineering units of the Louisiana National Guard spent several weeks constructing water diversion systems, assembling temporary wharfs, packing sandbags and filling breaches in an effort to protect fragile inland wetlands from contamination.

Photo by Staff Sgt. Denis Ricou

Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Toby M. Valadie

Heavy equipment operators from the Louisiana National Guard’s 922nd Horizontal Engineer Company, 769th Engineer Battalion, bulldoze sand to close a strait between two peninsulas near Grand Isle, La., May 10. The closure will be a secondary defense in addition to a boom line in the Gulf of Mexico to prevent any oil from reaching further inland.

Army photo by Sgt. Michael L. Owens

Army photo by Pfc. Tarell Bilbo

Louisiana National Guardsmen of the 2225th MultiRole Bridge Company, 205th Engineer Battalion, construct a 300-ft temporary wharf that will be used to load boats with booms and supplies at Campo’s Marina in St. Bernard, La., on May 6.

ABOVE: Soldiers of the Louisiana National Guard’s 1023rd Vertical Engineer Company, 528th Engineer Battalion continue constructing an interlocking water diversion system, May 14, near Venice, La., at the southwest pass of the Mississippi River Delta. The dam will act as a second line of defense to the boom line to protect the natural marshlands. RIGHT: The Louisiana National Guard’s 769th Engineer Battalion and State Aviation Command work May 11 to fill breaches with 3,000-lbs to 5,000-lbs sandbags in Lafourche Parish, La., in an effort to keep oiltainted water from moving to closer to the coast of Louisiana.

The Military Engineer

July-August l 2010

Engineers in Action

Army photos by Pfc. Tarell Bilbo

Left: Soldiers from the Louisiana National Guard’s 205th Engineer Battalion, 225th Engineer Brigade, retrieve sling cables attached to sandbags that were dropped near Pelican Island, La., May 22. below: Spc. Christopher A. Zeringue of the Louisiana National Guard 1021st Vertical Engineer Company, 205th Engineer Battalion, hangs sandbags onto a forklift on May 22 to be staged at the pickup site in Buras, La. The sandbags will be used to fill breaches and potentially block any oil from entering the wetlands.

Air Force photos by Master Sgt. Toby M. Valadie

LEFT: Spc. Kelvin Green, of Monroe, La., with the Louisiana National Guard’s 1023rd Vertical Engineering Company, 528th Engineer Battalion, sets up gas powered water pump for the Tiger Dam water diversion system, May 20, 2010, near the southwest pass of the Mississippi River Delta. The 1023rd VEC is constructing a 7.1-mi barrier to prevent any possible oil from coming in to the wetlands. BELOW: Sgt. Silvia Smiley lays out straps to hold the Tiger Dam system in place.

In Memoriam SAME honors the brave engineers who have given their lives while supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. Staff Sgt. Shane S. Barnard, 38, of Desmet, S.D., was assigned to the 3rd Ordnance Battalion (Explosive Ordnance Disposal), Joint Base LewisMcChord, Wash.

BELOW: Soldiers of the Louisiana National Guard’s 527th and 769th Engineer Battalions put together a wall of sand-filled Hesco container units in Port Fourchon, La., to help keep oil-tainted water from reaching Bay Champagne, May 21.

Staff Sgt. Esau S.A. Gonzales, 30, of White Deer, Texas, was assigned to the 38th Explosive Ordnance Disposal Company, Fort Stewart, Ga. Sgt. Denis D. Kisseloff, 45, of Saint Charles, Mo., was assigned to the 1141st Engineer Company, Kansas City, Mo. Sgt. Kurt E. Kruize, 35, of Hancock, Minn., was assigned to the 367th Engineer Battalion, St. Cloud, Minn.

Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Jeffrey T. Barone

Staff Sgt. Adam L. Perkins, 27, of Antelope, Calif., was assigned to the 7th Engineer Support Battalion, 1st Marine Logistics Group, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif. Spc. Wade A. Slack, 21, of Waterville, Maine, was assigned to the 707th Ordnance Company (Explosive Ordnance Disposal), Joint Base Lewis-McChord,

The Military Engineer l No. 666

The Military Engineer

July-August l 2010

Historical Perspective

USACE Water Resource Planning By David J. Lipsky

Editor’s Note: For the purpose of this historical feature, The Military Engineer editorial staff selected an article submission that has not been previously published. Rather it is an historical examination of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers North Atlantic Division’s water planning mission and its legacy.

Division’s Baltimore District, the aqueduct produces an average of 180-million-G of water daily at two treatment plants in the District of Columbia. The aqueduct supplies water for approximately one million citizens living, working, or visiting in the District of Columbia, Arlington County, Va., and Falls Church, Va. The planning and project management disciplines required to execute these historical projects evolved over time and continue today. The current boundaries of the North Atlantic Division include all or part of the 14 states from Maine to Virginia and the District of Columbia. Through five of its six districts—New England, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Norfolk— the North Atlantic Division operates and maintains five canals, four locks, 3,165-mi

Division’s water planning mission addresses water investigations, navigation studies and environmental restoration while carrying on a centuries-old legacy of civil works stewardship.

Prompton Lake State Park, located in eastern Pennsylvania, is a USACE-managed recreation area that includes a 290-acre lake and boat launch.

USACE photo

ater resource planning has been a key discipline in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) since its beginning in 1775, when Gen. George Washington appointed Col. Richard Gridley as the first Chief Engineer of the U.S. Army and directed him to plan and build seacoast fortifications. In the 1790s, USACE began planning and constructing lighthouses and other aids to navigation in the Northeast. In 1852, Congress commissioned the construction of the Washington Aqueduct to supply water to the nation’s capital and nearby communities. USACE planners designed its 12-mi pipeline, parts of which became active Jan. 3, 1859, with the full pipeline becoming operational in 1864. Today, operating under the control of the USACE North Atlantic

The USACE North Atlantic

The Military Engineer l No. 666

of navigation channels, 85-mi of breakwaters, 16,700-mi of shoreline and 12 highrise bridges. The division’s districts also operate 53 multipurpose dams and 266mi of levees throughout the northeastern United States. In addition to limiting flood damages, the district’s missions often include maintaining wildlife habitat, providing recreation and supplying drinking water.

A History of Planning USACE became the nation’s planner for water projects in the early 20th century, focusing on federal navigation channels, flood damage reduction, water supply, maintenance and restoration of the coastline, protection of wetlands, environmental protection and restoration. Every civil works (water resources) project starts when Congress authorizes and appropriates funds for planning studies. These studies consider the entire system and plans are developed using a systemic approach. Projects are constructed only when they are found to be economically justifiable, meet environmental criteria and are authorized by Congress. The North Atlantic Division participated in several significant studies in the 20th century. Following of series of great storms in the 1950s, North Atlantic Division planners and engineers conducted a number of studies to assess damages and recommend steps to reduce future destruction from hurricanes. Numerous studies and projects were authorized and constructed, including three hurricane surge barriers and one natural storage area in New England that now protect life and property. In the mid-20th century, the division’s water resource planners supported the New England-New York Inter-Agency Committee (NENYIAC) study. Completed in 1955, the study was an early example of federal-state-local cooperation in developing regional water policy. As the Chairman of NENYIAC, the North Atlantic Division Commander coordinated the group’s work with representatives of the U.S. departments of Agriculture, Army, Commerce, Interior and State, the Federal Power Commission and the Federal Security Agency, as well as representatives from each New England state and New York. Authorized by Congress in 1966, the North Atlantic Regional Water Resources (NAR) study required the division’s plan-

ners to project water needs for 50 years in a 13-state region housing 26 percent of the American population. Congress did not define the method or coordination of such a study, but left it to the participants to establish the lines of authority, the degree of cooperation, and the leadership among the federal, state and local agencies. The study considered regional development, national income and environmental quality. The division’s planners considered alternatives for providing water, power and other resources needed to maintain economic growth. Among their proposals were plans for storing water in reservoirs, developing new wells, constructing desalinization plants and arranging for inter-basin transfers of water. Planners also analyzed proposals for navigation, waste treatment and production of hydroelectric power and considered options to reduce flood damage, control beach erosion, maintain water recreation, and protect fish and wildlife preserves. The NAR final report was published in 1972 at a cost of $4.5 million. In 1966, following a drought, the Northeastern U.S. Water Supply (NEWS) study was initiated. Designed to present a regional assessment of water supply problems, NEWS was an ongoing study charged with developing a coordinated plan for essential water supply development in the Northeast. The North Atlantic Division planners analyzed current and projected water needs in the major northeastern metropolitan areas. The study sought to provide a framework through which federal, state and local agency planners could work together towards securing adequate water supplies in the Boston, Mass., New York City, N.Y., and Washington, D.C., metropolitan areas. One of the solutions identified by the study was New York City Water Tunnel #3, which was subsequently constructed.

Meeting Future Needs Since 2003, The North Atlantic Division has been one of the seven USACE National Planning Centers of Expertise, which serves as a planning services support centers for coastal storm damage reduction needs throughout the country. The centers support project delivery teams by matching needs with resources. The centers seek to improve the quality and timeliness of coastal storm damage reduction

studies by providing services to meet the needs of their customers. With experts located throughout the Northeast, the North Atlantic Division’s “virtual” team of 50 develops, maintains and applies the best and most appropriate USACE expertise, science and engineering technology to the planning of coastal storm damage reduction projects. The team is now working on independent technical review and external peer review for the Louisiana Coastal Protection & Restoration study and the Mississippi Coastal Improvement Plan. Joe Vietri, the division’s Chief of Planning and Policy and Director of the USACE Planning Center of Expertise for Coastal and Storm Damage, said “Serving the armed forces and the nation as the nation’s premiere engineering and construction agency in both peacetime and war is an ever-changing and challenging assignment. We are now faced with effects of global climate change and an increased emphasis on watershed scale studies and projects. With the many competing funding needs, we have to leverage data, information and funding from all stakeholders in order to develop a truly collaborative plan. Future generations are depending upon us to get it right the first time.” Today, USACE North Atlantic Division planners are working on a national interagency initiative dealing with global climate change. They assisted in preparation of the updated USACE guidance on sea level rise and are on the steering committee of the Coastal Engineering Research Board. North Atlantic Division planners also are engaging with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on climate change, in addition to water quality and dredging activities. “Planning is the way we use good science developing our infrastructure to meet future needs,” said Brig. Gen. Duke DeLuca, M.SAME, USA, North Atlantic Division Commander. “We also examine ways to get the best return on investment using our Hydraulics and Hydrology staff and satellite imagery to routinely manage water storage in the lakes we operate. Good planning is the key to success.”

David J. Lipsky is Public Affairs Officer, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers North Atlantic Division; 718765-7018, or david.j.lipsky@usace.army.mil.

The Military Engineer l July-August l 2010

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