Mattern & Craig’s Post

Next up in our National Engineers Week interviews is Rohit Ghangurde, an OHLA USA engineer making a difference at the I-294 Grand Avenue to Wolf Road and I-490 Ramps S1 & S2 project in Franklin Park, Illinois. Rohit is one of many engineers who relish the challenges that lead to innovative approaches in the field. He shares with us a recent experience where he was able to blend creativity and analytical thinking as our engineers so often do. "One particular challenge we faced on the I-294 Grand Avenue-Wolf Road project was accurately determining the amount of earth excavated, especially near the Union Pacific Railroad Bridge during stage 3. We initially realized that our claimed quantities for earth removal were higher than the actual amounts excavated. It's a common issue on large-scale projects, where slight miscalculations can significantly skew budgets and plans. I looked at the problem from a different angle: the Temporary Soil Retention System (TSRS) walls constructed at each project stage. These walls, critical for ensuring the safety and integrity of the excavation sites, offered a tangible boundary for our measurements. By calculating the dimensions associated with the TSRS walls for each stage, including the length of the deck removal, we found a novel way to precisely backtrack and verify the actual volume of earth removed. Implementing this approach allowed us to adjust our figures accurately." #nationalengineersweek #civilengineering #engineering #engineeringforabettertomorrow #engineeringexcellence #engineeringcareers #technology #engineeringtechnology #peoplebuilders #weareOHLA #webuildexcellence  

After studying all Summer and a roughly six hour exam, here is my verified achievement for passing the FE exam from the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying!

The AROWS project is an innovative and sustainable approach to providing water security to our region. Operating differently to a traditional dam by storing water adjacent to, rather than within the river, there are significantly lower impacts to the natural river flow. An off-stream water storage project of this size and scale has not previously been delivered in the country (at least that I am aware of) and will need to adopt cutting edge science and engineering. In December last year #SMEC were engaged to deliver the Concept Design for the project to narrow down design options and provide greater certainty of engineering solutions, cost and schedule. This work is underway and we have just completed an Airborne Electromagnetic (AEM) Surveying program for AROWS and surrounds. An AEM survey is a non-invasive technique that measures the natural variations in the electrical properties of the soil, rocks and water up to hundreds of metres below the surface. It involves flying a helicopter carrying a sensor minimum of 30 metres above the ground. For the AROWS investigation it included 19 hours of flight time and covered more than 770km. The information collected in the AEM survey will help streamline future ground investigations, increase certainty of geological and geotechnical models, reduce design and construction risks and provide a thorough understanding of the land within and surrounding the AROWS site.

I am excited to share our latest study titled "Dynamic and structural analyses of floating dock operations considering dock-vessel coupling loads". This work is now published in Ocean Engineering. The paper can be access at the following link: https://lnkd.in/dKMt2CEZ We developed a new in-house code that models floating docks and vessels as rigid bodies moving in six degrees of freedom. This allows us to see how the floating dock system reacts during various operations. Our system also automatically controls ballast water distribution to keep the dock stable, adjusting water levels in ballast tanks as needed. Additionally, we introduced a method to check how the dock bends under the vessel’s weight and other loads. This research helps dock masters make better decisions, enhancing the safety and efficiency of docking operations. We’re excited about the potential impact on the future of floating dock operations! The present study was funded by an EU project "DigiFloDock"------A Floating Dock Digital Twin towards Efficient, Safer and Autonomous Docking Operations. I would like to extend my gratitude to my co-authors Dr. Jianan Zhang and Prof. Muk Chen Ong for their invaluable contributions to this study. #FloatingDocks #Shipyard #VesselConstruction #StructuralAnalysis #DockSafety #BallastControl

📅 Upcoming Webinar: 🌍 Mechanically Stabilized Earth (MSE) Slope Stability ⛰️ Join us on Thursday, June 6, 2024, from 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm ET for an insightful webinar on Mechanically Stabilized Earth (MSE) Slope Stability. Led by Bill Simpson, P.E., this session will cover essential techniques and best practices for ensuring stability in earth slopes. Key Topics: 📐 Principles of MSE slope stability 🏗️ Design and construction methodologies 📊 Case studies and practical applications Enhance your engineering knowledge and earn PDH credits with this valuable learning opportunity. 🔗 www.pdhengineer.com #MSESlopeStability #EngineeringWebinar #PDHcredits #ProfessionalDevelopment #GeotechnicalEngineering #BillSimpson #PDHengineer #ContinuingEducation

I just completed Engineers Without Borders UK's Globally Responsible Engineering on @[Forage](urn:li:organization:68514998). In the simulation I: * Completed a job simulation involving responsible engineering for Engineers Without Borders UK * Planned inclusive co-design sessions for a sensitive project * Analyzed inmate and staff perspectives to inform design decisions  * Developed effective engagement strategies for diverse stakeholders * Reviewed ethical arguments in engineering decisions * Drafted a commencement speech emphasizing responsible engineering * Emphasized practical implementation of responsible engineering Check out the simulation here: https://lnkd.in/dCsSMChY

🌱 Exciting News from ASCE Illinois Section! 🌱 The Spring Newsletter is here, and it's packed with insights, updates, and opportunities you won't want to miss! 📰 Dive into the latest developments shaping the engineering landscape across Illinois. 👀 Curious to know more? Check out the full newsletter here: https://lnkd.in/gV87WTXH Stay informed, stay inspired, and stay connected with ASCE Illinois Section! 💡 #Engineering #ASCEILLINOIS #SpringNewsletter

Greenwood Engineering was excited to participate in the recent Symposium on Pavement Structural Evaluation with Traffic Speed Deflection Devices (TSDD), organized by TPF-5(518) and hosted by the Texas Department of Transportation from 17 to 18 September 2024. CTO David Malmgren-Hansen presented how precise and accurate the Traffic Speed Deflector (TSD) measurements are when you separate external conditions from equipment variance, as input to future certification efforts. By assessing discontinuities separate from homogenous segments it was shown that the TSD has 0.77µm variance, enabling analysis of even very stiff pavements. #InfrastructureMaintenance #RunwayManagement #TSD #trafficspeeddeflectometer #infrastructure #roadmaintenance #pavementsurfacecharacteristics #engineering #maintenance #transport #airportmaintenance

Top 10 Materials Engineering Moves for Max Structural Component Reliability Join the PMA New England District after the Design2Part New England Show on Wednesday, October 16 for networking, dinner and an informative presentation. More information and register here: https://bit.ly/4dbiBla Presented by Donald Baskin, Ph.D., Principal and Founder, Spectrum Materials Engineering LLC. From failed #fasteners to bottoms that rip out of railroad tanker cars, Dr. Baskin sees a broad range of #materials-engineering related failures in his engineering practice. From his experiences there are only about 10 materials-related decisions that lead to the majority of broken #structuralcomponents. Some of these culprits include #corrosion/ #embrittlement, creation of unintended #stress concentrations, and accidental #microstructural modifications. On October 16, Dr. Baskin will share his top 10 culprits and contribute to improving the reliability of structural components of which audience members are involved. Register here: https://bit.ly/4dbiBla #PMACommunity #PMADistricts #WheretheActionHappens

Our team of engineering experts and fire investigators excel in dissecting the intricacies of industrial, vehicle, and building fires, as well as construction equipment fires. By determining fire cause and origin, ARCCA professionals utilize a variety of methodologies, including fire patterning, timeline analysis, and arc mapping, to identify the necessary conditions for combustion. For explosive incidents, our engineers apply engineering principles to ascertain the structural capabilities and causes. #FireInvestigation #ExplosionAnalysis #ARCCAExcellence https://bit.ly/3HYNdun