SUMMER
2019
DESIGN-BUILD
TRANSFORMING TRAVEL
How a design-build approach has improved a vital roadway and the quality of life in Salt Lake County, Utah We Make a Difference
SUMMER 2019
DESIGN-BUILD 02 Chairman & CEO Note
A message from our Chairman, Thomas J. Campbell, and our CEO, Brian A. Lutes
04 Thought Leadership
04 Elevated Thinking: Design-Build Delivers Success
A column by Jeff Clevenger, SVP and Director of Design-Build Delivery
06 Design-Build by the Numbers
Design-build saves time and money by encouraging innovation and collaboration
08 Impact
08 Transforming Travel
How a design-build approach has improved a vital roadway and the quality of life in Salt Lake County, Utah
16 Safety at the Push of a Button
Michael Baker uses design-build to quickly deliver more than 70 safety projects for the Florida Department of Transportation
20 Building a New Benchmark
Successfully navigating design challenges to set a new standard for U.S. Navy Lodging
26 Breaking Ground
26 Creative Precision with I-10
The collaborative design-build process behind the recently launched Interstate 10 highway project in Southern California is already running in the fast lane
30 Across the Continuum 30 Chairman’s Award
Recognizing colleagues who exemplify excellence
32 Leaders Driving Growth
New leaders reaffirm our commitment to investing in talent
36 ACEC Awards
Michael Baker shines bright in ACEC spotlight
Signature is published by the Corporate Communications department of Michael Baker International to showcase our full continuum of people, places, projects, innovations – and how We Make a Difference in the communities we serve.
Chief Communications Officer: Leanna Anderson Corporate Communications Director: Brian Peiritsch Art Director: Brent Patrick Contributing Writers: Evan Pattak,Timothy Hayes, Greg Faist, Dianne Stetzer, Claire Carrell Contributing Photographers: Harry Giglio, Ed Massery SUMMER 2019 © 2019 Michael Baker International. All rights reserved.
Cover photo: Bangerter Highway and the mountainous peaks, as seen from the pedestrian span that Michael Baker International replaced at 9000 South in Salt Lake County, Utah.
Chairman & CEO Note
FUELING THE RISE OF DESIGN-BUILD A project delivery method whose time has come A MESSAGE FROM OUR CHAIRMAN, THOMAS J. CAMPBELL AND OUR CEO, BRIAN A. LUTES
In the last decade, the engineering industry has seen a surge in projects delivered via design-build, where the designer and contractor work together under one contract to conceive and execute a unified project from beginning to completion. The growth in design-build is expected to continue in the years ahead. The key attributes that help design-build projects thrive — collaboration and partnership — are core to Michael Baker International and how we approach the work our clients entrust to us. We have decades of experience with design-build and have played lead roles in projects from coast to coast. While design-build is often referred to as an “alternative” project delivery method, the appeal it has for clients because of its many benefits is helping it become a mainstream technique. Close collaboration among the client, the designer and contractor often leads to efficiencies — for instance, minimizing road closures for the traveling public and reducing disruption to local businesses along busy economic corridors. Project management efficiencies also can lead to
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project completion dates that are months — or sometimes, years — ahead of schedule, which can also lower costs to complete the work. We continue to win large design-build projects, and our teams have the credibility to partner with clients and multiple collaborators to bring these complex projects from design to reality. This issue of Signature focuses on a variety of design-build success stories that span the country and illustrate different aspects of design-build’s appeal to clients:
Focusing on Innovation as a Key Design-Build Component Leads to Successful Projects Our Senior Vice President and Director of DesignBuild Delivery, Jeff Clevenger, P.E., provides a primer on design-build and how designers and contractors working closely with the owner at the outset of the project drives innovation and creativity to find solutions that can save time and have minimal impact on the traveling public.
Chairman & CEO Note
Leveraging Close Collaboration to Complete Large Projects On Time to Benefit Communities and Travelers
Bringing a Multidisciplinary Approach to a Design-Build Architecture Project That Set a New Standard
Michael Baker was the designer on a stretch of Bangerter Highway in Utah that included six of the state’s 10 busiest intersections. This awardwinning project had us colocated with the Utah Department of Transportation and the contractor to meet the challenge of maintaining traffic flow and to complete construction on a tight timeline for a segment of highway that handles 60,000 vehicles per day.
Michael Baker has worked with the federal government for nearly 80 years. When the U.S. Navy selected us for a design-build project creating a first-of-its-kind Navy Gateway Inns & Suites (NGIS) in Newport, Rhode Island, the result was an architecture project that now serves as the standard for all NGIS facilities worldwide.
Identifying Design-Build Solutions to Quickly Bring Added Safety Elements to a Key Transportation Corridor During a multiyear on-call contract within District 7 of the Florida Department of Transportation, Michael Baker leveraged our design-build expertise on more than 70 projects. Addressing safety solutions across highways, city and county roads and pedestrian and bicycle corridors, each project provided enhancements that quickly remedied safety issues in the district.
Creating Solutions for a More than HalfBillion-Dollar-Plus Project before the First Phase of Construction Plans are underway near San Bernardino, California, where Michael Baker is the lead designer on the $672.9 million Interstate 10 corridor express lane design-build project. Work involves designing and widening an 11-mile stretch of a very busy highway. The goal is to ensure that I-10, which handles 263,000 vehicles daily, can accommodate the increase in daily traffic expected in the decades ahead. The increased acceptance and demand for designbuild as a project delivery method means that there are countless opportunities to advance this practice and discover new benefits for our clients and the communities we serve.
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Thought Leadership / Design-Build
ELEVATED THINKING: DESIGN-BUILD DELIVERS SUCCESS Jeff Clevenger, P.E., Senior Vice President and Director of Design-Build Delivery
Michael Baker International is experiencing significant growth opportunities in the designbuild market. Jeff Clevenger, Senior Vice President and Director of Design-Build Delivery, shares what is happening in this innovation-driven approach to project delivery and how Michael Baker stands out for our collaborative style that delivers fresh thinking.
What is Design-Build? Design-build is an approach we often use when tackling a complex project. As the designer, we team up with a contractor at the outset of a project to collaboratively design and construct, leveraging the very best ideas. The resulting solution often presents the client with new concepts that are more efficient, faster, cost-effective, sustainable and aesthetically pleasing. Design-build is a good fit when projects are complex because it allows for more innovative, outside thinking. It opens the door for additional thought processes to be factored into the project, such as, “Could we try this design? Can we make it less expensive? What if we rethink the drainage? Can we enhance the visual aspects? Can we accelerate the schedule?” As I talk with owners across the country, I am seeing an increased interest in a more stepped or progressive process of design-build called “progressive design-build,” which introduces the designer-contractor team into the earliest stages of the owner’s project development, promoting even greater collaboration. This falls right in line with what Michael Baker is already doing: working in close partnership to deliver a successful project.
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How Does the Client Benefit from a Design-Build Approach? The biggest advantage is that clients get the best ideas from the designer and the contractor from the very beginning. As the designer, we are working directly with the contractor and pushing to uncover innovative ideas that can increase performance, lower costs and reduce the impact on the public.
What is it Like to Work on Design-Build Projects? Members of our team who work on design-build projects get to contribute to world-class projects and live in different parts of the country to follow the big projects. To work on a $600 million project in this industry is a huge notch on your belt. The best opportunities for growth come from being flexible, open to transition and willing to travel to where design-build projects are located. We are continuing to invest in our design-build work. We have identified offices in 11 states where we are targeting growth for our design-build talent and where Centers of Excellence will serve as resources for the entire Company.
What Differentiates Michael Baker from Competitors in this Space? I would say our biggest differentiator is that we are open to innovative ideas, conceptual thoughts and using our imagination. Something noteworthy that is happening now is that contractors are coming to us and saying, “On that last project, we really liked the ideas and concepts you brought, and we really like our working relationship with you. We would
like to work with you as the lead designer.” It is interesting to note that contractors are asking us to compete for new work in geographies that are outside of where our offices are physically located. They are pushing our growth as much as we are.
What has Michael Baker Done to Position Itself for Success with Design-Build? The growth lanes are open in design-build. We have been flexible enough to allow ourselves to go after larger and more complex projects. We are positioned to steer our own direction and take on more challenging projects, which has showcased the incredible talent of our employees.
What Will Design-Build Look Like in 5-10 Years? Design-build will continue to grow its share of the construction market, especially as publicprivate partnerships (P3s) increase. P3 projects are traditionally design-build projects because owners want to build each project as efficiently and effectively as they can to see a healthy return on their investment. They want the innovation, and they want to work directly with the designer. Also, owners are looking to combine projects so that they minimize impacts on the public and create efficiencies. Instead of having ten $10 million projects, owners might have one $100 million project that features more complexity — a perfect fit for design-build.
About Jeff Clevenger Jeff Clevenger joined Michael Baker International in 2015, bringing to the Company nearly 30 years of industry experience in design-build delivery, design-bid-build, program management, construction management, planning, design and implementation of highway, urban transit and infrastructure projects. Based in Michael Baker’s Denver office, he is a specialist in the formulation of capital improvement programs and management of large, complex projects with alternative delivery methods that meet owner requirements. Clevenger previously served as a Program Director at AECOM, a Managing Principal at Jacobs Engineering and a Project Engineer at the Colorado Department of Transportation. He is a member of the American Council of Engineering Companies and the Design-Build Institute of America. Clevenger earned a Master of Business Administration degree and Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Colorado Denver.
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Thought Leadership / Design-Build
DESIGN-BUILD GOING STRONG
Design-build is the fastest growing, most cost- and time-efficient method used to deliver construction projects in America. Design-build saves time and money by encouraging innovation and collaboration. Bright Future
The majority of owners (67%) indicated design-build utilization will increase in the next five years.
Faster Construction
Design-build is 36% faster than design-bid-build (DBB) and 13% faster than construction manager at risk (CMR).
Faster Delivery When considering design and construction, design-build projects are delivered 102% faster than traditional DBB and 61% faster than CMR.
Less Cost Growth Projects using design-build cost less per square foot when compared to DBB and CMR. Design-build projects average 3.8% less cost growth than a comparatively scoped traditional DBB and 2.4% less cost growth vs. CMR.
Less Schedule Growth Design-build is the best performing project delivery system in terms of schedule growth (1.7% less schedule growth vs. DBB; 3.9% less schedule growth vs. CMR). Sources: Design-Build Institute of America (https://dbia.org/impact/); Design-Build utilization combined market study, June 2018 (https://dbia.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Design-Build-Market-Research-FMI-2018.pdf)
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Design-Build / Thought Leadership
Design-build will account for nearly half (44%) of all construction spending by 2021, with spending increasing 18% over the 2018-2021 period, reaching $1.19 trillion. Manufacturing
$192.2B
Educational
$182.2B
Highway / Street
$167.9B
Commercial
$152.4B
Office
$148.5B
Transportation
$94.9B
Healthcare
$77.3B
Lodging
$48.7B
Amusement / Recreation
$40.4B
Water / Wastewater
$33.6B
Communication
$33.6B
Other (Public Safety & Religious)
$5.1B
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TRANSFORMING TRAVEL How a design-build approach has improved a vital roadway and the quality of life in Salt Lake County, Utah
The Bangerter Highway is a major north-south artery that serves the rapidly expanding population of Utah’s Salt Lake County and connects motorists with Salt Lake City International Airport. Although it carries about 60,000 vehicles daily, it is considered a “partial expressway” because of a number of at-grade, signalized intersections. In fact, the highway features six of Utah’s 10 busiest intersections, including 5400 South, which handles nearly 54,000 vehicles daily. Traffic signals and heavy vehicular volume combine for bottlenecks that cost motorists time and money while impeding access to businesses in the Bangerter footprint. In 2017, the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) sought to address these issues by replacing four of the most heavily trafficked signalized intersections — 7000 South, 9000 South, 11400 South and the busy 5400 South — with grade-separated interchanges. For this important project — Bangerter 4, as it became known — UDOT engaged a design-build team
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that included Michael Baker International as designer and a joint venture of Ralph L. Wadsworth Construction Company and W.W. Clyde JV as primary contractor. UDOT outlined several important criteria for the $140 million project, including maintenance of traffic flow and rapid construction completion. While three of the intersections were planned for and took two construction seasons, major construction at the 7000 South intersection needed to be finalized before the start of the next holiday shopping season, a vital concern for venues such as the popular Jordan Landing Shopping Center.
Design-Build: A Growing Force in Highway Construction Because of the complexity and compressed schedule for Bangerter 4, UDOT opted for a design-build approach, in which the owner/client contracts with the designer and contractor as a team rather than through separate agreements.
Maintenance of traffic flow and rapid construction completion were important criteria for the project’s success.
If we had done this as a conventional design-bid-build project, we might have had to spend easily an additional year-plus in designing and finalizing while demand and growth in the corridor would keep increasing. — Marwan Farah, Project Director UDOT With a more conventional design-bid-build mechanism, the designer must finish its work before the contractor can begin — even before the construction requests for proposals can be released. Notes Marwan Farah, UDOT’s Bangerter Highway Project Director: “If we had done this as a conventional design-bidbuild project, we might have had to spend easily an additional year-plus in designing and finalizing while demand and growth in the corridor would keep increasing.”
Design-build is a growing force in the construction industry because of its consistent results. According to the Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA), design-build provides 36 percent faster construction than design-bid-build, 3.7 percent less cost growth, and faster delivery speed by a whopping 102 percent. DBIA projects that, by 2021, design-build will be utilized on 44 percent of all construction projects. For the period 20182021, design-build will account for $1.2 trillion in spending. Michael Baker and UDOT have been leaders in design-build, and UDOT has pioneered an innovation in the discipline, mandating that for initiatives as intricate and multifaceted as Bangerter 4, the designer, primary contractor and UDOT itself must colocate on-site. This arrangement provides many benefits.
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Impact / Design-Build
“The most important thing is that you improve the line of communications,” Farah says. “Whenever — and whatever kind of — issues arise, instead of exchanging phone calls or e-mails, we have the full team right there. For a project as complex as this, that was huge. Moreover, representatives from all the adjacent entities and municipalities were able to come over to our office on-site and have face-to-face interaction. Putting names and faces together was vital for this project. I do not know if you could put a price tag on the value.” Dayle Coburn, P.E., Transportation Design-Build Manager in Michael Baker’s Salt Lake City office and Project Design Manager for Bangerter 4, notes that colocation of the three principals “helped us decide which pieces to prioritize so we could meet UDOT’s schedule.”
Accelerating the Ramps Package One of the major objectives of the design-build team was maintaining existing Bangerter Highway traffic flow — three lanes in each direction — throughout the project. “That was our biggest challenge,” confirms Mike Arens, P.E., Office Executive for Michael Baker in Salt Lake City. “The big push was to improve the corridor without harming businesses or upsetting residents. That has been an overall theme of UDOT. They are really focused on serving the public during construction.” Rerouting 60,000 vehicles to the already overburdened cross streets was unthinkable. To solve the problem, the team first subdivided into four subunits — one for each interchange — that would work simultaneously. Then, each subunit accelerated design and construction of the new ramps, where main-line Bangerter Highway traffic would be rerouted. “Once we got the ramps package together,” Coburn says, “everything else kind of fell into place.” That strategy was so effective that the team was able to reduce full closures of the highway from a
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projected 24 closures to just six, a major benefit for motorists and businesses. Yet another challenge, this one just as sensitive, was developing a plan to design around the Jordan Aqueduct, which traverses three of the four interchanges. Owned by the United States Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) and operated by the Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District, the aqueduct features 78-inch pipe at two interchanges and 66inch pipe at the other two. Because the aqueduct was constructed in the 1970s and lacks joint restraint, the team had to limit excessive vibration, loading and settlement along the BOR right-ofway during construction and thereafter. Working as a unit from their colocated field headquarters, Michael Baker and the JV developed and implemented a plan that included coordination of more than 20 permits for encroachment in the easement, early permitting to facilitate rapid onset of rough grading, a custom foundation for sign and signal equipment in the easement, and innovative drainage systems to limit catch basins and pipe in the easement. An issue nearly as complex was minimizing project impact at the 5400 South interchange, where a gravel pit that had been excavated just east of the highway stopped at an apartment complex at the bottom. Here, the team lowered the ramp profile seven feet below the existing pavement and graded a slope from the easement line to the bottom of a wall bench to reduce the exposed wall height to 44 feet. Working with a subcontractor, RECo, the team developed the mechanically stabilized earth wall that, from leveling pad (embedment) to top of copping, measures 48 feet and uses a 53-footwide stabilized earth section. The team also raised Bangerter Highway to pass over 5400 South, thereby grade-separating the interchange. The highway now rises 27 feet above the east ramp. From the back fence of the apartment complex to the top of Bangerter pavement, the elevation difference is 72 feet in height. These tall walls were required to provide the least impactful approach to businesses and residents at this location.
Transforming Travel
A major focus of the project was to improve the travel corridor without harming businesses or upsetting residents.
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Based on the success of the project, UDOT has identified three more Bangerter Highway intersections to be converted.
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Design-Build / Impact
As work at 7000 South neared completion, the team faced another challenge — maintaining access to Oquirrh Elementary School during reconstruction of the pedestrian overpass, which is adjacent to the highway. While much of the construction was accomplished during the summer, that left the period from late August through early November, when class would be in session. For those months, the team devised an innovative workaround: it coordinated with the school to hire four additional buses to safely transport Oquirrh students. “We have had to come up with alternate ways of accommodating pedestrians on previous projects, but normally that has been covered by a dedicated crosswalk with an attendant. This was the first time we hired buses to move people around while the pedestrian bridge was out,” notes Arens.
We Have Improved the Quality of Life By December 2018, construction was substantially completed, with only such tasks as landscaping
We’ve had to come up with alternate ways of accommodating pedestrians, but normally that’s been covered by a dedicated crosswalk with an attendant. This was the first time we hired buses to move people around while the pedestrian bridge was out. — Mike Arens, Office Executive – Salt Lake City, Michael Baker and minor lane striping remaining. Bangerter 4 statistics are impressive, indeed, as the team worked nearly 290,000 man-hours, placed 16 miles of concrete safety barrier and 10 miles of drainage pipe, excavated or placed 2.2 million tons of dirt, and replaced a pedestrian span to enhance convenience and safety. Moreover, by accomplishing the first phase of this in a single construction season, the team saved the holiday shopping season for local merchants, enabling them to enjoy a healthy Black Friday.
Michael Baker’s Bryan Mouser, P.E., (left), Director of Transportation; Logan Julander, P.E., Engineer – Bridge; Mike Arens, Office Executive – Salt Lake City; and Dayle Coburn, Transportation Design-Build Manager, collaborate on solutions.
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Impact / Design-Build
Perhaps the most enduring benefit has been improving the traffic flow along Bangerter Highway. Farah estimates that the grade-separated interchanges are saving motorists approximately two minutes at each interchange. “That is eight minutes of time savings,” he says. “On the main line, 60,000 vehicles no longer have to stop for traffic lights. On the cross streets, cars do not have to wait for main-line traffic.” “Removing signalized intersections has tremendously improved safety; we have eliminated the potential for running a red light. We also have improved the environment, as 60,000 vehicles are not idling at every intersection. Motorists get home quicker and safer, and we have improved the quality of life.” All this, in turn, has made the valley a more attractive site for business locations. Says Darren Burton, P.E., Michael Baker’s Deputy Design Manager and Roadway Lead in Salt Lake City: “More people are apt to travel now. We are starting to see more economic development around those interchanges.”
Travel time has been reduced by an estimated eight minutes for each motorist.
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Professional and civic organizations have recognized Bangerter 4 with a number of awards, including the following: • Keep Utah Moving Award (2018 UDOT Conference Award for innovation and excellence in project delivery) • Excellence in Paving, Best Urban Divided Highway Project Completed in the State of Utah in 2018 (American Concrete Pavement Association, Utah Chapter) • 2018 Utah Construction and Design Magazine – Design-Build Project of the Year Award • 2019 Utah Association of General Contractors (AGC) Highway Project of the Year. The most significant tribute came from UDOT itself. Based on the successes of the project — and the design-build approach — UDOT has identified the conversion of three more Bangerter Highway intersections, the next step in the transformation of the road to a fullfledged expressway.
The Bangerter 4 project has earned recognition from professional and civic organizations.
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Impact / Design-Build
SAFETY AT THE PUSH OF A BUTTON Michael Baker uses design-build to quickly deliver more than 70 safety projects for the Florida Department of Transportation
Design-build is an innovative approach to construction in which the owner or client contracts with the designer and primary contractor as a team, rather than as separate entities. This contrasts with the more traditional design-bid-build approach, where the client must wait for completion of the design before soliciting construction bids, a process that can add months — even years — to a project and substantially delay completion. When the designer and contractor work as a unit, form and function are complementary. That collaboration typically results in fewer surprises during the build, meaning fewer cost overruns and contract modifications as well as smoother, quicker delivery. The Design-Build Institute of America calls this tool the fastest-growing approach in the construction industry, delivering nearly half the nation’s projects, with growth expected to continue at 18 percent through 2021. For all that, design-build often has been reserved for multifaceted, multiyear initiatives where collaboration between designer and contractor can save huge chunks of money and time. Would design-build be as effective in more straightforward, short-term projects? The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) District 7 bet that it would when it engaged Michael Baker International and Florida Safety Contractors, Inc. as the design-build team for an on-call contract that ultimately would span dozens of projects, most of them aimed at improving motorist and pedestrian safety. Florida Safety is
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quite prominent in the Sunshine State for installing traffic signals, street lighting, roadway signage and intelligent traffic systems, so the fit with Michael Baker — a design-build leader — was ideal. FDOT called the contract a “Design-Build Push Button (DBPB)” agreement because the agency would activate projects quickly, as if by pushing a button. That term, however, may be somewhat misleading. First, District 7 spans five counties — Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas — that include such bustling cities as Tampa, St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Dunedin, Largo, New Port Richey and Brooksville. Those towns boast a combined population of nearly one million, a total typically swelled by tourists. Thus, the highway network is sprawling and heavily trafficked. “It is one of the most heavily populated areas in Florida,” says Beth Steimle, P.E., Office Executive for Michael Baker in Tampa. “You have to integrate your work with lots of people and activities.” Moreover, many of the projects involved meticulous planning, while others introduced cutting-edge technology. Says Matt Nance, District 7 Safety Study Engineer: “They definitely were short-turnaround projects to be designed and built within a year of the date of execution. We tried to avoid anything that would need rights of way or have significant utility impacts that would make the project unattainable, and the team performed detailed constructability analyses to avoid unforeseen issues in the field.”
Safety at the Push of a Button
High-Intensity Activated Crosswalk Beacons (HAWKS) protect students by giving them the power to stop traffic and cross safely.
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Impact / Design-Build
“We implemented various innovative technologies, such as green bike lanes that emphasize conflict areas for cyclists and vehicles. We are always looking for the next, best thing we can implement.” Funded by $30 million in federal and state financing, the initiatives — which reached interstate highways, city and county roads, and pedestrian and bicycle corridors — featured diverse safety solutions that included traffic signal installations, ITS infrastructure, dynamic message signs, offset left turn lanes, high-friction pavement overlays, audible/vibratory pavement markings, overhead/ cantilevered guide signs, lighting enhancements and ADA intersection upgrades. Among the most innovative projects were: • Rapid Rectangular Flashing Beacon (RRFB) design and installation on six-lane Busch Boulevard, the first RRFB in District 7. RRFBs are midblock crosswalks activated when a pedestrian approaches the crosswalk and pushes a button to initiate overhead and postmounted flashing beacons. These, in turn, alert drivers to the pedestrian and direct motorists to yield. The RRFB addressed recurring pedestrian safety issues on the busy boulevard. • Wrong-Way Driving Countermeasures — signage and pavement markings — designed and installed at I-4, I-75 and I-275 interchanges to prevent drivers from entering the wrong direction of traffic flow. This $630,000 initiative, the most ambitious of the DBPB, was extremely timely because the Tampa metro area had experienced several wrong-way crashes within a span of a few months. • High-Intensity Activated Crosswalk Beacons (HAWKS) designed and installed on Hillsborough Avenue to better protect student pedestrian traffic. HAWKs differ from RRFBs in that when activated by a pedestrian, the signal turns red to bring vehicular traffic to a full stop.
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Says Kevin Fielder, P.E., Michael Baker’s Project Manager throughout the DBPB: “The RRFBs and HAWKS were the most interesting initiatives because they used newer types of technology related to pedestrian safety.”
Everybody Knew Everything That Was Going On A successful design-build approach requires constant communication and close collaboration among the client, the designer and the contractor — and that is precisely what the principals brought to the DBPB. “We had two coordination meetings per week — one for the FDOT design staff, one for their construction staff,” Fielder says. “The contractor and I attended both. Everything was interrelated; everybody knew everything that was going on. The contractor would attend initial field visits, and our engineering staff visited the field during construction. Having a contractor on board while you are designing is really an advantage.” That teamwork, says Brian Russell, P.E., Office Executive for Michael Baker in Jacksonville, yielded major savings for FDOT. “Procurement is so time-consuming for agencies,” Russell notes. “It takes three or four people out of their daily jobs to meet with consultants, grade proposals, conduct interviews, debrief on them. They spend an enormous amount of time and dollars on that. With this concept, you do all that once for lots of projects. You do not have to do it multiple times.” Fielder’s leadership on the DBPB contract also was an interesting and important part of the story. An engineer for Michael Baker who lived and worked in Jacksonville, Fielder relocated to Tampa for the DBPB assignment, his first as a project manager. He was so committed to the task that he and his wife sold their Jacksonville home and purchased another in Tampa to be close to the action.
Design-Build / Impact
“I was ready to take the next step up to project management,” Fielder recalls. “I turned down the offer initially, but when we looked at it through the career lens, it was a no-brainer. Running a design-build project takes a long time. You need to be very proactive, and there are very few down times. For me, it was a lesson in time and staff management and in balancing work and personal life.”
Had we taken the traditional route, it may have taken five to six years before we were even starting to address the problem. Here, we saw that cut by 65 to 70 percent. That was definitely significant. — Matt Nance, District 7 Safety Study Engineer, FDOT
“This was my first project as manager, and it probably was more challenging than what many will experience on their first assignment,” Fielder says. “We succeeded primarily because of our team. We had a really good corporatelevel support team that led me through some difficult challenges.” If the DBPB confirmed the applicability of design-build to short-term or pop-up projects, it also demonstrated something just as important — the dedication and mobility of Michael Baker’s talented personnel and the career advancement opportunities afforded them. Fielder, who seized one of those opportunities, spent three years on-site to get the job done. He is back in Jacksonville now, with irreplaceable experience under his belt.
Shortening the Process up to 70 Percent In all, the team completed more than 70 projects under the DBPB umbrella, with outstanding results across the board. Even beyond the savings Russell describes, the design-build approach dramatically reduced delivery times. Confirms Nance: “Had we taken the traditional route, it may have taken five to six years before we were even starting to address the problem. Here, we saw that cut by 65 to 70 percent. That was definitely significant.” “It certainly validates design-build on the safety side. Safety is paramount to our vision here. Whenever we are able to implement things quicker and save lives, that is the most beneficial thing we can do.” Other highway designers and contractors, based on the achievements of the DBPB contract, are adapting the model for their own use. “This was one of the early implementations of the push button contract concept,” Russell says. “Now, it is being utilized by cities, counties and other government agencies.”
Michael Baker delivered more than 70 safety projects for FDOT.
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BUILDING A NEW BENCHMARK
Successfully navigating design challenges to set a new standard for U.S. Navy Lodging
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The 103,831-square-foot Navy Gateway Inns & Suites incorporates the best trends and innovations in the hospitality industry.
Design-Build / Impact
The location, beautifully placed on a scenic stretch of Coasters Harbor, presented a number of challenges and opportunities for Michael Baker International to address as lead designer and primary client conduit for the Navy Gateway Inns & Suites (NGIS) hotel in Newport, Rhode Island. Along a coastal edge, the effect of tides needed to be addressed. Placed in a frosty corner of New England, extreme temperatures had to be considered. And with the U.S. Navy serving as the client, even greater considerations such as antiterrorism elements and personnel protection had to be priorities. In the end, each of those challenges — and more — were surmounted, resulting in the new hotel, which now stands as the standard for all NGIS facilities worldwide. Michael Baker relied heavily on the design-build process for the Newport NGIS, according to Project Manager and Vice President of Architecture Joseph Chaffin, AIA. “We had a team that worked well and was experienced and talented to approach a project like this,” Chaffin explained. “This Navy opportunity was unique. With most projects, the client provides a document illustrating design intent, but this was different. The Navy said it would benefit from outside perspectives, since Newport represented a worldwide lodging program prototype that needed to be comparable to the commercial hospitality market.”
Why the Navy Chose Design–Build “Design-build is very important from a collaborative architectural perspective,” Chaffin said. “Michael Baker has been executing designbuild work for decades with federal government projects. In the case of Newport, the client realized they could be more efficient in procurement, design and construction by managing those functions simultaneously. We have developed relationships with national contractors, leading to a more integrated approach. It is important to not
design in a vacuum, and design-build represents a more fluid process because we are evaluating solutions and making decisions collectively.” The 103,831-square-foot Newport NGIS includes 194 guest rooms, six guest suites, front-ofhouse public areas, back-of-house support areas and corresponding site development, utility infrastructure, landscaping, parking, exterior terrace and amenities. The project achieved LEED® Silver certification and is a first of its kind for the Navy. It improves the quality of the guest experience, incorporating the latest and best trends and innovations the hospitality industry has to offer. Situated on a very prominent location with respect to the surrounding greater Newport area, the NGIS benefited from Michael Baker’s coordinated site and architectural design to maximize the building’s appeal to the surrounding community and visitors. For guests, the design features views of the harbor and marina and creates exterior space opportunities. The project establishes a “signature” image for future NGIS facilities, with an angled, seven-story L-shape configuration integrated into the site and oriented toward Coasters Harbor, featuring landscaped, terraced exterior patios extending the two-story lobby lounge toward water views.
Naval Station Newport is unlike any other Navy Gateway Inns & Suites and has become a benchmark of what can be done for our mobile military forces. — Norman Aurland, Regional Lodging Program Director, U.S. Navy Region Mid-Atlantic “Naval Station (NS) Newport is unlike any other Navy Gateway Inns & Suites and has become a benchmark of what can be done for our mobile military forces,” said Norman Aurland, CLM, CHFE, Regional Lodging Program Director, Navy Region Mid-Atlantic, and primary client contact on the NGIS project.
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Impact / Design-Build
“When designing and building NS Newport, our goal was to design it like a hotel; however, we also were required to comply with all of the Navy’s guidelines for construction,” said Aurland. “This in itself added features that may not be found in a civilian hotel simply because it is on a Navy installation. Future projects will without a doubt use the design features developed in this project.”
Green by Design LEED strategies and energy-reduction concepts were incorporated into the design to comply with UFC 1-200-02 High Performance and Sustainable Building Requirements. The project easily exceeds Energy Policy Act (EPAct 2005) standards by 46.6 percent (30 percent required) and achieved 23.7 percent savings per LEED. Energy modeling software helped determine the optimal design solution for this building configuration. Additional sustainable strategies include a 35 percent reduction in water usage and reduced hot water demand, low volatile organic compounds (VOC) materials, reflective “cool” roofing and native plantings. In addition, all spaces throughout the facility were designed to
Landscaped, terraced exterior patios extended views of the waterfront.
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maximize the admission of natural light and views, a key sustainability concept incorporated into the design for LEED® Silver certification. “With design-build and architecture in general, every project is custom,” Chaffin noted. “As the project moves forward, we are always encountering new challenges in sustainability, energy, climate zone and the exterior envelope of the building, among other things.”
Collaborating for Solutions “At Newport, potential storm surge and wave action became a serious consideration,” Chaffin said. “We needed to understand how the foundation could withstand coastal erosion. Prescriptive environmental considerations regarding the coastal edge of the site became critical. To help our team understand the wave action and tidal surges at the Newport site, we consulted with our associates in Michael Baker’s Virginia Beach office. With that understanding in hand, we could then better work with our contracting partners to get the most innovative system developed and built.”
Building A New Benchmark
All spaces were designed to maximize natural light and views, a key sustainability concept.
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Impact / Design-Build
Future Navy projects will use design features developed in this project.
Other steps taken on the Newport site during the design-build process included relocating plantings to protect native species, working around potential environmental contaminants by shifting the placement of the building itself and successfully contending with a rough winter along the coast of Rhode Island. Winter conditions, with extreme low temperatures and snow, meant working with the contractor during construction to augment systems to help stay on schedule, protect the integrity of the project and — most of all — to keep everyone safe. In one instance, the protective weather barrier continuous around the periphery of the structure had to be changed to a different thickness and strength to withstand the harsh winter conditions so work could continue inside. “Projects take on lives of their own,” Chaffin said. “The Newport NGIS took five years from bid to completion. Our experience here helps the design-build process continue to evolve and today allows us to demonstrate an expanded
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design perspective. We are interdisciplinary with architecture, interior design, comprehensive building engineering of all disciplines, all working together. We have an entire network of expertise across our Company, which proved to be extremely valuable with the Newport project.”
Delivering Excellence “Especially with federal projects like this one, evaluations are critical,” Chaffin explained. “If you have a poor performance score on one project, representatives from any other branch of the service can see that.” On the official Navy Past Performance Questionnaire for the Newport NGIS project, Michael Baker received “Excellent” marks in 16 of 19 pertinent subjects, with the remaining three earning “Very Good” scores, proving once again how — despite the challenges of tides, temperatures and tight security — design-build enables solutions to complex problems and can even set a new standard of excellence.
Design-Build / Impact
CLIENT CORNER What makes the Newport project so important to the Navy? Naval Station (NS) Newport is a command that hosts a number of schools for Navy mission training. All officers will at one time pass through NS Newport and many of them multiple times. It was determined in 2009 that NS Newport would be the first location for a new facility.
What were the expectations regarding security, access and sustainability and creating a template for more NGIS projects? Current NGIS facilities throughout the Navy were built over the years as barracks and then converted to a hotel environment in the 1970s. The goal with NS Newport was to create a facility that could be duplicated at other installations by increasing or decreasing the actual size, while remaining with the principal concepts. When designing the new facility, we looked at a number of situations in regard to security and access. With it being located on a Naval Station, guest privacy and security remain a commitment of ours.
Norman Aurland, CLM, CHFE, Regional Lodging Program Director, Navy Region Mid-Atlantic and NGIS project lead, shares his perspective on what makes this project unique.
Guests staying at NS Newport are amazed with what has been provided. NS Newport hosts many high-ranking visits throughout the year and is also host to many foreign officers and dignitaries. How has the Newport facility been received by visitors and Naval leadership? Guests staying at NS Newport are amazed with what has been provided. NS Newport hosts many high-ranking visits throughout the year and is also host to many foreign officers and dignitaries. All have commented on the design and the amenities of this facility. In addition to the Navy Gateway Inns & Suites, NS Newport has another 400 rooms on the base that have been upgraded and renovated. When a guest is not assigned to NGIS, they are often disappointed at first. However, when they arrive at their assigned room in other buildings, they reap the benefits of the new facility as we have incorporated many of the same interior design features into those renovations.
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Breaking Ground / Design-Build
CREATIVE PRECISION WITH I-10
The collaborative design-build process behind the recently launched Interstate 10 highway project in Southern California is already running in the fast lane
The phrase “threading the needle” has multiple meanings. Its literal meaning is to guide a piece of thread through the eye of a sewing needle. Its social meaning is to skillfully navigate a complex situation — such as Michael Baker International’s current $672.9 million Interstate 10 Corridor Express Lane design-build project in Southern California.
Michael Baker also is responsible for roadway, structure, drainage, maintenance of traffic, intelligent transportation systems, tolling design, landscape architecture and survey activities. The San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA), California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and numerous municipalities along the route are involved in the project.
The project includes widening an 11-mile stretch of high-volume, high-speed, multilane freeway for a new tolled Express Lane facility – through a heavily populated area with hundreds of commercial and retail properties bordering both sides – while still keeping five lanes in each direction open at all times, and doing it cost-efficiently, time-efficiently and safely.
While construction is not expected to begin until early 2020—and wrap up in 2023—Michael Baker’s diverse 80-member project team has been hard at work for months leveraging experts from across the country and from multiple disciplines including highway, bridge, drainage, landscape architecture, survey/GIT and permitting to coordinate this integrated effort.
To accommodate the added Express Lanes, the project proposes to widen or replace 20 bridge structures, including six overcrossing replacements, two undercrossing replacements, seven undercrossing widenings and five bridge widenings over channels. The project adds 81 retaining walls of various types, including subhorizontal ground anchor walls, soldier pile walls, soil nail walls, standard walls and sound wall barriers.
“This is quite a large project, with many moving parts,” said Roadway Design Lead Danny Walden, P.E., in Michael Baker’s Ontario, California, office. “One unique aspect is the full removal and replacement of the outside two lanes in both directions as part of the project. This has added complexities to the sequencing of the project construction and the handling of vehicular traffic through the work area. Also, a number of thirdparty utilities need to be relocated, making this a challenging project for design and construction.”
As lead designer, Michael Baker is responsible for managing the overall design process, which includes ensuring that the design meets the schedule and established design criteria, as well as interfacing directly with the design-build contractor, Lane-Security Paving Joint Venture (LSPJV), to integrate design and construction.
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I-10 is a vital transportation route, carrying more than 263,000 vehicles each day. As the region continues to grow, travel demands will exceed the capacity of the transportation corridor, causing an increase in delays, accidents and congestion. By 2045, daily traffic will increase to 350,000 vehicles, a level the current corridor is not designed to accommodate.
I-10 is a vital transportation route, projected to carry 350,000 vehicles each day by 2045.
Across the Continuum: I-10
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Breaking Ground / Design-Build
Partnering for Success
The I-10 corridor project is critical to our region to reduce congestion at a time when we are growing faster than ever. — Mike Barnum, SBCTA Representative “The I-10 corridor project is critical to our region to reduce congestion at a time when we are growing faster than ever,” said Mike Barnum, SBCTA Representative. “We are excited to be working with the Federal Highway Administration, Caltrans, LSPJV and Michael Baker’s design team on this important project.” “This project represents our ability to deliver the ‘next level’ transportation infrastructure project in size and complexity, as well as our ability to execute a large complex design-build project,” said Malcolm Dougherty, P.E., National Practice Lead - Transportation. “Southern California stakeholders and the industry nationally took notice and it will lead us to greater opportunities to work on impactful transportation improvements across the country in the future.” “We are excited to be involved in this project, which will add options for congestion management through this very busy corridor,” said Jonathan Den Hartog, Supervising Transportation Engineer at Caltrans. “We are coming off a very successful design-build project with SBCTA and are hoping to replicate that success with the I-10 project. Maintaining traffic flow through the construction zone, once the project is underway, will probably be one of the more challenging aspects, but we are looking to harness the ideas and input of the team to keep the impacts to area motorists as few and as unobtrusive as possible.”
“Fortunately for us, we have had a working relationship with Caltrans even before we got the notice to proceed on this project,” said Michael Baker’s Technical Design Manager Terry Ogle, P.E. “As the initial technical drawings were shown, I was impressed with the level of expertise and willingness to work with us on specifics. Taking such a practical approach through the designbuild process has been beneficial.” A Technical Working Group holds weekly meetings with Caltrans and SBCTA, where specific topics in need of answers can be aired and addressed, said Ogle. “It is an opportunity to really roll up our sleeves, throw out possible solutions and ideas for discussion,” he said. “We understand what the client is after, and it has been very good to work with them to meet the needs of their constituents.” “Although we are early in project development, having the entire team colocated at one office has allowed us to form relationships that will help the project be successful,” said Jason McLear, LSPJV District Manager. The Michael Baker team highlighted one part of the overall project as especially challenging – the Sixth Street Bridge. “The Sixth Street Bridge is unique because of how it skews across the freeway on an angle and the proximity of residences and local streets relative to each end of the bridge,” explained Steve Huff, P.E., Michael Baker’s Regional Practice Lead – Transportation, who also serves as the lead client contact for the project. “That makes it challenging for a number of reasons – bridge depth, vertical clearance, impact on local properties and roads – in how it needs to be designed and built.” While the final plans are still being worked out, a potential solution the collaborative designercontractor team has identified through the designbuild process calls for a spliced-girder construction over the freeway. “That is a big deal because it is
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Design-Build / Breaking Ground
out of the norm and not something that everyone is immediately familiar with,” said Huff. “It brings a heightened level of attention. However, in working with LSPJV, SBCTA and Caltrans, this solution is expected to work best.” That sort of out-of-the-ordinary, innovative thinking can blossom most effectively when all minds involved in a problem can openly and frankly contribute. The design-build approach has been proven to create and foster that exact environment. The importance of relationships among organizations and individuals around the design-build table cannot be understated, and the I-10 project enjoys numerous tightknit relationships – which enhance trust and collaboration. “The prior connections present among the players on this project have proven to be invaluable,” said Huff. “It starts with our team’s experience having successfully worked with Caltrans District 8 in San Bernardino, California, for several years and extends to the many individuals representing SBTCA as the project sponsor. With these
The prior connections present among the players on this project have proven to be invaluable. — Steve Huff, P.E., Regional Practice Lead – Transportation, Michael Baker relationships and expertise from so many other design-build projects and experiences, our presence on this project adds a lot of credibility.” “There are so many advantages design-build brings to the table,” Ogle said. “The agencies start with a project concept, then we bring in the design-build aspects. Designers and contractors work through a complex staging of how to do the job, analyzing and thinking things through together. The beauty and benefit of design-build is that you get that back-and-forth energy. Projects can move faster working alongside each other. It is a good formula to get things done.” Even when – and perhaps especially when – you have to thread such a complex, intricate, economically vital needle as Interstate 10.
The 1-10 project includes widening an 11-mile stretch of high-volume, high-speed freeway.
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Across the Continuum / Design-Build
CHAIRMAN’S AWARD RECOGNIZES COLLEAGUES WHO EXEMPLIFY EXCELLENCE Michael Baker International’s Chairman’s Award, our Company’s highest honor, was established in 2018 to recognize employees who exemplify our Wolf Pack philosophy — that we are stronger together — and who performed noteworthy work, embodied our “We Make a Difference” culture and challenged the status quo to deliver results. In April 2019, Chairman Thomas J. Campbell named three outstanding colleagues as this year’s Chairman’s Award winners. Kirsten Bowen, P.E., Regional Practice Lead – Surface Transportation (Cleveland, Ohio), was recognized for her leadership with colleagues and for her willingness to take on new assignments to ensure client success. “It is a very humbling experience to think that my colleagues who nominated me had so much faith in me and my work,” said Bowen. Bowen was nominated by Kenton Zinn, P.E., S.E., Regional Director, Great Lakes.
Chadwick D. Huffines, P.E., North Carolina Construction Services Manager/Office Manager (Greensboro, North Carolina), was recognized for his passion, commitment and humility that has fueled growth in North Carolina. “I felt blessed and honored to be considered for this award. Our clients trust us to provide a service for them, and we have a great partnership,” said Huffines. Huffines was nominated by Dwain Hathaway, P.E., Office Executive, Cary, North Carolina.
Edward La Guardia, P.E., Chief Engineer – Railroad and Transit (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), was recognized for his integrity and desire to collaborate with others. “I love our culture, and that is what is so engaging about working here and what draws the passion out of me and the people whom I work with,” said La Guardia. La Guardia was nominated by Eric Frary, P.E., Office Executive, Philadelphia.
CEO left, with Edward La Guardia, Kirsten Bowen, 3 0 Brian / S I GA.NLutes, AT U R E - S U M M E R 2 0 1 9 Chadwick D. Huffines and Chairman Thomas J. Campbell.
Design-Build / Across the Continuum
Left to right, Edward La Guardia, Tanya Bilezikjian, John Harris, Richard Beck, Kirsten Bowen, Francesco Russo, CEO Brian A. Lutes, Chairman Thomas J. Campbell, Chadwick D. Huffines, Garrett Yager, Lori A. Stump-Ganter and Tommy Montgomery
Mr. Campbell also recognized our outstanding finalists who contribute so much to our Company:
Tommy Montgomery, P.E., Office Executive (Norcross, Georgia)
Richard Beck, CEP, PWS, CERP, CPESC, Practice Executive, Planning and GIS (Santa Ana, California)
Francesco Russo, Ph.D., P.E., Technical Director – Bridge Engineering (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
Tanya Bilezikjian, P.E., Department Manager, Water (Ontario, California)
Lori A. Stump-Ganter, Director of Continuous Improvement (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
John Harris, P.E., CQM, Department Manager, Water Resources (San Diego, California)
Garrett Yager, P.E., Department Manager, Surface Water (Anchorage, Alaska)
We extend our thanks and admiration to each of our Chairman’s Award winners and finalists, as well as their nominators, for inspiring us to always aim higher and for their continued contributions to our Company. We Make a Difference
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Across the Continuum / Design-Build
NEW LEADERS REAFFIRM OUR COMMITMENT TO INVESTING IN TALENT Brian G. May Senior Vice President and National Market Lead, Air Force
Air Force Leader Expands Our Focus on Federal Projects Michael Baker International is strengthening our commitment to serving the U.S. government and the Department of Defense with the addition of Brian G. May as Senior Vice President and National Market Lead, Air Force. May increases our presence in Federal Markets and leverages his track record of leadership with our client service teams, local offices and market leads to develop both tactical plans and strategic positioning for key opportunities.
Prior to joining Michael Baker, May served as the General Manager of Government Electronic Benefits Transfer Services at Solutran Inc., a financial and payment processing services firm. In this role, he led business development, project execution, operations and client engagement related to payment processing services for government-funded Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programs. May retired from the U.S. Air Force in 2017 at the rank of Colonel after 25 years of military service as a civil engineer, including leadership experience in installation planning, capital investment decisionmaking and facility design and construction. Prior to his retirement, he served as Director of Facility Engineering at the Air Force Civil Engineer Center (AFCEC) in San Antonio, Texas, where he led a staff of 150 engineers and project managers in the oversight of a $10 billion worldwide design and construction portfolio, executed on-time and on budget.
Baker’s Planning staff throughout the Company, to deliver integrated and innovative solutions that are sustainable, resilient and inclusive. Nicolaas Veraart, AICP, ASLA, ENV SP National Practice Lead, Planning
Growing Our Planning Practice Nicolaas Veraart, AICP, ASLA, ENV SP, has joined Michael Baker International as National Practice Lead for Planning. Veraart engages closely with federal, state and local clients, as well as Michael
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Veraart will play a leading role growing our Planning practice to serve our clients and ensuring our work is executed with a high level of excellence. With his more than 30 years of industry experience, Veraart brings to Michael Baker a wealth of knowledge in planning and national regulatory practices, most recently as Vice President of Louis Berger.
Design-Build / Across the Continuum
Suad Cisic, P.E. National Practice Lead, Water
Leading Our Growth in Water To help facilitate the ongoing growth of Michael Baker International’s Water practice, the Company has hired Suad Cisic, P.E., as National Practice Lead for Water. In this role, Cisic engages in extensive client outreach and close collaboration with lead Water staff throughout the Company.
Cisic will play a significant role in maintaining quality on Water projects and ensuring our work is executed with a high level of efficiency and technical excellence. He also will serve as an industry expert and provide his insight, thought leadership and hands-on experience to clients and colleagues across the full spectrum of Michael Baker’s Water capabilities. Cisic brings more than 30 years of experience in business development and operations of complex engineering projects and programs to Michael Baker. Most recently, he served as Director of Business Development for Water and Environment at WSP USA, an engineering and professional services firm.
Area and Office Leaders Driving Success
Thomas Post, P.E. Area Executive, Northern California Thomas Post, P.E., has joined Michael Baker as Area Executive, focusing on growing our operations across all practices in Northern California, Reno and Seattle. He works closely with colleagues to leverage resources across the region to increase market share, oversee project delivery and continue to develop and expand the team. Post joins Michael Baker with 35 years of transportation design and construction experience, including most recently as the Director of Engineering for the California High Speed Rail Authority, where he managed a team of 65 bridge and civil design engineers, planning staff and CADD technicians.
Joseph R. Catalano, P.E. Vice President and Office Executive, Chicago In Illinois, Joseph R. Catalano, P.E., joined Michael Baker as Vice President and Office Executive for the Chicago office. In this role, he oversees the growth of the firm’s portfolio of business in the Chicagoland area and provides operational management, staff management and production/ project oversight for the office. For more than 30 years, Catalano has applied his engineering, management and leadership expertise to transportation projects for numerous clients throughout Illinois and the Midwest. Most recently, he was the Consultant Owner’s Representative Executive for the Illinois Tollway’s $4 billion I-294 Central Tri-State Reconstruction project, a program aimed to increase capacity and improve travel reliability over 22 miles of the Illinois Tollway’s most-traveled interstate.
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Across the Continuum / Design-Build
Area and Office Leaders Driving Success (continued)
Lydia Grose Vice President and Office Executive, Philadelphia To lead our growing Philadelphia operation, Michael Baker has added Lydia Grose as Vice President and Office Executive. She leverages her more than 30 years of experience in the transportation industry within the greater Philadelphia region to strengthen and expand the firm’s core business in the area, grow client relationships and identify and secure new business opportunities. Grose will bring her standard of excellence to the work we deliver for our clients and the communities we serve. Since 1985, Ms. Grose has been a key member of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), where she most recently served as Director of Engineering and Design and established a well-known record of success and leadership in the Pennsylvania transportation sector.
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Michael J. Hall, P.E. Vice President and Office Executive, Newark In New Jersey, Michael J. Hall, P.E., has joined Michael Baker as Vice President and Office Executive of the Newark office. His proven track record leading projects and teams, winning new work, developing staff and balancing resource requirements across projects and groups complements our continued growth in the Northeast. Hall has 30 years of experience delivering large-scale and complex infrastructure projects around the world. His work in New York includes the delivery of several Resiliency Projects for New York City Transit following Hurricane Sandy, as well as terminal demolition and reinstatement work at JFK International Airport. He also has extensive design-build experience both as an Employers’ Adviser for government agencies and as a Lead Designer for Contractors. Most recently, Hall was Associate Principal at Arup, where he led the Civil Engineering Group in the New York office and was the Americas Region Highway Skills Leader.
At Michael Baker International, we invest in our team members, allowing individuals at every step of their journey — from early career professionals to those at the top of their field — to excel and deliver on challenging, rewarding work and take their careers to the next level with us. Since the beginning of the year, more than 400 employees in our Wolf Pack have earned a promotion.
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Across the Continuum / Design-Build
MICHAEL BAKER SHINES BRIGHT IN ACEC SPOTLIGHT Five Michael Baker International teams were honored in May at the Engineering Excellence Awards, a national juried competition sponsored by the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC). Michael Baker’s Delaware River Bridge Emergency Response team earned a National Honor Award for its work on this bridge project, the largest ever in the United States to use nondestructive testing and materials testing to assess a damaged steel bridge.
Four Michael Baker teams also earned National Recognition Awards: Lakefront West – Mainline in Cleveland, Ohio; Nexton Parkway Interchange in Berkeley, South Carolina; Hartford Line Station Design in New Haven, Connecticut, and Springfield, Massachusetts; and Lake Bridges in Marshall and Trigg Counties, Kentucky.
ACEC/PA Elects Frary as Board President Michael Baker’s Eric Frary, P.E., will serve a oneyear term as the new President of the ACEC/ PA Board of Directors. ACEC/PA is a nonprofit
Michael Baker’s Renee Tison, P.E., Department Manager – Roadway; Stephen Ross, P.E., Department Manager – Structures; Chou-Yu Yong, P.E., Technical Manager – Bridge; Aaron Stover, P.E., Director – Bridge; Kirsten Bowen, P.E., Regional Practice Lead – Surface Transportation; Steven Gravlin, P.E., Office Manager – Detroit and Kimberly Guice, P.E., Engineer – Bridge at the ACEC Awards.
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organization devoted exclusively to the promotion and enhancement of the business interests and profitability of engineering firms with offices in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Frary brings more than 25 years of experience in the transportation industry, including the last 20 years with Michael Baker, where he serves as Vice President and Office Executive for our Philadelphia operation, which includes offices in Allentown, Fort Washington and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. “I am beyond grateful to be elected as the new board president of ACEC/PA,” said Frary. “I look forward to continuing the advancement of this incredible organization across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania during the next year.” “Eric Frary brings significant experience in engineering, transportation and advocacy. We are excited to work with him in the upcoming year on our industry’s challenges, issues and priorities,” said Leeann Sherman, ACEC/PA Executive Director. Frary earned his Master of Engineering degree in Environmental Engineering from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, and his Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
Shravya Markandeya, P.E., PTOE, PTP Senior Engineer– Traffic & ITS
Michael Baker’s Shravya Markandeya Named ACEC New York Young Professional of the Year Congratulations to Shravya Markandeya, P.E., PTOE, PTP, Senior Engineer-Traffic & ITS, in our White Plains, New York, office, who was recently chosen as ACEC/New York Young Professional of the Year, which promotes the accomplishments of young engineers by highlighting their engineering contributions and the resulting impact on society. Markandeya has more than 10 years of experience designing and leading numerous traffic engineering and transportation planning projects in the Northeast region. Her experience includes transportation management plans, arterial and intersection traffic analyses, feasibility studies, traffic signal design, traffic impact studies, Work Zone Traffic Control design, traffic control devices, and accident and safety analyses. She has worked on numerous regionally significant projects including the $8 billion LaGuardia redevelopment program, for which she was an expert reviewer of the traffic analysis performed for the project. ACEC New York will recognize Markandeya at an upcoming Emerging Leaders event. Highlighting her impact on the transportation design industry, Markandeya was recently named to Engineering News-Record (ENR) New York’s Top Young Professionals list, which showcases 40 rising leaders from the New York area. She also was selected as a Women in Construction ambassador at New York Build, the largest construction and design show in New York.
Michael Baker teams earned four ACEC National Recognition Awards.
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Our Commitment to Excellence
OUR COMMITMENT TO
EXCELLENCE TO OUR CLIENTS…
We believe in building strong, long-term relationships that put your needs and aspirations first. We will move mountains to leverage our full continuum of expertise, experience and innovation — with respect and integrity — to help you solve your most complex problems. We will serve as your change agents and trusted advisers, guiding you and your communities through transformational change.
WE DELIVER PERFORMANCE.
TO OUR EMPLOYEES… We cultivate a culture of excellence that fosters collaboration, career development, diversity, creativity, differentiating innovation and an impassioned entrepreneurial spirit. We will invest in your education and training. We will seek opportunities for you to develop your careers. We will reward innovation, teamwork and leadership.
WE DELIVER CAREERS.
TO THE COMMUNITIES WE SERVE… We care deeply about the communities we serve. We will give you our best as we deliver improved quality of life, peace of mind and a more prosperous future. We also are dedicated to giving back around the world with our time, talents and financial support to lift up those in need. You represent our families, neighbors and friends.
WE DELIVER A HELPING HAND.
We Make a Difference
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We Make a Difference
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We Make a Difference
MICHAEL BAKER INTERNATIONAL 500 Grant Street | Suite 5400 Pittsburgh, PA 15219
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MBAKERINTL.COM