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The architectural vision of Phillip Island’s Penguin Parade Visitor Centre demanded an ecient, flexible yet highly precise construction. Lightweight yet strong, the framing made from TRUECORE® steel made the angular detail of these stunning columns a reality. Engineered to incredibly fine tolerances, TRUECORE® steel is the perfect partner for innovative and ambitious architectural thinking. Precision design requires a framing system to match. Perfectly.
Visit truecore.com.au to learn more.
TRUECORE®, BlueScope and the BlueScope brand mark are registered trade marks of BlueScope Steel Limited. © BlueScope Steel Limited ABN 16 000 011 058. All rights reserved.
CONTENTS
PAGE 12
THE COVER Connecting Jacksonville with the Future – story on page 10
CHANNELS ENVIRONMENTAL + SUSTAINABILTY 12 Climate Pledge Arena 14 New Geocell-Reinforced Concrete Technology Paves the Way for More Resilient Infrastructure STRUCTURES + BUILDINGS 16 Challenge Accepted: Haugland Group Constructs a 110-Bed Alternative Care Facility for COVID Patients in Just 21 Days TRANSPORTATION + INFRASTRUCTURE 18 Rigid Inclusion Support of Roadways 20 Reimagining Resilient Transportation: NYC Ferry System 22 Women Leading the Way at the Kansas City International Airport 24 Reinventing America’s Busiest Transit Hub WATER + STORMWATER 25 Trenchless Projects in the Borough of Queens Minimizes Disruption 26 Helgolandkai: BIM Pilot Project in Port Construction SOFTWARE + TECHNOLOGY 29 Filling the Gaps in the DOT Data Flow 32 Three Ways Digital Twins Are Transforming Other Industries Right Now 34 Digital Tools Deliver Flexibility and Intelligence to Roadway Redesign Projects 35 Shifting the Needle: Increasing BIM adoption for Horizontal Infrastructure Design, a Long-range View SURVEYING 38 Sustainable Shipping gets New Berth 41 Blair, Church & Flynn Strengthens Surveying Leadership with Investment in GNSS Innovation UNMANNED SYSTEMS 43 Cutting the Cost and Time for Stockpile Surveys in Half with Drones 45 More than Just Cars on the Road: Making Autonomous Vehicles Work for Us Anywhere, and Everywhere departments 8 Events 47 Benchmarks: Zweig Group Publishes 2021 Valuation Report of AEC Firms 48 Reader Index Columns 5 From the Publisher: The Road Less Traveled Chad Clinehens 7 Looking Back, Moving Forward: Luke Carothers
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VOLUME 7 ISSUE 5 csengineermag.com
publisher Chad Clinehens, P.E. | 479.856.6097 | cclinehens@zweiggroup.com media director Christy Zweig | 479.445.7564 | czweig@zweiggroup.com Production & circulation manager Anna Finley | 479.435.6850 | afinley@zweiggroup.com ART director Maisie Johnson | 417.572.4561 | mjohnson@zweiggroup.com Editor Luke Carothers | lcarothers@zweiggroup.com
800-466-6275 1200 North College Avenue, Fayetteville, AR 72703 PO BOX 1528, Fayetteville, AR 72702-1528
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© 2020, Zweig Group. Articles 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 digital subscription is free. To subscribe or update your subscription information, please visit our website www.csengineermag.com/ subscribe/ or call 800.466.6275.
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from the publisher
The phrase “the road less traveled” has been used many times. There are at least 10 albums as well as several television shows and movies that are titled using the phrase. It’s also a book by M. Scott Peck, given to me by the late Larry G. Pleimann (1934-2020) who has my structural engineering class professor at the University of Arkansas during my undergraduate years.
The road less traveled
Looking back, I now realize that Larry was the first person I would consider a mentor in my civil engi- neering journey. Structures was not an easy class for me, and so I used those office hours to get the help I needed. What I ended up with was more than just help on structures, but insight on the structure of my career and life. Our conversations were the first where I realized my interest in being a civil engineer was not for the traditional role, but rather an interest in a profession that was largely unknown to much of the university population and beyond. If you polled the 15,000 students at the University, engineering was the college where kids that liked math and science tended to go. Civil engineering was one of the five or so primary degree programs and also, the one with the lowest starting salary. Once I was in the program, I realized the full impact of civil engineers, essentially designing the world around us. How could this not be one of the most well-known and sought-after career choices. How could it not be the highest paid? Despite some of the challenges in the “CVEG” curriculum, Larry Pleimann started the conversation about what the road less traveled might look like and finding the “why” of my choice to become a civil engineer. After I graduated, the first 14 years of my career were spent at Garver, a firm well known for transportation and bridges in Arkansas and the surrounding states. The first 6 years of my career was spent in the design of municipal and state DOT transportation projects with some avia- tion projects as well. Those early years were certainly on a path that was well traveled and highly structured as the focus was on earning that professional engineers (PE) license. Early in my career, I was fortunate to find new mentors and to get the support I needed for my career to evolve and to find new roads. Since then, my roles evolved from marketing to strategy and now to an overall business resource for engineering firms though this awesome platform called Zweig Group. Today, the generations have evolved significantly since my time sitting in Larry Pleimann’s office in the mid 90s. The current generation wants purpose more than ever, and civil engineering is one of the most purposeful careers, in my opinion. They also want training and development as it is now the number one ranked benefit from our Best Firms To Work For data. Training and development is not about putting everyone on a linear path to the same destination, it is about helping people find that road less traveled where they can contribute in a unique and powerful way. Here are some of the things I’ve discovered working with a number of firms over the past eight years: Your people want mentors and role models. I hesitate to use the word “mentor” because it’s been so overused in most discussions of manage- ment in our industry. However, true and natural mentoring is a powering thing as I testified to. This is not a once-a-year lunch with someone that lacks interest or effort. It is taking the time to really get to know someone as an individual and then giving that person a lot of feedback and advice such that they become successful. That’s what real mentoring is all about. It is two-way as well– those who want to be mentored have to face their responsibility to seek out a mentor. Likewise, mentors have to do their part by being accessible, showing interest, and making time to build a relationship of trust. This is not a process that can just be mandated by top management. I highly doubt Larry Pleimann was handing out copies of “The Road Less Traveled” to every student. He took the time to get to know me and give me more than help on structures. He went beyond and gave me something that would serve me in the real world for the rest of my life. Your people want training. I am not just talking about computer and technical design training. Instead, they need training in the business of our business. The schools turning out the new grads aren’t, for the most part, providing this type of training. That is what attracted me to join Zweig Group eight years ago. In fact, our most recent data from our Principal, Partners, and Owners survey shows that only 41 percent of firm principals have ever had any college level business education. It’s up to leaders to show the next generation how to actually run an engineering firm. Spend some effort on this. It’s worth it to do it well as it will make your firm far more competitive. Your people want a commitment from you. With the industry being so busy right now, “Employees' sub-par work is addressed” is one of the lowest rated areas of the Best Firms To Work For data. Employees want us to be committed to their success and to inspire performance. When we do not confront people for being toxic or for underperformance, we are sending a dangerous message. This management practice reinforces the idea that companies have no loyalty to their best employees— so why should the best employees be loyal to the company? Commitment to people means a commitment to management practices that send the right message. Chad Clinehens
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People want to work in a well-managed organization. Related to the above, people want to work in a company that has a vision for excel- lence. That means that you operate at a profit, collect your money, do a business plan every year and follow it, invest in the necessary IT and marketing, the employee experience, and a whole lot more. One of the most powerful things you can use to market your firm to recruits in this highly competitive market, is a clear, written strategic plan that outlines where the company is going. Organizations like this share more infor- mation with their employees and are transparent. The “business of the business” is more important than ever in AEC. As we look at what it takes to build a firm driven by purpose and performance, we can see that it is a lot of things. Evolving beyond a firm that is a “multi-discipline, regional firm that is client focused and provides solutions” and all that jargon requires finding the road less traveled and requires many of the things discussed here. Commitment to training and development is more than just lunch and learns. It is a true commit- ment to developing people on unique paths where they can soar. Mentoring is not just a formal program of check the box, it is authentic interest in growth and change. M. Scott Peck’s book is just that, an in-depth journey that makes for a fulfilled human being. Engineering firms are also a “being”, made up of the people. With a culture and personality that reflect the collective, when we invest in our people and help them find the road less traveled, our firms will evolve beyond the status quo – one that is filled with purpose and performance at a higher level. Larry Pleimann invested in me early by listening to me beyond just the help I needed with structures. He got to the “why” I was there in civil engineering. It was the first step of a transformational journey for me where I love what I do. Now that I reflect on those discussions, Zweig Group’s Elevate The Industry™ vision probably started there. As many of our readers may be experts in designing the actual roads we use everyday, let’s consider the roads of our lives that we can design. What can you do today to elevate your firm and find that road less traveled where purpose and perfor- mance of your people and the firm soars.
CHAD CLINEHENS, P.E., is Zweig Group’s president and CEO. Contact him at cclinehens@zweiggroup.com.
The concept of national parks has existed for the better part of the last 150 years since Yellowstone National Park was established in 1872. These parks, which in all forms encompass nearly 400 separate ar- eas, provide people with a space to reflect on the immense beauty and importance of our natural environ- ment. And, just as the Roosevelt Arch entrance to Yellowstone reads, these parks are “for the benefit and enjoyment of the people.” However, in the late 19th and early 20th century getting to remote parks was incredibly difficult. Not only were these parks located in rugged, rural areas with little to no automotive infrastructure, they forbade ac- cess to vehicles even if they managed to get there. In fact, many of the “roads” in our national parks were little more than footpaths and army patrol routes with occasional stagecoach routes. With an increase in the popularity of auto-tourism at the start of the 20th century, there was an intense push to not only construct new roads that would improve the parks’ accessibility, but also to update and modernize the footpaths and stagecoach routes. In order to maintain the spirit, integrity, and natural aesthetic of the parks, the roads being constructed had to minimize impacts on both the aesthetics of the landscape and ecology of the living environment. One major early proponent of this method of thinking was Andrew Jackson Downing, who is considered one of America’s first great landscape designers and architects. Downing stressed road construction practices such as following the natural curves and topography of the landscape and planting trees at the curve of a road. The latter gives the impression that the road was moved to avoid the stand of trees. Downing also empha- sized constructing these roads to lead to specific viewpoints or natural vistas. Another landscape architect, Frederick Law Olmsted Sr., built upon Downing’s ideas and introduced the concept of a loop drive, which he had perfected in New York City’s Central Park. Building on Central Park’s successful landscape, Olmsted argued for designs that were easy to navigate, revealed the rural world, and minimized environmental “violence”. With the need for roads capable of supporting automobiles established, several groups set about modern- izing park road infrastructure. Much of the early road-construction in areas such as Yellowstone and Sequoia National Parks was undertaken by military units. At Sequoia National Park, the first highways connecting the park to the public were constructed by Charles Young and his unit of Buffalo Soldiers,
Accessing the National
Parks Luke Carothers
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which was a nickname given to Black enlisted men who served in the American West after the Civil War. However, with the establishment of the National Park Service (NPS) in 1916, the responsibility for updating and maintain- ing roads in these areas was centralized. Stephen Mather was selected as the first head of the NPS, and, along with introducing amenities such as restrooms and concession stands to the parks, he set about improving the infrastructure necessary for increased auto traffic. This push for improved infrastructure by the NPS led to the undertaking and completion of some of the most innovative and noteworthy road construction projects in the United States’ his- tory to that point. With funding from both the Department of the Interior and several acts of congress, the NPS set about tackling the problem of accessibility to some of the country’s most remote and rugged terrains. In 1921, work began on Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier Na- tional Park. With a total land area of more than 1 million acres, Glacier National Park contains two mountain ranges and over 130 lakes. Working with the Bureau of Public Roads, the NPS sought to create the first road that would not only traverse the park but also cross the continental divide. The plan was to create a roughly 50-mile road that included two tunnel sections and a switchback section climbing to 6,646 feet. Construction on Going-to-the-Sun Road was officially completed in 1932, although lower elevation sections of the road were not completed to standard until the early 1950s. Records indicate that three workers lost their lives in the project. In 1927, a slightly larger project involving three separate Na- tional Parks was launched in Southern Utah. In order to provide direct access to Bryce Canyon and Grand Canyon National Parks, officials at Zion National Park drafted a plan for the Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway. This 25-mile stretch of highway would be the final piece in a “Grand Loop”, which would allow people a tour of the area's parks and monuments.
Construction on the Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway would prove to be uniquely difficult. Deemed “a road designed to go where no
Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway. Photo: Devin Carothers
road had gone before”, the highway not only winds through and up Pine Creek Canyon, it also features a stunning 1.1 mile tunnel through solid rock. The task of constructing this tunnel was given to the workers of the Nevada Contracting Company who began the project by blasting sev- eral gallery windows into the cliff face. These windows, which now provide stunning views of the landscape, were instrumental in the tunnel’s construction–providing both ventilation and a point at which they could unload debris from the tunnel. Two years and ten months from the day construction began, the highway and tunnel were open to the public, and the dream of the Grand Loop was realized. Now listed on the National Register of Historic Places as well as a Historic Civil Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers, the Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway is an enduring testament to the way in which engineering and the environment can harmonize. This is by no means a comprehensive accounting of all the major infrastructure and engineering feats that have aided our appreciation of the world’s natural beauty. These projects have created an indelible legacy–providing comfort, solitude, and stunning views to visitors from around the world. The legacy of the men who built these roads, tunnels, bridges, and walls is not only written in stone and concrete, but also that infra- structure can provide a gateway to something that can be shared by everyone: nature.
LUKE CAROTHERS is the Editor for Civil + Structural Engineer Media. If you want us to cover your project or want to feature your own article, he can be reached at lcarothers@zweiggroup.com.
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events + virtual Events
May 2021
today – deliver practical solutions that technical professionals can put to work immediately to lead their firms to success. https://shop.zweiggroup.com/collections/webinars/products/ leadership-skills-for-aec-professionals-virtual-seminar-starting-june-8- 2021?variant=39017810460823
AUVSI XPONENTIAL virtual may 4-6
At the world’s largest (virtual) event for unmanned and autonomous systems, you’ll find your momentum, that something extra that gives you a competitive edge – your X factor. https://www.xponential.org/xponential2021/public/Enter.aspx
Cloud Architecture Summit june 10 – virtual
Cloud Architecture Summit features 6-10 vendors who will show how to make the cloud a core pillar of a modern end-to-end enterprise architecture. Cloud-Native Apps, Hybrid Integration & iPaaS, Modernize with APIs, Security and Governance, Enterprise-Class DevOps, AI/ML Lifecycle. https://www.idevnews.com/registration/cloud-architecture-summit A robotics competition held during the automatica trade fair every two years, as part of munich_i, to showcase state-of-the-art methods in robotic manipulation. This year, the Robothon® will take place at automatica sprint 2021 as a special solution regarding the current situation. Selected teams of roboticists from academic and professional spheres will converge to solve a modern day manufacturing grand challenge in a multi-day competition. https://www.robothon-grand-challenge.com/ Robothon june 22-24 – munich, germany & virtual From drone delivery to driverless cars, automated mobility provides limitless opportunities and very real challenges. Join AUVSI and SAE International for the inaugural Business of Automated Mobility (BAM) Forum for tactical insights to get your business on the path to profitability. https://www.bam-forum.org/register july 2021 business of automated mobility forum june 23-24 – munich, germany & virtual CEAD Germany 2021 will make an ideal stage for worldwide, as it unites famous speakers, specialists, business people over the globe, with a generally energizing and important logical occasion loaded up with a lot of edifying intuitive sessions, world-class display, Oral and publication introductions. Civil engineering conference 2021 show’s a goal to furnish the development, business with a profoundly engaged entryway to learn, arrange, and exploit the significant developments and Learning. https://ic2020cead.org/ International Conference on Civil Engineering and Architectural Design july 1-3 – munich, germany
Tech+ virtual conference may 20
After a turbulent year of adjusting forecasts and changing expectations, 2021 will be a year of reemergence and growth for the AEC industry. While construction may be known for more traditional approaches that have stood the test of time, many practices have emerged that have allowed for improved communication, more complex digital fabrication, and striving innovation in the face of safety concerns and a competitive market. Tech+ Virtual Harnessing Technology for Future Practice will showcase the latest tools and research relevant to architects, engineers, and construction practices from leaders who are quantifying physical properties within the digital environment. https://techplus.co/vc21/ Drones are transforming the processes of many sectors and improving safety. More and more companies are using drones for different purposes. At the DroneX Trade Show & Conference you can reimagine the possibilities of unmanned vertical flight, and take a first-hand look into the latest technological advancements. https://www.dronexpo.co.uk/ june 2021 Drone XPO may 26-27 – ExCel, London Take advantage of 4 days of inspirational and interactive phygital programming expanded to 3 continents and broadcast live from TV studios in the innovation-driven cities of Montreal, Paris and Singapore. Immerse yourself in an imaginative range of learning, connecting and collaborating environments hosted on a new, hive-like digital event platform buzzing with activities and opportunities. https://summit.movinonconnect.com/ Practical leadership skills are vital to the health and success of every company in any industry. Effective leaders motivate their teams to achieve exceptional results, inspire others to be better than they thought possible, and create an environment where their team is focused and working towards a common vision. Zweig Group’s team of management experts – who have extensive experience working with AEC firms providing solutions to the challenges facing AEC firms Movin'on summit june1-4 – MONTREAL, PARIS, SINGAPORE, & virtual Leadership Skills for AEC Professionals june 8 – virtual
Project Management for AEC Professionals july 6 – virtual
Each team member brings their own unique experiences and skillset to project teams. Effectively leveraging the talents of your team can optimize team effectiveness. Project Management for AEC Professionals
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provides people-focused, science-driven practical skills to help project leaders harness the power of their team. By addressing the most important aspects of any project – the people – this course will provide practical techniques that can be immediately implemented for a positive impact on any AEC team or business. https://shop.zweiggroup.com/collections/webinars/products/project- management-for-aec-professionals-virtual-seminar-starting-april-7- 2021?variant=39017656877207 Elevating Doer-Sellers: Business Development for AEC Professionals july 7 – virtual Elevating Doer-Sellers: Business Development for AEC Professionals is specifically developed to help design and technical professionals in architecture, engineering, planning, and environmental firms become more comfortable managing clients and promoting the firm and its services. Led by two retired and current CEOs with extensive experience from the design desk to the board room, this one-of-a-kind seminar presents business development techniques proven to drive real growth and value in your AEC firm. https://shop.zweiggroup.com/collections/webinars/products/elevating- doer-sellers-business-development-for-aec-professionals-virtual- seminar-starting-april-4-2021?variant=38779972518039 august 2021 Powered by the global reach of the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI), XPONENTIAL is the only gathering for leaders and end users in every industry to share use cases, experience new technology, strike up new partnerships, and solve real problems. It’s a global platform optimized to help big ideas take flight. From hands-on demos on the XPO floor to a video call with someone on the other side of the globe, personal relationships are at the heart of the experience— because a single conversation could spark your next ‘aha’ moment. https://www.xponential.org/xponential2021/public/Enter.aspx september 2021 Commercial UAV Expo Americas 2021 is where the commercial drone community gathers to learn, connect, and drive the industry forward. In addition to content about new opportunities and challenges the industry is facing due to COVID-19, industries covered include Construction; Drone Delivery; Energy & Utilities; Forestry & Agriculture; Infrastructure & Transportation; Mining & Aggregates; Public Safety & Emergency Services; Security; and Surveying & Mapping. It is presented by Commercial UAV News and organized by Diversified Communications. https://www.expouav.com/ AUVSI XPONENTIAL august 16-19 – atlanta, ga Commercial UAV Expo Americas september 7-9 – las vegas, nv
ENGINEER is the newest trade exhibition presented by C.I.S jointly organised with Malaysia’s official professional organisation for the engineering fraternity – The Institution of Engineers (IEM). This industry trade event is aimed towards providing engineering professionals in Malaysia and the region with an exciting and unique platform to gain an insight into cutting-edge solutions and advanced engineering technologies by international leading manufacturers. ENGINEER offers invaluable opportunities to network, collaborate and exchange ideas over the four-day event. https://engineermalaysia.com.my/ 2021 Virtual Elevate AEC Conference & ElevateHER Symposium september 13 - October 8 Our annual ElevateAEC Conference & ElevateHer Symposium will be a four-week virtual experience with over 40 speakers and 30 credit hours of networking, learning, and celebrating – all in an unlimited virtual environment. With over 1900 registrants at last year’s virtual conference, we are excited to present an evolved and more interactive virtual platform where many can gather to elevate themselves, their firms, and the industry, all from the comfort of their home or office. From Project Manager to CEO, there is something for everyone at the 2021 ElevateAEC Conference and ElevateHer Symposium. https://www.zweiggroup.com/2021-elevate-aec-conference/ The International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering (IABSE) is a scientific/technical Association comprising members in 100 countries and counting 56 National Groups. The aim of the Association is to exchange knowledge and to advance the practice of structural engineering worldwide in the service of the profession and society. Founded in 1929, IABSE hosted a series of Congresses every four years from 1932 to 2016 and every year from 2019. https://iabse.org/ghent2021 november 2021 Recognizing the slow return of in-person events, Zweig Group is proud to announce a special concept for 2021 with the Elevate Leadership Summit – a highly curated and limited capacity in-person event in Denver that will be focused on the networking and learning pillars of our traditional Elevate AEC Conference. This enriched thought leadership experience will be focused on executive-level issues and will be ideal for those who can travel and are ready to gather with fellow leaders of theAEC industry. https://www.zweiggroup.com/2021-leadership-summit/ IABSE Congress Ghent 2021 september 22-24 – ghent, belgium Elevate Leadership Summit november 3-4 –denver, co
ENGINEER 2021 september 8-11 – malaysia
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Grand Central Terminal in New York City, Union Station in Denver, 30th Street Station in Philadelphia: These iconic facilities transcend generations and are destinations in and of themselves. The Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) set out to join this list with the new Jacksonville Regional Transportation Center at La Villa (JRTC). The JTA’s goal with this project was to centralize their dispersed connec- tion hubs and services into one multi-functional facility that would become a model of transportation efficiency, signature aesthetics and community-serving features. This ambitious project began in an unconventional fashion, with a design competition. The JTA challenged entrants to create a facility that would simultaneously serve the core functions of transportation and JTA offices while helping to build connections and revitalize the region. Many designs were submitted, but only one hit the mark: time- less and modern, effective and innovative. The winning firm, a joint venture between Michael Baker International and Pond & Company (officially known as the Pond|Michael Baker International JV), put forth a 67,000-square-foot facility that realizes complete-streets con- nections within an historic Jacksonville district. The project was completed using construction-manager-at-risk de- livery, with the Pond|Michael Baker International JV serving as the project’s lead designer and providing community coordination and outreach, architecture, interior designs, structural engineering, civil en- gineering, M|E|P|FP engineering, landscape architecture, right-of-way and utility coordination, geotechnical engineering and construction management services. KCI provided general contractor services. A Uniting Force Connections are at the heart of the JRTC and to that end, the design process reflected the importance of community. The facility is located in Jacksonville’s LaVilla neighborhood, an area that has long been regarded as an important center for African American culture and commerce but in recent years has seen economic activity decline. The JTA saw the design and construction of the JRTC as an opportunity to reinvigorate the once-multicultural district. So, when it came to design, the team began by imagining the area as a whole, envisioning the sur- rounding parcels and how they would interact with the structure, rather than using the structure as its starting point. At the same time, the needs of JTA’s individual departments and operations were taken into account, particularly the bus routes and schedules. The team designed the facility to balance the center’s layout between public and private transit entities and ensure the safety of all visitors and passengers, as much of the site was devoted to vehicular circulation. TODstrategieswere employed in the design of the JRTCand the finished product is more than somewhere to catch a bus – it is a destination with Connecting Jacksonville with the Future By Brian Russell, P.E., David Tudryn, AIA, and Andrew C. Rodgers, P.E.
centralized local, intercity regional transit networks (including 21 bus bays and seven staging bays), paratransit services, alternative mobility solutions, an elevated automated people mover (APM) system called the Skyway and space for future services. Inside, the JRTC consists of five floors of JTA office space, with two of the floors offering public space for riders and boarding and circulation spaces for buses, taxis, rental car services and an elevated rail system. The third floor includes an executive Board Room for regularly scheduled Board meetings and other large public meetings. Distinct elevator lobbies at each public level separate the public areas from JTA administrative functions but offer enough access to experience the views of Jacksonville and create a sense of community. The JRTC has become a hub of activity for the community, even hosting regular events such as farmer’s markets, and its interior spaces include significant contributions from local Jackson- ville artists, which honor and memorialize the LaVilla Neighborhood’s music, heritage and transportation history. The team also wove the JRTC’s exterior into the fabric of the neighbor- hood by providing gathering spaces, sidewalks, bike-sharing and busi- ness space. To further improve safe access to transit, the team designed
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and constructed an inviting pedestrian bridge that links the JRTC to the Intercity Bus Terminal, unifying the campus. The bridge spans 280 feet over LaVilla’s Stuart Street and West Forsyth Street and features a canopy with a design that extends the language of the triangulated curtain wall. The bridge serves as a new gateway to downtown Jack- The iconic, crescent-shaped structure is divided into public terraces with a glass curtain wall on one side to convey a sense of movement. The curtain wall, a progressive design hallmark envisioned to express acceleration and mirror the JTA's philosophy of transportation, is the central artistic and architectural innovation of the JRTC. To achieve this look, the team worked with a specialized glazing manufacturer, creating a unique and aesthetically striking interlocking design of triangular and trapezoidal shapes that were printed on the glass. The coloring process involved printing the ink on the glazing to achieve two separate colors on the same piece of glass, an uncommon feature. The panels were assembled in a factory, accelerating construction and reducing costs, then hung like puzzle pieces on the façade. sonville for passenger cars exiting I-95. Eye on Aesthetics and Sustainability In addition to aesthetics, the curtain wall enhanced sustainability, al- lowing for natural daylighting. The team used energy analysis model- ing to determine the percentage of insulation needed behind the curtain wall panels and in another effort to improve sustainability, performed building information modeling on the exact construction materials to design more efficient HVAC systems. The administrative building is currently pursuing LEED Gold Certification, while the adjacent Grey- hound Terminal successfully achieved LEED Silver Certification. Future-Focused Design The team made conscious design decisions with an eye to the future, ensuring that the facility is adaptable to new transportation technol- ogy. The skyway beam can be converted to an autonomous vehicle space with the removal of the monorail beam and conversion of the Skyway Terrace floor. Additionally, there is space for future micro and e-mobility solutions. In this way, the facility can continue to grow and change as the transportation needs of Jacksonville evolve.
Among the most important and lasting benefits of the JRTC has been its impact on its host community. The commitment by the JTA to bring the intermodal center to LaVilla has greatly improved community access to the greater Jacksonville area for jobs while offering it as a convenient destination for future arts and entertainment venues, as well as the adjacent convention center. In the end, the JRTC checked all of the JTA’s boxes: improve safety and access; provide highly-functional transit connections; be an icon for the City of Jacksonville; contribute to rejuvenating the adjacent neighborhoods; serve as a catalyst for Transit-Oriented Design (TOD) and demonstrate leadership in sustainability, energy and environmental design. However, the primary achievement of the JRTC is gathering the city's formerly fragmented transit services into a centralized mod- ern hub, enabling riders to easily and safely transfer between modes of transportation both internal and external to Jacksonville. The facility opened in May 2020 at a cost of $59.5M. Today, the JRTC is bustling, serving about 18,500 people per day.
BRIAN RUSSELL, P.E. is Project Principal in Charge and Vice President at Michael Baker International. DAVID TUDRYN, AIA is Project Design Manager and National Specialty Practice Leader for Architecture at Michael Baker International.
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Climate Pledge Arena An Environmental and Engineering Marvel By Greg Huber
Being chosen by Oak View Group, a Seattle public-private partner and developer, to redevelop the former Key Arena into a brand-new, best- in-world venue and the future home of National Hockey League's Seattle Kraken and Women's National Basketball Association’s Seattle Storm, all while keeping its historic landmarked roof intact, has been one of Mortenson’s most challenging and rewarding undertakings. As if this alone wasn’t enough of a challenge, a whole new bar was set when Jeff Bezos from Amazon tweeted in June 2020, “I’m excited to announce that Amazon has purchased the naming rights to the historic Seattle arena previously known as Key Arena. Instead of calling it Amazon Arena, we’re naming it Climate Pledge Arena as a regular reminder of the urgent need for climate action. It will be the first net zero carbon certified arena in the world, generate zero waste from operations and events, and unclaimed rainwater in the ice system to create the greenest ice in the NHL. #ClimatePledge.” At the time of that announcement, the project team had already care- fully planned every aspect of the arena. The structural foundations and building excavation were well on their way, the procurement team was ordering necessary construction components and discussions with local utility companies were underway about how to power the build- ing’s operational needs.
cubic yards of dirt underneath to substitute for the arena's Y-column and buttresses that held up the historic roof. This was held by seventy-two temporary roof support (TRS) steel columns; each founded 70 to 90 feet below the existing arena floor level. The TRS system also had to resist seismic loads and limit movement to a quarter inch. Mortenson used water jets to remove concrete from the base of the old columns which exposed the steel rebar to allow the team to safely cut and extend the column foundations that were supported nearly 100 feet below grade. The process occurred during most of 2019 and used nearly the amount of steel equal to a modern-day Major League Soccer stadium. Morten- son relied on intense team collaboration, top-down construction, and digital tools to simulate the built environment. And today, Climate Pledge Arena is standing on the original 20 Y-columns and four pronged-buttresses to hold up the roof, originally built for the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair.
Although sustainability was always an important feature to be incorporated into the project, this new goal – to create the first net Zero Carbon certified arena in the world – was the biggest challenge yet. Luckily, Mortenson and the entire team’s passion and competitive spirit drove them to determine how – not if – this could be done. The certification by the International Living Futures In- stitute is the most rigorous benchmark of sustainability in the building envi- ronment. It is the gold standard against which all others are measured. People from around the world use its regenera- tive design framework to create spaces that give more than they take. Structural Challenges The first major challenge was determin- ing how to “recycle” the 44-million- pound historic roof (designed by Se- attle architect Paul Thiry. Meanwhile, the construction crew excavated 600,000
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In addition to maintaining the roof, Mortenson was charged with sav- ing the iconic glass curtain wall that every fan, visitor, and Seattleite will see walking by Climate Pledge Arena, while preserving the view of the Space Needle, cityscape, and more. To accomplish this, each glass panel had to be carefully marked, catalogued, and stored before reinstallation in its original location. Working towards Net Zero Climate Pledge Arena is working to be the first net Zero Carbon arena in the world, powered exclusively by renewable energy rather than natural gas. The arena will run solely on electric power for daily operations, eliminating all fossil fuels from the building and utilizing the first all-electric dehumidification systems in the NHL. This meant Mortenson had to replace natural gas infrastructure with electrical systems. From kitchen systems and concessions, to air handling units, and building conditioning – all systems were changed to be served by electricity instead of natural gas. Overall water usage is critical to limiting energy use and sustainability goals. Rainwater will be stored in a 15,000 gallon below-grade cistern and filtered as needed for the “rain to rink system.” Waterless urinals and low flush fixtures were added to increase water usage efficiency. The mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) system was also de- signed with efficiency in mind. Energy recovery ventilators, serving all the locker rooms, collect 100 percent of the air that is exhausted and use the captured energy to preheat or cool the incoming air streams. Changing out gas to electrical conversion substations almost doubled the amount of electricity coming into the building, requiring more electrical equipment. With equipment in order, immediate decisions were needed. Luckily important changes were able to be made at the fabrication stage, and the custom electrical equipment production stayed on schedule. Next, situating heavy electrical gear presented a real space utiliza- tion conundrum. Mortenson and the design team needed to determine where the equipment was going to live. Typically, it’s located on the first floor, but construction sequencing hindered that possibility. The entire construction and design team needed to find the best location
that was cost and schedule efficient and required the least amount of rework, which resulted in a substation on an elevated metal deck. Renewable Energy The original 160,000 square-foot arena roof is historic and, as such, could not be used to host solar panels. Instead, solar panels are planned to be installed on the roof of the new atrium building entrance and on the facility parking garage. The energy generated by the solar arrays will be used to power to arena alongside additional renewable energy sources. Project Delivery The construction and design team used several tools to ensure design, construction and marketing efforts dovetailed together to create a seamless project delivery. Mortenson used 4D building information modeling (BIM) as a basis for multi-trade coordination and scheduling. The entire building was constructed virtually to aid with major trade system coordination. For instance, the steel team could use the model to track fabrication and installation tasks. Color coding was used to aid schedulers while tracking procurement, upcoming tasks, and com- pleted work. Using the 4D model, the MEP systems were modeled to not only assist in clash detection (field installation coordination) but also in prefabrication efforts. Changing horses in midstream to create a net zero arena was a major effort by the entire team. Mechanical and electrical contractors were essential in giving their input, as were the architecture and engineer teams that jumped in to determine construction sequencing. Climate Pledge Arena will be a beacon of corporate responsibility across the sports landscape. Together, Mortenson and Oak View Group are setting new sustainable standards for the built environment and inviting others to join The Climate Pledge to reduce carbon emissions for a better future.
GREG HUBER is Project Executive at Mortenson.
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Roads, highways, and bridges are all examples of vital components of infrastructure that communities around the world rely on every day for commerce, transportation, and access to education, opportunities, and resources. The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) identifies infrastructure as “the backbone of our economy and quality of life.” In fact, resilient infrastructure is so important to the prosperity and well-being of communities that the United Nations has adopted Sustainable Development Goal 9, or “SDG 9”, which aims to build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialization, and foster innovation, as part of their efforts to tackle the world’s greatest challenges related to global sustainable development. Poor or nonexistent infrastructure adversely affects the quality of life for people living in these communities— particularly those living in remote or underdeveloped areas. Community leaders often have to stretch budgets when planning road improvement projects, but choosing cheaper solutions can result in high maintenance costs in the future. A pavement innovation that allows for fast, cost-effective, and more resilient roads to meet communities’ needs can help overcome this challenge. The GEOWEB® Geocell Reinforced Concrete (GRC) pavement system combines strength characteristics of traditional concrete slabs with the flexible and adaptable advantages of modern geo- synthetic technology. Designing Longer-Lasting, Lower-Maintenance Roads & Pavements The GEOWEB® 3D Confinement System confines and stabilizes the concrete infill material in the system’s high-strength network of interconnected cells. With the flexibility of articulating paver blocks, the strength of hard-armored con- crete slabs, and the ease of a single-layer system’s deployment, the GEOWEB GRC system creates long-lasting roads and pavements. The GRC system accomplishes this with less concrete cross-section and less overall construction time and cost, resulting in 15-25 percent overall project savings. Many roadway designs incorporate a stabilized base beneath a wear surface, such as asphalt or concrete. When high- quality aggregate materials are scarce or costly, reduced cross-sections and innovative pavement structures can help with a value engineering solution. The GRC system offers the structure-saving benefits of cross-section reduction seen in most GEOWEB load-support applications along with the unique properties of the GEOWEB Geocell Reinforced Concrete surface: consistent, optimized concrete depth and no expansion joints. The GEOWEB system also serves as the formwork for pouring concrete and as the reinforcement in place of steel rebar. The GEOWEB GRC system has been approved by international road authorities and installed as residential roadways, industrial pavements in distribution centers, parking areas, truck and intermodal yards, ports, commercial drives, and energy company access roads. Presto Geosystems has worked with leading geosynthetics research teams and univer- sities to develop a design methodology that can determine the optimal GEOWEB GRC cross-section based on traffic loading and site conditions. The GRC system has been field and lab-tested, with four million square feet (400,000 square meters) of GRC pavements installed across the world. The GEOWEB Reinforced Concrete System Stabilizes Secondary Roadway in Colombia A small Caribbean community and tourist attraction required a cost-effective yet strong pavement solution to support light traffic. The design engineer reached out to Presto Geosystems for technical support in evaluating their options for the project, and they ultimately selected the GEOWEB® Geocell Reinforced Concrete (GRC). The system required no special subbase treatment or geotextiles for reinforcement—only a moisture barrier beneath the section to protect the concrete. The GEOWEB GRC pavements allowed a concrete reduction of 15-25 percent and a significant reduction in base-depth requirements while maintaining the required design strength for the anticipated New Geocell-Reinforced Concrete Technology Paves the Way for More Resilient Infrastructure
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traffic load conditions. The geocells allowed efficient installation, with consistent concrete depth throughout— no voids or overfills. The GEOWEB GRC pavements require less concrete depth compared to reinforced concrete slabs, and no other form- work, expansion joints, or reinforcement is necessary. Leading theWay in Geosynthetics for Over Four Decades Engineers have successfully used geosynthetics to create better-performing pavements for civil and environmental projects for over 40 years. Their functions include separation, filtration, reinforcement, strengthening, drainage, bar- rier, and protection. While most published research and road specifications have focused on planar geogrids and geotextiles, geocells offer benefits that planar systems cannot. Geocellular confinement systems (geocells) are three- dimensional, honeycomb-like structures that confine and stabilize soils, preventing movement vertically and laterally. Geocells can reduce a pavement cross-section by 50-70 percent and allow for the use of fill materials of lower quality and lower friction angles, such as onsite-recovered gravel, coarse sand, or waste rock. Geocell technology has evolved over the past four decades, much as it has with geogrids and other planar geosyn- thetics. Presto worked with the US Army Corps of Engineers in the late 1970s to develop a grid confinement system that would maintain strength under heavy vehicle loading. The initial geocell applications were military road applica- tions over sand, using sand as the infill material. The geocell system and its applications have grown since the 1970s to be commercially available and used in civil and environmental projects globally, with the cost-savings ability to use low-quality fill materials often found on the project site. Let our Design Engineering Team prepare a free project evaluation to show the benefits of GEOWEB GRC Pavement for your project needs! https://www.prestogeo.com/free-project-design/
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When the COVID pandemic made its way to America in early 2020, it quickly wreaked havoc on people and industries alike. Seemingly over- night, hospitals were nearing capacity and facing increasing surges of new patients every day. As cases continued to rise, construction and healthcare professionals banded together to build alternative care facilities that would accommodate COVID-19 patients and relieve the burden on hospitals. NewYork state was one of the hardest hit by COVID-19, prompting the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to initiate a project that would convert the Westchester County Center, a 5,000-seat multi-purpose arena, into a COVID-19 Alternate Care Facility (ACF) and bring 110 additional Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds to the region. Haugland Group, a New York-based construction company specializ- ing in energy and civil infrastructure projects, was given just 21 days to complete the project. “Our ultimate goal was to help people during this time of crisis, and we were proud to take part in the global fight against COVID-19,” said Billy Haugland, co-president of Haugland Group. “The project was extremely fast-paced. We received the call from the Army Corp of Engineers late Wednesday night and by Friday night, we had all hands-on deck.” A Significant Undertaking with a Daunting Deadline Haugland Group mobilized and assembled a team of industry experts including designers, engineers, suppliers, and technical project manag- ers. The team got straight to work performing preliminary assessments, contacting subcontractors and provisioning materials. Lead times for materials and work tasks that would normally take weeks were con- densed to days. “Equipment was hard to come by,” said Kevin Hansen, project manager for Haugland group. “Because many manufactur- ing plants were closed, we had to source equipment from companies throughout the country.” The ACF was housed inside the Westchester County Center and across four tents located in the parking lot. Each of the 110 ICU rooms had to include pressure monitoring systems to ensure negative air pressure and minimize further transmission of the virus, nurse call stations for providing feedback to master stations, building automation control, fire sprinkler systems, and electrical and backup power systems. Challenge Accepted: Haugland Group Constructs a 110-Bed Alternative Care Facility for COVID Patients in Just 21 Days By Jenn Said
Interior of one of the four tent facilities.
Two weeks into construction, a medical gas supply system needed to provide oxygen necessary for ventilators was added to the contract. The addition required workers to install four large oxygen tanks, along with distribution piping and monitoring systems into each patient room. “This was a big change order that caused us to backtrack while also moving forward at full speed,” said Hansen. Ensuring Worker Safety At the time, doctors and researchers were still learning about the full effects of COVID-19, and health recommendations were frequently changing. In addition to threatening the safety and health of workers, any outbreak among the crew would jeopardize the entire project. “Completing a project in this timeframe under normal circumstances would be challenging, but in this case, we also had to protect workers from the very real hazard of COVID-19,” said Haugland Group Safety Manager, Matt Murphy. Frequent temperature checks were implemented and workers were encouraged to speak up if they weren’t feeling well. Common areas were cleaned and sanitized daily, hand washing sinks, and hand sani-
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