Tracks 2020

Shifting Weather Patterns Require a Seasoned Approach

P&J has been a big name in disaster recovery since Hurricane Andrew in 1992. These major events present their own unique challenges as contractors must operate with urgency amid damaged infrastructure and difficult conditions. Over our decades in the business, we’ve built our own readiness infrastructure that has made us a go-to for communities trying to achieve normalcy after major events, and our disaster experts keep their skills sharp on P&J’s heavy civil and ROW infrastructure jobs year-round. This integration of disaster recovery and heavy construction experience has made P&J versatile and mobile, ready for anything on the job, and our multi-faceted experience has important real-world applications beyond standard debris management. The combination of our increasingly developed landscape and shifting weather patterns has intensified the effects of major weather events across the country. Weather is presenting a particular challenge to our projects and operations, creating unique conditions on the ground. When major storms affect ongoing projects, P&J’s extensive disaster experience helps clients manage these effects to the site while keeping the project moving.

One ash pond closure project in Georgia weathered Hurricane Matthew in 2016 and Irma in 2017, both of which impacted the project area. These storms created many difficulties on what was already a significant and complex dewatering project, but P&J’s disaster experience allowed us to mitigate the effects on the ground. Before each storm made landfall, P&J monitored the situation and implemented our Hurricane Evacuation program, which details policies and procedures for securing equipment, jobsite trailers, vehicles, and most importantly our personnel. Our uniform procedures ensured nothing was missed in preparation, including relocating equipment that could not be moved off site to the high ground on the job site with all implements lowered. After the storms receded, management ensured equipment was not damaged and that there were no fuel or fluid leaks to contaminate the site and cause environmental concerns. Both Matthew and Irma dumped substantial rains on the site, however, permit requirements restricted the off-site discharge. Faced with additional volumes to remove from the site and an impacted schedule, P&J and subcontractors organized 24-hour dewatering to remain within permit

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Tracks | 2020

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