FEMA Region 8’s Post

All five $100 million-plus National Science Foundation-funded #facilities #projects currently under #construction have experienced delays, according to Government Accountability Office (#GAO) report published June 12. #Workforce shortages have affected shipbuilding for research vessels, construction errors, lack of materials and non-working equipment are among the issues. NSF has not fully implemented #recommendations that it assess its employees who oversee large facilities to identify any project #management competency gaps and develop a plan to address them. Know what might have helped? An owner’s representative would have, could have, should have identified issues in a far more timely manner. Instead, once projects were perilously behind, GAO identified the issues. Much better to handle issues as they arise. A much better chance to keep things moving forward. As owner’s rep @AnserAdvisory has managed a variety of #infrastructure projects from roads and schools to water and wastewater, energy and more. We know how to effectively and efficiently represent owners while working with contractors and #vendors. #ownersrep #ownersrepresentative Texas City Management Association Texas Association of Counties Texas Water Utilities Association

Jensen Hughes now offer fire assessment services through our partner, Warringtonfire Australia. What is a technical fire assessment? Technical fire assessment is a desktop study report of a modified product or system that has already been fire tested. They range from straightforward judgements on small changes to a product to detailed and complex engineering analyses of large, sophisticated building systems.  Sometimes, it may not be possible to subject an exact construction or product to a fire test. In these cases, we can provide an assessment of the expected performance of a construction element or product based on available reference test data or through computer and mathematical modelling. How can I meet code requirements? The National Construction Code (NCC), and other local Australian codes, specify test standards for fire resistance, reaction to fire and bushfire attack levels. Tests performed to the requirements set in any particular test standard only allow the product or system to be installed as tested or to be varied as per that standard’s ‘permissible variations.’ All other variations that are often required to meet the construction or the client’s requirements must be assessed by an Accredited Testing Authority (ATL). That's where Warringtonfire Australia can help. Reach out to our technical fire assessment team at australiafire@warringtonfire.com #warringtonfireaustralia #jensenhughes #fireengineering #fireassessment

Dustin Jennings, PE, is our newest hire as Project Engineer III in the Highway Design department! He brings an expertise in watershed evaluations, stormwater hydrology and hydraulics, dams and detention facilities, stormwater quality design, and maintenance, as well as experience working on the full design of transportation and pedestrian projects for local municipalities and performing construction administration. In his new role, Dustin will support the transportation team with drainage expertise, manage projects, and help train team members. Welcome to #LifeAtLochmueller, Dustin! Get to know Dustin more 👇 What led you to your career path? “I started my professional career in transportation working as a Project Engineer for the Indiana Department of Transportation. I enjoy being part of a team and helping get projects designed and constructed.” #WhyWednesday What is your all-time favorite TV show or movie? “Favorite TV show: Psych.” This or that: Intersection, roundabout, or a different kind of innovative intersection? “I like roundabouts, but when driving in England during rush hour, I was missing traffic lights. It was bumper to bumper traffic, and no one would let me into the roundabout!” #newhire #welcome #welcometotheteam #newemployee #civilengineering #projectengineer #engineer #highwaydesign #roadwaydesign #highway #roadway #watershedevaluations #stormwater #hydrology #hydraulics #stormwaterquality #transportation #pedestrian #construction #constructionadministration #drainage #roundabout

🚧 𝗧𝗲𝘅𝗮𝘀 𝗥𝗼𝗮𝗱𝘀: 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗗𝗼 𝗣𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗦𝗲𝗲𝗺 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗔𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱? 🛣️ If you’ve ever had your coffee spill while hitting a pothole, you’re not alone! 🚗💥 Just under 77% of Texas roads were in acceptable condition in 2022—a significant drop from 92% in 2012, according to The Dallas Morning News Morning News. So, why do road projects take so long to complete? 🤔 Every road project follows 5 major steps: planning, preliminary design, environmental review, final design, right-of-way purchases, and construction. Planning is often the most complex, involving many stakeholders and public input. 🗣️ “𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘢 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘵 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨,” says Bill Eisele, Texas A&M Transportation Institute. 🚦   However, even with careful planning, things can go wrong: 🌱 Environmental delays: Rare species or habitats can pause work.  🏠 Right-of-way issues: Negotiating with property owners takes time.  🔧 Utility relocations: Moving utilities can lead to unforeseen delays.  🌙 Night work: Busy roads may need construction overnight.  🌦️ Weather: Extreme heat or heavy rain can halt progress.  🛑 Big events: Major events can halt construction for public convenience. Despite delays, these steps ensure safer, longer-lasting roads. Patience now means better roads later! ⏳ Want to know more about how Texas tackles its infrastructure challenges? 🚧 Follow Technical Hires for expert insights on engineering, staffing, and the latest industry trends!  #Texas #CivilEngineering #Road #Construction

It's time for California's cities to address stormwater infrastructure as extreme weather becomes the new normal. See the article below for some good examples on how to do that.

Are the size of ships changing risks for bridges? As a spokesperson for the National Council for Structural Engineers Association (NCSEA), Exponent’s Troy Morgan, Ph.D., P.E., Principal Engineer and Practice Director, Buildings & Structures, spoke with CNN about the Francis Scott Key Bridge incident and how the increasing size of ships over the past several decades could require new approaches to risk assessments for infrastructure. “I think we have to recognize the size of the ships that are being used in the industry and then, with any bridge that's exposed to shipping traffic, it makes sense to do risk analysis and to look at the structure itself, the foundations, the size of the ships, the speeds at which they may be traveling, and then perform an assessment," Dr. Morgan said. Learn more about Dr. Morgan and his expertise supporting industry with structural performance assessments under extreme loads, including weather, natural disasters, explosions, and more: https://hubs.li/Q02rcr4s0 Listen to the CNN interview about the Francis Scott Key Bridge incident and proposed timeline to rebuild below. #Exponent #Baltimore #Bridge #FailureAnalysis #CivilEngineering #StructuralEngineering

Recommended ENR article for those interested in risk management on design-build infrastructure projects. We at ZGB observe these project risks daily while serving our clients. We work tirelessly to help our clients manage these risks. We are encouraged to see creativity employed and team collaboration fostered at the agency level on these projects to help control and reduce risk. Excerpts from the article about a project in South Carolina involving major industry players we at ZGB have been fortunate enough to represent and work with: “The biggest change for the project has been the rephasing of [one of the phase]. It became apparent that risks in underground utility locations left it too exposed for potentially large change orders…Agency leadership canceled its procurement…and broke [the phase] into five smaller phases to reduce those risks.” “The rephasing plan breaks off utility work—and risk—into a stand-alone project. It breaks remaining work into smaller, more manageable pieces, opening opportunities for more design-build contracts.” A leading design firm noted: “It’s a challenge of constantly monitoring those risks and anticipating changes applicable to each of those risks…And then, tied to each of those risks is obviously cost and schedule impacts, because time equals money.” “Today, our biggest challenge… is cost and schedule control…” One leading design firm uses “a cost schedule risk analysis, bringing together team members and subject matter experts to talk about base cost estimates and schedule, finding probabilities of risks and their potential cost and schedule impacts.” “This is a three-day workshop we’ve conducted for the past four years, which has allowed us to control the cost as much as we can…It’s been quite effective.” “Design-build has been key to the project,” allowing "industry to build a better mousetrap for us, and show us how to use ... creativity to take advantage of some efficiencies…We’ve seen some great ideas ... be implemented in construction.”

Engineers are increasingly recognizing that relying on historical data for predicting future weather events is becoming an outdated approach. Gerald E. Galloway, Ph.D., and his team emphasize a vital transition in civil engineering: the end of climate stationarity. The assumption that statistical properties remain constant, and the past can predict the future. Here's what this shift means for us: 📉 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲: Historical data no longer reliably predicts extreme weather. The "100-year flood" could occur more frequently, necessitating updates to our infrastructure and planning methods to address this new reality. 🔍 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀: Civil engineers must now navigate "non-stationarity" by moving beyond traditional statistical models. Key strategies include: • 𝗦𝗰𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗼 𝗔𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘀𝗲𝘀: Crafting adaptable plans based on potential future conditions rather than past averages. • 𝗔𝗱𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: Applying incremental changes and flexible design principles to address evolving risks. 🌟 𝗟𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁: Texas provides a compelling example. In 2017, 68% of the 150,000+ homes flooded in Harris County were outside the 100-year FEMA floodplain. Scenario analysis, rather than historical modeling, might have mitigated some risks amid rapid urban expansion. 🌍 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗟𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀: The Netherlands' Delta Programme offers a proactive model for flood management, utilizing scenario analyses and incremental adaptations. This approach could greatly benefit the U.S. as well. 📈 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗼 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: As highlighted by Galloway and colleagues, a coordinated national effort is crucial to tackle these challenges. With no single federal agency responsible for national water issues, fostering collaboration and reassessing flood risk metrics are vital steps. It looks like the future holds some massive challenges for civil engineers going forward, but it is fantastic that some are already looking at solutions to help us navigate a more uncertain future. 🚀🌊 Check out the full article in the comments. #CivilEngineering #ClimateChange #FloodManagement #Texas 

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Completion of the Lincoln Bypass: A Comprehensive Approach https://lnkd.in/eq8j8zws