PHOTO BY ANNA DONATO USACE PITTSBURGH DISTRICT
NORTH ATL ANTIC DIVISION
T. Semonite, designated the team a Regional Center of Expertise for Bridge Inspection and Evaluation. And in 2011, the Omaha District tasked the team to inspect tainter gates on dams following the historic floods along the Missouri River. These developments led to substantial increases in work across the country. In recent years, the Philadelphia-based team has helped build national capacity by training Vicksburg and Tulsa districts’ personnel on rope-access techniques. And as other districts have increased their inspection capabilities, the team has been able to shift more of its focus and workload to providing design services.
USACE Philadelphia District structural engineer Jordan Wynn conducts a bridge inspection at the Mahoning Creek Lake in New Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in July 2020.
Kollias has served with the team since the beginning. One of the things he enjoys is how it provides a balance between hands-on field work and engineering back in the office. “It’s good to be able to work in both elements – in an office setting and in the field. It’s all part of being a well-rounded engineer,” he said. n 21
