C+S April 2018

A p r i l 2 0 1 8 V o l . 5 I s s u e 1

C E L E B R AT I NG T H E D E S I GNE R S OF T H E WOR L D A ROUND U S TUBE TESTS

Seven habits hampering firm profitability and growth San Antonio’s Witte Museum makeover

Designing a curved girder bridge Innovations in precast concrete

All the numbers One platform.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND ACCOUNTING, REDEFINED.

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CONTENTS

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THE COVER Virgin Hyperloop One anticipates developing an operational transportation system by 2021 — story on page 50. Photo: Virgin Hyperloop One ON THE RISE 14 Awards, promotions, and new hires MANAGEMENT FILES 16 Don’t ignore firm licensing 18 High-risk construction in the higher education market CHANNELS SOFTWARE + TECH 20 Pushing the limits of BIM 23 Pavement design online STRUCTURES + BUILDINGS 26 San Antonio’s Witte Museum makeover 30 Innovations in precast concrete 36 Testing concrete for quality and reliability WATER + STORMWATER 40 Big dam monitoring network ENVIRONMENT + SUSTAINABILITY 44 Houston community uses novel approach for stormwater mitigation 48 Modernizing Artic assets TRANSPORTATION 50 Tube tests: Hyperloop holds worlds of promise 56 Designing a curved girder bridge in downtown Nashville UAV + SURVEYING

58 A new generation of city models 60 A new look beneath the surface CONTINUING EDUCATION 63 Resilient shorelines 63 Wood eCourses departments 7 Civil + Structural Engineer Online 65 Reader Index 66 Benchmarks Columns 06 From the Publisher: Best consultants By Mark Zweig 08 Engineering Our Future: Embracing change By Chad Clinehens, P.E. 10 Events 64 Specify

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April 2018

csengineermag.com

VOLUME 5 ISSUE 1 csengineermag.com

publisher Mark C. Zweig | 508.380.0469 | mzweig@zweiggroup.com DIRECTOR OF SALES Beth Brooks | 479.502.2972 | bbrooks@zweiggroup.com Production & circulation manager Anna Finley | 479.435.6850 | afinley@zweiggroup.com EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Bob Drake | 616.741.9852 | bdrake@zweiggroup.com EDITORial Chad Clinehens, P.E. | 501.551.2659 | cclinehens@zweiggroup.com H. Kit Miyamoto, PH.D., S.E. | miyamotointernational.com Will Swearingen | 479.435.6977 | wswearingen@zweiggroup.com Richard Massey | 479.856.6122 | rmassey@zweiggroup.com ART director Donovan Brigham | 479.435.6978 | dbrigham@zweiggroup.com

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CIVIL+STRUCTURAL ENGINEER IS A ZWEIG GROUP PRODUCT

MARK C. ZWEIG, CHAIRMAN, ZWEIG GROUP LLC

Civil + Structural Engineer (ISSN 23726717) is published monthly by Zweig Group, 1200 North College Avenue, Fayetteville, AR 72703. Telephone: 800.466.6275. Copyright© 2018, Zweig Group. Articles may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the written permission of the publisher. Opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of Zweig Group. Unsolicited manuscripts will not be returned unless accompanied by a stamped, self- addressed envelope. Subscriptions: Annual domestic print subscription rate is $15 for 12 issues or $30 for 24 issues. Annual digital subscription is free. All print subscribers receive digital editions in addition to print subscription. Call or write for international rates. To subscribe or update your subscription information, please visit our website www.csengineermag.com/ subscribe/; or mail subscription requests and changes to Circulation Dept, C + S Engineer, 1200 North College Avenue, Fayetteville, AR 72703; or call 800.466.6275.

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April 2018

We can help design a seismic solution to yourmovement challenges

There’s no such thing as a typical project, which means that there’s no such thing as a standard expansion joint cover. CS has over 40 years of experience with projects in every seismic hot bed in the world. No wonder they call us the experts. Let us partner with you to help design the perfect seismic solution for your project. And, getting us involved early will help avoid the costly redesigns so common with these types of projects. For a catalog and free consultation, call Construction Specialties at 1-888-621-3344 or visit www.c-sgroup.com.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Most readers of Civil + Structural Engineer are consultants. Sure, we are engineers or surveyors or designers — but, we are also consultants. Besides being the publisher of this magazine, I am also a consultant and have been studying consulting firms and consultants for nearly 38 years. My experience tells me that to be the most effective at what we do — the best consultants we can be — we must do certain things, including the following: Read people quickly and accurately — No quality will be more helpful to you as a consultant than being able to size up people quickly. That means you will have to be a keen student of verbal communication as well as non-verbal cues such as body language. How are people responding to you? Manage expectations early in the selling process — If the client’s schedule is completely unrealistic —or budget way too low— it’s best to confront these things very early on. That way you won’t be wasting their time and they won’t be wasting yours. And if you can’t get those expectations realistic, it is best to skip the job because otherwise you’ll have an unhappy client. Be honest without alienating— This takes tact, which is the hallmark of a good consultant. Be tactless and you’ll turn off your audience. They won’t listen to you and you won’t be effective. A lack of tact is a big issue for a lot of engineers and other technical people. Do what you say you will, period — Good consultants don’t make excuses, they finish the job. They also do all the little things they say they will along the way such as research something if they say they will; call back someone when they say they will; hit all project deadlines when they say they will. This is so crucial! It builds credibility with the client and sets an example for others you work with. It’s a mandate as far as I am concerned — no exceptions, no matter what. Be willing to offer some free advice/help — Anyone who thinks you are going to get paid for every single little thing is just dead wrong. You have to give a little, especially to your best clients, not just your newest ones. Being helpful and not acting selfish or shortsighted are hallmarks of being a really great consultant. Maintain the highest quality standards, even for things that “don’t matter” — You want to be the best? You want happy clients? Everything matters. Every detail has to be done right. This has to be demonstrated every day to all the rest of the people in the firm so they get the idea, too. Anything less than “excellent” is “not excellent.” Know when you can and should walk away from a client — Not all clients are good. The ones you can’t be successful serving — because they are too cheap, have unrealistic expectations, or don’t treat you with respect — should be avoided. A hallmark of the best consultants is knowing when to just say “no” to a bad client. There’s more, but I’m out of time. Enjoy the April issue of Civil + Structural Engineer magazine!

Best consultants Seven practices to be the most effective consultant you can be.

MARK C. ZWEIG mzweig@zweiggroup.com

csengineermag.com

April 2018

C+S ENGINEER ONLINE

Civil + Structural Engineer provides news and articles online to supplement content in this print issue. Visit csengineermag.com daily for the latest news and check out the following articles posted online with the April 2018 issue:

CONTROL BENTLEY ® LICENSING OVERAGES.

Increasing visibility of jobsite activities By Tyler Riddell, eSUB Construction Software Whether working on a federal or municipal project or contracting in the private sector, the role of a civil engineering project manager is to ensure that work is completed on time in a way that’s profitable for the company. In private contracting, lawsuits can result when the client incurs losses because of delayed works, and in the public sector, liquidated damages are often written into the contract itself, preventing the civil engineering firm from disputing those losses. There’s clearly a lot on the line when it comes to being on time (and on budget), so what can engineers and project managers do to ensure that their plans are executed seamlessly? Increasing the visibility of jobsite activities is one of the most important measures that project managers are taking to ensure that projects are completed on time and on budget.

Manage Bentley ® licenses, Autodesk ® subscriptions and ESRI ® ArcGIS usage with SofTrack.

Read the entire article at http://tinyurl.com/jobsite-april18.

SofTrack from Integrity Software makes tracking and managing Bentley ® licenses and Autodesk subscriptions easier than ever. Additionally, use SofTrack to monitor and report usage of your ESRI ® ArcGIS license checkouts. Softrack provides real-time usage details of all Autodesk subscriptions and tracking by Package Codes, Feature Codes, Serial Numbers, user workstations, and more, providing organizations with the information they need to effectively control licensing and subcription costs. Take control of overage costs with SofTrack today. Call (866) 372-8991 (USA & Canada) or (512) 372-8991 (Worldwide) Learn more at www.softwaremetering.com and view our Solutions page, Managing Bentley ® Licenses, Managing Autodesk ® , and Managing ESRI ® ArcGIS

Project Profitability: Project managers and specialized consultants By Howard Birnberg, Association for Project Managers A wide range of specialists has appeared on the construction scene in recent decades. Most are hired by clients to aid in cost control or provide management skills lacking in the owner’s organization. How successful these specialists are is a subject of some debate. At the core of this debate is a turf dispute on the part of other traditional industry consultants such as architects. These traditional consultants would like to preserve their role in the construction process, carve out new niches for themselves, and prevent new competitors from achieving a foothold. This issue would be of little consequence if traditional providers were meeting clients’ needs. Unfortunately, many are not. There are several reasons why traditionalists have failed to meet clients’ real needs.

Also provides support for: AutoDesk ® Cascading Licenses Sequences ESRI ® ArcGIS License Checkout Activity

Read the entire article at http://tinyurl.com/projectprofit-april18.

april 2018

csengineermag.com

engineering our future

Embracing change Strategic plans rely on intelligent change to be successful.

Change is inevitable. We must change and evolve to survive. When Benjamin Franklin said, “In this world, nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes,” he may have not considered that change is also a certainty. Despite the AEC industry’s resistance to change, we are subject to change just like any other industry. Clients change, markets change, and staff members change — everything changes over time. Resistance to change is why we struggle to deal with problems and to really break out of our mold. Additionally, resistance to change is the enemy to executing strategic plans effectively. Those plans often require significant change in order to make a positive impact on the company and is why 70 percent of firms fail to execute any part of their plans. Managing and leading change effectively is something that every firm leader must learn to do to enable their firms to grow and evolve. If you can get more comfortable with change, you will set yourself apart and likely enjoy the reward of an accelerated career path. To get comfortable with change, you must be comfortable with risk of the unknown. That is where the DNAof engineers makes resistance to change naturally difficult. We are taught the mitigation of risk from day one in engineering school. However, taking risks in business in order to advance a firm is not the same as taking risk with an engineering design. We must view the risks and rewards relationship in business separately and embrace taking calculated risks to effect positive change. Strategic plans are all about the longer-term prosperity of the company and they rely on intelligent change to be successful. Leaders need younger, ambitious staff to help make strategic plans work, so step up with a willingness to effect positive change. If you work for a firm that has a strategic plan, make sure you know what the plan calls for and do what you can to aid in the execution. It is key to getting noticed and to being a part of something bigger.

CHAD CLINEHENS, P.E., is Zweig Group’s president and CEO. Contact him at cclinehens@zweiggroup.com.

csengineermag.com

April 2018

One frame. Countless possibilities.

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Patented Yield-Link ® Structural Fuse Technology

eVENTS

AEC Next Technology Expo + Conference, June 5-7, 2018 in Anaheim, Calif. — co-located with the SPAR 3D Expo & Conference — will feature six technology tracks and more than 60 conference sessions and keynotes exploring the latest trends and best practices for design- ing, constructing, and managing AEC projects smarter. In addition, an exhibition will highlight companies offering hardware, software, and services; emerging technology; as well as building/construction prod- ucts. Special features will include theaters on the expo floor featuring case studies, new products, and best practices. The educational program will feature a series of conferences-within-a- conference, including: National BIM Conference — Addresses IT needs of the entire facili- ties and construction team, including how information and electronic data are leveraged throughout the life cycle of the facility and how information standards are defined and shared; National High-Performance Building Conference — Includes exec- utive-level meetings, roundtable discussions, seminars, a vendor prod- uct exhibit, and a short-course theater to highlight high-performance building products and services covering sustainability, accessibility, aesthetics, cost effectiveness, function and operation, historic preserva- tion, productivity, and safety and security; BIM in the Academy — Developed by front-line universities that are driving industry innovation, the conference presents cutting-edge de- velopments in BIM and sustainability and how the next generation of AEC professionals are learning to apply and advance new technology; and National Specifiers Conference — Concentrated group of sessions on specifications production, including specification change impacts and trends. AEC NEXT Explore the latest trends and best practices for designing, constructing, and managing AEC projects.

Educational tracks include: • BIM and Integrated Project Delivery • Building Performance and Sustainability

• Sustainable Sites, Infrastructure, and Smart Cities • Jobsite Connectivity and Construction Management • Specs, Codes, and Standards • Facility, Asset, and Life Cycle Management Additionally, the conference features three keynote addresses: Creativity & Constructability in AEC — Ken Sanders, FAIA, man- aging principal at Gensler; and Jack Dahlgren, senior project manager at NVIDIA, will discuss highly collaborative, integrated approaches to design and delivery that illustrate how digital technology is magnifying the creativity of design talent and achieving new levels of performance and value for clients. Intelligent Design for Collaborative Constructability — David Wilson, chief innovation officer, Bechtel Corporation, discusses how full realization of digitization will entail wide-ranging components: integrating multiple sensors for capturing the environment in real time; increasingly complex data analytics; progressing from machine learn- ing/computer vision to true AI and autonomy; “digital twin” virtual design and construction to operations and maintenance; use of driver- less vehicles and robotics of all kinds; and jobsites that will incorporate manufacturing. Integrated Projects: A Vision for the Future — Atul Khanzode, chief information officer, DPR Construction, works with project teams across the country to implement Virtual Building and Lean Construc- tion tools and processes and collaborates with academia and research groups around the world to move the industry forward in the use of technologies to improve project delivery processes. Up-to-date information about the AEC Next Technology Expo + Con- ference and registration details are available at www.aecst.com.

Information provided by AEC-ST (www.aecst.com).

csengineermag.com

april 2018

events

april 2018 Complete Streets Conference aprIL 3-4—nashville, tenn.

accounting, financial management, project management, leadership, mergers and acquisitions, ownership transition planning, and recruitment and retention. https://zweiggroup.com/seminars/the-principals-academy

Under the theme, Intersections: Creating Culturally Complete Streets, attendees will learn practical ways to integrate arts and culture to create streets that not only are safe for everyone, but also better reflect the unique character of their communities. https://smartgrowthamerica.org/program/intersections-creating-culturally-complete-streets NASCC: The Steel Conference AprIL 11-13—Baltimore Educational and networking event for the structural steel industry, bringing together structural engineers, structural steel fabricators, erectors, and detailers. In addition to seminars on the latest design concepts, construction techniques, and cutting-edge research, the conference offers an extensive trade show. www.aisc.org/nascc COFES 2018 April 12-15—Scottsdale, Ariz. Congress On the Future of Engineering Software (COFES) is the engineering software industry’s only annual think tank event, bringing together executives from design, engineering, architectural, development, and technology companies to understand the role engineering technology will play in the future survival and success of businesses. COFES is an invitation-only event; apply for an invitation This course offers a range of topics related to the structural design of wood-frame buildings as well as design measures that can enhance the in-service performance of structural elements. www.cpe.vt.edu/sdtwc/index.html Structures Congress 2018 April 19-21—Ft. Worth, Texas Learn the latest from the experts who develop SEI/ASCE standards and earn PDHs from 12 tracks of technical sessions, including Buildings, Bridges, Natural Disasters, Professional Practice, Risk Management, Blast, Materials, Seismic, Forensics, and more. www.structurescongress.org The Principals Academy April 26-27—Sonoma, Calif. June 7-8—Aspen, Colo. using the link below. http://apply.cofes.com Structural Design Topics in Wood Construction April 16-18—BLACKSBURG, VA

MAY 2018

Leadership Skills for AEC Professionals May 2-3—Miami Nov. 14-15—San Francisco

Specifically developed to provide design and technical professionals with the skills to become more competent leaders, including strategies and techniques that will help them grow personally and professionally. https://zweiggroup.com/seminars/leadership-skills-for-aec-professionals CFSEI Annual Expo May 15-16—San Diego Cold-Formed Steel Engineers Institute event provides opportunities for education and networking as well as an exposition featuring state-of- the-art innovations, technologies, and principles in cold-formed steel framing. www.cfsei.org/2018-cfsei-expo WTS International Annual Conference May 16-18—San Diego More than 700 corporate and governmental transportation leaders worldwide are expected to exchange ideas and learn about the latest developments in the industry. Optional technical tours are offered of some of the nation’s most impressive transportation hubs and iconic infrastructure and landmarks. www.wtsinternational.org/networking/annual-conference Municipal Wet Weather Stormwater Conference May 21-23—Chattanooga, Tenn. Hosted by EPA Region 4, International Erosion Control Association (IECA) Southeast Chapter, and IECA Region One, the conference includes technical presentations and case studies related to municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4), focused on the Southeast U.S. www.ieca.org

JUNE 2018

ITS America 27th Annual Meeting June 4-7—Detroit

Themed Transportation 2.0, the Intelligent Transportation Society of America conference focuses on topics such as automation, connected vehicles, and cyber security, as well as educational sessions and presentations on the future of mobility and cutting-edge technology exhibits and demonstrations. https://itsdetroit2018.org

July 19-20—Montreal, Canada Oct. 25-26—Charleston, S.C.

Intensive course in all aspects of managing a professional service firm, including business planning, marketing/business development,

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april 2018

AEC NEXT June 5-7—Anaheim, Calif.

KEEP YOUR PROJECT COVERED WITH CLEARSPAN STRUCTURES

Six technology tracks and more than 50 conference sessions explore the latest trends and best practices for designing, constructing, and managing AEC projects smarter. Exhibits showcase the latest products and emerging technologies. www.aecst.com

International Bridge Conference June 11-14—National Harbor, Md.

SATISFIES PURCHASING REQUIREMENTS

The IBC annually attracts more than 1,200 bridge owners and engineers, senior policy makers, government officials, bridge designers, construction executives, and suppliers from throughout the U.S. and abroad. https://eswp.com/bridge/bridge-home HxGN Live June 12-15—Las Vegas Hexagon’s annual cross-industry technology conference welcomes thousands of business leaders from around the world to attend educational keynotes and sessions, and to enhance their skills with interactive training. https://hxgnlive.com/2018 Real Marketing and Branding for AEC Firms June 21—Miami Designed to bring clarity and distinction between marketing and sales (business development), this course will aid all levels of staff to understand how to market the firm and build the brand in their respective roles. https://zweiggroup.com/seminars/real-marketing-and-branding-for-aec-firms AEC Business Development Training June 22—Miami Specifically developed to help design and technical professionals become more comfortable dealing with clients and promoting the firm and its services. https://zweiggroup.com/seminars/aec-business-development-training SuperPile ’18 June 27-29—New York Presentations on the latest developments in augered cast-in-place/drilled displacement piles, drilled shafts, driven piles, ground improvement, helical piles and tiebacks, marine foundations, micropiles, testing and evaluation of foundation systems, and seismic and lateral loads. www.dfi-superpile.org

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SATISFIES PURCHASING REQUIREMENTS

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with infrastructure planning, design, operation, and management professionals and get up-to-date information about federal and state policies and initiatives that are shaping the profession. www.asce-ictd.org Excellence in Project Management Tutorial and case study workshop sessions present critical areas every project manager should know from the perspective of architecture, engineering, and environmental consulting firms. https://zweiggroup.com/seminars/excellence-in-project-management July 18—Boston Nov. 28—Atlanta Check online at csengineermag.com/event-directory/ for events later in 2018. Send information about upcoming conferences, seminars, and exhibitions relevant to civil and structural engineering to bob drake at bdrake@zweiggroup.com.

JULY 2018

International Conference on Transportation & Development July 15-18—Pittsburgh Discover the latest innovations and learn more about major technologies and their impact on transportation and development. Network

April 2018

csengineermag.com

Awards, promotions, and new hires

on the rise

Dennis Baker was named Northern New England area manager for transportation and infrastructure at WSP USA. Based in the firm’s Boston office, he will oversee the firm’s transportation and infrastructure practice in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, and Vermont. Caroline Downing was named New England operations manager for transportation. Also based in the Boston office, she will lead enhanced project reviews for large, complex projects to assess fi- nancial performance, risks, opportunities, staffing, and client satisfaction. David Warner, P.E. , was named Northwest Pacific district manager, Seattle office area manager, and vice president of WSP USA. He has 15 years of experience in the transportation industry, focusing on business and operations management, business development, project management, and pro- gram management. Fred Tallarico, P.E. , was named national director for alternative delivery at WSP USA. He will manage WSP’s pursuit and execution of transit, highway, and infrastructure projects using alternative delivery methods such as design-build and public-private partnerships. Davis, Bowen & Friedel (DBF) welcomed three new employees. Yancey Wetterich has more than 13 years of experience in civil design and is skilled in 11 types of 2D and 3D CAD programs. Brandon Mace, E.I.T. , recently joined the firm to assist the engineering de- partment on the Sail Side Condominium in Rehoboth, Del., and Sand Hill Valley Clubhouse & Amenities in Milton, Del. Jason Kehler , with a degree in landscape architecture from West Virginia University, will assist DBF’s Site Engineering design team with CAD and Sketch-up 3D Modeling. Laura Weis, P.E. , joined Michael Baker International as vice president and office executive in Dallas. She has more than 21 years of experience delivering en- gineering and project management services on civil infrastructure projects, including planning, design, estimating, and construction support. Patty Dunaway, P.E ., joined Michael Baker International as office ex- ecutive in Louisville, Ky. She has more than 27 years of experience, including roles of increasing responsi- bility for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. Dewberry promoted Sam Fleming, P.E. , to associate vice president in the firm’s stormwater and resilience department. His expertise includes water resources, transportation, and site/civil engineering. Don Ham- mack, P.E. , was promoted to vice president in Dew- berry’s Orlando, Fla., office. He has more than three decades of experience, including alternative develop-

ment, preliminary and final designs, preparation of construction documents, construction inspection, and field engineer assignments. Todd Brooks, P.E. , joined Dewberry as a senior associate and manager of the traffic engineering group in the firm’s Raleigh, N.C., office. He has more than 30 years of experience in traffic engineering, including intelligent transportation systems. Rob Singer, P.E. , joined Kleinfelder’s Central Divi- sion as the Civil Infrastructure lead. He has more than 26 years of experience in engineering and operations management roles for consulting firms in the Greater Denver area. Stephen Plauson, P.E., G.E. , rejoined Kleinfelder as a principal geotechnical engineer in the Great Valley Area of California. He has more than 23 years of geotechnical engineering, materials testing, and construction inspection experience. Sam Yu, CCM, DBIA , was promoted to senior vice president in STV’s Construction Management (CM) Division on the West Coast. Yu was named the firm’s CM Western Territory manager in 2015 and under his leadership the group has more than quadrupled in size. Derya Thompson, CEng, MIStructE, ENV SP , joined Thornton Tomasetti’s Weidlinger Transporta- tion practice as a senior vice president and U.S. West Region leader. She has more than 25 years of design- build and public-private partnership experience in the design, delivery, procurement, and management of complex transportation and infrastructure projects. Jim Dray joined Thornton Tomasetti as chief infor- mation officer. Based in New York, Dray will be re- sponsible for all IT operations at Thornton Tomasetti, including infrastructure, network services and secu- rity, end-user support, and application management. Thornton Tomasetti announced that Project Engineer Dara Naderi, P.E. , received the 2018 Rising Stars in Structural Engineering Award and Principal Peggy Van Eepoel, P.E., F.SEI , received the Chairperson’s Award from the Structural Engineers Association of Metropolitan Washington. VHB welcomed Rene' Schneider, P.E., PMP , as senior project manager in Orlando, Fla., as part of its Land Development team, helping to expand VHB’s capabilities in the retail and hospitality markets. He has 35 years of experience, including multi-family, commercial, hospitality, industrial, and municipal infrastructure development.

Dennis Baker

Caroline Downing

Fred Tallarico, P.E.

David Warner, P.E.

Yancey Wetterich Brandon Mace, E.I.T.

Jason Kehler

Laura Weis, P.E.

Patty Dunaway, P.E.

Sam Fleming, P.E.

Don Hammack, P.E.

Todd Brooks, P.E.

Rob Singer, P.E.

Stephen Plauson, P.E., G.E.

Sam Yu, CCM, DBIA Derya Thompson, CEng, MIStructE, ENV SP

Jim Dray

Reneʹ Schneider, P.E., PMP

csengineermag.com

april 2018

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MANAGEMENT FILES

When we talk about licensing, engineers tend to think of their individ- ual professional licenses rather than firm licenses, which isn’t all that surprising. Some companies operate in states where firm licenses — generally called certificates of authority — aren’t required. Where they are required, the cost of a license is minor, averaging $135 nationwide. As a result, engineering firm licenses are rarely top of mind — until they throw a wrench in your plans, that is, when those small-ticket items suddenly start making a big impact on the bottom line. How big an impact? One of our clients recently missed out on a $1 million bid in California because their company license came in one week after bidding closed. Another came to us with more than $14,000 in penalties and a license suspension due to two lapsed firm licenses. No one wants to miss out on a million-dollar opportunity over a $135 license, let alone be hit with $14,000 in penalties, but these kinds of dilemmas are actually very common in engineering, particularly for large or rapidly growing firms. Fortunately, they are also preventable. Following are seven license habits that cost firms opportunities and profits, and some tips for turning that small-price-tag/big-impact math around to work in your favor. Rushing to bid The first habit to overcome is bidding first, then looking into the matter of licensing. In most states it is illegal even to bid on a project until you have a firm license, yet we hear from firms all the time that have bid in a new jurisdiction where they’re not licensed. This is one of the biggest causes of citations for unlicensed activity, and the consequences can be severe. Don’t ignore firm licensing Seven habits could be hampering your firm’s profitability and growth. By Jerri-Lynn Wier

To avoid missed opportunities, don’t wait until you have an RFP in hand (or worse, until you’ve submitted a bid!) to think about your licensing plans. Licensing in a new state involves multiple layers and steps, generally including registering with the secretary of state and licensing through the state engineering board. Each state has unique licensing requirements, including obtaining documentation from the secretary of state. Since applications are generally approved at monthly or quarterly board meetings, a week’s delay in filing the application can tack months onto the approval process. Include licensing in early discussions about growth strategies, research state requirements proactively, and identify prime states for future ex- pansion (www.harborcompliance.com/information/engineering-firm- license-certificate-of-authorization). Then license proactively to meet your growth goals and strategy. Getting stuck in your present footprint It’s more cost effective to build revenues through existing clients than to acquire new ones, yet many firms miss out on prime opportunities simply by not lining up for them. Map out your clients’ footprints and ask if they have opportunities on the horizon that might be a match. Where you identify promising opportunities, license your firm to sup- port them. In addition to geographic expansion, firms can use licensing to di- versify. For example, one of our larger engineering firm clients had become licensed for land surveying in a patchwork of states to meet project and client demands. They decided to proactively license for land surveying nationwide, a move that has opened up a new range of opportunities from existing and new clients (www.harborcompliance. com/information/land-surveying-license). By positioning your firm to provide a wider range of services across your clients’ operations, you can deepen your relationships and build a stronger, more stable revenue base for your firm. False starts Often firms rush into licensing to beat a bidding deadline, only to re-

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april 2018

alize that they’ve missed a key step along the way. For example, in most states, secretary of state filings precede licensure through the state engineering board (www.harborcompliance.com/information/filing- authority/engineering-licensing-boards), but that’s not always the case. In others, key prerequisites must be met. Sometimes firms need to adjust their name or structure to fit the new state’s requirements. Failing to research all of the regulatory nuances in a new state can lead to rejected filings, wasting valuable time. This can all be avoided by researching secretary of state and engineering board requirements together before beginning any applications. No one in charge Another license habit that often backfires is leaving individual licens- ing to your engineers. While many firms find it best to let engineers handle the applications and renewals, it’s critical that you install some means of tracking and verifying the individual licenses of engineers in responsible charge, at the very least. Firms often forget that wherever firm licenses are required, they are linked to the underlying individual licenses. In some cases, you can have multiple engineers in responsible charge of the firm depending on their field of licensure. For example, you can have an engineer in responsible charge for me- chanical engineering, one for electrical engineering, and one for civil engineering. Thus, if you lose that engineer in responsible charge in a particular field of engineering, you cannot practice that field in the state. If a responsible engineer leaves the firm or suffers a license lapse, your firm must appoint a replacement and notify state authorities promptly or risk forfeiting your firm license. Even if the responsible engineer in charge changes his or her address, you must notify the state. Tracking continuing education requirements as well can help your individual engineers maintain continuous licensure. Walking away While it’s important to license your company for growth, it’s also important to manage licensing where you’re no longer active. If you finish a major project in a state and don’t see immediate opportunities there, it’s important to either properly close down your presence or maintain it. Sometimes companies are tempted to just walk away, but that is by far the most costly and problematic option. If you leave a state without meeting your tax obligations, closing your tax accounts, and terminating the corporate registration (www.harbor- compliance.com/information/certificate-of-cancellation-withdrawal), you’re left with states that are going to expect you to file annual reports and other records every year, and will be assessing penalties if you don’t. If you allow your licenses to lapse, they will also accrue fees. These penalties and fees will keep accruing until you properly with- draw from the state or reinstate them, at which point you’ll have to do all those back filings and pay all those back penalties. We had a client recently that had let their state registration and licenses lapse in Florida, thinking they would never go back. Then a big op- portunity came along, and they had to submit back-due filings for each year, reinstate their licenses, and pay substantial penalties to do so. The

process to regain good standing is time-consuming and expensive. In some cases, states may not even permit you to reinstate your entity. Low budget, low priority Maybe the worst license habit as far as the potential damage it can do to your firm is simply failing to make it a high enough priority. It’s very easy to lose sight of a $135 license in the midst of busy operations, particularly for firms operating in numerous states. Yet unlicensed practice is a misdemeanor in most states, carrying potential penalties of as much as $1,000 per violation per day in some jurisdictions. Since discipline must generally be reported to other states, which often impose reciprocal discipline, the fallout from a single license lapse can be substantial. Citations are usually published online and have tremendous staying power, damaging your reputation and competitive abilities. Stealth mode The final habit is not particularly destructive, but it’s one that presents great upside potential. When you work to ensure full licensure (www. harborcompliance.com/compliance-solutions-engineering-firms) and maintain it throughout your operations, you are a much more reliable partner and provider. Your business is built on a stronger foundation with fewer risks. Yet firms rarely use their compliance as a selling point in their market- ing efforts. Once you’ve invested in compliance, be sure to spread the word to partners, prospects, and clients. Talk about your commitment to employing licensed professionals and maintaining active licenses as a demonstration of your high professional standards, quality work, reliable performance, and ethical dealings. License to succeed Most of the habits in this article boil down to looking at engineer- ing licenses as an obstacle rather than a source of strength, stability, and sustainability. By being proactive and positive, firms can enhance profits and growth and enjoy the peace of mind that comes from total compliance. To learn more about licensing strategies for your firm, check out the following white papers: • Managing Licensing to Maximize Returns: How 3 Firms Achieved ROIs of Over 30X (www.harborcompliance.com/landing-pages/ managing-business-licensing-to-maximize-returns) • Engineering Licensing: The Definitive Guide (www.harborcompli- ance.com/landing-pages/engineering-licensing-the-definitive-guide) JERRI-LYNN WIER is an attorney and compliance specialist for Harbor Compli- ance (www.harborcompliance.com/compliance-solutions-engineering-firms), a provider of license and entity management solutions for businesses. She has 20 years of experience in insurance, business, and election compliance, and her team manages licensing for many top ENR firms. She is available to answer any questions about your licensing needs at 888-995-5895 or info@ harborcompliance.com. Detailed, specific state-level licensing information is available at www.harborcompliance.com/information/engineering-license. Disclaimer: Harbor Compliance is not an accounting or law firm and does not provide tax, financial, or legal advice.

april 2018

csengineermag.com

management files

The 2017 State of Facilities in Higher Education report analyzes new trends in higher education space management, provides insight into the challenges impacting campus facilities, and shares best practices for how college leaders can fund and manage their facilities in light of these challenges.

Many North American colleges and universities are pursuing a high-risk strategy to build new campus facilities as a way to reverse lagging student enrollment, according to a new report from Sightlines, a Gord- ian company that provides facilities intelligence and analysis for higher education institutions. The 2017 State of Facilities in Higher Educa- tion report from Sightlines found that, overall, there was more than 10 percent growth in campus space from 2007-2016 (the most recent period for which data is available), eclipsing enrollment growth of just 8 percent for the same 10-year period. This is the fourth consecutive year Sightlines has documented a trend of space growth outpacing enrollment growth on North American college campuses. “In light of the facilities management challenges facing higher educa- tion institutions — notably large segments of aging building stock and High-risk construction in the higher education market Growth in college campus space eclipses enrollment growth and increases stress on facilities management.

flattening if not declining enrollment trends — it’s extraordinary to see that many higher education decision-makers are choosing to add new buildings to their campuses,” said Mark Schiff, president of Sightlines. “While our research indicates that institutions are taking steps to invest more strategically in facilities resources, the vast majority continue to underestimate the renewal needs of deteriorating spaces while pushing high-risk investments into new facilities.” The gap between space growth and enrollment growth is even more pronounced for master’s and baccalaureate institutions. Master’s institutions saw an average enrollment growth of less than 4 percent from 2007-2016, but a growth rate in campus space of more than 12 percent during that same time period. Baccalaureate institutions have experienced minimal enrollment growth since 2007 but still averaged a 6 percent growth in campus space during the last decade. The only ex- ception was research universities, where 14 percent enrollment growth from 2007-2016 exceeded an average of 11 percent growth in campus space for the same period. Sightlines’ fifth annual report includes data from 366 higher education institutions in the U.S. and Canada, with a collective enrollment of 3.1 million students and 1.5 billion total square feet of campus space, including more than 52,000 buildings. Approximately 40 percent of the institutions in the study were private and 60 percent were public. Other highlights in the 2017 report included the following: Stressed service levels — Campus facilities operations budgets have failed to keep up with inflation, creating stress on service levels. The

csengineermag.com

april 2018

Decreased landscape budgets — Oddly, institutions don’t extend this maintenance expansion trend to their landscape programs. In spite of the fact that landscaping is a relatively inexpensive place to invest operating dollars, grounds coverage areas have actually decreased 3 to 4 percent during the last decade. “Given the demands of managing more space with fewer resources and at greater impact to the institution’s overall recruitment and retention goals, successful facilities departments are being pushed to develop creative responses to these challenges,” said Schiff. “Every campus we see developing effective solutions has in place programs to analyze objective data and utilize comparative metrics to track performance, communicate accomplishments, and articulate needs to the community or leadership.” According to the Sightlines report, among new strategies being used to respond to the current environment is maximizing investment return by investing with space utilization in mind, connecting renewal to mod- ernization, and investing to reduce current costs. Download the 2017 State of Facilities in Higher Education report at www.sightlines.com/insight/2017-state-of-facilities-in-higher-educa- tion.

report found that average campus facilities operating budgets increased from $5.51 per gross square foot (gsf) in 2007 to $5.94/gsf in 2016, a nearly 8 percent increase; the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers as reported by the federal government over that time has grown nearly 15.5 percent, almost twice as much. Aging buildings — A huge wave of campus facilities construction in the 1960s, which accommodated the surge in baby boomers, is reach- ing the end of its usefulness in the next decade, creating significant stress on institutions as to what to do with those buildings. This wave of aging buildings now represents 40 percent of the space on campuses. Maintenance capital demand — Another large wave of campus facil- ities construction in the 1990s-2000s will require massive maintenance outlays in the next decade, presenting a significant capital demand on institutions. This wave of further enrollment growth and expanding program demands represents another 30 percent of campus space. Increased maintenance budgets — Many institutions are recognizing the expanding need for facilities maintenance resources and, since the downturn of 2008-2009, have been increasing maintenance budgets to tackle the challenge. In fact, even in the face of tremendous space growth to match enrollment growth, facilities funding at research in- stitutions is up 14 percent. While overall facilities funding levels are down from the 2007-2009 window where resources often effectively met need, funding at baccalaureate and master’s institutions has in recent years been on the rise.

Information provided by Sightlines (www.sightlines.com).

april 2018

csengineermag.com

software + TECH

Channel Sponsor: BQE Software | www.bqe.com

OpenRoads, MXROAD, and SUE used feature definitions to control the look of the models and objects, and their associated data, all of which were imported into MicroStation to facilitate the federated modeling process.

To relieve traffic congestion and unlock growth in the local Dunstable area, Highways England proposed the Northern Dunstable Bypass, linking the A5 trunk road to the M1 motorway via junction 11A, at the eastern end of the link road. This dual, 4.5-kilometer carriageway in- cludes three new junctions, a new roundabout, and seven new bridges. It is the first infrastructure project linking a new junction to an existing smart motorway where variable speed limits and hard shoulder running are used to manage traffic flow. Costain-Carillion Joint Venture (CCJV) was formed to design and construct the transportation system that will improve road safety and travel time by eliminating the need for long-distance travel on the A5 through Dunstable. While the project was not a United Kingdom (UK) “Early Adopter” BIM initiative, the team selected a collaborative BIM approach and digital processes to enhance decision making and realize construction savings. HDBAssociates (HDB) was commissioned to help implement the BIM procedures in parallel with the traditional 2D designs, which are already nearing completion. The team needed to incorporate the 2D models into the BIM process as well as integrate temporary works, project constraints, and traffic management as active elements within the 3D model. A key objective of the project was to create information models that supported sufficient attribute data to ensure 4D (construction sequenc- ing), 5D (cost information), and future 6D (asset information) mod- eling deliverables could be met. To accommodate these challenges among a team where many members had no previous BIM experience, CCJV relied on the flexibility and interoperability of Bentley Systems technology to deliver this groundbreaking infrastructure project for Highways England. Pushing the limits of BIM Costain-Carillion JV creates 3D information models to support 4D, 5D, and 6D deliverables. By Steve Cockerell

BIM advancements drive standards With the project well underway prior to implementing the use of BIM, CCJV faced the challenge of educating and engaging team members to ensure that the collaborative BIM approach was incorporating and building on 2D design work already accomplished, and producing models from 2D drawings without compromising the production of traditional deliverables. Following its four factors of a successful BIM project — people, col- laboration, process, and technology — CCJV used Bentley’s civil de- sign, modeling, and information management applications to introduce its BIM methodology and produce a fully federated 3D model of the scheme that could be maintained throughout the project life cycle. Teaming with Bentley enabled CCJV to take full advantage of key tech- nologies, including Bentley Class Editor, OpenRoads, and Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE). This, combined with lessons learned from other projects, was helpful in developing an effective BIM approach embraced by all stakeholders. Furthermore, creating BIM processes and tools and working back- wards from the familiar traditional requirements helped bridge the gap between conventional design deliverables and new BIM initiatives. For example, producing 5D costing reports from the models in the same format as the traditional bills of quantities, output on spreadsheets, was a tool and format familiar to the entire project team. This tactical ap- proach to BIM built trust and accelerated full engagement in the 3D federated modeling process. Effective data management To establish BIM Level 2 compliance and adopt Highway England’s draft standardAdvice Note, CCJV needed to implement a collaboration tool to control the project models and documents. The JV team selected ProjectWise and configured the software to include the requirements of the Advice Note. ProjectWise provided a connected data environ- ment and significant improvement compared with earlier collaborative processes used during the design stage, establishing a single source of truth for all project information. Bentley’s data sharing and information management technology instilled clarity within the workflows needed to check, review, and issue documents and models.

csengineermag.com

april 2018

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